J.League Week 12
The Fat Lady Clears Her Throat
Lets begin by looking at the results of the league competition, here are the scores of Saturday's matches.
| Kickoff | Home | . | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15:30 |  | 2 - 1 (ET) |  |
| 19:00 |  | 2 - 0 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 2 - 0 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 2 - 0 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 1 - 0 (ET) |  |
| 19:00 |  | 1 - 4 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 1 - 2 (ET) |  |
| 19:00 |  | 2 - 3 |  |
2 - 1
Despite a growing list of wounded warriors, Jubilo Iwata is still forging ahead towards their first-stage title, which is now just a mathematical issue away from being certain. In this week's match against Avispa Fukuoka, they very nearly stumbled from their path to the title, but dogged persistence ended up bringing victory all the same.Avispa Fukuoka, on the other hand, started the season with a bang, but have lost their form of late, and continued to sputter in this match, though not for lack of effort. This match got ugly very early, featuring a total of eleven yellow cards and many more chances for a call that went begging. The refereeing contributed to the mess -- not so much because of missed calls or bias, but due to a woeful lack of inconsistency. The head referee, Mr. Kitamura, would blow his whistle only grudgingly after a nasty tackle from behind, then pulled out the yellow rectangle after a meaningless shirt-pull at midfield. Naturally, the players had no clear idea of what the standard was for physical play, so the nastiness and antagonism simply increased.
Although Jubilo had some early opportunities, Avispa got things started in the 22 minute when Yoshiteru Yamashita ran onto a nice lob into the box by Daisuke Nakaharai , and headed it past the keeper for the first tally of the match. Just two minutes later, Jubilo midfielder Toshiya Fujita put the ball into Avispa's net, but the goal was called back for offsides (this was the first of three times in the that a Jubilo goal would be called back, though all three plays were close enough that the referee deserves the benefit of the doubt).
Despite this setback, it tidnt take long to equalise. In the 27 minute, later Hideto Suzuki broke free down the left side, took the ball to the end line and crossed in to Masashi "Gon" Nakayama , but defender Shinichi Kawaguchi crashed into Gon before the ball arrived. Kawaguchi may have been justified in claiming that the collision was unintentional, but it was obstruction all the same, and Toshihiro Hattori cashed in the PK to level the scores.
The match swang back and forth for the next hour, with both teams threatening, though Jubilo had the majority of ball possession and seemed to gain momentum as the match wore on. Then, with just over five minutes left in regulation time, another high ball into the box threatened to send Suzuki free on goal, and rather than concede the header, Nakaharai knocked down his opponent. Hattori lined up to take the kick, but this time he sailed the ball just over the crossbar, giving Avispa new life.Hattori would make another blunder just two minutes later, collecting a second yellow card on a trivial challenge from behind that probably didnt even merit a whistle but -- given the referee's inconsistency all match -- was a risky decision. Sure enough, Mr. Kitamura pulled out his book and Jubilo were reduced to ten men. A short while later, regulation time ended, along with Jubilo's chance to collect all three points.
Despite being a man down, Jubilo continued to control the pace of play, and near the close of the first extra period, Nakayama put a ball into the net after being sent free on a goal by a lovely through ball from Suzuki. Unfortunately, once again the flag was up. Just as it seemed like the team from Iwata would have to content itself with just a single point, a pretty bit of play in the midfield saw Fujita roll the ball back to Nakayama just as Norihiro Nishi was starting to accelerate towards the net. Gon's pass cleared the defenders and, to the relief of Jubilo fans, this time the flag stayed down. Nishi blasted the ball just inside the near post to seal victory and move Jubilo one step closer to the first stage crown.
