With Antlers’ slump continuing, S-Pulse carrying on their hot streak and Gamba, Frontale and Albirex all winning… it is looking as tight as it was three years ago at the top of J1 – see for yourself! And, presuming Frontale hold on to their two goal lead in the final 15 minutes or so of the game that has to be finished – after being stopped due to rain a few weeks back – we’ll see them join Gamba on 49 points AND +15 goal difference. FOUR teams within a point of each other at the top and hardly a goal (difference) between them all? It’s going to be a BIG finish!

Without young star Kagawa, nursing a sore little toe on his right foot, Cerezo just managed to squeeze past bottom-placed Tochigi SC at Nagai last week …. Bellmare held on for their 1-0 win …..Anyway, here come this week-end’s results and the latest table. Nine games to go after this!

Report made for the Vissel web site…

Here’s one I made earlier …. for the Gamba web site….

Gamba took the wind out of Frontale’s sails and stayed in the hunt for the title.

With Antlers continuing their slump AND expected to not pull two goals back against Frontale, when they continue their rained-off match at 3-1 with 15 or so minutes to go, it’s getting interestingly tight at the top of J1…. let’s preume Frontale WILL beat Antlers 3-1… it would look like this… Antlers 50 points (goal difference +10), S-Pulse 49 (+14), Frontale 49 (+13), Gamba 46 (+12), Sanfrecce 44 (+11) and let’s throw in Albirex for good measure…. on 43 points (+12)…. if it carries on like this it could go down to the wire – although it could never be as close as three seasons back, when Konno scored for FC Tokyo on 90 minutes to take Cerezo from top to 5th in one shot….. and Gamba taking the Championship…. or could it?!!At the bottom Oita are as good as down, and most are expecting (hoping?) JEF will join them. But it’s three down this year (and no play-offs) so Reysol and Yamagata are in trouble and Vissel, Ardija, Jubilo and Sanga are still not safe…. it’s going to be a wild ride!

A quick look at the top of J1 for the “restart”!

A come-from-behind win that, in the end was well-deserved… an excellent possession-filled, chances-wasted first 30 minutes or so was spoiled with a stupid PK, a handball/elbow up in the face of a Ghana attacker at the far post. Then a long ball produced a 2nd goal as Nakazawa was caught out. Kengo Nakamura pulled one back before another long pass saw Tulio completely flat-footed and Tsuzuki in goal not knowing whether to come or not – stranded in no-man’s land because of indecision he conceded the 3rd. Then Japan pulled it all around with more excellent passing, closing down and, FINALLY, some decent finishing. Tamada scored the 2nd after Nagatomo persevered and closed a defender down, slipping a pass to Tamada for him to rifle across the keeper. Kudos to Inamoto for a pinpoint cross for Okazaki for the 3rd, and then a perfect, calm finish from 20 yards while shrugging off Essien to make it 4-3. Lots to learn from this, but confidence will be gained!

As I saw it “live”…. unedited, and ready to discard! I thought I’d post anyway, even though the disappointment is still there…..

Mark gives us the rundown on J2…. check out his Grampalog, also!After a few weeks with only a point or two separating the top four in J2, last night’s results see Cerezo and Vegalta open up a slight gap. This should ensure that both of them lose in the next round of games.Results:Consadole Sapporo 1-1 Mito Holly HockYokyo Verdy 0-2 Vegalta SendaiShonan Bellmare 1-1 Tochigi SCVentforet Kofu 1-1 Ehime FCKataller Toyama 0-1 Cerezo OsakaFagiano Okayama 2-2 Avispa FukuokaTokushima Vortis 1-1 TheSpa KusatsuSagan Tosu 2-1 Yokohama FCRoasso Kumamoto 2-5 FC GifuTop Six1 Cerezo Osaka 74 +312 Vegalta Sendai 73 +313 Shonan Bellmare 71 +254 Ventforet Kofu 71 +255 Mito Holly Hock 66 +126 Sagan Tosu 61 +11Have included Sagan on the grounds that they have been on a roll sincesigning Marinos reject Mike Havenaar. It would be nice to see them getclose enough to mount a serious challenge for a promotion place.Grampalogue IINews and views about Nagoya Grampus and football in Japan.