J1 - round 30 results

Kawasaki Frontale Consadole Sapporo 3-1
K: Nakamura 20’, Taniguchi 28’, Juninho 85’

C: Davi 73’

The Frontale fans has lots of reasons to cheer for...

Frontale had few problems beating a weak Consadole side at home this round, and climbed up to 3rd in the table with the win. Since both Antlers and Oita lost, Frontale are now only 2 points behind the 1st place. Frontale dominated the match from start to end, and had tons of chances. Nakamura scored the opening goal in the 20th minute, after Renatinho dribbled his way past 3-4 players down the left-side, before giving the ball to Juninho who found Nakamura with a clever back-heel. A wonderful goal, and only 8 minutes later doubled Taniguchi the lead with a well-placed shot. Sapporo had a few chances on their own, but nothing that really frightened the goalkeeper. Juninho and Renatinho kept causing havoc in Sapporo’s defence, but they couldn’t find the goal. Instead Davi reduced to 1-2 in the 73rd minute, after going round Frontale’s keeper. Juninho killed the game off with a finish from close range with 5 minutes to go though. Frontale outshot Consadole 27-7.

Omiya Ardija JEF Utd Ichihara 2-1
O: Kobayashi 35’, Fujimoto 47’

J: Yazawa 20’

After 7 matches without losing, JEF surprisingly fell to struggling Omiya and lost 2-1 away. Omiya had 6 straight losses before this match, and taking all 3 points was really important. The result means Omiya climbed to safe place and 15th, leaving JEF in 16th and play-off.
Omiya played perhaps their best game in months, and really gave it all the entire match. It was JEF who started the best though, and Yazawa gave the visitors the lead with a low drive from distance after Fukai nicely set him up with the pass. But shortly after, Kobayashi hit the target with a nice volley-shot to equalize. Omiya should have scored earlier though, and then especially Uchida who had a couple of dangerous shots. Just a few minutes after the break Omiya received a penalty, and Fujimoto made no mistakes from the spot. As the game went on, there were chances at both ends, but Omiya had the most of them and in the end they fulle deserved the win. They outshot JEF 23-10.

FC Tokyo Kashima Antlers 3-2
T: Cabore 57’, Nagatomo 78’, Otake 81’

K: Koroki 61’, Tashiro 86’

Tokyo still in with a shot at ACL next year.

An in-form Antlers lost 3-2 away to a surprisingly strong Tokyo side, and the result means things are very open at the top again. Tokyo are down in 6th, but only 5 points behind leading Antlers with 4 matches to go. So all is possible still. The first half of the game didn’t produce any chances at all almost, except a few semi-dangerous attempts from Tokyo. The match exploded in the 2nd half though, and Cabore gave the home-team the lead with a clever header after a corner-kick from Ishikawa. Just a few minutes Koroki dived in the equalizer from short range after being set up by Marcinho. We saw plenty of chances at both ends at this time, and DF Nagatomo somewhat luckily scored in the 78th minute after a scramble in front of goal. Just 3 minutes later Ishikawa once again set up a goal, with a brilliant back-heel to Otake who got the ball past Sogahata in Antlers’s goal. Tashiro did well to reduce to 2-3 a few minutes later, but Antlers didn’t get more goals and lost for the first time in 7 matches. Tokyo had 18 shots to Kashima’s 12.
Albirex Niigata Urawa Red Diamonds 0-1
U: Hosogai 81’

Hosogai's goal means Urawa are back in the title race.

Urawa revived their title chances with a 1-0 win away over Albirex, but they had to struggle for the win. Albirex had the most of the chances, and with a bit more luck they would have taken all 3 points. Instead, they find themselves now only 3 points ahead of JEF in 16th, and are in danger of being relegated. Niigata had an offensive approach to this game, and came up with several chances in the opening half. Tsuzuki in Urawa’s goal had a good game though, and came up with several match-winning saves. He did some strange things too, but luckily for Urawa Niigata didn’t manage to exploit his errors. Urawa focused more on defending than attacking this match, and only had a handful of attempts on goal. There were some long-range efforts too, but nothing that troubled the goalkeeper. However, in the 81st minute they got reward for their patience, and a smart turn by Hosogai got him free to take the shot that gave Urawa the win. Niigata outshot Urawa 15-13 though, and were the best team this match.

Shimizu S-Pulse Gamba Osaka 3-1
S: Edamura 39’,49’, Okazaki 52’

G: Roni 77’

Gamba’s title chances took a real blow when they lost 3-1 away to Shimizu, and clearly the tough match midweek against Urawa in the ACL semi-final took it’s toll on the players. They look tired, and after winning such a big match perhaps this was an anti-climax for them. However, Shimizu are in great form, and this win takes them only 1 point behind Gamba. Being 6 and 7 points behind Antlers respectively, all hope isn’t gone with regards to making it into ACL next year, but that means the remaining matches has to be won. In-form Edamura were once again the best player on the pitch, and he topped a great performance with 2 goals. He also scored 2 against Gamba in the cup a while ago, and repeated that feat here. His first goal were somewhat lucky though, as he scraped past a defender and got a lucky touch on the ball to tap it past Gamba’s goalie. Early in the 2nd half, he were on target again, after Hara did well to set him up coming down the right hand-side. Okazaki is another player in good form, and just a few minutes later he made 3-0 for SHimizu, when his shot deflected a Gamba-defender. Substitute Roni headed home what would only be a consolation-goal for Gamba, and in the end Shimizu fully deserved the win. Both teams had 11 shots.

