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January 5, 2003
A New Year Brings Renewed Hopes

Following the final of the 82nd annual Emperor's Cup, in which unheralded Kyoto Purple Sanga spran a major upset to defeat the Kashima Antlers on New Year's Day, the 2002 football season is officially over and everyone in the league is now looking forward, with hope and high aspirations, to the 2003 campaign. As is usually the case in early January, the football world is crackling with rumours and hints about player trades and acquisitions, so this week we will take a quick look at each of the J1 teams, their current situation and prospects for 2003, as well as the latest trades and trade rumours involving the club.

Vegalta Sendai enjoys truly fanatical home crowd support, and packs their 19,500 capacity stadium for every home game. This surge of enthusiasm, as well as the element of surprise, allowed Vegalta to go undefeated in the first 7 matches of the 2002 season. But thereafter the team's performance dropped off, and they finished towards the lower end of the table. Nevertheless, Vegalta were good enough to avoid relegation, and the team is taking steps to make itself even more competitive in 2003. The addition of players like midfielder Yuichi Nemoto and goalkeeper Daijiro Takakuwa should certainly make the team better than last year. Vegalta do not look like a title contender yet, but the team is building its base, and will continue to enjoy the benefits of tremendous local support. A mid-table finish in 2003 is quite possible.

So far, Vegalta have already made confirmed deals for five players who could all see substantial playing time. Yuichi Nemoto, a wing back who belongs to the Kashima Antlers but was on a one-year loan to Cerezo Osaka last season, was a regular starter on the U-20 team that took part in the Asian Games last year. Vegalta have acquired him on a one-year loan, and he will almost certainly get playing time -- if not at left back then at left wing, which is the position he played for Cerezo. Daijiro Takakuwa was also rented out by Kashima last year, but with Hitoshi Sogahata nailing down the starting goalkeeper role for the Antlers, he has been traded to Vegalta on a full transfer. Takakuwa is a quality keeper, and will no doubt be a major improvement compared with the pathetic play of Norio Takahashi, last season.

Vegalta's rental list is still growing, which may not be good news for the longer term but should be beneficial in 2003. On January 7 they reached terms with JEF United for Hisato Sato, a young striker who showed promise in his limited appearances for JEF in 2001, but got only minimal playing time at Cerezo Osaka, where he spent last year on a one-year loan. Sato has good ball skills and can finish well, but lacks the size to be a really dangerous striker. Having said that, he might make a good set-up partner for Marcos. In any event, Vegalta can use all the help they can get at forward, so Sato should get at least occasional playing time.

Another player who will join Vegalta on a one-year loan is Yuki Yamauchi, a 20-year old defender who saw virtually no playing time for Nagoya Grampus last year, but is said to have decent talent. Considering the weakness of Vegalta's back line last year, and the fact that they have released Ricardo Ribeiro, there could be room for the youngster to earn a place on the regular roster. Finally, Vegalta picked up Takumi Morikawa on a full transfer from Kashiwa Reysol. The defensive midfielder is dependable but not particularly flashy, and as bounced around the league to teams such as Kawasaki Frontale and Sapporo (in addition to two stints at Reysol), and even spent a year training at Juventude in Brazil (on the youth team). He is unlikely to win a starting role, but he could be a dependable reserve for midfield duties in matches where Vegalta are trying to protect a lead.

Among the players that Vegalta is still chasing are U-19 star Naoya Kikuchi and Sanfrecce midfielder Chikara Fujimoto. There are also rumours that the team made an offer to Kashima for striker Tomoyuki Hirase, who spent last year on loan to Yokohama Marinos. It is hard to say whether or not Sendai has the cash to land a former national-team striker like Hirase, but he would definitely be a big plus for the team.

Vegalta released a large group of players who failed to make the grade in 2002. The list includes goalkeepers Takahashi and Taiki Maekawa (for obvious reasons), as well as Kazuya Iio, who was once viewed as a promising defender but who apparently did not live up to his early reviews. In general, the best way to look at Vegalta's current position is to compare it with FC Tokyo in their second year after promotion. Both teams entered the league with a collection of recycled veterans and managed modest success through hard work and an element of surprise. In the second year, FC Tokyo began shopping for younger players and steadily worked its way up the table. Vegalta are in exactly the same position now, and they will probably be aiming for a 7th-10th place finish this year, while filling their coffers and preparing to make another step up the following season.

2002 was a year of changes and transitions for the Antlers. Kashima soccer stadium was one of the venues used for the World Cup in 2002, and the stadium received a facelift in 2000 and 2001 to expand capacity and prepare it for the World Cup. The improved facility reopened in May 2001, and was also used as a Confederations Cup venue summer 2001. 2002 was also the year that Zico stepped down as technical director in order to become Japan's national team coach. Other personnel changes and injuries plagued the Antlers during the league matches. They finished fourth over the course of the season, which would be an acceptable result for most teams but has to be seen as adisappontment for the Antlers. The team did win the Nabisco (league) Cup and advanced to the final of the Emperor's Cup before losing to Kyoto Purple Sanga. Nevertheless, fans will be hoping that the team can bounce back to even better results in 2003.

The keys to Kashima's success in 2003 will be greater maturity and leadership from young midfielders Masashi Motoyama, Koji Nakata and Mitsuo Ogasawara, as well as some improved firepower up front. The Antlers have wasted no time in attempting to address the weaknesses they had last season. The team released their two veteran Brazilian defenders, Fabiano and Augusto, at the end of 2002. Though both are getting along in years, this decision is probably less a reflection of their abilities and more a testament to the rapid improvement of young reserves like Tomohiko Ikeuchi, Jun Uchida and Takuya Ichikawa. In addition, Kashima will reclaim former national team wing back Naoki Soma, who was on loan to Verdy last season. Coming back from a devastating knee injury, Soma was solid but not spectacular in 2002. However, that may be largely a reflection of the role that he was asked to play at Verdy, which did not allow him to use his greatest strengths, which are running the overlap on the wing and hitting his forwards with an accurate cross.

