Matsumoto Yamaga were relegated last season. Here’s what they’ll be wearing in J2. Green home, white away, red and blue are the ‘keepers’ gear!

Graphic for Shimizu S-Pulse home shirt for their J2 season in 2016.

And S-Pulse neighbours Jubilo Iwata, who have switched places with them in J1 for 2016.

Vissel Kobe home and away, with a special close-up on their home shirt, too.

Kawasaki Frontale 2016 20th Anniversary “Gremio” shirt!

Kawasaki Frontale Home, away, “cup” shirts

V-Varen Nagasaki home (orange) and away

Yokohama F•Marinos home (blue), away (pink) and three cool GK shirts

Albirex Niigata home (orange) and away

Ventforet Kofu home (blue) and away

Kashiwa Reysol home (yellow) and blue GK shirt

Urawa Reds

Thespakusatsu Gunma home (blue away (white) and two GK shirts

FC Tokyo home / away authentic version

Nagoya Grampus home and away

Kashima Antlers home (red) and away

Fujieda MYFC home

Nara Club (JFL), home, away, GK

Montedio Yamagata away

Mito HollyHock home (blue) and away

Zweigen Kanazawa home

Kyoto Sanga v Mito HollyHock

Yokohama FC v Thespakusatsu Gunma

Giravanz Kitakyushu v V-Varen Nagasaki

Consadole Sapporo v Tochigi SC

Cerezo Osaka v Tokyo Verdy

Oita Trinita v Jubilo Iwata

JEF UNited Chiba v Kamatamare Sanuki

Zweigen Kanazawa v Omiya Ardija

Ehime FC v Tokushima Vortis

Roasso Kumamoto v Fagiano Okayama

Kashima Antlers 2-3 Gamba Osaka
Shimizu S-Pulse 3-0 Cerezo Osaka
Urawa Reds 2-1 Tokushima Vortis
Vissel Kobe 1-3 Nagoya Grampus
Sagan Tosu 1-0 Yokohama F•Marinos
Kashiwa Reysol 0-0 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Vegalta Sendai 1-0 FC Tokyo
Ventforet Kofu 0-1 Omiya Ardija
Albirex Niigata 3-0 Kawasaki Frontale

J.League Division 2, Saturday, 4th October

Tochigi SC 2-1 Kyoto Sanga
V-Varen Nagasaki 1-1 Fagiano Okayama
Tokyo Verdy 1-0 Roasso Kumamoto
Yokohama FC 0-2 Matsumoto Yamaga
Oita Trinita 2-0 Jubilo Iwata
Kamatamare Sanuki 1-0 Thespakusatsu Gunma
JEF United Chiba 3-0 Avispa Fukuoka
FC Gifu 1-0 Montedio Yamagata
Mito HollyHock 0-0 Consadole Sapporo
Giravanz Kitakyushu 2-2 Kataller Toyama
Shonan Bellmare 3-0 Ehime FC

J3 League

Saturday, October 4th

Zweigen Kanazawa 2-1 YSCC Yokohama

Sunday, October 5th

Fukushima United 2-0 Blaublitz Akita
Machida Zelvia 1-2 Gainare Tottori
SC Sagamihara 1-1 FC Ryukyu
Grulla Morioka 0-2 Fujieda MYFC
AC Nagano Parceiro 5-0 J.League U22 Select

Oita Trinita  2-1  Thespakusatsu Gunma
Kamatamare Sanuki  2-2  Kyoto Sanga
Matsumoto Yamaga  0-0  Montedio Yamagata
Giravanz Kitakyushu  2-1  V-Varen Nagasaki
Tokyo Verdy  1-1  Yokohama FC
Kataller Toyama  0-2  Roasso Kumamoto
Avispa Fukuoka  1-0  FC Gifu
Mito HollyHock  0-0  Ehime FC
Fagiano Okayama  1-0  JEF United Chiba
Shonan Bellmare   1-1  Jubilo Iwata

Masashi Nakayama, Jubilo Iwata and Japan legend – with a few appearances for Consadole Sapporo thrown in for good measure – announced his retirement this week, at the age of 45, his body, in his own words – in a nutshell – not responding any longer! The player managed a couple of minutes as a substitute in Consadole’s final match as his swansong, but held back the announcement until Tuesday. I find that interesting, since the J.League Awards on Monday night feted ex-Jubilo players Makoto Tanaka and Toshiya Fujita on their retirement. Did Nakayama not want to take their moment, or did he want his own later in the week!?

Nakayama – affectionately known as “Gon” is the J.League’s all-time leading scorer, with 157 goals, and also holds a few other records in the Japanese – and world – game. He was Japan’s first-ever scorer in World Cup Finals, with
his 74th minute strike in the 2-1 defeat to Jamaica at France 1998. Incidentally, he then broke a bone in his leg later in the match, but the full extent of his injury was not known until he completed the game!

“Gon” notched 21 goals in 53 internationals for Japan between 1990 and 2003, and 235 goals for Jubilo Iwata (also including four seasons pre-Jubilo Iwata as Yamaha Motors) in almost 500 appearances. In 1998 he was J1’s top scorer with 40 goals, which included a streak of hat tricks (in fact four and five goal hauls) in four successive games, and he holds the record for the fastest ever international hat trick – scoring three goals in 183 seconds against Brunei in 2000!

He was a popular character with fans and fellow players alike and was always good for a quote after a game, win or lose, and often talked to the fans via megaphone after a win. There should be more like him – bringing fun to the game, while enjoying life.