2 - 0
The highlight match of the night pitted Kashima Antlers against Yokohama Marinos in a replay of last year's title match.This year, however, far from being a battle of top contenders, this match was seen by both teams as a struggle just to maintain a little bit of respect.One reason for the Antlers' struggles this season has been the large number of key players who are missing in action due to injuries. In addition to playing with a very young back line, staffed by many reserve players, the Antlers are also finding themselve thin at midfield as regulars Mitsuo Ogasawara and Koji Kumagai recuperate. During the Nabisco Cup match at midweek, coach Toninho Cerezo tried to make a virtue out of necessity, when he started a lineup with three strikers. The combination worked so well that he decided to stick with a 4-3-3 this week against the Marinos. Atsushi Yanagisawa took up a position as roving striker at the pont of the front line, while Takayuki Suzuki and Tomoyuki Hirase roamed the sidelines. The combination proved effective, as the Antlers spent the first 20 minutes of the match shredding the Marinos defence. The rout began in the 9 minute, when midfielder Koji Nakata fed Suzuki down the left sideline. The blonde bomber sent in a cross that found Yanagisawa streaking for net, but the ball, Yanagisawa and Marinos keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi all arrrived simultaneously. The contest was inconclusive, with the ball popping straight up in the air and both Kawaguchi and Yanagisawa sprawling to the ground, but luckily for the antlers, Nakata had followed up his initial pass by drigting into the box, and he was able to chip in the rebound for the Antlers' first goal.
Just four minutes later, the Suzuki-Yanagisawa hotline was buzzing again, as Yanagisawa collected his seventh goals in the team's last five matches (including both league and Cup competitions). Suzuki led a break down the right side, and as he neared the box, he sent a diagonal pass to Yanagisawa just as he broke past the last defender. With plenty of space in front of him, Yanagisawa was able to measure the keeper, and wait for Kawaguchi to make a commitment before firing a low shot into the right corner for the Antlers' second goal.
Only some sloppy finishing and some unlucky bounces prevented Kashima from adding to the lead over the next 15-minute stretch, as the Marinos were in full retreat, but as the first half wore on, the Antlers seemed to realise that caution was a virtue under the circumstances. From about the midway point of the first half, the Marinos started to assume a greater control of posession, while Kashima sagged back in a defensive stance and looked to counterattack. Apart from a few exciting runs by midfielder Ryosuke Kijima, the Marinos had nothing to offer on offense, and as coach Toninho Cerezo began replacing his three-striker line one by one with defensive players, the match decelerated into a clock-watching exercise.
The only scoring opportunities to speak of in the second half came on Antlers' counterattacks, which the Kashima forwards failed to finish off effectively. Nevertheless, when the final whistle blew, it was apparent that the Antlers have laid the groundwork for restoring their fortunes in the second half of the year, while Yokohama are still at sea without an anchor.
2 - 0
Last season, as Consadole Sapporo and Urawa Reds fought their way to the top of the second division table, the team from the wilds of Hokkaido had the upper hand in all of their head-to-head meetings, winning three matches and drawing the fourth. In this first match since both teams won promotion, however, it was the Reds who dominated from start to finish. Although Urawa fans are undoubtedly concerned about how the team will manage after playmaker Shinji Ono moves to Holland, in this particular match the team showed that it has enough weapons to win even without him. Urawa got off to a blazing start, with several goal rushes, and in just 10 minute of the match, they found netting for the first time. Brazilian striker Tuto fought off a challenge from his defender, and pulled the ball back to midfielder Adriano just as a second defender was closing in. Adriano had wide open spaces in front of him, but was still flat-footed, so he unselfishly fired a lead pass to Yuichiro Nagai, who was already in full gallop. Nagai raced away from the retreating defenders, then fired a low, hard shot that the keeper deflected, but was unable to keep out of the net.
On the stroke of 20, Tuto and Nagai teamed up to double the lead. Shinji Ono started off the play with one of his patented touch passes, sending Tuto free down the left wing. Tuto raced for the post, and as the keeper came out, he pulled the ball back across the net to a wide-open Nagai. Although one of the retreating defenders was able to get a foot on Nagai's shot, it bounded into the net all the same.