Kashiwa Reysol Yokohama F Marinos 1-3
K: Kurisawa 75’

Y: Kano 39’,84’, Tanaka 53’

Marinos played their 7th match in a row without losing when they beat Reysol 3-1 at home, and on the last 13 they only got 1 loss. Still, they are far from safe yet, and currenty they are on level points with Reysol. JEF in 16th are only 5 points behind though. Marinos looked great this match, and the win were fully deserved. With an offensive 4-3-3 formation, they created lots of chances. The blonde-haired Kenta Kano, who’ve started several matches recently, were a constant threat and were the man of the match. Not only did he score 2 goals, he also set up the 3rd.Just before the break he took a volley-shot that flew over Reysol’s keeper, which meant Marinos had a 1-0 lead at half-time. Early in the 2nd half Kano raced down the right flank, and found Tanaka with a brilliant chip-pass on the far-post. Kurisawa reduced to 1-2 in the 75th minute, but shortly after Kano were on target again with a finish from close range to make it 1-3. Marinos outshot Reysol 18-7.

Kyoto Purple Sanga Tokyo Verdy 0-0

Neither of the teams will be exactly thrilled with only a draw here, but avoiding defeat was nevertheless more important than winning this match. Both teams are struggling to avoid the drop, and are currently only a few points ahead of JEF in 16th. Verdy looked the best in the opening minutes, and even had a shot that hit the bar. Kyoto took more and more over as the match progressed though, and had a couple of dangerous attempts. But we didn’t see any goals, and Kyoto also hit the bar on 2 occasions. Yanagisawa should have done better on one if his chances though, but he had a difficult task against a packed Verdy-defence. A boring match, and if anyone deserved the win it should be Kyoto, who outshot Verdy 11-7.

Nagoya Grampus Eight Jubilo Iwata 0-0

For once Nagoya played at the breathtaking Toyota Stadium instead of the old and wore-down Mizuho...

Nagoya drew their 4th match in a row when they played Jubilo at home this round, and are not exactly looking like a title contender at the moment. For Jubilo, a draw is better than nothing, but they got to start winning again soon if they want to stay in J1. It’s only 2 points up to safe place, and with 3 of the remaining 4 matches being against tough competition it can be hard. They got 3 home games left though, so the chances are still there.
Jubilo had the best start, and the offensive drives from right-back Komano created trouble for Nagoya on more than one occasion. Never really looked like scoring though, and it was Nagoya who had the biggest chances. A risky back-pass were snapped up by Tamada, who came one-on-one with Jubilo’s keeper. Instead of passing to an open Johnsen, he opted for the shot from his tight ankle, which were easily saved by Kawaguchi. All in all an entertaining match despite no goals, but the over 30 000 at Toyota Stadium probably felt Nagoya deserved the win. Nagoya outshot Jubilo 14-6.

Vissel Kobe Oita Trinita 1-0
V: Okubo 81’

Yoshito Okubo (no.13) scored the winning goal.

Oita are going through somewhat of a crisis now, with 3 losses in their last 4 matches. Down in 4th place, they need to start winning again. However, with all the other teams up there also dropping points, they are only 2 points behind leading Antlers. Oita got off to the best start though, and had the most of the possession the first half. We didn’t see too many chances though, and the first really big one came early in the 2nd half, when Morishima hit the bar with a header. Vissel also came close on a couple of occasions, especially when Kitamoto hit the side netting with another header. In the 81st minute, we finally got a goal, as substitute Suzuki raced down the left-hand, and sent in a cross that Okubo converted with his head. A rare goal for the little striker, who isn’t exactly known for his aerial abilities. Oita threw everything forward in the dying minutes in their hunt for the equalizer, but despite alot of effort and several chances they ended up losing in the end. Both teams had 11 shots on goal.

J2 - round 41 reports

Cerezo Osaka Vegalta Sendai 3-4
C: Sakemoto 17’, Gilton 22’, Kaio 35’

V: Nakashima 12’,51’, Sekiguchi 80’, Nakahara 84’

Kaio seems upset...

