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October 5, 2003
A Break from the Pack

Date	Home	.	Visitor	Venue
4 Oct		0-1		Kanazawa Stadium
4 Oct		1-3		Kobe Wing Stadium
4 Oct		2-2		Kashiwa-no-ha Stadium
4 Oct		5-1		Ajinomoto Stadium
4 Oct		1-0		Yokohama Int'l
4 Oct		3-0		Komaba Stadium
5 Oct		0-2		Oita "Big Eye"
5 Oct		1-0		Nihondaira Stadium

3 - 0

When the same two teams met in the first stage, Urawa forged a quick 3-0 lead, but ended up losing 6-4 in a wild offensive shootout. Since then, the Reds defence has clearly evolved, and in its current form, would never concede six goals even to a team like Cerezo. In this week's match, in fact, Cerezo barely had a look at goal, much less a chance to score six. The only real opportunities came on a few long balls to Yoshito Okubo, who did the best he could with the service he received, but was hardly ever involved in this match.

But as good as the defence has become, the Reds still struggle more than necessary. Though the team's one failing has been apparent for months, and we have been pointing to it almost every week in our reports, Hans Ooft still has not been able to arrange his midfield formation in a way that will provide support to the front line. For the entire first half of this match, the strike team of Emerson and Tatsuya Tanaka repeatedly outran their support, and had their thrusts stall out one by one as the two were forced to try to find a way through six opposing players, with no support from midfield. When forced to attack from a slow buildup, meanwhile, Urawa's players were too tentative to create the crucial crack in the opposing defence, stretching, but never breaking Cerezo's back line. Thus, although the Reds dominated play, the first half ended with a 0-0 score line.

Oddly enough, the thing that broke this match open for the Reds was, at least superficially, a shift of the initiative to Cerezo's side. Just after half time, Hiroaki Morishima made a steal in midfield and fed Nobuki Hara on the breakaway. Keisuke Tsuboi, the speediest member of the back line, was isolated on Okubo, on the opposite sideline. Without support from Tsuboi, Yuri Nikiforov was unable to contain Hara, and as the speedy midfielder broke into the clear, Nikiforov was forced to haul him down from behind. The referee, Mr. Okada, produced a red card that was difficult to dispute under the circumstances, and the Reds were reduced to ten men.

To address the loss of a player, Ooft took out playmaker Koji Yamase and shifted to a flat midfield line of four players. As we have pointed out repeatedly, in the past, the problem that the Reds often face on offence is that the twin strikers are too far in front of the midfield line, and Yamase is unable to maintain a link betwen the two. As a result, Emerson and Tanaka get too far in front of their support, and the attacks bog down before the midfield can arrive. In order to ensure that the offensive thrusts receive sufficient support, one must remove the "playmaker" and tighten up the gap between the midfield line and the front line.

Sure enough, as soon as Yamase was replaced and the Reds adopted a flat line in midfield, their offensive strikes began to take a greater toll. In fact, just moments after the substitution of Yamase, his replacement Makoto Hasebe sent Tanaka down the left wing with a nice overlap pass. Tanaka put on a fine show of cutback dribbling, turning first one defender, then a second to create space for a cross. He lobbed a long ball to the far post and Emerson dashed in for a diving header just inside the right upright.

Just moments after the first goal, the Reds were again on the attack, winning a free kick on the left side. Emerson took a short corner, collected the return pass and fired a ball into the crowd in front of net. Though it was headed out of the box, the ball fell right at the feet of Hasebe, three meters outside the box, and he drove a looping line drive just underneath the crossbar to double the score.

With a two-goal lead, the Reds were now able to lay back and wait for chances to spring counterattacks in numbers. Though Cerezo had a bit more of possession, now that they were playing with an extra man, it did them little good. The Reds defence remained as solid as ever, and without the element of surprise, Cerezo simply couldnt get any momentum. With time running down, A long clearance set up a quick counterattack to Tanaka. The speedy striker used his body to fend off the first defensive challenge, and having won the ball, suddenly took off on a sprint for goal. With Emerson double-covered on the opposite side, Tanaka was isolated on a lone defender, and was able to use his speed and dribbling skills to drive the right flank, find a seam, and roll the ball softly into the far corner, putting a cap on the Reds victory.

