The two games in Kyoto and Osaka gave me a lot to think.
For the most it was about how much I still like to live in Japan, and how overall the people here are nice and caring. In both stadiums, supporters chanted together, were extremely respectful of the opponents and -perhaps more than everything else- offered their time, strength and money to some who now really need it. The most touching moments were when the whole stadium chanted “Nippon,” or “Vegalta Sendai.” It really struck a sentimental chord, because it reminded me once again what the Game is about, a narrative that Japanese soccer never fails to deliver again and again.
In the aftermath of the big earthquake/tsunami, more than one of my Italian friends implored me to “return home.” With “home,” they sincerely meant Italy.
That would be the place where just last Wednesday, Juventus and Torino former players played a sold-out charity game to collect money for research against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. On the pitch, there were former world-class players of the caliber of Zinedine Zidane, Leo Junior and Pavel Nedved, alas some preferred to use the game as an excuse to come around as armed gangs, resulting in various riots between “supporters” and the cops, and ultimately in one arrest and many weapons sequestrated.
Don’t get me (too) wrong. I do not think that a country only mirrors itself in its football culture. An speaking of culture, I actually believe that historically Italy has a cultural heritage that is rivaled perhaps by China only. But, and it is a huge BUT, a comparison between Italy and the country where I live now (that is: Japan), from a perspective contemplating every-day’s decency in life is merciless.
So, thanks for inviting me home.
But I am home already.
And both Nishikyogoku and Banpaku were wonderful homes, this past weekend.
I did not go to the games looking for any particular answer about myself and all that happened in these last weeks. Yet, it seems I have found some. Seventeen years in and out Japan, and -at times- I still get amazed. (Often happens around a green rectangle…)
March 26, 27th, 2011 – Charity Matches in Kansai
March 28th, 2011Hat-trick at Inter Channel Japan
March 25th, 2011
Last weekend I was for the third time at Inter Channel as special guest to comment (in Japanese) Inter-Lecce.
OK, I am a Juve fan and I will never support Inter, but I must say that the guys at Inter Channel Japan are really awesome and I love working with them. In the picture, from left to right, our main commentator, the young and handsome Colosso-san; Yamano-san, a witty, former Japan NT player; and the truly yours, wearing a Japan uniform to honor the spirit of “my” country during these tough days.
The director and the producer were very impressed by how diligently I had prepared for my participation. Well, my training as historian surely helped me to put together a long series of data, stories and anectodes. Only I forgot that I used the one about Zanetti’s steak-house in Milano the previous time… hehe.
My First Editorial… in Japanese
March 25th, 2011As we all cope with the natural disaster that hit Japan on march 11th, I thought my little contribution would have been tow rite an optimistic piece on the future of the Japanese national team. Here is the original English version. The article was picked by the editor of the Japanese edition of goal.com, and translated with the help of my friend Teppei Takano. Here is the Japanese version. I was really surprised at how many reacted to the article, and how many actually shared my ideas. It was picked by Yahoo Japan as well, and allegedly read by tens of thousands. Well, all I can say is that I hope I will be able to publish more in Japanese…
My Article on the Jakarta Globe
March 4th, 2011Well, looks like I have made it to Indonesia… The Jakarta Globe published my article on Arema’s heroics in Osaka, vs Cerezo!
Interviewing Ryuji Bando
March 3rd, 2011
After long negotiation and a few frustrating failures, a J.League club finally authorized me to interview one of their players for goal.com. The lucky choice was Ryuji Bando of Cerezo Osaka. We had a lovely chat while eating Sicilian food in Osaka, and once again I understood why “Ban” is so popular with the supporters. Thank You Cerezo, and Thank You “Bandone.”
Interview in English on goal.com
Interview in Japanese on goal.com
Alive in 2011
January 23rd, 2011Hi everybody. And sorry for the lack of updates, which is a total shame, since so much has happened, but… aaahhhhh!!!
Ok, I will probably/hopefully update soon here, but for the moment being you can find me (and a lot more about Japanese soccer) at The Rising Sun News and Goal.com Asia.
And you can of course mail me at: cesarepolenghi@gmail.com
Cesare Polenghi
Kyoto Sanga FC-Kawasaki Frontale 3-4, November 6, 2010
November 7th, 2010
A picture is worth a thousand words…
Jubilo Iwata-Sanfrecce Hiroshima 5-3 a.e.t, November 3, 2010
November 5th, 2010
A fantastic day to be a Jubilo supporter…
Gamba Osaka-Vissel Kobe 2-4, October 30, 2010
November 5th, 2010
I checked Soccer Digest, Soccer Magazine and El Golazo on the Tuesday after the game. They all gave 4,5 to Michi Yasuda. Why? Because he lost Yoshida on the first Vissel’s goal (when the whole defensive line screwed up…), and because after an extremely good second half he missed a pass that (after a 30m dribbling a pass and a shot), resulted in Vissel fourth goal.
