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March 21, 2003
J.League Season Opener Overshadowed by War

Yet despite the cancellation of some telecasts, football fans in Japan apparently were not going to let this dampen their spirits. Huge crowds greeted the opening of the season at several stadiums, including a remarkable 14,000 at the usually-empty Nishikyogoku stadium in Kyoto. The action was also well worth the price of admission, so lets begin by taking a look at the score of this week's matches

Date	Home	.	Visitor	Venue
21 Mar		2-4		Shizuoka Stadium
22 Mar		2-1		Ichihara Seaside
22 Mar		3-1		Kashima Stadium
22 Mar		2-1		Ajinomoto Stadium
22 Mar		0-1		Nagai Stadium
22 Mar		2-2		Mizuho Stadium
23 Mar		2-3		Nishikyogoku Std.
22 Mar		1-0		Sendai Stadium

2 - 4

Yokohama looked solid throughout, and though they conceded two goals to Jubilo, this is not an accurate reflection of their dominance on defence. Meanwhile, the redesigned offence, which sputtered all last season, has been rejuvenated by coach Takeshi Okada and had Jubilo on the run all day long. Indeed, defender Yuji Nakazawa commented after the match that "you can attribute the four goals we scored to 'Okada-ism'", explaining that the new attitude and energy shown by the team is largely thanks to coach Okada's aggressive and positive approach to the game. Goals by Marquinhos, Daisuke Oku, Yukihiko Sato and Yasuhiro Endo sent Jubilo down to a 4-2 defeat.

3 - 1

Which is not to say that the Reds curled up and died in fornt of the aggressive Antlers attack. On the contrary, if one considers that the team was without one of their ace strikers, Edmundo, and have yet to integrate Ned Zelic into the defence, their performance was quite impressive. Despite the score line, the Reds were in this match all the way, and threatened to score on many occasions, even after Emerson hobbled off with a thigh bruise midway through the second half and was replaced by Tatsuyya Tanaka.

But competetive as they were, the Reds couldnt match the Antlers, who put on a very impressive display in almost every element of play. Their ball pressure was fierce, and their defending combative (indeed, both teams played a very physical match). On attack, they created opportunities almost at will. If not for the hapless play of Tomoyuki Hirase, up front, they might well have extended the score line. Perhaps the most impressive player of the night was young Takeshi Aoki, who received some harsh reviews for his early performances in the U-20 national team, but since the end of last year has blossomed as a very skilled and extremeply poised player. With a midfield of Aoki, Koji Nakata, Ogasawara and Fernando, the Antlers are likely to dominate midfield against any team they play. The Reds managed to keep the game close by using their wings frequently and playing a lot of long balls for Emerson and Yuichiro Nagai. But they rarely if ever were able to carry the ball through the midfield without losing it to the fierce pressure of the midfield contingent.

In the 20 minute, the Antlers got the scoring started on a magnificent bit of play by Nakata and Ogasawara. After Naoki Soma lobbed a long ball for the top of the penalty circle, Ogasawara tried to chest it to Euller for a quick shot, but it was broken up and dribbled away from the box. But Nakata raced in to beat the defender to the ball, pushing it back to Ogasawara. With only a split second to react, Oga spotted Euller free on the right wing, and sent him away for a drive into the top of the net.

Just before half time, the Antlers scored the highlight goal of the week, using the old "volleyball back-set" play that the national team often employs. As a corner kick is taken, the tall players around the bos all rush on net and try to draw the defenders in close, but the person taking the kick -- in this case Ogasawara, lobs the ball to a player waiting just outside the penalty area, for a volley shot on net. Oga played a deliciously delicate floater that gave Narahashi planty of time to take aim, and his contact was perfect, sending a blast through the crowd of players in the penalty area which ricocheted into the back of the net.

Urawa came back to make it a match in the second half, with Nobuhisa Yamada slanting in from the right wing and drilling a perfectly placed lob into the top left corner, where the keeper had no chance to block it. However, despite numerous good chances, the Reds could not find the equalizer, and Fernando put the match out of reach by tapping in a ball at the back post after Euller played it across the face of net and rookie Masaki Fukai dummied both the keeper and defender at the near post, leaving Fernando wide open at the back door.

2 - 1

JEF also started the match without one of their big guns, Sandro Cardosa. However, in JEF's case, the team has a larger pool of experienced players to call upon. Even so, Verdy had the better of play for most of the first half, and might have hung on for at least a draw if not for the inexxperience of their lineup.

Verdy got off to a fine start, going up 1-0 in the 11 minute when Jun Tamano -- an 18-year-old sensation who has already played a season in Spain -- stole a pass in the JEF back line, danced around the keeper like a consummate professional, and tucked the ball just inside the left post. However, after that strike, Tokyo's offense sputtered and struggled in front of goal despite some good play from kids like Daigo Kobayashi (19), Kazuki Hiramoto (20) and Kentaro Suzuki and Masayuki Yanagisawa (both 22).

After the half time break, JEF came out with a more effective game plan than they had in the first half. After squandering a lot of possession in the first 45 minutes, the team setled down and began playing better ball-control offence. The effort was rewarded in the 50 minute when Tomo Yamagishi pounced on a deflected shot just inside the right edge of the box, and lofted it over the keeper's head to knot the scores. With time running down and a draw in sight, JEF's ace Choi Yong-Soo finally made amends for a poor match over most of the afternoon, soaring over a defender to nod home Masataka Sakamoto's pinpoint cross, and JEF walked off with an opening-day victory.

2 - 1

With seven minutes left to play, Kelly, who is playing in an attacking midfield role this season, sent the home crown into celebrations with a fine finish that gave Tokyo the win.

1 - 2

Gamba managed to get back on level terms just before the break, when Francisco "Chiqui" Arce drove a free kick over the Kyoto defensive wall and into the top left corner of the Purple Sanga goal. Both teams played some attractive football in the second half, with Kyoto exchanging split-second feeds off the post to slice deep into Osaka territory, while Gamba used the wings effectively and got good production from Arce and Toru Araiba.

Two minutes before full time, Araiba made yet another foray down the left wing, and crossed the ball into the box towards Gamba's towering striker Magrao. A Kyoto player managed to get a head on the ball to flick it over the tall Brazilian, but Kota Yoshihara was in perfect position at the back post to head in the deflection and carry Gamba to victory.

Elsewhere

Vegalta Sendai demonstrated that Oita Trinita will be a prime candidate for relegation this year. Vegalta got a goal five minutes beforethe break, from striker Yoshiteru Yamashita, while Oita struggled all afternoon, falling to a 1-0 loss in front of a packed house at Sendai Stadium.

Nagoya Grampus forged out to a 2-0 halftime lead on goals by both of the team's leading strikers, Ueslei and Ivica Vastic, only to see it evaporate over ten minutes of the second half, as Shimizu S-Pulse's Tuto and Ahn Jung-Hwan replied. Though both teams had opportunities late in the match, it ended in a 2-2 draw.

And so, with one match in the books, Yokohama and Kashima lead the table on goal difference, while their respective opponents, Jubilo Iwata and Urawa Reds, are bringing up the rear.

Rumours and Rumblings

Edmundo Packs it in

Of course, the sudden departure of a crucial offensive player probably ensures that our preseason forecast of a Reds victory is now doomed, but considering the other personnel available, the Reds should still be a highly competitive team, and perhaps the experience that the team's young turks receive will make them a challenger for a title next season, or perhaps even in the second stage, provided they can make another useful acquisition to replace Edmundo.