Urawa continued to create dangerous opportunities throughout the match, and Sapporo were very lucky to avoid falling even further behind. However, despite a number of opportunities, the lop-sided match ended without any further goals.
2 - 0
Jef United Ichihara and Shimizu S-Pulse will be seeing a lot of each other this summer. The two teams both advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Nabisco Cup, on Wednesday night, and will face off for a home and away series in early August. Their matchup this week, therefore, not only represented a last chance for the Wingheads to keep their first stage title hopes alive, but also was a preview to the Cup face-off a month from now. Given the importance of the match, it is hard to understand how S-Pulse could have looked so flat. Although JEF certainly deserve credit for some excellent play, even early in the first half the announcers were commenting on how lethargic the team from Shimizu looked. One can only speculate that they had been watching the Jubilo match, hoping that Avispa Fukuoka could prevent their rivals from picking up any points, and after Jubilo's late golden goal, their hopes had been dashed.
Whatever the case may be, S-Pulse offered nothing that the surprising team from Ichihara might have seen as a threat. JEF passed the ball around at midfield for much of the opening half hour with only a rare attempt by the S-Pulse players to intercept. Though JEF had few early opportunities, they were clearly in control of the pace of play. Then, in the 33 minute, Masakata Sakamoto collected the ball on the right sideline on a counterattack, and sent a long cross behind the defence for Korean striker Choi Yong-Soo. Choi collected the ball at the top left corner of the penalty area, pulled the ball back to step around the last defender, then hit a low, right-footed shot just inside the far post.
Even after going down a goal, S-Pulse showed no spark. The team managed to produce a few opportunities to score in the late stages of the first half and the start of the second, but nothing that severely challenged the JEF defence. As the match neared its end, JEF United got a counterattack that looked like a mirror image of the first goal. This time it was Eisuke Nakanishi who sent a long, rolling cross behind the defence, and Choi collected it on the right side of the field, rather than the left. The result was the same, however, as Choi's low, left-footed shot eluded the keeper and rolled just inside the far post. With their victory, JEF now have defied all pre-season expectations and moved into second place, with a mathematecal chance of still collecting the first stage trophy. However, the mathematics of a JEF victory is enough to challenge even a rocket scientist, since JEF would have to win all of its remaining matches by ten goals more than Jubilo collects in losing all of its remaining three. Shimizu S-Pulse, with a game in hand, are also still in the running, though their lethargic performance in this match should make it clear that they are just counting down the moments till they are eliminated
1-4 
The only other team that had a chance to catch Jubilo was Nagoya Grampus, but their hopes went begging in a crushing loss to Kashiwa Reysol. Nagoya came out with much more fire than S-Pulse showed in their match, pounding the ball in on the Reysol net for the first 20 minutes. It looked like just a matter of time before Nagoya scored, but the momentum would shift suddenly and dramatically. Against the run of play, Kashiwa sent a long ball into the Nagoya area and it was cleared to the left sideline. Midfielder Tomonori Hirayama raced after the ball and kept it from rolling over the sideline. Turning towards goal, he senta long and hopeful cross into the area. However, the Nagoya defenders failed to pick up their men, and Mitsuteru Watanabe was able to sneak free at the far post. His header beat the keeper to the high corner, and put Reysol in the lead.
After the first goal, the momentum swung entirely in Reysol's favor. Korean ace Hwang Sun-Hong hit a lob shot just two minutes later that came back off the crossbar, and soon afterwards he had another sterling opportunity, but headed a point-blank shot straight at keeper Seigo Narazaki . The Reysol pressure continued, though, and in the 32 minute it finally paid off. Harutaka Ono collected a pass on the right side, about five meters beyond the box, and spotted Yoo Sang-Chul slanting in on net. His low cross met Yoo at the near post and the Korean midfielder banged a shot just inside the post to double Nagoya's deficit.