Cerezo have made it a habit of falling apart in the last stage of the match, and with that giving up a seemingly comfortable lead. They did it against Avispa and Sanfrecce recently, and now they did it to Vegalta as well. A great first half saw Cerezo 3-1 up, but all that effort were worthless after they conceded 3 after the break. With that the promotion-train has already left the station for Cerezo’s sake, and only a miracle will see them finish 2nd or 3rd now.
Vegalta got off to the best start, as Nakashima masterfully curled the ball into the top corner to make it 1-0. Just a few minutes later, Sakemoto equalized after a scramble in front of the goal. Brazilian left-back Gilton, who’s been under some critiscism earlier, made amends with a nice goal as he came racing down the left-side. Kaio made 3-1 in the 35th minute, after Vegalta’s goalie suddenly found himself out of the goal. With that, things looked very good for Cerezo, but that were all to change after the break. Cerezo still played good football though, and had the most of the chances. But they couldn’t find the goals, and Nakashima scored a 2nd after beating Germano for the header to make it 2-3 shortly after the break. As the game came to an end, Sekiguchi equalized with a brilliant solo-effort with just 10 minutes to go. Shortly after late-substitute Nakahara took away all hopes for Cerezo with another goal.
Cerezo had 21 shots to Vegalta’s 10, and clearly the home team should have deserved to win. Cerezo doesn’t seem to strong mentally though, and perhaps that’s the main reason why they won’t be in J1 next year. Surely they have enough qualities atleast. Over 20 000 showed up for this match.

Mito Hollyhock Avispa Fukuoka 0-0

Mito and Avispa fought it out in a very tight and evenly contested match this round. Neither of the teams managed to find the net, and it ended a scoreless draw. Mito are in 10th now, 4 points behind Avispa in 9th, and a win would have taken them only 1 point behind. Both teams adopted a very defensive strategy, and we didn’t really get that many big chances. Avispa had the most of the shots, but nothing that scared Mito’s goalkeeper. Mito tried on occasions to break through Avispa’s defence, but with literally 10 men behind the ball it was an impossible task. According to local reports, there were some racist comments among the away crowd, pointed towards Mito’s brazilian Biju. Mito had 7 shots to Avispa’s 14.

Montedio Yamagata Shonan Bellmare 1-0
M: Watanabe 90’

A last-minute goal from Watanabe means Montedio are almost certain to finish within the top 3 at the end of the season. 9 points ahead of 4th placed Shonan, with only 4 matches left, Montedio has to lose all their remaining matches for that not too happen. With only easy matches left as well, Montedio should be able to hold on to the 2nd place which gives automatic promotion. As for the match, it was evenly contested, and with a bit more luck Shonan could have won it. Both teams had a player hitting the bar, and in total we saw plenty of big chances at both ends. But despite of that, we had to wait all the way until the 90th minute for the only goal of the match. For Shonan’s sake, the loss means they are 90% sure of playing in J2 next year as well. Both teams had 14 shots each.

Roasso Kumamoto FC Gifu 1-1
R: Nakayama 35’

G: Kan 90’

The 2 newly-promoted teams Roasso and Gifu fought it out in Roasso this round, and with Gifu’s Kan salvaging a draw in the last minute, Gifu still holds an unbeaten record against their rivals. Both teams came out of the locker rooms at a high pace, and it was an entertaining match with lots of action in front of both goals. The opening goal came in the 35th minute,when on-loan striker Satoshi Nakayama broke free to make it 1-0 to the home team. Gifu’s DF Kota Fukashi got sent-off early in the 2nd half, which made it a hard task for Gifuto get back into the match. But they didn’t gave up, and although Roasso had the most of the chances Gifu matched Roasso in terms of play, despite being a man down. They got what they deserved when late-substitute Kazunori Kan, back from injury for this match, equalized with a brilliant goal in the 90th minute. Roasso had 14 shots to Gifu’s 7.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima Sagan Tosu 5-1
SH: Moriwaki 50’, Morisaki 60’,64’, Shimizu 71’, Sato 81’

ST: Fujita 79’

Sanfrecce showed their superiority once again, as a frenzy 2nd half saw them put 5 goals behind struggling Sagan at home. They seem to be miles ahead of the other teams in J2 this season, and have won a whopping 28 out of 38 matches so far this season, and scored 89 goals. Sagan became atleast one number too small here, and suffered their 2nd big loss in a row. The first half didn’t provide too many chances, and Sagan did a good job defending their goal and managed to keep Sanfrecce at bay. That were all to change after the break though, and just 5 minutes into the 2nd half scored Moriwaki with a header from a corner. Soon after, Morisaki scored 2 quick goals to make it 3-0. Shimizu and Sato added 2 more, while Fujita gave Sagan a consolation goal in teh 79th minute. Sanfrecce outshot Sagan 16-7.

Yokohama FC Ehime FC 2-2

Y: Gokyu 10’, Miura 55’

E: Oki 50’, Yokotani 53’

Kazu still going strong, or atleast he thinks so himself...

