Superb Ronaldo-esque back heel flick from a free kick by Iwanami gives Japan the points in a game that they were barely out of 2nd gear in, on a pitch not conducive to the passing game. Were those things connected, were Japan “taking it easy”? I certainly believe they could have easily given more, or should have and there’s plenty in reserve for their match against the hosts – UAE – on Wednesday night. The group is poised to go down to the last minutes of those games on Wednesday with UAE, Iran and Japan fighting it out. A win is what is needed by the Young Samurai Blue!
Category Archives: Reports
Reports
Shimizu S-Pulse 1-2 Kashia Antlers – Nabisco Cup Final short highlights
Japan v Kuwait tonight – MUST-WIN for U19 National team Boys!
Japan began their AFC Under 19 tournament with a 2-0 loss to Iran on an early goal from Behnam Barzay and a clincher 2-0 goal just before the hour mark from Hossein Fazeli. Japan tried to get back into the game – substitutes Kosuke Onosa and Ryuta Tanabe were thrown on – but were unsuccessful in this opening match and, taken with the 1-1 draw between UAE and Kuwait in the group’s other game, Japan find themselves at the bottom of the group.
The young Samurai Blue take on Kuwait on Monday night knowing nothing less than a win will keep them in the competition in the UAE. They face the hosts on Wednesday night in what may be a match to decide the group winners.
The four semi-finalists of this 16-team tournament will automatically qualify for the U-20 World Cup in 2013 in Colombia.
J1 Round-Up Matchday 30, Saturday October 27th.
Six out of nine games were drawn in the last weekend of J1 play, including Gamba 1-1 Sanfrecce and Urawa Reds 0-0 Cerezo Osaka. The top three teams drawing, then, allowing Shimizu S-Pulse to take advantage and move to within one point of Reds in that 3rd ACL spot.
Working from the top down, Gamba went ahead against Sanfrecce but were pegged back from the win they desperately needed by the top team, while 2nd-placed Vegalta Sendai were denied a win by Jubilo Iwata. Gamba’s goal was a gem from the fancy footwork of Yasuhito Endo, a goal truly deserving of a win, but Kazuyuki Morisaki earned the away team a point.
Urawa Reds, in 3rd place continued their run of games without a home win, and failed to take advantage of the team above them dropping points, allowing S-Pulse to move within a point of them in 4th spot. Nagoya Grampus are now in 5th, and must have thought they’d won the match with a late goal from Tamada, but Nakamura did what he does best – scoring a 95th minute free kick to secure a point for Yokohama F.Marinos. Marinos lie in 7th position, still with hopes for that ACL spot.
In between Grampus and Marinos lie Kashiwa Reysol, who were put to the sword by Omiya Ardija – who annihilated the Sun Kings 4-1 to earn three very valuable points in their fight against relegation. Grampus coach Stojkovic is almost getting used to dropping points late on?
FC Tokyo made their final four games relatively pressure-free with a 5-0 win over relegated Consadole Sapporo, while Sagan Tosu pushed Albirex Niigata further into trouble, dispatching the relegation-threatened club by a 2-0 scoreline, leaving Albirex trailing Gamba Osaka, and with a five point gap to the safety of Omiya in 15th place.
Only just above the relegation zone, Vissel Kobe and Kawasaki Frontale fought out a 3-3 draw sharing the points and leaving Vissel in 14th, just goal difference separating them from Omiya Ardija. Frontale are not much higher and not yet safe – 40 points not seeming to be a safe total for this season, yet!
At the bottom, as at the top, J1 looks to be going down to the final day – enjoy J.League with JSoccer.com and JSoccer Magazine.
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J1 Round-Up from JapanFooty
Here’s how JapanFooty saw J1 Matchday 30
Original at http://www.japanfooty.com/apps/blog/entries/show/19599640-zlat-ll-do-nicely-
Matchday 30 of J.League Division 1 saw more draws than a Clint Eastwood epic, with only three of the nine games played resulting in three points being awarded. Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Vegalta Sendai remain deadlocked at the top of the table after 1-1 draws away to Gamba Osaka and Jubilo Iwata respectively, while at the bottom end of the table Slovenian forward Zlatan Ljubijankic netted a stunning hat-trick to help boost Omiya Ardija’s survival hopes in a monster 4-1 win away to Kashiwa Reysol.