For me, the biggest memory of “Gon” that I will ever hold is watching live TV in Kobe, Japan, in the dark hours of the night of October 28th, 1993, and the enduring image of the player collapsing to the ground as he realised that Japan were not going to the World Cup, USA 1994. The game I was watching – Japan against Iraq, in Doha, went into injury time with Japan leading 2-1 and heading to USA. The rest is history. It became known as the Doha Tragedy (ドーハの悲劇 Dōha no higeki), as Japan gave away the ball in the middle of the pitch, Iraq advanced, gained a corner and scored from it! The draw sent both teams out and South Korea went to USA 1994. Incidentally, Korea also has a name for this event – the Miracle of Doha (도하의 기적/도하의 奇跡 or Doha ui Gijeok to give it its Korean name) . . . Going . . . Going . . . Gon!

Head to Head – 9 wins for Gamba, 7 for Jubilo and 4 draws in 20 meetings since 2003.

Match Preview – While Jubilo Iwata haven’t won since a fortunate victory over Vissel Kobe in mid-September their J1 place was assured for 2013 on other results of the teams around them. The loss of Baek in their midfield has hit them big time and the team will be looking forward to a new season to restart. The home fans will be frustrated and loud in their final game – it may go against them. The Maeda curse may be in effect!! (Look it up!)

Gamba Osaka simply MUST win this game AND hope that two of Albirex, Vissel and Cerezo lose their games. Their injuries have finally cleared up and CB Nakazawa returned last week, just in time for the suspension of Iwashita. This game promises goals – Gamba are top scorers in J1 (believe it or not!), while Jubilo have hit 55 goals this season, the teams attacks have managed 121 goals between them. On the other hand these two teams have conceded 105 goals between them. Yes, that is 226 goals in 66 games! Jubilo Iwata have little to play for and are in a huge depression, Gamba have their survival to play for and, even a win does not guarantee safety, but they WILL go for it! EXPECT a highscoring WIN for GAMBA OSAKA!

Head to Head
9 wins for Grampus, five for Jubilo, and six draws over the last decade or so.

Match Preview
Jubilo Iwata have been in freefall down J1 having lost four of their last five and now find themselves in 10th position. They are six points away from today’s opponents and that 3rd placed spot, so can kiss the ACL 2013 goodbye. Amazingly they are also mathematically still in the relegation race although it would be almost impossible for them to be relegated! While 10th spot would probably have been accepted by the fans at the start of the season, after spending so much time in the top 3 or 4 this season is probably going to turn out to be a disappointment in the end. The influential Korean Baek may well be in contention to return from injury but, even though I feel he was the main reason they did so well (and the reason they dropped so badly when he was injured) I don’t believe he is match fit anyway and will make little difference to this team who have got used to losing.

Nagoya Grampus have been much too inconsistent this season, yet still, with three games to go they find themselves on the verge of ACL qualification, only ot of 3rd place on goal difference from Urawa Reds. With injuries affecting their team selection, coach Stoijkovic has been forced to use Tulio as a forward at times and Australian international Kennedy is still out and not expected back this season, but I believe they should stick with selections from Tamada, Nagai and Kanazaki as forwards, as opposed to Tulio! I believe Nagoya will be motivated enough, and confident enough on their four game unbeaten run for us to EXPECT a WIN for NAGOYA GRAMPUS!

Head to Head – One win each in only two historical meetings between these two clubs… Jubilo won the J1 encounter in this season, Tosu won in the Nabisco Cup.

Match Preview Both teams have little left to play for and the home team will be OK with that. Sagan Tosu, in their first season in the top flight, surprised many, including themselves, perhaps and were riding a wave for quite a while. Three losses in their last five matches have seen them drop away from that dream of an ACL spot, although still only five points off it – very much possible, in theory! Jubilo Iwata, on the other hand have not won in their last five, two draws and three losses have seen them plummet to 10th although, with the division so close in the middle, they are still only six points of 3rd and nothing is impossible in J1. A weak start, for me, was improved when they signed Baek and an injury to that player saw them lose form again – what an influence he has been.

Talking of influences, though, Sagan will also be missing an influential Korean in Kim and could suffer through that. With Fujita out too, their attack may suffer, although their home defensive performances have been excellent and that should not change today. Just 33 goals conceded all season means they are always in with a chance of a draw or a low-scoring win. I think today we will see a WIN for SAGAN TOSU!

Head to Head – Four wins for Jubilo, three for Vegalta and seven draws over the last decade.

Match Preview – Jubilo Iwata have lost their last three as they go into freefall, dropping to 8th, albeit just 3 points off 4th spot. Anything can still happen in J1 in five games but Jubilo have got into a losing habit and I can’t see them breaking that any time soon. The influence of Baek has been missed in the creative department and, with Maeda doubtful, too, the scoring part of the team is under pressure, also. Expect a crisis of confidence in their final games, knowing that their title hopes have long gone now.

Vaegalta Sendai have lost two of their last five, while Sanfrecce above them have dropped just one less point and Reds below them have lost three in that time. So, the team’s fate is really in their own hands and, even at this stage of the season, most followers are expecting them to crack up and give it away… will this mean less pressure? Would they realy settle for 2nd position after this long? I don’t think so. It seems they have been through their bad patch and come out still (almost) on top. EXPECT a DRAW today, but it will still be enough to keep them in at least 2nd place.