J.League Week 15
The Last Dance
| Kickoff | Home | . | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19:00 |  | 1 - 1 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 4 - 2 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 1 - 0 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 0 - 3 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 1 - 2 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 3 - 1 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 2 - 2 |  |
| 19:00 |  | 1 - 3 |  |
0 - 3 
The highlight match of the evening was held at the cavernous Tokyo Soccer Stadium, where over 43,000 people turned out to bid farewell to Dragan "Pixy" Stojkovic, who played the final seven years of his remarkable career for Nagoya Grampus. Pixy had a dazzling match, setting up a goal and profiding some lovely feeds which demonstrated to everyone in attendance that he is going out while still very much on top of his game. However, while Pixy took the spotlight in this match, it also was a chance for Nagoya to demonstrate that they have a very competitive team this year, which may be a top candidate for the second stage title even without the irepressable Yugoslav playmaker.Nagoya got off to a quick lead in the 2 minute, when Brazilian striker Ueslei stole a pass in the Verdy back line, broke free towards the right post and then fired a right-footed shot into the far corner. Just before half time, Grampus added another tally as a long cross from Masayuki Omori on the right sideline found striker Yasuyuki Moriyama lurking in front of the net, and he split two defenders to head the ball over the outrushing keeper.
Pizy put the final touches on the evening, and his career, as a magnificent heel pass from the end line left Ueslei free for a wide-open shot that closed out the scoring
1 - 3
In a match that was intended as a farewell for Shinji Ono , many of the 8,000 Reds fans who had travelled all the way to Hiroshima were instead given a chance to welcome rookie striker Tatsuya Tanaka. Like Nagoya, the Reds are starting to look like a team that could challenge for the second-stage title even without Ono. There are still a few pieces missing, but the brilliant play of 18-year-old Tanaka in the second half, as well as the re-emergence of former Karlsruhe striker Yuichiro Nagai, shows that the Reds will have some offensive threats to call on even after Ono departs. Ono teamed up with Nagai on a perfectly-timed give-and-go play that sent Nagai through all alone for a shot at the top of the box. The keeper parried the line drive, but Nagai collected his own rebound and drilled it into the left corner. Sanfrecce equalised just after half time, but immediately after the equaliser, coach Tita brought the rookie on for Adriano, and he immediately transformed the match into a rout. First, Tanaka collected a loose ball just outside the area, took on his defender and as he turned the corner, sent a screaming drive into the high right corner. About ten minutes later, Tanaka took an inlet pass from Ono, turned his defender inside out like an old tee shirt, and slammed home his second goal of the night. Although the night belonged to Ono, the other members of Urawa's strike force served notice that they will be ready to pick up the burden of scoring even after their midfield maestro leaves for Holland.
3-1 
The final farewell scene took place in Osaka's Nagai Stadium, where Junichi Inamoto bid farewell to the Gamba faithful during a 3-1 victory over the Kashima Antlers. Toninho Cerezo seems to have already set his sights on the second stage, since he gave his four top offensive players (Yanagisawa, Suzuki, Bismarck and Ogasawara) the night off and tried some unusual combinations, starting Masashi Motoyama at striker and left wing back Takuya Nozawa at the left midfield position. Even if the Antlers had started a first-string lineup, they might have had a tough time, as Gamba seemed to be in fine form. Nino Bule got the scoring started as he leaped high for a cross from Kota Yoshihara, and headed tghe ball over the keeper for the first goal of the night.. Midfielder Reginald Vital, who is likely to take over Inamoto's volante role in the second half of the season, then added two nice drives from the right side which looked very similar except that they were at opposite ends of the field ( one, two)Koji Nakata scored his second goal in as many games to make the defeat a bit less painful, but this was Gamba's night, and they cruised home easily to give Inamoto a positive send-off as he leaves for England on Tuesday.
2-2 
Jubilo Iwata tried to phone in the result of their final match, and they very nearly ended up getting disconnected. Kobe got off to a quick lead as Jubilo sleepwalked through the first half. In the 18 minute Kobe's young Brazilian forward Daniel took a drop pass on the right side of the box and spotted Kazu Miura inexplicably unmarked at the penalty spot. Daniel's pass was almost completely unchallenged, and Kazu had three metres of space in every direction as he tapped the ball home from short range. Just before the half Kobe doubled their lead after Arno vanZwam badly mishandled a long shot from midfielder Shigeyoshi Mochizuki and allowed him to steal the rebound and finishi it off.However, Jubilo's wake-up call finally got through in the second half, and a href="../../jleague/jubilo/nakayama.html"> Masashi Nakayama collected a double, allowing Jubilo to salvage a messy draw, and finish the stage with a 13-1-1 record.