Now, Gamba would have lost even without that fourth goal. And they would have instead tied the game if Yasuda’s second half efforts (shot, crosses, runs…), would have had a bit more luck. But, no! The very knowledgeable Japanese media need to put somebody on the cross…
I could take a deep breath, and tolerate the paper experts [sic] just nailing down somebody for lack of understanding of the game, but what do I do of Daisuke Nakaharai, a (mediocre) ex-player putting all the blame on Michi after the game, live, on SkyPerfecTV?
OK, I admit it, I am biased, I really like Michi, as a player and as a boy. Still, to use him as a target when the whole Gamba defense was pathetic, and -least we forget- Vissel played the perfect game (seven shots, four goals…) is not only unfair: it is utterly stupid.
Kyoto Sanga FC-Gamba Osaka 1-2, October 24, 2010
October 30th, 2010
I can hardly think of a tougher J.League related activity than supporting Kyoto Sanga FC. The club is regularly managed by incompetent people and coached by rookies. They don’t have a shop, nor a TV show. They have a magazine, and they have no idea about what to write on it, besides chronicling defeat after defeat. Their four foreign players get paid more than the whole Vegalta Sendai’s roster, and still they won’t win a game even if their lives would depend on it.
Oh! I forget to mention Nishikyogoku, the crappiest stadium in J1, where the “big screen” is still a series of lightbulbs, and the terraced behind the goal are some 150 meters from the other goal. There is where I was sitting, under a mild rain but with a couple of good friends, for Sanga-Gamba, by the way.
Sanga has played two kind of games this season so far: (1) terrible games, and (2) regrettable games. This one fell into the second category. They outplayed and outshot Gamba, but for 10 minutes forgot that the Osaka team has a dude called Endo, and if you give him some room, he’ll make you sad. At the other end, there was Sanga’s Nakayama, who missed the 2-2 even when he had some two seconds to set the ball and take the shot. The epitome of mediocrity.
And down they go again, for the fourth time…
Vissel Kobe-Nagoya Grampus 2-2, October 23, 2010
October 30th, 2010
Alan is never in a bad mood, and always full of stories, so I never get bored when I go to a game with him. The Home Stadium is possibly my favorite soccer shrine in Japan, and we found two seats under one of the big screens with a table between us and we relaxed throughout the game, even thou the action on the pitch was rather intense.
The real event for me was the debut of Vissel’s #20, Ryota Morioka. I know the 19yo kid rather well, since the high school I coach played two finals against his last season. We lost 0-2 the Interhai final (and he got a goal and an assist), but got them in the Senshuken, and so we were the one to go and play the nationals in Saitama. Morioka, on the other hand, went to Vissel Kobe.
Even thou I never coached him and I spoke just a few seconds with him, I was really happy to see him on the field and to do good. I wish he could play in a better team, but then again, as Vissel plunges to J2, he might get more chances to start. Well, good luck, Ryota–I write this good stuff about you when you’re still a rookie…
The Wall of J1′s Muffler-Towels
October 16th, 2010
Until my son moves over, next March, I am using his room-to-be as an office to run my J.League “business.” I decorated one wall with muffler-towels we bought all over Japan. Mh. Perhaps a bit childish, but I think it looks great. If you have time to waste, see if you can spot the four J1 teams missing.
Kawasaki Frontale-Jubilo Iwata 1-3, October 10th, 2010
October 11th, 2010
My friend Alessandro joined me for the game at Todoroki, my second visit. me and him go quite a long way back, as we did some business together back in the past century: I helped him to marked Nakata’s Italian uniforms in Japan. Now he sells Nagatomo’s…
It was actually a lot of fun to be in a Japanese stadium with an Italian friend (a massive Fiorentina supporter, by the way), and to register his emotions.
He was very impressed by the supporters, and took a picture of the “Forza Jubilo” historical banner that has been around since the days of Schillaci.
After the first half, I asked him to point out the best players. he said Juninho and Vitor Junior. I asked him to pick a Japanese player. He said Jubilo’s #8, but he did not know he is a Brazilian too (Gilsinho). Alessandro also got very excited when Tasaka came back for the second half with some bandage around his head and “looked like a sushi-chef.”
