So, let’s get it on…. hopefully the Japanese MFers (midfielders, by the way – not what YOU were thinking!) survive the attentions of Essien and co. Here is the Samurai Blue starting line-up…. along with “as it happens” notes on the WHOLE game – keep reading, I’ll keep updating!!!

Yes, it’s true – just for a change, the man in black (or green, in this case) did enough to affect the outcome of a J.League game! With the help of an inept (biased?) referee, once again a smaller club beats a top club to keep the J.League interesting!!? PLEASE READ ON – for one of ther WORST REFEREEING decisions in modern times :angry:

After some recent problems attributed to his agent ripping him off, and subsequent homesickness and weight gain over the summer due to possible depression, Sota Hirayama is on his way back home.

Alex – pathetic….. Ganaha…. go home and keep practicing Only Kaji and Endo can get any satisfaction from this one….

TOKYO (AP) – World Cup midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara has joined Italian club Messina on a one-year loan deal, his J-League first-division club Kashima Antlers announced Monday.

… those ex-Gamba boys keeping the airlines busy!

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Junichi Inamoto completed a transfer deadline day-beating deal to sign for Turkish giants Galatasaray.

WHY does the J.League allow obvious commercial concerns to decide what colour shirts the teams wear? An “away” shirt is an alternative, NOT a shirt to be worn at EVERY away game! What is the point (except to expose the shirt and try to sell more!) of, for example, Kawasaki Frontale (who normally wear a dark shirt of blue and black!) changing to their white shirt to play against JEF (wearing yellow)! So, instead of a dark against light game, we get two teams wearing very similar shirts – commercial concern and the hope that they sell more of the shirts when fans see them on TV can be the ONLY reason! Oi! STOP IT!!

Gamba go clear at the top as Reds lose! Cerezo win, too – as Nanami makes his presence felt! Osim about to name a team for games against Saudi Arabia and Yemen next week…. could be interesting! Even Sagan’s Arai in J2 is getting a mention!

Obviously not worried about the result – a foregone conclusion (famous last words!)…. Osim has rested all of the overseas-based players, as well as giving youth its head (again)…. from the WC06 squad, there’s no Miyamoto, Yanagisawa, Ogasawara, Fukunishi, Tanaka (but let’s face it, who expected to see the latter two again in a Japan shirt, anyway!?)….. in fact there are only seven members of Zico’s WC squad present!