Cerezo Osaka FC

R1: Cerezo Osaka - Sagan Tosu 4-1

2009-03-08T17:24:00.003+01:00

Cerezo kicked off their 2009-campaign by beating Sagan 4-1 at home in a one-sided contest home at Nagai Stadium. As usual, Sagan adopted a very defensive strategy, and had ten men behind the ball most of the time. For the opening 45 minutes, this was something Cerezo struggled with, as the chances were few despite having most of the possession.

Cerezo’s attacking trio of Shinji Kagawa, Takashi Inui ( both Japanese NT-players) and Brazilian Kaio looked much brighter in the 2nd half, and infact it took only Kaio three minutes to put his side in the lead. Inui did most of the work with an excellent run down the right-flank, and Kaio only had to poke the ball into the open net.

Inui got in the limelight once again when he found Kagawa with a tremendous back-heel, which Kagawa handled even more impressively, as he nutmegged his defender and took a quick shot that took Sagan’s GK Muro by surprise. He managed to save Kagawa’s shot, but had to give a rebound that fell straight into the wide-open Ishigami’s path.

2-0 up, Cerezo could lower their shoulders, but kept on attacking and got to many big chances. Kagawa alone hit the woodwork on three occasions, and also Inui and the Brazilian newcomer Martinez had big chances. Sagan on the other hand, didn’t create anything at all, and took out their only striker to replace him with a midfielder. An odd move being 0-2 down, especially considered they had the talented Taniguchi on the bench, who scored the winning goal against Cerezo last season.

On a rare visit inside Cerezo’s half, Sagan were rewarded a free-kick some 35 metres from goal. Substitute Takachi managed to get a head on the in-swinging cross, which took Cerezo’s goalie Kim by surprise. Sagan now had a life-line, but once Cerezo spotted the danger they were quick to respond.

It only took a minute after Saga’s goal before Cerezo were two goals up again, and this time it was Inui’s time to score. Kaio fired away something that looked like a misplaced shot, and luckily for the home-team it fell straight into Inui’s feets, whose first effort hit the post only to go straight back to Inui who then had an easy task scoring the 3-1 goal. 10 minutes later DF Ezoe did 4-1 for the home-team, which completed a very impressive performance by Cerezo.

Starting lineups:
Cerezo: 3-4-2-1: Kim - Thiago (Fujimoto), Ezoe , Maeda - Ishigami, Haneda, Martinez, Sakemoto - Kagawa - Inui - Kaio

Sagan: 4-4-2:Muro -Yanagisawa, Iio , Uchima, Isozaki (Yada) -Yamada - Shimada, Shimazaki (Takachi) ,Takahashi - Hirose, Tozin (Shimizu)

Shots: Cerezo 25 - Sagan 8
Attendance: 8,234

J2 2009 preview: Round-up

2009-03-06T02:20:00.002+01:00

To sum up my J2-preview for the 2009-season, I've decided to put together a little table which shows how I think the season will end this year. However, with 51 matches to be played, it's hard to predict how many points each team will get.

J2 Table prediction 2009:
1. Cerezo Osaka 105p
2. Vegalta Sendai 100p
3. Consadole Sapporo 96p
---------------------------------
4. Avispa Fukuoka 92p
5. Tokyo Verdy 87p
6. Shonan Bellmare 82p
7. Ventforet Kofu 77p
8. Sagan Tosu75p
9. Thespa Kusatsu 68p
10. Yokohama FC 62p
11. Roasso Kumamoto 59p
12. Mito Hollyhock 57p
13. Tokushima Vortis 51p
14. Tochigi SC 46p
15. Ehime FC 43p
16. Fagiano Okayama 40p
17. FC Gifu 39p
18. Kataller Toyama 27p

For detailed previews about each team check the menu on the right. Feel free to leave comments.

J2 2009 preview: Cerezo Osaka

2009-03-06T02:13:00.001+01:00

CEREZO OSAKA:
Stadium: Nagai Stadium ( 50,000)
Average Attendance 2008: 10,560
Last season's finish: 4th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
1 GK Daisuke Tada (On loan from Ehime F.C.)
21 GK Kim Jin-Hyeon (Drafted from Dongguk University)
2 DF Kenji Haneda (Transferred from Kashima Antlers)
13 DF Takashi Hirajima (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
19 DF Naoya Ishigami (On loan from Kashima Antlers)
7 MF Takashi Inui (Transferred from Yokohama F. Marinos)
3 DF Thiago (Transferred fromn Cruzeiro Esporte Clube)
MF Martinez (Transferred from Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras)
- FW Akinori Nishizawa (Transferred from Shimizu S-Pulse)
29 FW Takuya Kokeguchi (Returned from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

Out:
DFAkihiro Sakata (On loan to Shonan Bellmare)
MF Ale (End of loan from São Paulo Futebol Clube)
MF Hiroaki Morishima (Retired)
MF Tatsuya Furuhashi (Transferred to Montedio Yamagata)
MF Germano (Transferred to Santos Futebol Clube)
DF Masayuki Yanagisawa (Transferred to Sagan Tosu)
DF Gilton (Transferred to Albirex Niigata)
MF Ryuhei Niwa (End of loan from Vissel Kobe)
GK Hiromasa Yamamoto (Transferred to Ehime F.C.)
MF Jun Aoyama (End of loan from Nagoya Grampus)
FW Noboru Nakayama (Retired)
MF Takuya Miyamoto (Transferred to Montedio Yamagata)
FW Yasuhito Morishima (Transferred to Oita Trinita)
FW Kim Sin-Young (Transferred to Ventforet Kofu)

