J1 - 26 Match Reports

JEF Utd Ichihara Nagoya Grampus Eight 2-1
J: Yazawa 47’, Fukai 48’

N: Ogawa 40’

JEF’s turnover is complete now, and they’ve stepped out of the relegation zone for the first time this year. Well, atleast away from the bottom two that gives direct promotion. That’s because they beat league-leaders Nagoya 2-1 at home, an incredible strong result considering Nagoya had 5 straight wins. And it was deserved as well, as the home team had the most of the chances and most of the possession. They looked strong in the opening minutes, combining well with their quick passing and ”free-flow” football. But itwas the visitors that took the lead, on one of their numerous counter-attacks. Ogawa fired home a shot from distance to make it 1-0 just before the break. That was Ogawa’s 3rd goal in the latest 3 matches, and the winger is only 1 goal behind topscorer Johnsen now on the goalscoring charts.
But JEF didn’t give up, and almost immediately after the break, they equalized through Yazawa, who became the hero last match with his injury-time winner. Yazawa scored after a rebound given by Narazaki in Nagoya’s goal, and a minute later the speedy winger were in action again. This time he found Fukai with a nice cross, and the striker scored the 2-1 goal. They managed to held on for the win despite some hevy pressure from Nagoya near the end. With Jubilo being hammered by Tokyo, it means that JEF are now in 16th, which gives playoff vs the 3rd-placed J2 team. JEF had 14 shots to Nagoya’s 9.

FC Tokyo Jubilo Iwata 5-1
T: Cabore 14’, Sahara 33’, Own goal 61’, Ishikawa 69’, Suzuki 88’

J: Maeda 34’

We were worried that Tokyo might would struggle in front of goal this match, being without their topscorer Akamine as well as their 2 most important midfielders Hanyu and Konno. But the Gasmen proved to be extremely efficient this match, scoring a whopping 5 goals from only 10 shots. Bad luck for Jubilo, who fell into direct relegation with this loss.
Tokyo took the lead after only 14 minutes, when Cabore finished off a counter-attack by hitting the back of the net. Hideki Sahara added another in the 33rd minute, but seconds later Jubilo’s Ryuichi Maeda exploited an error in the Tokyo defence to reduce to 1-2. The first half didn’t saw much more chances really, and Jubilo were at this time still in the match, being on level with the home team. That were soon to change though, as Tokyo immediately after the restart started their domination. 16 minutes into the 2nd half, Tokyo got their 3rd through an own goal, and soon after the speedy Ishikawa made it 4-1. Ishikawa were perhaps the man of the match this round, and along with Cabore up front he were a constant threat to Jubilo’s defence. Suzuki completed the humiliation when he made it 5-1 in the dying minutes, after rounding of the goalkeeper elegantly. Tokyo had 10 shots to Jubilo’s 8.

Albirex Niigata Vissel Kobe 3-2
A: Richardez 54’, A.Tanaka 69’, Kano 84’

V: Yoshida 64’, H.Tanaka 78’

A frantic finish to the game, where we got 5 goals in the last 35 minutes, saw Albirex beat Kobe 3-2 at home. That means Albirex are safe now, being 8 points above the relegation zone. For Vissel however, things are getting serious, and with an in-form JEF only bein 4 points behind now they needs to up their game.
The first half of this match is not really worth mentioning, as most of the action took place after the break. Marcio Richardes opened the scoring with a tricky header in the 54th minute after being set up by Matsuo down the wing. The goals came with only few minutes between now, and Vissel were soon to equalize through Yoshida, who an down the left-wing to beat the goalie from a tight angle. Atomu Tanaka were the next to get on the scoresheet, with his right-legged volleyshot after Matsushita had found him with a cross. When Hideo Tanaka hammered the ball into the top corner after Leandro did well so well to find him in the 78th minute, it looked like the match would end a draw. But Albirex weren’t finished, and with just 6 minutes left to play Yano headed home the winning goal. Matsushita were the architect also this time. Overall it was a evenly-contested match,and it could have ended both ways. That shows in the shot-statistic as well, with Albirex habing 12 shots to Kobe’s 11.

Shimizu S-Pulse Tokyo Verdy 1-0
S: Hara 72’

Shimizu recorded their 3rd straight win when they beat Verdy at home this round. For Verdy however, the loss means they’ve only taken 1 point in the last 4 and are just 4 points above relegation now. Shimizu were by far the best team this match, and should have won by a much bigger margin. The strikers Yajima and Hara bouth missed tons of chances, much due to Verdy’s Doi standing in the way for each of their efforts. Verdy on the other hand, didn’t produce much dangerous, and their biggest chance were a header that went over the bar. Shimizu’s goal came in the 72nd minute, when Hara headed home a free-kick from the right. Shimizu continued with that their great form, that has taken them as high as 8th in the table. They outshot Verdy 12-7.

Yokohama F Marinos Kawasaki Frontale 1-1
Y: Nakazawa 44’

K: Own Goal 72’

Marinos and Frontale shared the spoils in an evenly contested battle this round. It being a derby match, alot of pride were at stake, and for Frontale’s sake only a win were good enough in their pursuit of the title.They got off to a great start, but coldn’t find the opening goal their many chances . Instead, Nakazawa headed home a corner to give Marinos the lead just before the break. Nakazawa were in focus later in the match as well, when he scored the equalizer for Frontale with an own-goal. It was a hard fought battle with lots of aggression on the pitch, and it resulted in some cards and a sending off for Marinos. Shohei Ogura, who played so well for Mito last season, have finally breaken into the Marinos squad. 10 minutes before full-time he received marching order though. Frontale had 18 shots to Marinos’s 15, and the home team will be most happy with the draw I think.

Oita Trinita Consadole Sapporo 3-2
O: Edmilson 57’,90’, Ueslei 88’

C: Anderson 67’, Nishi 90’

Oita moved to the top of the table after beating last-placed Consadole at home this round. However, Oita struggled more than what the teams league position should suggest, and with 3 goals in the dying minutes we got a very exciting finish to the game. The game were played in Oita’s old stadium, and the home team didn’t look too comfortable with that. They let Consadole run the play for long periods in the first half. Oita had the biggest chances though, and should have been 1-0 up by half-time. Edmilson gave Oita the lead after 57 minutes when he reacted quickest to a shot that hit the post. But just 10 minutes later Anderson header over the Oita goalie to equalize. With the time running out, both teams looked like they would settle for the draw, but 2 minutes from full-time Ueslei scored with a clever-taken freekick to put Oita back in the lead. Consadole didn’t give up though, and Nishi volleyed home the equalizer once again after a scramble in the box in injury-time. Clearly the match should have ended then, but Edmilson were on target once again with what was virtually the last kick of the match to give Oita an extremely importan win. With Nagoya losing, Oita are now in 1st place on goal-difference. Oita had 17 shots to Consadole’s 10.

