Japan 2008

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

The two big games in J1 over the weekend - Kashima Antlers against Gamba Osaka and the Saitama derby between Urawa Reds and Omiya Ardija - both ended 0-0, enabling Nagoya Grampus to stretch their lead to three points. But Dragan Stojkovic's team had to come from behind to beat JEF United... form team FC Tokyo won 4-2 against Kawasaki Frontale to go third... at the bottom, Albirex Niigata got their first win of the year, although opponents Kyoto Sanga had three players and their coach sent off... it could hardly be closer in J2, as last week's frontrunners Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Sagan Tosu both lost - nine teams are now within three points of first place Sanfrecce... bizarrely, their win over Mito Hollyhock means that Tokushima Vortis are about the most consistent team in the division...



Not even a joint magazine with the Hiroshima Carp baseball team can help Sanfrecce win

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 7

FC Tokyo 4-2 Kawasaki
Jubilo 1-1 Oita
Kashima 0-0 Gamba
Kashiwa 5-1 Verdy
Kobe 1-1 Sapporo
Marinos 1-1 S-Pulse
Nagoya 3-2 JEF
Niigata 1-0 Kyoto
Urawa 0-0 Omiya

******************

1. Nagoya 19 (+9)
2. Kashima 16 (+10)
3. FC Tokyo 14 (+2)
4. Marinos 13 (+4)
5. Urawa 13 (+4)
6. Gamba 12 (+1)
7. Omiya 11 (+4)
8. Kyoto 11 (+1)
9. Kashiwa 10 (+2)
10. Kobe 9 (+2)
11. Oita 8 (-1)
12. Kawasaki 8 (-2)
13. Jubilo 7 (-1)
14. Sapporo 7 (-6)
15. S-Pulse 5 (-5)
- - - - - - - - -
16. Niigata 5 (-7)
----------------
17. Verdy 4 (-8)
18. JEF 2 (-9)

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 8

Cerezo 1-0 Kumamoto
Ehime 1-1 Sendai
Fukuoka 2-0 Tosu
Gifu 2-3 Yokohama FC
Hiroshima 1-2 Kofu
Kusatsu 1-1 Yamagata
Tokushima 2-0 Mito

******************

1. Hiroshima 14 (+9)
2. Yokohama FC 13 (+3)
-----------------
3. Shonan 12 (+1)
- - - - - - - - -
4. Sendai 12 (+1)
5. Tosu 12 (+1)
6. Cerezo 12 (-2)
7. Gifu 11 (+4)
8. Yamagata 11 (+1)
9. Tokushima 11 (-1)
10. Kofu 10 (-)
11. Fukuoka 10 (-2)
12. Ehime 7 (-3)
13. Mito 6 (-4)
14. Kusatsu 6 (-4)
15. Kumamoto 5 (-4)

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

Masato Yamazaki scored twice for Gamba Osaka as they stayed unbeaten in their Asian Champions League group by beating Melbourne Victory 2-0 on Wednesday evening... but Kashima Antlers lost 1-0 in China and are now only atop Group F on goal difference from Beijing Guoan...



Antlers fans in China remember the spirit of Zico

Group F Scores & Standings @ Round 4

Beijing Guoan 1-0 Kashima Antlers
Nam Dinh 2-2 Krung Thai Bank

1. Kashima Antlers 9 (+14)
-------------------------------
2. Beijing Guoan 9 (+4)
3. Krung Thai Bank 4 (-2)
4. Nam Dinh 1 (-16)

Group G Scores & Standings @ Round 4

Chonburi 2-2 Chunnam Dragons
Gamba Osaka 2-0 Melbourne Victory

1. Gamba Osaka 10 (+4)
-------------------------------
2. Chonburi 5 (+1)
3. Chunnam Dragons 4 (-2)
4. Melbourne Victory 3 (-3)

