---

January 4, 2004
Happy Anniversary, RSN

Japan's off-season horse trading got off to an early start during the month of December, but with the First Stage scheduled to kick off in early March, transactions reached a fever pitch over the past week, and it appears that most clubs will have a firm roster by the end of January. Below, we take a look at all the personnel moves that have taken place to date. In addition, though most of the "big-name" players have already found a home, we look at some rumours that still could become reality over the next week or two.

The newcomer to Japan's top-flight division, Albirex Niigata, would typically be expected to be one of the most active participants in the trade market. Most teams who advance from the J2 take the opportunity to clear out players who are not really up to the challenge of first-division play, and shop aggressively for veteran J1 players who are not receiving much playing time for their current teams. Albirex generally followed this pattern, but the total number of new acquisitions was less than is usually the case for a newly promoted club. This is partly because the team already had a good core of players, and did not need to go "bargain-shopping" like some recently promoted teams in the past. Albirex is a well-supported club, with solid finances and a bankroll large enough to cover the cost of new signings, but most of their moves during the off-season simply involved reclaiming players who had been on loan or transfer to other clubs in 2003. Albirex still has not confirmed their three foreign players for the 2004 season, and considering the cash reserves they have to draw upon, we would not be surprised to see a fairly high-profile player arrive as a late signing

One rumour that did not pan out for Albirex involved the team's effort to sign former national team goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi. Though Kawaguchi has turned down offers to return to the J.League, several times, he is currently finding only infrequent starting chances at Nordskjelland, in Denmark. It certainly seems that his only hope of winning another call to the NT would be to estalish himself as a regular starter, in a league where he is visible to Zico and other members of the national team coaching staff. With this in mind, a return to Japan would not be out of the question. Niigata has no real quality keepers, and this has been one of the teams main weak points. However, the team's active efforts to lure Kawaguchi back to Japan seem to have come up empty, at least for the time being.

Three key players with historical ties to Niigata confirmed that they will "return" to the Albirex lineup next season. Shingo Suzuki and Makoto Atsuta both played for Kyoto Purple Sanga last season, but were there on rental contracts, and returned to Albirex "ownership" when these contracts expired after the 2003 season. Atsuta confirmed his return to Niigata at the end of last year, and Suzuki made his decision official on January 5. Meanwhile, veteran midfielder Yoshito Terada decided, after a year at Oita Trinita, to return to Niigata where he had spent the previous three seasons.

Albirex also locked in a player who made a positive impression last season during a short-term rental contract. Tokyo Verdy defender Kentaro Suzuki was picked up on rental after failing to earn much playing time for Verdy. He played the second half of the season at Albirex on a rental deal, and the team was sufficiently impressed by his performance that they negotiated a full transfer in early January.

Defense was something of a weakness for Albirex in 2003, and the team took steps to beef up the back line with young but promising players who were available on the transfer market. In addition to Suzuki, who rental contract was converted into a full transfer, the team signed veteran defender Susumu Umeyama, from Shonan Bellmare as well as Yasushi Kita, from Cerezo Osaka, both on full transfers. Though neither player is a top-class talent, both have shown that they can contribute at the J1 level, and should help add some depth to Albirex's back line

Albirex also picked up two midfielders who were searching for a new home, and who will add some experience to the center of their formation. In the first week of January, the team reached terms with journeyman midfielder Toshiyuki Abe, who was cut loose by Vegalta Sendai after the club was relegated. In addition, Sanfrecce Hiroshima veteran Hiroyoshi Kuwabara has seen little action in Hiroshima since the emergence of the Morisaki twins as U-22 stars, so Albirex was able to convince him to come to Niigata on a one-year loan deal. One intriguing rumour that remains vague, but certainly sounds interesting, involves former Japan national team player Masakiyo Maezono. Japan's former U-23 captain has been trying to revive his career in Korea, at Anyang LG. Though most J.League clubs gave up on Maezono at least a year or two ago, there are some signs that he is getting minself back together, and it will be interesting to see if Albirex decide to take a chance on the troubled midfielder. A final issue to watch is which foreign players Albirex will have on the roster when the season opens. Last year's ace striker, Marcus de Morais, has been traded to Kawasaki Frontale, while Jailson was released at the end of his rental contract from Mirasol FC. So far the team has not announced any new signings of foreign players, though it has three open spots on its roster. Albirex is playing its cards close to the vest, but surely we should hear some news regarding the players who will fill those positions, in the next week or so. Albirex has plenty of money in hand, so if any big surprises are in store involving foreign talent, Niigata is the most likely place for it to happen.

At the end of the 2003 regular season, the Kashima Antlers made the difficult decision to make a clean break with the past and begin solidifying their team around a core of younger players. The "new guard" are a group ranging from 21 to 25 who have already established themselves as the wave of the future, but who have been held back over the past year or so, to some extent, by the talented veterans who lingered on as central members of the starting eleven. The baton was already being passed from one generation to the other, in the latter stages of the season, after ten-year veteran Yoshiyuki Hasegawa retired, and Mitsuo Ogasawara subsequently began wearing the captain's armband. When the regular season ended, the head office made it clear that they were moving into the future, by announcng that they would not offer contracts to veterans Yutaka Akita and Naoki Soma for the 2004 season. This, plus the pending retirement of Naoto Honda (which will probably be announced in January or February) removes four players who have been with the Antlers since the J.League began, and have a combined 1200 matches worth of J.League experience between them.

Naturally, it was difficult to make the break, particularly in the case of Akita and Soma, who still appear to have two or three good seasons left in their careers. Nevertheless, this looks like a decision that has to be made eventually. Most people familiar with the team will agree that Tomohiko Ikeuchi and Tatsuya Ishikawa would be starting on almost any other team in the league. Kashima were apparently in a situation where they either had to give these youngsters a chace to play regularly, or trade them away. The Antlers simply had to make room in their lineup by bidding the old-timers farewell. Akita was quickly signed by Nagoya Grampus, his home-town club, while Soma was picked up a few weeks later by Kawasaki Frontale, both on full transfers.