Things only got worse for Grampus in the second half. At the 63 minute mark, Reysol collected a goal that was calculated to break a team's heart. Watanabe started the play with a long cross to the far post, which Hwang reached first, knocking the ball back across the face of goal. Both Nozomu Kato and his defender were facing the wrong way to make an easy play on the pass, but as it bounced past him, Kato swung a back-heel at the ball, knocking it into the open net.
Nagoya managed to get one goal back late in the second half, as substitute striker Yasuyuki Moriyama met a low cross at the near post and headed it past keeper Yuta Minami, but just two minutes later Reysol drove the final stake into Nagoya's heart. Kato picked up a pass just outside the penalty area, and rolled it directly between defender Yusuke Nakatani's legs to a streaking Harutaka Ono. Ono kept his defender on his back, and fired low to beat the sprawling Narazaki, thus eliminating Nagoya from contention for the first-stage trophy.
1 - 2 (ET) 
Cerezo Osaka, struggling to get out of the relegation zone, lost a heartbreaker to FC Tokyo despite having the better play throughout the match. Cerezo struggled to score all night long, in what was a remarkably dull match. Though Osaka was the only team to create any real opportunities, they wasted almost every one before even getting off a decent shot. Then in the 82 minute, a nice back heel from Hiroaki Morishima sent Masaya Nishitani into the clear, and he drilled a low ball inside the left post. But with seconds to play and victory near enough to taste, Cerezo had it snatched from their jaws. FC Tokyo's ace striker Amaral chased a ball into the penalty area, and when it became apparent that he would not get to it in time, he flopped to the ground looking for a penalty. Amazingly, the referee was compliant, awarding the PK which leveled the scores and sent the match to extra time.
Through two periods of extra time, neither team could score, and with a draw looming, Amaral decided to see if the referee was willing to oblige him a second time. This time his flop was a bit less obvious, but apart from some shoulder contact, the defender seemed innocent. Nevertheless, the man in stripes pointed to the spot, and Amaral pilfered a victory for FC Tokyo.
Elsewhere
Gamba Osaka outpointed Sanfrecce on a rainy night in Hiroshima. After exchanging headers early in the first half, Gamba took a 3-1 lead on two long-distance blasts by Reginald Vital and Kota Yoshihara. Hiroshima managed to pull one back late in the second half, but the comeback was too little, too late.Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Verdy and Vissel Kobe wandered aimlessly about the pitch for 109 minutes before a long shot from Kenji Ishizuka finally ended the suffering for 14,000 soggy fans.
Jubilo Iwata are now just a formality away from collecting their fifth stage crown and booking a position in the finals. Here is what the league table looks like with jsut three matches to play
| . | Team | Pts | GP | W (90/ET) | D | L | GD | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 31 | 12 | 11 (9-2) | 0 | 1 | +18 | 26 | 8 |
| 2 |  | 22 | 12 | 8 (6-2) | 0 | 4 | +8 | 27 | 19 |
| 3 |  | 20 | 11 | 8 (4-4) | 0 | 3 | +6 | 18 | 12 |
| 4 |  | 17 | 11 | 6 (3-3) | 2 | 3 | +0 | 17 | 17 |
| 5 |  | 17 | 12 | 5 (5-0) | 2 | 5 | -2 | 15 | 17 |
| 6 |  | 16 | 12 | 6 (4-2) | 0 | 6 | +5 | 23 | 18 |
| 7 |  | 16 | 12 | 6 (4-2) | 0 | 6 | -2 | 19 | 21 |
| 8 |  | 16 | 12 | 6 (4-2) | 0 | 6 | -2 | 14 | 16 |
| 9 |  | 15 | 12 | 5 (4-1) | 1 | 6 | +0 | 18 | 18 |
| 10 |  | 15 | 12 | 5 (4-1) | 1 | 6 | -1 | 16 | 17 |
| 11 |  | 15 | 12 | 5 (4-1) | 1 | 6 | -4 | 11 | 15 |
| 12 |  | 14 | 12 | 5 (4-1) | 0 | 7 | -5 | 13 | 18 |
| 13 |  | 13 | 12 | 5 (3-2) | 0 | 7 | -1 | 21 | 22 |
| 14 |  | 10 | 12 | 4 (2-2) | 0 | 8 | -6 | 15 | 21 |
| 15 |  | 10 | 12 | 3 (3-0) | 1 | 8 | -8 | 10 | 18 |
| 16 |  | 8 | 12 | 2 (2-0) | 2 | 8 | -6 | 16 | 22 |
Rumours and Rumblings
Ono Already a Fan Favourite at Feyenoord