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

There ain't no doubting the result of the weekend in J1, as a Tokyo Verdy side minus suspended striker Hulk still beat leaders Nagoya Grampus, the Whales' first loss of 2008... Kashima Antlers stay second after conceding a late equaliser at Omiya Ardija... and in third are Urawa Reds, for whom forward Naohiro Takahara scored for the first time since his move from Eintracht Frankfurt, in a rather fortunate 4-0 whumping of Kyoto Sanga... at the bottom, JEF United look in serious trouble and lost for the sixth time in eight games, at home to the barely more impressive Jubilo Iwata... this week it's the turn of Shonan Bellmare and Sagan Tosu to be hot on the heels of J2 leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Tosu won 2-1 against form team Tokushima Vortis and although Shonan conceded two own goals in three minutes, they still managed to beat FC Gifu... Mito Hollyhock put in a tenacious performance to fight back and pick up a point in a 3-3 draw at Vegalta Sendai...



No goals for the absent Hulk today, but a big fat shock of a win for Tokyo Verdy

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 8

JEF 1-2 Jubilo
Kawasaki 3-2 Kashiwa
Kobe 2-1 Gamba
Kyoto 0-4 Urawa
Oita 1-0 Marinos
Omiya 1-1 Kashima
Sapporo 0-1 Niigata
S-Pulse 1-0 FC Tokyo
Verdy 2-0 Nagoya

******************

1. Nagoya 19 (+7)
2. Kashima 17 (+10)
3. Urawa 16 (+8)
4. FC Tokyo 14 (+1)
5. Marinos 13 (+3)
6. Omiya 12 (+4)
7. Kobe 12 (+3)
8. Gamba 12 (-)
9. Oita 11 (-)
10. Kawasaki 11 (-1)
11. Kyoto 11 (-3)
12. Kashiwa 10 (+1)
13. Jubilo 10 (-)
14. S-Pulse 8 (-4)
15. Niigata 8 (-6)
- - - - - - - - - -
16. Verdy 7 (-6)
----------------
17. Sapporo 7 (-7)
18. JEF 2 (-10)

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 9

Kofu 1-0 Ehime
Kumamoto 1-2 Hiroshima
Sendai 3-3 Mito
Shonan 4-2 Gifu
Tosu 2-1 Tokushima
Yamagata 0-0 Fukuoka
Yokohama FC 1-1 Cerezo

******************

1. Hiroshima 17 (+10)
2. Shonan 15 (+3)
-----------------
3. Tosu 15 (+2)
- - - - - - - - - - -
4. Yokohama FC 14 (+3)
5. Sendai 13 (+1)
6. Kofu 13 (+1)
7. Cerezo 13 (-2)
8. Yamagata 12 (+1)
9. Gifu 11 (+2)
10. Tokushima 11 (-2)
11. Fukuoka 11 (-2)
12. Mito 7 (-4)
13. Ehime 7 (-4)
14. Kusatsu 6 (-4)
15. Kumamoto 5 (-5)

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

There's been a full programme of midweek fixtures in the J-League this week and Urawa Reds, weirdly, are now top of J1. Kashima Antlers and Nagoya Grampus are both stuttering, while the Reds are playing not-especially-impressively and winning. Their latest victory came against Consadole Sapporo - a match in which Urawa were twice behind... FC Tokyo continue to impress, while Omiya Ardija and the Shizuoka pair of Jubilo Iwata and Shimizu S-Pulse are all climbing the table... Sanfrecce Hiroshima are now four points clear in J2 after a 4-1 defeat of Tokushima Vortis - none of the other teams are anywhere near consistent enough to challenge them. Big wins for Vegalta Sendai and Cerezo Osaka place them second and third... Roasso Kumamoto moved off the bottom by beating Ventforet Kofu...



