Gamba Osaka earn a quarter final place in the Emperor’s Cup… next stop Antlers!

Yes, Oita did us all a favour by taking out Frontale 1-0 today… Gamba and Antlers won yesterday, so it’s wide open at the top…. Gamba beat Kashima next week and it’s all down to the last day… and Reysol could be fighting for their life on the last day so Kawasaki will have their hands full! Gamba to destroy JEF and take it!?

“I was joking on the sidelines saying, ‘You Americans have been dying to get it to four quarters and you finally got it!'”David Beckham after LA Galaxy’s Western Conference play-off final with Houston was affected by power cuts!

Motoaki Inukai, president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), wants the noisy VUVEZULA to be banned from the World Cup in South Africa, along with most of us who watched the game on TV!Fifa has rejected any previous requests for a ban on the noisy plastic instrument.Japan have now joined the voice against the cacophony and appealed to South African officials after the friendly against the World Cup hosts last Saturday.Tulio, the Japan centre back, said: “You can’t hear what your team-mates are saying from two metres away.”The VUVEZULA is apparently vital to South African football fans but the incessant noise from the air horns triggered multiple complaints from players, coaches and broadcasters during this year’s Confederations Cup.When asked for his thoughts on the noisy instrument, Japan coach Takeshi Okada responded, “Perhaps if they play good football the fans will be quiet and watch.” Nice one Mr. Okada, but can you get our boys playing decent footie, too!?

J2 Sendai downed Nabisco Cup winners Tokyo by three goals to nil, while FC Gifu took out JEF United, to keep the J2 interest up in this year’s tournament. Vissel took Antlers to the final minutes, Frontale narrowly squeaked past F Marinos and Gamba, S-Pulse, Niigata and Grampus had easier times in their games.

Tokyo and S-Pulse fans should forgive me for not considering them in this equation but I think it’s down to Frontale, Antlers and Gamba to either win it or allow the others to take it. These three SHOULD take the ACL spots, though. But who will make it to the top on the final day? A first-time Champion in Kawasaki? Or a three-peat for Antlers? Or will Gamba pull back those four points and take it!!?Let’s take a look…..

Lucas hits a hat trick… Gamba march on…

That’s put the cat among the pigeons! Frontale destroy any hopes that Sanfrecce had, while FC Tokyo kept themselves in with a slight chance (and a decent chance of a top 3 finish anyway) by nailing S-Pulse. Shimizu – top 2 games ago are now 5 points adrift again… Gamba’s 0-0 with Marinos didn’t help them and Kashima and Kawasaki open up a gap with four games to play…. that 7-0 scoreline can only help with the goal difference, also – here’s the table.

Cerezo need one point from four games to confirm promotion…. here’s Peter’s take….First report for a couple of weeks, and with midweek games quite a lot change. Yokohama FC lost at home to Cerezo today, but during this couple of weeks they’ve dragged themselves off the bottom, with a 2-1 home win against Fagiano Okayama and a famous 1-0 away win at Ventforet Koufu.

Gamba miss the opportunity to hit the top… Sanfrecce keep their slim hopes alive.