A second issue that the Antlers are trying to address in the off-season is their lack of an effective finisher up front. Tomoyuki Hirase's performance in 2003 was pathetic, and although Masaki Fukai shows great promise as a dribbler and set-up man, at 161cm he hardly fits the bill as a "go-to" player up front. So far there have been several interesting rumours regarding prospective strikers, and although the team has already locked in one talented Brazilian striker, there is a chance that Kashima will land another before the 2004 season begins. Kashima has apparently been talking to several top prospects, but the one whose name received the most attention, and the only one confirmed, thus far, is former Brazil NT member Fabio Junior. The Athletico Mineiro ace is perhaps a bit past his prime, but he surely can add valuable finishing skills to the Kashima front line. Since Kashima still has one open spot on their roster for a foreign player, and rumours indicate that the team is "nearly set" in terms of its contingent of foreign players, we suspect that the signing of another Brazilian will be confirmed within the next week or two

Yuichi Nemoto, whose career with the Antlers has been a question mark for the past several years, has been sent off yet again on a rental deal, this time to Oita Trinita. Nemoto is clearly a talented player, and his steady appearances in the U-22 national team suggest that he surely is receiving offers from other clubs for a full transfer. Yet for the past three years the Antlers have signed one-year rental deals that allow Nemoto to receive regular starting opportunities, but keep him at arms-length from the Antlers lineup. It seems that the Antlers view Tatsuya Ishikawa as their future stalwart at the right wing back spot, and they signed another player who is capable of filling that slot during the off-season, acquiring Toru Araiba from Gamba Osaka. It will be interesting to see how much longer the team can keep Nemoto on a string, without agreeing to part with him permanently. If Araiba makes a decent show at the position in 2004, it might finally produce a complete break between Kashima and Nemoto.

The one area of potential concern involves players who hope to move to Europe in the near future. Mitsuo Ogasawara has apparently received offers from Bologna, Atalanta and Palermo, but none has elicited a positive response from player or club. Masashi Motoyama also indicated that he would like to move to Europe, if possible, and will probably demand a clause in his contract this season allowing him to have the final say on whether or not the Antlers accept an offer from an overseas club. At the moment, it looks like both will probably stay put for the 2004 season, but one or both could be destined for Europe by this time next year.

Cerezo Osaka has released or indicated their intention to release a large number of players, but has only made a handful of acquisitions to replace them. In general, this seems to be a positive move by a team looking to rebuild as a true contender, since most of the players released were veterans who seem to be nearing the end of their careers. Furthermore, the team is hanging on to the many youngsters it picked up over the course of the year through deft signings of relative unknowns and players who are still in school, such as Noriyuki Sakemoto and Shohei Tokunaga. The team released all of its foreign players, yet still managed to reach the Emperor's Cup final, suggesting that a few quality signings of overseas talent could make Cerezo a leading contender in 2004.

The biggest step that the team has taken thus far, to rebuild its roster, was the signing of Sanfrecce Hiroshima defender Kenichi Uemura on a one-year loan. Uemura was considered one of the best defenders in the league before a serious leg injury, three years go, sidelined him for a season. He has not yet regained the eye of national team scouts, but he does seem to be back in form, and will be a big help to the Cerezo defence, which has been one of their weakenesses in recent years. Another addition to the back line is Davorim Cabral, a youngster who has started for the Croatian U-21 team and seems to be a good prospect. With coach Nadved Bader taking over as head coach, it is not surprising that he has tapped a player from the Balkans as his first overseas signing.

In addition, Cerezo signed goalkeeper Keisuke Hada, a youngster from Shimizu S-Pulse, as a backup option in the net. This seems to reflect the team's intention to drop veteran Seigo Shimokawa, who may ot yet be ready for the glue factory, but has certainly seen better days. Daisuke Tada demonstrated that he is good enough to hold down the starting position this season, and with the addition of Hada as a backup, Shimokawa will probably either join a J2 club, or announce his retirement.

We suspect that the team will try to pick up one or two other quality foreign players to strengthen their back line, while relying on their existing youngsters for offense. The release of Marcelo "Baron" Polanczyck came as a bit of a surprise, but perhaps Cerezo will look for a more effective replacement to pair with Okubo up front. So far, no news has emerged regarding who will fill the final two positions for foreigners, in the Cerezo lineup. Though the club is not as wealthy as some other J1 teams, there is always a chance that they could announce a "major acquisition" before the season gets under way.

Gamba Osaka have been quite active in the transfer market, though some of their activities are still on the order of strong rumours. Continuing their history of excellent youth development, the team promoted two fairly high-profile youngsters, both members of the U-18 national team, from the Gamba Youth squad: Ryota Miki and Shinichi Terada. However, the biggest acquisition announced thus far was the team's singing of Sidiclei, the heart of Vissel Kobe's defence last season and a player who can contribute at either a central defence or a volante position. The team also has finally confirmed a deal to acquire Mitsuteru Watanabe, who was released by Kashiwa Reysol and has strong historical links to coach Nishino.

These two moves, plus the release of Toru Araiba to Kashima Antlers, suggests that the team may be retooling its back line and defensive midfield. Gamba had a very effective offence last season, but they conceded far too many goals (including a record number of own-goals) and this hurt them seriously in the race for a title. The recent trades certainly make it clear that the team would like to shore up its defence. The only question is, exactly what can we expect from the team in 2004.

Captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto is a central defender, and although Sidiclei played volante, on occasion, for Vissel Kobe, he is really better suited to a central defending role as well. We believe that coach Akira Nishino may be adjusting to a 4-4-2 lineup, rather than the 3-5-2 set that Gamba have played for the past few years. The release of Araiba and the names of foreign players linked to the club in recent weeks tends to support this assumption as well. The biggest names that have been floating around Banpaku stadium recently are all powerful defensive midfielders, who presumably would join national team member Yasuhito Endo in a twin-volante set. The team has already signed Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho from Paraguay's Sao Caetano, while prospects to fill the remaining spot for a foreign player include Baudmir da Silva, a defensive midfielder at Vasco da Gama, and Korean NT volante Choi Sun-Yung.

While this should give Gamba's defence a boost, there is a risk that the team could lose some equally important players at the back. Veteran Masao Kiba has indicated that he may not sign a new contract for 2004, preferring to accept a more favourable offer from Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Though the team is trying to reach terms with him, it is still not certain whether or not Kiba will be back at Gamba this year. Meanwhile, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto continues to seek opportunities to play overseas. Though he has been unsuccessful in prior attempts to attract an offer from a club in Europe, there is still a chance that he could get an offer, and his current contract reportedly gives him the right to compel Gamba to accept bids from overseas teams.