One of the foreigner positions has already been filled, as Kashima signed Palmeiras defensive midfielder Claudicil to fill the hole that has been evident since veteran Naoto Honda took over the volante role from the injury-prone Koji Kumagai. A player of his stature should provide valuable solidity to the midfield, and hopefully give Koji Nakata more chances to roam forward, where he is most dangerous.

In the front line, there are indications that the Antlers might reclaim forward Tomoyuki Hirase, who was on loan to Yokohama last year, as well as rumours that Atsushi Yanagisawa may receive an offer from Serie A club Chievo. Hirase would be a mildly useful addition, but not an essential one. Obviously his value to the team would increase if Yanagisawa goes to Europe, but there are other Japanese players on the market who could make just as great a contribution. The potential loss of Yanagisawa is harder to quantify. He has been justly criticised for his inability to find the net. However, he is a dynamic player who adds a great deal to the team beyond his goals total. One other rumour which surfaced recently involves the possible return of Takayuki Suzuki from Belgium. Despite showing flashes of quality, he is not really making the grade in the Jupiler league, and some believe that he may be heading back to Japan in the future. Although RC Genk purchased Suzuki on a full transfer and thus his obligations to the Antlers are complete, if he did return to Japan, Kashima is the most likely place for him to go.

In any event, with or without Yanagisawa, Hirase or Suzuki, Kashima will want to add a top-quality forward in 2003. There are rumours that the team has approached Gabriel Batistuta with a fairly lucrative offer. This might be too much for Kashima fans to hope for, but if the Antlers are indeed talking to someone in the class of Batistuta, they no doubt have feelers out for other quality forwards as well. This is an issue that should be watched closely over the coming weeks.

The 2002 season proved to be the year that Reysol showed their true colors. Starting the season with complete control over the team at last, Steve Perryman found that he was unable to implement his system of crisp passing and rapid movement, in part because this strategy did not match the skills of Reysol's players, and in part because he failed to earn any trust from the team, and was widely resented by key individuals. The failure of Perryman's efforts proved what many had expected all along -- that the team was not really that talented to begin with, and Coach Nishino had already been getting the best performance possible from the personnel at hand. Having failed to deliver on his promises of victory, Perryman was shown to the door just before the end of the first stage, and Reysol went back to the drawing board, to try to rebuild the team. Reysol managed to avoid relegation, and in the latter stages of the season, several young players emerged as possible core team members for the future. However, Kashiwa probably has a long road ahead of them before they can regain the status of title contenders.

So far, Reysol has been relatively inactive in the transfer market. This partly reflects the team's weak finances, but it is also partly based on the fact that several youngsters proved themselves capable in the final weeks of the 2002 season, and the team may not want to do a lot of player shopping until they give these kids a chance to show how far they can carry the team. Among the rookies who distinguished themselves in late 2002 are defender Toru Nagata, a rock in the back line of Japan's U-20 squad, and two promising strikers -- Keiji Tamada (22) and Yuji Unozawa (19). The team's confidence in these two youngsters was reinforced when Kashiwa traded away former national team member Hideaki Kitajima to Shimizu S-Pulse. The lanky forward won a brief look in the national team after having a stellar year in 2000, but he subseqeuntly contracted Shoji Jo disease and became incapable of hitting the net. This deal will be no loss to Reysol, but could be bad news for S-Pulse.

Kashiwa has a squad of solid, dependable veterans who will probably be serviceable for another year, but if they hope to be a legitimate challenger in the league, they will have to look for some quality players, especially in midfield. The only major acquisition announced (or even rumoured) thus far involves the return of midfielder Takahiro Shimotaira, a former Reysol veteran, from FC Tokyo. Reysol have released Cesar Sampaio (the latest rumours say that he will join Sanfrecce Hiroshima) and the status of striker Edilson is not entirely clear. If Reysol does make a major move in the next few weeks, it will probably involve a foreign player.

Under the tutelage of former Graz and Austrian national team coach Josef Venglos, JEF United continues to develop, and although they still have not reached the top ranks of contenders, they have definitely become a tough opponent. In 2002, they were the only team with a winning record against Jubilo Iwata, defeating them twice and getting one draw over two league matches and one cup match. JEF's blend of energetic youngsters and key veterans could make them a contender in the future, though the team will have to overcome its weak fan base and poor finances if it hopes to take home a title. In 2003, their success will depend a lot on what player acquisitions the team can make in the off-season. There are still several gaps to be filled, though JEF have definitely escaped from their past role as a league doormat.

The one difficulty that JEF have had in recent years is the lack of stability in the coaching chair. They have been through four coaches in the past three years (including the breif caretaker reign of Kikuchi). Zdenko Verdenik did a fine job of building a solid base of young players, but then left suddenly at the end of 2001. Now Josef Venglos has bid the team farewell after doing a good job solidifying the team in 2002. The team could really use someone who is willing to stick around for a few years. Unfortunately, the leading candidate at the moment appears to be Steve Perryman (God help the Ichihara faithful if he gets his hands on the team). On a slightly more positive note, one of the other rumored candidates is former player Dominik Hasek, who may have little coaching experience but should at least have a familiarity with the JEF organisation. It will be important to watch the results of this personnel decision closely, since it will have a very strong bearing on the team's prospects in 2003.

JEF have already made one important signing for the 2003 season. Using the links that the team has established in Korea, JEF managed to lure Sandro Cardoza dos Santos, last year's golden boot winner in the K.League, from Suwon Bluewings. Since Dos Santos will join another K.League veteran, Choi Yong-Soo in the front line for JEF, the team decidednot to reclaim young Hayato Sato following his rental to Cerezo Osaka last season, and instead shipped him off to Vegalta Sendai on another one-year loan package.

JEF has released three experienced players who have made contributions in the past but were apparently viewed as expendable. Tadatoshi Masuda, a former national team midfielder when he was with Kashima Antlers, was cut despite an impressive contribution in the Emperor's Cup tournament. He has not been picked up by any other teams yet, and may decide to retire, as did striker Takashi Uemura who also was dropped at the end of 2002. Mitsutoshi Watada, meanwhile, was at JEF on a one-year loan from Vissel Kobe, which the team decided not to renew.

