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Japanese TV shows, magazines and newspapers celebrated the great spirit of Nagoya Grampus after they managed to come back three goals in their home game versus Jubilo Iwata last week. The only detail the media failed to point out is that Stojkovic’s men, besides getting help from a tragic owngoal, tied the game on a penalty generated by a shameless dive by one of the specialists in simulating, Kenji Tamada. Japanese journalists completely ignored the issue and I find the attitude extremely disturbing, especially since we are talking about a National Team player, who, with a similar behavior, might very well leave Japan one man down in an important game.

Sure, I do agree that soccer is a game, it must be fun and there is no need to dramatize. I also understand how the game in Nagoya is easy to sell as “awesome comeback.” However, journalisms is about reporting facts, not necessarily “happy ending tales,” and whoever commented that game and did not point out to the fact that Tamada took a dive, is not doing his or her job fairly. Not fair to the game, not fair to the fans, and horribly unfair to Jubilo Iwata.

I am using this example to point out to how, while Japanese soccer has come a long way in the last two decades, most of the domestic mainstream journalism in Japan is still at a jurassic stage, where sport intermingles with fiction, romance and drama.

Here are a few aspects of Japanese soccer popular journalism I find particularly irritant:

1) The most serious problem is the one I exemplified above: Japanese journalists in general have a problem of stating the obvious if they are afraid it could be somehow controversial. Tamada’s case is emblematic, but there were countless stories like his during this season. Even when a call is dead-wrong, commentators seem scared to say it. However -to put it n plain words- not stating the truth is the antithesis of good journalism.

2) Since soccer is not the main sport in Japan (baseball is still much more popular), some journalist seemingly are on a mission to popularize the J.League and the national team at any cost. Sadly the way they do it is by making comments that can surely be understood by a 3rd grader and his grandmother, but also annoying those who actually do understand something about the sport. Game commentaries filled with “oooh,” “Wow, fantastic shot,” and “of course this is [name of famous player]” are endemic, and really do nothing to bring interest for soccer to the next stage.

3) The idolatrization of the young, cute and famous players (or clubs) is often too extreme, deleterious to the players portrayed more as models than as sportsmen, and unfair to other players who get systematically ignored if they don’t fit the required cliches. When Urawa Reds’ Naoki Yamada debuted with the top national team, every single time he touched the ball we were reminded by the commentators that he was 19 years old. Well, so what?

4) Japanese media like to embody one team into one player or the manager. Thus we have “Okuda-Japan,” “Finke-Reds” while Ishikawa is the one and only poster-boy for FC Tokyo and Yanagisawa allegedly the only players at Kyoto Sanga. Well, perhaps I am stating the frightening obvious, but I still think that soccer is a team sport…

5) There is a ludicrous accent on disappointment and sadness in soccer. Glorious defeats are celebrated just as much as victories, and the necrophiliac passion for teams being relegated, falling heroes and tears after the games is endemic. Now, while “suffering” is a part of sport, I personally see no need to celebrate it. Somebody explains me for example why very time Urawa Reds get scored against, the camera prefers to indulge on Tulio’s disappointed face than on the player in the other team who has actually just scored a goal…

Truth to be told, there are some good sport journalists in Japan. Soccer Weekly Digest and Soccer Magazine are for example very professional weekly magazines discussing soccer in a mature way. SkyPerfecTV features among many competent female commentators an ex J.Leaguer, Yoshikazu Nonomura (pictured, with Mari Hibino), who is clearly not afraid to tell it like it is. For example, in the case of the very controversial sending off of Marinos’ Yamase versus Kashiwa Reysol, a few weeks ago, he repeatedly showed the episode during his weekly show, wondering what was the referee thinking. We’re talking however of a journalist who works on a private channel, reserved for the most to a competent audience.

Sadly, on more popular networks, we’re left in the hands of commentators such as Yabecchi, a comedian and the star of cheesy Japanese dramas for bored housewives. Having played soccer in his youth, Yabecchi (whose real name is Hiroyuki Yabe) is entitled to run a TV show that celebrates only famous clubs and players, consequently ignoring most of what happens in J.League. He is so “competent” that when the weekly’s highlights are shown, a camera follows his face, which is shown in a corner of the screen, so that viewers can study his reactions to the best plays of the week… A perfect example of soccer sold cheaply.

The general picture is not rosy, but I hope that in Japan sport journalists will be able to improve as much as the players have. That because I believe that for a sport to grow as a movement, media coverage must surely be enthusiastic, but also honest and mature.

Steve Barme is a long-term resident of Japan and a blogger who has been following Tokyo Verdy and Omiya Ardija for the last few years. Here are his thoughts about Verdy’s recent financial crisis. Verdy need to come up with 540,000,000 yen by Nov. 16th, or else the glorious club will be disbanded.

When I was in college, I used to play pickup basketball every Thursday night with a group of men that made Christian Ronaldo look like a champion of fair play. On the other side of the gym, the Married Couples group would play volleyball. A man in his mid 40s, who I would find out later was a police officer and step-father of a friend of mine had a massive coronary. My friend Chris took control of the situation, told me what to do and we attempted CPR. The man died before he hit the floor in all probability but I still feel guilty that I couldn’t save him.

I hadn’t thought about him for awhile but the situation with Verdy brought it back. While it’s far less dramatic and tragic than a man dying, it’s still sad to see an institution crumble.

That team had everything. Success on the field, the biggest Japanese stars in the game, an influx of foreign talent, and the behemoth sports/media conglomorate Yomiuri behind them showering them in cash. And they pissed it all away in order to be Tokyo’s team. To be Japan’s team. Now they are headed to be the first team to shutter it’s doors since the Flugels “merged” with Marinos.

It’s still possible that a white knight will step up and save the club ala Kazu at Yokohama FC, or the fans and community will step in like at Shimizu, Ventforet, and Mito and right the ship, but I doubt it. The Verdy name is too big and has too much baggage for a group to make a success out of. Unfortunately for Verdy, the past demands that the team is done on a grand scale, anything less doesn’t sell.

That’s why you see the squad playing at Ajinomoto and not Edogawa, or Nishigaoka. That’s why you saw them overpaying for a group of national teamers past their prime like Fukunishi and Hattori instead of going with a core of younger, cheaper, and less famous players with more upside. You can do those moves when you play in Chiba or Hiroshima, not when you’re FC Nippon.

It’s sad too because alot of young talent has come out of the Verdy ranks. Look at every roster in the league and you’ll probably find someone with a connection to Verdy in some form. What happens to a program that has helped alot of youngsters realize their dream as a professional soccer player here and abroad?

What happens to the beautiful young women who take the field proudly wearing the shirts of Beleza and Menina, the pride of the L league and the backbone of Nadeshiko Japan?

What happens to that charming little practice ground where you ride a gondola and can see all of western Tokyo? Is there another training ground in the world like it?

What happens to my friends from France and Spain and South America who followed and loved and bled as much green as any other Verdy fan? Who sat there and tried their hardest to find any nugget of information on a team they might never get to see in person, what about them? Or the people who followed Verdy from Kawasaki to Chofu even when it would have been much easier to jump ship and follow a team closer or better?

I think this might be a first but I recommend Jeremy Walker’s column on his Verdy memories. Unlike me he was around to see a Verdy team in all its pomp and splendor. I only got to see the old girl after she was long past losing her looks, still showing glimmers of what was and desperately trying to retain the past. A grotesque mask of what was.