Shimizu S-Pulse at Kashiwa Reysol revel in the ghastliness of their away shirts

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 9

FC Tokyo 1-0 Oita
Gamba 2-3 Omiya
Jubilo 2-0 Kyoto
Kashima 2-2 Kobe
Kashiwa 0-2 S-Pulse
Marinos 3-0 JEF
Nagoya 1-2 Kawasaki
Niigata 0-0 Verdy
Urawa 4-2 Sapporo

******************

1. Urawa 19 (+10)
2. Nagoya 19 (+6)
3. Kashima 18 (+10)
4. FC Tokyo 17 (+2)
5. Marinos 16 (+6)
6. Omiya 15 (+5)
7. Kawasaki 14 (-)
8. Kobe 13 (+3)
9. Jubilo 13 (+2)
10. Gamba 12 (-1)
11. Oita 11 (-1)
12. S-Pulse 11 (-2)
13. Kyoto 11 (-5)
14. Kashiwa 10 (-1)
15. Niigata 9 (-6)
- - - - - - - - - -
16. Verdy 8 (-6)
----------------
17. Sapporo 7 (-9)
18. JEF 2 (-13)

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 10

Ehime 1-4 Cerezo
Fukuoka 1-1 Kusatsu
Kumamoto 2-1 Kofu
Mito 1-3 Gifu
Sendai 3-0 Tosu
Tokushima 1-4 Hiroshima
Yamagata 1-0 Shonan

******************

1. Hiroshima 20 (+13)
2. Sendai 16 (+4)
-----------------
3. Cerezo 16 (+1)
- - - - - - - - - - -
4. Shonan 15 (+2)
5. Yamagata 15 (+2)
6. Tosu 15 (-1)
7. Gifu 14 (+4)
8. Yokohama FC 14 (+3)
9. Kofu 13 (-)
10. Fukuoka 12 (-2)
11. Tokushima 11 (-5)
12. Kumamoto 8 (-4)
13. Kusatsu 7 (-4)
14. Mito 7 (-6)
15. Ehime 7 (-7)

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

By the way - the guys who PM'd me about the ORANGE! HAPPY!! FOOTBALL!!! caps. Very sorry, but they're sold out.

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

FC Tokyo won for the fifth time in six J1 matches on Saturday, comfortably beating Omiya Ardija to go joint top. new coach Hiroshi Jofuku may just be overseeing the best-ever FCT side... Kawasaki Frontale are gaining ground after a poor start, while early leaders Kashima Antlers and Nagoya Grampus seem to have lost their touch... the shock of the day was Tokyo Verdy's 3-2 win over Yokohama F Marinos... the recent bankruptcy of one of their main sponsors may cast into doubt the future of Shonan Bellmare, but they moved into third in J2 by overpowering Avispa Fukuoka... Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Cerezo Osaka remain in the top two places after home victories... Ehime FC got their first win in eight to move away from the bottom...



FC Tokyo's Yuya Nagatomi tippy-toes through the Omiya defence

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 10

JEF 0-1 Kashiwa
Kawasaki 3-2 Kashima
Kobe 1-1 Urawa
Kyoto 1-0 Sapporo
Nagoya 1-2 Gamba
Oita 3-1 Niigata
Omiya 0-3 FC Tokyo
S-Pulse 1-1 Jubilo
Verdy 3-2 Marinos

******************

1. Urawa 20 (+10)
2. FC Tokyo 20 (+5)
3. Nagoya 19 (+5)
4. Kashima 18 (+9)
5. Kawasaki 17 (+1)
6. Marinos 16 (+5)
7. Omiya 15 (+2)
8. Gamba 15 (-)
9. Kobe 14 (+3)
10. Jubilo 14 (+2)
11. Oita 14 (+1)
12. Kyoto 14 (-4)
13. Kashiwa 13 (-)
14. S-Pulse 12 (-2)
15. Verdy 11 (-5)
- - - - - - - - - -
16. Niigata 9 (-8)
-----------------
17. Sapporo 7 (-10)
18. JEF 2 (-14)

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 11

Cerezo 1-0 Tokushima
Gifu 0-3 Ehime
Hiroshima 1-0 Yamagata
Kusatsu 0-0 Kofu
Shonan 4-0 Fukuoka
Tosu 3-0 Mito
Yokohama FC 5-0 Kumamoto