Apart from these moves, JEF has not been very active in the transfer market. In addition to the team's weak finances, JEF is viewed as an unpleasant destination by many J.League players. The team has only itself to blame, as it created considerable bad will with its hardball tactics in attempting to force Nozomu Hiroyama back into the team, over the past two years. Hiroyama eventually won his freedom, and the club has been left with a reputation -- perhaps undeserved -- for unfriendly and uncaring management. The only other players that the team has acquired in the off-season, so far, are new university graduates.

Although the Reds lost their midfield leader Shinji Ono to Feyenoord in Holland, midway through 2001, the team more than made up for it with the addition of speedy Brazilians Tuto and Emerson in the front line, and a number of new youngsters such as defender Keisuke Tsuboi, midfielders Tadaaki Hirakawa and Keita Suzuki, and striker Tatsuya Tanaka. Indeed, under the direction of team manager Hans Ooft and coach Wim Jansen, the Reds are now viewed as one of the most promising young teams in the league, and they continue to get better with each passing month. The Reds managed to break their fans' hearts once more in 2002, progressing all the way to the finals of the Nabisco (league) Cup, only to fall under the hooves of the Kashima Antlers and fail once more to bring home any silverware. Yet the team definitely has promise in 2003.

Ooft continued his reorganization effort at the end of 2002 by cutting a host of aging or marginal players and using the team's huge treasure chest to lure talented youngsters and top-notch foreigners. If the team follows through on all of the transactions that have been rumoured, in the off season, they could be one of the top picks for a title in 2003.

The Reds have already made several big deals to strengthen their squad, and there may be a few more before the 2003 season begins. Last December, the team picked up Consadole's 21-year-old midfielder Koji Yamase, a regular fixture in the U-21 team until his injury midway through the 2002 season. Yamase has been criticised as a ball hog in the past, but few would deny his dribbling skills and his nose for the net. If he can be integrated into the Reds midfield, he could add even more dynamite to what is already an explosive offence. Another player who the Reds acquired late in 2002 is goalkeeper Ryuta Tsuzuki, a former national team member with Gamba Osaka. Although Urawa already has some promising young keepers, Tsuzuki is a proven performer who can hold down the starting spot while the youngsters develop their skills.

The biggest offseason deal for Urawa, however, was the signing of Edmundo, who was released by Tokyo Verdy when they were unable to meet his contract demands. The Animal seemed to be losing a step in speed during the latter half of 2002, but he still has the imposing physical presence and the finishing skill that made him a star for Brazil. There are rumours that Urawa will release Livonir "Tuto" Ruschel to make room for Edmundo, though the team actually has enough room in the roster to accomodate both players. On the other hand, Urawa has other weapons that can be deployed in the front line, such as Yuichiro Nagai and young Tatsuya Tanaka, so it is more likely that they will release the former FC Tokyo striker (Tuto will definitely be a marketable commodity, and Urawa may be able to claim some cash by transferring him to another J1 club).

No other deals have been completed, as of yet, but the list of Urawa's prospective signings reads like an all-star ballot. The team has been mentioned as one of the possible destinations for Hiroshima's Chikara Fujimoto, and Urawa has issued formal offers to Niigata Albirex for Shingo Suzuki (he played in Kyoto last year on a one-year rental contract) and to Jubilo Iwata for Jo Kanazawa. Jubilo defender Go Oiwa, who reportedly wants to be dealt to a team that will give him a starting spot, is another potential signing

The Reds have plenty of room on their roster for these new acquisitions, having cut a lot of dead wood at the end of the 2002 season. Masahiro Fukuda and Masami Ihara were convinced to retire, while the team dropped or traded Shinsen Yamane, Tomonobu Hayakawa, Takamasa Watanabe, Ryuji Kawai, Ryuji Michiki, Akihiro Tabata, Manabu Ikeda and Tomoyasu Ando. With plentiful funds available, the Reds will be able to bid on any quality players who hit the market, so even though they seem to have a well-stocked team already, they will probably be active in the transfer market until the very final day of the off-season.

Verdy finally turned the corner in 2002, following a long and spectacular decline, finishing fourth in the first stage and achieving generally good results. Although Edmundo was clearly the force driving the team's success, a host of other players -- including many youngsters drawn from the Verdy youth system -- were emerging as future stars. Coach Lori Paulo Sandri jettisoned many of the older Verdy veterans to make room for youngsters like Kazuki Hiramoto, Seitaro Tomizawa, Masayuki Yanagisawa and Hayuma Tanaka. Verdy faded in the latter stages of 2002, and the team opted not to renew Edmundo's contract in 2003 (in part because the financial burden was more than the team could bear). As a result, they may struggle to stay in the upper half of the league table in 2003. Nevertheless, the team has a strong base of young players and a good youth system that is adding new faces to the roster all the time. Now that Verdy has stopped looking back at their golden past, they can start looking ahead to a more promising future, perhaps not in 2003, but probably in the not-too-distant future

In addition to the loss of Edmundo, Verdy will be without veteran defender Naoki Soma, who returned to the Antlers at the end of his rental contract. Keeper Daijiro Takakuwa, who performed well in the first stage before being injured, is also moving on though young Yoshinari Takaki has demonstrated that he can handle the job just fine on his own. The team also released Tsuyoshi Kitazawa, Toshimi Kikuchi and Hideki Nagai, who were the last players with links to Verdy's "golden years". But the team did manage to convince Yokohama to extend Hayuma Tanaka's loan contract by another year. The young wing back was extremely valuable to Verdy last season, and he can only get better as he matures.

Verdy still hope to add one big foreign star to serve as the catalyst for their offence. Rumours have linked the team with Cameroon striker Patrick Mboma and Brazilian midfielder Marcelinho Carioca (both players have formerly played for Gamba Osaka). Though the team clearly cannot afford a player with the contract demands of Edmundo, they definitely are looking overseas in an aggressive search for an offensive general. It will be interesting to see who they finally sign, since this will have a strong bearing on how high the team can aim in 2003.