I’m hopeful that Verdy can be saved. I don’t want to see anybody’s team die, even obnoxious ones, because everybody deserves something to call theirs. And just like with my friends stepfather, I’ll feel a little guilty if Verdy goes under. But I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. I don’t think anybody can.

Oh, by the way if the worst does happen and any of the old Soilent Green readers are out there, you are always welcome to come to Omiya Koen and follow the Ardija. The football is almost as bad and you’ll make the old people pay full price for a ticket. That would be one silver lining!

Steve Barme
sbarme@yahoo.com
Steve is a contributor to Omiya Ardija’s Blog in English. To check it out, Click Here

I was browsing through Kyoto Sanga FC supporters’ forums, a few days ago, where of course many were lamenting the departure to Sport Club do Recife of their petit Brazilian forward Paulinho. Interestingly, while only a few mentioned his 68 goals (a club’s record), most were saying they were going to miss “Paulinho’s smile” and his “friendly attitude toward every fan.”

Brazilian football has fascinated the Japanese long before the J.League was founded. The roots of this obsession are found not only in soccer history, but also in comic books, in the undeniable quality of some of the early carioca who came to Japan and in the quasi-legendary story of Kazuyoshi “Kazu” Miura, the Japanese boy who flew to Brazil at 15 “in order to become a professional soccer player”–something he actually achieved.

At the beginning of the 2009 J.League season, there were dozens Brazilian players among J1 and J2 clubs. Green and gold flags can be spotted hanging from virtually every Japanese stadium’s terrace. From last season’s MVP Marquinhos of Kashima Antlers, down to “local heroes” such as Ventforet Kofu’s Maranhao, it is Brazilian players who still fuel the hopes and the dreams of most Japanese supporters.

Alas, the Japanese are not the only Asians who fell victim of this Brazilian craze. In the last few years, clubs from Qatar regularly plunder the J.League’s best Brazilian talents, and cover them with petro-dollars to import them to the Middle East.

In particular, wealthy Qatari businessmen who still can’t afford buying Manchester City and the like, settle instead for a local club and try to boost it with Brazilian players who have been successfully tested in Japan.

It is these new “soccer-sheiks” who in recent years have grabbed four of the most prolific Brazilian forwards in J1: Magno Alves, Bare and Leandro (from Gamba Osaka) and Davi (from Nagoya Grampus). They all ended up to playing in the Qatari League, where they delight their new “owners” and crowds of 500-1,000 spectators. FC Tokyo’s Cabore seems the next one on the list, as he is in Qatar for medical tests as I write.

Who is to blame for this “poaching”? Well, nobody, probably. One can’t rap the players, who have perhaps a unique occasion to cash in unlikely sums. And of course it would be hypocritical to blame the Qatari, since most of us soccer-freaks–if given the chance–would love to own a club and fill it with good players.

What about the Japanese clubs, then? I believe the final judgement really depends on how they re-invest their cash. Both Gamba and Grampus, for example have been quick in finding substitutes for their departing talents. The Osakans’ pattern is to opt for Brazilians who have already proved they are fit to live and play in Japan (they picked for example Leandro from Vissel Kobe for Bare; and now Pedro Junior from Albirex Niigata). Grampus, instead, steered toward Australia, and hired the Kangaroos’ center forward Joshua Kennedy, who was having a more than decent career in Germany.

Perhaps this “Go-Middle East” phenomenon can help Japanese soccer to become richer and smarter, and also to explore new alternatives when re-investing, as in the case of Kennedy and Grampus.

Be that as it may, the Brazil-mania is likely to stay around for a good while in Japan, for at least two reasons. The first is that there is by now in Japan a huge caste of Portuguese-speaking coaches, scouts and translators who keep networking to keep the Brazilian connection alive–as their careers depend on it.

The second reason, surely more important, comes from the undeniable fact that the contribution of some Brazilian players to the J.League has been extraordinary. I am not talking only of famous players such as Zico, Careca and Dunga. I am referring also about those of more humble origins, such as Amaral, Sidiclei, Jean, Adjel, Lucas, Ueslei and Paulinho, etc. who have written wonderful pages in the histories of the clubs and have blessed the Japanese soccer grounds with their talent and their dedication. And often, with their smiles as well.

Goru Noura
gorunoura@japanesesoccer.net

Richy Palmer, author of the world-famous FC Gifu Blog enlightens us about the state of the art in the Japanese second division! Enjoy the ride!

In recent years in the J2, with just over ten or so games to go, there has always been a bolter, a certainty that has charged ahead of the rest of the teams and has pretty much already confirmed their place in the J1 for the next year. 2009 though, is looking like one of the most exciting finishes in recent history, with six teams still in with a good chance of promotion, and another four or so there to squeak in should these teams fail. With the addition of three new teams for 2009, the J2 was always going to be a long season that would test even the best of teams, and it has also thrown in a few surprises along the way.

Gunning for promotion – Turning six into three.

Vegalta Sendai (Position 1 Points 76 (+33))
Poor old Vegalta Sendai, after hitting the J1 in 2002/03 they have been continuosly just out of reach of the promotion virtually every year since. With by far the best attendance figures in the J2, and the best stadium to boot, this is a team that deserves another shot at J1. This year they have been a solid team, winning most of their games, but still not being able to grab the ball by the horns and stamp their authority. Their defense has been one of the best in the J2, but in attack they have failed to find that key striker that is almost vital to gain promotion. The set play of Ryan Yong Gi has been superb, but unfortunately the likes of Soares, Nakashima, Hirase etc have not stepped up to bang in the winning goals at times of need. Nakahara though, is one forward who has recently seemed to find some form, and his lethal head has saved Sendai from embarrassment on more than one occasion.
If Sendai go up though, it will probably be on defense rather than attack, but with many tough away games still to come, their road to promotion may well again prove to be too rocky.
- Important Games: R41 vs Ventforet (a), R45 vs Sagan (a), R48 vs Mito (a), R49 vs Cereso (h)

Cereso Osaka (Position 2 Points 75 (+31))
If there is one team that looks almost certain to book a place in the J1 next year, most people would bet on Cereso Osaka. Last year, the team was full of potential, but fell agonizingly short of a top 3 finish. This year, many predicted them to finish number one, and at this stage it’s looking like that might just happen. Through JPN striker Kagawa, Inui and Kaio, Cereso has probably the most lethal strike force in the J2. There attack alone has got them to where they are now. Defense on the other hand has been a problem, as with last year, and if anything is their undoing this year it will no doubt be that. But in saying that, the team has a pretty favorable draw for the rest of the season and “should” be able to make their return to the J1 in 2010.
Important Games: R40 vs Shonan (home), R49 vs Vegalta (away), R51 vs Tosu (away)

Shonan Bellmare (Position 3 Points 72 (+25))
Last year Shonan, proved that they would be a forced to be reckoned with this season by putting on a very solid display in attack and passion. The loss of star forward Ishihara to Omiya though questioned whether they would be able to do it again this year, however the team has been flirting with first position throughout the season, and have only lately showed some signs that they might just crack. Shonan is held together by two key men, Adiel in attack, and Jean in defense. Without these two, especially Adiel, Shonan has looked very vulnerable.
It’s been a long time since Bellmare fell from grace to the J2, but this year is definitely their most promising chance to mingle with the big clubs again.
Important Games: R40 vs Shonan (a), R46 vs Sagan (h), R49 vs Kofu (a), R51 vs Mito (a)