ACL - Gamba and Urawa through to the semi, Antlers knocked out

Urawa Red Diamonds Al Qadisiya (KUW) 2-0 (4-3 on aggregate)

U: Soma 32', Tulio 55'

The mighty Saitama Stadium

Urawa lost 3-2 in the first meeting in Kuwait a week ago, and needed a win here to qualify for the semifinal. A goal in each half from Takahito Soma and Marcus Tulio Tanaka saw Urawa overturn the 3-2 deficit from the first leg to win 4-3 on aggregate.

Urawa were by far the best team, and if the finishing had been a little better, they would have won by a bigger margin. Al Qadisiya weren't anywhere near the standard they set back in Kuwait, and struggled to keep up with the more famous japanese stars.

Their coach stated afterwards that " Urawa is the perfect team", and that he was honoured to meet a team they usually only followed on TV. With more than 41 000 at Saitama Stadium to cheer the home team through, it was an unusual atmosphere for the kuwaiti players. Now Urawa will be facing fellow J.Leaguers Gamba Osaka in the semifinal, and they have their sights on a 2nd consecutive ACL title. However, Urawa are busy in the league as well, and to be successful on both fronts it takes alot of energy and effort. Perhaps that will be too big a task for Urawa, and they are likely to focus more on the league than on the ACL.

Adelaide United Kashima Antlers 1-0 (2-1 on aggregate)

A: Cornthwaite 74'

Profiles like Danilo,Marquinhos and Motoyama all disappointed in Adelaide

Adelaide stood for the quarterfinals biggest shock when they knocked the japanese champions Kashima Antlers out of the competition. With that, Adelaide is the first ever australian team to qualify for a semifinal at the Asian Stage. Antlers were struck by several injuries this match, and that clearly affected the team's performance. Especially Ogasawara's loss were hard to handle, but either way Adelaide deserves credit for beating the japanese side.

Cornthwaite scored the only goal of the match with 16 minutes remaining, and the australian had packed their defence all match, making it hard for Kashima's attack to do anything. Individual players like Danilo, Motoyama and Marquinhos all looked a bit disappointing, and they should have taken more responsibility with Oga out. Congrats to Adelaide, but for the Antlers there's only the league left to focus on now ( perhaps that's a good thing though).

Gamba Osaka Al Karamah 2-0 (4-1 on aggregate)
G: Yamazaki 84', Roni 85

Gamba are aiming the ACL-title now

Gamba left it late, but they were never really threatened by the syrian side Al Karamah here. With Gamba winning 2-1 away in the first match, the syrian team had to score 2 goals and they never really got close. Gamba dominated from the very first minute on, but the finishing weren't the best. It was nice to see Ryuji Bando back in business though, and the speedy forward showed signs of what he is capable of, and only needed a goal to make his comeback a perfect one. Luckily, his compatriots up front, Yamazaki and Roni both struck goals in the last minutes of the match. The visitors had a few dangerous chances themselves, but Gamba always seemed to be in control.

Gamba now faces Urawa Reds in an all japanese semifinal, which guarantees a japanese side in the final. With Urawa having focus on the league as well, Gamba has a small advantage, but either way it's gonna be a close battle. Urawa looks slightly better than Gamba this season, but it's sure gonna be one heck of a dogfight between the two J.League giants.

Quruvchi Tashkent Saipa 5-1 (7-3 on aggregate)

Q: Villanueva 9'18',52', Rivaldo 45', Luizao 68'

S: Mirghorbani 34'

Uzbeki-side Quruvchi, or Bunyodkor as they are named now, sweeped past Iranian side Saipa to make it to the semifinal. It was one-way traffic towards Saipa's goal, and Bunyodkor's south-american stars shined with their technical play. Jose Carlos Villanueva from Chile recorded a hat-trick, and the former Brazil-start Rivaldo got one from the penalty spot just before the break. Luizao added a 5th to complete the humiliation of the iranians.

Bunyodkor are sailing up as an early favorite now, especially considering how strong they are at home. Bunyodkor are a really strong home team, and their stadium are often referred to as a fortress. Adelaide is Bunyodkor's next opponent, and it's difficult to predict who's gonna make it to the final at this stage. Bunyodkor are small favorites though, and are soon to be taken over by former Japan-coach Zico. Zico had a good spell in Turkey last year, but his desire for money left him without a job this summer. Zico demanded that his salary should be doubled from last year, but that was somethinh Fenerbache didn't accept. Apparently there are alot of money in Uzbekistan now, and that's probably the reason why big-names like Zico and Rivaldo have wandered off to such a non-glamurous league.

J2 - round 37 results

Avispa Fukuoka Cerezo Osaka 3-2
A: Okubo 69’,90’, Tanaka 85’

C: Kaio 22’, Kagawa 71’

Up until 5 minutes remaining, things looked great for Cerezo who were up 2-1. but 2 late goals from the home team turned the match around, and for Cerezo’s sake it must have been one of the most bitter defeats this season. The loss means Cerezo are falling further behind the other teams battling fo a top 3 finish, but there are still plenty of points to play for so everything isn’t lost yet.
Cerezo got off to a good start, and put Avispa under pressure immediately. They attacked mainly down the wing, and set up Kaio for several chances. In the 22nd minute, the talented brazilian met a cross from Yanagisawa to make it 1-0. Perhaps he should have scored on one of his other chances as well, but by half-time Cerezo were 1-0 up. Avispa looked a bit more lively after the break, and started creating chances on their own. Their topscorer and prolific striker Okubo equalized in the 69th minute only to see Kagawa take the visitors back into the lead a few minutes later. The end to the match were dramatic, and within the last 5 minutes Avispa turned the match around to take all 3 points. First a goal from Tanaka, before Okubo scored his 2nd of the day with a precise header in injury-time.
All in all the teams were very evenly contested, with 15 shots on goal each. Cerezo were best before the break, but Avispa took more and more over in the 2nd half. Credit to Avispa for coming from behind to take the win, but at the same time it’s disappointing from Cerezo’s side to let it happen in such an important match. Perhaps that’s one of their main problems, not being able to win they need it the most. It happened in 2005, when they lost the title on the last day, and then in 2006 when they got relegated. At the end of last year as well they only needed to win their last 2 matches to get promoted, but also then they messed it up.

Ventforet Kofu FC Gifu 4-0
V: Onishi 9’,58’, Fujita 54’, Sales 70’

Gifu are really poor at the moment, and lost their 6th game in a row against Kofu this round. 3 of those losses were by a big margin, and overall the goal-aggregate is 2-22. Gifu’s fans are probably hoping the season are already over, as they are falling like a stone on the table at the moment.
Kofu took an early lead through Onishi after only 9 minutes, when the home-team combined well with quick passing and timed runs. That set the tone for the match, and although Gifu weren’t too bad in the first half they always seemed to be one step behind Kofu. They got to some few chances though, but nothing that troubled the goalie. After the break it was a one way street leading to Gifu’s goal, and the visitors didn’t have a single shot on goal that half. Fujita added a 2nd in the 5th minute before Onishi scored again around the hour break. Brazilian striker Sales completed the humiliation of Gifu with a tricky shot in the 70th minute. With the win Kofu are unbeaten for 9 matches now, and are closing in on the teams above them. IT might be too little too late, but nothing is impossible as the teams above are stealing points from eachoter every round. Kofu had 13 shots to Gifu’s 4.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima Ehime FC 4-1
S: Sato 25’, Hattori 35’,Morisaki 54’, Aoyama 64’
E: Yokotani 89’

We congratulate Sanfrecce with a place in J1 next year...!