******************

1. Hiroshima 23 (+14)
2. Cerezo 19 (+2)
-----------------
3. Shonan 18 (+6)
- - - - - - - - - -
4. Tosu 18 (+2)
5. Yokohama FC 17 (+8)
6. Sendai 16 (+4)
7. Yamagata 15 (+1)
8. Gifu 14 (+1)
9. Kofu 14 (-)
10. Fukuoka 12 (-6)
11. Tokushima 11 (-6)
12. Ehime 10 (-4)
13. Kusatsu 8 (-4)
14. Kumamoto 8 (-9)
15. Mito 7 (-9)

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

Aside from ACL participants Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka there was a full programme of J-League fixtures on holiday Tuesday... Nagoya Grampus bounced back from their recent slump with a win at FC Tokyo and Kawasaki Frontale went into third after doing over Jubilo Iwata... the other big winners were Kashiwa Reysol against Vissel Kobe and leaders Urawa Reds at the expense of the already-relegation-threatened JEF United... Sanfrecce Hiroshima lost for only the second time this season, but hold on to top spot in J2... Shonan Bellmare and Sagan Tosu both won away and are closing in on the leaders... Roasso Kumamoto pulled off a stunner of a 4-2 victory against neighbors Avispa Fukuoka...



Vissel Kobe fans, all perky before their team's defeat at Kashiwa Reysol

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 11

FC Tokyo 0-1 Nagoya
Jubilo 1-4 Kawasaki
Kashiwa 3-0 Kobe
Marinos 1-1 Omiya
Niigata 3-0 S-Pulse
Sapporo 1-3 Verdy
Urawa 3-0 JEF

******************

1. Urawa 23 (+13)
2. Nagoya 22 (+6)
3. Kawasaki 20 (+4)
4. FC Tokyo 20 (+4)
5. Kashima 18 (+9)
6. Marinos 17 (+5)
7. Kashiwa 16 (+3)
8. Omiya 16 (+2)
9. Gamba 15 (-)
10. Oita 14 (+1)
11. Kobe 14 (-)
12. Jubilo 14 (-1)
13. Verdy 14 (-3)
14. Kyoto 14 (-4)
15. Niigata 12 (-5)
- - - - - - - - - -
16. S-Pulse 12 (-5)
----------------
17. Sapporo 7 (-12)
18. JEF 2 (-17)

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 12

Ehime 0-0 Yamagata
Fukuoka 2-4 Kumamoto
Gifu 0-1 Tosu
Hiroshima 0-1 Sendai
Kofu 2-1 Yokohama FC
Mito 0-2 Shonan
Tokushima 2-3 Kusatsu

******************

1. Hiroshima 23 (+13)
2. Shonan 21 (+8)
-----------------
3. Tosu 21 (+3)
- - - - - - - - - -
4. Sendai 19 (+5)
5. Cerezo 19 (+2)
6. Yokohama FC 17 (+7)
7. Kofu 17 (+1)
8. Yamagata 16 (+1)
9. Gifu 14 (-)
10. Fukuoka 12 (-8)
11. Kusatsu 11 (-3)
12. Ehime 11 (-4)
13. Tokushima 11 (-7)
14. Kumamoto 11 (-7)
15. Mito 7 (-11)

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

Not surprisingly given the results they've achieved so far this season - two draws and nine defeats in their first eleven games - JEF United have sacked coach Josip Kuze. He'll be replaced by Liverpool first team coach Alex Miller, who is expected to arrive in Japan early on Saturday and to attend his new team's match at home to Kyoto Sanga in the afternoon. Miller's appointment breaks a line of six Eastern European coaches at JEF, stretching back from Croatian Kuze to the Romanian Nicolae Zamfir in 1999. Zamfir was himself a replacement for Gert Engels, now in charge at J-League giants Urawa Reds.

