Maya Yoshida compilation v Aston Villa (Southampton 4-1 Villa) Sept.22nd, 2012
Urawa Reds 0-5 Gamba Osaka – with English "commentating", too! Enjoy …
Cerezo Osaka 3-2 Shimizu S-Pulse 2 – extended highlights of Cerezo's vital win.
Highlights of Sagan Tosu J1 Games – matchdays 19 to 24, 2012
Vegalta Sendai 2-1 Vissel Kobe Highlights
Ida Bagus ‘Kento Toyoda’ Dwi Ambara – Bali's Talent In Japan
Ida Bagus Dwi Ambara, soon to be better known in Japan as Kento Toyoda was born in Bali, Indonesia and is currently playing for Yokogawa Musashino FC in the Japan Football League (JFL), Japan’s 3rd tier after J1 and J2.
Kento, who was born on May 3rd, 1994 (175 cm/72 kg for those all-important stats that the Japanese love to mention so often!) is the second son of Ida Bagus Putu Dirga – his Indonesian father – and Yuko Toyoda, his Japanese mother.
Kento’s footballing talent has been obvious since his childhood and, in order to improve on this, he played with Canggu Football Academy, Bali Bintang Football Academy, and Udiyana Sanur Football Academy, before he was eventually selected to play for the U15 & U18 teams of Perseden Denpasar, a professional football club based in Bali.
In early 2012, Kento decided to leave Bali and went for a trial with Musashino FC after being told by one of his colleagues about the opportunity. He passed the first stage of the selection process, where he was up against another 50 players. In the second stage, in which 20 players took part, Kento impressed enough and the club offered him a contract.
Besides his footballing talent during the trial with Yokogawa Musashino, Kento recognized that his ability to speak Japanese surely helped his efforts to succeed with the Tokyo-based football club.
“I am grateful to be able to speak Japanese,” said the midfielder in Bali’s local newspaper some time ago.
After several months of training with Yokogawa, Kento has noted that the training intensity and level in Japan is much higher and more disciplined than in Indonesia but, unfortunately, Kento is currently undergoing rehabilitation, after knee surgery in Tokyo, due to an injury suffered during that training with Yokogawa.
For more on Kento Toyoda and other Indonesian Talent (in Bahasa Indonesian!) check out http://indonesiantalent.blogspot.jp/
Follow the man himself on Twitter @kent_09 !
JSoccer Magazine J1 Preview Sept.22nd, Matchday 26 – 19:00 Sagan Tosu vs Kashiwa Reysol at Best Amenity Stadium
Sagan Tosu – FW Toyoda is a doubt, undergoing tests.
Kashiwa Reysol reporting no injuries except THREE goalkeepers! But top keeper is available!
2 wins each and 3 draws – all in J2 until this year’s 1-1 draw in J1, since Sagan entered the League in 2006.
Last year’s promoted team – Reysol – went on to win the title, to the surprise of everyone, including their own fans – probably! Anyone who admitted that they thought that Sagan Tosu were this year’s surprise promoted team was probably laughed out of town at the start of the season, but the J1 first-timers have more than held their own and now, despite having won only two of their last five, find themselves still in 7th and challenging for a spot in the ACL 2013. With the best defence in J1, Sagan Tosu continue to surprise us all and they know that a win here would take them above Reysol, maybe even into 4th spot with other results going their way. They may well be missing ace striker Toyoda, who would be a big loss, and Reysol appear to be at full strength so the game could go either way.
With the likes of Leandro Domingues, Kudo, Sawa and Jorge Wagner on form, the Reysol attack is a force to be reckoned with. A rampant attack up against a formidable defence? Something’s gotta give! I think it will be the Sagan defence this time and Reysol will roll out the goals.
EXPECT a WIN for KASHIWA REYSOL!
JSoccer Magazine J1 Preview Sept.22nd, Matchday 26 – 19:00 Nagoya Grampus vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Mizuho Athletic Stadium
Nagoya Grampus – FW Nagai is suspended. MF Isomura out long-term.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima – MFs Nakajima and Mikic, and DF Hwang will be missing through injury.
6 wins for Nagoya, 3 for Hiroshima and 6 draws since 2004.
Nagoya Grampus took out Cerezo Osaka away last weekend, but the top team will be a different proposition altogether! With three wins in a row, and Josh Kennedy finally back on the field, the team will be quietly confident that they can make up the six points and attack the top of the division but a game against any team above them is a must-win if they are to have any chance of cancelling out their points deficit over the next two months in the final run-up. Nagai will be missing through suspension but, in Tamada, Kanazaki and Kennedy, Nagoya have more than enough firepower at their disposal, but does their defence have the organisational skills to hold back Sato, Takahagi and co?
Sanfrecce took the top spot by winning a vital six-pointer battle of the top two last weekend and will be confident that they can continue, as well as being under no illusions of what they have to do to keep hold of pole position as the final straight of the season looms! Mikic’s creation will be a big loss but Takahagi is doing his best to supply, and catch the eye of Zaccheroni at the same time, perhaps!? Sato just puts the goals in when given the chance, so Tulio and his crew at the back for Nagoya will have their hands full in this match. It’s well known that the team at the top of J1 are under the most pressure and reaching the summit often means the next match is lost – I am following that principle here today! Nagoya also will know that if they win this match they will be within four points of Sanfrecce!
EXPECT a WIN for NAGOYA GRAMPUS!
JSoccer Magazine J1 Preview Sept.22nd, Matchday 26 – 19:00 FC Tokyo vs Kawasaki Frontale at Ajinomoto Stadium
FC Tokyo reporting FWs Edmilson still doubtful, FW Hirayama possibly fit but not match fit by a long way, DF Ota is back in training and a possible to return. DFs Hiramatsu and Jang are long term injuries, as are MFs Kawano and Otake.
Kawasaki Frontale – Both Tanaka and Igawa are suspended. GK NIshibe is out, as are DF Morishita, MF Inamoto and FW Kobayashi.
No draw in this meeting since 2008, all three meetings until then were draws, since then 5 wins for Tokyo, 6 for Kawasaki.
FC Tokyo have a long injury list and it began to take its toll last month, contributing to a bad run that the team have now come out of, with wins against Sanfrecce and Marinos, as well as a draw away at S-Pulse in their last three games. With Lucas on form, Ishikawa fit and new boy Vucacevic finding the net last week, Tokyo will be on a high and looking to continue their run.
Kawasaki Frontale went down 2-0 to Kashima last weekend but found their way back into the game but are suffering from a dire run, not having won a game since late July and fans will be calling for the head of coach Kazama if they can’t put a run together and pull away from the relegation zone. 8 points clear of the bottom three might seem relatively safe, but 2 points in the last five games does not bode well, and if that run continues, the team will find themselves looking for a good result on the final day!
EXPECT a WIN for FC TOKYO!