Yokohama have now gone 5 matches without a win after only managing a 2-2 draw at home against 14th placed Ehime. Yokohama’s season have been a total disaster, and one have to wonder how this team managed to beat the likes of Urawa and Marinos in J1 last year. They are probably the least exciting team in the league, and currently lies in 11th.
Gokyu gave the home team the lead after only 10 minutes, when he headed home a beautiful cross from Takizawa. That was the only goal of the first half, but Ehime had plenty of chances to equalize. Instead, they had to wait until after the break for that, and soon after Susume Oki headed home the equalizer A few minutes later Yokotani gave Ehime the lead with a powerful shot from distance. However, soon after the J.League-legend Kazuyoshi Miura made it 2-2 with a clever shot. With that, Miura scored his first goal this season, and the 41 year old became the oldest scorer ever in J.League. Miura, or King Kazu as he’s named, has been involved in 23 matches this season, starting 19 of them, and it was about time he scored. All in all Ehime were the best team, and shold have taken all 3 points. They outshot Yokohama 20-13.

Thespa Kusatsu Tokushima Vortis 1-0
TK: Goto 26’

After 7 matches without a win, it was about time Thespa took 3 points again as they beat Tokushima 1-0 at home. Thespa had few problems beating a weak Tokushima side, but due to their defensive strategy they didn’t had too many chances. They opted for the long ball, and that caused trouble for Tokushima on several occasions. Especially on the goal, when Goto gave Thespa the lead in the 26th minute. Tokushima tried to get back into the match in the 2nd half, and did some attacking substitutions. But either Sosa or Sugawara found the net, and the closest they got were a shot from Sugawara that just went wide. Thespa had 14 shots to Tokushima’s 11.

R28 - J1 results

Nagoya Grampus Eight Tokyo Verdy 1-1
N: Johnsen 90’

V: Tsuchiya 40’

Verdy came to Nagoya without too big hopes of a point, but the visitors came within a whiske of taking all actually, and Nagoya were only saved by a last-minute equalizer by Frode Johnsen. Verdy looked dangerous already from the start off, lead by Hiramoto and Diego up front who showed good strength on the ball. Yukio Tsuchiya, with his characteristicially bald head rose highest on a corner in the 40th minute to give Verdy a well-deserved lead to take with them to half-time. Nagoya got a bit more into the match in the 2nd half, and came up with a few chances. Most of them fell to Johnsen, who should have scored on 2 occasions. It got a little better when Sugimoto came on, as he added another dimension to Nagoya’s attack with his speedy runs down the flank. So in injury-time, Nagoya finally got their equalizer, after Yoshimizu Ogawa’s cross landed on Johnsen’s head. All in all a somewhat lucky point though, with Verdy outshooting the home-team 18-11.

JEF Utd Ichihara Urawa Red Diamonds 3-2
J: Fukai 1’, 57’, Michel 67’

U: Tulio 9’, Edmilson 86’

JEF’s rise doesn’t seem to stop, and this time it was Urawa that became the victims of Alex Miller’s defensive organizing and great tactics. He’s done wonders with JEF, and have lead them to 5 straight wins now which puts them in 14th place. At the moment JEF are Japan’s best club it seems, which shows how fast it can change considering they were the worst just a few months ago. Masaki Fukai has been a revelation in the last matches, and this match he scored his 3rd and 4th goal in only his 7th start of the season. He gave JEF the lead after only 30 seconds with his first touch of the ball after Tanizawa found him with the pass. However, jsut a few minutes late Tulio equalized for Urawa and the teams were deadlocked again. The first half were evenly contested, and if anyone should have been in the lead it was Urawa, who had the majority of the chances. JEF held out though, and after 57 minutes Fukai were on target again with a brilliant indicidual effort. The brazilian striker Michel added another one just 10 miinutes later, in what was his first goal ( and first shot!) since his debut 5 matches ago. Urawa threw everyone forward in an attempt to get back into it, and got one when Edmilson reduced in the 86th minute. It was too little too late though, and JEF took another 3 valuable points. For Urawa it was the first loss in 9 matches or so, but they’ve drawn alot lately as well and have lost several points. They are in danger of missing out on even a top 3 finish, which gives ACL. Urawa outshot JEF 15-8, but overall it was an even match.

Jubilo Iwata Consadole Sapporo 5-0
J: Maeda 8’,33’,37’, Gilsinho 52’, Inuzuka 90’

Jubilofans will be happy to see their team back on track with a 5-0 win over bottom-dwellers Consadole Sapporo at home this round. That means the former big-name club got 2 wins in a row, and are closing in on the teams above. They are on level points with Tokyo Verdy and Omiya Ardija now, but not for long if they keep up the good form. Jubilo had few problems beating a very poor Sapporo-side, and NT-striker Ryuichi Maeda became the MOM with a hattrick in the first half. He opened the scoring after only 7 minutes with an easy tap-in after Consadole’s GK gave a rebound. Then within 4 minutes later in the half he scored twice with his head after Komano fed him with pin-point corner-kicks. So the outcome of the match were already decided by then, and Jubilo eased down a bit in the 2nd half. But they added 2 more goals, first through a PK from Gilsinho, and in injury-time Inuzuka took a shot from distance that went straight into the top-corner. All in all an impressive performance from Jubilo, who outshot Consadole 13-5.