Vegalta Sendai found themselves frustrated at the Yamaha Stadium against Jubilo Iwata. Ryang Yong-Gi, Wilson and Shingo Akamine all went close for the visitors, but Jubilo also had several chances and Vegalta ‘keeper Takuto Hayashi was again forced to produce a number of top drawer saves before Akamine finally opened the scoring in the 77th minute with a simple tap-in from a Naoki Sugai square ball across the six-yard box. Jubilo battled back however, and were able to draw level with what seemed an almost perfect replica of the Sendai goal when Hiroki Yamada’s low cross went through several Vegalta defenders and found substitute Kosuke Yamamoto at the back post.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima were also unable to find the desired win on their trip to face Gamba Osaka. Japan legend Yasuhito Endo was unlucky not to open the scoring for the home side in the first half with a looping shot headed off the line by Sanfrecce’s Hiroki Mizumoto. The midfield ace got sweet revenge in the second half when an amazing piece of trickery saw Mizumoto and team-mate Ryota Moriwaki crashing into each other as the Japan star dribbled past them to fire Gamba into the lead. While Endo was the hero of the day for Gamba, fellow Japan international Yasuyuki Konno was the villain after a poor clearance delivered the ball directly into the path of Kazuyuki Morisaki who graciously fired Sanfrecce level. Sanfrecce and Sendai both have 55 points, with Sanfrecce edging the lead on goal difference.
Urawa Reds were unable to take advantage of the top two dropping points, as they drew 0-0 with Cerezo Osaka at the Satiama Stadium. A frustrating day for Reds fans saw Marcio Richardes hit the post and Yosuke Kashiwagi had a goal rightfully calked off for offside. While Cerezo have not lost in their last five league games and are looking increasingly likely to avoid relegation, Reds title hopes now hang by a thread after have not won a poor run of form. Mihailo Petrovic’s side have failed to win a home league game since their 2-1 victory over Kashima Antlers in mid-August, and find themselves six points off the leaders in third, with a total of 49 and only four more games remaining.
Shimizu S-Pulse moved up to fourth place and within a point of Urawa Reds with a 2-1 win over Kashima Antlers in a dress rehearsal of next weekend’s Nabisco Cup final. Kim Hyung-Sung opened the scorer for visiting S-Pulse with a spectacular turn and shot on the edge of the six-yard box before Antlers’ Daiki Iwamasa leveled from a corner on the 44th minute. An almost instant reply from Genki Omae, who has now scored seven goals in his last nine games in all competitions, gave the visiting S-Pulse a priceless three points in their push for ACL qualification. Meanwhile, Antlers are still not entirely safe from relegation, with a total of 38 points in 13th place.
Nagoya Grampus moved up to fifth place on 46 points after a 1-1 draw at home to Yokohama F. Marinos. Nagoya seemed to have had done enough to secure the three points when Keiji Tamada netted in the 87th minute, but former Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura delivered a punishing trademark free-kick in the 95th minute to leave coach Dragan Stoijkovic once again struggling to contain his anger. Marinos are now seventh on 44 points, ahead of Sagan Tosu and FC Tokyo on goal difference.
Omiya Ardija were the day’s big winners in more ways than one, with a stunning 4-1 victory over reigning champions Kashiwa Reysol at the Hitachi Stadium. A Daigo Watanabe flick on found summer signing Zlatan Ljubijankic to open the scoring with a powerful shot that beat Reysol ‘keeper Takanori Sugeno on his near post on the 21st minute. Shortly after half-time Watanabe again found the Slovenian forward, allowing him to drag Sugeno out of his goal, going round the outside of him and slotting home from a tight angle to make it 2-0 to Omiya. Ljubijankic completed his hat-trick on the 49th minute with a shot that bounced in off the inside of the far post, after Watanabe threaded another through ball into his path. The Slovenian was later able to return the favor with a neat through pass of his own to allow Watanabe to add a fourth goal on the 79th minute, leaving Reysol with no way back. A long-range strike from Neto Baiano in the final stages of the game held little significance for the disgruntled home support, which had seen their side well and truly torn apart. While Reysol are now in sixth place on 45 points, 15th placed Omiya are now three points clear of the relegation zone with a total of 36.