Overall, we think that Gamba will come out of the trading period a stronger club, particularly on defence. The club may also sign a second foreign striker, according to rumours that have surfaced involving Botafogo"s Almir. The question is whether these changes will be enough to help the team win some silverware. That remains to be seen, but at least the team seems to be on the right track.

Nagoya Grampus have been surprisingly active in the transfer market this year. Even before Christmas, the team had made two very high-profile player acquisitions and been linked with several other well-known domestic players. Although the team may not be as active on the overseas market this year (they have announced that both Ueslei and Andrej Panadic will be back next season), they do seem to be making aggressive efforts to reorganise. Perhaps this reflects a decision by the front office that its youngsters are not showing enough consistency, and they need to bolster the team with a few more veterans. Whatever the case, Nagoya is likely to look quite different next season.

The two biggest acquisitions, which were announced before 2003 had ended, involve veteran players who were placed on the auction block by their respective clubs. Yutaka Akita, who dominated the back line at Kashima Antlers for over a decade, was given his release by the club though he still seems to have another two or three good seasons left in the tank. A Nagoya native, Akita opted to mobve back home, and prepare for a future career in the coaching ranks. Akita is no longer the dominant defensive presence that he was in his prime, but he does have over a decade of experience -- not only in how to play football, but more importantly, in how to win titles. the Grampus head office apparently home he can trasfer some of that knowledge to his teammates, and serve as an example in the clubhouse as well as on the field.

The second big name player is veteran midfielder Teruo Iwamoto, who was released by Vegalta Sendai after they were relegated. Iwamoto was one of the few stars on the Vegalta team in 2003, and though he may not be a brilliant player, he should add a bit of experience in midfield, which seemed to be lacking last year due to the (in our view, overly rash) trade of Motohiro Yamaguchi to Albirex Niigata.

A third major acquisition which potentially could be a huge boost to Nagoya is the recent signing of young Kyoto defender Makoto Kakuda. The U-22 defensive star puts the final piece in place for one of the most formidable back lines in the league (Panadic, Akita and Kakuda). With these three deals, Nagoya have added more talent to their lineup than any other team except (possibly) the Urawa Reds.

Still, there is a danger that Grampus may be OVERdoing the effort to acquire talent. In addition to the aforementioned deals, which clearly address weaknesses that the team had in previous years, Nagoya have also announced the signing of Omiya Ardija goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima and Kashiwa Reysol's veteran midfielder Harutaka Ono, and if that were not enough, they recently launched a bid to sign U-22 star volante Yuki Abe, from JEF United Ichihara.

Kawashima, a standout player who started for Japan's U-20 squad in the UAE. Though certainly a valuable acquisition, it is hard to see what Grampus gains by signing him, when they already own the NT starting keeper, Seigo Narazaki. For our part, we see no real value for Nagoya in signing a player like Kawashima unless they are expecting Narazaki to move overseas in the near future (an unlikely prospect considering the fate of Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi), while the deal does little to benefit Kawashima apart from boosting his salary. He is unlikely to see much playing time, as a backup to Narazaki, and this could cost him a possible spot on Japan's Olympic Team roster.

The signing of Ono is also hard to understand. Though this may add a bit more speed on the flank, which Nagoya lacked last season, Ono's star has fallen in recent years and no longer is viewed with the enthusiasm he generated three or four years ago. It will be interesting to see if a move to Grampus can revive his career, or indeed, whether he gets much playing time at all. The problem with all of this activity is that it seems oddly reminiscent of the team's actions in 1999, following the collapse of the Yokohama Flugels.Nagoya swooped in and signed many of the Flugels veterans, producing a lineup that looked, on paper at least, like one of the best in the league. But with so many top stars on the roster, Grampus discovered that not all of the big egos could fit on the same pitch. The team failed to perform at a level matching its hype, and for the next two or three years Nagoya Grampus was synonymous with the concept of the overpaid, underperforming prima donna.

Considering Nagoya's moves in the off-season, it certainly does look like they will be a cotender next year. Nagoya should be far more effective on defence in 2004 than they were last season, and they have the talent up front to score goals, as well. Now the only question is whether they can post a won-lost record commensurate with the big names in their matchday programme. Whatever the case, Gramous fans will be looking forward to the start of the new season, when they will surely get the answer to that question.

After a year of surprising success but no siverware to show for it, JEF United Ichihara seems to be making all the wrong moves, conducting what amounts to a "fire sale" of their most useful assets. The release of captain and long-time star of the team Eisuke Nakanishi (who has already announced a contract with Yokohama Marinos) was perhaps understandable, as Ivica Osim tried to build a new, younger team arond emerging stars who deserve better than to share the spotlight with a fading player like Nakanishi. However, othre moves have followed closely on the heels of this announcement, leaving the impression that JEF are selling every player that can fetch a decent price. The team is known to have weak finances, but the exodus of talent has to stop somewhere or there will be no team left.

In our eyes, the most foolish move of all was the transfer of ace striker Choi Yong-Soo, on loan, to second-division Kyoto Purple Sanga. Choi should be assured of a scoring title in the J2, which may keep him happy, but it is hard to see how JEF can do without the 80+ goals he has scored over the past three seasons. Takenori Hayashi found the net with greater regularity last year, but mainly as a second-half substitute. It is hard to envision him stepping into Choi's shoes. Meanwhile, Sandro Cardoza was something of a disappointment, providing some support to the offence in the set-up department but not showing the sort of scoring capacity that he achieved in Korea.

Other candidates to help out at striker, Hayato Sato and Katsutomo Oshiba, have been traded away to another J2 club, Vegalta Sendai. When a J1 contender starts losing it top players to J2 clubs, you know that someting is not entirely right. Perhaps the biggest blow of all could come early in 2004, since Feyenoord are reportedly pursuing Yuki Abe, and the U-22 volante has indicated a strong desire to move to Europe. Even if that deal does not emerge, Nagoya Grampus seem to be pursuing Abe as well. The mere fact that such rumours should appear, involving such a crucial player, suggests that all is not well in western Chiba. So far, the only real steps taken to replace the outflow of talent has been the signing of two players who made strong performances last season at Montedio Yamagata -- striker Toshiaki Haji and defender Masakazu Takada.

