November 23, 2003
The Usual Suspects
But that is getting a bit ahead of ourselves. For now, lets just look at the results of the weekend's matches:
| Date | Home | . | Visitor | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Nov |  | 0-4 |  | Sendai Stadium |
| 22 Nov |  | 2-1 |  | Iwata Stadium |
| 22 Nov |  | 4-1 |  | Mizuho Stadium |
| 22 Nov |  | 1-1 |  | Ajinomoto Stadium |
| 22 Nov |  | 0-2 |  | Nishikyogoku |
| 23 Nov |  | 2-1 |  | Kashima Stadium |
| 23 Nov |  | 1-1 | | Ichihara Seaside |
| 24 Nov |  | 5-1 |  | Nagai Stadium |
1 - 1 
The highlight match this weekend was the Tokyo derby match, between FC Tokyo And Tokyo Verdy. The two teams faced off in front of an enormous and highly vocal crowd in a contest that had great implications for both teams. Entering the week, FC Tokyo stood one point behind league leading Jubilo Iwata, while Verdy were three points adrift. Because the match kiced off at 4:00, shortly after Jubilo finished dispatching of Gamba Osaka, both teams knew that they would need a victory in order to remain in the race for the second-stage title.
1 - 1 The match was easily as competitive and as nail-biting as one might expect. Indeed, the score line is a poor reflection of how offense-oriented play was, since both keepers had brilliant performances, pulling off at least three or four sparkling saves apiece, to keep the match scoreless at half time.
The second half was not much different. Play surged from one end of the fild to another, but despite numerous chances, both teams were left shaking their heads at their inability to put the ball into the net. By the midway point of the second half, though, FC Tokyo seemed to have taken the upper hand, driving towards the Verdy goal again and again, applying the pressure and waiting for their opponent to crack. The break finally came in the 75 minute, as "Kelly" Guimares beat his man down the left wing, raced all the way to the end line and, as the keeper closed in to cover the near post, looped a ball across the face of goal for Yoshiro Abe, who headed a soft shot in through the back door.
It looked like FC Tokyo were on their way to victory, but in the final minute of regulation time, and unusual miscue at the back shattered their title hopes. A high, looping ball from the Verdy defence soared some 40 meters and bounded about five meters outside the penalty box. Three Tokyo defenders were in the area, but all backed off, apparently waiting for one of the others to clear. Kazunori Iio, on as a late substitute for Patrick Mboma, needed no invitation, He dashed onto the ball, made a nice spin move to get a look at boal, and fired just past the fingertips of the keeper, inside the left post, to knot the score.
Unfortunately, a draw was of no use to either team, and despite some frantic efforts in the final moments, neither one could score in injury time. The one point that both collect from the draw eliminates both Tokyo teams from the title race, though considering the fine performances that these two young squads have provided over the course of this season, both will certainly be among the contenders for a title next season
2 - 1
Jubilo Iwata have benefitted from a great deal of good fortune, not to mention some extremely favourable officiating this season. However, one thing you have to say about the team is that they know how to win key matches. Regardless of whether they "deserve" to be in the position they are currently in, having been helped along into a position to challenge for a title, they are making the best of that opportunity. This week demonstrated the gritty determination that Jubilo have always possessed, as they fought back from a goal and a man down to defeat Gamba Osaka and knock the Kansai club out of the running.
2 - 1 Gamba got off to a strong start, taking a lead in the 14 minute when Yasuhito Endo collected a drop pass from Magrao and looped the ball over the defence for Kota Yoshihara, dashing through into open space. Yoshihara settled the ball, rounded the keeper and tucked a soft shot into the back of the net to give his team the lead. The momentum seemed to shift even more in Gamba's favour a few minutes after the half time break, when Norihiro Nishi, who had picked up a yellow card in the first half for a blatant dive in the penalty area, went in a bit too hard on Masashi Oguro in an open-field tackle near midfield. The referee produced a second card and Nishi was off to the locker room, leaving Jubilo a man short.