Ventforet Kofu (Position 4 Points 72 (+25))
After yet another slow start to the season, Kofu has picked up the momentum just at the right time of the season and now find themselves as a great contender for promotion. Along with Sendai, Kofu has one of the tightest defenses in the J2. They also don’t lack in their attacking power with players like Maranhao, Onishi and Sin young Kim, all finding their way to the back of the net on many occasions. Probably still the underdog to make it up to the J1 next year, but with a passionate crowd behind them they are probably one of the hardest teams to beat at home, and considering nearly all of their remaining games against the teams above them are at home, this could very well be their year.
Important games: R41 vs Vegalta (h), R44 vs Mito (h), R49 vs Shonan (h)

Mito Hollyhock (Position 5 Points 67 (+12))
If you had told most people at the start of the season that with just 13 games remaining Mito are in with a very realistic chance of being promoted this year, most people would have said… “not likely mate!”. This team though is probably THE team to watch in the remaining rounds, Why? Because they are on fire, and can’t seem to lose even when everything’s going against them. When star forward Arata got injured many predicted the downfall of Mito this year, but the team readjusted, the young players stepped up, and now Mito are just a couple of games away from promotion for the first time in their history. Forward Takasaki has exploded, and with the combination of some great keeper work by Honma, Mito look like they could surprise everyone this year. People have been doubting them all year, and will continue to do so, but with this lack of pressure on them, Mito could well sneak up and gladly prove everyone wrong.
Important games: R41 vs Sagan (h), R44 vs Kofu (a), R48 vs Sendai (h), R51 vs Shonan (h)

Sagan Tosu (Position 6 Points 64 (+15))
The last of the teams with a realistic chance of being promoted this year is Sagan Tosu. Without their star forward of 2009 Fujita, Tosu struggled throughout the first stage of the tournament. Then came Hafner-Mike. Like he did with Avispa last year, Hafner-Mike has been an inspiration for the team, and paired with ex-Thespa midfielder Shimada, has put Tosu in with a chance for promotion. The team is still an outsider though, and will have its work cut out for it if it wants to enter the J1 for the first time in the teams history.
Important Games: R41 vs Mito (a), R45 vs Sendai (h), R47 vs Kofu (h), R51 vs Cereso (h)

The midtable – Looking to the future
There is a mixture of disappointment and satisfaction in the middle of the table. Teams who look like just missing out on promotion, teams that look glad to be where they are in the middle of the table. Realizing that promotion is almost out of reach, these teams will be now looking towards improving themselves for next year.

Consadole Sapporo (Position 7 Points 58 (+10))
After being relegated last year, their was some hope that the team would be able to bounce straight back up into the J1. But a combination of a slow start and the lack of being able to win at home has cost the team. During the middle of the season the team hit it’s stride utilizing players like Quirino and Nishi, and looked like a real threat to all of the teams above it. But lately the momentum has died off and it looks like Sapporo fans will be left disappointed as their team will have to spend another year in the J2.

Tokyo Verdy (Position 8 Points 56 (+8))
Just like Consadole, After dropping to the J2, their was hope and expectation that this team would rise straight back up to the J1, but again, like Consadole they were left to rue a slow start, and now look to have missed the boat for 2009 promotion. Without a doubt the star for Verdy this year has been Oguro, who is one of the leading goal scoring in the league, and who has single handedly won Verdy many a game. Unfortunately for them though, it looks like next year will again be spent in the depths of the J2.

Tokushima Vortis (Position 9 Points 53 (+6))
From being at the bottom of the table last year, to being within a whisker of a promotion spot for much of the season, this team has been one of the biggest improvers of 2009. Players like Kuranuki, Ishida and Haji, have pulled the team together and have given the fans something to cheer about this year. Until a few rounds ago the team was still in the race for promotion, but it looks like now that that race may just about be over. Still, the team looks very promising for 2010.

Kataller Toyama (Position 10 Points 52 (-1))
The surprise team of 2009. The team was only formed in 2008 (JFL), gained promotion in one year, and at the moment are sitting in tenth place in their debut year of the J2. A solid team, maintaining most of the players that got them promoted to the J2, this team has found a great balance of defense and timely attack that has surprised many a team this year. This team has no enemies, and has knocked off almost all of the teams above it at least once. Looks like a great team for the future.

FC Gifu (Position 11 Points 48 (-9))
In deep financial crisis, and with a new team of virtually all rookies, many predicted Gifu to be at the bottom of the table come R51 this year. The year started out that way too. The inexperience of the team showed and 1/3 of the way through the competition Gifu were down around the bottom. But the team suddenly began to click, and through players like Satou and Kan Kazunori they started to show guts and a willingness to win, and they shot up to the mid table. Along the way they produced a 11 game unbeaten streak at home, which considering they only won three games at home last year, was pretty huge. The aim of the team is a top 10 finish for 2009. At the moment the chances of this are quite high, and should their financial figures improve this year, they are definitely on the right road for 2010.

Thespa Kusatsu (Position 12 Points 43 (-11))
Languishing in the mid-table, this has been a year of frustration and disappointment for Kusatsu. There was great expectation after their breakthrough year last year but without one of their star players of 2008, Shimada, they have failed to find the spark that lead them to a good finish in 2009. The player of the year so far is definitely Tokura, who has netted many a goal for the team. They still look like they may be able to jump a place or two by the end of the season, but all in all, it will have been a disappointing one for them.

The Bottom – Avoiding embarrassment
These are the teams, who are fighting it out down the bottom of the table. Probably seen as easy-beats by most of the other teams supporters, these teams could still provide a few headaches for some of the top teams, and could in turn be the difference between these top teams gaining promotion or not.

Avispa Fukuoka (Position 13 Points 40 (-26))
Lets face it. If it hadn’t been for Hafner-Mike last year, Fukuoka would have finished down the bottom of the table. This year, the team has failed to make many changes and as a result are again going to finish down the bottom of the table. Kurobe and Okubo  have had their moments, but big signings like Kumamoto’s Takahashi have failed to live up to expectations. Still could manage a top 10 finish, but at this stage, looks unlikely.

Ehime FC (Position 14 Points 39 (-18))
Started the season well, but the team was ripped apart by injuries, at one stage they could not even field enough players on the bench! The team looked like it was leading into a breakthrough season but had a terrible run through the middle of the season, and only now seem to be finding their feet again. Uchimura is playing pretty good, and if the injuries stay away, Ehime look like finishing the season a couple of places ahead of where they are now.

Roasso Kumamoto (Position 15 Points 37 (-16))
Even after the loss of Takahashi, the addition of Grampus’s Fujita looked like it might be enough as Roasso enjoyed a relatively successful start to the 2009 season. Reality soon struck though and the team tumbled down the table. The main reason for this is the teams defense. They haven’t seemed to come up with a good defensive line and as a result have the worst defense in the J2. It doesn’t seem that too much has changed from last year, and they should finish a similar position as in 2008.

Fagiano Okayama (Position 16 Points 32 (-27))
After a very slow start to their inaugural year in the J2, Okayama are finally starting to find their feet and are winning a few games. They have had great support from a boisterous crowd but struggled mainly due to their attack, with the forwards struggling to fire. Still, this is only their first year in the J2, and if they can jump a few places up by decmber they will definitely have a good platform to work on for next year.

Yokohama FC (Position 17 Points 27 (-23))
What can you say about this team? They are a team that pretty much relies on Kazuyoshi Miura for their existence. So with a lack of vision and forethought the team has been sitting on the bottom of the table for most of 2009. Only in the last few weeks has the team shown a bit of heart and has taken themselves above Tochigi SC. Still though, the battle for the bottom looks like it will now be between those two teams.