Omiya Ardija Kashiwa Reysol 0-4
R: Murakami 9’,14’,44’, Suganuma 48’

Kashiwa Reysol’s Yosuke Murakami stood for the biggest headline this round, as the right-back scored a marvellous hattrick in his first ever J.League match. This was his debut, as he stepped in due to some injuries in Reysol’s defence, and he got a fantastic start to his career. It didn’t take long before his set his mark on J.League, and scored twice in the opening 15 minutes with his head to put Reysol 2-0 up. he rounded off his hat-trick when he raced forward and came alone with Omiya’s keeper just before the break. With a well-taken lob from distance he became the first player since Zico back in 1993 to score 3 goals in his debut in J.League. Suganuma added a 4th a few minutes after the break, and Omiya were never a threat to the visiting team. It was Reysol’s first win in 10 matches actually, and 3 very important points in their battle against relegation. For Omiya however, the result means they are now in 17th place, which means J2 next year.

Vissel Kobe Kyoto Purple Sanga 4-1
V: Okubo 3’,78’, Uchiyama 46’, Leandro 77’

K: Tahara 52’

Kyoto took one heck of a beating when they they visited Kansai-rivals Vissel this round. The home-team won 4-1 which put them in 9th place. Japan NT striker Yoshito Okubo were on target with a nice finish after only 3 minutes, and set the tone for the rest of the match. Both teams had plenty of chances in the opening half, but Okubo’s goal was the only thing that divided them by half-time. Immediately after the break though, Uchiyama scored an absolutely cracker of a goal as he curled it into the top-corner and made it 2-0 for Vissel. Tahara finished off a beautiful attack a few minutes later to give Kyoto a life-line. Visse’l Kobayashi got sent off not too long after, and Kyoto now eyed a point or possible even a win. Vissel kept going on with their offensive tactics though, and in the 77th and 78th minute both Leandro and Okubo got on the scoresheet. Kyoto weren’t as bad as the result suggests, but either way a major boost for Vissel who’s had a disappointing season this year. Kyoto needs to start picking up points again now if they want to avoid the drop.

Albirex Niigata Yokohama F Marinos 0-0

Marinos extended their unbeaten streak to 5 games with a draw in Niigata, which means both teams picked up a valuable point. Niigata are in 12th with 36 points now, and Marinos lies only 1 point behind. It was easy to see that both teams were afraid to lose, and therefore didn’t take too many chances going forward. A dull performance, but atleast Yokohama tried on occasions. They even got a goal, but Sakata were called off for handball before he put the ball in the net. Niigata only came forward a few times, and the only one that created any danger for them were Yano, who put in a solid performance up front. Marinos outshot Niigata 13-5, and should have taken all points. However, a draw is a result both teams can live with.

FC Tokyo Shimizu S-Pulse 1-5
T: Emerson 59’

S: Yamamoto 21’, Iwashita 40’, Hara 45’, Okazaki 79’, Toda 90’

Title-chasing Tokyo took a real bashing as they lost 1-5 to Shimizu at home. That ended their 5 match win-streak and put a halt to their title-ambitions. They are only 5 points behind though, so the chances are still there. For Shimizu, they enjoy playing without any pressure at all, as they are placed in the middle of the table, well safe from the relegation zone and too many points behind the top teams. But they certainly looked a top-team this round, as they proved very efficient up front, and impressed with solid defending. Yamamoto gave them the lead after 21 minutes, before Iwashita and Hara added 2 more just before the break. Tokyo had the most of the chances though, and the score were a bit lop-sided. Emerson, who came off the bench at half-time, reduced for Tokyo in the 59th minute, and Tokyo were chasing a 2nd when Okazaki killed the game off his goal in the 79th minute. Toda finished them off with Shimizu’s 5th goal in injury-time. Shimizu looks great these days, and are soon to take part in the league-cup final. Clearly they are favorites there in this form.

Gamba Osaka Kashima Antlers 0-0

Gamba and Kashima shared the spoils in Osaka this round, a result the visitors will be most happy about. Gamba are down in 7th, 6 points behind the top, and can’t afford to drop any more points now if they want a shot at the title. Antlers got off to the best start, and put Gamba under pressure early on. Gamba’s defence has improved over the last couple of months though, and they withstood the ongoing surges forward. In the 2nd half, Gamba lead the play, but just like Antlers they couldn’t find the goal. All in all a fair, as Gamba outshot Antlers 15-12.

Kawasaki Frontale Oita Trinita 3-0
K: Renatinho 23’,27’, Juninho 57’

Oita have 2 straight defeats now, and are falling like a rock in the table. Down in 4th, they need to get their act together again if they want a top 3 finish. Frontale on the other hand, looks to be in great form and only have a single defeat in their last 12 matches. This match, they had few problems beating a disappointing Oita-side. Renatinho scored 2 quick goals in the middle of the 1st half to make it 2-0 for Frontale.The brazilian have been quite good in the latest matches, and looks to be the natural replacement for Juninho who’s not getting any younger. Speaking about Juninho, he showed in the 2nd half he still got it though, as he added a 3rd for Frontale in the 57th minute.Oita weren’t totally hapless though, but all in all it was a well-deserved lead. Frontale had 11 shots to Oita’s 7.