One recent rumour offers a possible explanation for JEF's sell-off. This rumour has Arsenal's backup striker Nwankwo Kanu taking up residence in Chiba next season. While this would certainly be a blockbuster deal, if true, we do not think that JEF could afford to sign a player of Kanu's status, even after all the sales they have been making. Still, we will have to wait and see, since a player of Kanu's abilities would change the team's prospects for 2004 dramatically. It is quite possible that this, or other moves will emerge later to balance off the losses that JEF have taken thus far, but at the moment, the team has dropped a handful of quality players without taking any significant steps to replace them. Is this the start of a successful retooling of the little club from Chiba, or is it a sign that JEF have peaked out? Only time will tell.

Jubilo Iwata failed to win any silverware in 2003, but despite a few signs of weakness, particularly in their aging back line, they rebounded quickly to take the first title of 2004 with a victory in the Emperor's Cup. Although there are understandable concerns about how well the team can perform in 2004, given the ever-rising average age of their key players, there is certeainly a strong supporting cast waiting in the wings to take over if the team decides it is time to make a generational change. We suspect that the team could have a few difficulties in the upcoming season, as they try to find the right balance between the veterans and the up-and-coming youngsters. That is not to say that they will drop out of title contention, but simply that this may be a transitional year in which Jubilo fails to achieve true greatness. Nevertheless, looking at the youngsters on the roster, and the excellent promise they show of developing into a new generation of J.League stars, chances are that Jubilo will be back to their winning ways by 2005.

If Jubilo does manage to strike the right balance between generations, this year, much of the credit should go to incoming coach Takashi Kuwabara. Kuwabara managed Jubilo for three seasons, from 1997-99, and presided over the team's climb from mid-table challengers to league champions. With two league championship rings already on his fingers, and a long history of coaching success stretching back to the former Furukawa Denko (the predecessor of JEF United Ichihara), Kuwabara is an ideal captain to keep the entire crew in line. He will probably have to deal with the headaches of deciding when to turn the veterans out to pasture and bring the youngsters in to replace them, but surely his past record shows that he is well suited to the job.

Nevertheless, it is not entirely clear whether Jubilo themselves know which direction they are going. Their moves in the off-season suggest that the team is trying to move backward and forward at the same time. Though they continued to sign some of the most high-profile youngsters in the high school ranks (such as Ichi-Fumabashi striker Robert Cullen and two other members of the U-18 NT roster), they also insisted on the return of Toshiya Fujita from FC Utrecht. The simple truth is that Utrecht had no money to pay a player of Fujita's calibre, were using sponsorship from a Japanese advertiser to cover his salary, and exhibited no intention of ever paying the fee for a full transfer despite the fact that Fujita was one of the most valuable players on the team. This may explain why Jubilo ordered him home. Subsequently, they have dangled him as a trade prospect to Vissel Kobe, and if such a move did go through it would confirm that the team is indeed putting its money on the youngsters.

Jubilo also signed veteran keeper Yohei Sato, as well as midfielder Hitoshi Morishita, from Consadole Sapporo. The former will provide extra depth following an injury to Hiromasa Yamamoto, but it is hard to understand what Jubilo expect to achieve by picking up yet another aging midfielder.

Apart from these moves, Jubilo's main activity has been to stock Shonan Bellmare (quickly becoming a Jubilo "farm club") with the less effective players from last year's roster. Despite the extenuating circumstances behind Fujita's return to the club, this gives Jubilo a "starting" lineup with an average age of slightly over 31. Certainly, not all of the veterans will be regular starters next year. The younger generation was even receiving a fair amount of starts in 2003. Nevertheless, it is hard to avoid the perception that Jubilo has two separate generations on the team, each equally capable (and probably equally eager) to start regularly. Kawamura will have a difficult time allocating playing time. Additional moves will probably be seen before next season starts. However, as we noted at the top, Jubilo are likely to face a transitional in 2004 before the young guard take over the team in 2005, and presumable return it to winning ways.

The Yokohama Marinos won both stages to take the league championship, last season, so it is perhaps not surprising that the team has made few substantial changes to its roster in the off-season. The core of the team is relatively young yet loaded with talent, and should surely be able to challenge for another title next year even without substantial changes. Nevertheless, there have been some rumours of plans to add a small number of quality players, and the team has already picked up one proven veteran and one youngster who can serve as dependable backups, even if they do not win a starting role.

The most prominent acquisition thus far was the Marinos' signing of Eisuke Nakanishi, who was released by JEF United at the end of last season. At age 30, still should have another few years of playing time left before he starts thinking about retirement. Nakanishi may be past his prime, but he could provide the Marinos with some useful and interesting options, whether as a starter or as a late substitute. Another player who should be named in the same paragraph, since he offers the team similar options, is Hayuma Tanaka who rejoins the team after two years of rental duty at Tokyo Verdy. Both players are wing backs (Nakanishi on the left and Tanaka on the right). Last season, Yokohama played Yoo Sang-Chul and Dutra on the wings, but both players are actually better suited to an attacking role. Though they do have good defensive skills, their main value was in supporting the attack on the overlap. With Nakanishi and Tanaka in the squad, coach Okada will have the option of shifting Dutra and Yoo forward into midfield, to present a lineup which probably is as strong offensively as Yokohama's usual starting set, but adds defensive solidity to the midfield flanks. The strategic significance of these two acquisitions is what one might expect from a team managed by Takeshi Okada, who likes to have as many options on the bench as possible

A second player who was acquired more for his potential as a wild card than as an immediate contributor is former Cerezo Osaka midfielder Nobuki Hara. A relatively young player who has seen only limited action in three years with Cerezo, Hara nevertheless shows occasional flashes of quality, and the ability to find space on the wing. As already mentioned, he is not going to win an immediate spot in the Marinos lineup, but he does have the potential to make a contribution off the bench

Yokohama released a number of modestly talented players to clear some room on its roster for new signings. The only rookie who has been confirmed, thus far, is Masahito Yamasaki, a striker with Kokushikan U. and the national universiade team. However, the Marinos have been linked to several talented high school players who are likely to announce their intentions following the national high school tournament, in mid-January. The only really significant release was striker Marquinhos, who made a valuable contribution up front during the 2003 season, even if it was only spot duty. Yokohama probably would like to replace him with another quality foreign striker. So far, the only significant rumour involves Shimizu S-Pulse's Korean ace Ahn Jung-Hwan. Though S-Pulse are not likely to let Ahn go without a struggle, the disarray in Shimizu this year suggests that anything is possible. We will be watching this spot closely since the Marinos' final decision on who to pick as their third foreign player could have a strong influence on the team's chances to capture a second straight league championship.