Tochigi SC (Position 18 Points 23 (-34))
This team is in trouble. They have failed to win 19 games in a row. The signs were there last year when in the JFL they held a hefty lead halfway through the competition, only to lose game after game and in the end just sneak into the J2. That lack of momentum has continued into this year where they have failed to achieve much, although they have had a few promising draws against the likes of Shonan and kofu. In reality though the team is struggling and if they do manage to get off the bottom of the table come end of the season, it will be a gigantic achievement.

Team performance assessment:

Much better than expected: Mito Hollyhock, Tokushima Vortis, Kataller Toyama
Better than expected: FC Gifu, Sagan Tosu
More or less as expected: Vegalta Sendai, cereso Osaka, Shonan Bellmare, Ventforet Kofu, Tokyo Verdy, Roasso Kumamoto, Ehime FC, Fagiano Okayama
Worse than expected: Thespa Kusatsu, Consadole Sapporo, Yokohama FC
Much worse than expected: Avispa Fukuoka

Final predictions for 2009 J2:
Promotion (1st): Cereso Osaka
Promotion (2nd): Vegalta Sendai
Promotion (3rd): Ventforet Kofu
Wooden Spoon: Tochigi SC

Richy Palmer

In a society that has a traditional “cult of the losers” (I am referring here to the many “tragic heroes” of Japanese past history and also to contemporary TV dramas), even in J1 soccer the struggle to avoid relegation often attracts more attention than the race for the title. It was definitely the case of last season, when JEF United Chiba completed a miraculous comeback from the rock-bottom of the table, culminated on a 0-2 to 4-2 vs FC Tokyo in the last, glorious round of 2008. Most were surely most incensed by such achievement than by Kashima Antlers triumphantly galloping toward their second title.

It is however unlikely that a similar miracle will repeat this season, as the distance between the last three and the other teams is huge, and is justified by what the field has said so far.

In 13th position lies Vissel Kobe with 29 points. They have re-emerged and are actually attached to the mid-chart teams’ train after some very important results (1-0 in Kashiwa, and another 1-0 versus the leaders Kashima Antlers, for example). Vissel season has been so far rather dull, due to the lack of contribution from the new Brazilian players and by the apathy of Okinawan striker Kazuki Ganaha, who was tipped as the substitute for Leandro but turned into a huge disappointment. It was only the returnee Yoshito Okubo, who had in the meantime flopped his second attempt in Europe, that injected some new energy into Vissel’s veins and dragged the team off of the danger zone. A deep breath for the fans and the club, but also a lot to do toward the next season.

Two points below are the surprising Montedio Yamagata. Given for as good as dead by basically everybody (me included…) before the season even kicked off, they not only managed a good start, but also claimed some important victories (for example in Yokohama) in the crucial moment of their season. Also because of injuries, this season’s rookie team might have not always been capable to display a brilliant soccer, but by putting a lot of heart in their game, they are getting closer to an unbelievable achievement. In fact, with a few more points (perhaps as little as nine?) they should secure permanence in J1 almost with the same team that finished second in J2 in 2008. Montedio’s struggle proves that definitely there is a gap in level between the two divisions, but it is not insurmountable for a tenacious group of players, supported in good and bad luck by devoted supporters. Special mention for the 22yo striker Yu Hasegawa: J1 or J2, surely it made no difference for him, as he diligently kept performing his job: scoring goals.

Omiya Ardija too has 27 points and has recently redesigned its squad with the addition of a Brazilian forward (Rafael) as the contribution of the young strikers coming from J2 (Yoshihito Fujita and Naoki Ishihara) was not bad, but not sufficient for Ardija’s fans to sleep well at night. The main column of the team has been the Croatian Mato, who guaranteed goals and serious defending. Not exactly a brilliant season for the squirrels, but their history in J1 seems to be bound toward another happy ending.

The 16th and 17th spots, the first two “hot seat” to J2, are occupied by the two teams from Chiba: JEF United and Kashiwa Reysol. With 21 points only, they trail six points beyond the 15th placed Ardija and they will need a thundering end of the season to manage to stay afloat. Reysol is coming from two convincing games and four deserved points earned versus higher rated rivals (Urawa Reds and Yokohama F Marinos), and seems to have found a new hero, the 19yo Yuki Otsu, who on the left side combines a devastating power to a decent technique and good ideas.

JEF too features a few very good offensive players (Tatsuya Yazawa and Masaki Fukai, besides of course the contribution of Mr. JEF, Seiichiro Maki), but seems to fall victim of redundant defensive amnesia, costing precious points. Considering their recent performances it is hard to envision a second miracle in a row.

Very last chapter for the almost condemned Oita Trinita. Their pre-season defeat versus LA Galaxy was seen by a few as an ominous sign, and as a matter of fact everything went as wrong as it could. A chain of injuries, a few unfortunate games, and a shameful ground at the home Big Eye Stadium, meant a disastrous first half of the season. The change of coach and the return of some of the injured players meant a change at least in the mood for fans and players, but won’t be enough to provide another Kyushu club to J2—the second division will be the main theme of the last installation of this series.

Here is my final assessment for how the teams have performed so far:
Much better than expected: Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Montedio Yamagata.
Better than expected: Kashima Antlers; Shimizu S-Pulse and Albirex Niigata.
More or less as expected: Kawasaki Frontale; FC Tokyo; Jubilo Iwata; Kyoto Sanga FC and Omiya Ardija.
Worse than expected: Gamba Osaka; Nagoya Grampus; Yokohama F Marinos; Vissel Kobe; JEF United Chiba and Kashiwa Reysol.
Much worse than expected: Urawa Reds and Oita Trinita.

And, to wrap up J1, my final predictions for how the season will end, based on actual points and condition are as follow:

Championship: Kashima Antlers
Second Place (ACL berth): Kawasaki Frontale
Third Place (ACL berth): Shimizu S-Pulse (50%) or Gamba Osaka (30%) or Sanfrecce Hiroshima (10%), or others (10%)
16th Place (relegatd to J2): Kashiwa Reysol (75%) or Montedio Yamagata (25%)
17th Place (relegatd to J2): JEF United Chiba
18th Place (relegatd to J2): Oita Tinita

Goru Noura
gorunoura@japanesesoccer.net

Coming Up Soon: “The 2/3 Review, Part V: J2 and JFL”

As most Japanese fans tend to have rather unrealistic expectations for heir teams during the pre-season, the six teams I have bunched in this mid-chart group are all more or less savoring the bitter taste of disappointment. The degree by which expectations have not been fulfilled varies, but none of those occupying 7th to 12th spot is walking around with a huge smile on their faces nowadays.

For sure that is not the case of Urawa Reds (7th place, 24 points), who had started the 2009 campaign with a new German coach (herr Volker Finke) and clear ambitions: snatching back the title from Kashima Antlers, and possibly more. While trying to find a balanced alchemy, including both veterans and rookies, Finke braved the early waves of J1 with mastery, and kept his team in the game for quite a while. A series of games won by one goal provided a considerable credit in the table, while players such as Naoki Hamada also called for the top National team, showed how the club was working well with young players as well. However the Saitama’s Titanic started to hiticebergs since a bit ore than a month ago, and Reds stumbled into a hard-to-explain series of horrible played games. Since then, including the painful elimination from the League Cup (another seasonal goal gone), Urawa Reds have lost seven in a row and shown moments of individual hysteria that are not exactly promising when looking at the what is left of the season. The Emperor’s Cup could be the last lifesaver to rescue Reds’ 2009 season. Should Finke fail in that as well, he will need huge air-bags, as Reds management and fans are not exactly famous for their patience, a trait shared with some of the players as well.