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanakalabotamochi/499511684/)

Sanfrecce secured their place in J1 next year by beating Ehime 4-1 at home. With that they’ve taken their points tally to 81 already, and with the nearest rival being a whopping 22 points behind Sanfrecce are guaranteed a place within the top 2 at the end of the season.
Sanfrecce had few problems beating Ehime, and Hisato Sato scored his 21th goal of the season to give the home team the lead after 25 minues. Sato’s goal came on a counter-attack, and the small striker tricked a defender before unleashing a powerful shot. 10 minutes later Hattori scored a cracker of a goal, with a left-footed volley shot from around 35 meters out. Morisaki and Aoyama added 2 more in the 2nd half, before Yokotani scored a consolation goal for Ehime with a shot from distance. Sanfrecce had 24 shots to Ehime’s 10.

Shonan Bellmare Vegalta Sendai 1-2
S: Kato 79’

V: Ryan Yong Gi 44’, Sugai 90’

Vegalta moved one step closer to J1 with a win over Shonan Bellmare.

Shonan and Vegalta battled it out in Bellmare this round, and it was the visitors that ended up taking a very strong and hugeli important 2-1 win. That suddenly means Vegalta are in the front seat for the 2nd place that gives direct promotion, while Shonan are down in 4th now.
It was an evenly contested battle, but Vegalta had the most of the chances and played with great poise and effort. yan yong Gi gave them the lead just before the break when he turned past a player before taking a right-footed shot from just outside the box.
Vegalta looked best in the beginning of the 2nd half as well, and the midfielders fed the striker Hirase and Nadson with several nice passes. It didn’t result in any goals though, and little by little they allowed Shonan back into the match. Shonan struggled to break down the tight Vegalta defence though, and it took a free-kick for them to get the equalizer. Kato curled it directly into the goal in the 79th minute, and with just a few minutes remaining it looked like the teams would share the points. But in injury-time, Sugai headed home a free-kick to give Vegalta the win. Vegalta outshot Shonan 12-7, and in the end it was well-deserved.

Montedio Yamagata Sagan Tosu 0-1
S: Fujta 28’

Montedio are showing signs that they are cracking up, and lost again at home against Sagan here. With they they’ve only taken 2 points in their last 4 matches, and they can’t really afford more losses now with only 7 matches remaining. They are still in 2nd though, but many of the teams behind has a game in hand.
Montedio got off to a good start, but the final pass or shot didn’t quite match the build-up, and instead Sagan took the lead through who else than Yoshihito Fujita. Under alot of pressure from a defender, Fujita managed to take the shot, and as usual it ended up in the goal. That was his 14th goal of the season. As time went by, Montedio got more and more desperate to find the equalizer,and threw on Baba and Rychelly to strenghten their attack. They got to a few chances, but so did Sagan, who now had acres of space to counter-attack in. All in all a deserved win for the visitors, who with the win joined the race for promotion again, climbing above Cerezo in the table. Sagan had 11 shots to Montedio’s 8.

Roasso Kumamoto Yokohama FC 1-0
R: Yoshii 89’

Roasso players celebrate two wins in a row

(http://rosso-penya.net/)

Roasso won 2 matches in a row for the first time since they won promotion to J2 when they beat Yokohama 1-0 at home this round. It was fully deserved as well, and Roasso played one of their better matches this season actually.
They sat the tone by putting the visitors under alot of pressure early on. Their numerous chances didn’t result in any goals, and with Yokohama looking threatening on counter-attacks, they backed down a little. Yokohama didn’t match their performance from last round when they beat Sanfrecce, and let Roasso run the play in this one. The home team had to wait until the 89th minute before they got the winning goal. Keisuke Yoshii became the hero of the day by scoring his first ever goal for the club to give them 3 valuable points. Roasso are now only 2 points behind Gifu in 12th. They had 20 shots to Yokohama’s 8.

Mito Hollyhock Tokushima Vortis 2-0
M: Kikuoka 48’, Nishino 68’

Mito have now 7 points in their last 3 matches, and are just 1 point behind Yokohama in 10th place. Finishing ahead ofYokohama would be a great feat for such a small club, and form-wise Mito surely looks the strongest at the moment Tokushima on the other, keeps losing and will finish last this season as well.
Tokushima came out in a very defensive formation here, and Mito struggled to break through. Arata had a few big chances though, but the home-fans had to wait until the 2nd half for the first goal. That came jsut after the break, when Kikuoka fired home a shot from distance. Kohei Nishino added another midway through the half. Tokushima weren’t totally hapless though, and actually had several shots this match. Most of them were never going to trouble the goalkeeper though. Mito outshot Tokushima 17-13, and for Tokushima it was the 17th game in a row without a win (!).

Hooliganism in Kashiwa?

They all sit nice and quietly here but...

picture is from http://www.flickr.com/photos/28764853@N00/sets/72157603300036028/

Kashiwa Reysol haven't exactly had the reputation of having the nicest supporters. They've often been referred to as thugs, and a japanese answer to the english "hooligan". Those words got a new meaning in april, when a bunch of Reysol-supporters attacked a lone Shimizu-supporter outside the stadium after the match. (read the whole story here: http://s-pulseukultras.blogspot.com/2008/04/kashiwas-only-victory-yesterday.html ).

Now there's been another disgraceful incident taking place in Kashiwa, but ( for once ) it wasn't the home team's supporters fans fault. When Reysol's Alex were about to take a corner in front of the Antlers fans, one crazy dude ran towards him and hit him on the head with one of those giant flags. Check it out for yourself here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pOJezw--UM

Surely that guy should be banned for life from ever entering a football field in Japan again, but with the japanese FA being as "cowardly" as they usually are, that's not likely to happen.

Seems hooliganism and incidents within the crowd are getting more and more common in Japan now, and JFA has to kill it before it evolves into a much bigger problem. So, the sooner the better.

An englishman's guide to Saitama

Picture courtesy of RichardL over at BigSoccer.

RichardL, a regular poster over at the BigSoccer Japan forum ( http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=1068 ), recently saw the match between Urawa Reds and Oita Trinita in Saitama Stadium. Here he writes about his impressions of the match, and Japan in general from a foreigner's point of view. For anyone interested in Japan, it's a must-read article.