4 - 2 
JEF United managed to secure a second-place finish in the league, in a match that started sluggishly but ended in a wild frenzy of goals. Korean striker Choi Yong-Soo had a great match, sedding up the first goal with a rush down the left side followed by a slicing pass to the middle that Katsutomo Oshiba finished off. Cerezo Osaka equalised midway through the first stanza, but fifteen minutes into the second half, Choi volleyed a hard centering pass from Shinji Murai intothe net.
JEF added another goal ten minutes later, and looked to be cruising home in style, but with just a minute left, Cerezo midfielder Hiroaki Morishima steamed towards goal on a breakaway and dropped a pass at the last minute for Michiharu Sugimoto, who finished off the play with an easy tap-in. But as Cerezo threw everyone forward in a mad scramble to get the penalty-time equaliser, JEF got a counterattack that sent Choi into the clear, and he closed out the match with a long blast from the edge of the box.
Elsewhere
Shimizu S-Pulse stumbled to a 1-2 extra-time loss to FC Tokyo, and ended the season in a disappointing fourth place. Meanwhile, the Yokohama Marinos managed a draw against Consadole Sapporo, but still finished the season in next-to last place, and could be in danger of relegation at the end of the season. Kashiwa Reysol finished the first stage with a 1-0 victory over Avispa Fukuoka that allowed them to finish the season with a winning record.Here is how the final standings look for the J.League first stage, 2001:
| . | Team | Pts | GP | W (90/ET) | D | L | GD | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jubilo Iwata | 36 | 15 | 13 (9-4) | 1 | 1 | +20 | 32 | 12 |
| 2 | JEF United Ichihara | 27 | 15 | 10 (7-3) | 0 | 5 | +9 | 35 | 26 |
| 3 | Nagoya Grampus | 27 | 15 | 10 (5-5) | 2 | 3 | +9 | 29 | 20 |
| 4 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 26 | 15 | 10 (6-4) | 0 | 5 | +10 | 28 | 18 |
| 5 | Gamba Osaka | 25 | 15 | 9 (7-2) | 0 | 6 | +7 | 29 | 22 |
| 6 | Kashiwa Reysol | 22 | 15 | 8 (6-2) | 0 | 7 | +6 | 29 | 23 |
| 7 | Urawa Reds | 21 | 15 | 7 (6-1) | 1 | 7 | +2 | 24 | 22 |
| 8 | Consadole Sapporo | 21 | 15 | 6 (6-0) | 3 | 6 | -1 | 20 | 21 |
| 9 | FC Tokyo | 21 | 15 | 8 (5-3) | 0 | 7 | -1 | 18 | 19 |
| 10 | Vissel Kobe | 19 | 15 | 6 (5-1) | 2 | 7 | -4 | 16 | 20 |
| 11 | Kashima Antlers | 18 | 15 | 6 (5-1) | 1 | 8 | -2 | 21 | 23 |
| 12 | Avispa Fukuoka | 14 | 15 | 5 (4-1) | 0 | 10 | -12 | 13 | 25 |
| 13 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 13 | 15 | 5 (3-2) | 0 | 10 | -8 | 25 | 33 |
| 14 | Cerezo Osaka | 11 | 15 | 3 (3-0) | 2 | 10 | -9 | 22 | 31 |
| 15 | Yokohama Marinos | 11 | 15 | 3 (3-0) | 2 | 10 | -11 | 13 | 24 |
| 16 | Tokyo Verdy | 10 | 15 | 4 (2-2) | 0 | 11 | -15 | 16 | 31 |
Rumours and Rumblings
Real Zaragoza Makes Formal Offer for Jo
Yokohama Marinos confirmed that they have received a formal offer for Shoji Jo from Spanish club Real Zaragoza. Jo, who returned to the J.League at the start of the season after an unsuccessful stint at Valladolid, has been trying to find a club in Europe that will take him, even as reports from the Marinos camp have suggested that the team might cut him loose altogether at the end of the first stage.