One notch below is FC Tokyo (8th, . After a dreadful start, the capital city’s club bounced back, mainly thanks to the magic of one single man: late-bloomer Naohiro Ishikawa. Not to downplay the good season of players such as Yasuyuki Konno and Yuto Nagatomo, but it was Ishikawa’s goals that made up for the drought generated by Cabore and Hirayama, and propelled FC Tokyo to a point where we were getting the impression they could have been a contender for an ACL berth. A few not-so-brilliant results lately has relegated FC Tokyo again in the mid-chart, and Ishikawa’s injury (he’s due to return very soon, anyway) was of course paid dearly, as the forward department kept working part-time.

The lack of firing-power is actually a problem that FC Tokyo shares with quite a few other J1 teams. In fact, not many can field two reliable, well-assorted forwards. Check out for example the case for example of Urawa Reds (where Naohiro Takahara and Edmilson have been disappointing for most of the season), but also those of Kyoto Sanga (where the top scorers are Diego–a midfielder–and central defender Lee Jung-soo); or Yokohama F Marinos, Vissel Kobe and Montedio Yamagata (relying on the goals of one single striker, respectively Kazuma Watanabe, Yoshito Okubo and Yu Hasegawa); and Omiya Ardija (that lately seem to have improved after bringing in reinforcements from Brazil).

Those who can instead happily rely on their forwards seem to be Jubilo Iwata (Ryoichi Maeda, now the top-scorer in J1 took over where returnee Lee Keun-ho had left with scoring-frenzy), and Nagoya Grampus, where the coming of Joshua Kennedy has miraculously revived the “sleeping beauty” Keiji Tamada. Unfortunately for those two clubs, poor defending and uncertain midfield meant their results have alternated good victories to hard-to-swallow defeats (see: Jubilo losing the derby 1-5 last Saturday). Overall a hugely disappointing season for Grampus, who started as favorite, but it will all change if they can go to the end in the Champions League. They are now 9th with 32 points, while Jubilo are 10th with the same points but a worse goal-difference. So, for Jubilo, nothing like the past glory to which the long-date supporters might be used to, but overall a decent season, without the nightmare of relegation that lingered over the club until the late seconds of the past season.

The only team of the lot displaying a (dim) smile might be Kyoto Sanga FC (11th, with 31 points). Surely not because they play one of the most boring soccer that the J.league has witnessed so far, but because they have successful launched a handful of youngsters in the first team (Jun Ando and Yuta Someya, for example), while Manager Hisashi Kato’s no-nonsense soccer might mean permanence in J1 for the third season in a row–a record at Sanga.

Finally, Yokohama F Marinos (12th, 30 points). We spent a few gigabytes of  to criticize Urawa Reds’ falures in 2008 and 2009, but what about the Marinos, a club with a huge fan-base, a way more prestigious history than Reds that now clings to the goal of rookie Kazuma Watanabe to hang on to the 12th spot? Looking at their roster, the mystery deepens, as there is very little mediocrity among their starters. Alas, there is very little brilliancy as well. Marinos’ game lacks sparks, and one can only wonders how, in such situation, the club basically renounces to hire a few valuable foreign player who could add that extra ingredient to the soccer of the glorious club.

On 13th position, one point below Marinos is Vissel Kobe, but since they have just reached the mid-chart train after lurking in the muds of the relegation zone for a while, I will let them be the opener last part of the report on J1, that covers them and with five more teams: some at risk, some in serious troubles, one already doomed.

Goru Noura

Coming Up Tomorrow: “The 2/3 Review, Part IV: The Struggling Teams”

If I were to cut the actual J1 table by slashing a line between teams fighting for the title and those fighting for the Asian Champions League berths (second and third place)… Well, I would have to chop between first and second place, meaning I basically believe the title has been assigned already.

That is because Kashima Antlers (1st, 50 points) are the only team (besides the bottom three clubs), with some “air” between them and other teams, and even thought they have sputtered a bit lately, they have enough quality to crawl on until the finish line—if necessary dragged on by Osvaldo Olivera, one of the best managers who has ever worked in Japan. For the rest, from Kawasaki Frontale (2nd place, 42) down to Omiya Ardija (15th, 27) it is a cauldron of teams bouncing up and down from the ACL berths to the grey area above the relegation zone.

If you think it is a hyperbolic statement, here is an example. If Kyoto Sanga FC would have beaten Shimizu S-Pulse last Wednesday (and they had the chances to do it, before going down on a free kick), they would be now only three points from the ACL zone…

Whatever the case, having to draw a line somewhere, I have decided to do it at 36 points, thus including in this report the top-6 teams, which besides Antlers and Frontale include Shimizu S-Pulse (3rd, 39), Sanfrecce Hiroshima (4th, 37), Albirex Niigata (5th, 36) and Gamba Osaka (6th, 36).

OK, with that set, let us talk about the most serious business, which is of course winning the Championship. While the previous seasons had us used to a last-gasp race for the title, it might very well be that this year Antlers will snatch their three-peat with a few weeks in advance, or in any case without too much sweat. Yes, in recent times they had some bad days: only eight points in their last six games is not much for a team of their potential. Yet, it is also true that they still have a considerable lead, plus they enjoy the “advantage” of having been eliminated from both the ACL and League Cup, being left with the Emperor’s Cup as only possible distraction.

Moreover, even where they are not as brilliant as they were in the beginning of the season, the way Marquinhos (nearing his 10oth J.goal!) was running last Saturday should shut off those who have speculated on Antler’s condition taking a nosedive

Their more credible rivals, Kawasaki Frontale are perhaps the best team overall this season, but their brilliant results are also part of their problem. In fact, they still have their foot in four different shoes, being still in the ACL and in the League Cup as well—all while the Emperors Cup is ready to kick-off! More than that, even when their overall quality is undeniable, Frontale have failed twice in recent weeks to capitalize on Antlers’ slips. First they lost to Sanga in Kyoto, then they managed another defeat against yet another struggling club, Jubilo Iwata. Considering their delay, the direct confrontation in to be played in Kashima and all their ongoing business in various cups, I believe it is really unrealistic to expect them to catch up with Antlers. Of course all rotates around the direct confrontation set for September 12th. Antlers have two results available (victory and tie), Frontale can only play to win. If they can’t, games for the title might be over in mid-September. (And in any case Frontale better win something this season, or else…!)

A bit below are two rising forces: Shimizu S-Pulse and Sanfrecce Hiroshima. The Shizuoka club has not lost a J1 game since the end of June, and –as they did last season—they are in full bloom as the season nears its end. Their crescendo started quite a few weeks ago, after Johnsen began to do what he has been bought for: goals, assists… that kind of stuff… Meanwhile Shinji Okazaki’s explosion has provided the team with a reliable number of goals coming in regularly. Last Saturday’s demolition of their arch-enemies Jubilo Iwata was surely an extra boost of confidence for S-Pulse toward the final rush: if forced to, I would bet on them to make it to third place.