Check it out here:

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/blog.php?b=2069

J1 - R25 Match Reports

Kyoto Purple Sanga Gamba Osaka 1-2
K: Sato 23’
G: Yamaguchi 1’, Roni 26’

In the Kansai-derby this afternoon, visitors Gamba emerged as winners, and with that went by Kyoto on the table to regain the ”best Kansai-team title”. It was an interesting match, with plenty of chances at both ends. All the goals came early in the match, but it was never boring. Yamaguchi headed home the opening goal in the 1st minute of play on a corner to give Gamba the lead, but Kyoto were soon to equalize through midfielder Yuto Sato. His brother scored for Sanfrecce yesterday, and Yuto didn’t wanted to be any worse. He swivelled around a man to take a shot that went via a defender and in. Just 3 minutes later Roni got loose after a Kyoto defender slipped, and the brazilian made no mistake alone with the goalkeeper. Kyoto got close on several occasions in their search for the equalizer in the 2nd half, but neither Sato or Yanagisawa managed to score with their efforts. Kyoto gave 16 year old wonderkid Miyayoshi his debut here, and the young striker had a fabulous debut, as he got to play the last 20 minutes. Clearly a star for the future, and Kyoto will probably start to match him little by little. Kyoto had 14 shots to Gamba’s 16.

Omiya Ardija Urawa Red Diamonds 0-1
U: Takahara 29’


Takahara scored his 5th goal of the season
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/the2belo/2445133794/in/photostream/)

Urawa took a very important win when they met cross-town rivals Omiya away in the Saitama Derby. Naohiro Takahara’s lone goal proved to be the winner, and with Urawa climbed to 2nd place in the table. In the 13th minute the match were put to an halt due to heavy rain, and postponed 45 minutes or so. The pitch were slippery, but when the players returned the rain had stopped atleast.
Omiya looked a bit off the pace, and Urawa showed early that they meant business. They came forward over and over again, especially through the flanks where Hirakawa and Soma gave Omiya’s defence a hard time. Robson Ponte in the middle provided the strikers with many balls as well. Man of the match has to be Hajime Hosogai though, who neutralized Omiya’s attacks with his clever positioning and enormous work-rate. Takahara’s goal came in the 29th minute, when Takahito Soma found him with a brilliant through-pass. Takahara swivelled around the goalkeeper, only to step back again before taking the shot that went through GK Ezumi’s legs. 1-0 to the Reds, and it was totally deserved. Omiya looked poor in attack, and neither Lavric or Denis Marques managed to cause much danger. Lavric seemed more interested in injurying the Urawa-players, while Marques tried to dribble the whole Urawa-defence on his own.
The 2nd half weren’t as eventful as the first, but Urawa still looked to be in control. They got off to a good start, creating several chances that should have gone in. Only near the end did Omiya start to attack, and although taking possession and placing Urawa under pressure, they didn’t create a single shot on goal that were dangerous. All in all a well-deserved win for Urawa, who are now trailing 1st placed Nagoya by 3 points.

Kawasaki Frontale FC Tokyo 0-1
T: Akamine 5’


More reasons to cheer for for Tokyo's fans
( picture from Aishiteru-Tokyo blog)

Japan’s hottest striker at the moment is Tokyo’s Akamine, who once again came on the scoring sheet. With that he took his tally to 10 goals this season, which makes him the japanese player with the most goals. His goal came after only 5 minutes, when he headed home a corner-kick. A shock start for the home team, who were in need of a win to not fall too much behind the frontrunners. Frontale are now 7 points behind leading Nagoya, and needs to find their form again if they want a shot at the title. They were unlucky to lose here though, and outshot Tokyo 20-6. Akamine got injured 10 minutes after scoring the goal, and it was a blow for Tokyo losing their best striker so early. Just before the break, captain and perhaps Tokyo’s best player Yasuyuki Konno received the marching oder, which made matters worse for Tokyo. But the visitors packed their defence, and managed to prevent Frontale from scoring. The home team looked sloppy in passing, and although they had many shots few of them were dangerous. Especially Juninho looked a bit off-form, and squandered several chances. Tokyo are now only 2 points behind Frontale in the table.

Nagoya Grampus Eight Albirex Niigata 2-0
N: Ogawa 50’, Sugimoto 90’

Nagoya’s fabulous form continued when they met a struggling Albirex side at home, and beat them 2-0. Albirex won last round, but with this result they got 5 defeats in the last 6 and are sinking like a stone on the table. Nagoya are reigning alone at the top of the table, although Oita are Urawa are chasing only 3 points behind.
Albirex played at times some decent football this match though, and were on level with the home team for the first half atleast. We didn’t see much chances before the break, but just after the restart came the opening goal. Ogawa, who’s been in good form lately, finished off a very nice attack to make it 1-0 in the 50th minute. A few minutes before the goal, Nagoya had some other big chances as well, and the fans were pleased to see the home team finally take the lead. Keita Sugimoto added another in injury-time, as a result of Albirex throwing everything forward leaving space for the speedy Nagoya-attackers. Nagoya had 13 shots to Albirex’s 10, and it was a deserved home win.

Vissel Kobe Shimizu S-Pulse 0-1
S: Okazaki 90’

Shimizu are in good form at the moment, and they beat Kobe 1-0 away this round thanks to a last-minute goal from Shinji Okazaki. The speedy little striker are scoring alot these days, but he still has a tendency to blow too many chances. Shimizu are now in 9th place, while Kobes form puts them in danger of joing the fight against relegation. Shimizu looked the most dangerous side before the break, and the closest Kobe came to scoring were some few long-distance shots. It evened out a bit in the 2nd half though, and especially near the end did Kobe look lively. They missed 2 100% chances within the last 10 minutes, and instead it was Shimizu that scored in the last minute of the match. Okazaki met a corner on the first post, and with a diving header he found the back of the net to give the win to Shimizu. Kobe had 12 shots to Shimizu’s 11, and a draw would have been most fair.

Jubilo Iwata Yokohama F Marinos 0-1
Y: Oshima 49’

Neither Jubilo or Marinos could afford to lose this one really, and it was the visitors that emerged as winners after a 2nd half goal from Hideo Oshima. That means Jubilo now are falling behind the teams above them, and there’s a gap of 5 points up to safe place for them. To make it worse, their play-off spot is under serious threat with JEF winning again, narrowing the gap to just 2 points. Both teams were clearly showing that they didn’t want to take too many chances, but Marinos looked slightly better than Jubilo. The first half ended scoreless, but it took only 4 minutes into the 2nd half to get a goal. Hideo Oshima headed home a cross, and brought with that joy to the travelling Marinos fans. Jubilo got a few chances to equalize near the end, but a solid Marinos defence led by Nakazawa did well in neautralizing the attackers, and when they got to chances Enomoto in the goal saved it. All in all a deserved win for Marinos, who outshot Jubilo 13-6.

Kashiwa Reysol Kashima Antlers 1-1
KR: Popo 22’
KA: Marquinhos 89’


Ogasawara is out for 6 months!

It took a last-minute penalty for Antlers to avoid defeat this match, as they travelled to Reysol for a tough away match. The match had very few chances overall, and neither of the teams looked interesting in attacking. That’s not what we’re used to from Antlers’side, but perhaps the participation in ACL are wearing down the players. Popo have Reysol the lead in the 22nd minute, when he were masterfully played free by compatriot Franca. With Lee out, there’s more responsibility on the 2 brazilians, and they showed here that they can manage without Lee too. Antlers had a few big chances to equalize, but neither Sasaki or Koroki, who both came on as substitutes, managed to place the ball in the net. Sasaki were fouled after being played through beautifull in the dying minutes, and the referee pointed to the spot. Marquinhos made no mistake, and scored a very late equalizer. There were some really bad news for Antlers as well, as their playmaker and arguably best and most important player Mitsuo Ogasawara broke his foot. That will keep him sidelined for (atleast) the rest of the season, which is a huge blow to Kashima who’s chasing the double.
Reysol had 5 shots to Antlers’s 8. As a sidenote Reysol’s Alex were ”attacked” by a Kashima-supporter carrying one of those big flags down by the corner-flag, and fell to the ground. Alex were soon up and running again, but either way a disgrace to J.Leage that such things happens.