While Omiya’s win makes life look increasingly difficult for Gamba Osaka in 16th place on 33 points, Albirex Niigata now appear to have a mammoth task in front of them if they are to avoid joining the already relegated Consadole Sapporo in next year’s J2. A 2-0 home defeat to Sagan Tosu leaves them five points behind Omiya in 17th with a total of 31. Two goals from Yohei Toyoda gave the visitors their first win on the road since their victory over Kawasaki Frontale on August 11, as Albirex failed to find the net for the fourteenth time this campaign.
Vissel Kobe gained what could be a vital point in their home tie against Kawasaki Frontale. A spectacular long-range effort from Renato gave Frontale a first-half lead before Ken Tokura pounced on some defensive hesitancy to prod home an equalizer for the home side in the 56th minute. Frontale again took the lead with goals from Yu Kobayashi and Jumpei Kusukami to make it 3-1 to the visitors, but a spirited fight-back saw Kobe’s Yuzo Tashiro claw one back before Tokura headed home to make it 3-3 on the 82nd minute. Vissel have not won in their last eight league outings, and are now at serious risk of slipping into the relegation zone. They are currently in 14th place, ahead of Omiya on goal difference alone. Meanwhile, Frontale are in 12th place on 40 points, behind Cerezo Osaka on goal difference.
In the only other match of the day, FC Tokyo dismissed any notion that they would become the latest club to fall foul of a post-relegation confirmation burst of form from Consadole Sapporo by systematically dismantling the Hokkaido side in an impressive 5-0 demolition. Naoki Ishikawa put in a stunning performance for the home side, netting two goals in the process, with Hyun Soo-Jang, Sotan Tanabe and Nemanja Vucicevic also getting on the scoresheet. Tokyo are now in ninth on 44 points, one point ahead of Jubilo Iwata in tenth, but, amazingly, only five points behind Urawa in third.
See more at http://www.japanfooty.com/
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Nadeshiko Update . . . INAC win League, Vegalta take 2nd Tier
INAC Kobe Leonessa confirmed their Nadeshiko League title for the second year in-a-row after they were victorious in Okayama on Sunday, beating Yunogo Belle 4-1. World Cup-winning star Nahomi Kawasumi scored once and aided in all three other goals – two for Shinobu Ohno and one for Megumi Takase.
INAC went through the season with 15 wins and a sole defeat – giving them 46 points with two matches remaining – and are now unbeaten in league play for 35 matches.
In what could be known as L2, Vegalta Sendai Ladies clinched the Challenge League – the 2nd level in Japanese ladies football – and won promotion to the Nadeshiko League after crushing Sfida Setagaya FC 5-0, taking their record to 19 winds, two draws and 59 points with just one match to go.
Sendai have met success in their first season in the league after forming around the players of the now defunct TEPCO Mareeze. Mareeze disbanded after last year’s Tohoku area earthquake and tsunami.
Winning the Nadeshiko league title means that INAC will join League Cup winners NTV Beleza in the International Women’s Club Championship taking place on November 22 and 25 in Saitama. This new women’s competition also features Olympique Lyonnais of France – European champions – and Australian champions Canberra United.
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Kashima Antlers 1-2 Shimizu S-Pulse – from Afshin Ghotbi's Point of View
Ahead of the J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup Final on Saturday S-Pulse were victorious in the home of their Cup Final opponents . . . here’s what the man himself, Afshin Ghotbi has to say . .
