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November 30, 2003
Heart-Stopping Drama on the Final Day

The J.League is by far the most dramatic, unpredictable and emotionally draining football league on the planet.

If anyone still had doubts about this fact prior to this weekend, the shocking and spectacular events of the final week have set them to rest once and for all. And despite the fact that Yokohama Marinos' victory in the second stage has negated the need for a championship series, surely the remarkable race to the league crown this season should demonstrate once and for all that the J.League's current two-stage format should be maintained. This weekend alone provided enough excitement to keep the sports news programmes busy running film clips for the next month. And the stretch run -- which had as many as eight teams in the chase for a title right up until the end -- was not only great publicity for the league and its associated broadcasters; it also provided excitement and enjoyment for football fans from one end of the country to the other. For those who were unable to watch the spectacle unfold on live TV, words can hardly do it justice, but we will try or best to relate the events of this weekend -- a thrilling roller-coaster ride of sport that truly captured the essence of that old saying: "the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat."

Date	Home	.	Visitor	Venue
29 Nov		2-1		Yokohama Int'l
29 Nov		2-2		Saitama Stadium
29 Nov		2-4		Kashiwa Stadium
29 Nov		0-2		Ajinomoto Stadium
29 Nov		2-1		Nihondaira Stadium
29 Nov		5-1		Expo'70 Stadium
29 Nov		0-4		Kobe Wing Stadium
29 Nov		1-1		Oita "Big Eye"

2 - 1

Jubilo, on the other hand, have shown the determination and competitive fire of a champion team this year, yet it would be hard to say that they truly deserved their top-of-the-table position, having been lauded with a number of very favourable (not to mention questionable) officiating decisions over the course of the year which padded their point total considerably. Those who have taken a less generous view of Jubilo's good fortune (such as the Rising Sun News) therefor were not particularly surprised to see the team receive a huge boon from the official within minutes of the kick-off.

Two minutes into the match, before Yokohama's defence had fully settled down, Aleksandr Zivkovic used a throw in on the left sideline to break for the corner with just one man in pursuit. As he drew level with the box, he sent a cross to Rodrigo Gral at the top of the penalty arc, where he was inexplicably unmarked. Gral pulled the ball down beautifully, spun around and fired a shot into the low right corner to put Jubilo in front. Though this goal was certainly well deserved, Gral would soon display the less sportsmanlike side of his game. Moments after the goal, after Yokohama keeper Tatsuya Enomoto had collected a long shot and was carrying it to the edge of the box to clear, Gral suddenly raced in and threw his body in front of the clearance, crashing into Enomoto as he did so. The referee apparently did not the whole play, but caught enough to call a foul on Gral and award a free kick. But as Gral was walking away, he said something very tasteless, adding insult to injury and infuriating Enomoto. The keeper rushed over to Gral in fury, apparently intending to give the Jubilo striker an earful of his own. But he made the mistake of bumping into Gral, who collapsed as if he had been hit with a sledgehamer and writhed about on the ground in his best "fake it like Rivaldo" imitation. Enomoto's outburst probably deserved a yellow card, even though the contact was probably unintentional. However, in typically Jubilo-friendly style, the referee went for the red, instead, and the Marinos were suddenly a man short with less than 15 minutes played.

The advantage to Jubilo loomed large, yet the Marinos showed not the slightest intention of allowing the visitors an easy ticket to the championship series. Even with a man disadvantage, the Marinos pressed hard all over the field, and might have even had a slight advantage in the number of scoring opportunities over the course of the first half. All the same, Jubilo went in a the half with the tally still one goal and one man in their favour.

When the two teams returned to the field, the heavens had opened fully, drenching the pitch, the players, and close to 45,000 fans, but the Marinos spirits were certainly not dampened. From the outset, they took the initiative, producing a few quick opportunities and setting the tone for a ferocious battle over the remaining 45 minutes. Five minutes after the restart, a Yokohama won a corner kick and Daisuke Oku sent a line drive for the near post. The initial challenge between Naoki Matsuda and two Jubilo defenders was inconclusive, with the ball deflecting weakly away towards the opposite post, but Marquinhos threw himself headfirst at the ball, twisting his body in midair and somehow managing to get enough impetus on the ball to push it over the line and equalise the scores.

But Jubilo's superior numbers and the treacherous pitch conditions began to take their toll, and as the second half wore on, Jubilo seemed to regain the upper hand. Midway through the period, Gral very nearly put Jubilo back in front, with a well-placed loop shot that caught the crossbar and bounded back onto the field of play. Despite the miss, though, Jubilo could see the score of the Antlers-Reds match, where Kashima held only a one-goal lead. Secure in the knowledge that a draw would give them a superior goal difference over the Antlers, and ensure them of the title, Jubilo seemed to sit back and get ready for a celebration.