Moving west, Sanfrecce has been so far the surprise of 2009. Unlike some of their predecessors—for example Consadole Sapporo (2008) and Kyoto Purple Sanga (2006)—the Hiroshima club was capable to import their brilliant J2 soccer into the top division, and one wonders where will they be now, if they had not thrown away so many points due to their understandable naivety. The list of players performing above expectation at Sanfrecce would be long, but it is not impossible not to mention Tomoaki Makino. With his rockstar look the 22yo is the posterboy for the happy soccer from Hiroshima, and he seems to be the most credible candidate to become the next universal Japanese player. The recent addition of the Japanese-born Tadanari Ri, on loan from Kashiwa Reysol might add some extra-spice to the remaining games.

Less happier news from Albirex Niigata: until a few weeks ago they were without any doubt the most surprising team, comfortably dwelling in the top positions of the table as they flew past opponents with repeated victories produced by their daring and elegant 4-3-3. However, manager Suzuki possibly tried to squeeze too much from the same 12-13 players and now Albirex are showing an embarrassing athletic condition that resulted in seven games without victories (five tied, plus the last two lost at home). Considered the state of the players, Suzuki was at a certain point forced to gamble, as he for example threw on the field the promising 18yo Gotoku Sakai. However, as much as the younger players have surely done their utmost, they were not always capable to fill in for more experienced team-mates–just as the newcomer Brazilian Everton Santos has so far disappointed in his first two appearances.

Final chapter for this entry dedicated to Gamba Osaka. A very solid team, with plenty of players. Actually they have so much good personnel that in the past seasons they could afford cutting from their rosters boys of the caliber of Hiroki Mizumoto (now shining at Sanga) and Akihiro Ienaga (mostly a starter at Oita Trinita, and surely a big prize for the next transfer market), just to mention two. Hayato Sasaki usually starting from the bench is another perfect example of Gamba’s wealth. However, as in the case of Sanfrecce, Gamba too has threw away some games in unforgivable fashion, the last one versus Nagoya Grampus a few days ago (from 2-0 to 2-3) being the epitome of could have been, but has not been.

Now, the most recent shock for Gamba fans came from the sale of their new idol, the Brazilian Leandro (who has scored eleven goals in 21 games) who was traded to a Qatari club. Just as in the case of Bare the year before, Gamba are releasing their super-striker in the middle of the season. It is once again a huge gamble, because should they not be capable to replace him properly, they might be at risk to watch the 2010 ACL games on TV. Of course Gamba still has the potential to make it to the top-3 places, but between the third place and them there are two teams in great shape to surpass (S-Pulse and Sanfrecce), and nothing is a given… not to mention all the teams right below Gamba, that will be the theme of the next installation in this series.

Goru Noura
gorunoura@japanesesoccer.net

Coming Up Tomorrow: “The 2/3 Review, Part III: The Mid-Chart Teams”

I did not plan to open my review of the first 2/3 of the season talking about the guys wearing fluorescent jerseys, but facts happened during Round 23 “forced” me to. I’ll try to be straightforward: I see two main problems with Japanese referees. The first one is that sometimes they really seem to want to be spectacular (a feature they’d better leave to the soccer players); and second, they often seem gutless when it comes to apply the rules against players behaving above the law.

The most evident example of extravagant refereeing last Sunday came from Referee Matsumura conceding eight minutes (!!!) of added time in Gamba Osaka-Nagoya Grampus, a game that might have deserved three, plus one for the injury to Narasaki in the 92nd minute. Oh yeah, it made the game more exciting (well, at least for Grampus fans…), but is that what ref’ing is about?

However, what I found way more disturbing was the overall tolerance for players acting like children, and getting away with it. I saw it in at least four games, but in two was unbelievably evident and -unbelievably- ignored.

The first case was that of Tulio and Stojanov during the heated final minutes of Sanfrecce Hiroshima-Urawa Reds. Trying to “make some space for himself,” Tulio, already yellowed, put a hand on the Bulgarian’s face, and pushed him away, igniting a shameful scramble, sedated only by the common sense of some of their team-mates. The infraction was evident, and clearly deserved another card, with possibly one for Stojanov too, since he reacted violently by looking for physical confrontation with Tulio. Instead, Referee Iemoto limited his intervention to a short sermon (of which, Stojanov probably understand one third…)

Why so? The infraction was blatantly violent, and was clearly seen by everybody! If sent off, Tulio would have put on one of his pantomimes, but in retrospective he would have had no choice, but to admit he misbehaved. Instead, now he knows even more that he can play by his own rules, which is exactly the opposite of what a referee should teach to the players… any player!

An even simpler, and perhaps more symbolic episode happened in Niigata. Isao Homma of Albirex, him too already booked, failed to keep on the field a ball and conceded a corner kick to Kyoto Sanga. When Referee Kashiwara made the correct call, the frustrated Homma kicked the ball away in rage. There should have gone the second yellow card, and the red. At least, so says the rule… But the rule was no applied, as if the referee was intimidated by Homma’s reaction, and decided that kicking the ball away in rage was OK since the poor player was sad and annoyed…

Note how in both cases the players spared were playing for the losing side, and their sending-off would have de facto shut-off the game. Again we return to my early criticism: Japanese ref too often work very hard to keep the games exciting…

…and it is a shame, because soccer must be exciting, but before that must be fair.

It also must be said that there is often a huge discrepancy in how the referees manage games. As I described in a previous post, for example, the likes of Kobayashi (Kashiwa Reysol) and Mori (Kawasaki Frontale) did not enjoy much of the amnesty that seems to have blessed Tulio & co. They were mercilessly sent off with a second card in recent games (Kobayashi in Kashiwa Reysol vs Gamba Osaka; and Mori in Kawasaki Frontale vs Jubilo Iwata) for rather severe calls on what were after all minor infractions while the two players trying to conquer the ball, not putting on a ridicule one-man-show.

For some instruction on how to manage a difficult game, Japanese referees could have turned on to West Ham United-Tottenham Hotspur, that was played on the day after the two games I mentioned above. No Japanese game get even closer to the tension of a London derby, but the ref made it clear immediately that he’d take no bull from any player, and the game was what it was supposed to be: harsh, intense, even violent at moments, but always fair.

As the level of the game continues to go up in Japan, and the players become faster, stronger and more aggressive, the referee too need to update to a higher level of soccer. Letting the bullies go away with their rough behavior does nothing good for the game in Japan, and it must be stamped out immediately.

Goru Noura

Coming Up Tomorrow: “The 2/3 Review, Part II: The Race For The Title”

There were six long seconds, an eternity in football, from Yuto Abe’s clearing on the line and Ryuji Bando randomly slotting the ball between Ryota Tsuzuki’s legs, marking the fifth defeat in a row (with no goals scored) for Urawa Reds. Those six seconds crystallize the moment of crisis, especially if put next to what happened a few weeks ago when the same defenders clashed with Nagoya Grampus forwards.

In that instance, three or four Reds’ defender ganged up on Joshua Kennedy, who did not even touch the ball, while Keiji Tamada was let free to score. The whole situation borders the ridicule, when one recalls how some of the players involved in the two masterpieces described above, back in January were stomping their feet for more money, as if they were in the category of Ibrahimovic or Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was Keisuke Tsuboi, in particular who yelled at the reporters how Urawa Reds’ offer for his new contract was “pathetic,” and it is emblematic, because it shows how over the recent years, not only Urawa Reds fans, but now even their players have come to think they are what actually they’re not: a big club.

Sure, there are big things about Reds. To begin with, their imposing fandom, with a regularly packed Saitama 2002 stadium, and hordes of traveling supporters. There is also a huge amount of money circulating within and around the club. The total of the salaries remitted to the player is the highest in Japan, and Naohiro Takahara (3 goals in 20 games in J1 for him so far in 2009) is the most paid player in Japan.