Consadole Sapporo JEF Utd Ichihara 2-3
C: Davi 43’, Anderson 74’
J: Bosnar 14’, Maki 46’, Yazawa 90’

The 2 bottom-placed teams met in Sapporo this round, but for one team there is still a good chance that they will avoid the drop. That team is JEF, and they took an extremely important win this match. It took a goal in injury-time for them to win it though, and the match were full of drama earlier as well Eddy Bosnar, who recently said in an interview that he’s 100% sure JEF will stay in J1 next year as well, got the honour of firing JEF up in an early lead fron the penalty-spot. New signing Fukai were fouled inside the box, and Bosnar made no mistake from the spot. Consadole’s DF Minowa were also sent off for the foul on Fukai, and JEF got a good start to the match. But just before the break, Consadole’s Davi went on a soloraid to equalize for the hosts. Despite being a man down, Consadole were fully on level with the visitors, and there were chances at both ends. In-form striker Maki gave JEF a 2-1 lead just after restart, with a well-taken header. But once again did Consadole manage to get back into the match, when Anderson equalized with a header in the 74th minute. Consadole were reduced to 9 men shortly after that, due to Davi receiving marchinhg order as well. The brazilian is no doubt very gifted, but he’s got alot of temperament as well and often gets in trouble on the pitch. With a 2-man advantage JEF managed to find the winning goal in injury-time, when Aizawa met a cross from Nemoto and fired it home. Consadole had 8 shots to JEF’s 14.

Tokyo Verdy Oita Trinita 0-2
O: Ueslei 45’, Uemoto 58’

Oita continues to impress, and this round Verdy were beaten 2-0 away. That means Oita are in a joint 2nd place, only 3 points behinf frontrunners Nagoya. Oita aren’t showing any signs that they will crack yet, and it’s not unlikely that they will finish in a top 3 position ( atleast) which will give them ACL. They were by far the best team this match, and their sturdy defence prevented Verdy from getting to any chances at all. Surely a well-deserved win for the visitors. They got off to a good start, and took immediately control of the match. Takahashi’s shot gave Mu Kanazaki a golde chance to score the opening goal after Verdy’s GK had to give a rebound, but the talented midfielder squandered his chance. Just before the break the notorical goalscorer Ueslei were on target to give Oita the lead, whe he curled in a free-kick. Verdu got Daisuke Nasu sent off early in the 2nd half, and Oita were quick to take advantage of that. Uemoto doubled their lead in the 58th minute, and with VErdy looking hapless up front it was never any doubt that the points would go to Oita. Verdy only had 3 shots on goals to Oita’s 11.

J.League Goals of the Month - August 2008

picture courtesy of Gora over at www.sangananbanjin.blogspot.com

J.League Goal of the Month - August 2008
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=rf2dT1DSIk0&fmt=18

The scorers as they appear in the video:
-Minoru SUGANUMA (Kashiwa Reysol) vs Urawa Reds
-Yuki ABE (Urawa Reds) vs Kashiwa Reysol
-Françoaldo Sena de Souza "FRANÇA" (Kashiwa Reysol) vs Urawa Reds
-Eddy BOSNAR (JEF United Chiba) vs Kashima Antlers
-Seiichiro MAKI (JEF United Chiba) vs Kashima Antlers
-Tatsunori ARAI (JEF United Chiba) vs Kashiwa Reysol
-Everaldo de Jesus Pereira "CABORE" (F.C. Tokyo) vs Tokyo Verdy
-Yoshito OKUBO (Vissel Kobe) vs Gamba Osaka
-Takanobu KOMIYAMA (Yokohama F. Marinos) vs Consadole Sapporo
-CHONG Tese (Kawasaki Frontale) vs JEF United Chiba
-Keiji TAMADA (Nagoya Grampus) vs Shimizu S-Pulse
-CHONG Tese (Kawasaki Frontale) vs Albirex Niigata
-DIEGO de Souza Gama Silva (Tokyo Verdy) vs Urawa Reds

My definitive favorite is the fantastic attack by Tokyo Verdy where Diego finishes it off with a well-taken shot against Urawa Reds. Also the match Urawa-Reysol had some cracking goals, so enjoy! :-)

J2 round 36 match reports

Ehime FC Ventforet Kofu 0-1
V: Ishihara 32’

Kofu emerged as winners when they met Ehime away this round, and with that they are unbeaten for an impressive 8 matches. If they manage to keep up their good form for the rest of the season, it’s not impossible that they will be in contention for a top 3 finish, especially considering the other teams up there keeps dropping points.
The match were eventl contested, with the play shifting from side to side. Both teams impressed with some nice passing that lead to dangerous chances, but the defences were good too, so we didn’t see too many goals. The only goal of the game came after 32 minutes, when Ishihara poked in a rebound given after a shot from Hosaka following a quick counter-attack. Ehime tried hard to get the equalizer, and with the wingers especially turning in a good match, getting free again and again down the flanks they got to many chances. The strikers failed to finish them off though, and in the end Kofu could celebrate another win. Ehime should atleast deserve a draw though, and they outshot Kofu 10-9.

Yokohama FC Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-1
Y: Nanba 60’

S: Sato 10’

Yokohama played one of their better matches all season when they held Sanfrecce to a 1-1 draw at home this round. They got off to a bad start though, when Sanfrecce’s prolific striker gave the visitors an early lead to score his 20th goal of the season. Yokohama fought hard to get back in to the game though, and managed to put Sanfrecce under alot of pressure. Sanfrecce were a bit disappointing, and allowed Yokohama to go forward over and over again. They finally got their equalizer in the 60th minute when Nanba received a cross from the left after a defensive error from a Sanfrecce-defender let Yokohama’s winger take the cross that ended with Nanba’s goal. Only good goalkeeping from Sanfrecce’s GK saved the visitors from a defeat, with Yokohama coming close a few times near the end. Yokohama’s FW got sent off in the dying minutes cause of 2 yellow cards. Yokohama had 15 shots to Sanfrecce’s 12.

