… and who the #### was that referee? A disgrace to the black (yellow, red, green, whatever) shirt! Tashiro through on goal, hauled down – red card. Keeper shoulder high intentional foot on Yasuda, red card (I await news on possible broken ribs/shoulder injury?). When Suzuki and the Chinese captain got the yellow cards for handbags, the keeper came running out again and pushed Suzuki around, 2nd (3rd!) yellow for the keeper – referee chickened out, therefore another deserved red….. and how about TWO occasions when Chinese forwards left the foot in on Narazaki as he collected a ball (one left him with a cut next to his left eye)!? Fouls on Hanyu, Kaji, Suzuki, Endo, Nakazawa and Nakamura WELL deserving of yellow cards – replays showed intent….. it was getting dangerous to be Japanese on that field…. that referee should be banned, and made to pay back the money the Chinese team paid him! AND Tashiro’s goal was NOT offside! And Nakazawa (or was it Uchida?) got a yellow card for time-wasting! LOL!! Says it all…… well done Japan. Bring on (South)Korea.

Marks previews the season for “his” team….

Japan went behind to a snap shot on 6 minutes, but then Maeda got the equalizer and Japan breathe again….

Full squad, comments and previews of the tournament in China starting this weekend….

Here is the full J2 schedule available at J.League home page:http://www.j-league.or.jp/eng/

Here is the J1 full schedule, available at the J.League home page:http://www.j-league.or.jp/eng/

Urawa Reds’ Robson Ponte was named Most Valuable Player at the 2007 J.League Awards December 17th.

Here’s to a good start next week!! Here’s the story from last year…

Culminating in Kashima’s win on New Year’s Day 2008, here is the full story…

Promoted to J1 were Consadole, Verdy and Sanga…. here’s the full story…