But looking back at history, there is very little to justify the alleged “eternal grandeur” of the club. Urawa Reds, powered in particular by the Brazilian striker Washington, enjoyed a spell between 2005 and 2007, when they won a League title, two Emperors’ Cups and an Asian Champions League. Before that they had clinched one League Cup (2003) and won a stage of the J.league Championship in 2004, when it was still divided in two phases. Unfortunately for them, in that instance they lost the title in a final that culminated in a penalty kicks contest, where Yokohama F Marinos were better. Empty hands in 2008, and likely on the road for more zippo in 2009 as well…

Now, I am not saying that Urawa Reds is not a good club. Actually, together with their arch-rivals Gamba Osaka (another late bloomer…), they have contributed to the recent growth of Japanese soccer. And it also seems that Reds now are piloted by a rather capable man, who not only capitalizes on his few real “super-star” players such as Tulio and Abe, but also has the guts to launch skilled youngsters such as Genki Haraguchi (b. 1991) and Naoki Yamada (b. 1990). And as I think Volker Finke understands football, I am sure he is jotting down notes about what doesn’t work, and next season he’ll get rid of his inefficient players and build a seriously competitive team, that might seriously aim for its… yes, its second J.League title.

All this can happen if the team, the fans and the media do not fall into a status of collective hysteria.

As a “big club,” Urawa Reds’ season is so far disappointing: they have been eliminated from the Nabisco club, cut off from the title race and they are struggling to secure a Champions League berth. However, as a “growing force” not all is to be trashed: there are still chances to finish in the top-3, the Emperors’ Cup hasn’t started yet, and -as said- we are beginning to get a clear idea of which players are worth “super-star” status (and contracts) and which ones are not.

Urawa Reds new campaign to get rid of their unsold replica uniforms (that you can find on sale in any soccer store in Japan…) says “UNITY.” I believe a more constructive one-word slogan could have been “HUMILITY.”

Goru Noura
gorunoura@japanesesoccer.net

One of the positive surprises of this 2009 season in J1 has been the goals by the atypical 22yo Brazilian Pedro Junior. Last year (his second season in Omiya) he had a contradictory spell with Ardija, so that the Squirrels decided to loan him out to Albirex Niigata. In the harbor town by the Sea of Japan, Pedro Junior now teams up with former Marinos Hideo Oshima and Niigata’s favorite son Kisho Yano to combine into a wonderful offensive trio. The attacking variations offered by the “fantastic three” inflamed the “Albi” fandom, and so far guaranteed an unexpected spot in the high quarters of the table to a team that last season struggled to stay in J1.

In the first 20 rounds Pedro Junior has scored a total of 9 goals, including a hat-trick and two braces. He started in 18 games, played 90 minutes in each one of them, and missed only two matches. He was in fact sidelined for round 7 and round 20. Both were games played by Albirex Niigata against Pedro Junior’s ex-club, Omiya Ardija… Isn’t that an interesting coincidence?

Nope, it is not.

In fact, it is part of the contract between the two clubs that Pedro Junior can’t be used in games where Albirex Niigata plays against Omija Ardija.
Is that legal? Apparently, yes.
Does that sound fair or reasonable? Hum, I don’t think I need to answer this question…

Considering their precautions, one wonders at this point what were the reasons for Omiya Ardija to release Pedro Junior for the season. It is also curious that wile Pedro Junior at Albirex is surrounded by Brazilian compatriots, the Saitama side surely hasn’t so far filled their starting elevens with foreign players in 2009. So, how is the player is living this situation, especially after the frustrating result of the last game, when Albirex Niigata dropped two points at home as they failed to beat Omiya Ardija…?

I do not know, of course, just as I am not familiar with the small print included in the contract, and I have no idea about how the loan will be resolved at the end of the season. However, I have a rather clear idea about where Pedro Junior “looks better” and I’ll be really surprised if he won’t agree with me and won’t insist to stay in Niigata next season–possibly under a less Kafkian contract.

Goru Noura
gorunoura@japanesesoccer.net

That the Japanese have their way to promote and sell stuff, is well known. It applies to J.League as well. In a matter of a mere five years, the media have managed to transform a game between two relatively new Kanto clubs, Kawasaki Frontale and FC Tokyo, into a “classic,” or even better into a “clasico,” the nickname originally used for the mother of all games: Barcelona-Real Madrid…

The complete name for this game is actually “Tama River Clasico,” taking its name from the strip of water that divides Tokyo proper from Kawasaki. It has been played four times in J2 in 1999, then twice in J1 the following year, but it has become a “classic” only after… five years of being regularly played, since 2005.

Irony set apart, games between Frontale and FC Tokyo are not a joke, as we have seen last Saturday. The home team, Kawasaki, got the edge with the last shot of the game, but until then we were on an overall fair 1-1 score, and the balance till then said five victories each and five ties.

FC Tokyo has so far one Nabisco Cup in its trophies cabinet, Frontale not even that, but we are clearly talking about two of the rising forces of Japanese soccer, the latter already an international representative in the Asian Champions League. Both club feature some established player (Kengo Nakamura, Chong Tese, Yasuyuki Konno and Yuto Nagatomo, to mention a few) and also some emergent, such as of course the case of FC Tokyo’s late bloomer Naohiro Ishikawa.

So, the Clasico means business. This time it was one of those games not beautiful because of its technical contents, but thanks to the non-stop tension and the energy that the players threw of the field. It also featured some dirty, violent play, and FC Tokyo chanting “F*ck Off” to Kengo Nakamura. Banners were inked with catch-phrases such as “I’d lose to anybody but not FC Tokyo,” or “Eat dolphin!”–the dolphin being Frontale’s symbol. A bit of excesses when compared to what we’re used to in J.League has, but I will suspend my moral judgement here, as all the above has been already debated in various forums Internet in the past days. Suffices to say it was not a rosy game: it was a real derby.

And what matters in a derby is to win it. Beyond the colorful façade and the funny nickname, I wonder if the media understood this simple truth… I believe the fans and the players too have. The hero of the day was Hiroyuki Taniguchi, and during tha ritual post-game interview, he was asked about details about his winning shot. His reply was that of the perfect derby-winner: “I just hit it hard.”

Amen, until the next Clasico…

Goru Noura
gorunoura@japanesesoccer.net

Watch Mori and Nagatomo’s duel commented by SkyPerfecTV – Click here
Watch FC Tokyo Ultras insulting Kengo Nakamura [PG13] – Click Here

As the J.League matures, it is unavoidable that its matches absorb some of the characteristics of The Game as it is played in the most soccerly advanced countries in the world. This is mostly a positive factor, it means for example more savvy tactical arrangements and an overall more “respectable” level of soccer that reflects well in the growth of the Japanese National Team. It is no surprise that Japanese soccer is now broadcasted on Eurosport and has its growing community of fans outside the archipelago as well. But unfortunately, “growing up” also means that some of the “viruses” that were kept outside Japanese soccer are slowly eroding the naivety that made the Japanese league unique for many years.

Recently, the most disturbing aspect of the “latinization” of the J.League was extreme time-wasting, performed usually by players rolling around while waiting for a slow stretcher to take them out and run the clock. Not to mention the even more hateful “hide-the-ball-by-the-corner-flag-trick,” an epitome of anti-sportiveness that often annoyed the fans of the teams that were wasting time as well. These practices were however drastically reduced over the last few months. Why and how we do not know, also because –as usual—local media never discussed time-wasting, let alone denouncing it. I just imagine that it became too much, and somebody in the J.League offices finally took notice, sent out a fax to all clubs, and soon coaches and players complied.