For the third year in a row, the Urawa Reds are reaching into their deep pockets in an aggressive effort to purchase a championship team. Though the money spent on new acquisitions has not yet managed to produce a league championship, the team at least seems to be on the right track, having captured the Nabisco Cup in 2003 and moved into the ranks of top contenders. More importantly, though, the team made an important adjustment at the end of last season, bidding farewell to Hans Ooft and bringing in a new coaching staff. Though Ooft was certainly not one of the worst coaches in the league, we spent much of the season bewailing his lack of vision and his relatively conservative approach to football. Urawa has one of the most explosive teams in the league, at least on paper, and it needs a coaching staff with the sort of risk-taking nature and wide-open offensive philosopy that can exploit the skills of its players to the fullest.

For this reason, the most important move that the Reds front office made over the winter break was the signing of Guido Buchwald as general manager and Gert Engels as his head coach. Buchwald is a Reds alumnus, who established a fne rapport with both fans and management. The power of his "presence" and charisma is hard to resist, for those who have had the chance to meet him in person, and when he played for the Reds, he was treated like a god by the fans. Though his skills as a coacha are unproven, it is hard to think of anyone who could more effectively motivate a team, captivate its fan base and keep management and sponsors strongly behind the team.

But while Buchwald is a brilliant choice as a team leader, the choice of Gert Engles as his "assistant" is the element that makes this coaching package seem truly inspired. Engels is viewed by those who know the J.League well as perhaps the most tactically brilliant coach ever to manage a Japanese team. He led both Kyoto Purple Sanga and Yokohama Flugels to the Emperor's Cup title, depite having to work with severely limited resources in both cases. If Engels is unable to get this team to perform up to its ability, then no one can.

If that were not enough, the Reds have already opened the checkbook and purchased three or four players who could make important contributions in 2004. Marcus Lyuji Tulio Tanaka (Tulio), a recently naturalised Brazilian of Japanese extraction, entered the league as a teenager with Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and showed good athletic abilities, though perhaps not the finest skill as a central defender. However, last season he was traded to Mito Hollyhock, who shifted him to wing back and allowed him to put his speed and attacking instincts to more effective use. Even playing on a bottom-dwelling club like Hollyhock, Tulio's skills won him a call-up to the U-22 national team, and when added to a team of racehorses like the Reds, he is sure to thrive.

Just a week after signing the high-profile Tulio, the Reds trumped their own ace by announcing a deal for Alex Santos, who was unhappy in Shimizu and had openly expressed his desire to leave. Though he played attackjing midfield at S-Pulse, Zico is trying to convert him to a wing back spot for NT duty, and it appears that the Reds have agreed to sign him as a wing back in a 4-4-2 lineup. This gives Urawa four national team members and two potential NT candidates in its back line. Initially, we suspect that Tsuboi, Santos and right wing back Nobuhisa Yamada will fill the roles that they play for the national team (Tulio will probably fill in as the fourth back, playing alongside Tsuboi in central defence). However, the switch to a 4-4-2 will open up new possibilities for young Tadaaki Hirakawa, who was forced to play on the left side last season even though his natural position is right wing back. All of these players (with the possible exception of Yamada) have blazing speed, and when added to the greyhounds that Urawa already has up front, will give the Reds by far the fastes team in the league.

Another move that seems a bit more questionable, but could pay off in at least a small way, was the signing of Tomoyuki Sakai from Nagoya Grampus. Sakai is a former national team member, but he never really showed much effectiveness at Nagoya. His collapse from national team prospect at JEF United to bench-riding reserve at Grampus is a bit hard to understand, but it could just be the fact that he was not well suited to the team. In any case, Sakai has considerable experience, and would at least give the team a solid backup for U-22 volante Keita Suzuki. Then again, Suzuki seemed less than impressive in a 3-5-2 set at Urawa last season, and might be better off playing with Sakai as twin volantese. It is unclear exactly how things will work out in the Reds defensive midfield, but at least the team has more options now than they did last season.

Two other acquisitions that will just add jet fuel to the afterburners in the Reds midfield are Naoya Umeda, who played striker for Sanfrecce Hiroshima last year, and Masayuki Okano, who returns to Urawa after several years at Vissel Kobe. Umeda has decent skills, but he was only a mediocre contributor to Sanfrecce last season, while Okano never really won a spot at Kobe, though he did contribute off the bench from time to time. At first, one might have reason to wonder why Urawa is purchasing these sort of players, when they clearly have the money to do better. However, the key strengths of both players are their speed and height. It may be that the Reds really do intend to play a 4-3-3 lineup next year, with Emerson, Tanaka and Nagai all on the pitch at the same time. If this is the case, the team will need one or two players who can potentially come on in the second half, when the starting three begin to tire. If this is the case, Umeda fits the profile, at least on paper, and Okano has already proven his ability to give the team a spark when coming off the bench.

Since the team still has money to spare, and an open spot for a foreigner, we will have to watch the Reds very closely over the next week or so, to see what other surprises are in store. Though the signings announced to date are already a match for any other team in the league except (possibly) Nagoya, this not be the end of the shopping spree.

Kashiwa Reysol started work last year to restructure their team around a new, more youthful base. This process continues in 2004, as the team sold off most of its remaining "veterans" (in the sense of players who have been with the team for six years or more) while continuing to pick up young players with good future prospects. Though none of the team's acquisitions are particularly well known, we believe that Reysol's focus on youth will eventually allow them to climb back into the ranks of contenders. They already have a strong group of teenagers who have proven themselves at the U-20 level, and though it may be another two or three years before they mature enough to act as the engine behind a championship contender, they all have excellent future prospects.

Most of Reysol's actions in the early stages of the off-season involved the sale or release of the remaining veterans. Hideaki Kitajima's rental to Shimizu S-Pulse was elevated to a full transfer, Makoto Sunakawa's rental to Consadole Sapporo was extended, and both Harutaka Ono and Mituteru Watanabe are being dangled as salable merchandise to Gamba Osaka and Nagoya Grampus, respectively.

However, as the trading frenzy began to die down, Reysol pulled a rabbit out of the hat, announcing the acquisition of Brazilian midfielder Dudu, who impressed one and all at the U-20 championships in UAE. Interestingly enough, there have been some hints that the deal may have been brokered not by Reysol managment, but by Antlers coach Toninho Cerezo, who is a close friend of Vitoria's president Paulo. Why an Antlers coach would help a rival team land a top player is anyone's guess, but perhaps the idea is to get the youngster into the J.League, let him develop until he outgrows Reysol's payroll, and then have him move across town, to Kashima.