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

Urawa Reds were dominated for long periods but still managed to edge past Kawasaki Frontale in the top J1 fixture of the weekend - and the Reds are now three points ahead of the chasing pack as a result... of their nearest challengers, FC Tokyo and Kashima Antlers both lost - Tokyo rather surprisingly at home Kashiwa Reysol - and Nagoya Grampus could only draw... after having appointed Alex Miller as their new coach, JEF United promptly won for the first time this year, against Kyoto Sanga... Avispa Fukuoka's awful season in J2 continued with a 3-0 home defeat by leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Pierre Littbarski and Ian Crook's team are now only a point above the bottom two... winners of the big game in the second tier were Shonan Bellmare, 2-1 over Sagan Tosu...



No self-respecting Shonan Bellmare fan would be seen without his towel scarf

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 12

FC Tokyo 0-1 Kashiwa
Gamba 2-2 Marinos
JEF 1-0 Kyoto
Kawasaki 0-1 Urawa
Nagoya 0-0 Kobe
Niigata 1-0 Jubilo
Oita 2-0 Verdy
Omiya 1-2 Sapporo
S-Pulse 1-0 Kashima

******************

1. Urawa 26 (+14)
2. Nagoya 23 (+6)
3. Kawasaki 20 (+3)
4. FC Tokyo 20 (+3)
5. Kashiwa 19 (+4)
6. Kashima 18 (+8)
7. Marinos 18 (+5)
8. Oita 17 (+3)
9. Omiya 16 (+1)
10. Gamba 16 (-)
11. Kobe 15 (-)
12. Niigata 15 (-4)
13. S-Pulse 15 (-4)
14. Jubilo 14 (-2)
15. Verdy 14 (-5)
- - - - - - - - - -
16. Kyoto 14 (-5)
----------------
17. Sapporo 10 (-11)
18. JEF 5 (-16)

J2 Scores &Standings @ Round 13

Fukuoka 0-3 Hiroshima
Kumamoto 0-2 Gifu
Kusatsu 1-3 Cerezo
Sendai 2-0 Kofu
Shonan 2-1 Tosu
Yamagata 3-1 Mito
Yokohama FC 1-0 Ehime

******************

1. Hiroshima 26 (+16)
2. Shonan 24 (+9)
-----------------
3. Sendai 22 (+7)
- - - - - - - - - - -
4. Cerezo 22 (+4)
5. Tosu 21 (+2)
6. Yokohama FC 20 (+8)
7. Yamagata 19 (+3)
8. Gifu 17 (+2)
9. Kofu 17 (-1)
10. Fukuoka 12 (-11)
11. Ehime 11 (-5)
12. Kusatsu 11 (-5)
13. Tokushima 11 (-7)
14. Kumamoto 11 (-9)
15. Mito 7 (-13)

[ursus arctos]

Japan 2008

Furtho, I would be interested in hearing how much coverage Grenoble's promotion to Ligue 1 (assured last night when Troyes lost to Sedan) gets in Japan. I can't think of another case of a club with a Japanese chairman winning promotion to one of Europe's "Big Five" leagues.

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

There's a level of interest, UA, but it's as a news story, rather than the kind of "Wow! This PROVES that Japan is just, like, the best country in the WORLD!" hype that you sometimes see whenever a Japanese person achieves something, however modest, upon what could loosely be termed the world stage.

In other news, apparently Alex Miller wants to make Michael Owen his first signing for JEF United.

[ursus arctos]

Japan 2008

Not surprising. I imagine it might be a bigger story if they had more than one Japanese player (and if he had played more than two matches).

JEF United are being linked with all kinds of improbable signings. I seem to recall Luis Fernandez being mentioned in the French press a couple of weeks ago.

[Incandenza]

Japan 2008

Furtho wrote:

By the way - the guys who PM'd me about the ORANGE! HAPPY!! FOOTBALL!!! caps. Very sorry, but they're sold out.

I just thought about the hat yesterday. I'm really disappointed, but thanks for looking.

[ursus arctos]

Japan 2008

Ah, life goes on.

Furtho, what's the level of interest in Japan in the Asian Champions League? From the thread on the subject, it seems to be having serious problems "gaining traction" in places like Australia.

[Incandenza]

Japan 2008

As I said on the old thread, I was making it part of my life's mission to get that hat. This is a minor setback in a long journey.