J2 - round 39 results

Yokohama FC Cerezo Osaka 2-2
Y: Miura 37’, Elizeu 77’
C: Komatsu 66’,74’

Cerezo didn’t manage to pull off a win in Yokohama, and with that their promotion-campaign took another blow. However, most of the others teams above them dropped points as well, so the gap up to 3rd is only 5 points. But with one more game gone, the chances are getting smaller. They should have won this one though, as they dominated pretty much the whole game. They looked terrifying in the beginning of the match, putting the Yokohama-defence under a great amount of pressure. Especially down the left-flank, were Kagawa were a constant threat. But instead it was Yokohama to take the lead, infront of a massive crowd of over 20 000 at National Stadium. Atsushi Miura showed his old legs still got it, and the wing-back found the net with a powerful shot from distance after 37 minutes. That was the only goal we got before the half, and Yokohama held a somewhat lucky lead.
Cerezo didn’t stop to play though, and continued with their offensive strategy. It finally paid off in the 66th minute when Komatsu scored his 15th goal of the season. Not too long after he added another after being beatifully played free by his compatriot up front Kaio. But Miura had more tricks up his sleeves, and with a free-kick he found the brazilian Elizeu free in the box, and Elizeu headed home the equalizer. The end to the match was dramatic as well, with a Yokohama defender being sent off. But we didn’t see any more goals, and 2-2 is a result Cerezo’s coach Levir Culpi won’t be too happy about. Cerezo outshot Yokohama 20-6.

Ehime FC Thespa Kusatsu 1-0
E: Uchimura 62’

In a dull match with extremely few chances at both ends won Ehime 1-0 over Thespa at home. With that they bounced back from the humiliating defeat they suffered against rivals Tokushima in the last round. There were some heavy rain right before the match, so the pitch were slippery which created alot of trouble for both teams. It was almost impossible to keep the ball on the ground, as it stopped in the puddles that were all over the pitch. Ehime had the ball the most of the time, but only came to a handful of chances. Uchimura should have given them the lead in the 22th minute, but his header hit the crossbar. In the 2nd half MF Akai also hit the crossbar with a shot for Ehime, but in the 62nd minute they finally got their goal as Uchimura reacted the quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty box. Thespa’s only real chance came when Goto were 1 on 1 with Ehime’s goalie, but he squandered his chance. All in all a deserved win for Ehime, and both teams had 5 shots each.

Mito Hollyhock FC Gifu 1-4
M: Hori 8’
G: Kawashima 37’, Umeda 52’, Katagiri 80’, Otomo 90’

After a good period with 10 points in their last 4 matches Mito came down to earth again as they were hammered 4-1 by Gifu at home. For Gifu’s sake, it was their first win in 13 matches. It was Mito that got off to the best start though, and Hori gave them the lead after only 8 minutes as he finished a nice attack by the home team. It was a match with not too many chances, and we had to wait a while before it happened anything by interest again. Mito did have a few dangerous shots though, but it was deserved when Kawashima equalized for Gifu a few minutes before the break. 7 minutes into the 2nd half Umeda snapped up a Mito-pass, and fired the ball home from some distance out to make it 2-1 for Gifu. At that period it could have gone both ways though, as Mito were fully on level with the visitors. They had some chances to equalize, but as they threw everyone forward in an attempt for a late goal, Gifu scored twice to end the match with a 4-1 win. Mito had 9 shots to Gifu’s 8 so it was more even than the result suggests.

Montedio Yamagata Avispa Fukuoka 1-0
M: Toyoda 47’

Montedio somehow managed to beat Avispa this match, despite being outplayed for most of the match and having to the almost the entire 2nd half with just 10 men. Avispa looked the best team already early on, but they lacked the sting in attack that they had shown in recent matches. Therefore the teams were still deadlocked by half-time. Toyoda gave Montedio the lead immediately after the break on a counter-attack, and seconds later veteran midfielder Nobuyuki Zaizen received his 2nd yellow card and were sent-off. Avispa, having one player more on the field, took even more over now, but sturdy defending from Montedio kept their strikers at bay. In the end it was a lucky win for Montedio, who ended a 4-match-without-a-win run by taking all 3 points here, and with that re-took the 2nd place.