1 - 0

For a showdown between the league's two leaders, this contest was a rather subdued affair, with both teams playing it close to the vest and concentrating on defence, at least until the latter stages of the match. The Marinos had the better chances in the first half, and after a few early misses, produced a goal from a set play 20 minutes into the contest. Yukihiko Sato lobbed a free kick in front of net from about 30 meters out and Tatsuhiko Kubo volleyed it into the net from close range.

Thereafter, the Marinos played a rather conservative match, relying on their superior offence to fend off the opposition. JEF did not really get into gear until the second half, and although they created a number of good chances over the final 15 minutes or so, the Marinos defenders were equal to the task, and emerged with the fill three points to secure sole possession of firt place, a point ahead of the Reds.

5 - 1

This match was never going to go Kashima's way, as was apparent from the outset. Just 15 minutes into the match, FC Tokyo took a long throw-in from the right side, and when Amaral headed the ball on, Yutaka Akita made a stab for the rebound and drove the ball right into his own net. The linesman's flag was up, and at first the goal seemed to be disallowed, but the referee "changed his mind" after a protest from the FC Tokyo players, and the goal stood. Minutes later, Mitsuhiro Toda broke away on a counterattack and was hauled down by Akira Narahashi, who earned a quick red card, reducing the Antlers to ten men. Moments later, Naohiro Ishikawa made a rush down the right side and crossed in to a clearly-offside "Kelly" Guimares. But the linesman's flag stayed down and FC Tokyo had their second goal. The rout was on.

Just before half time, Tokyo got their most impressive goal of the match, as Kelly played a long rainbow cross that soared at least 45 meters to Amaral, at the left post. The so-called "King of Tokyo" headed the ball home to give his team a comfortable halftime lead.

The Antlers came out in the second half and, despite their man disadvantage, put on a fairly convincing display of offence. But just when the momentum seemed to be turning their way, the referee intervened, showing Mitsuo Ogasawara a second yellow card on a play in which Ogasawara seemed to be on the receiving end of the foul. Though the Antlers pulled one goal back on a free kick by Fernando, this was never going to be their day, and FC Tokyo soon restored their cushion when defender Akira Kaji overlapped down the right sideline and found Toda at the near post.

Jo Kanazawa put the cap on the match with a strike in the first minute of injury time, prying a ball away from the keeper after a scramble in the penalty box, and tucking it away for the final goal.

0 - 1

Gamba, who are beginning to slip towards the relegation zone themselves, could not find an answer, and the match ended with the score line unchanged.

2 - 2

Part of the problem for Grampus was the rapidly improving offence of their oopponent. Kashiwa Reysol are still a green and inexperienced team, prone to fatal errors of judgement. However, they are quickly developing one off the most exciting young attack lines in the league, and can give any team in he league a run for their money.

Reysol got off to the early lead when veteran midfielder Takahiro Shimotaira made a steal at midfield and fired a long pass towards the box for Keiji Tamada. The young striker chested the ball down and fired into the left corner to put Reysol in front. The score line remained this way until shortly after half time, when an impressive exchange of long passes extended Reysol's lead. Ricardinho started things off with a nice lead pass into the left corner for Tomonori Hirayama. Hirayama sent his first touch across the face of goal and "Jussie" Ferreira Vieira slammed the ball inside the right post.

But Nagoya responded almost immediately, with Ueslei curling a free kick from the left side of the box inside the near post to cut Reysol's lead to a single goal. After a flurry of offensive thrusts by both teams, Grampus finally equalised on a play that looked to be offside. Marques lobbed a free kick to Andrej Panadic at the top of the penalty arc, and the tall defender headed the ball for net. Masahiro Koga seemed to be a step behind the Reysol back line, but the linesman's flag stayed down and Koga nodded the ball home at point-blank range.

Though both teams made concerted efforts to create the winning goal, the match remained deadlocked over the final ten minutes, and both teams had to settle for a single point.

1 - 3

The "New Jubilo" style is characterised by a lot more individualism, with players seeking to create opportunities on their own rather than relying on precision passing exchanges to create cracks in the opposing defence. Young players such as Ryoichi Maeda, Takahiro Kawamura, Yasumasa Nishino and Sho Naruoka epitomise this new style, and although they still are a bit too inexperienced to take the full advantage of their individual ball skills, it is apparent that they are stars in the making. Certainly, against a team like Vissel Kobe, the quality of their performances is sufficient to produce victory.

Vissel entered this match with an extraordinary record -- the team has NEVER beaten Jubilo, boasting a history of innefectual prowess that is unparallelled in the league. In 15 previous attempts, Vissel had drawn two matches and lost 13. Perhaps this thought motivated the team to put in a greater effort. Whatever the case, Vissel looked reasonably competitive in the first half hour, pursuing the ball aggressively and keeping Jubilo on the back foot. An early goal gave the team an added boost, as Tomo Sugawara found space on the left flank and crossed in to Oseas at the top right corner of the penalty box. Oseas had a defender on his back, but a nice one-two with Sidiclei allowed him to turn towards goal and rip off a quick shot, inside the right post.

But despite the strong start, by the half-hour mark Vissel were beginning to tire as the Jubilo presure wore them down. Ten minutes before the half, Jubilo got the equaliser as Norihiro Nishi played a drop pass to the unguarded Kawamura, who caught the keeper a bit too far off his line and lobbed a shot over his head that just snuck in under the bar.

The second half was all Jubilo, with Nishi putting his team in front shortly after the break on an individualistic dash out of midfield and a thunderous shot from the right side of the box that beat the keeper to the top corner. Vissel made a half-hearted effort to get back into the match, but ten minutes later Aleksandr Zivkovic turned the left flank and found Maeda open in front of net for an easy volley. Thereafter the Vissel pressure crumbled and Jubilo were able to pass the ball around casually, awaiting the final whistle.

0 - 2

For the time being, Verdy will probably settle for having Mboma put on his show two or three times a match, and not worry about his lack of involvement over the remainder of the 90 minutes. So far it has been sufficient to win the Tokyo green a spot near the top of the table. But if Verdy want to claim some silverware this season, Mboma may need to increase his efforts slightly. He clearly is the engine that keeps this team running, and if Verdy hope to defeat clubs that are more competitive than Trinita, a part-time effort by the ace striker may not be enough.

1 - 0

S-Pulse emerged victorious on a suitably sloppy note, as Ahn Jung-Hwan and Tuto darted around a cluttered penalty box with Purple Sanga players falling all over themselves in pursuit. Eventually, Ahn nearly collided with Tuto, and as the ball rolled into space, Tuto swung at it wildly and drove it right between a defender's legs and into the Kyoto net. The final strike provided some good comedy relief for the week's highlight film, but apart from that, most of those watching from the stands probably wished they had taken the family on a picnic, instead.

This weekend's matches produced the most clear-cut results in over a month, and as a result, there is now a bit more distance between the top challengers for the second-stage title and the rest of the pack. However, with six matches remaining, a large number of teams are still in the hunt. Yokohama preserve their hold on first place, while the Reds and Verdy are respectively one and two points adrift. JEF, Grampus, Reysol and Antlers are all within striking distance, though it is beginning to look like the second stage will become a three- or four-team contest when league play resumes, at the end of October.

6 - 1

As the match wore on, the pressure of guarding the speedy duo of Emerson and Tanaka began to wear down Shimizu's defenders, nd by the early second half, they began to lose their composure. After several "chiippy" fouls intended to prevent breakaways, the referee's tolerance for professional fouling reached its limit. Following a particularly blatant trip by Tomoyoshi Tsurumi not only did he send the offending defender to the showers, but also pulled out a yellow for Ryuji Morioka as soon as he opened his mouth to protest. Reduced to ten men, the S-Pulse resistance finally collapsed and Emerson required only 8 minutes to collect a hat trick. His first goal came immediately after the foul, as he took a pass across midfield and simply ran straight at Morioka, as if daring him to chance a second yellow. As Morioka made a hasty retreat, Emerson picked out a spot and drove a shot into the top left corner.