FC Tokyo has refuted the myth that "big-city teams cannot draw faithful fans", rising to second spot in attendance in 2001 and maintaining that spot in 2002, thanks in part to their magnificent home stadium in Western Tokyo. Nor is the team lacking in financial support, since its lineup of corporate sponsors reads like the Gold Card guest list at a Tokyo Business Convention. The main element that seemed to be lacking, prior to 2002, was a group of young players who "grew up" with the team and gave it a character of its own. The lingering FC Tokyo image was the "island of lost boys", where steady but unspectacular players went after they had failed to make their mark somewhere else.

But that situation slowly began to change in 2002. Amazingly, the old "King of Tokyo", Amaral showed that he still had another good season in his aging body, and at last he began to get support from younger players like Mitsuhiro Toda, Masashi Miyazawa and, most importantly, right wing Naohiro Ishikawa. Though acquired in a rental agreement from Yokohama Marinos, the U-21 star fit in well with his new teammates, and quickly established himself as one of Tokyo's main offensive weapons. His affinity for the club was so strong, in fact, that he rejected a return to the Marinos in 2003, asking to stay in Tokyo instead. Defender Teruaki Moniwa was another player who emerged in 2002 as a potential future star. With these young players coming into their own under the leadership of coach Hiromi Hara, Tokyo managed a fifth-place finish in the first stage. Though they faded later in the season, it looks like Tokyo FC is ready to move into the upper half of the league table, though at the moment, they probably are still a few players short of being a legitimate title contender in 2003.

So far, Tokyo has not made any significant moves. The team released borderline players like Takahiro Shimotaira (who returned to Reysol) and Yukihiko Sato (who has been rented to Yokohama) while ensuring that both Teruaki Moniwa (Shonan Bellmare) and Naohiro Ishikawa (Marinos) will be back for another year. Apart from that, the only news has been the team's early participation in the bidding for Hiroshima striker Tatsuhiko Kubo, who now seems to have narrowed down his possible destinations to either Jubilo Iwata or Yokohama Marinos. On the other hand, FC Tokyo will reclaim a number of players who were on loan to other clubs in 2002. Defender Mitsunori Yamao will return after a year at Cerezo Osaka, and Shinya Sakoi will be reclaimed from the Yokohama Marinos. The team will also reclaim young Kazuyoshi Suwazono, a teenaged midfielder who spent 2002 at a JFL team in his native Okinawa, allowing him to see regular playing time.

Yokohama has an abundance of youngsters that could potentially make a contribution, and the team did quite well in the early part of 2002, when Nakamura was still around to hold the team together at midfield. Yet the team never truly emerged from its gloom, and following Nakamura's departure, they stumbled once again. Despite finishing second in the league, over the course of the entire season, Marinos fans would have to describe 2002 as another year of disappointment. Nevertheless, the team has a solid core of talent, and management seems to have overcome the stinginess that it displayed in 2000 and 2001.

At the end of the year, the team hired former Consadole Sapporo and Japan National Team coach Takeshi Okada, charging him with the task of building a true contender. Okada made his agreement conditional on a promise from the front office to invest in some talented players to shore up the team's scoring capacity. Although a lot will depend on the moves that Okada makes in the off-season, based solely on the names that have been floating around the bay city recently, the Marinos are likely to be a top contender in 2003.

The Marinos did not reclaim some of the youngsters that had been loaned to other teams in 2002. The contracts of Naohiro Ishikawa (to FC Tokyo) and Hayuma Tanaka (to Tokyo Verdy) were both extended and Tomokazu Hirama was released to Consadole on a full transfer. However, this may simply indicate that Okada is satisfied with the players he has at the right wing and right wing back positions, and plans to use the rental money obtained to better use (while giving Tanaka and Ishikawa a chance to develop their skills further and possibly bringing the Marinos greater dividends further down the line). Meanwhile, the Marinos secured midfielder Daisuke Oku with a full transfer (he was on loan from Iwata last season), and picked up another veteran midfielder, Yukihiko Sato, on loan from FC Tokyo. The big moves for the Marinos, tough, will probably involve foreign players.

Yokohama already finalized one of its big-ticket deals on January 4, announcing that they have acquired striker Francisco Delgado from Boca Juniors in Argentina. This is definitely not the end of Okada's shopping spree, since Cafu, Edmundo and Luizao have all been named as possible acquisitions. Yokohama are also in the bidding for Tatsuhiko Kubo, formerly of Sanfrecce. Clearly the team wants to put together a more potent attack than they had last year, and if these efforts are successful, the Marinos will be a tough team to beat in 2003.

In 2002, S-Pulse started the season as one of the favourites to finish high in the league table, or perhaps even win a league championship at long last. This status certainly appeared justified, as almost the entire team was made up of current or former national team members. But as happens so often with star-studded groupings, S-Pulse turned out to be another "Blind Faith" -- or at best, a football version of "ASIA". There seemed to be too many large egos to fit onto a single football field. Following the World Cup, the team's messy internal disputes spilled out into the press, with Morioka, Toda and Santos all throwing public tantrums when coach Zemunovic benched them. The disputes ultimately cost Zemunovic his job, though the players were probably more to blame than the coach for the disarray that plagued the team. The acquisition of Korean star Ahn Jung-Yoon simply made matters worse, and the team finished the season in a discouraging 8th place. It is hard to say what will become of the team in 2003. Though S-Pulse still has a large stock of high-quality players, many have asked to be traded, or are trying to attract offers from overseas clubs. S-Pulse are a team in disarray, and despite the talent of the individuals, they are not likely to climb out of this turmoil in 2003.