But even with one fewer players, Jubilo turned up the aggression and began to establish the ball-control dominance that is their usual hallmark. On the one-hour mark, the officiating swung back in Jubilo's favour as Ryoichi Maeda went down in the box to coax a PK from the referee. In this particular case, it looked like the correct call, but the sheer numbers of PKs that Jubilo have earned over the course of this season (not to mention Nishi's eariler dismissal for play-acting) suggest that they milk such opportunities for everything they are worth. In any event, Rodrigo Gral drilled his shot from the penalty spot to level the scores.
Just moments later, a long cross from Aleksandr Zivkovic found Maeda about three meters out, level with the right post, for a short-range header and the winning goal. Gamba made an effort to fight back, but shortly after the second goal they were also reduced to ten men, when Harison went into a tackle with studs up, and was shown his second yellow of the afternoon. With the numbers balanced, Jubilo were able to hold off the late Gamba charge and hold onto their spot at the top of the table.
0 - 4
Vegalta Sendai have been struggling valiantly to avoid relegation over the past few weeks, but their task this weekend was by no means an easy one as they faced off against the first-stage champions, Yokohama Marinos. This contest was never in doubt, with Yokohama dominating from start to finish. Tatsuhiko Kubo needed just ten minutes to put his team in front, and he would add two more goals to finish out a hat trick within the first hour. Masahiro Ohashi scored his first J.League goal to round out a 4-0 romp
0 - 4 The win keeps Yokohama on pace to challenge for the second stage title in their final match of the season, against Jubilo, though they will need a bit of help from other teams as well. hich puts Vegalta a step closer to relegation, and keeps Yokohama close enough to knock Jubilo out of the top spot in their head-to-head match, next week. Vegalta are still stuck in the relegation zone, but remain in control of their own destiny, as a win next week against Oita Trinita will allow them to remain in the top-flight for another year.
4 - 1 
The Urawa Reds have looked much improved this season, rising into the ranks of the legitimate challengers and claiming their first-ever piece of silverware with a win in the Nabisco Cup, earlier this month. However, the team still needs a bit mor polish before they can join the likes of Jubilo, Marinos and Antlers at the top of the J.League heap. This was readily apparent on Saturday as the team visited Nagoya needing a win to remain in contention, and were sent home with their tails between their legs.
4 - 1 The two teams played a fairly even match for the first half hour, but even before the first goal, it was apparent that the Reds were not at the top of their game. Part of the problem was obviously the absence of ace striker Emerson, who is sitting out a suspension, but the team as a whole seemed very disorganised and made errors that will kill any team, regardless of the opponent. Some have suggested that the team is demoralised, knowing that coach Hans Ooft is leaving at the end of the season. However, as regular readers surely know, we have always viewed Ooft as an obstacle to the team's development, not a boon. If anything, you would expect that Ooft would want to go out on top, to prove himself and his team to the detractors. No, the lack of spirit on this team has been evident throughout the year, and even if it was papered over during the Nabisco Cup run, Urawa will not overcome this weakness until they find a coach who can teach the young squad some real tactics and poise.
After holding a slight asdvantage for the first half hour, Grampus broke the game open in the 32 minute, when Kojiro Kaimoto broke free down the right sideline and looped a pass to Ueslei, steaming into the box. The big Brazilian drilled a powerful header into the right corner and Grampus had the lead.
A bit of good fortune pulled the Reds back into the match at half time, as a nice feint by Tatsuya Tanaka beat one defender and allowed him to slip the ball to Yuichiro Nagai, overlapping on the right. Nagai had a wide-open shot, but very nearly pulled the ball wide. His shot caught the inside of the left post and bounded across the line.
But the second half was all Grampus, as Urawa's usually solid defence began to collapse. Five minutes after the break, as Nagoya moved the ball around the perimeter, Ueslei lofted a soft ball onto the head of Chun Yong-Dae, who flicked the ball on towards the right post. None of the Reds defenders picked up Naoshi Nakamura, who slipped in for an easy finish at close range.
As the Reds began to attack desperately for the equaliser, Grampus began to exploit the space at the back even more. Marques provided Ueslei with a beautiful cross to head home at the right post, raising the score to 3-1, and with time running out, Ueslei completed his hat trick after being pulled down on a breakaway at the edge of the box. His free kick curled over the wall and into the low left corner, putting the match beyond doubt.
