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January 15, 2002:
A Look Ahead

The split schedule will obviously affect how teams approach the first stage, since it will impact the stamina and preparation of the players, regardless of whether or not they are part of the World Cup squad. Therefore, this week we will consider the effect that a split schedule may have on the J.League race in 2002, and which teams are likely to be most affected.

The first issue that must be addressed is how to keep a team in top condition during the two-month break, running from May 12 (after the Nabisco Cup first round matches in early May) to July 13. During May, most teams will do their best to line up practice matches with some of the national teams that are preparing for the World Cup. This will not only help to keep players fit, and give them some experience playing against the world's best; it will also be a useful way to fill the team coffers, assuming that the opponent agrees to allow fans to watch the practice game (at least in the early weeks, this is fairly likely). Even with these opportunities, players who are not selected to the national team will face about six weeks of relative inactivity.

On the other side of the coin, those players who are key members of the national team will face a gruelling schedule of training and match play, which could last for over two months, depending on how far Japan progresses in the World Cup. With less than two weeks to recover before J.League play resumes, national team members could be playing at well below their usual form in the latter half of the first stage. Finally, it is a fairly safe bet that Japan's top players will receive offers to play in Europe or South America once they have had a chance to display their skills at the World Cup. Most overseas leagues will probably start match play, or at least be well into their training camps, by the time the first stage ends, on August 17, and the pressure for players to leave their J.League clubs early will be intense.

With these factors in mind, the teams most likely to be hurt by the split schedule are Kashima Antlers and Yokohama Marinos, followed by Shimizu S-Pulse and Jubilo Iwata. The Antlers face the greatest risk, since so many key players are in the national team. As noted above, even the non-starters will face the problem of fatigue. Injury is also a danger that could leave players unavailable for the latter portion of the first stage. More important, though, is the prospect of a post-World Cup trade. Atsushi Yanagisawa and Koji Nakata both have clauses in their contracts that would allow them to depart at a time of their choosing, if signed by an overseas club. Other players, such as Takayuki Suzuki, Hitoshi Sogahata and Mitsuo Ogasawara, would be bound by contract, but if an overseas club wanted them badly enough, they could probably pressure the Antlers to part with these players before the end of the First Stage.

Jubilo Iwata also has a large number of players in the national team, but because of their age and their roles in the national team, they are less likely to be picked up by an overseas club. Though Toshiya Fujita, Toshihiro Hattori and Masashi "Gon" Nakayama all have a chance to see World Cup action, they are probably too old to be viewed as likely prospects by a club in Europe. By comparison, the Marinos, and even S-Pulse, probably have more chance of being affected. Assuming that Shunsuke Nakamura is still in Japan by that time, he will clearly be hoping for a post-Cup transfer. Furthermore, Yasuhiro Hato could be one of the tournament's big surprises (at least for overseas scouts), and would probably leap at a chance to move overseas. The same can be said of Naoki Matsuda. S-Pulse has three or four players -- Ryuzo Morioka, Kazuyuki Toda and Teruyoshi Ito (as well as possibly Alessandro Santos) -- who might be trade candidates, but apart from Morioka, they are probably less likely to impress European scouts enough to make them "urgent" prospects. S-Pulse should be able to count on their services at least until the end of the first stage.

The teams that could possibly benefit the most from the split schedule are Vissel Kobe, Kashiwa Reysol and Tokyo Verdy. All three of these teams have a large number of very talented players, yet none that are quite good enough to make the national team. Furthermore, their key players are mainly veterans, who should be disciplined enough to keep themselves in shape during the break, yet should benefit a great deal from having a less demanding schedule.

Looking at the league as a whole, it is hard to deny that the long World Cup break will have an adverse influence on the first stage, at least in terms of continuity. Having said that, the latter part of the first stage could, at least potentially, be very exciting. If there are several teams with similar records at the break, the stretch run could not only be quite exciting in terms of match play, but it will also probably receive greater exposure in a country that has just finished hosting the biggest football event of them all. Players who captured the limelight in the World Cup will have a chance to carry that attention back to their club teams. People (especially young people) who enjoy the spectacle of the World Cup will be more likely to turn out for J.League contests, particularly during the vacation months of July and August. Thus, while the split schedule will mean that the early months of 2002 could be a bit dull and distracting for J.League fans, there is every chance that the 2002 season as a whole will go down as one of the most successful in recent J.League history.

Rumours, Rumbles and Ramblings

Marinos Mull Meaning of Moniker

Not surprisingly, Flugels fans viewed this as a completely empty gesture, and few if any were willing to change their loyalties. The "F" in the team's name was viewed with derision by those who cared, and ignored by those who did not. As a result, the "F" tends to be left out in all but the most officious of news reports. Except when announcing the official name of the team, most commentators or writers will simply talk about the "Yokohama Marinos". While there are emotional reasons for ignoring the F as well, in most cases it is dropped simply for convenience sake, much as "Nagoya Grampus Eight" has become "Nagoya Grampus" or the "Urawa Red Diamonds" have become simply "Urawa Reds".