So far, S-Pulse has done little to indicate that they know what step to take next. Indeed, the few moves that S-Pulse has made are merely evidence of the team's disarray. Since replacing coach Zemunovic with Takeshi Oki, former coach of Ventforet Kofu, the team has disappeared from the radar screen of almost all sports publications. Over the past few weeks, the team dropped Srdan Pecelj, released teen sensation Juninho to Ventforet Kofu on a full transfer, and traded Marcelo "Baron" Polancyk to Cerezo Osaka. This could leave the team without any of the foreign players who were on roster at the start of 2002, as only the overpriced and so-far-unproductive Ahn Jung-Hwan is still left. To "replace" Baron, S-Pulse have signed Hideaki Kitajima, a striker from Kashiwa Reysol who had a brief run of success in 1999 and 2000, only to lose his scoring touch completely over the past two seasons. Though Baron was relatively unproductive at Shimizu, the switch to Kitajima will almost certainly be a step down.

To make matters worse, several key players are actively seeking overseas transfers. Over the past week, both Kazuyuki Toda and Daisuke Ichikawa departed for Europe to take part in training sessions with Sunderland and Strasbourg, respectively. Neither player has received a formal offer, as of yet, but they clearly are looking to jump ship if they get the opportunity. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that Alex Santos or Ryuzo Morioka will be back with the team in 2003. Both sought overseas transfers in 2002, and may still be shopping for a club. Nor has there been even a whisper of what foreign players the team intends to bring in to replace Pecelj, Baron and Juninho. In short, S-Pulse are in total disarray, and their prospects for 2003 (at least the first stage) are not very bright.

Despite their tremendous success in 2002, there are a number of question marks for Jubilo in 2003. Coach Masakazu Suzuki retired at the end of the season, choosing to go out while he was on top, and his spot will probably be filled by assistant coach Masaaki Yanagimoto. More importantly, the team's ace striker Takakara signed a three-year contract with Hamburger SV, in the Bundesliga, which will deprive the team of much of its scoring punch. With many other players in their early 30s, the team may have passed its peak for the time being, and it will need to start looking for new blood if they want to remain a top contender. Though Jubilo cannot be written off as a championship contender in 2003, it seems more likely that 2002 will mark the pinnacle of the team's success, for the next few years, at any rate.

Of course, a winning organization like Jubilo never loses its way completely. The team made some clever deals to attract top high-school prospects Sho Naruoka and Kentaro Oi, both members of the U-19 national team, to Iwata in 2003. Though it will probably be several years before they can make a major contribution, both players have obvious talent, and are a first step in the team's effort to bring in young blood. Even if Jubilo drops out of the top spot in 2003, they should remain a leading competitor, and will no doubt be back in the chase within a few years. Oddly enough, though, two of the most talented young players on the team, Norihiro Nishi and Jo Kanazawa, have been dangled as possible transfer prospects. Nagoya Grampus and Kyoto Purple Sanga have both expressed interest in Nishi, while Kanazawa may be very close to a deal with Urawa Reds. Jubilo have also put veteran defender Go Oiwa on the transfer list, and he will probably end up at either Urawa or Kashima.

With the loss of Takahara and the continued aging of Masashi Nakayama, Jubilo definitiely need help up front. At present, Iwata has been named as one of the most likely destinations for former Hiroshima ace Tatsuhiko Kubo. Though Kubo is no replacement for Takahara, his powerful shots and tremendous speed would be a useful addition. It is hard to imagine Jubilo repeating their sweep of both stages without Takahara, though if they do manage to land Kubo, they will continue to be viewed as one of the top teams in the league. A trade involving Nishi and/or Kanazawa would weaken their prospects further. The biggest blow, though, would be if the rumours of Toshiya Fujita's potential move to Italy turn out to be more than just speculation. In the absence of BOTH Takahara and Fujita, Jubilo would be forced to spend the 2003 season rebuilding, rather than chasing silverware.

Having established themselves as one of the J.League's legitimate contenders, Grampus are were hoping to take it one step further in 2002, and capture the title that had eluded them for so long. But after a strong start, the team suffered yet another collapse during the second stage, and once failed to live up to expectations of its fans, finishing a disappointing sixth over the course of the season. Given their past performance, it is hard to see the team capturing a title in 2003, but Grampus do have enough quality players to finish high in the rankings if they play effectively as a team. At the end of the day, one has to describe their prospects for 2003 as simply "a mystery", just as has been the case throughout the team's existence.

Nagoya has already made one major change in the off-season, though it is hard to say whether it is a positive or a negative. The team released defensive midfielder Motohiro Yamaguchi, a former national team player and the captain of the defunct Yokohama Flugels, on a full transfer to Albirex Niigata. Yamaguchi may have been moving towards the twilight of his career, but he still made a solid contribution in 2002. Having said that, Yamaguchi was a lingering symbol of past failures, and for a team that is trying to bring in more youth, he may have been something of an obstacle to progress. Two other veterans, midfielder Naoki Hiraoka and striker Yasuyuki Moriyama, were also dropped.

Nagoya is bringing in a large crop of promising rookies, as they did last season, and this is probably the team's strongest hope for the future. Rookies like Ryuta Hara and Kei Yamaguchi distinguished themselves in 2002, especially towards the end of the season, while others like Taku Harada and Atsushi Katagiri saw less playing time, but nevertheless are viewed as promising future stars.

Unfortunately, if Grampus want to be competitive in 2003, and not "somewhere down the line", they need to land a few more experienced players.Nagoya are among the bidders for former Hiroshima players Tatsuhiko Kubo and Chikara Fujimoto, and they have also lodged a bid for Jubilo's Norihiro Nishi. One move that has been confirmed involves defender Yukichiro Kaimoto, the younger brother of Nagoya defender Keiji Kaimoto, who enjoyed solid success last year as a starter for Songnam, in the K.League. None of the other deals has been confirmed, however, and fans will just have to wait and see whether Nagoya opts to shell out money now, for the players needed to make the team a legitimate contender in 2003, or whether they will concentrate on developing their talented youngsters with an eye towards future glories.