Cerezo Osaka Montedio Yamagata 2-2
C: Kagawa 22’, Germano 64’

M: Toyoda 33’, 45’

Cerezo took on 2nd placed Montedio in a thrilling and evenly-played match this round, and the teams ended up sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw. The match always seemed to have a big nerve in it, and although we didn’t see too many chances it was never a dull moment. Cerezo’s wonderkid Shinji Kagawa gave the hosts the lead after 22 minutes, when Cerezo came up with sone impressive one-touch passing counter-attack that Kagawa coolly finished. But 11 minutes later found Kitamura U-23 NT Striker Toyoda with a cross, and the compact striker did well to equalize. Just before the break Toyoda were on target once again, after Aizawa in Cerezo’s goal failed to hold on to a shot from Miyazawa.
10 minutes into the 2nd half Cerezo changed their topscorer Komatsu in for Furuhashi, and that gave a new spark to Cerezo’s play. A few minutes after that Cerezo were awarded a penalty-kick when Shogo Kobara committed a fould inside the box. Germano converted the PK as usual, and the teams were on level terms again. With a 1-man advantage, Cerezo were suddenly in control of the match, but despite several chances and some offensive substitutions near the end they couldn’t find the winning-goal. Cerezo had 9 shots to Montedio’s 10, and in the end a draw seemed a fair result. Montedio will be most happy about it though, but drawing 2-2 against the 2nd placed team is not something Cerezo can be unhappy with either.

Tokushima Vortis Shonan Bellmare 0-0

Tokushima were unlucky not to win when they met Shonan at home this round, with the visitors being reduced to 10 men midway through the 1st half. DF Jean received the marching-order, which forced Shonan to turn into a more defensive formation. They still managed to get to some chances though, but so did Tokushima and it was an open match. Tokushima looked best in the beginning, attacking down the flanks setting up the brazilian forwards for goal-attempts. Shonan managed to stay on par with Tokushima though despite being a man down, and although the home team had the most of the chances it could have gone either way. With the other teams up there also dropping points ( except Vegalta), this result wasn’t too bad and Shonan still lies in a good position regarding promotion next season. Tokushima outshot them 13-7.

Sagan Tosu Roasso Kumamoto 1-2
S: Hirose 30’

R: Nakayama 43’, Kijima 69’

Roasso stood for the biggest surprise this round, when they beat island-rivals Sagan 2-1 at home, That ended their 6 games without a win streak, and they were fully on level with Sagan as well. The match were played in front of a record-high 21000+, which is the highest attendance record this round in both J1 and J2. The big crowd were pleased with the start of the game, especialyl when Hirose gave the home-side the lead. Hirose got the honour of finishing off a nice attack, and scored only his 2nd goal of the season. But Roasso didnt want to be any worse, and just before the break Satoshi Nakayama equalized after chasing down a long-ball. That was Nakayama’s 4th goal this year, and he’s been a disappointment if we compare him to his partner up front Takahashi. Midway through the 2nd half came Roasso’s 2nd goal, when Kijima scored on a counter-attack. The home-crowd were stunned, and although Tosu came close on equalizing near the end of the match, the score remained the same and Roasso could go home with a very strong win. Probably a big boost for the morale as well, beating the local rival away. Sagan had 8 shots to Roasso’s 9.

Vegalta Sendai FC Gifu 1-0
V: Ryan Yong-Gi 4’

Vegalta were the only top team that managed a win this round, when they beat Gifu at home thanks to an early goal from Ryan Yong Gi. The north-korean reacted first on a loose ball following a shot, and could just tap the ball into the open net to make it 1-0 aftero nly 4 minutes. After the early goal, Vegalta continued dominating the possession, but Gifu weren’t all lost, and played much better today than in recent matches. They looked dangerous on counter-attacks especially, but the sturdy Vegalta defence managed to keep the strikers at bay most of the times. Vegalta had the most of chances, but never managed to get the 2nd goal that would calm down the player’s nerves. But they won, and climbed above Cerezo in the table to go 4th. They had 12 shots to Gifu’s 9.

Thespa Kusatsu Avispa Fukuoka 1-1
T: Goto 27’

A: Okubo 73’

Thespa played their 3rd draw in a row when they met Avispa at home this round, and according to play that seemed like a fair result. Both teams had their periods where they dominated, and the defensive play at both ends also looked quite good. Goto gave the home team the lead after 27 minutes, when he took a volley shot that flew in past Avispa’s goalie. Thespa maintained the pressure after the goal, and could have gone 1 more up if they had finished off their chances better. Avispa got back into the match though, when Okubo equalized in the 73rd minute. Avispa put on all their tall strikers near the end, but the tactic didn’t pay off and the match ended a draw. With neither of the teams having too much to play for a draw is a result both will be happy with. Thespa had 10 shots to Avispa’s 12.

R24 - J1 Results

JEF Utd Ichihara Tokyo Verdy 2-0
J: Maki 47’, Fukai 68’

JEF took 3 very important points when they beat Verdy 2-0 at home this round, which narrows the gap up to safe place to only 6 points. With JEF being one of the form teams in the league, taking 11 points in their last 6 matches, it’s by no means impossible that we will see them climb a few places in the following rounds.
Verdy gave them a hard fight though, and came to several chances.Especially in the first half, where Verdy had most of the possession and looked lively up front. JEF withstood it though, and by half-time the score were still 0-0. Just 2 minutes into the 2nd half came JEF’s first goal, when Maki headed home a beautiful cross from substitute Kohei Kudo.
JEF took more over after this, and it didn’t take long before they were 2-0 up. Maki were fouled inside the box, and Masaki Fukai had few problems converting the PK. This was Fukai’s first ever match for JEF actually, following his move from Kashima Antlers. Both teams ”owned” one half each, and with JEF being the more effective among them they could celebrate as winners in the end. JEF had 10 shots to Verdy’s 18.

Albirex Niigata Kashiwa Reysol 2-1
A: Alessandro 14’, Yano 51’

R: Alex 71’

Two teams in very poor form met here, but on the field the home team were quick to take charge. Albirex looked dangerous already from the start, and came close on several occasion in the opening minutes, including a shot that hit the bar. Alessandro gave them the lead in the 14th minute however, after a splendid counter-attack. That seemed to be Niigata’s recipe for this match, and Reysol struggled to cope with it. Niigata’s 2nd goal also came from a counter, in which Yano beautifully rounded off by beating a man and cooly place the ball in the goal. Niigata’s lead should have been bigger though, and the aforementioned Yano blew several huge chances. Alex reduced for Reysol through a set-piece, but Reysol overall looked quite poor this match, and Niigata’s win were fully deserved. They outshot Reysol 16-8.

Gamba Osaka Nagoya Grampus Eight 0-1
N: Ogawa 10’

Gamba has been a big disappointment this season, and are all the way down in 8th place on the table. Therefore league-leaders found themselves being favorites here, and an early goal from Ogawa secured the win for the visitors. A nice attack down the right-flank resulted in Magnum finding Ogawa with a looping cross, and the talented winger headed home the opening goal after only 10 minutes. After the goal, Nagoya fell back, and defended their lead well. Gamba struggled to break through, and all in all the match had few chances. A few shots from distance from Gamba were the closest they came really, but with Narazaki being in good form it didn’t really caused too much trouble. Nagoya didn’t created much either, but Magnum were a threat throughout the match and did create some dangerous situtations. An impressive win for Nagoya, who extended their lead at the top of the table to 3 points. Gamba had 10 shots to Nagoya’s 6.