On January 14, however, All Nippon Airways announced that it was withdrawing its financial support for the Marinos. The company will transfer its 30% stake in the club to the other major owner, Nissan Motor, effective January 31. Since this is the second time that ANA has left a Yokohama team in the lurch, one might expect team officials to respond by simply dumping the much-derided "F", and returning to their original name. But one should never underestimate the cluelessness and mental density of corporate bigwigs. At its news conference the same day, team officials spent over an hour trying to explain -- in the face of extensive questioning by bemused reporters -- why they plan to keep the "F" in the team's name. Apparently, the club officials still think that some fans are loyal to the team simply because of the presence of this spurious alphabetical character.

In any event, Marinos officials have at least given Yokohama fans something to laugh about this week. As for the actual use of the "F", we predict that its use will become even less common over the course of the coming year. There have even been some (still unconfirmed) news reports suggesting that team officials have finally woken up, in light of the derision they experienced at the recent press conference, and plan to discard the "F" at the end of 2002. . . . but then again, lets not give them TOO much credit.

Cerezo Reclaims Striker Nishizawa

Bolton, meanwhile, come out of the situation looking even worse than Nishizawa. The team's attitude towards the player, as well as towards the Japanese press and media, suggest that the team signed Nishizawa wilth little thought to his actual playing abilities, and mainly because they expected to reap a financial bonanza from licensing and broadcast contracts. When the money failed to materialise, the team showed little interest in helping Nishizawa to overcome his weak points, such as finishing and positioning. Rather than providing him a prominent spot in the reserves and grooming him for the future, as Arsenal have done with Junichi Inamoto, Bolton simply relegated their Japanese signing to the stands, where he sat watching the team in action each week and wondering what he was doing in England.

Anyone who has followed Nishizawa for any length of time can well understand the reasons why he failed to win a spot in the team initially, but the attitude of the team, in simply casting Nishizawa to obscurity after he failed to lay golden eggs, is a blot on the the team, and on English football management in general. Japanese players would be wise to follow the example of Shinji Ono, and take spots on smaller clubs that are earnestly interested in their football talents rather than accepting the blandishments of big Premier League clubs who are just looking for a quick marketing buck.

Meanwhile, back in Japan, Cerezo Osaka are quickly establishing themselves as the runaway favourite to win the second division race in 2002. Not only has the team retained most of its top players from last year, such as Hiroaki Morishima, Yoon Jung-Hwan, Yoshito Okubo, Kazuaki Tasaka and Kenji Oshiba; they have also added several quality players like Brazilian defender Joao Carlos, former Avispa Fukuoka keeper Yuichi Mizutani, JEF United defender Yasushi Kita, and now Nishizawa. Although other J2 clubs have also taken steps to bolster their rosters, Cerezo currently looks to be the clear favourite, at least on paper.

Asian Club and Cup-Winners Cup Schedule

Meanwhile, Shimizu S-Pulse have progressed to the quarterfinal of the Asian Cup-Winners' Cup, and will play a home-and-away series against Chonbuk Hyundai on February 6 and February 13. Both teams will be able to use their Asian club matches as preparation for the J.League season, and should be close to full strength. However, it is unlikely that they will be able to field a full squad for the final four tournaments, scheduled to tame place in March, considering the fact that bothe teams not only have a full club schedule, but also will have a number of players on National Team duty during that period.

Oku Makes his Move

After several clubs expressed an interest, Yokohama Marinos emerged as the most likely club to claim Oku in a transfer, and some newspapers were even "confirming" his move late last week. However, Nagoya Grambus lodged a last-minute bid, which appears to have included a slightly higher price tag than the Yokohama deal. After thinking it over for a few days, Oku told a press conference on Sunday that he had decided to move to Yokohama, in part because he wants the chance to play with Yokohama's contingent of national team members, in preparation for the World Cup. Oku is a candidate to make the World Cup team, though he has yet to secure a position, and playing alongside other likely NT caps would indeed be likely to boost his chances.

Oku will join the Marinos on a one-year transfer with option to renew. Considering the buzz that surrounded his contract negotiations, it appears that Oku wants out of Jubilo altogether, feeling that the club has failed to show him the appreciation that his contribution deserves. However, considering how many other top players that Jubilo must deal with, this may have been an unreasonable expectation. One must simply hope that Oku finds the respect he desires at Yokohama.

Bismarck Bound for "Greener" Pastures?

With eight championship appearances and six titles, Bismarck has already set a standard of success that will probably never be equalled, but at 33, he may still be young enough to add to the legacy. After retiring from the Kashima Antlers at the end of the 2001 season, Bismarck returned to Brazil briefly, but he left indications that he might consider playing for another year or two if he received a bid from the right team. In late December, there were some rumours that he might make a comeback with Urawa Reds, but these discussions came to nothing. However, this week, Tokyo Verdy sources indicated that they were conducting negotiations with the midfileder about a possible return to his original J.League club. Verdy still have one spot for a foreign player open, and Bismarck's long years of experience in the league might be an ideal way to smooth the link between Verdy's Brazilian dynamic duo -- Marquinhos and Edmundo -- and the rest of the club.

Having barely escaped relegation in 2001, Verdy are not exactly a favourite to win the 2002 title, but with the many top-shelf additions they have made, they will already be a much better team in 2002. With the added ingredient of Bismarck, and his knack for somehow ending up in the championship race year after year, no one should write off the chances of the boys in green.

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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