Purple Sanga achieved some remarkable results in 2002, finishing fifth in the league over the entire season (sixth place in the first stage and seventh in the second stage), and then capping its year with a run to the Emperor's Cup final. WIth their surprise victory over the Kashima Antlers on New Year's day, Kyoto won themselves a new level of respect and admiration, as well as a piece of silverware to start them off in the new year. Hopefully this success can finally get Kyoto fans to begin supporting the team a bit more enthusiastically in 2003.

Unfortunately, Gert Engels will need to do some repair work to the team in order to prepare them for 2003. The loss of Park Ji-Sung to PSV Eindhoven was certainly a blow to the team, but this has been widely expected ever since Park distinguished himself at the 2002 World Cup. Unfortunately, this is not the greatest of Kyoto's woes. The team also is likely to lose the services of midfielder Shingo Suzuki, who provided much of the direction to Kyoto's attack in 2002. Suzuki was in Kyoto on a one-year loan from Albirex Niigata, and given his performance in 2002, there are several otehr teams that will probably be able to outbid Kyoto for his services. If Suzuki does not return to Niigata, to help the team in its bid for promotion next year, he is likely to end up in Urawa or Osaka, as both the Reds and Gamba have made firm offers to Albirex.

Kyoto could offset this loss, and possibly even improve their fortunes, if their bid for Jubilo midfielder Norihiro Nishi goes through. The question is whether Purple Sanga have enough cash to lure a player of Nishi's ability from a club like Jubilo. Once again, the weak finances of the club are a major stumbling block in Kyoto's efforts to join the ranks of the top contenders.

Cerezo Osaka regrouped quickly following their relegation in 2002. The team managed to convince most of its top players to stay on, and fight for promotion in the very next year. Over the course of the season, several youngsters came into their own, particularly striker/midfielder Yoshito Okubo who has already established himself as one of the leaders of Japan's youth team in their quest for a berth in the 2004 Olympics. Okubo and former Kashima Antlers midfielder Yuichi Nemoto brought stability to the midfield, and along with the core of veterans, helped Cerezo return to the top-flight division in 2003.

The team is bolstering its defence this season with the addition of veterans like Takuma Koga and Hiroshige Yanagimoto, and it is rumoured to be chasing some foreign players to strengthen the front line.

Cerezo's foreign contingent will be a key area in the team's attempts to improve over last year. The team signed Marcelo "Baron" Polanczyk, formerly of Shimizu S-Pulse, a tall striker who led the J.League in scoring when he was with JEF United, but was rather ineffective at Shimizu. It is hard to say whether Baron's problems were due to a drop in his own performance level, or the result of poor chemistry in Shimizu. But whatever the case may be, the "Pink Baron" will certainly be an improvement over strikers Turkovic and Akinori Nishizawa, who were both pitiful performers in 2002. Cerezo also signed young Albin Pelak, a 21-year old midfielder who showed good promise as a member of the Bosnia-Hercegovinia national team at age 20 but is still a relatively unknown quantity.

Cerezo will miss the services of Yuichi Nemoto, whose rental contract from Kashima expired at the end of 2002. However, this is probably not a serious loss, as Cerezo have several talented midfielders. A bigger blow would come if the team loses the services of Yoshito Okubo. A native of Oita prefecture, Okubo has received an offer from Oita as the other newcomers to the J.League try to build a more competitive team. It seems unlikely that Cerezo would let the budding superstar out of their grasp, but the lure of a hometown club could be strong for Okubo. Cerezo also has been shopping for top-tier J2 players who impressed coach Nishimura last season, such as former FC Yokohama midfielder Yushi Yokonaga and Shonan Bellmare keeper Tomohiko Ito. Though the team is not likely to be a leading contender, they should have enough talent in the team to maintain their spot in the top-flight division this season

In 2002, Gamba made several additions to the lineup that helped solve their scoring problem, including Brazilian midfield general Marcelinho Carioca and striker Magrao. Based on their performance early in the season, they look like a team with promise despite the fact that they failed to win any silverware. Their third-place finish over the course of the 2002 season should earn them the reputation as a leading contender in 2003. The real concern lies in their local fan base, however. Gamba have never managed to develop the level of fan support enjoyed by the top league contenders. Without a strong cash flow from ticket receipts, Gamba simply cannot afford to acquire the players needed to win a title.

The team has already released Marcelinho Carioca at the end of the 2002 season, and it seems unlikely that they can acquire a replacement of equal calibre. AThere have been rumours that the team is chasing Francisco Arce, of Palmeiras, but this deal is far from certain. Gamba have a good core of players developed through the youth system, but looking at the crop of youngsters available right now, it seems that they will need to look elsewhere for the "star" needed to take them all the way to a title. Therefore it will be important to monitor the team's off-season moves closely, since this will probably determine whether the team can be a true contender in 2003.

So far, the most interesting rumour involves Kyoto Purple Sanga midfielder Shingo Suzuki, who provided much of the direction to Kyoto's attack in 2002. Suzuki was in Kyoto on loan from Albirex Niigata, and even though Gamba are not a particularly rich club, they probably would be able to outbid Kyoto for his services. Unfortunately, the Urawa Reds may also enter the bidding, in which case Gamba will probably have to bow out of the sweepstakes. Gamba have already signed two marginal, but potentially useful support players, in defender Toru Irie and keeper Tomohiro Yoshida, both of whom played for Kashiwa Reysol last season. It is too soon to rule out a big deal for a foreign player, but the main source of new talent for Gamba this year is likely to be its youth system. In short, Gamba probably will not show much improvement between 2002 and 2003. They will probably be one of the stronger clubs in the J1 division, but a title probably will be slightly out of reach.

Despite laying out a lot of money to pack their roster with has-beens in 2002, this turned out to be yet another dead end. In addition to the poster boy for fallen idols, Kasu Miura, Vissel acquired midfielder Takashi Hirano and striker Shoji Jo, both of whom were once viewed as "golden boys", but who have since fallen so far out of favour that most observers regard them as washed up. To make matters worse, coach Ryoichi Kawakatsu was unable to provide a coherent strategy for his collection of castoffs, or mold them into a cohesive unit. The team was extremely fortunate to avoid relegation in 2002. Kobe will have to start from scratch in 2003, since their effort to revive the careers of washed-up stars was a waste of both time and money.

