81st Annual Emperor's Cup
| Kickoff | Home | . | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13:00 |  | 1 - 3 |  |
| 13:00 |  | 1 - 3 |  |
| 17:00 |  | 0 - 1 |  |
| 13:00 |  | 0 - 4 |  |
| 1300 | Sagawa Kyubin | 0 - 2 |  |
| 13:00 |  | 4 - 1 |  |
| 13:00 |  | 6 - 0 |  |
| 13:00 |  | 4 - 0 |  |
3 - 1
Verdy, on the other hand, seem to have taken new heart after surviving a relegation battle at the close of the J.League season. Edmundo, who was a major factor in their successful campaign to stay in the J1, recently signed a one-year contract extension, and he celebrated by scoring two goals in the first 30 minutes against the league runners-up. Jubilo midfielder Daisuke Oku was dismissed just a bit after the second goal, for a horrible challenge on a breakaway. Jubilo managed to get one goal back, but with a man disadvantage, Verdy were able to reply with one of their own, carrying the lead that Edmundo had created through to the final whistle.
6 - 0
Kashima Antlers had a more difficult time putting away Sagan Tosu than the final score line might indicate. The scrappy J2 club put on fierce pressure throughout the first half, and only some very deft plays by midfielders Mitsuo Ogasawara and Koji Nakata, and a nice finish from rookie Takuya Nozawa sufficed to give the Antlers a 2 goal margin at half time. After the third goal was scored in the 55 minute, however, Tosu's defence fell apart, and the Antlers picked up three additional scores in the waning minutes. One of these was a true classic, as Mitsuo Ogasawara stole a ball at midfield, noticed that the keeper was way out of his net, and blasted a 55-meter line drive into the top right corner of the net to make it 4-0.
4 - 1
Urawa Reds put together one of their most convincing performances of the year, as they rolled over Vissel Kobe 4-1. Nobuhisa Yamada put on a dazzling show, tearing holes in the Kobe left wing all day long. One of his runs down the flank started the scoring ,as his cross found Toshiyuki Abe at the far side of the penalty area, and Abe beat the keeper with a lob to the top right corner. After a second goal was added by Harison, Kobe were reduced to ten men just before half time. As a result, Urawa was able to cruise casually through the second half, adding two more goals to Kobe's one consolation strike
Elsewhere
The two teams from Osaka were fortunate to face only modest opposition. Cerezo Osaka knocked off giant-killers Sagawa Kyubin, a company team that had managed to knock off Nagoya Grampus in the previous round. Sagasa's magic couldnt continue, however, as Korean midfielder Yoon Jung-Hwan scored one goal in each period for Cerezo. Gamba, meanwhile, made quick work of J2 club Albirex Niigata. JEF United, meanwhile, dispatched the recently-promoted Kyoto Purple Sanga by a 4-0 score line.This leaves only one J2 club still in the competition. Kawasaki Frontale overcame fellow J2 club Yokohama FC in the week's only matchup that did not include a J1 club. In a battle of J1 teams, Shimizu S-Pulse crushed an undermanned Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who have no foreign players on their team at present, due to the lateness of the season.
This creates the following scenario of matches for next week:
| Tokyo Verdy | vs | Kawasaki Frontale |
| Gamba Osaka | vs | Shimizu S-Pulse |
| Cerezo Osaka | vs | Kashima Antlers |
| Urawa Reds | vs | JEF United |
For a full matrix of the tournament, including the results of matches held thus far, Click here.
Rumours and Rumblings
As the Coaching World Turns
If you tuned in to the soap opera drama last week, you will recall that Hans Ooft, who has coached both the Japanese national team (in 1992-93) and Jubilo Iwata (in 1994-95), signed a one-year contract with Urawa Reds. This week, Urawa announced that another Dutchman, Wim Jansen, has signed on as Ooft's assistant.In Fukuoka, there was absolutely no surprise whatsoever as the team announced that Nestor Piccoli was being axed as manager, after he led his team into the cellar of the league, and also into disrepute for reportedly encouraging plaers to adopt "physical tactics" (some would call it dirty play) in an effort to win. The strategy was obviously a failure, as Avispa were relegated to the J2 at the end of the season. Most of the team's players from 2001 either have been released, or have indicated that they do not plan to re-sign at the salaries that Avispa has offered. This means that the team may have only a handful of players left from last year as it prepares its squad for 2002.
But if anyone had the impression that things couldnt get any worse for Avispa, they would be dead wrong. It has recently emerged that the leading candidate to take over for Piccoli is Emerson Leao, who has almos single-handedly driven not only two J.League clubs into the ground (Shimizu S-Pulse in 1993, Verdy Kawasaki in 1996), but done a similar hatchet job on the Brazil national team. Fukuoka fans will surely be praying for deliverance this week.
Stay tuned for more melodrama next week, on As the Coaching World Turns!
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