Shinji Ono's negotiatiions with Dutch club Feyenoord seem to have been completed, and all that stands in the way of a contract is a physical exam. However, though the Urawa Reds midfielder has yet to sign a contract with the Rotterdam team, the official Feyenoord website is already overflowing with news about his recent exploits in league matches and the Kirin Cup.An editorialised comment on the Feyenoord site openly questions the club's hesitation to sign a contract before Ono has his physical exam is completed. "If Feyenoord linger any longer it might be that Ono's performances at the Kirin Cup attract the interest of clubs like Real Madrid or Inter Milan (Real actually announced that they want to sign a Japanese player to get a share of the massive merchandising turnover in Japan). When these clubs pull out their wallets it might be Shinji Ono plays in La Liga or the Serie A instead of De Kuip next season. Wake up Mr. Baan!"
Hiroyama Goes from Libertadores to Kirin
Nozomi Hiroyama, a midfielder for JEF United Ichihara who is currently playing under a one-year transfer agreement for Cerro Porteno in the Paraguay league, received his first call to the national team for the Kirin Cup matches. Hiroyama became the first Japanese player ever to score a goal in the Libertadores Cup, scoring twice in a match against Sport Boys on March 22 of this year. His team recently captured the Paraguay league championship. Hiroyama will be wearing the national team jersey for the first time ever, largely on the strength of his fine performance with Cerro Porteno.While Hiroyama's homecoming was welcomed by many Japanese fans, at least one of them wants to see a lot more of the 24-year-old midfielder. JEF United Ichihara's head coach, Zdenko Verdenik wants JEF to terminate the loan agreement when it expires at the end of July. There have been many rumours of a possible trade from Cerro Porteno to another South American club, or even to Spain. However, with JEF United now looking like a legitimate contender for the second-stage title, Verdenik apparently wants the youngster to come home to Chiba, and contribute to a second-stage title run.
Chilavert a J.League Candidate?
Despite his team's loss to Japan on Sunday, Jose Luis Chilavert made a dazzling impact on Japanese fans during his appearances in the Kirin Cup this past week. Chilavert, has expressed a desire to play in Japan, had an opportunity to discuss terms with potential suitors while he was in Tokyo. According to newspaper accounts, Chilavert's discussiions with FC Tokyo were very detailed, and there is a possibility that he could receive a contract offer to play for the Tokyo-based club as early as August, when the second stage of the J.League begins.Young J.Leaguers to Train with River Plate
Argentine football powerhouse River Plate is negotiating an agreement with several J.League clubs to exchange youth players and develop formal business ties. New coach Ramon Diaz, who ended his playing career as a member of the Yokohama Marinos, recently took the reins of River Plate as head coach, and is one of the main proponents of the deal. J. League Chairman Kawabuchi has given his full support to the agreement, and suggested that the J.League may look for similar arrangements with clubs in other countries.Although specific details are still fuzzy, it is believed that the arrangement will include the dispatch of players -- mainly youth players -- from the participating J.League team to River Plate, where they would play for River's junior team and, if they perform well, may even see action on the taxi squad or in actual league matches. The J.League clubs would presumably have the same arrangements for young Argentine players. This could be a real enticement to some J.League clubs, since River Plate has a roster of around 50 players but can only field 20 of them for each match. It is likely that at least some of the other members could see occasional action for a J.League club. If the clubs mutually agreed, this could also lead to full player transfers between clubs.