Under new coach Hiroshi Matsuda, the team has ditched such dead weight as Shoji Jo and Kazu Miura, though the team may hang on to players like Ryuji Bando and Masayuki Okano, who delivered at least some positive results last season. Kobe will also hang onto its three Brazilians, Sidiclei, Oseas and Harison, giving the team at least some base on which to build. Nevertheless, Kobe have a lot of work to do if they hope to rebuild the team into a cohesive and competitive unit. Most likely they will be pleased just to finish in the middle of the table in 2003.

Oita Trinita is working hard to position itself to stay up in the J1 during the 2003 season. However, this will not be an easy task. Oita have a proven scoring threat in the form of Andradinha, a striker who has been one of the J2 scoring leaders both with Oita in 2002, and with Albirex Niigata, the previous two years. There are several experienced players in the squad who have been picked up from other clubs, such as keeper Hayato Okanaka and defender Tomohiro Katanosaka. However, the team probably will struggle at teh J1 level unless they are able to attract a few more quality players. It will be very interesting to see if this miniature club from Oita can succeed in the Big Leagues.

High School Tournament Highlights New Stars

Kunimi HS 2-1 Toin Gakuin HS

However, the biggest star to emerge thus far in 2003 has been Kunimi's second-year forward Sota Hirayama, a 188-cm powerhouse who has perhaps the best pure finishing touch this reporter has ever seen in a Japanese player. Hirayama extended his lead among the tournament's top scorers early in the first half, powering home a header to put Kunimi in the early lead. However, Hirayama is certainly not Kunimi's only talented player. The two wings, Matsuhashi and Watanabe, shredded the Toin flanks on several occasions with blazing speed and pinpoint crosses. Only some desperate defending by the boys from Kanagawa kept the match close at half time.

Early in the second half, Kunimi extended their lead, as Matsuhashi again left his defender in a cloud of dust on the left sideline and lobbed a cross for the far post. With three defenders hanging all over Hirayama at the near post, Watanabe had no trouble sneaking in at the back post abnd heading the ball down into the low right corner for Kunimi's second goal. Toin refused to concede the match, even though they were visibly outplayed, and a good individual move on the right side of the box by Hayashi allowed him to beat his defender and win a PK, which drew the score to 2-1.

But Kunimi were simply too powerful as a team for Abe and the rest of the Toin Gakuin players, dominating ball control and contesting every pass. Though the large contingent of Toin fans continued to pray for a miracle right to the very end, the result of this match was clear by midway through the second half, and most people who watched their performance are already preparing to install them as three-time champs.

Shiritsu Funabashi HS 2-0 Takigawa Daini HS

Nevertheless, this semifinal was an entertaining match, with upstarts Takigawa Daini struggling gamely to stay close to the physically superior Funabashi. Though Funabashi players hit the crossbar three times in the first half, ferocious defending by Takigawa Daini kept the match scoreless, and Takigawa used its occasional counterattacking opportunities well, giving them at least some hope of springing an upset. But In the second half, Okubo moved from the back line to the playmaker spot at midfield, and the Toin defence began to crumble. 25 minutes into the second half, Hara broke through the middle with a slashing run that forced the entire defence to collapse on him. At the last second, Hara pushed the ball off to the right side of the penalty box allowing Okubo to swoop in for an easy finish and put Funabashi up 1-0.

Takigawa tried gamely to create the equaliser, but this merely opened up their back line, and shortly before the end of the match, Hara took off on an uncontested breakaway to give Funabashi their final margin of victory.

Shiritsu Funabashi HS 1-0 Kunimi HS

From the outset, it was clear that Kunimi were a superior team, both in terms of individual skill and as a team. However, it was Funabashi which played the better match, from a strategic standpoint as well as in terms of their intensity and focus. The first ten minutes of the match were played almost entirely in the Funabashi penalty area, as Kunimi's tall, powerful strikers and swift midfielder pounded the ball in again and again. But it quickly became apparent that Funabashi had a carefully considered and perfectly executed game plan. The team defended with six men, and their primary objective was to deny any dangerous balls into the box. Kunimi striker Sota Hirayama was covered well by Funamashi's central defender, Masujima, but it was the outside defenders, Okubo and Okawa, who put on the finest performances, sticking close to their man and using both excellent positioning and fierce physical pressure to harry any attempt to lob the ball into the box for Hirayama.

Funabashi's strategy was helped by a rather impatient and disorganised performance from Kunimi. The team seemed overly eager to score, and failed to make the necessary passes and build-up in order to wear down the defence. Throughout the match, Kunimi tried to connect on 50-meter passes, or to thread the ball through five defenders, rather than making the necessary effort to work the ball forward and create a legitimate opportunity. Though they dominated possession and field position, they were unable to break down the Funabashi defence.

On the other end, Funabashi was realistic and opportunistic, attacking only when the opportunity presented itself, and being careful not to overextend themselves. Over the course of the match, they were outshot 25-to-3, but of the three shots that Funabashi had, all were good scoring opportunities. In the 20 minute of the second half, Funabashi got the break they were waiting for. After winning a free kick on the left side, they ran a set play that sent the ball for the far post. The ball was cleared by a Kunimi defender, but it bounded out to Okawa 30 meters from goal. The third-year defender unleashed a ferocious drive that zipped into the top corner, nicking the bottom of the crossbar and eluding the keeper's fingertips. The crowd exploded with amazement, as the giant-killers celebrated with glee.

Kunimi threw everything they had forward, in an effort to equalise, but as they had done throughout the match, they tried to do too much, too soon. The long, searching passes were cleared time and again by the frenetic Funabashi defence, and the closest Kunimi came to scoring was a looping header from Hirayama that the keeper managed to flick away at the last second. When the final whistle sounded, the Funabashi players were jumping for joy, having pulled an upset which few could have foreseen.

