News
J.League in Focus
Though the content is a week old, this is the very newest feature on JSoccer.com. Lionel Piguet brings you up close and personal views of J.League matches, beginning with Vissel Kobe's home victory over Yokohama FC.
Exclusive JSoccer Interview
JSoccer Magazine <-> Daigo Nishi
JSoccer Magazine Issue no30 includes an exclusive interview with former Consadole, Albirex, Antlers, Vissel, and soon-to-be Urawa Reds right wingman Daigo Nishi.
Current Kyoto Sanga head coach Gert Engels is interviewed in issue 28 of JSoccer Magazine - and the pages are clipped for your perusal below! You can get an actal paper copy of the magazine by sending $10 inc. worldwide shipping to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. via Paypal, and leaving your address! Enjoy the musings of a man who has been in our game longer than many of us have been alive!
C'Etait La Vie!
Frédéric Antonetti Reflects on his Time at Gamba Osaka Back in 1998.
Teeraasil and Theerathon
Two Terrific Thai Transfers
With the current influx of Thai players to the J.League, JSoccer Magazine had a chance to interview a Thai fan about the impact this is having both for Thai players and for the local league.
F.League: The Second Decade
2017-18 Season Preview
by Our Man on the Court – Steve Harris
Read more: F.League 2017 Preview - from JSoccer Magazine issue 24
Kashima Antlers History - The Buck Stops Here
Ken Matsushima wrote a potted history of Japan's most successful club for JSoccer Magazine issue 23. Here it is reproduced for JSoccer.com. We hope you like it as much as the readers of the magazine did!!
Renofa Yamaguchi - Exciting Enough to Wake the Dead
Renofa Yamaguchi are gradually climbing the J.League ladder, and are attracting legions of fans as they advance. J.Soccer had a chance to meet with one of the team's more "colorful" fans --“Pajama Zombie Girl”
What To Do When the J.League Season is Over
What to Do When the J.League Season Is Over?!
The end of the J.League 2019 season is just around the corner. It has been a thrilling
campaign, particularly at the top of J1, with Kashima Antlers, Yokohama F.Marinos and FC Tokyo still with a shot of the crown with five games to go... but soon the exciting story lines will
conclude, leaving a need to be entertained and to compete until the top division of Japanese
football gets underway once again.
In the modern day, the go-to source for entertainment is gaming, but despite the dedicated
fan base for football in Japan, the licensed video games aren’t among the best sellers. It was
found that FIFA 19 on the PlayStation 4 was only the 49th best-selling game of last year, with
the Nintendo Switch – the console of choice – version of FIFA 18 and FIFA 19 sitting back at
73rd and 78th – likely due to the lackluster porting efforts of publisher Electronic Arts. So here, we’ll be looking into a few different gaming options that provide the excitement of football, whether the competition is in a huge virtual stadium or simply through the thrills of engaging with game-play features.
Battle in Huge Football-Themed Stadiums
One of the biggest releases of the year, if not the biggest, is going to be Pokémon Sword and
Pokémon Shield. Finally boasting real open-world game-play and featuring on a home
console, the Nintendo Switch, everyone is hyped for the newest game. Based in Great Britain,
Sword and Shield will bring in a new wave of Pokémon, new ways to interact, and new
activities to enjoy. The developers, Game Freak, have gone all-out to invoke as many
elements from their theme as possible, which includes drawing from Britain’s insatiable love
of football.
Instead of battling gym leaders in their own building, away from prying eyes, major battles in
Pokemon Sword and Shield take place in packed stadiums filled with cheering fans. Game
Freak wanted to add as much gravitas to the occasion as possible, so they’ve also included
the giant Pokémon feature of Dynamaxing. On top of this, certain Pokémon can Gigantamax,
which alters their appearance and moves with specific monsters, such as Charizard, Corviknight, Drednaw, and Pikachu.
Seeking Football Thrills Elsewhere
If you don’t own a Nintendo Switch, or prefer more adult and sophisticated games, one of the
best hubs for entertainment online is the casino. Manekichi is specifically built for Japanese
gamers, offering a diverse range of games that includes some features that will immerse you in
football once again. The pick of the bunch is Mundial Fever as it features Diego Maradona,
Pele, Zinedine Zidane, and even a penalty shoot-out feature.
Baseball and rugby games are, understandably, dominating the mobile gaming charts in Japan
right now, per SimilarWeb, but Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer app is still the best mobile
football game going. Adapted from the console game with a massive mobile audience, the
updated app of eFootball PES 2020 now boasts the licenses for Barcelona, Bayern Munich,
Manchester United, and, exclusively, Juventus, among others.
The J.League season may be reaching its concluding chapter for 2019, but there are plenty
of games ready and waiting to give you
JSoccer Speaks with David Camhi
Recently, in China, Lionel Piguet had the chance, on behalf of JSoccer Magazine to meet David Camhi, a passionate French coach who, for four years worked under Philippe Troussier, at Shenzhen Ruby, CS Sfaxien in Tunisia, and then back in China at Hangzhou Greentown.