Kyoto Purple Sanga Jubilo Iwata 2-0
K: Yanagisawa 4’, Sidiclei 76’

Kyoto must find themselves fortunate to beat Jubilo this match, as the visitors were by far the best team. Effective finishing and a bit of luck secured all points for the home team though, a result that takes them as high as 7th above a strong team like Gamba. Jubilo on the other hand, can only blame themselves for their misfortunes, and now they look in real danger of facing relegation. Yanagisawa seems to have been re-juvenated in Kyoto, and he’s playing the best football of his career currently. He gave Kyoto the lead after only 4 minutes, when he flicked a cross through the goalkeeper’s legs to make it 1-0. Jubilo tried their best to get back in the game, but their attackers clearly didn’t have the best of days, with their finishing ending up everywhere. Jubilo even missed a penalty-kick, so there were more than enough chances for them to score. Sidiclei is another player that has found his feet in Kyoto, and the bald defender headed home the 2-0 goal in the 76th minute to calm down Kyoto’s fans. In the end a somewhat undeserved win, as Jubilo outshot Kyoto 13-6.

Kashima Antlers Kawasaki Frontale 1-1
KA: Marquinhos 70’

KF: Taniguchi 75’

Antlers vs Frontale were 1 of 3 top meetings this round, and with the game ending a draw things are still wide open at the top. It was an entertaining match, were the home team looked the most lively. Especially in the first half, when the wingbacks Uchida and Araiba over and over again came surging down the flanks causing trouble for Frontale. But it didn’t result in any goals, and by half-time the teams were still deadlocked. The play shifted from side to side in the 2nd half, and it was Antlers who broke the deadlock through topscorer Marquinhos after he was neatly played free by his compatriot Danilo. But just minutes later equalized Frontale’s Taniguchi following a corner kick. Near the end Frontale had a couple of big chances to win the game, but Sogahata in the Antlers goal miraculously saved the efforts. Antlers had 14 shots to Frontale’s 12, and all in all a draw is a fair result.

FC Tokyo Omiya Ardija 3-1
T: Akamine 65’,89’, Otake 72’

O: Lavric 14’

Omiya can thank goalkeeper Ezumi for not losing by a bigger margin here, as he played like a living wall for most of the match. He kept Omiya in the game up until the 65th minute, when he had to succumb to a Akamine shot. Before that he denied Cabore twice, as well as coming up with a stunning triple-save. Lavric gave the visitors an early lead with a nice header, and soon after started the pressure from Tokyo. Cabore came close on several occasions, including 2 shots that went via the bar and out.Omiya’s lead lasted until the 65th minute, when Akamine scored from short range. A beautifully taken free-kick from Otake a few minutes later put Tokyo up in the lead. Near the end, when Omiya threw eeryone forward trying to get the equalizer, came Tokyo on a counter 3 against 1. Akamine finished off the attack with his 2nd goal of the evening. Actually Omiya outshot Tokyo 15-14, but in the end Tokyo were well-deserved winners.

Yokohama F Marinos Vissel Kobe 1-1
Y: Own Goal 90’

V: Okubo 45’

Marinos and Kobe shared the spoils with a goal each when they met at Nissan Stadium this round. That’s a result neither of the teams will be particularly happy about, as it’s just a few points down to the relegation side for either side. It’s worst for Marinos though, who are just 1 point ahead of 16th placed Jubilo.
Marinos got off to a good start, and put Kobe under heavy pressure early on. They didn’t find the net though,and instead Kobe’s prolific striker Okubo gave the visitors the lead just before the break. Okubo reacted quickest on a spill ball after a free-kick hit the bar, and hammered it home to make it 1-0. Marinos chased the equalizer for the entire 2nd half, and they had to wait until injury-time for it to come. Leandro headed the ball into his own net after being pressured by Hyodo, which were the last of action we saw in this game. Marinos outshot Kobe 14-7.

Shimizu S-Pulse Consadole Sapporo 3-1
S: Edamura 43’, Okazaki 63’, Nishizawa 80’

C: Nishi 90’

Shimizu moved well clear of the relegation zone with a well-deserved 3-1 win over Consadole this round. The visitors never really looked like getting anything from this match, and the home team were overall the best team. They struggled a bit with the finishing though, as in earlier matches, but just before the break managed Edamura to break the deadlock with a close-range finish after a cross from the left-hand side. Edamura has been Shimizu’s best player lately, and once again did he show how important he is to the team. Okazaki scored the 2nd one in the 63rd minute when he reacted to a rebound from Consadole’s GK following a shot from distance. An importan for goal Okazaki, who once again struggled with poor efficiency. He’s already a fan favourite for all his hard work, but he still has alot to improve on his finishing. Veteran-striker Nishizawa added a 3rd with header from close ranger in the 80th minute before Nishi scored a consolation goal in injury-time. Consadole only had a handful of chances the whole match, and seem destined for J2 next season already. Shimizu outshot Consadole 18-3.

Urawa Red Diamonds Oita Trinita 0-0

Urawa and Oita shared the spoils in a closely contested battle this round. It was a match between two of the top 4 placed teams, and neither of them looked willing to take any chances. Oita came out in their usual defensive strategy, which made it difficult for Urawa’s attackers to find a way through. Some of the Urawa-players looked to grow impatient cause of this, and especially the playmaker Robson Ponte looked out of it. Ponte was later substituted for Nobuhisa Yamada, to which the brazilian responded with rage and anger. Surely he wasn’t happy about being replaced, and coach Engels will probably give him a reprimand.
Oita have been the surprise package this season, and although they werenæt as star-studded as their counterparts they were fully on level with them. In fact, Oita had the biggest chances, and both Yasuhito Morishima and Ueslei hit the post. Urawa’s best efforts came through the wingers Soma and Hirakawa, but in the end they should find themselves lucky to escape with a point. Urawa had 10 shots to Oita’s 9.

J2 - round 35 results

FC Gifu Cerezo Osaka 0-6
C: Kaio 12’,15’90’, Kagawa 60’,Furuhashi 64’, Komatsu 90’

Cerezo went berserk in Gifu for the 2nd time this season, and didn’t stop before they had put 6 goals behind Gifu’s goalkeeper. A huge boost for Cerezo, who proved they are back in the form we expect them to be in. Cerezo’s brazilian forward Kaio got somewhat of a breakthrough here, scoring 3 goals and being a constant threat to Gifu. Already after 15 minutes played had Kaio found the net twice. The early lead made the Cerezo-players relax, and Gifu were forced to play catch-up early on. That was a job they didn’t feel comfortable with at all, and they were never a real threat for the visitors.
Shinji Kagawa, who returned to the squad here after being suspended last round once again turned in a marvellous performance. He scored the 3-0 goal in the 60th minute, and just minutes later added Furuhashi a 4th after picking up a spill ball. The win were already secured at that point, but in injury-time Komatsu and Kaio added 2 more to complete the humiliation of Gifu. Last time Cerezo were in Gifu they won 5-0, so clearly it’s one of their lucky stadiums. Gifu had 6 shots to Cerezo’s 15.

