Cerezo Osaka -- Preseason Summary
Two years ago, when the Flaming Pinks of southern Osaka first found themselves in the J2, there were very high hopes that the team would be able to regroup and jump right back into the J1, in a single season. The club managed to convince a lot of the team's top players to stick around for a year in the lower division, promising to show their gratitude when Cerezo returned to the J1. But
But after falling short in 2006, and then struggling even more desperately in early 2007, a lot of players have lost faith and are starting to consider other options. Cerezo does have a fairly talented core of players, particularly defenders like Kenjiro Ezoe and Kazuya Maeda, and young guns Yoichiro Kakitani and Yasuhito Morishima in the front line. Team captain and team trademark, Hiroaki Morishima, should still have at least one good season left in him if he can avoid injury. And though they did not do a lot of horse-trading over the winter, Cerezo did pick up one or two players who can make an immediate contribution, such as former Frontale keeper Takashi Aizawa and defender Hiroyuki Omata.
The danger that Cerezo faces is that if they fail to make the climb back to J1 this season, Morishima the Elder will probably retire and Morishima the YOunger will probably want to move on to a J1 team, where he belongs. Maeda and Ezoe might be tempted to follow, and though Kakitani is still a teenager, who probably remains loyal to his home town, it would be tough for him (or the front office) to say no if a team like Urawa or Gamba come along and offers the sort of money that this highly promising youngster is worth.
From that perspective, Cerezo will be under serious pressure to perform, this season. Perhaps it will motivate them enough to raise their performances and climb into the top three. However, failure could doom the team to a round of rebuilding, and the prospect of another 2-3 years as second-class J.Leaguers. Its now or never. And if the Flaming Pinks do make it, we think they will do so by the slimmest of margins.
2007 Finish: 5th Place
2008 Forecast: 3rd-4th Place
Roster Changes
IN |
| Pos. | Name | Former Team | Status |
|---|
| FW | Kento Shirotani | Kunimi HS | New signing |
| FW | Careca | Thespa ->Gremio -> | One-yr rental |
| MF | Seiji Kuroki | Nissho Gakuen HS | Rookie (new signing) |
| MF | Germano | Athletico Mineiro | Full transfer |
| MF | Ryuhei Niwa | Vissel Kobe | Rental extended |
| DF | Hiroyuki Omata | Shonan Bellmare | Full transfer |
| DF | Kenji Haneda | Kashima Antlers | Rental extended |
| GK | Takashi Aizawa | Kawasaki Frontale | One-yr rental |
| GK | Kenta Tanno | V.Varen Nagasaki | Rental ends |
| GK | Masato Suzuki | Tokushima Vortis | Rental ends |
OUT |
| Pos. | Name | New Team | Status |
|---|
| FW | Takaya Kokeguchi | JEF United | One-yr rental |
| MF | Dasisuke Yoneyama | Zweigen Kanazawa | Rental->full transfer |
| MF | Takaaki Tokushige | Kyoto Sanga | Rental->full transfer |
| MF | Junya Yamashiro | Sagan Tosu | Rental->full transfer |
| MF | Takuya Miyamoto | Montedio Yamagata | One-yr rental |
| MF | Ryuichi Dogaki | Kansai Gakuin U. | Back to school |
| DF | Tatsuya Yamazaki | --- | Released |
| GK | Motohiro Yoshida | Avispa Fukuoka | Full transfer |
| GK | Daisuke Tada | Ehime FC | Full transfer |