Bu as the fourth official held up the display to indicate three minutes of injury time, Yokohama threw themselves forward for one last try. A long, "hail mary" kick from the keeper soared across midfield, bounded once about 40 metres out from goal, and looped over a crowd of players towards the top edge of the penalty box. Makoto Tanaka chased back nonchalantly, apparently trying to decide whether to head it back to Hiromasa Yamamoto, or to just let it bounce a second time and allow the keeper to collect it on his own. But with a sudden burst of speed, Tatsuhiko Kubo flew in from the left side and suddenly was closing on the ball himself. Tanaka tried to head clear, but Kubo outleaped him and sent the ball looping over Yamamoto's head, and into the back of the net. . . . .

[CAMERA CUTS AWAY TO DISTANT SAITAMA, WHERE ANOTHER DRAMA IS BEING PLAYED OUT]

2 - 2

And so, this week Cerezo cobbled together yet another makeshift lineup -- with defender Tatsuya Ishikawa playing at attacking midfield because there were no other options available -- in hopes of somehow stealing a win from the Reds, and then praying for Yokohama to knock off Jubilo.

The Reds, who blew their own opportunity for a championship last weekend, in a humiliating loss to Grampus, were detremined to go out on a positive note. With the return of ace striker Emerson, following a two-match suspension, the Reds were back to full strength and looked eager to give their home fans a reason to celebrate.

But the Antlers were the more inspired team from the opening kick, putting on a blitz of early pressure orchestrated by Ishikawa, rookie striker Masaki Fukai and Mitsuo Ogasawara, who donned the captain's armband for the second week in a row. Six minutes into the match, Ishikawa lobbed a long cross for Fukai, near the right post, but a Reds defender easily outjumped the diminutive rookie and headed the ball back towards the top of the box. Unfortunately, Ogasawara was the first to reach the cleared ball, and with a spinning wheelhouse kick, he drove the ball into the left side of the net, putting the Antlers in the early lead.

Urawa took some time to get into gear, but by the midway point of the first half, they were starting to take control of the match, though they were unable to convert possession into any real shots on goal. The Antlers sagged back on defence, denying speedsters emerson and Tatsuya Tanaka any room to run, and used their counterattacking opportunities effectively to create several more good shots on net. With time running down in the first half, Fukai used a dazzling bit of dribbling on the right side to beat his defender, turned the corner and dropped a rolling ball across the face of goal. A defender managed to push it away from the onrushing Ogasawara, but Ishikawa collected the loose ball and fed Takeshi Aoki just inside the penalty arc for a blistering drive into the nylon.

The Reds stepped up the pressure in the second half, and not only dominated possession, but began to get some legitimate scoring opportunities as well. The Antlers, meanwhile, sagged further and further back as the pressure began to take its toll on the battered and exhausted club. Ten minutes after the break, Emerson finally managed to get behind his defender, and before Hitoshi Sogahata could dash in to break up the play, Emerson flopped to the pitch to win a penalty kick. Though there seemed to be only moderate contact, it was enough for the referee, who pointed to the spot.

But the pressure took its toll on Emerson as well, and he sent his shot just wide of the right post (Sogahata had guessed the corner correctly, and looked like he might have made the save even if it had been on target). But just a few minutes later, he made better use of another opportunity. This time he pounced on a cross from the left sideline and drove it for the low right corner. Sogahata again reacted well, but he was unable to hang onto the slippery ball, and Yuichiro Nagai swept in from the right side to pop in the rebound.

With time running down, the score of the Yokohama-Jubilo match was suddenly flashed to the Antlers bench. Yokohama had taken the lead, and now the Antlers needed only to hang onto their lead in order to take the second-stage championship. The exhausted players tried to fend off one last Urawa charge, as the match went into injury time.

But apparently, Kashima had used up its quota of miracles for one year, and a championship was just not meant to be. With just moments left in the match, Nagai slipped down the right sideline and fired a cross into the box. Emerson flung himself headfirst onto the ball and headed it into the opposite corner, for the late equaliser . . .

[CAMERA CUTS BACK TO YOKOHAMA, WHERE . . . ]

As time ran out in Yokohama, just moments after Kubo's go-ahead goal, the final whistle sounded and players looked up at the flashing scoreboard to see what was happening in Kashima. Suddenly, the replay of Emerson's diving header flashed on the screen. The entire stadium erupted and the Marinos substitutes and staff swarmed the field, shouting, jumping, and shaking their heads in disbelief. In the space of just five minutes, first Jubilo and then the Antlers had fallen by the wayside and the Marinos emerged as unchallenged victors of the 2003 J.League championship!

0 - 2

Indeed. For JEF to even be in a position for the title (assuming that all other results went their way), they needed to defeat Tokyo Verdy -- at Tokyo's Ajinomoto Stadium -- by six goals. Since Verdy have never lost a match by more than four in the team's history, this was never in the cards. Nevertheless JEF gave a good effort, and with all the other results going their way, managed to finish the season level on points with the Marinos and Jubilo (but five goals adrift on goal difference).

Verdy, who had also been eliminated from contention last week, seemed rather flat, and apart from a few half chances, struggled to create offence on the slippery pitch. JEF also struggled with the wet ball and a pitch which for some reason sent all long passes bounding into touch like a golf ball on concrete. However, 18 minutes into the contest, Shinji Muraicollected a lead pass from midfield and touch it on into space as his defender rushed up. The clever flick on allowed him to step past the flailing defender and make an unchallenged run for goal, waiting for the keeper to commit and then driving a shot inside the post.