0 - 2 
Vissel Kobe escaped from the relegation sweepstakes with a 2-0 victory against fellow strugglers Kyoto Purple Sanga. Kyoto actually had the superior offensive momentum for much of he match, but Kobe defended extremely well, and put the ball in the net when they had the chance. The defence was really the story for Vissel, as it has been all year long. Kunie Kitamoto twice cleared the ball off the line after a blistering Sanga shot eat the keeper, and Makoto Kakegawa had a fine day in net apart from those misses, turning away several other good Kyoto opportunities.
0 - 2 On the offensive end, Vissel's chances were less numerous, but Ryuji Bando provided an early cushion when he collected a long lead pass after beating the offside trap, cut sharply to the middle to elude the last retreating defender, and looped a shot over the outrushing keeper.
The Purple Sanga controlled the momentum for most of the remainder of the match, though Kobe used their chances to counterattack effectively, and on the stroke of the hour they made one such opportunity count. Park Kang-Jo sped down the left side on a quick break, racing almost 50 meters to the end line before pulling a low line drive across the face of goal. Oseas beat two defenders to the ball and bundled it across the line, raising Kobe's season point total to 30 and ensuring that whatever happens next week, they will remain in the J1 next season. Kyoto, on the other hand, remain in last place on the full-season league table, and are staring at almost certain relegation. In order to survive, they need to pray for a draw between Oita Trinita and Vegalta Sendai, in their head-to-head match next week. A win by Sendai would only help if Kyoto can get at least a three-goal victory over Gamba Osaka, in order to make up the goal difference that currently separates them from Vegalta.
0 - 0 
Oita Trinita are fighting for survival, at the bottom end of the league table. However, of the three teams facing possible relegation, they have put themselves in the strongest position thanks to draws in their last two matches. Last week they were able to hold Nagoya Grampus to a scoreless match at home, and this week they put on an excellent defensive effort to grab another point away at JEF United.
0 - 0 Trinita's big problem this year has been their inability to score goals. Their defence keeps them in many matches, but they cannot win very many without better offence. This week they got a break early in the match, when a long free kick by Sandro was headed down by rookie striker Yuzo Tashiro and poked into the net by Takayuki Yoshida.
JEF fopund themselves forced to fight back from a goal down, and discovered that the going was a bit difficult. Trinita held out for over an hour, until a powerful drive from outside the area by Yuki Abe was parried by the keeper and fell at the feet of Choi Yong-Soo. The Korean ace popped the loose ball into the net to level the scores, but that would be the only goal JEF could manage in this contest. With the draw, they effectively fall out of contention, needing nothing short of divine intervention to win the stage
2 - 1
This season, the Kashima Antlers are performing like the villain in a bad slasher movie. Just when you are sure that the killer is dead and buried; stake through the heart; shot, stabbed and blown to smithereens; electrocuted, impaled and incinerated; they somehow stagger back to their feet and charge after their opponents for another reel. This week the team entered their match against Kashiwa Reysol with defenders Yutaka Akita and Go Oiwa sitting out suspensions, while Akira Narahashi and Naoki Soma are nursing injuries. Yet playing with reserves in every spot of the back line seems just par for the course this season, which has seen injuries, trades and other assorted mishaps fell one key player after another.
2 - 1 But the Antlers' reserves put on a fine show, proving once again that this team is far more than just a few talented star players. Kashima came out in a rush, and within ten minutes had taken a lead. Masashi Motoyama, playing for the first time since a hernia operation sidelined him earlier this season, dashed through the middle to shred the Reysol defence, and slipped a pass to Tomoyuki Hirase on the left wing. Hirase has managed to blow a lot of easy shots this season, but with no defender in sight and a three-meter chip shot in front of him, he managed to side-foot the ball into the net.
The Antlers nearly added another goal or three, as they blistered the Reysol defence for the first 20 minutes or so, but poor finishing let them down, and by the latter stages of the first half, the surge of energy was spent, and Reysol were back on a solid footing. The match see-sawed back and forth until just short of the one-hour mark, with the Antlers dominating possession but Reysol defending well and springing occasional speedy counterattacks down the wings. Ten minutes after the break, one such counterattack put the Antlers in a pickle, as Keiji Tamada played a long cross-field pass from the right sideline to the left top corner of the box, and Shinchi Tanoue dashed in to fire a cannon shot into the top right corner.