Arsenal Welcomes Inamoto to England
Junichi Inamoto, fresh off the plane from Japan, was introduced to the press at a news conference in London. Manager Arsene Wenger held up Inamoto's new jersey -- number 19 -- and suggested that he has high hopes for the new midfielder once he gets accustomed to the English game. "We are pleased to welcome Junichi Inamoto to the Club." said Wenger. "He is physically strong and a great passer of the ball. Junichi's enthusiasm and ability undoubtedly strengthens the squad in our bid to challenge for honours this coming season."Inamoto made it clear that he expects his stint with the Premiership club to be a learning experience at first, as he tries to elevate his game to a higher level. Nevertheless, he seemed confident and eager to get started. "I realise that it might not be easy at first to get used to everything," Inamoto admitted, "but I think that I have the ability to settle down and do well. I feel that if I play in the same kind of way that I have for Japan, then people will take to me in England."
After the news conference, Inamoto joined the team for a light workout. He will travel with the club to its training camp in Austria and Germany later this week.
Ono Ties the Knot
At a press conference that took place immediately before he boarded his flight for Europe, Shinji Ono revealed that he and his fiancee (now wife) Chieko were married on July 19. Since Ono announced the engagement a few weeks ago, most have speculated that Ono would get married secretly before leaving for Europe, in order to avoid the prying eyes of the press, but this was the first confirmation. Ono revealed the news in response to reporters' questions about when the marriage would take place. "Im already married", he replied. "Just recently".Ono appeared bleary-eyed and hoarse at the news conference, but apparently was still in a party mood after what must have been a night of celebration with teammates. When asked about his disheveled condition, he replied: "I need to get used to the time difference in Europe, so I stayed up all last night in order to adjust."
Yokohama Marinos Sign Samba Trio
After slipping to within a point of the division cellar in the first stage, Yokohama Marinos will look to revive their team with an influx of Brazilian blood. The team announced that it has signed three Brazilian players for the second stage -- Forward Brito (23) of Fluminese, Midfielder Naca (32) of Vasco da Gama, and defender Doutra (27) of Santos.
Argentine Powerhouse Beckons to Hiroyama
Nozomi Hiroyama, who played last season on a one-year transfer to Cerro Porteno in Paraguay, has been at odds with management over plans for the upcoming season. Hiroyama expressed the wish to return to South America, while JEF United Ichihara wanted him to return to Japan to help the team chase the second-stage title. A decision on either a loan extension or a full return to JEF was expected on Wednesday, July 25, but a last-minute approach from last year's league champions, Boca Juniors, has put a final decision on hold for the time being.
Steve Perryman Takes the Reins at Reysol
Steve Perryman has been selected to take over the head coaching duties for Kashiwa Reysol, effective from the start of the second stage. Perryman was brought in as an assistant coach about a month ago, but from the very start, many viewed this as just a way to ease him into the head coaching seat. Former head coach Akira Nishino has been in charge of Reysol for four years, and has built a solid team, but he has been unable to lead Reysol to any titles. Apparently, the head office finally ran out of patience after Reysol slipped to the middle of the table this year.There is no news yet about where Nishino will go next, though Tokyo Verdy certainly have a void that needs to be filled.
Joao Carlos Shown the Door at Nagoya
Nagoya Grampus management apparently were not sufficiently impressed by their team's fourth-place finish in the first stage, and have releived coach Joao Carlos of his position as head coach. No replacement has been named yet, but the team says it plans to hire a replacement before the start of the second stage, in mid-August.Joao Carlos, who has also coached the Kashima Antlers, took over the reins at Nagoya in 1999, after the team stumbled to a dismal start. He quickly turned things around, and managed a second-place finish in the second stage of 1999, but has been unable to lead the team to a league championship. Although Joao Carlos did a very good job in 1999 of putting the inflated egos of some players in their proper proportion, he seems to have been unable to coax a championship-level desire from the team. This is not necessarily a surprise, though, since Nagoya have a reputation as a bunch of underachievers that goes back to long before he arrived on the scene. Having lost their leader on the field, Dragan "Pixy" Stojkovic, to retirement, and their head coach to a management purge, the team is now in a situation of virtually having to start from scratch. Their prospects for the second stage cannot be considered bright, at least in the view of this writer.
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