All in all, this year's tournament has been an excellent showcase for Japan's talented youngsters. In the final, Funabashi defender Okubo and Kunimi midfielder Watanabe both showed a degree of all-around skill that will have many J.League teams bidding for their services next year. Kunimi striker Hirayama and Funabashi striker David Cullen, both second-year students, will have football fans looking forward eagerly to next year, when their talents are likely to be even more impressive. With young prospects like these, Japanese football fans can surely look forward to continued improvement in the quality of both the J.League and the national team.

Rumours and Rumblings

Kyoto to Build Football-Only Stadium?

One important critique of the city's support for its team regards the Purple Sanga's home stadium, Nishikyogyoku, which has all the charm and comfort of a 1974 Dodge Dart. This nondescript, postwar-era multipurpose stadium has (perhaps unfairly) been blamed for some of the poor crowd turnouts at Kyoto matches. Whether or not the stadium itself is the problem, or whether it is the local community that deserves the blame for not getting behind the team, most football fans would agree that Kyoto will benefit greatly from a new venue.

On January 6, the city finally announced that it is planning steps to resolve this problem with a new, football-only stadium. The city has set aside 16 hectares of land in a local park as the site for a new stadium, and will agree to support construction with loans and tax breaks if the team and its sponsors can raise the money for construction. Team sponsor Kyocera has indicated that it will support the project financially, though it has not confirmend how much money it might contribute. If the project does go ahead, Kyoto Purple Sanga will get a new, football-only stadium with a seating capacity of around 20,000-25,000. The bad news is that it will probably be five years before such a stadium would be completed. Given the weak support and finances that the team has received in the past, one has to wonder whether Kyoto Purple Sanga will still be a competitive J1 team in five years . . .

Spaceship Kubo Lands in Yokohama

A speedy striker with one of the most powerful boots in the league, Kubo's main weakness has been his quirky character, which sometimes makes it difficult for him to work effectively with teammates. In Hiroshima, teammates openly referred to him as "the space alien". Though he clearly has individual skills, his coordination (or lack thereof) with the team forced former NT coach Phillippe Troussier to drop him as a candidate for the World Cup squad. Nevertheless, many teams were eager to sign Kubo after the recently relegated Sanfrecce Hiroshima announced that they would not renew his contract in 2003. It is an open question whether Kubo will be able to fit into what s already a mentally fragile Marinos team. However, it would be hard for Kubo to do any worse than his predecessors. In the second stage of 2002, the Marinos scored just 16 goals, a figure surpassed in pusillanimity only by the league doormat, Consadole Sapporo. Marinos fans will certainly be hoping that Kubo can bring some life to the Yokohama offence.

A Pink Baron, a Red Animal & Two Floundering Forwards

Meanwhile, Cerezo Osaka announced that they have reached terms with former Shimizu S-Pulse (and before that, JEF United) striker Marcelo "Baron" Polanczyk. Though the 192-cm striker was less than impressive at S-Pulse, he had previously been a league scoring leader at JEF United, so it is hard to say whether he lost his scoring touch, or whether he just found himself on a team with bad chemistry. In any event, Baron will be a useful addition up front for Cerezo, who were forced to rely heavily on scoring from their midfielders, last season.

Replacing Baron in the S-Pulse front line will be former Kashiwa Reysol and occasional national-team striker Hideaki Kitajima. Although he showed signs of emerging as a deadly finisher in 1999 and 2000, Kitajima's performmaances fizzled over the past two years, and he quickly lost favour with Troussier as a national team candidate. Reysol put him on the transfer sheet at the end of 2002, suggesting that they will go with the extremely promising young forwards that emerged at the end of last season -- Keiji Tamada and Yuji Unozawa.

Another striker who was briefly viewed as a budding star but who eventually failed to measure up -- Kenji Oshiba -- was signed by Yokohama FC. Oshiba started out with Urawa Reds, where he was a fan favourite, but after a few productive seasons he seemed to lose his scoring touch and was shipped off to Cerezo Osaka. At Cerezo he seemed to drop a notch further in performance and soon found himself on the taxi squad. Yokohama FC can probably use his skills, but he has clearly fallen a long way from his early promise.

More Big Deals Promise a Star-Studded 2003

As noted earlier on this page, the Urawa Reds signed Edmundo after he was released by Tokyo Verdy following the 2002 season. This move had two direct reprecussions that are likely to be concluded this week. First of all, with Edmundo out of the picture, Verdy needed another player who could carry the burden of creating offence for what is an exciting and enthusiastic, but still very young team. On January 15, the team announced that they had indeed found a replacement, signing Cameroon's veteran striker and former Gamba Osaka star Patrick Mboma. The big forward, who is referred to in the Japanese tabloids as "the black panther", will join Verdy at the beginning of February.

Meanwhile, in order to make room for Edmundo, the Reds had to release another creative Brazilian player, Livonir "Tuto" Ruschel. However, Tuto has proven himself to be a very valuable commodity in the J.League, both with Urawa and with his previous team, FC Tokyo. Thus, it appears to be only a matter of time before someone snaps him up. On the same day that the news about Mboma broke, a rumour emerged in Shimizu that suggests S-Pulse may soon sign Tuto, but before doing so the team has concluded another move involving a talented Brazilian, by signing defender Emerson da Silva, a former member of the Brazilian national team.

Elsewhere, the Kashima Antlers sewed up a deal for Claudicir, a defensive midfielder who is so serious about his role as a midfield enforcer that he has his own website with the address "volante.com.br"! The team claims to be negotiating with several other foreign players, and although the Antlers front office refuses to confirm the story, one of these is rumoured to ber Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta.

Nor is that the end of the star-studded trade rumours. In Yokohama, the Marinos had no sooner finished landing striker Tatsuhiko Kubo from Sanfrecce than they turned their attention to final negotiations with Argentina and Boca Juniors attacker Marcelo Delgado (unfortunately, best known in Japan for drawing a red card in the 2001 Toyota Cup after diving in the penalty area). If even some of these rumours hold up, J.League fans will have a great deal to look forward to in the coming season.

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