Whatever the true story is, Dudu will fit right in with the youth concept being cultivated in Kashiwa, and there is no question that he will be a big addition to the midfield. Reysol have a number of very promising U-20 players in the squad already, and the energy and enthusiasm produced by young legs and young spirits could make them a dangerous opponent this year, even if they dont win any titles.

No other J1 team seems to be in greater disarray than Shimizu S-Pulse. Clearly there is something wrong in the front office of this club, since the team not only fails to perform up to its potential on the pitch, but comments emerge almost daily in which top players express their urgent desire to get away from the team at the earliest opportunity. Poor coaching over the past two seasons certainly did not help, nor did the fact that several of the star players seem to consider themselves "too good" to be playing for a non-contender like S-Pulse. However, the team has a history of relative success, and a strong fan base. It is hard to understand how this club could be in such dire straits, unless there is something truly amiss in the front office.

To list just the most prominent of the personnel issues facing S-Pulse in the off-season, Kazuyuki Toda's rental contract with Tottenham Hotspur was not renewed at the end of the year, but Toda remained in Europe looking for a club. A coach at Den Haag, in the Netherlands, indicated that they wanted to give Toda a contract but he had returned to Japan for "personal reasons" Given the emphatic terms that Toda has used in the past, indicating that he no intention of returning to Shimizu, it is hard to understand what actually happened. Perhaps S-Pulse scotched the deal and Toda is heading back to Shimizu to "set things straight". Though it is hard to see him back at S-Pulse considering the water that has flowed under this bridge already, at the moment he seems to have nowhere else to go. It seems like a disgruntled player is the last thing S-Pulse need in their clubhouse, right now, but that may be exactly what they have when the season finally opens.

Meanwhile, even before the team had been eliminated from the Emperor's Cup, Alex Santos gave public notice that he would not be back for the 2004 season. Fans were quite vocal in their displeasure, with many calling Santos a "traitor", but one can hardly blame him for wanting to escape from the chaos in Shimizu. The team had little choice but to look for a buyer, and Urawa Reds were the eventual purchaser. Finally, Ahn Jung-Hwan is dropping hints that he will follow Santos out the door, and recently he has been linked to the Yokohama Marinos.

About the only players that S-Pulse have managed to attract, as candidates to take their places, are rookies out of high school or university, and two relatively unknown Brazilians -- Flamengo midfielder Fabinho and Goias striker Araldho. Though Hideaki Kitajima's loan from Reysol has been converted to a full transfer, this hardly qualifies as good news, considering how little Kitajima contributed last season. Things are certainly not looking good for the wingheads in 2004.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima return to the top-flight division with a young but relatively solid team that has had a year of intense "training" in the second division to prepare them for the rigours of the J.League. Considering the quality of the youngsters at the team's disposal, it is probably no surprise that Sanfrecce are not making many bold changes. Though probably not deep enough to challenge for any silverware, we believe that the team has a solid core of youth that should be able to establish themselves firmly in the middle of the table even without any additions. Indeed, the team has so many quality yung players that they ere able to farm out several to other clubs on one-year rentals. These include defender Yusuke Igawa (Gamba Osaka), Kenichi Uemura (Cerezo Osaka), Jungo Kawano (Yokohama FC), Yasushi Takahashi (Omiya Ardija) and Sotaro Sada (Thespa Kusatsu). Though it will take more talent than they currently have on the roster to win any silverware, Sanfrecce are not a rich team, and will probably opt to make just a handful judicious acquisitions in the off-season, and wait until they have established a firm base in the J1 before thinking about future glory.

That is not to say that Sanfrecce do not have the potential to strengthen their lineup. Already they have picked up a few individuals who were waived by other teams yet still have the potential top make contributions in 2004. These include Kazuki Sato, from Yokohama Marinos, and Yasuo Manaka, who played part of last season on a rental deal from Cerezo Osaka, but now has been acquired on a full transfer. The team also signed veteran defender Megumu Yoshida from JEF United, and midfielder Daisuke Tonoike from Ventforet Kofu. Neither is a standout player, but they should be able to make a contribution, at least of the bench.

Finally, Sanfrecce picked up veteran Norio Omura, who had a long and distinguished career with the Yokohama Marinos, but was dropped by Vegalta Sendai when they were relegated at the end of 2003. One or two similar deals are the source of frequent rumours, recently. One suggests that defender Masao Kiba is holding out on a new contract with Gamba Osaka, and wants to transfer to Sanfrecce. Another rumour (albeit a less likely one) has Daisuke Matsui joining Sanfrecce now that Kyoto Purple Sanga have been relegated. There are signs that Matsui will probably stay with the Purple Sanga, now that they have demonstrated their intention to purchase the talent needed to win promotion, but there is always a chance that Sanfrecce can close the deal.

On the other hand, there may be one or two losses as well, as some of he older players look for teams that can offer better money or a greater chance of winning some silverware. Striker Naoya Umeda has already been traded to Urawa Reds, and defender Kenichi Uemura has apparently requested a transfer to Cerezo Osaka, though Sanfrecce are trying to structure this as a one-year loan. Yutaka Takahashi has already received a one-year loan transfer to Omiya Ardija. However, none of these losses are likely to put a serious dent in the team's competitiveness. Sanfrecce seem to be heading in a positive direction, so long as they can continue to cultivate quality youngsters.

FC Tokyo improved considerably, last year, and were in the hunt for a title until nearly the end of the season. Thus it is perhaps not surprising that they have made only a handful of roster changes, thus far. The team's main efforts have been directed at signing talented young players, and in that area they have been quite successful. In addition to two players elevated from their U-20 squad, they have added Ichi-Funabashi defensive star Ryuya Masushima, as well as two members of Japan's Universiade team. Furthermore, T0kyo scored a coup when they convinced Consadole Sapporo star and U-20 captain Yasuyuki Konno to sign with them on a full transfer. A less well-known player but another promising youngster is Takatoshi Matsumoto, who played several J1 matches for Kyoto Purple Sanga last season as a 19-year-old on their youth squad.

This focus on youth seems to be in keeping with FC Tokyo's new team strategy. Although their own youth programme is still not as strong as those of teams like Gamba Osaka, Sanfrecce or JEF United, Tokyo is making sure that they have a steady flow of talented young players into the team, hoping to use this as the lifeblood of a steadily improving organisation. Though most of these players will not make a major contribution until after the 2004 season, they will almost surely help the team in the long run. This strategy is far superior to Tokyo's past technique of signing old journeymen players and trying to get a few more good years from them.