JEF continued to dominate play, and shortly after the break, a through pass from Choi Yong Soo sent Sandro past his defender on the right side of the box. Sandro had to shoot from a sharp angle but he curled the ball just inside the far post to double JEF's advantage. Verdy had a few chances later in the second half, but JEF were clearly in charge and the result never in doubt. With the win, JEF climbed into third place, for their highest stage finish in the team's history. Considering how well they performed in 2003, JEF United will surely be among the contenders next year, as well.

1 - 1

Vegalta tried to fight back, but Trinita have been a very stingy team on defence this season, even against some of the best teams in the league. A glimmer of hope emerged fifteen minutes from time, when a long cross from Yoshiteru Yamashita was cleared weakly, and fell to Yuichi Nemoto at the edge of the box. Nemoto drove his shot into the back of the net, giving the visiting fans a breif reason to cheer. But Oita held on for the draw, and Vegalta, relegated to the J2, must now begin the long climb back as they seek promotion next season

ELSEWHERE

Cerezo Osaka also took out their frustrations on their opponent, Vissel Kobe, in a 4-0 runaway victory. Amazingly, Cerezo scored nine goals in their final two matches despite the fact that their ace striker, Yoshito Okubo, was unable to take part due to a two-match suspension for shouting down a referee.

FC Tokyo spotted Kashiwa Reysol a two-goal half time lead, but after veteran midfielder Shigenori Hagimura picked up a second yellow card in the 62 minute, Tokyo roared back with four late goals -- two by the aging "King of Tokyo", Amaral -- to win the match 4-2.

Finally, Shimizu S-Pulse closed out their season with a win over Nagoya Grampus, as two goals from Alex Santos outpaced a single strike by this season's Golden Boot winner, Ueslei.

And so, another season comes to a close, in thrilling style. Although the Marinos' victory in the second stage means that there will be no championship series this season, this may be for the best. Whereas last year the lack of a championship playof left a dreary an anticlimactic lull between the end of the second stage and the latter stages of the Emperor's Cup, this year the East Asian Cup tournament will fill the gap nicely. Indeed, Zico and other members of the national team coaching staff will be thrilled with this outcome, since it means that they can name a much stronger roster for the tournament. If the Marinos and Jubilo or Antlers were forced to play matches over the next two weekends, Zico would be unable to call up players from those clubs for the East Asian Cup matches.

Though Yokohama heartily deserve theit title -- particularly after their short-handed comeback against Jubilo this weekend -- the results of this season suggest that the League is moving into an era of much greater parity. After a decade in which the vast majority of the silverware and all of the league titles were monopolised by just four teams (Antlers, Jubilo, Marinos and Verdy Kawasaki), next year promises to be a wide-open contest, with as many as eight or nine teams all boasting legitimate hopes of winning it all. Here are the final standings for the 2003 second stage.

Rumours and Rumblings

Emperor's Cup Highlights High School Contenders

Perhaps the most impressive performance was turned in by Kunimi High School, whose 4-0 victory over Sanyo Electric Tokushima greatly understated the team's strength. Not only did Sanyo's keeper have a fine afternoon, but Kunimi were without the skills of their ace striker, Sota Hirayama, who is in the UAE playing with Japan"s U-20 squad in the world youth champioships. Kunimi got a hat trick from Hirayama's "understudy", Kazuma Watanabe, and will face off against Kawasaki Frontale in what may well be the highlight match of next weekend.

Another impressive showing came from Ichiritsu Funamashi High, which came away with a 1-0 win over Thespa Kusatsu. Thespa recently won promotion to the JFL's nationwide division, and field a number of former J.Leaguers including the seemingly ageless Carlos Alberto de Souza Santos (formerly of Kashima Antlers, Shimizu S-Pulse and Vissel Kobe) and former national team keeper Nobuyuki Kojima. Thespa were in control throughout the match, but the Funabashi players fought furiously, maintained a tight and well-drilled defensive set, and scored on one of their few offensive opportunities, thanks to U-18 star Cullen Robert.

Elsewhere, Kansai Gakuin University managed to hold Sanfrecce Hiroshima scoreless until the second overtime period, yet Sanfrecce's youth team very nearly knocked off J2 club Mito Hollyhock, succumbing to a golden goal strike just when it seemed like the youngsters were starting to take control of the match. One other group of high-schoolers also came within a whisker of defeating a J.League club, in a wild contest between Gifu Kogyo H.S. and Montedio Yamagata which ended in narrow 4-3 victory for Montedio. However, the only J2 team to actually be defeated in the first round was troubled Sanga Tosu, who lost a 1-0 decision to Okinawa Kariyushi FC, an aspiring JFL club with strong local support in Okinawa, which has been coached and led for the past three years by former J.League star Rui Ramos.

Below is the full table of results for the first round