On the pitch, Frontale blew it once again, but then again, that is really nothing special.
Yokohama Marinos-Sagan Tosu 2-1, October 9th, 2010
October 10th, 2010
The day after the great game in Saitama versus Argentina was gray and gloomy. The sky seemed ready to piss down torrential rain anytime, but it opted instead for a dumb little rain, that fell on my overpriced plastic raincoat for the two hours I spent in the cozy Nippatsu.
For a series of coincidences, I hadn’t managed yet to see Shunsuke play since his return. Far from looking depressed for having missed the party of the evening before, he reminded me of his existence with one of his free-kicks. His left foot painted a beautiful trajectory that I believe even the fifty Sagan Tosu fans behind the goal could not help but appreciate.
In the second half I saw a little piece of magic by the new Marinos star, Yuki Ono. The way he turned toward the goal after intercepting a pass was pure brilliance, and so was the clinical finishing. The Tricolore fans were ready to embrace him, but the minute forward celebrated very humbly, yet another mark of self-confidence.
With Ono, Shunsuke and even uncle Kimura on the bench I was sitting on the stands only a few meters from the whole history of Marinos. I remembered watching them play in 1994 (Yes, this was a nostalgic weekend…), and pondered then about those supporters who were out there for this small game. Some of them, I am sure, have been around and at every Marinos game since the day the J.league kicked off.
Be that as it may, as the game was won, the fans who chanted for the whole game opened their red-white-blue umbrellas and celebrated safe and dry for a few minutes.
Then everybody was gone, the stadium quite empty. Only the rain was still there, persistently.
Japan-Argentina 1-0, October 8th, 2010
October 9th, 2010
It was a very special evening for me and my boy. He is only 12, but he takes pride in stating that he was a fan of Messi since the Flea “Was wearing the uniform number 30,” and I can testify it is true.
But personally, I was more carried away by the memories of Argentina being denied access to Japan in 1994 (because of Maradona being a former drug addict), and then coming around with a vengeance in 1995, to trounce Japan mercilessly: 5-1.
All in all it was a great evening, the Saitama Stadium was painted in blue, loud, excited… in a word, it was very “World-Cuppy.” Everybody forgot it was a friendly, and the last minutes of the game were lived as the score really mattered. When Messi was given the chance of taking a FK in the 91st minute, I believe many were debating within themselves: “Do I want to witness a historical victory by Japan, or a goal of the best player in the world?”
My son, who was wearing Messi uniform matched with a Japan’s muffler around the neck, surely would have settled for one more goal. I personally wanted Japan to win, and when the triple-whistle echoed in Saitama I felt very emotional. In a few seconds I fast-forwarded all my memories of the last 17 years following the Samurai Blue. From Kazu and Kitazawa, led by Falcao; to Honda and Okazaki now directed by Zaccheroni.
It has been quite a trip.
Kyoto Sanga FC-Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-3, October 2nd, 2010
October 4th, 2010
Following my hometown Kyoto’s club, is becoming an interesting exercise in human anthropology. The way supporters react (or not) to the team slowly slipping into J2 is something I decided to religiously observe and reflect upon until the end of the season.
Against Sanfrecce, it was another pathetic performance (and a 0-3), and this time some two-hundred supporters could not take it anymore. Their leader stood on the fence that separates the terraces from the field, and, using a megaphone, demanded somebody from the club to come and explain what is going on: why are the players so gutless? Why are the results so humiliating? After a few minutes, a gentleman in a neat suit and fashionable glasses came around.
For about a half-hour, he was the target of any kind of insult and inquiry. Some were very reasonable questions (“What have you learned from the three previous relegations?”), other were direct challenges, such as “This is OUR club, not your f**king toy!!”). The guy in the suit took a few on the chin, but did not balk. He did not strike me as a soccer person, but he was fed some from the club, and he stoically stood in front of the furious crowd. In a way, I really admired his passive calm. In the end, after he promised several times that the team will come together and struggle until the end, the supporters seemed satisfied and he was let free to return to his office.
The supporters’ leader asked anybody who had stayed to promise utter dedication until the last breath. They chanted “Kyoto Sanga,” a few times, and as the afternoon sun started to fall, everybody found their way out of Nishikyogoku.