One big blow to the team, at least psychologically, will be the loss of Amaral, the so-called "King of Tokyo", who at age 37 was released, with everyone expecting him to retire, but was offered another year of playing opportunity at Shonan Bellmare. His "replacement" , Lucas, is a former Brazil NT striker but one who had little experience in actual matches. He had difficulty making a mark in the French league, at Rennes, and was released by that club when he indicated his desire to either be traded elsewhere, or return to Brazil .

Tokyo has relatively deep pockets, thanks to rising attendances at Ajinomoto stadium, and they certainly have the money to make a major acquisition or two before the season starts. We wil be watching this team closely for the next month, though they already have the personnel to be a serious contender in 2004.

Of all the teams in the league, one would have expected Oita Trinita to be most active during the off-season, even if the team's finances limited them to scrabbling for players dropped by other clubs. At least so far, the team has been silent except to occasionally provide confirmation when other clubs announce that they have signed some of Trinita's top players. This raises some concerns about how competitive Trinita can be next season. Though they managed to avoid relegation in 2003, it was a very close thing, and tribute mainly to the single-minded defensive tactics adopted by the team, allowing them to eke out the occasional 1-0 win or 0-0 draw. Trinita need to make some major improvements to their midfield and attack next season, or they will almost surely be on their way back to the J2.

The team has already managed to sign a few good young players. Taku Harada, an attacking midfielder who was dropped by Nagoya Grampus and who hails from the Kyushu area, was signed on a full transfer. Kazuyoshi Mikami, a former universiade star who failed to find a spot at Yokohama Marinos last year, has also been acquired by Trinita. The most important signing, though, was a one-year rental deal for Yuichi Nemoto, a starting left wing back for the U-22 team who the Antlers have been renting out for the past few seasons to ensure that he gets regular playing time.

The team has been linked to Tuto, who was dropped by Shimizu S-Pulse and is looking for a new club, but so far this is just a rumour. More importantly, the team lost one of its star midfield set-up men, Yoshito Terakawa, who played for Albirex Niigata in the three seasons prior to 2003, and has decided to return to the Mighty Swans now that they have won promotion to the J1. Daiki Wakamatsu likewise returned to his former team -- Omiya Ardija -- after just one year in Oita.

There are still two months left in the off-season, and surely Oita are not finished with their player acquisition efforts. At the moment, though, things are not looking too bright for 2004.

Another team that has not done much in the off-season, at least so far, is Tokyo Verdy. About the only significant moves they have made so far have been to release underperforming foreign players and to release players who were not seen as important to the team in 2004 (most of these are players who were already rented out to other teams, and whose contracts were converted to a full transfer). The only acquisition whatsoever has been the signing of Yokohama FC's veteran goalkeeper Hiroki Mizuhara, to provide some depth on the bench.

However, unlike Oita Trinita, Verdy have both the management organisation required to make effective personnel plans and the money to see those plans through. We have little doubt that the team will make some changes over thenext two months, most importantly in filling their two openings for foreigners. Verdy already have a very young and relatively talented squad, so just a few quality additions could make them a contender in 2004. Though they have been slow out of the blocks, we will be watching Verdy closely in the next two months, since we can be almost certain that SOMETHING interesting is going to happen.

For the fifth time in as many years, Vissel Kobe have embarked on a team restructuring effort. Vissel has weathered some stormy seas in the past, and still managed to remain in the top-flight division, but their management strategy (if it can be called that) had just been to dig the hole they are in deeper, and it appears that they may have finally hit rock bottom. In December, the team announced that it was insolvent, and that it would auction off its remaining operations to the highest bidder, some time early in 2004. Although the auction process stipulates that the new buyer muct keep the team in Kobe, and keep the current name, there was no stipulation about personnel. Fortunately for fans and players alike, the ultimate buyer (indeed, the only company that submitted a bid) was the Crimson Group, a Tokyo-based manager of Internet commerce sites, including the famous "Rakuten Ichiba" (sort of a cross between E-bay and Amazon, which dominates the Japanese e-commerce business). The owner, who is a native of Kobe, has made it clear that he intends to pump money into the team, if necessary, to restore its fortunes

Unfortunately, this sale came a bit too late to prevent an exodous of talent. While the future was still undertain, many players openly courted offers from other teams. Sidiclei, the Brazilian defensive force who almost single-handedly ensured the team's survival in J1 over the past two years, has signed for Gamba Osaka, while other players such as Masayuki Okano and Masao Tsuchiya discussed possible returns to their former clubs (Urawa Reds and Tokyo Verdy, respectively).

Yet no sooner had the Crimson Group taken over than they began to make noises about signing a gaggle of top quality players. Their wish list was as star-studded as it was controversial, including names like as Daisuke Matsui, Yasuhiro Hato and Toshiya Fujita, not to mention even more ridiculous rumours about Roberto Baggio and Rivaldo! Naturaly, few of these contracts are likely to be concluded, though at least the new owners have indicated that they are willing to spend money to attract talent to the club. Even so, Vissel is not likely to land top-drawer talent such as Matsui. The league has even provided strict "advice" warning the team that it has to live within its means, in 2004. For the above reasons, we have not included any of the player acquisition rumours in the table below. Clus who own the players mentioned have reacted with angry denials that players like Matsui or Fujita are even for sale. Probably the team's new willingness to spend money will help them land one or two useful players, but we doubt the nmew ill be quite as high-profile as the initial rumours suggest. Whatever the case may be, Vissel probably face a difficult year or two since they will have to get this current reorganisation right, or be complusarily disbanded by the league.

Rumours and Rumblings

High School Heroes Reduced to Four

This year, the tournament has brought its share of highlights, heroes, upsets and action. As the tournament kicked off, the two favourites to reach the final were last year's first and second place teams -- Kunimi High School and Ichiritsu Funabashi High School -- who both boast a handful of players who are already either pledged to a J.League team, or are being pursued aggressively by prospective suitors. Sure enough, both reached the quarterfinal round with little difficulty, though a few other leading contenders, such as Maebashi Ikuei HS and Bunan HS, were early casualties of the competition. The biggest story of the early rounds was Gifu Kogyo, which not only put a good thrashing on strong competitors, but boasted the runaway scoring leader, a relatively unknown midfielder named Ito who scored six goals in his team's first four matches.