Roasso Kumamoto Tokushima Vortis 2-2
R: Takahashi 16’, Komorida 72’
T: Sugawara 36’, 82’

Roasso extended their unbeaten streak to 4 matches with a 2-2 draw against Tokushima at home. They will probably feel a bit disappointed they didn’t win though, but Tokushima gave them a hard fight and deserved the point. Roasso got off to the best start, and immediately put the visitors under pressure. Their prolific striker Takahashi gave them the lead after only 16 minutes, after some nice work down the left-flank. 20 minutes later Sugawara equalized after a defensive error by Roasso. So the teams were still deadlocked by half-time, and neither of the teams looked too dangerous at this stage. The in-form midfielder Komorida were on target after 72 minutes though, when he headed home a cross from the right-flank. With little time left, Roasso eyed the win, but Sugawara were on target again after striking first on a spill-ball 8 minutes from full-time. Roasso had 10 shots to Tokushima’s 9, and a draw were a fair result.

Ventforet Kofu Vegalta Sendai 1-1
VK: Sales 52’
VS: Ryan Yong-Gi 55’

1-1 is a result neither of the teams will be overwhelmly happy about, as Kofu were desperate for all 3 points if they still wanted to participate in the promotion race. And for Vegalta, only a point here means they are still in 4th and without a win for 2 matches. Kofu were overall the best team, so they should have most reasons to be unhappy though. Vegalta went for a defensive strategy this time, and packed their defence. That didn’t prevent Kofu from getting to chances, but most of them were shots from distance that didn’t trouble the keeper. Early in the 2nd half, Kofu were awarded a penalty, and the brazilian striker Sales made no mistake from the spot. But just a few minutes later, Ryan Yong-Gi excelled through Kofu’s defence and took the shot to give Vegalta an immediate equalizer. After the goal, the match-picture went back to Kofu pressurizing Vegalta, who went back to packing the defence. It was almost like powerplay which we see in ice-hockey, and in the end Vegalta rode the storm off to earn a point. Kofu outshot Vegalta 12-6.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima Shonan Bellmare 2-0
SH: Kuwada 66’, Morisaki 69’


More reasons for Sanfrecce to cheer...

Sanfrecce shows no intentions of slowing down despite being secured a place in J1 next year, and this round it was 2nd placed Shonan that were easily beaten. Having 87 points now, they are eyeing the 100 point mark, and with 6 games left that should be a do-able task. Shonan didn’t came up with much against Sanfrecce, and they were lucky not to lose by a bigger margin. It was total domination from the first minute, and Shonan didn’t look like a team that deserved to be in J1 next year. Despite several chances, Sanfrecce didn’t manage to score before the break, so the teams were still deadlocked by half-time. But in the 66th minute the opening goal finally came, and it was a magnificent one as well by Kuwada. Some terrific passing led to Kuwada finishing it off. And just 3 minutes later, Morisaki added another to make it 2-0. The loss means Shonan dropped to 3rd, and needs to do alot better in the next round if they want a top 3 finish. Sanfrecce outshot Shonan 26-5, and another interesting fact is that Shonan only were rewarded a mere 3 freekicks the whole game.

J2 - round 38 results

Due to a lack of internet-access lately, it's been a while since my last update. That problem is solved now, and hopefull I'll be able to post on a daily basis again.

Sagan Tosu Yokohama FC 3-2

S: Hirose 35’,48’, Takahashi 86’
Y: Ikemoto 28’, Gokyo 78’

Sagan took a very important win when they met Yokohama at home this round, but it was only due to a late winner from Takahashi that they could celebrate as winners here. It was Yokohama that got off to the best start though, when Ikemoto gave them 1-0 in the 28th minute. Sagan didn’t take long before they had equalized though, when Hirose finished off a counter-attack to make it 1-1 7 minutes later. That were also the score by half-time. Immediately after the break, Sagan got on the scoresheet again, as Hirose struck another one past Yokohama’s goalie. Sagan looked quite good this period, with lots of nice passing and flowing football. They seemed to take their foot off the gas-pedal near the end though, as they allowed Gokyo to equalise with 12 minutes left to play. But Sagan had a little bit more gas left in the tank, and 4 minutes from full time Yoshiki Takahashi scored what can prove to be a really important goal for Sagan, as it meant they took all 3 points here. That was Takahashi’s only 2nd goal this season, and it really improves Sagan’s chances of a top 3 finish. Sagan had 13 shots to Yokohama’s 8, so overall it was a fair result.

Cerezo Osaka Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-3
C: Kagawa 8’, Germano 45’

S: Takahagi 40’,42’, Sato 44’

Cerezo’s promotion chances took a real knock as they lost to Sanfrecce at home this round. Sanfrecce scored 3 goals within 4 minutes just before the break, and that little period were enough for them to get away with all points. A huge disappointment for Cerezo, who overall were on level with Sanfrecce for most of this match apart from that letdown before the break. Wonderkid Shinji Kagawa gave Cerezo an early lead after only 8 minutes, and Cerezo looked to be in decent control in the following minutes. They were headed to half-time with a 1-0 lead, but in the 40th minute Takahagi equalized. Just 2 minutes he added another before Hisato Sato made it 1-3 straight afterwards. Cerezo were shocked, but Germano reduced on a penalty-kick to make it 2-3 before the referee blew off for half-time.
Cerezo’s best player this match were Kagawa, but as the match went on Sanfrecce managed to neautralize him and that took alot of the sting out of Cerezo’s attack. Even a few offensive substitutions didn’t help, and in the end Cerezo had to see Sanfrecce get away with all the points. Cerezo had 11 shots to Sanfrecce’s 14.