After scoring the equaliser, Reysol went into denial mode, falling back into a deep defence and fouling liberally to prevent the Antlers from creating offence. Though the persistent professional fouling earned Kashima several dangerous free kicks, they were unable to convert, and the situation began to look grim. But with ten minutes left in regulation time, Tanoue picked up a second yellow card, giving Kashima a man advantage for the final stretch run. What followed was a barrage of "shock and awe" offensive pressure, as the Antlers controlled posession almost continuously for the next ten minutes. Reysol held firm on defence, scrambling furiously to turn away one opportunity after another, but no sooner had they escaped one pinch than the relentless attack resumed. Despite the overwhelming control of possession and a countless series of shots on goal, it looked like Reysol would hold on and deny the Antlers the win they needed to remain in the second-stage ttle race.
But as the contest moved into injury time and the Kashima faithful roared desperately for victory, a long lob into the box was deflected by a defender and fell into an open spot, about five meters from goal. Mitsuo Ogasawara swooped in like the cold-blooded killer he is, and fired the ball into the roof of the net, carrying Kashima to victory and ensuring that they next week's penultimate matches will be a nail-biting affair for all concerned.
5-1 
Report will be posted shortly
5-1
And so, after fifteen weeks, the J.League race boils down to a last-man-standing affair between the "usual suspects" -- Jubilo Iwata, Kashima Antlers and Yokohama Marinos. Between them, these three teams have captured every league title since 1995. Indeed, only twice since 1995 has any team OTHER than these three been involved in the championship tournament. Since Yokohama won the first stage trophy, regardless of what happens, that record will be extended for another year. This season, many new challengers have arisen, and the league definitely seems to be moving into a new era, with teams like the Reds, Verdy, JEF United and FC Tokyo evermging as true threats to the top three. But in 2003, at least, the old guard will provide the entertainment as the final act of the season is played out.
Jubilo Iwata retain a two-point advantage over Kashima Antlers, and three points over Yokohama Marinos, so they are clearly the favourites as they enter the final week. However, since they must play their last match head-to-head with Yokohama, the outcome is much less certain than it might otherwise be.
Simply put, if Jubilo wins, they take the second stage. If they get a draw, they are also almost certain to advance. Kashima would have to defeat Urawa Reds by four goals or more in order to catch Jubilo on goal difference.
However, if Jubilo lose, then the outcome will depend on the results of the Antlers' match. If they defeat the Reds, they are second-stage champions. If they draw or lose, Yokohama will claim the J.League championship in an uncontested victory (this would mean that the Championship Series, scheduled for December 6 and December 13 would be unnecessary).
Hold onto your hats, folks. This is going to be a wild finish!
| . | Team | Pts | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GDif |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jubilo Iwata | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 21 | 15 | +6 |
| 2 | Kashima Antlers | 24 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 17 | +2 |
| 3 | Yokohama Marinos | 23 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 16 | +9 |
| 4 | JEF United Ichihara | 23 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 18 | +4 |
| 5 | Urawa Reds | 22 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 27 | 17 | +10 |
| 6 | Nagoya Grampus | 22 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 24 | +5 |
| 7 | F.C.Tokyo | 21 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 28 | 18 | +10 |
| 8 | Tokyo Verdy | 21 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 28 | 23 | +5 |
| 9 | Gamba Osaka | 20 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 16 | +3 |
| 10 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 18 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 25 | -8 |
| 11 | Kashiwa Reysol | 16 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 16 | -2 |
| 12 | Vissel Kobe | 14 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 25 | -8 |
| 13 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | 13 | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 21 | -8 |
| 14 | Cerezo Osaka | 12 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 27 | -5 |
| 15 | Vegalta Sendai | 11 | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 27 | -14 |
| 16 | Oita Trinita | 10 | 14 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 15 | -9 |
Rumours and Rumblings
Albirex, Sanfrecce Join J1 for the 2004 Season
With all the excitement taking placed in the J1, it has been easy to overlook events in the second division this season, but for those who support one of the top J2 teams, the competition has been just as breathtaking. This weekend, as three teams battled for promotion and the J2 league title, in the season's penultimate match, both Todoroki Stadium in Kawasaki and Niigata's "Big Swan" Stadium came close to selling out. A remarkable 42,000 fans filled the seats in Niigata with a sea of orange, and with this sort of support becoming a commonplace occurrence for the North Shore Swans this season, the team is sure to be a welcome addition to the J1 next season.