But the quarterfinal round was a formidable hurdle for several of the top prospects. Though Ito managed to add a goal to his tally, a late header on a corner kick by Chikuyo Gakuen defender Aoyanagi gave the Fukuoka club a 3-2 victory. Even more surprising was the fate of Ichi-Funabashi, which won the championships last year with a team composed mainly of second-year players. This year, though the same stars -- Robert Cullen, Ryuya Masushima and the rest -- were back as seniors, the team fell on penalty kicks to Kagoshima Jitsugyo HS after the two teams played to a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time.

Kunimi managed to avoid an upset in the quarterfinals, but only just. Last year's runners-up were held scoreless by Yokkaichi Chuo HS until four minutes from time, when ace striker Sota Hirayama chested down a cross from the right wing and unleashed a blast from the edge of the penalty box to give his team a narrow victory. As a result, three of the four teams remaining in the tournament were schools from the island of Kyushu -- Chikuyo, Kagoshima Jitsugyo and Kunimi. Only Takigawa #2 HS, from Hyogo Prefecture (who also advanced on PKs after a 1-1 draw in regular time) remained to represent Japan's main island. And so, the four teams from Western Japan converged on Tokyo's national stadium, the site of both the semifinals and finals of the tournament

Chikuyo HS 2 - 1 Kagoshima Jitsugyo HS

Th absence of two key defenders may have made the difference. Kagoshima had the majority of the offensive momentum in the first half, but Chikuyo defended well, and scored a goal just before half time on a fine counterattack finished off by Katahara. Kagoshima's ace striker Takahiko Nagamine, who entered the match as the tournament's top scorer, was bheld scoreless, and although he assisted on the equaliser goal early in the second half, Chikuyo's defence remained solid against almost constant Kagoshima attacks in the second period. Then, with just two minutes remaining, Chikuyo were fortunate enough to win a free kick on a counterattack that was very much against the run of play. Kuwabara took the kick and played a perfect ball over the wall and into the high right-hand corner to give his team the win.

Kunimi HS 4 - 0 Takigawa #2 HS

The star of the show, to no one's surprise, was Sota Hirayama, an 18-year-old phenomenon who has already notched two international goals as a member of Japan's U-20 squad at the World Youth Championships, in the UAE. Hirayama was the focus of aggressive defending by Takigawa all afternoon, yet he had little difficulty controlling the ball in the offensive post all afternoon long, and would eventually register a hat trick to take the lead in the race for the golden boot. Early in the first half, Hirayama got the scoring started after an inlet pass put him through one-on-one against a defender. It was one of the few times all afternoon that Hirayama would be left with just a single man guarding him, and the result was a lesson in futility for the hapless Chikuyo player. Hirayama spun around to face goal, took one huge stride to his right and then blasted a shot inside the left upright.

Takigawa managed to hold Kunimi for the rest of the first half, but shortly after the restart Watanabe made another fine assist, taking a ball right to the end line, on the left of goal, then cutting it sharply in front of net for Hyogo to volley home. Just a few minutes after the second strike, Hirayama pounced on a weak clearance by the keeper, broke into the box and fired a low shot just inside the right post.. Midway through the period, it looked like Hirayama had his hat trick, as a counterattack sent him free on goal from about 25 meters. However, the Takigawa keeper was quickly off his line, and made a beautiful save to deny the shot. Hirayama seemed a bit miffed to see the goal get away, and just 20 seconds later he would make amends. No sooner had Takigawa cleared the ball than a Kunimi player stole the outet pass and sent it back into the Takigawa end. Hirayama collected the ball with his chest, then made a dazzling lateral move that left two defenders standing flat-footed as the big man surged towards the left post. As he cleared the last defender, Hirayama sent a left-footed shot rocketing across the face of goal and into the far corner, to complete his hat trick, and close out the scoring. This sets up an all-Kyushu final, as Kunimi will face off against Chikuyo at National Stadium next Monday afternoon.

Mr. Marinos Takes a Final Bow

The "event" was far more important than the match itself, which was a rather dull affair by any standards. Perhaps that should come as no surprise when one considers the greying collection of geezers who took part. Every person on the pitch -- and most of those on the sidelines as well -- is a household name in Japan's football community, but only a few participants are still active in the J.League, and one of the starting strikers for the "ICAP" team was Kazushi Kimura, who is pushing 50. Nevertheless, it was interesting to see so many of Japan's past football stars all in one place, and the fans were probably more interested in enjoying the sight of their childhood heroes than in seeing a truly competitive football match. Considering that 12 of the 20 most-capped players in Japan national team history (including Ihara himself, who has an unmatchable 123 NT appearances to his name) took the field at one time or another, during the afternoon, they certainly had the opportunity to see a bit of sporting history on display, even if the old geezers have lost a step or two since their glory days.

Nakata Move to Bologna is no Balogna

On his web site, Nakata made little mention of the team's financial troubles, instead discussing his disagreements with Parma coach Cesare Prandelli for his decision to leave. "I have decided to make a fresh start for the new year with a move to Bologna." he announced, and went on to explain the reasons why he felt he could no longer play for Parma. "The way I want to play and the way I am being asked to play are different . . . Last season, I was being played out of position and even though the coach told me things would be different this year . . . still nothing has changed." Fortunately for Nakata, one club that showed interest in acquiring his services was Bologna, where coach Carlo Mazzone (Nakata's mentor at Perugia) had taken over the coaching duties a few years earlier. Bologna can use some help offensively, and this suggests that Nakata will be able to play his preferred role in attacking midfield. Certainly the presence of Mazzone indicates that the club knows what sort of skills Nakata possesses, and wjhat position and tactics sut him best. Nakata indicated as much, on his web site. "Coach Mazzone was one of the biggest reasons for moving to Bologna. I spoke to him on the phone and he immediately put my mind at rest. He understands me as a player and as a person, and I have absolute trust in him."

Naturally it is too soon to tell whether the change of scenery will help Nakata revive a career that has begun to look a bit "tired", in recent years. He certainly has the skills to make a contribution, but lately, Nakata has not really demonstrated the sort of fire and inspiration needed to impress fans in Europe -- not for Parma, and not really for the National Team, either. Nevertheless, the chance to work for Mazzone once again should offer him support, and some degree of confidence. It will be interesting to see if Nakata can regain the form he showed in his early years at Perugia.