Thespa Kusatsu Roasso Kumamoto 0-0

Thespa will be unhappy not being able to beat Roasso at home, as a win would have taken them just a point behind 6th placed Cerezo. Roasso also got a defender sent off early in the match, so it should have been an easy win. Instea, Thespa played their 4th straight draw. I those matches had been won instead, Thespa would have been in the promotion race. Thespa should blame themselves for rued misses though, as most of their shots were harmless. They did hit the bar on one occasion though, but that was the closest the got. Roasso naturally packed their defence after being demoted to 10 men, and it workd out well. That was Roasso’s 3rd game in a row without a defeat, which is a rare thing for them. Thespa outshot Roasso 17-7.

Vegalta Sendai Mito Hollyhock 2-3
V: Ryan Yong-Gi 43’, Nadson 81’

M: Akahoshi 45’, Arata 71’,90’

Mito stood for the biggest shock this round, as they defeated an in-form Vegalta away. Vegalta had 4 straight wins and were headed for a 2nd place before this match. As in the 2 other meetings this year, the match were quite eventful had a bunch of goals to it.
All in all the teams were evenly contested, and that Mito ended up as winners seems fair. Especially considering that Vegalta ”stole” the win the last time they met with a goal in injury-time. Ryan Yong-Gi gave Vegalta the lead in the 43rd minute after a counter-attack, but Mito’s Akahoshi equalized with a pin-point finish in injury-time in the first half. The first half didn’t contained too many chances, and a draw by half-time seemed fair. Mito gof ott to the best start after the break, and Arata gave the visitors the lead in the 71st minute when he went on a dribbling raid past 2 defenders before hammering it home. But Vegalta were soon to equalize, through their brazilian striker Nadson. Nadson haven’t been the natural goalscorer type than Vegalta though they had buyed, but either way he’s been vital to the team’s offensive play. As the match neared it’s end, Arata were on target once again to give Mito the win. A remarkable result, and shows once again that Mito on it’s best are bound for bigger things than living at the bottom of J2. Vegalta had 18 shots to Mito’s 19.

Shonan Bellmare Ventforet Kofu 1-0
S: Ishihara 38’

Shonan should consider themselves a bit lucky to be on the winning side in the match against Kofu, as the visitors had most of the chances. Likewise, Kofu must feel disappointed as 3 points here would mean their chances of a top 3 finish would have been significantly strengthened. The only goal of the match came just before half-time, when Ishihara reacted first on a rebound from Kofu’s keeper. That was a good finish to a dull first-half, where neither of the teams really had any chances. Kou geared up a notch for the 2nd half, in their attempt to get the equalizer. They came close on several occasions, but it didn’t result in any goals. Bad luck, as htey outshot Shonan 11-4.

Tokushima Vortis Ehime FC 5-0
T: Ishida 18’,81’, Mugita 60’, Sugawara 80’, Onishi 84’

Tokushima played arguably their best game of the year when they hammered island-rivals Ehime 5-0 at home. Almost 12 000 showed up for the derby-match, and the homefans atleast got what they came for. In the first half the teams were evenly contested, and only separated by a single goal which came through Ishida ater 18 minutes. Ehime looked to be fully on level with the home team, but despite some nice individual efforts that resulted in some dangerous chances they failed to hit the target. It was the same in the beginning of the 2nd half, but when Mugita scored his first ever J.League goal in the 60th minute after getting free inside the box, Ehime fell apart and let Tokushima dominate the rest of the match. It exploded within the last 10 minutes, when Tokushima scored 3 quick goals. Sugawara did 3-0 before Ishida added his 2nd of the match. The best goal came through Onishi though, who had only been on field for 20 seconds. From 25 meters out, Onishi took down the ball, and then directly hammered it into the top right corner with only his 2nd touch. A marvellous end to a good game, and Tokushima outshot Ehime 14-9. Although he didn’t got on the scoresheet, MOM must be the former Kofu and Kyoto player Kuranuki, who played a part in almost every goal Tokushima scored this game.

FC Gifu Avispa Fukuoka 1-1
G: Aikawa 26’

A: Havenaar 43’

Gifu ended their losing streak at 6 games as they managed a draw at home against Avispa this round. That’s a result neither of the team can complain about, as it was a very evenly contested match. Gifu took the lead in the 26th minute through Aikawa, who scored his first goal ever in J.League. Passive defending lead to Aikawa getting the chance, and he made no mistake with his finish. But just before the break, the tall Havenaar headed home the equalizer after a set-play situation. Gifu had alot of focus on the defence this match, after their recent big losses, and it worked well against Avispa, as they managed to close them down for most of the time. Only on occasions did Avispa break through, but it was never really dangerous. All in all a fair result, and the teams had 8 shots each.