September 15, 2003
Better Late than Never
Here are the results of the weekend's matches
| Date | Home | . | Visitor | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Sep |  | 0-3 |  | Saitama Stadium |
| 13 Sep |  | 0-0 |  | Kashima Stadium |
| 13 Sep |  | 0-0 |  | Kashiwa-no-ha Stadium |
| 13 Sep |  | 2-2 |  | Ajinomoto Stadium |
| 13 Sep |  | 2-2 |  | Toyota Stadium |
| 13 Sep |  | 2-3 |  | Nagai Stadium |
| 13 Sep |  | 0-3 |  | Kobe Wing Stadium |
| 14 Sep |  | 1-1 |  | Kusanagi Stadium |
0 - 3
This match demonstrated how an undermanned team with good coordination, good coaching and good teamwork can defeat a superior team that lacks all of those qualities. Though the Urawa Reds looked superior, on a player by player basis, they were run out of Saitama Stadium bu a Marinos team patched together with reserves and substitutes and players played out of position. Yet this was no fluke result. The Marinos are playing extremely good team football under the guidance of Takeshi Okada, whereas the Reds, under Hans Ooft, have no clue as to what they should be doing, play tentatively and lack coherence, yet after sitting on his fat ass for the full 90 minutes without making a single comment or adjustment to the lineup and formation, Ooft went on TV afterwards and blamed his players for their inability to play up to their abilities. In the view of this observer, it is long past time for Urawa to put the flagging Dutchman on a plane home.
0 - 3Yokohama scored all three of their goals on rapid-fire counterattacks that had every player moving at full speed off the ball. This is perhaps the biggest point to note in the match, since the Reds NEVER showed movement off the ball, and generally seemed to be wandering around lazily withougt a clue as to what their role in the offence was supposed to be. Though individual player quality may allow Urawa to stay in the upper half of the table, there is little home of a title this season, nor will there be until they find a couaching staff that can give the players a coherent game plan and then take them to task, from the sidelines, if they fail to implement it. Hans Ooft clearly is not that man, and so long as he remains in charge, the Reds are doomed to second-rate status.
2 - 2
One of the best matches of the week was played in Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium, where a hard-pressing FC Tokyo scored two fine first-half goals and had JEF United on the ropes, but ran out of gas in the final 15 minutes and allowed JEF to fight back for a draw. Though they looked very flat in the first half, JEF deserve credit for refusing to give up, and claing their way back in the final minutes. Substitute Takenori Hayashi came on to score the late equaliser, and may eaarn more frequent appearances if he can keep up the form that he showed down the stretch in this match.
2 - 2 
0 - 0
Kashima Antlers entered this match badly depleted, with Kojinakata out for the season and Naoki Soma and Fernando sitting out suspensions. Nevertheless, they put on a solid performance and probably deserved a win if not for their pathetic front line. Tomoyuki Hirase and Euller squandered so many chances that the NHK announcers were rendered speechless. At one point, after a paarticularly inept miss, one announcer asked the colour commentator "what do you think of Hirase's form?" After almost 15 seconds of dead silence, the colour man finally answered "umm, well, Im sure he would have wanted to score on that play".
0 - 0 Vegalta Sendai, meanwhile, have their backs to the wall, needing to start getting some wins if they hope to avoid relegation. They did look aa bit more efficient in this match, but couldnt break down the solid Antlers' defence. Though Kashima will struggle so long as they lack scoring ability in their front line, the midfield and defence are looking very tough, and they may manage to make a run at the second stage crown despite their offensive weaknesses. Only time will tell
2 - 2
Nagoya Grampus and Jubilo Iwata put on a tremendous see-saw battle that will leaave both teaams disappointed in collecting only one point, but neither could feel bad about their performance. Marques had a fine match for Grampus, setting up one early goal and then scoring the equaliser after Jubilo had come back with two goals of their own. The final 30 minutes of the match were simply amazing -- though neither team scored,. it was a non-stop rush from one goal mouth to the other, with shots flying on net like a hail of bullets. Only remarkable goalkeeping by both Seigo Narazaki and Hiromasa Yamamoto kept the match even to the final whistle.
2 - 2
2 - 3
2 - 3Kyoto Purple Sanga see, to be bak in form now that Teruyuki Kurobe has returned to form. The big Sanga striker scored a hat trick to carry his team to a narrow victory over Cerezo. Meanwhile Cerezo's ace striker, Yoshito Okubo came close to scoring a haat trick of his own, but after two goals and a near miss late in the match, he finally got fed up with the incompetent officiating of Mr. Matsumura, and was shown a second yellow card for calalimg Matsumura an incompetent idiot. On this particular point, though, Okubo is in fine company. Carlos Dunga was sent off three times in three years by Mr. Matsumura, every time for the same offence -- telling the referee what he honestly thought of the quality of officiating.
Okubo will be missed next week, since he has scored all six goals in Cerezo's last three matches. Perhaps some would suggest that he needs to leaarn to keep his temper a bit better. In our eyes, though, the fault lies squarely with the incompetence of J.League officiating (and Mr. Matsumura is surely one of the worst). Perhaps rather than suspend Okubo for a week, the League could get better results by suspending the referee!
Elsewhere
Tokyo Verdy easily rolled over Vissel Kobe, who seem to be headed towards relegation.Kashiwa Reysol and Oita Trinita both floundered to a scoreless draw
Finally, on Sunday, Gamba Osaka and Shimizu S-Pulse fought to a draw in a lively if somewhat defensive match.
Because of the many drawn matches over the weekend, very little has changed in the league table except that most of the top contenders have added one point to their total. Kashima remains atop the heap on eleven points, with JEF United one point back. Remarkably, though, nine other teams are within a single win of contention, as the league shows a degree of parity and fluidity not seen since the mid-1990s.
| . | Team | Pts | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GDif |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kashima Antlers | 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| 2 | JEF United Ichihara | 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 |
| 3 | Tokyo Verdy | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7 | +4 |
| 4 | F.C.Tokyo | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 |
| 5 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 |
| 6 | Yokohama Marinos | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 |
| 7 | Gamba Osaka | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 |
| 8 | Kashiwa Reysol | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 |
| 9 | Nagoya Grampus | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 |
| 10 | Urawa Reds | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | +0 |
| 11 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | 7 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 |
| 12 | Jubilo Iwata | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 |
| 13 | Cerezo Osaka | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | -1 |
| 14 | Oita Trinita | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
| 15 | Vegalta Sendai | 3 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | -5 |
| 16 | Vissel Kobe | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 9 | -7 |
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