Cesare Polenghi
cepo@japanesesoccer.net
Kyoto Sanga FC-Jubilo Iwata 0-1, September 25, 2010
September 26th, 2010
It was one of the last nighters of the season in Kyoto, a beautiful early autumn evening, perfect for soccer. Sadly for the home supporters, their players did not feel inspired by the crisp air. Sanga’s performance was -honestly- abysmal, I don’t think they ever hit the frame in the few (seven) shots they had. Jubilo wasn’t much better, but at least one of their four shots found the net. Sanga’s young goalie Morita had a great save, he seems for real, but other “native prospects,” such as Taisuke Nakamura, sputtered as the rest of the team. The home sides midfielers seemed once again disorganized and physically weak. One Jubilo player (Ueda, mark the name) seemed enough to tame them all.
The game ended 0-1, and clearly this was it for Sanga. J2 is really around the corner. As the team came around after the game to get an expected round of booing, the fans offered instead ten, maybe twenty seconds of intense silence. Then there was a shy handclap, and some chants. Most were still speechless.
Some little girls dressed in purple kept running up and down the terraces, oblivious of the drama that had taken place on the pitch. Sanga is not mathematically relegated yet, but the feeling is that, also seen the mediocre quality of soccer they can produce- it is only a matter of time. For some of the supporters who were at Nishikyogoku yesterday, it will be he fourth time they’ll see their team going down.
Cesare Polenghi
cepo@japanesesoccer.net
Ghostbuster Shinji Kagawa Erases The Spooks Of Pretoria: Japan-Paraguay 1-0
September 6th, 2010
For once I was happy of the JFA’s pick as rival for yet another “Kirin” game. Not only Paraguay is a tough team (defends with 7-8 players, but then quickly turns the table upside down and stings with its skilled forwards) but it also the team than more than any other “shared” with us the summer in South Africa. It made the “Return of the Heroes” filled with even more taste of celebration–as this was the first game for the Samurai Blue after the great World Cup they played only a couple of months ago.
Ad-interim manager Hara picked a great team. I would have loved to see the Makino in it from the beginning, but besides that on the field we had he best Japanese soccer can offer (considering also how Hasebe, Endo, Konno, Tulio, Abe and Okubo were forced to take a rest for various reasons). The “shadow” line behind Morimoto (fielded as only forward), featured Matsui, Honda and Kagawa, clearly a world-class combo. Kurihara this time did well next to his usual partner, Bomberhead Nakazawa; while Hosogai was less daring than when playing with Reds, nonetheless solid as a rock and not at all shaken by a debut in front of 65,000 supporters.
The most impressive player on the field was doubtlessly Nagatomo, and it seems that the few weeks in Italy have added yet more tactical intuition and explosive energy to this little tin soldier. He was a constant thorn in the side of Paraguay’s defense, and it is just a matter of time before he and the forwards learn to connect better and generate goals.
Speaking of goals, last night only point came in the second half, and was a beautiful piece of soccer geometry performed by Kengo Nakamura and Shinji Kagawa. The first traced a perfect through ball, and the latter (last week MVP with Borussia Dortmund), put the ball where the Paraguayan keeper could only pinch it, but not really deflect it. World-class finishing! Bravo Shinji!
It was a very significant goal for those like me who can’t avoid digging some after-the-fact wisdom out of the South African memories’ box. I can’t help thinking that Kagawa could have made the difference in the previous game with Paraguay, the one that mattered, if unleashed as an unknown youngster in the last 20 minutes of the battle of Pretoria.
The ghosts of that night were still very much alive in Yokohama, and the Japanese media repeatedly celebrated the home side’s 1-0 victory with the word “revenge.” Alas, Yuji Nakazawa shut them off rather bluntly: “You can take revenge for a defeat in the World Cup only in another World Cup,” he told reporters.
But then again, that is the past, and based upon what we’ve seen in these ninety minutes, we and our new friend Alberto Zaccheroni are looking forward to a bright future and a lot of well-played soccer. In doing so, also a thought for Okada and the others who, over eighteen years of hard work, built the Japanese National team into be a top-level contender.
Cesare Polenghi
cepo@japanesesoccer.com
Why Yuki Abe At Leicester City Should Not Bother You
August 24th, 2010
Considering how well he played in the World Cup, many are disappointed in seeing Yuki Abe moving to Leicester City, a second division side in England. The Foxes are not exactly one of the most prestigious clubs in England and they dwell now around the bottom of the Championship’s table with one point in three games.
It is understandable how Japanese supporters hoped for a better destination for one of the heroes of the past summer, however, I believe one should be cautious when judging a player’s decision, as there are many factors that might be involved in a transcontinental transfer. Here a few things one might want to consider…
1 – No better offer from abroad came. Yes, it is disappointing and one wonders how players such as Abe, Daisuke Matsui and Tulio Tanaka could have been ignored by Europeans clubs, but there are plenty of good footballer out there, many of them easier to reach than those in Japan. Thus, for Abe, this could have been the best available option, and he decided that for now, it will do.
