in case you missed my Tweets – GKs – Kawashima, Nishikawa, Higashiguchi. DFs – Uchida, Yoshida, Kurihara, Konno, Inoha, Nagatomo, Makino, Yasuda, MFs – Hasebe, Endo, Shibasaki, Moriwaki, Hosogai, Ienaga, Nishi. FWs – Maeda, Lee, Sekiguchi, Okazaki, Honda, Koroki, Usami

With all four teams qualifying for the Last 16, Japanese fans must have thought there was some hope of ACL glory in 2011. Who among them would have thought that Cerezo Osaka would be the last man standing in the quarter final? Cerezo downed Gamba in the first ever ACL Osaka derby – getting by 1-0 on a late goal from Takahashi. The tactics were right for Levir Culpi, Cerezo coach, who packed the defence and midfield in the first half, before unleashing a single big man to aim long balls at in the 2nd half. The fact that he took off another attacking man in Inui and added another defensive midfielder did not bode well for the pin half of Osaka, but they nullified Gamba’s passing game with early closing down on the ball and, while it is usually Gamba who manage to break down that kind of team on the counter, tonight, the former AFC champions did not take the few chances that came their way and were made to pay when Takahashi advanced down the right wing and beat Gamba keeper Fujigaya at his near post with just minutes to go. Even then Gamba almost got the goal they needed to take the game into extra time when Usami hit a post from close range in added time. But it was not to be and Cerezo fans rejoiced.Elsewhere, Kashima were taken out easily in a 3-0 defeat to FC Seoul, through goals from Seung Whan Bang, Dejan Damjanovic and Jin Koh Myung, while Nagoya Grampus succumbed to another Korean team in Suwon Bluewings, 2-0, on goals from Yeom Ki Hoon and Lee Sang Ho.The draw for the quarter finals and semi-final two-legged affairs will be made in Kuala uUmpur in early June and, at that time, the half of the draw that gets the final will also be made known. There’s always a chance that the ACL Final will be held at Nagai Stadium, Osaka. More news on that as soon as the draw is made.

Bristol City team manager Keith Millen is set to sign young Japanese-Irish centre half Colin Killoran from Japanese side Tokyo Verdy. The 19-year-old defender wants a move to England – almost joining Watford last year – and is available at a small fee. You read it here first!

Apologies for my comparative silence recently …. JSoccer Magazine is almost ready to hit the printer! If you haven’t already, please contact me at alan@jsoccer.com to reserve your copy of JSoccer Magazine – Japanese Football in English! 32 full colour pages, exclusive interviews with (and signed presents from) Usami and Endo. Articles from all over Japan and the world, some great pictures, your guide to Japan football on the web in English … and more. Need YOUR help to spread the word…..

FC Seoul 3-0 Kashima AntlersSuwon Bluewings 2-0 Nagoya GrampusGamba Osaka 0-1 Cerezo Osaka…. so Cerezo will be carrying Japan’s hopes in the ACL. Let’s hope for a draw that will allow them to host the final if they get that far.

Gamba 2-1 AlbirexVissel 1-0 SanfrecceMarinos 4-0 VentforetGrampus 0-0 ReysolReds 2-2 AntlersJubilo 4-1 AvispaGamba report, read on!

Gamba Osaka dispatched Tianjin Teda to earn a home game in the Last 16 against neighbours Cerezo Osaka!

… and a rant about the amount of foreigners in the League!!? NO change there, then!

Note that Antlers and Gamba now have two games in hand on the rest, while Cerezo and Grampus have one game in hand – due to ACL re-scheduling.Cerezo took an injury time equalizer to stop Sendai continuing their form, but Reysol thrashed Reds 3-1. Reysol getting nosebleeds from the altitude, while Reds flounder near the bottom (don’t say I didn’t warn you, Rads fans!). Here are all the scores and the table from Jq.

Gamba Osaka ended the game with ten men and one point in Melbourne this week and go into the last game looking for a win to top the group …