Albirex found themselves in a rather surprising situation this week. after dominating the league for almost the entire season (at one point they held a 16-point lead on the second-place team), a late season slump left the team in danger of failing to win promotion. Sanfrecce Hiroshima had already clinched a spot in the J1 the previous weekend, and seemed to be a bit flat in their match against third-place Kawasaki Frontale. As Frointale rumbled to victory, if Niigata had lost, they would have sent their fans home in despair, forced to wait another seasonfor a spot in the Big Show.
But despite a stubborn challenge from visiting Omiya Ardija, the Swans held onto an early one-goal advantage to clinch their ticket. As the teams paid their respect to the huge crowd, the results of the Frontale-Sanfrecce match were announced and the stadium erupted in an even louder roar, acclaiming the 2003 division two champions.
We intend to post a review and analysis of the entire J2 season later this week, however, here are a few quick notes on the performances of various teams, and the outlook for next season.
Niigata has adopted the sport of football with a degree of enthusiasm seen in few other parts of the country. Only the Urawa Reds' "Saitama Red Army" can match the Albirex supporters in numbers and intensity; this tremendous fan base will be very welcome in the J2 next season. Albirex have a solid core team, and would be even stronger if not for the decision to trade away key players such as Yoshito Terakawa and Shingo Suzuki to other teams over the past two years. Then again, if Oita and Kyoto are relegated, as now seems quite possible, Terakawa and Suzuki will probably oft to return to Niigata for the 2004 season. Better yet, the team's huge fan base gives it a level of cash flow that should allow them to snap up some quality players in the transfer market, over the winter. Fans will no doubt be waiting to see if their team can perform as well in the J1 as they have over the past two or three season in J2.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima successfully reclaimed a spot in the J1 after just a single season in the second division. However, they had a very close call, needing a late surge and some poor results by opponents in order to win promotion. Sanfrecce has a very large number of high quality youngsters. Five members of the team have seen action in the U-23 squad, and all seem to be improving with age. However, the team seems to lack leadership, and this appeared to be the cause of their sluggish results earlier in the year. A coaching change would probably be helpful, but Takeshi Ono will probably be rewarded for leading the team back to J1 with a contract extension. A lot will depend on what players Sanfrecce adds in the off-season. Their foreign players, in particular, were a bit disappointing. Though Sanfrecce may not have the same budget as Albirex, they will almost surely be shopping in the off-season. Considering the quality of their youngsters, the addition of three or four quality veterans could make Sanfrecce a mid-table club, at least, in 2004.
Kawasaki fans will be disappointed by their team's failure to win promotion. A stunning draw against lowly Shonan Bellmare in the second-to-last match of the season may have cost them the opportunity, and althoug hte team seems less "complete" than either Albirex or Sanfrecce, there is a core of 7 or 8 players who are certainly J1 calibre. Frontale has managed to improve attendances this year, and their budget may allow them to pick up the necessary players to fill out the holes in their roster, next season. More than anything else, the team needs some solid central defenders. Despite boasting the best goal difference in the league (+41 over 44 matches), they also conceded more goals than any other of the top five teams. Regardless of what happens, Frontale can expect to be one of the leading candidates for J2 champions next season
Tiny Ventforet Kofu proved to be the giant-killers in the J2 this season, shocking several of the top teams with crushing upsets. Their string of victories in the second half of the season had a very significant impact on the race between Albirex, Sanfrecce and Frontale, and no team was eager to face them in Kose Stadium, where they ran off a string of 15 matches at the end of the season without a loss. Ventforet will have difficulty improving their roster significantly, given the team's weak finances. However, in the final month of the season Kose Stadium was packing in over 10,000 fans for many of the matches -- quite an accomplisment when you consider that Kofu City has a population of just 102,000! Unfortunately, Ventforet slipped from fourth to fifth place due to a draw in the final match of the season, but this disappointment should not diminish the growing grassroots fan base that the team has attracted. Given the natural disadvantages Ventforet faces due to their small-town origins, they may never have the depth needed to win promotion to the J1. However, after struggling miserably in their first two season in the league, Kofu are now a well-supported and fiercely competitive team. With a bit of luck, they could match or even surpass this year's record in the 2004 season.