Moments later, Tanaka broke down the left wing and drew the last defender, then crossed in to Emerson for an easy finish. The Brazilian ace completed his hat trick in the 62 minute with a nice turn and shot from the edge of the box.

Ahn Jung Hwan temporarily broke the momentum with a run into the box and blatant dive which the referee judged to be a foul by the keeper. Replays showed that Tsuzuki pulled up well short of Ahn, who threw himself to the ground deliberately, but that made little difference to the official, who showed Tsuzuki a red card and awarded S-Pulse their only goal of the match, on a PK.

Thereafter the Reds concentrated on running out the clock, though Koji Yamase added one to the tally sheet with a nicely placed free kick from about three meters beyond the top left corner of the penalty box. Thus, the Reds advanced to the fnals for the second year in a row.

1 - 0

Not surprisingly, Jubilo held the initiative for most of the first half, attacking steadily through midfield and creating several half chances, but were continuously frustrated by the impenetrable defensive wall created by three tall central defenders and two aggressive volantes. When the Antlers did counterattack, the three strikers did a good job of taking on opposing defenders and trying to create chances individually. However, these opportunitieswere limited, and Jubilo seemed to have the upper hand as the two teams retired to the locker room at half time.

But just after the restart, the Antlers got a break which turned the tide of the match. On one the first counterattack of the second half, central defender Ishikawa used the element of surprise to slip down the left sideline and make a run all the way to the corner. His cross was blocked by a Jubilo defender, but Fukai deftly snatched the ball away before it could be cleared, and sent it in front of the net once more. Fernando dashed in from his midfield position and headed the ball in at the far post, and suddenly the Antlers were back on even terms, on aggregate.

Though not a team that is prone to panic, Jubilo seemed to be taken aback by this goal, and for the next fifteen minutes or so their offence -- which had pinned the Antlers dep in their end for most of the first half -- began to sputter. Kashima was still limited to brief possessions and desperate long balls, but they were no longer under the same fierce pressure, and seemed to gain in confidence as time went on. In the 66 minute, Ishikawa once again surged down the left flank on a counterattack and this time he had three strrikers lined up in the box for his cross. He played a rolling pass towards Fukai, at the left edge of the box, but Fukai apparently made eye contact with Motoyama, dashing forward into space, and allowed the ball to roll through, Motoyama met the slow-roller a step inside the area, and drove a thunderous shot into the low corner, putting the Antlers up 2-0 and 2-1 on aggregate.

Though Jubilo attacked relentlessly over the remaining 15 minutes, the surge of confidence and exaltation generated by Motoyama's goal carried the patchwork lineup through the remaining moments, and when the final whistle sounded, the Antlers literally leapt for joy, with Toninho Cerezo dashing out to lift each one of his players high into the air, as if they were a championship cup.

And so, the Antlers and Reds advance to the Nabisco Cup final, which will be a replay last year's final, won by Kashima 1-0. The dramatic way in which both teams advanced to the championship, as well as the strong rivalry between the two teams, should make for a thrilling clash at National Stadium on November 3.

Rumours and Rumblings

Nishimura Dropped by Cerezo

Nishimura took over as head coach in late 2001, after Cerezo had been assured of relegation, and immediately generated a boost of enthusiasm that carried the team to the Emperor's Cup final on January 1, 2002. The team also managed to return to the J1 immediately, under the guidance of Nishimura in 2002. However, while the jovial and light-handed style of Nishimura may have been effective at restoring the enthusiasm to a disappointed team, he does not seem to have the technical vision or authoritative leadership needed to drive the team to success at a higher level, and as a result, Cerezo have apparently decided to change captains during the curent two-week break in the J.League schedule. Cerezo has announced that Yuji Tsukada will take over as head coach, though it is not yet clear whether this is for a temporary stewardship, or a permanent position. Tsukada has little prior experience, apart from coaching positions at Kofu Soccer Club -- the predecessor to Ventforet Kofu. It may be that he will serve in a caretaker role until Cerezo find a more experienced manager.