2 – With Italian soccer on the twilight and Spanish soccer so far a taboo for Japanese players, England is the new Mecca. Junichi Inamoto and Hidetoshi Nakata failed at Arsenal and Bolton Wanderers, Abe now gets milder a shot in the second division. Daisuke Matsui and Keisuke Honda as well started more or less in the same way in Holland and France, and they ended up doing well in the top flight and enormously improving their individual careers.
3 – At the moment, Urawa Reds are not the happiest team to be with. The recent four-goal victories over lowly Kyoto Sanga and Bellmare Hiratsuka, are the only two in J1 since May 5th. Finke’s position as manager is shaky, the players seem a bit confused, no real talent is blooming and the fans are nervous. It might be a good moment to take off for Abe.
4 – At Leicester Abe will earn twice than what he’s getting at Reds. Would you refuse about an extra million dollars to do a very similar job to the one you’ve been doing so far?
5 – Finally, what I think is the most important factor: Yuki Abe will be 29 next month. He is a very serious footballer who has dedicated all his life to play the game in Japan. Why in the world should he turn down the option of going to play in another country and start a new life, that will go well beyond what will happen on the green rectangle at Leicester? In England he will experience a new lifestyle, learn a new language and make in any case an precious experience as a person.
The very worst case scenario for Abe will be a quick return to Japan next winter, where virtually any club in the country (beginning probably with Reds) would be ready to welcome him back. Really, why shouldn’t he move to the East Midlands and see what happens?
Good luck, Yuki!
Cesare Polenghi
cepo@japanesesoccer.net
Urawa Reds-Vegalta Sendai 1-1, August 17, 2010
August 18th, 2010
If you’re not an Urawa Reds’ supporter, the 15-minute walk from the subway station to the Saitama Stadium 2002 is rather intimidating. You move along a service road where you are surrounded by a red swarm of people wearing uniforms of every single Urawa player in the roster. All stalls are decorated with Reds’ emblems, and once you enter the stadium, you are hopelessly surrounded by a red human wall made of about 30-40,000 fans of all ages wearing the colors.
The stadium’s lockers rooms too are plastered in red. I know because the last time I came to this stadium, back on January the 2nd, I was here as a coach with my High School’s team, that played here its last, glorious game, lost somehow unfairly 0-1 to the All-Nippon champions to be. On that crispy winter day there were 3,000 souls in the gigantic stadium, while for the bout between Vegalta Sendai and Urawa Reds there were ten times as many, breathing the thick air of a Japanese suburban night.
Me and my son got two seats in the “away” sector, where were surrounded, almost squished, by chanting Vegalta supporters, who intoned tunes on the notes of Kiss and Twister Sisters’ hits from the 80es. The game was nothing to write home about it. Played by two teams clearly not at 100%, was decided by two owngoals. The real show were the supporters: the impressive jumping human mass in red, and the religiously devoted visitors supporters, who for the whole game probably wondered who we were and why we were not wearing yellow.
Cesare Polenghi
cepo@japanesesoccer.net
Ventforet Kofu-Avispa Fukuoka 2-2, August 15, 2010
August 16th, 2010
I adored my first evening at the Kose Stadium in Kofu. The late summer sky was beautiful, the game was entertaining and the company of my son and a good friend was great. But what I really enjoyed was the atmosphere of enthusiasm that brought me back of the best season I can recall for my hometown side, Kyoto: 2005. In that year Sanga played an aggressive, quick soccer that won them the league with 97 points.
The link between that long gone season and my escapade to watch Ventforet is a Brazilian player: Paulinho. The top-scorer in Kyoto Sanga’s history has been ruthlessly cut by Hisashi Kato in the middle of the past season, spent half a year back in Brazil, and has now found a new home in Yamanashi. His game was not exactly flamboyant, but he managed to create the first of the two goals netted by local hero Mike Havenaar. For Avispa, the answer came from the talented Jogo. Back fron a one-year long injury and still out of Avispa’s schemes, he managed however two goals, to keep his team running for promotion.
As we drove home, across a big commercial street, it seemed we were going across a suburb of Denver or Chicago. The, suddenly, lights turned on around the mountains -to celebrate the midsumemr night- and it felt again like Kyoto. But it was Kofu. And I really enjoyed it.