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.

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 (!).