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

Currently in Japan and rather contrarily have very poor net access, hence lack of no-doubt-eagerly-awaited updates on this thread. I'll do a bunch at a time to catch up when the opportunity arises.

The O!H!!F!!! caps were by all accounts a limited edition of only 150. I've seen two or three perched atop various fans' heads but that's as close as I've got so far. If it makes you feel any better the girl in the club shop was as crestfallen as any of you when she heard of the urgency of the situation. However the next stop may well be Yahoo Auction, the Japanese equivalent of Ebay.

re: the ACL, Urawa were famously the first Japanese club to take the competition seriously when they won it last year. There's very little interest in seeing how J-League teams might match up with the champions of Indonesia or what have you; the prize money is tiny (Reds won $500k) and the travel exhausting. The two Japanese teams competing in the ACL group stages, Kashima and Gamba, have both seen their J-League form suffer as a consequence.

[Peter Drury in microcosm]

Japan 2008

On Saturday evening, Japan beat Côte d'Ivoire 1-0, the goal coming after 22 minutes from Keiji Tamada. Japan play Paraguay in midweek, in preparation for the World Cup qualifiers in June.

As a consequence of the international game, there was no J-League 1 action this weekend.

J-League 2 results;
Montedio Yamagata 3 - 1 Rosso Kumamoto
Shonan Bellmare 4 - 1 Yokohama FC
Avispa Fukuoka 2 - 0 Vegalta Sendai
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1 - 0 Thespa Kusatsu
Tokushima Vortis 0 - 4 Sagan Tosu
FC Gifu 0 - 5 Cerezo Osaka
Ehime F.C. 2 - 1 Ventforet Kofu

Nabisco Cup results;
Group A
Kyoto Purple Sanga 0 - 1 Vissel Kobe
Nagoya Grampus 4 - 2 Urawa Reds

Group B
Shimizu S-Pule 4 - 2 Jubilo Iwata
FC Tokyo 3 - 0 Tokyo Verdy

Group C
Consadore Sapporo 1 - 2 Jef United Chiba
Kashiwa Reysol 3 - 1 Kawasaki Frontale

Group D
Omiya Ardija 1 - 2 Oita Trinita
Yokohama F Marinos 0 - 0 Albirex Niigata

[Peter Drury in microcosm]

Japan 2008

Another brief update: Japan claimed the Kirin Cup after a 0-0 stalemate with Paraguay, before going on to a double-header with Oman. Japan ran out 3-0 winners in the home game, but then scraped a 1-1 draw in Oman. Next week, Japan hope to improve their away form when they meet Thailand.

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

Thanks very much indeed for that, Rowdy.

J1's on a break until the end of the month due to the national team's current batch of World Cup qualifying games, with Urawa Reds and Nagoya Grampus level on points at the top. Controversy surrounded the Reds' 3-2 home defeat by Gamba Osaka in round 13, which was also affected by crowd trouble... Elsewhere, JEF United's form has picked up following the arrival in Chiba as coach of Alex Miller, although the Dogs still prop up the table despite a 1-0 defeat of Oita Trinita...

The two most eye-catching results of the round were Tokyo Verdy's 4-1 thrashing of a Shimizu S-Pulse side who are struggling this year, and Omiya Ardija's 3-2 win at Kawasaki Frontale. The Mighty Squirrels trailed 2-0 at the break, but clinched a shock victory with this incredible free kick from inside the Ardija half three minutes from time.