River Plate's junior team was beaten 3 - 1 by Japan's U-20 squad during preparations for the World Youth Championships, and reportedly was impressed by several individual players.
Inamoto Move to Arsenal Almost Sealed
After a month of speculation regarding a possible deal that would send Gamba Osaka midfielder Junichi Inamoto to Spain, Gamba Osaka officials confirmed a new report that Inamoto has now reached an agreement to join English Premier League power Arsenal. The Osaka club confirmed that the 22-year-old volante has agreed to an offer of 4 million pounds (about Y720 million) to play for the Gunners next season, and said that they have already approved Arsenal's offer of 350 million yen as a transfer fee.The deal has not yet been confirmed by Arsenal, but has been reported widely in newspapers in the UK, including usually reliable sources such as the BBC. Questioned by reporters at a Tokyo hotel, where he was attending an event to publicise the upcoming Kirin Cup, Inamoto at first played coy, saying "where is it I'm going this week? Real Madrid? Manchester United? I cant remember." However, when reporters continued to press him for his reaction to the reported offer from Arsenal, he responded, "I am feeling very happy about it".
Lazaroni to Take the Helm at Marinos
Sebastiao Lazaroni, former coach of the Brazil national team during the 1990 World Cup, will take over the head coach position for the Yokohama Marinos effective from the start of the Second Stage, in August. Lazaroni, who attended the Marinos 2-0 loss to Kashima Antlers, commented "Their condition seemed very bad, but I think I can rebuild the team." Lazaroni will take over from interim boss Yoshiaki Shimojo, who was formerly the coach of the Yokohama Flugels.Jo Sets Sights on Another Spanish Stint
According to the Yokohama Marinos, Spanish club Zaragoza have made a firm offer for striker Shoji Jo, and the club has already held meetings with Zaragoza general manager Ochoa and negotiating representative Viel Sanchez. Ochoa has stated that he has a clear recollection of Jo's performance against Zaragoza when last in Spain, and he believes that the Yokohama striker can play a helpful role on the club.According to newspaper reports, Ochoa and Sanchez will meet with Zaragoza Chairman Alfonso Solanz on June 28 to report on their negotiations with Jo and the Marinos, and the team may make a formal offer on that same day. According to sources in the Yokohama Marinos organisation, the team is ready to accept a full transfer agreement, with a transfer fee of around 100 million yen.
However, even as Jo was negotiating with the Spanish club, rumours have begun to emerge suggesting that Yokohama Marinos do not want to renew his contract for the second stage. Jo is currently on only a short-term contract, and some Marinos sources have suggested that he does not show enough desire to play for the J.League club. The message seems to be: "If you have your heart set on Europe, go for it, but there wont be any place waiting for you if you dont make it."
Nishizawa Comes Home to Osaka
While several Japanese players are in the final phases of negotiating contracts to play overseas, Cerezo Osaka announced that they have reached terms with Akinori Nishizawa that would see the former Espanyol forward don a flaming pink uniform once more. According to the club, the JFA and the Spanish league authorities need to finalise the contractural matters involved in Nishizawa's departure from Espanyol, but the striker will be formally re-registered as a member of Cerezo Osaka on July 6.Feyenoord and Urawa Reds Look to Deepen Their Ties
On July 3, Urawa Reds and Feyenoord announced the start of a "business partnership" that aims to deepen the relationship between the two clubs following the recent transfer of Shinji Ono. The two teams say they are also discussing a future arrangement to exchange players, which could allow some members of the Feyenoord taxi squad to get regular game experience by playing for the Reds, and giving young members of the Reds organisation a chance to train with Feyenoord to hone their skills at an early stage in their careers. One clause of the business agreement stipulates that, should Ono decide to return to the J.League at a future date, the Reds would receive priority status in any contract negotiations.
Film clips courtesy of Internet Soccer Program J-Ole. Visit their web site at http://www.j-ole.com/ for results and highlights of all J.League matches.
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