Team News and Transfer Updates – January 15th, 2012INCOMING:Shu KURATA has returned from a loan spell at Cerezo Osaka, having also spent time at JEF United. During his time away he got plenty of experience, improved his game and even played in the AFC Champions league – against Gamba Osaka!! This local boy – born in Takatsuki – is still only 23 years old and will return an improved player. Hopefully, he will be forgiven for playing for the local rivals in pink and become a big favourite with the home fans.Shinichi TERADA is another local boy who has returned to the club after loan time away. In six years as a youngster he played almost 100 games for Gamba before spending two seasons getting experience at Yokohama FC. He returns a better player and will be welcomed with open arms.Yohei TAKEDA has joined on loan from Shimizu S-Pulse. Last season he had some loan time at Albirex Niigata, making four appearances, but has yet to have a decent run of games in J1. He joins the goalkeeping team and will be hoping to push Fujigaya for his place!PAULINHO – Paulo Antonio De Oliveira – has joined the team from Ventforet Kofu.EDUARDO – Eduardo Jose Diniz Costa – a no-nonsense defender has joined the club from Paulista, Brazil.Akihiro SATO joins the club from two successful seasons scoring goals for Tokushima Vortis.Daiki NIWA returns to the club after five years out on loan at Tokushima Vortis, Omiya Ardija and Avispa Fukuoka – welcome home Daiki!It was also announced that RAFINHA’s loan period has been extended for the 2012 season!Adding to the newcomers we have new youngsters:Hiroyuki ABE from Kansai Gakuin University and Takaharu NISHINO, Katsuhisa INAMORI and Ken TAIJIRI from Gamba YouthOUTGOING:Good luck to Satoshi Yamaguchi, who has returned to JEF United, after ten years and close to 300 appearances (and 30 goals) for Gamba. During his time at Gamba he also made the All-Star team three times and appeared twice for the national team. Our former captain goes with our best wishes and sincere thanks for sterling service.Takumi Shimohira has left for Omiya Ardija on a full transfer.Kazumichi Takagi and Hideo Hashimoto have both joined Vissel Kobe.Up and coming defender Shunya Suganuma has joined Jubilo Iwata on loan for the complete 2012 season, barring any unforeseen events. It’s his 2nd loan period away from the team after he spent three months with Roasso Kumamoto last season. The team will be hoping he comes back better for his experience and is pushing for a place in 2013!Goalkeeper Kohei Kawata has gone to Avispa Fukuoka on loan for 2012. Also in the goalkeeping area, Yuichi Futori has been given a full transfer to Tokyo Verdy.Lee Keun-Ho and Kim Seung-Yong have both left Gamba and returned to Korea to join Ulsan Hyundai.Afonso has been released.COACHING CHANGES:At the top of the tree Gamba Osaka also welcome coaching staff… replacing Akira Nishino is Jose Carlos Serrao – as head coach, from S

Another Update on the J.League in an Ongoing Series! Nagoya Grampus …But not YET a lot happening in Nagoya!!? If YOU have news, let me know!OUT:Burzanovic – released.Mitsuru Chiyotanda – full transfer to Jubilo Iwata.IN:Yuki Maki – back from a loan period at Bellmare (and to be used as a centre back this season?).Rumours of Tulio leaving are unfounded according to coach Dragan Stoijkvic, who told me that in person at the Club World Cup!! Of course things change! We’ll see.

Kashiwa Reysol – The Story So Far – A Continuing Team-By-Team UpdateOUT:Dong Hyuk PARK – released, joined Dalian Shide, China.Yohei KURAKAWA – released,Kohei HIGA – to Montedio Yamagata on loan.Masato YAMAZAKI – loan to Gifu.IN:RICARDO LOBO – from Tochigi SC on a full transfer.Masato FUJITA – full transfer from Yokohama FCRyoji FUKUI – from Tokyo Verdy via a loan at Kitakyushu in 2011 on a full transfer.Hirofumi WATANABE – full transfer from Tochigi.Goro KAWANAMI – loan period at Gifu ended.Daisuke NASU – from Jubilo Iwata on a full transfer.

That’s what I’m hearing locally…. more on that (or not!) as soon as I know it.

http://www.voetbalbelgie.be/nl/article.php?id=48739Komano is joining Belgium’s Sint-Truidense VV – bottom of the league, struggling so, hopefully he will be getting a guarantee of playing time, as opposed to if he was going to Bayern Munich (hello Usami!). Hopefully he’ll come back a better, more experienced player for it. Good luck!

Japan U23 training sees 26 players called up for a camp in Guam from January 14 to 22 in preparation for the soon-coming Olympic qualifiers.Eligible Europe-based players were not included.The players will be pushing for places in the game on February 5 game against Syria heading for the 2012 London Olympics and Japan will be hoping to add to their maximum 9 points from three games.Note that Kiyotake has been thrown back in the mic, even though he could probably cement a place in the full team now! Goalkeepers

As Tweeted weeks ago (yes you heard it here first!), Japan’s 26-year-old forward will join Southampton from Sanfrecce Hiroshima subject – on a two-and-a-half-year contract it seems, subject to the details being tied up, and the good old “medical” being passed.As I have told various newspapers and the BBC (interview going out in a few hours – UK time early morning, I am told), he’s got a great future given the right service and time on the field. Clinical finisher, never-say-die attitude and nice guy to boot – we wish him the best of luck in the Premier League in 2012-13, and hope some of his trademark goal celebrations are seen soon on the fields of England’s league 1.Check out his goal for Japan – in extra time against Australia – in the Asian Cup Final in January 2011, for a superb volley from this boy! I’ll try to find it on YouTube and link it here and to my YouTube account (JSoccerMagazine) and my UStream account (also JSoccerMagazine). Search for the accounts and join me!

After the season close we took some well-earned (really!!) time off and are currently on a beach in Thailand! New issue of JSoccer Magazine in the works (January 31st – Issue 3 on the streets), web site update and relaunch before the new season (mid to late-February target)…. and plenty of transfer updates coming at you from next week, when it’s all settled back down…. have a great 2012 with JSoccer Magazine and JSoccer.Com!Alan Gibson

The Unofficial Football World Champions – North Korea – have lost their beloved leader! Will this affect them going into their first defence of this prestigious title against Tajikistan, Feb. 29th, 2012?Check here for more on the UFWCs! Unofficial Football World Champions