Taken from http://www.afshinghotbi.com
Another great result in a gutsy performance from our orange men secured an important three points. Inspired by earlier results around J1, we started sharply and were rewarded by an early goal in the 7th minute. Hiraoka sprang Yoshida free behind the Kashima defense, and his first touch found Kim Hyun Sung free in the danger area. Kim showed his class scoring from short range after taking three delicate and precise touches, blasting the ball high into the net from close range. Kashima came back into the game scoring off a corner kick in the 43rd minute. After Hiraoka got blocked, Iwamasa got free and his volley bounced off Sugiyama’s body, deflecting past Hayashi into our net. We reacted brilliantly to this setback by scoring immediately from the kick-off at the 44th minute. This time Kim became the provider, finding Omae’s head for the winning goal. With a one-goal lead, we defended well in the second half, weathering Kashima’s attacks and securing a deserved victory marking an undefeated month of October.
All the results favored us, and we are within seven points of the top spot and only one point off the ACL spot. With four games to go, our dream lives on.
We will face Kashima again in the final of the Nabisco Cup on Saturday November 3rd. Join me at Tokyo National Stadium and let’s make history together.
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J2 Gets Closer – TWO matches to go now . . .
Montedio Yamagata 0-2 JEF United Chiba ND.S 7,143
Oita Trinita 1-0 Avispa Fukuoka Oita Bank.D 10,617
Mito Hollyhock 0-0 Fagiano Okayama K’s denki.S 3,034
FC Machida Zelvia 1-0 FC Gifu Machida 2,618
Tokushima Vortis 2-1 Tokyo Verdy Pocarisweat.S 4,152
Giravanz Kitakyushu 2-0 Kyoto Sanga F.C. Honjo 3,916
Gainare Tottori 0-1 Roasso Kumamoto Tottori B.S 3,120
Kataller Toyama 0-2 Shonan Bellmare Toyama 3,205
Yokohama FC 3-0 Thespa Kusatsu NHK Mitsuzawa.F 4,899
Ehime FC 0-0 Ventforet Kofu Ningineer.S 3,380
Tochigi SC 3-2 Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.
The full J2 (and J1) table is (always) at http://www.jsoccer.com/tables/
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J2 Matchday 39 – Results, table ….
Montedio Yamagata 1-0 Giravanz Kitakyushu
Kyoto Sanga 3-1 FC Gifu
Avispa Fukuoka 2-3 Ventforet Kofu
Roasso Kumamoto 0-1 Yokohama FC
Tokyo Verdy 4-1 Tochigi SC
Machida Zelvia 2-4 Ehime FC
Shonan Bellmare 1-1 JEF United Chiba
Matsumoto Yamaga 2-1 Mito HollyHock
Tokushima Vortis 3-0 Kataller Toyama
Thespa Kusatsu 1-0 Fagiano Okayama
Gainare Tottori 1-0 Oita Trinita
Table at http://www.jsoccer.com/tables/
Starting at the top, Ventforet Kofu clinched the J2 Championship in an away victory over Avispa Fukuoka, while Kyoto Sanga put away their inconsistency for a while (?) and made 2nd spot their own with a 3-1 win over FC Gifu. Kyoto also have a game in hand – to be played this week at Tokushima Vortis – and COULD go four points clear of 3rd placed Shonan Bellmare with a win. With three games to go after that match is played, it would be a HUGE three points for the Kansai team.
Meanwhile, fighting for the play-off spots we saw Montedio Yamagata stay in the hunt with a 1-0 win over Giravanz Kitakyushu, who are now out of the running. Shonan Bellmare fought out a 1-1 draw and are in 3rd (66 points) and 6th (33) respectively. Oita Trinita went down away to Gainare Tottori in a shock result that sees Oita left in 4th on 64 points. In 5th we see Yokohama FC, who pulled off single goal away win at Roasso Kumamoto. Hanging around just outside the play-off zone, in 7th we see Tokyo Verdy, only edged out be JEF on goal difference, it must be said, who beat up Tochigi 4-1, effectively ending the losing team’s play-off hopes, although not mathematically, and this IS J2 we are discussing!
Montedio are in 8th and still in the fight and a special mention for Matsumoto Yamaga, in their debut year in J2, up to 9th (with a win over Mito HollyHock) and, technically still in with a chance, too – but, more importantly well clear of relegation and a nicely-consolidated place in J2 for 2013.
Fagiano Okayama likely lost their slim hopes of making the play-offs with a 1-0 defeat at Thespa Kusatsu, while aforementioned defeats for Kitakyushi, Mito and Tochigi sees those teams consigned to middle-table “obscurity” for this season now.
At the bottom Machida Zelvia went down 4-2 at home to Ehime FC and are now six points adrift of FC Gifu, in 21st position in J2 and are staring relegation from J2 in the face, J.League with associate members V-Varen Nagasaki well clear at the top of the JFL. For a full explanation of the possibilities of J2/JFL relegation/promotion see JSoccer Magazine Issue 5 page 27.
In J1 AND J2 we are in for BIG finish – be there with JSoccer Magazine and JSoccer.com
J1 Matchday 29 Round-Up
Vegalta Sendai 3-2 Urawa Reds
Yokohama F Marinos 4-0 Jubilo Iwata
Omiya Ardija 1-1 Albirex Niigata
Kawasaki Frontale 2-3 Gamba Osaka
Shimizu S-Pulse 1-1 Vissel Kobe
Sagan Tosu 1-3 Nagoya Grampus
Consadole Sapporo 0-0 Kashima Antlers
Cerezo Osaka 1-1 FC Tokyo
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-2 Kashiwa Reysol
Table, as always, at http://www.jsoccer.com/tables/
It gets ever-more tight in J1 after this weekend’s results after Sanfrecce Hiroshima – sitting atop the league with a five point lead two games back – losing, at home to Kashiwa Reysol, and finding they are now on top on goal difference alone. Meanwhile 2nd placed Vegalta Sendai took out 3rd placed Urawa Reds (3-2) to, realistically make the race for the Championship a two horse race now but, as we all know in J.League, anything can still happen! Shimizu S-Pulse fans will be hoping, no perhaps that should be dreaming that the unexpected CAN occur as they close in on Urawa Reds, albeit with a home draw (1-1) against Vissel Kobe. With a win, S-Pulse might still be dreaming of a final run that brings them the title, but now, they probably have to settle for stealing that 3rd spot off Reds?! BUt, Kashiwa Reysol’s win over the top team meant that they sneaked into 4th spot and are also ready to attack Reds’ position.
Moving on down J1, Nagoya battered Sagan’s usually impregnable home fortress and took all three points (1-3) tp push them down into 9th spot, while Jubilo were indeed battered by Yokohama F.Marinos in a 4-0 win that could well have been 6 or 8-0 from many accounts. Marinos (7th) moved above Iwata (8th) with that win, albeit by just one point, and having equal goal difference.
The mid-table match-up – and mid-table is a compliment / testament to Cerezo, after their season! – ended 1-1, points shared and those teams are in 10th (Tokyo) and 11th (Cerezo) position. Moving into the relegation dogfight, Cerezo on 39 points couldn’t possibly go down now (could they!?) and sitting on the same points total are Kawasaki Frontale, who were beaten at home in a see-saw 3-2 defeat by Gamba Osaka, who have now scored 58 goals (four more than top dogs Sanfrecce!) but have a goal difference of +1! The win was vital for Gamba, as it pulled them to within one point of safety as Omiya Ardija and Albirex Niigata fought out a 1-1 draw. Omiya remain one spot (and one point) above Gamba, but have a 15 goal deficit in the goal difference category, compared to the Osaka team! Could be very important on that final day!
To round off the matches, Kashima Antlers, after “winning” an away point in a scoreless draw in Sapporo, are still not mathematically safe, having 38 points to their name, while that away point at an in-form S-Pulse was vital for Vissel, who sit in 14th position, just one, two and three points clear of Ardija, Gamba and Albirex respectively. It looks as if J1 will be going down to the final day at the top AND the bottom?!