J1 Standings @ Round 13

1. Urawa 26 (+13)
2. Nagoya 26 (+8)
3. FC Tokyo 23 (+4)
4. Kashiwa 20 (+4)
5. Kawasaki 20 (+2)
6. Kashima 19 (+8)
7. Omiya 19 (+2)
8. Gamba 19 (+1)
9. Marinos 18 (+4)
10. Oita 17 (+2)
11. Verdy 17 (-2)
12. Kyoto 17 (-4)
13. Kobe 16 (-)
14. Niigata 16 (-4)
15. S-Pulse 15 (-7)
- - - - - - - - - -
16. Jubilo 14 (-3)
----------------
17. Sapporo 10 (-13)
18. JEF 8 (-15)

J2 Standings @ Round 18

1. Hiroshima 38 (+22)
2. Cerezo 34 (+13)
-----------------
3. Yamagata 31 (+12)
- - - - - - - - - - -
4. Shonan 29 (+7)
5. Sendai 27 (+6)
6. Tosu 27 (+1)
7. Yokohama FC 24 (+2)
8. Kusatsu 23 (-1)
9. Fukuoka 21 (-8)
10. Gifu 19 (-4)
11. Kofu 18 (-4)
12. Ehime 16 (-7)
13. Mito 16 (-11)
14. Tokushima 15 (-12)
15. Kumamoto 12 (-16)

While the national team have been playing, J1 sides have been spending their time finishing off the group stage of the Nabisco Cup, the upshot being that the four group winners - Nagoya, S-Pulse, JEF and Yokohama F Marinos - are joined in the knock-out phase by the two runners up with the best records - that's FC Tokyo and Oita Trinita - and the two ACL entrants, Gamba and Kashima Antlers. The tournament continues with the Quarter Final first leg ties at the beginning of July, as follows:

FC Tokyo - Oita
Marinos - Gamba
Nagoya - JEF
S-Pulse - Kashima

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

There was a full round of J2 matches on Wednesday night and season-long leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima are now seven points clear at the top. The Three Arrows coasted past a Ventforet Kofu side experiencing a nightmare 2008... Montedio Yamagata scored three times in the second half to win at Avispa Fukuoka - they go second, their highest position all year... after beating Shonan Bellmare, Thespa Kusatsu have for the first time in their history won three J-League matches in a row...



Perky Thespa Kusatsu whoop it up

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 19

Fukuoka 0-3 Yamagata
Gifu 0-0 Kumamoto
Kofu 0-2 Hiroshima
Mito 2-1 Tosu
Sendai 2-0 Yokohama FC
Shonan 2-3 Kusatsu
Tokushima 2-0 Cerezo

******************

1. Hiroshima 41 (+24)
2. Yamagata 34 (+15)
-----------------
3. Cerezo 34 (+11)
- - - - - - - - - - -
4. Sendai 30 (+8)
5. Shonan 29 (+6)
6. Tosu 27 (-)
7. Kusatsu 26 (-)
8. Yokohama FC 24 (-)
9. Fukuoka 21 (-11)
10. Gifu 20 (-4)
11. Mito 19 (-10)
12. Kofu 18 (-6)
13. Tokushima 18 (-10)
14. Ehime 16 (-7)
15. Kumamoto 13 (-16)

[Furtho]

Japan 2008

The Japanese national team played the third in their current quartet of World Cup qualifiers on Saturday, a 3-0 win in Bangkok against Thailand following on from a home win and away draw with Oman. Takeshi Okada's team are therefore already through to the next stage, with the last group game at home to Bahrain this coming Sunday.

1. Bahrain 11 (+3)
2. Japan 10 (+8)
-----------------
3. Oman 5 (-3)
4. Thailand 1 (-8)



Thailand supporters with their collection of local scarves

J1 is still on a break for the international matches but J2 continues along its merry way. Sanfrecce Hiroshima's winning run came to an end with a draw at home to Avispa Fukuoka... Montedio Yamagata, however, continue their surge into the automatic promotion places thanks to a 3-0 defeat of deadly rivals Vegalta Sendai... in third now are Cerezo Osaka, although they needed a last-minute equaliser to get a point from their game with Ventforet Kofu...