Avispa Fukuoka entered the season as one of the teams we considered as a possible title contender. However, they performed miserably for the first half of the season, and needed a late charge to slip into fourth place in the league table. Though Fukuoka are relatively well supported, compared with other J2 clubs, they lack player depth especially on defence. Avispa allowed more goals than any other team except the two basement-dwellers Sagan Tosu and Yokohama FC. Though they will surely be shopping for players in the off-season, we think it will be hard for them to make the improvements needed to challenge for promotion next year, particularly since their roster already is heavy with veterans. Unless they should happen to land a foreign player who blossoms into a superstar, we think they will remain at about the same level in the league table in 2004.
Relegation Speculation: Who Needs a New Home?
Because of all the attention lavished on the thre-way race for the second stage title, the issue of relegation has been given only passing thought in the sports press this week. Oh sure, there have been quite a few comments on the prospects for each of the three teams at the bottom of the table -- Kyoto Purple Sanga, Vegalta Sendai and Oita Trinita -- but apart from handicapping their chances of avoiding the drop, few commentators have examined the implications that relegation will have. Interestingly enough, the relegation fight may have enormous implications this year, not so much on the teams that go down, but on the other J1 teams and their relative strength going into the 2004 season.
If the results of the second stage this season proved anything, it is the fact that parity is now the best word available to describe the J.League. After a decade in which, essentially, four teams have dominated the league and monopolised the silverware (Verdy Kawasaki during the first three seasons, and Yokohama Marinos, Kashima Antlers and Jubilo Iwata in the subsequent seven years) we seem to be moving into a new era. It is too soon to tell whether new teams will come to dominate, or whether we will enter a "Senkoku Jidai" -- perriod of constant battle with frequent turnover and a host of teams all challenging for titles. Whatever the case may be, personnel decisions made over the next two or three months could have quite an impact on future performance.
One factor which could easily tip the balance in favour of one or more teams is the opportunity to secure proven, high quality players rom the teams that are relegated this season. In the case of Vegalta Sendai, a drop to the J2 may not produce much player turnover. The team has excellent fan support and steady revenues, which should ensure a large enough budget to hang onto most of the players that the team truly values. Yet there is no guarantee that players like Yuichi Nemoto, Daijiro Takakuwa, Hisato Sato, Teruo Iwamoto and Yoshiteru Yamashita will not seek a trade in order to continue plauying in the top division.
Though Vegalta may have the budget needed to retain top players even after relegation, Kyoto Purple Sanga are another case altogether. If the team is consigned to the J2, as now seems highly probable, the better players will almost certainly be asked to take a pay cut. Many will probably be quite tempted to seek other opportunities rather than accepting the demotion and loss of salary. This could produce a trading bonanza, since Kyoto has many young, talented and highly promising players who have already proven themselves at the national team level. Striker Teruaki Kurobe, midfielders Daisuke Matsui and Shingo Suzuki, defenders Makoto Kakuda and Kazuki Teshima, and goalkeeper Naoto Hirai would all make valuable acquisition for teams that are looking for hel at one of those positions.
Finally, while Oita Trinita may not have as many potential stars on the roster, they too will probably need to do some budget-cutting if they are relegated. The team is heavy with veterans who have already been dealt away by the top clubs, but three are one or two players who might be useful to one of the mid-table clubs, such as midfielder Yoshito Terakawa and striker Daiki Takamatsu. It will be very interesting to see what happens after the relegation race is decided, next week.Particularly in the case of Kyoto, we believe that some moves could occur as early as mid-December.
Emperor's Cup Schedule Released
The complete schedule for the Emperor's Cup tournament has been announced. The season-ending tournament will begin on November 30, with J1 teams receiving byes until the third round, and joining the tournament on December 14. Over the next few weeks we will be providing brief updates of the results, but will not begin to provide full reports on the tournament until the third round. However, the latest scores will always be available on the main Emperors' Cup page, in our J.League section (http://www.wldcup.com/Asia/jleague/emperor.html">.
The full tournament table is shown below:
Send all questions, comments and queries to: