Goalkeepers;
Higashiguchi, Kawashima, Nishikawa

Defenders – Makino (Reds), Morishige (FC Tokyo), Yonekura (Gamba), Fujiharu (Gamba), Shiotani, Maruyama, Kurumaya, Shoji, Ueda

Midfielders – Kashiwagi (Reds), Endo (Yasushi – Antlers), Endo (Wataru – Reds), Muto (Yuki – Reds), Yonemoto (FC Tokyo), Shibasaki (Gaku – Antlers)

Forwards – Kohrogi (Reds, yes, that is how it is spelled officially, these days), Kobayashi (Frontale), Kanazaki (Antlers), Nagai (Grampus), Saito (F•Marinos), Usami (Gamba), Asano (Sanfrecce)

日本代表候補

G K 東口順昭  / 西川周作  / 六反勇治  / 林彰洋

D F 槙野智章  / 森重真人 / 米倉恒貴 /  藤春廣輝  / 塩谷司 丸 / 山祐市 車 / 屋紳太郎  / 昌子源  / 植田直通

MF  柏木陽介  / 遠藤康  / 武藤雄樹  / 米本拓司  / 柴崎岳  / 遠藤航

FW  興梠慎三  / 小林悠  / 金崎夢生  / 永井謙佑  / 齋藤学  / 宇佐美貴史  / 浅野拓磨

Goalkeepers:
Nishikawa (Reds)
Higashiguchi (Gamba)
Hayashi (Sanfrecce)

Defenders:
Nishi (Antlers)
Makino (Reds)
Ota (FC Tokyo)
Morishige (FC Tokyo)
Nakazawa (F•Marinos)
Endo (Bellmare)
Yonekura (Gamba)
Shiotani (Sanfrecce)
Chiba (Sanfrecce)
Mizumoto (Sanfrecce)

Midfielders
Ogasawara (Antlers)
Caio (Antlers)
Kanazaki (Antlers)
Shibasaki (Antlers)
Abe (Reds)
Kashiwagi (Reds)
Nakamura (Frontale)
Nakamura (F•Marinos)
Leo Silva (Albirex Niigata)
Endo (Gamba)
Aoyama (Sanfrecce)
Kashiwa (Sanfrecce)

Forwards
Muto (Reds)
Cristiano (Reysol)
Okubo (Frontale)
Ademilson (F•Marinos)
Usami (Gamba)
Patric (Gamba)
Douglas (Sanfrecce)

＜ ２０１５Ｊリーグ　優秀選手賞　受賞選手（32名） ＞
※下記32名の中から「最優秀選手賞」、「ベストイレブン」が選ばれます

■ゴールキーパー（3名）
西川　周作 　浦和レッズ
東口　順昭 　ガンバ大阪
林　卓人 　　サンフレッチェ広島

■フィールドプレーヤー（29名）
●ＤＦ
西　大伍 鹿島アントラーズ
槙野　智章 浦和レッズ
太田　宏介 ＦＣ東京
森重　真人 ＦＣ東京
中澤　佑二 横浜Ｆ・マリノス
遠藤　航 湘南ベルマーレ
米倉　恒貴 ガンバ大阪
塩谷　司 サンフレッチェ広島
千葉　和彦 サンフレッチェ広島
水本　裕貴 サンフレッチェ広島

●ＭＦ
小笠原　満男　　鹿島アントラーズ
カイオ　　　　　鹿島アントラーズ
金崎　夢生　　　鹿島アントラーズ
柴崎　岳　　　　鹿島アントラーズ
阿部　勇樹　　　浦和レッズ
柏木　陽介　　　浦和レッズ
中村　憲剛　　　川崎フロンターレ
中村　俊輔　　　横浜Ｆ・マリノス
レオ　シルバ　　アルビレックス新潟
遠藤　保仁　　　ガンバ大阪
青山　敏弘　　　サンフレッチェ広島
柏　好文 サンフレッチェ広島

●ＦＷ
武藤　雄樹　　　　浦和レッズ
クリスティアーノ　柏レイソル
大久保　嘉人 　　 川崎フロンターレ
アデミウソン　　　横浜Ｆ・マリノス
宇佐美　貴史　　 ガンバ大阪
パトリック　　　　ガンバ大阪
ドウグラス 　　　 サンフレッチェ広島

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Machida Zelvia 1-7 Urawa Reds
” title=”Zelvia v Reds”>

Gamba Osaka 2-0 Kawasaki Frontale
” title=”Gamba v Frontale”>

Kashiwa Reysol 2-1 Ventforet Kofu (After Extra Time)
” title=”Reysol v Ventforet”>

Vegalta Sendai 2-1 Matsumoto Yamaga
” title=”Vegalta v Yamaga”>

Tokushima Vortis 1-2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
” title=”Vortis v Sanfrecce”>

FC Tokyo 2-0 Mito HollyHock
” title=”FC Tokyo v HollyHock”>

Sagan Tosu 4-3 Montedio Yamagata
” title=”Sagan v Montedio”>

It must be confidence-boosting for Sanfrecce and Vissel to be “riding high” and for the likes of Reysol, Grampus and Kofu, for example, to be gaining points and entering the top 6.

A long way to go but confidence and a winning mentality always help in the long run.

Points shown only

1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 9
2 Vissel Kobe 7
3 Kashiwa Reysol 6
4 Kawasaki Frontale 4
4 Ventforet Kofu 4
6 Nagoya Grampus 4
6 Gamba Osaka 4
8 Sagan Tosu 4
9 Urawa Reds 4
9 F.C.Tokyo 4
11 Kashima Antlers 4
11 Shonan Bellmare 4
13 Montedio Yamagata 3
14 Albirex Niigata 3
15 Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. 3
16 Yokohama F･Marinos 2
17 Shimizu S-Pulse 2
18 Vegalta Sendai 1

The Japan national team Samurai Blue camp will take place on May 12-13 and there are some new and interesting names in the squad – and some old ones – hello Yoshito Okubo! New names include centre backs Daiki Niwa of Gamba Osaka and Takuya Iwanami of Vissel Kobe.

代表候補ながらFW大久保嘉人(川崎F)がブラジルW杯以来の招集となったほか、GK六反勇治(仙台)、DF丹羽大輝(G大阪)、DF岩波拓也(神戸)、MF遠藤康(鹿島)、MF谷口彰悟(川崎F)、FW杉本健勇(川崎F)、FW浅野拓磨(広島)の7人が日本代表候補に初選出された。

▽GK
Higashiguchi – Gamba Osaka 東口順昭(G大阪)
Nishikawa – Urawa Reds 西川周作(浦和)
Rokutan – Vegalta Sendai 六反勇治(仙台)
Gonda – FC Tokyo 権田修一(F東京)

▽DF
Mizumoto – Sanfrecce Hiroshima 水本裕貴(広島)
Niwa – Gamba Osaka 丹羽大輝(G大阪)
Makino – Urawa Reds 槙野智章(浦和)
Morishige – FC Tokyo 森重真人(F東京)
Ota – FC Tokyo 太田宏介(F東京)
Fujiharu – Gamba Osaka 藤春広輝(G大阪)
Shiotani – Sanfrecce Hiroshima 塩谷司(広島)
Shoji – Kashima Antlers 昌子源(鹿島)
Iwanami – Vissel Kobe 岩波拓也(神戸)
Ueda – Kashima Antlers 植田直通(鹿島)

▽MF
Konno – Gamba Osaka 今野泰幸(G大阪)
Endo – Kashima Antlers 遠藤康(鹿島)
Yamaguchi – Cerezo Osaka 山口蛍(C大阪)
Yonemoto – FC Tokyo 米本拓司(F東京)
Tanicguchi – Kawasaki Frontale 谷口彰悟(川崎F)
Shibasaki – Kashima Antlers 柴崎岳(鹿島)

▽FW
Okubo – Kawasaki Frontale 大久保嘉人(川崎F)
Toyoda – Sagan Tosu 豊田陽平(鳥栖)
Nagai – Nagoya Grampus 永井謙佑(名古屋)
Kawamata – Nagoya Grampus 川又堅碁(名古屋)
Usami – Gamba Osaka 宇佐美貴史(G大阪)
Muto – FC Tokyo 武藤嘉紀(F東京)
Sugimoto – Kawasaki Frontale 杉本健勇(川崎F)
Asano – Sanfrecce Hiroshima 浅野拓磨(広島)

Gamba Osaka went down to their second loss of their 2015 ACL campaign with this away defeat to Korean FA Cup winners Seongnam FC. Ricardo Bueno converted an early penalty and Hwang Ui-jo wrapped the game up 22 minutes from time to put Gamba on the bottom of Group F.

Changes for Gamba saw Oh Jae-suk replacing Hiroki Fujiharu and Kim Jung-ya at centre back for the injured Keisuke Iwashita, while Shu Kurata started in midfield – which also saw Shohei Ogura alongside Yasuhito Endo in a defensive midfield pairing. Takashi Usami was on the bench, with LIns getting the start alongside Patric up front.

Endo 8′, Okazaki 25′, Honda (PK) 44′, Yoshida 49′

by Alan Gibson for JSoccer Magazine

Japan starting XI:
Kawashima, G.Sakai, Morishige, Yoshida, Nagatomo,Hasebe, Endo, Kagawa, Inui, Honda, Okazaki

With a local time of 18.00 for kick off in Australia, the air was warm, but not too hot – a balmy 27 degrees C, and a slight spatter of rain to add a little zip to the surface – at Hunter Stadium, Newcastle, New South Wales for Japan’s opening match of the Asian Cup, against tournament debutants Palestine.

It was, in the end, a walk in the park for Japan – the Group D favourites – against Asian Cup first-timers Palestine, with Yasuhito Endo, Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda and Maya Yoshida all getting on the scoreboard to open the Samrai Blue defence of the trophy confidently – and with a clean sheet.

Javier Aguirre chose experience over youth – as I’d expected – with Endo and Makoto Hasebe starting in the middle of the park, despite some critics’ dismissal of both players’ selections for this tournament. With Gaku Shibasaki a little behind in fitness after joining the squad late, due to a flu infection, his non-inclusion was not a surprise anyway, so the veteran pair selected themselves.

Takashi Inui – who had been in a rich vein of goalscoring form in friendlies before the tournament proper – was given the nod over Muto, or Kiyotake, depending on your outlook and Gotoku Saki was looking to make the right back spot his own.

It was no surprise to see Eiji Kawashima between the posts and, of course, this game was never going ahead without Honda, Shinji Kagawa and Okazaki.

Life will be a little harder for Japan in their remaining Group D fixtures against Iraq (Friday) and Jordan (Tuesday).

Palestine had qualified for this – their first Asian Cup appearance – through the AFC Challenge Cup, and questions will probably be asked about their winning of a place over more qualified national teams who went through the qualifying process unsuccessfully.

Endo’s opener was a speculative – possible even mis-hit – grass-cutter from about 25 yards that escaped the keeper’s fingertips after he seemed to dive too early. The reigning champions then doubled their lead in the 25th minute when Inter Milan’s left back – said to be on the radar of Premier League West Bromwich Albion – attacked down the left. His cross was forced out, but the bouncing ball fell to Kagawa, who saw his blast headed home from close range by the lightning reflexes of Okazaki.

Palestine had made a habit of pushing and pulling the Japanese players and this came home to roost when Mus’ab Al Battat was judged to have bundled Kagawa over in the penalty area. Honda stepped up to place the ball past the keeper with some ease and it was 3-0 at the break.

Japan made their first change as the second half began, with Hiroshi Kiyotake replacing Takashi Inui as the teams came out for the restart.

Japan added their fourth goal when Kagawa received a short corner in the area, twisted one way, slipped back the other and lobbed a deep far post cross for Yoshida to head home with aplomb. Still lels than 50 minutes on the clock and Japan were cruising in second gear, if that.

Palestine then raised the physical aspect of their game with more and more fouls and started to lose any friends that they might have gained by making it this far. This rough play saw Japan’s second sub, Yoshinori Muto – on for Endo – get a high boot in the stomach (or worse!?) moments after entering the field. His assailant escaped with just a yellow card.

Ahmed Harbi was not so lucky and saw his second yellow in the 73rd minute, and yet, as Palestine went down to ten men, Japan seemed to lose momentum, or desire, or just slip down into a lower gear, their job done.

After earlier flailing – and missing – at the one cross that came his way, Kawashima then saw a free header from a right wing free kick fly past his post as Al Bahdari was given space to attack the ball.

Yohei Toyoda made a late appearance for Japan but did little as the Samurai Blue settled back for the easy win, yet, as additional time wound down it looked as if Japan would get another. Kiyotake saw his shot saved, and then the ball ricocheted around the box and four goal attempts were blocked within ten seconds before the final whistle sounded.

Summary? An easy win against a team that were out of their depth and got more physical as the game progressed. A clean sheet, no yellow cards and, hopefully, no injuries is more than a decent start to the campaign. Bring on Iraq!

JSoccer Magazine
Images (C) World Sport Group