Alas, not all problems are so easily solved! Diving for penalties and free-kicks is now endemic in J1 as well, and while it used to be a Brazilian copyrighted technique, now some Japanese have mastered the art of flying—Albirex and National Team’s Kisho Yano being perhaps the most peculiar representative of this new school. Well, nobody likes to see soccer players going airborne, but this has been part of the game for a while, and as far as the referees are not willing to enforce the law harshly against the transgressors, I believe that it is something that might stay around until calls will be helped by hi-tech.

However, what I think is new, and rather disturbing, is the increase in violence and the unneeded shows put on by drama-queens dressed up as players I have noticed during the last few weeks. All while –as usual—the media are oblivious, and the law hits the culprits with a very soft hand.

An example of this new trend, spectacular for his absurdity comes from this last Saturday performance by Masashi Oguro, of Tokyo Verdy FC. With his team down 0-3, he engaged in a virtual duel with Yokohama FC (!!!) fans, and when he finally scored his useless goal with only few minutes left, he challenged the enemy (who was behind a fence, by the way) by running under their stands and by pointing at his name on the back of his jersey. All, while Verdy are seeing their hopes of returning to J1 dimming out after two defeats in a row. What for? Unknown.

Still at Verdy, last week their forward Leandro (pictured above) did even better, putting on perhaps the best spectacle of the season so far. After a painful goal given away in the dying seconds of the game versus Ventforet Kofu, he waited for the final whistle to attack the ref, a few teammates and opponents. In the end he needed to be escorted out by a massive bodyguard, who probably saved his career in Japan. The funny side of it came when after the game Leandro accused Arata Sugiyama, a very mild Venforet dude, of calling him “Chimpanzee” in Brazilian. The J.League board of directors took the case seriously, but nobody pointed out the fact that Sugiyama had probably just said a sentence including the word “shimpan” (which in Japanese means referee), a sound that the overheated Leandro took as a tailor-made insult by a polyglot opponent.

Who definitely likes to insult other people, in particular Kyoto Sanga FC fans, is Yusuke Mori, a bitter ex-player who has been now mocking for years his former supporters any time Kawasaki Frontale scored against them (which happened quite a few times). He did it again last Sunday, but he probably generated some bad karma for himself, as his team ended up losing deservedly 3-1. The same Mori was coming back from a very mild suspension of one weeks only, after giving an Albirex player a bloody nose (there went an elbow…), and fighting hysterically against the security personnel who escorted him out of the pitch after the sacrosanct red card.

On the same ground of Niigarta, a couple of weeks before Grampus’ Brazilian Magnum (yet, another gentleman…) earned a quick collection of two yellow cards in little less than half an hour, the second for a hammer-foot sliding tackle that could have ended Toshihiro Matsushima’s career. While asked to leave the field, Magnum found nothing better to do than playing a Cristiano Ronaldo trick with the ball, “casually” kicking it against Matsushima who was still on the ground. A little riot followed. Disciplinary consequences for magnum? None.

Well, at least some people seem to take it easier. Kashiwa Reysol’s Yuzo Kobayashi, a blondie, was recently sent off for complaining after committing probably the twelfth foul or so against Gamba Osaka forwards. When asked to take an early shower, he dropped dead on the field in desperation. Well, with Reysol down 0-2 and the team now really navigating the dark waters at the bottom of the table, such reaction is perhaps understandable. A bit more complicated to grasp was why the same Kobayashi, after resuscitation and a miserable walk out of the pitch, wildly threw his shinguards around while making his way to the locker room. One can only conclude that such behaviors seem to be fashionable ways to accept a red card, nowadays…

So, from a certain point of view, as soccer in Japan becomes less of a game and more of a ritual celebrated by society, there is of course more pressure, results become more important, and it is “normal” that a few players lose control. However, as the league grows in quality and quantity, I believe it is important to protect its integrity as well, because a decent, overall honest soccer is part of the Japanese tradition, and definitely has its importance. A bit of extra malice is good, but hysteria should be stamped out.

J.League officers, coaches and players should all consider how their actions on the field and by the touchlines are now widely broadcasted (most commentators might keep silent, but SkyPerfecTV’s cameras capture everything), and even when the Japanese media like to glide over these episodes, fans are taking notice.

Is not like players only are “learning”: we are getting a bit smarter as well.

Goru Noura
gorunoura@japanesesoccer.net

Watch Oguro Celebrating Under the Yokohama FC Stands - Click Here
Watch Leandro’s Outburst after the Game Lost to Venforet – Click Here
Watch Mori’s Red Card in Niigata – Click Here
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The Japanese soccer-related media have a new boy to toy around with: a 194 cm, 26-year-old Australian with a remarkable resemblance to Jesus Christ. He has landed in the funniest league in the world (that is, of course, the J.League) after a 9-year spell in Germany, where he has played for seven teams (including Köln’s reserves) with a respectable record of 176 games and 38 goals between 2000 and 2009. Coming in at Nagoya Grampus for the departing Davi, he has so far participated to two J1 games, and in both occasions the commentators seemed possessed by his presence, and mentioned his name avery 30 seconds or so — and in the meantime, it must be also said that Kennedy has also scored two goals.

The Australian”Jesus” repertoire is not very vast, but he is very good at what he does: he attacks the space in three dimensions: switching sides and opening spaces for the other forwards; facilitating post-play and eventually darting forward; and -his ultimate specialty- getting very high in the air and striking the ball with precision where the opponent’s goalie can’t reach it. In other words, he has the potential to be a nightmare for every Japanese defense.

So far, he drove crazy Sanga’s Mizumoto and Korean National Lee-Jung-soo last week, while yesterday it was the turn of the Reds’ defenders. They were so worried to mark him in the first half, that once he found surrounded by four defenders when he was basically already out of the field, having crossed the goal line. However, in that occasion the ball popped back to Tamada who, barely marked, stuck the first nail into the Urawa’s coffin. In the second half, then, after Tamada’s second, it was finally Kennedy’s turn to fulfill the prophecy, and score on a header after connecting with a ball that wasn’t humanely reachable by the Reds’ defenders. So, zero-three, booing for the home team, and “resurrection” for Pixi Stojckovic’s team, that was coming from a rather negative series.

Well, I basically said (and he has so far shown) that a player like Kennedy is unstoppable by Japanese defenders, but there is in fact an exception that partly dismantles such theory. Tulio actually did very well on Kennedy when they met in the recent International bout between Australia and Japan. It is thus a shame that -due to injury- the best Japanese defender couldn’t be on the field yesterday to renew the duel and tell us “how good is Joshua Kennedy.” Hopefully, there will be more chances soon, perhaps in one of the cups’ games.

In the meantime the Grampus’ crew has quickly forgotten Davi (10 goals in 17 games for the epitome of the selfish Brazilian player, now in Qatar), and might begin to dream again: Nagoya hasn’t won a trophy in almost ten years, we will see if their new prophet will provide the needed fix. In case of success, also considering how Johnsen is still rocking at S-Pulse, expect a few Japanese teams shopping for huge strikers, and a lot of special training for the defenders.

Goru Noura
gorunoura@japanesesoccer.net

Watch the Highlights of Urawa Reds-Nagoya Grampus – Click Here