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 20

Cerezo 3-3 Kofu
Ehime 2-0 Mito
Hiroshima 1-1 Fukuoka
Kusatsu 2-0 Tokushima
Tosu 1-0 Shonan
Yamagata 3-0 Sendai
Yokohama FC 0-1 Gifu

1. Hiroshima 42 (+24)
2. Yamagata 37 (+18)
-----------------
3. Cerezo 35 (+11)
- - - - - - - - - - -
4. Sendai 30 (+5)
5. Tosu 30 (+1)
6. Shonan 29 (+5)
7. Kusatsu 29 (+2)
8. Yokohama FC 24 (-1)
9. Gifu 23 (-3)
10. Fukuoka 22 (-11)
11. Ehime 19 (-5)
12. Kofu 19 (-6)
13. Mito 19 (-12)
14. Tokushima 18 (-12)
15. Kumamoto 13 (-16)

[Andy C]

Japan 2008

I went to the Nabisco Cup game between Consadole Sapporo and Kashiwa Reysol on June 8th. The Sapporo Dome was, I guess, no more than one-eighth full, but the atmosphere in the Consadole end was absolutely astounding. They* started singing an hour or so before the kick-off, and apart from a respectful minute's silence for, I'm afraid, I know not what, didn't stop until the final whistle. At which signal the fans instanly silenced and the big red-and-black flags were lowered.

The singing and clapping and bouncing party hadn't let up for any of Kashiwa's three goals. Not the first, which came after one of Consadole's central defenders, thirty yards from his own goal, decided that the best way to deal with a hit-and hopeful longish ball out of Kashiwa's defence was to execute the lowest bow I'd seen in my entire trip to this deferential. decorous country, allowing the ball to pass right over his horizontal torso and into the path of a Reysol player cutting in behind him from the right wing. Not the second, a penalty and is concomitant sending-off. Not the third although there were just minutes left in the game - the fans still sang, willing the team on.

It was only at the final whistle that the Consadole support abandoned hope. The team undertook a lap of dishonour and the fans who had moments before been so positive and supportive gave even louder voice to their displeasure. Extraordinary.

Anyway, here are a few photos:


First view of the Sapporo Dome. It really does look that other-worldly in real life.


Inside the concourses.


In the Consadole end.


However, most of the stadium was as sparsely populated as the seating along the side of the pitch.


Oh yeah, and there was a game going on. It looked mostly like this: Kashiwa in the Consadole half, but without a player on the pitch capable of delivering a shot with more power than you'd see in a primary-school playground.


Consadole players face up to the displeasure of the supporters at the end of the game...


...because of this.


The mascot takes it pretty hard, too. It's some sort of owl, apparently.


Though the away support is pretty chipper about things, for some reason.

* For "they", read "we".

[ursus arctos]

Japan 2008

Domo arigato for an excellent report, Andy.

What is the horizontal periscope/gun turret-like extension from the Dome? A viewing platform? The whole arena looks like one of those things one sees in Japan that makes one wonder if there are small wormholes to the future in action.

Was this the first indoor football match you've seen? Did you find it as bizarre as I did (back in the late 70s in Seattle)?

[Andy C]

Japan 2008

If I'm not completely disoriented, I think that the position of that horizontal protruberance corresponds approximately to where the press boxes are situated inside the stadium. I don't know if that gives us any further clue to its purpose.

It was the first time I'd seen an eleven-a-side game under a roof, yeah. And there were things that were very unfamiliar about the experience - the breezelessness and the controlled temperature the acoustics - although I don't think the Consadole fans really need any enhancements to their resonance, I'm sure that being in an eclosed space increased the effect of a relatively small number of voices - and the pitch-side walls that come from the Dome's other life as a baseball stadium (visible in the photo of Consadole players upthread and in the photograph of the game in progress in my post). The pitch is real grass, mind. But it was a proper, recognisable football experience (even if there was little proper, recognisable football from Consadole on the pitch).

[ursus arctos]

Japan 2008

Launching pad for carrier pigeons with match reports, then.

The absence of climate and the sound distortion are definitely disorienting, as are the intrusion of baseball/gridiron/etc paraphenalia. In the case of the Kingdome, plastic turf, a concrete roof and the presence of 5,000 people in something that held 60,000 (thus necessitating a massive blue "privacy curtain") made it all weirder.

Does the roof open? Or have they perfected growing real turf indoors technology?