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J.League Midseason Break / J2 Update

But for all the interesting events among first-division clubs, much of the attention during the summer break is turning to the J2 title race. Second-division clubs are now at the midpoint of their season, and five teams are still strongly in contention for the crown, though Omiya Ardija has been edging out to a slight lead in recent weeks. therefore, lets begin this week's report with a quick look at the top J2 clubs, and how they are faring in the race for promotion.

Omiya Ardija currently stand atop the J2, with a six-point lead at the season's halfway point. The team has built its fine record on good defence and solid team play, but certainly Omiya would not be tearing up the league were it not for the inspired performance of Panamanian striker Jorge Dely Valdes. The 34-year-old veteran has been around the block a few times, having played for Cerezo Osaka briefly, and then plying his trade with Consadole Sapporo before takinga brief, one-year break from Japan as a member of the Colorado Rapids. Valdes currently leads the J2 with 21 goals, which is even more amazing when you consider that he has taken just 61 shots.

Omiya's success is mainly founded on defence, however. The team has conceded just 19 goals in 23 matches, making it by far the toughest club to score against. Former Yokohama Flugels defenders Seiichiro Okuno and Hideyuki Ujiie form the core of the unit, supported by Brazilian veteran Antonio Bezzera (Toninho). If Omiya's defensive unit remains intact for the rest of the season, they should be the top contender for promotion to J1, if not the J2 title (the top two teams are promoted).

After falling to the second division last year, Kyoto Purple Sanga and Kawasaki Frontale were viewed as likely advancers this year, but only Kyoto has managed to to as well as expected. Unlike Omiya, which is composed largely of veterans, Kyoto is a rather young team, with several players who show promise of making a quick transition to the top-flight division, with or without the Purple Sanga. Typifying the youngsters that form the core of this team are midfielders Daisuke Matsui and Kentaro Yoshida, both 21, as well as ace striker Teruaki Kurobe, who is just 24. Two young Koreans -- Park Ji-Sung and An Hyo-Yeon, are also key contributors.

Although Kyoto may lack the leadership of a strong and experienced veteran, they nevertheless are a very strong contender with perhaps the most varied offense in the second division. Currently six points back, Kyoto nevertheless are in good position for a run at the title.

Oita Trinita have just barely missed promotion to the J1 division for each of the past two seasons. In both 1999 and 2000, they were eliminated from contention in the final week of the season. Thus, it must be very nerve-wracking for fans to see the team in its current third-place position, poised to fall just short once more. Oita entered the season with hopes very high. They had acquired a number of high-profile players, including Belgian veteran midfielder Lorenzo Stahlens, and striker Bentinho, who has played for a variety of clubs from Sount America to Saudi Arabia. He also has had two stints in the J.League, with Verdy Kawasaki and with Kashiwa Reysol. Unfortunately, neither of these two players has contributed the leadership and scoring punch that the team really needs. Indeed, Oita's top scorer is former Yokohama Flugel forward Takayuki Yoshida.

In sum, Oita has loads of talent, but has failed to perform up to its ability, as of yet. The team will need to show better cohesion down the stretch if they hope to avoid disappointment once more, though they certainly have the personnel to make a late charge for the title.

One other team with a fairly good chance of promotion is Vegalta Sendai. Though not fancied by many pundits at the start of the season, Vegalta have scrapped their way to fourth place in the league, and are well within striking distance if they make a late charge. The most interesting thing about this club is its fine balance, and team play. This is illustrated best by its lack of any real "star" player. In some ways, this is a liability, since Sendai has no big forward to carry the load of scoring. However, the team works extremely well together, and can win a lot of matches based on simple teamwork. The tow two scorers are both midfielders -- Nobuyuki Zaizen, and Teruo Iwamoro, both of whom have played for Verdy Kawasaki in the past. Iwamoto even has a national team cap to his credit.

Vegalta's defence is a veteran unit with a number of players who have floated around the J.League for years, but never fully cracked a first-division lineup. The core of the back line is Ricardo Ribeiro, who played a season at Kashima Antlers, but was just a shade too slow to lock down a position. Eiji Gaya has also played for Kashima, as well as Yokohama Marinos and Kyoto Purple Sanga. The key to success for Vegalta will be finding a striker who can make more of an impact with his scoring, though hopefully without disrupting the team's fine balance. If they sign another player, it could give them a big boost down the stretch. If they fail to do so, they may find themselves just a bit too thin in the scoring department to win it all.

Here is how the standings look for the J2 division, with 23 matches played and 21 more to go:

.	Team	Pts	GP	W (90/ET)	D	L	GD	GF	GA
1		51	23	17 (13-4)	4	2	+26	45	19
2		45	23	15 (13-2)	2	6	+19	49	30
3		43	23	14 (13-1)	2	7	+17	41	24
4		42	23	14 (11-3)	3	6	+14	42	28
5		41	23	13 (12-1)	3	7	+19	41	22
6		36	23	12 (9-3)	3	8	+5	35	30
7		35	23	11 (8-3)	5	7	+5	28	23
8		29	23	9 (9-0)	2	12	+7	43	36
9		28	23	10 (7-3)	1	12	-9	30	39
10		12	23	3 (3-0)	3	17	-27	20	47
11		10	23	3 (3-0)	1	19	-38	16	54
12		6	23	1 (1-0)	3	19	-38	15	53

Rumours and Rumblings

Jo Settles for Yokohama

Lopes Shuffled off to Avispa

After a week of looking for takers, FC Tokyo informed Lopes that there were one or two J2 clubs who were willing to give him a look. This must have come as quite a blow to the naturalised Japanese-Brazilian's ego, but the fact is that his performance, and reputation, have been on the downhill slope for over a year. Recognising the situation, Lopes announced at the week-end that he had discussed the situation with management and was "willing to give FC Tokyo another try". But at the last minute, fate smiled (on FC Tokyo) and the news emerged that Avispa Fukuoka was willing to pick up Lopes for a nominal transfer fee. The Tokyo club jumped at the opportunity to unload the disgruntled striker, and Lopes will now be packing his bags for Fukuoka. Well Wagner, you got what you wanted . . . .

Urawa Reds Bolster Front Line with Emerson

Those questions were answered on Monday, when Urawa announced the acquisition of Marcio Emerson Passos (Emerson), a 19-year-old scoring whiz who arrived at Consadole Sapporo from Brazil in the middle of the 2000 season and took the J2 by storm. Emerson finished the season as the J2 scoring leader, and was a major contributor to Consadole's promotion to the J1. However, Emerson opted to be transferred to Kawasaki Frontale at the start of this season, remaining in the J2. Unfortunately, Kawasaki has floundered and Emerson seems to have grown restless with the team's poor performance. His addition to the Urawa lineup, alongside anotehr fast young Brazilian, Tuto, should give Urawa a very dangerous attack in the second half.