Shonan Bellmare Yokohama FC 1-0
S: Tuto 63’

Shonan continued their great run of form when they beat Yokohama 1-0 at home this round. Despite playing without 2 of their best players, they managed to take all 3 points, although it was only just. It was a closely contested battle, and neither of the teams had that many chances. Yokohama got off to the best start, with Anderson causing trouble for the Shonan-defence. Late in the first half, Shonan’s impressive brazilian defender Jean had to limp off, but it’s unsure how seriosu his injury is at the moment.
Shonan put on their new signing Tuto at half-time, and as in the 2 previous matches the brazilian came off the bench and scored. In the 63rd minute Kato were fouled inside the box, and Tuto stepped up to make 1-0 to the home team. Shonan sems to have found gold in Tuto, who clearly will be an asset in the closing stage of this year’s season.
All in all an even match, and it could just as well have ended up with a win for Yokohama, who outshot Shonan 6-5.

Ventforet Kofu Thespa Kusatsu 2-2
V: Maranhao 62’, Hayashi 75’

T: Goto 68’, Omoto 81’

Kofu and Thespa are among the teams with the most draws this season, and therefore it was no surprise that the match between them ended with the teams sharing the spoils. That’s certainly a result Thespa will be most happy about, after receiving 2 red cards and seeing Kofu control the game for most of the time.
The first half were filled with many rough tackles and hard play, with Kou creating most of the chances. They couldn’t find the net though, and Thespa’s sturdy defence kept them from coming to any real big chances. In the 2nd half the picture were pretty much the same, but now Thespa were more involved and created some chances from counter-attacks mainly. They saw Kofu take the lead through Maranhao around the hour break, who converted a penalty-kick after being fouled himself. Just minutes later Goto equalized for Thespa though after a defensive error from Kofu.. Thespa’s DF Che received the marching order just before Kofu’s goal, and soon after the equalizer did Terada see the red card as well. That meant that Thespa had to play the last 20 minutes without their 2 fullbacks, and naturally it didn’t take long before Kofu exploited the 2-man advantage. Hayashi picked up the spill ball and fired home the 2-1 goal with just 15 minutes to go, and now most people thought Kofu would run away with it. But Thespa refused to give up, and equalized with a free-kick through Omoto near the end of the match. Certainly a lucky point for Thespa, but they deserve credit for coming from behind 2 times. Kofu had 20 shots to Thespa’s 8.

Montedio Yamagata Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-4
S: Sato 34’, Takahagi 58’, Makino 65’, Morisaki 77’

The top 2 teams in the league met this round, and Sanfrecce showed how big difference there really is from them and down to the rest of the pack when they hammered Montedio 4-0 away. Montedio’s been a positive surprise this season, and entered this match with a 7 game unbeaten streak. That only makes Sanfrecce’s big win even more impressive, and clearly they are a team that belongs in J1.
J2’s topscorer Hisato Sato were on target after a corner kick in the 34th minute to make it 1-0, and that were the only goal before the break. Sanfrecce dominated though, and Montedio looked overwhelmed by Sanfrecce’s nifty passing exchange and impressive team-work. There were never any doubt about where the points would go, and in the 2nd half the goals kept coming for Sanfrecce.Takahagi has had a marvellous season this year, and the speedy winger scored the 2-0 goal before Makino could add a 3rd just minutes later. Morisaki finished off the game with a nice header in the 77th minute to make it 4-0. Sanfrecce had 20 shots to Montedio’s 12.

Mito Hollyhock Sagan Tosu 1-1
M: Hiramatsu 59’

S: Iio 51’

Mito will be unhappy with just a point against Sagan this match, as the home-team were by far the best team. They had the majority of the chances, and put Sagan under alot of pressure throughout the match. Sagan is known for their good defensive work though, and managed to keep Mito from getting to too many big chances. Mito lacked accuracy in the finishing as well, and infact it was Sagan that were to score first. A corner-kick from Leandro found Iio in the box who put the visitors 1-0 up in the 51st minute. Mito scored an almost identical goal just minutes later though, through in-form defender Hiramatsu. Mito came close of scoring on a couple of occasions, but also Sagan had chances to grab the winner. In the end Mito were the best team though, and had deserved all 3 points. They outshot Sagan 20-10. Sagan have now 3 draws in a row, and are falling behind in the tight race for promotion.

Avispa Fukuoka Tokushima Vortis 3-1
A: Niwa 8’, Havenaar 44’, Kudo 83’

T: Oshima 90’

Avispa had few problems beating bottom-placed Tokushima this round, and took a comfortable 3-1 win at home. Their new signing Daiki Niwa ( formerly of Gamba and Omiya) got off to a great start for his new club, scoring after only 7 minutes following a corner-kick. Niwa took place in central-defence, a position Avispa have been struggling with all season. Perhaps Niwa could help tighten up a shaky Avispa-defence, as that is one of the main reasons why they find themselves so low in the table. Kiyokazu Kudo also had a good day for Avispa, as 2 of his corners ended up being assists for goal. Just before the break he found Havenaar who headed in the 2-0 goal. To add to that, he also scored the 3-0 goal late in the 2nd half to kill the game off. Oshima struck to give Tokushima a consolation goal in injury-time, but it was too little too late. For Avispa, it was a much-needed win as they had gone 5 matches without winning. Tokushima on the other hand, are without a win for 15 matches now. They actually outshot Avispa 12-11 this match, but were never really in contention for the points.

Roasso Kumamoto Vegalta Sendai 0-4
V: Nadson 46’, Hirase 60’,63’, Saito 79’

Vegalta seems back on track now with 2 straight wins, and they once again look to be in contention for one of the top 3 spots. Their biggest problem have been that they draw way too many matches though, and although they’ve only lost 6 they are only in 5th place at the moment. Roasso looked decent the first half, and were fully on level with Vegalta. Actually it was Roasso that had the ball most of the time, and also got to most of the chances. A quick goal by Nadson following a Sekiguchi cross just after the restart turned the match around though, and Vegalta took more and more over. Vegalta’s topscorer Hirase is enjoying his best ever season in terms of goals, and 2 goals in quick succession killed the game off. Hirase have now scored 9 goals, which is more than he scored during his 4 years in Vissel Kobe. Saito added a 4th late in the match, but 0-4 doesn’t really give the correct picture of the match. Roasso could have done better if they had a bit more luck, but in the end the best team won anyway. Vegalta outshot Roasso 15-12.

Johnsen about Nagoya's title chances

Nagoya's norwegian star Frode Johnsen has dismissed any talks about his team winning the title in a recent interview. Goal.com have a nice article about it here: http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=867877

Johnsen is Nagoya's topscorer at the moment, but the club are yet to give him a new contract offer for next season. That means they might not be interested keeping him, and already a few other J.League teams have shown their interest. I would imagine a club like Albirex Niigata or Omiya Ardija would suit him well, although Omiya now have a similar type in Klemen Lavric.

Also his mother-club in Norway, Odd Grenland, are keen to bring him back, and with Odd facing promotion to Norway's highest league, they could do well with an established player like Johnsen in their ranks. They won't be able to match any of the japanese sides salary though, but Johnsen have stated before he would like to end his career in Odd.The stories can also be found at the norwegian site NorskeFans : http://www.norskefans.com/verden/