My view on the transfers:
Cerezo have managed to keep most of their players from last season, and also brought in a few reinforcements. GK Tada is brought back from Ehime, but the expectations are higher for Kim, who's one of the biggest goalkeeper-talents in Korea. Most likely it's Kim that will become Cerezo's new no.1. Yamamoto and Aizawa, who were the first-choices last season are both gone. The defence looks stronger, as Cerezo have kept all their top performers from 2008, as well as brought in a few new players. Thiago especially seems to be a solid signing, but also Ishigami will be of good use. However, wingbacks Yanagisawa and Gilton have both left the club but they still seem to got good cover at all positions. In midfield Germano has left for Brazil, which of course creates a big hole to fill. Ale is gone as well, and Hiroaki Morishima have hung up his boots. The only newcomer is Martinez from Palmeiras, and he is expected to take Germano's role. Inui, who were a sensation the last couple of months of the 2008-season for Cerezo have made his move permanent. Up front, Furuhashi has left for Montedio, while veteran-striker Nishizawa has been brought in as a replacement. Kokeguchi is back as well from a rather unsuccesful stint with JEF.

Preferrable starting lineup:
4-3-2-1 / 4-4-2: Kim - Thiago, Haneda / Fujimoto, Maeda, Hirajima/Ishigami - Hamada / Sakemoto, Martinez, Kagawa - Inui, Komatsu / Nishizawa- Kaio

My view on the team:
Cerezo probably have the most talented squad in J2, with especially a very impressive attacking line-up. Kaio seems like a top striker, and with help from the two dribbling-sensations Kagawa and Inui he will probably be able to score atleast 15 goals this year. Whether or not Cerezo opt for 4-3-2-1 or 4-4-2 remains to be seen, but most likely Komatsu and Nishizawa will see the pitch alot as well. Cerezo also got the wonderkid Kakitani in the squad, as well as Shiratani and Kokeguchi, so the options are many. The midfield seems a bit weakened as Ale and Germano are gone, but Martinez is a solid reinforcement and should be able to bind things together along with Hamada in central-midfield. Thiago can be used several places in defence, but with few options on the right-back he will probably take that position. Maeda is the leader in central defence, and will see either Haneda or Fujimoto alongside him. The goalkeeper position is the biggest unknown, as neither of the four goalies in the squad has any real experience. Kim seems to be the first choice, with Tada as back-up.

Player to watch: Kaio

Manager: Levir Culpi
Culpi received some critisiscm after failing to take Cerezo to J1 last season, but nevertheless is a well-respected manager. Has a very attacking-oriented strategy, which means the defensive focus isn't always as strong as it should be. Seems to have a good connection with the players, but there were stories last season that Culpi left out Yasuhito Morishima on purpose even when Cerezo were short on fit strikers a period cause of personal reasons. Morishima were later shipped off to Oita.

Supporters:
Cerezo have one of the more colourful fans in J2, and averaged over 10 000 last season. In a 50 000 capacity stadium that's not too much though, but in the latter half of the 2008-season Cerezo had over 20 000 several times.

Where they will finish:
Cerezo looks without a doubt as one of the strongest packages in this year's J2, if not the strongest. Another failure to win promotion to J1 would be a disaster, and looking at the players Cerezo got they are almost too good to fail this year. The young-guns Kagawa,Inui and Kaio etc are one year older, and the rest of the players are still only in their 20's so they are still in their prime-years. The defence looks stronger, but there are question-marks over the goalkeepers. They had a similar problem last season, which cost them many points in the end. With a better defence it should be improved though. Cerezo are in my opinion favorites for the 1st place, but their ultimate goal is to finish within the top 3, which seems a realistic target.

1st - 3rd

J2 2009 preview: FC Gifu

2009-03-06T02:11:00.001+01:00

FC GIFU
Stadium: Nagaragawa Stadium ( 31,000)
Average attendance 2008: 3,560
Last season's finish: 13th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Toshiya Shigenari (Drafted from Sakai High School)
GK Kyohei Noda (Transferred from FC Ryukyu)
DF Hideyoshi Akita (Transferred from Gainare Tottori)
DF Shuto Tanaka (Drafted from Tsukuba University)
DF Yasutaka Nomoto (Drafted from Tsukuba University)
DF Shinji Tominari (Drafted from Fukuoka University)
MF Seo Kwan-Soo (Transferred from Suwon City)
MF Suguru Hashimoto (Transferred from Vejle Boldklub)
MF Kazuki Someya (Drafted from Nara Sangyo University)
MF Takuma Nagayoshi (Drafted from Tsukuba University)
FW Yudai Nishikawa (Drafted from Tsukuba University)
FW Park Joon-Kyung (Drafted from Kyushu Sangyo University)
FW Cha Dong-Hoon (Drafted from Shugakukan High School)

Out
1 GK Naoto Kono (Retired)
2 DF Kota Fukatsu (Transferred to F.C. Machida Zelvia)
4 DF Takayuki Komine (Released)
6 MF Shinya Nasu (Released)
7 MF Ryuji Kitamura (Transferred to Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.)
9 FW Shinya Aikawa (End of loan from Consadole Sapporo)
17 MF Masamichi Yamada (Released)
18 MF Mitsunori Yabuta (Released)
19 DF Koji Yoshimura (Retired)
20 MF Hiromi Kojima (Released)
21 GK Suguru Hino (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)
22 GK Nobunari Nishida (Released)
23 MF Masahiro Iwata (Released)
25 FW Hiromi Kojima (On loan to F.C. Kariya)
28 MF Satoshi Sato (Released)
29 FW Kang Hyo-Il (On loan to F.C. Kariya)
30 MF Yosuke Kawasaki (On loan to F.C. Kariya)
33 MF Takashi Umeda (End of loan from Oita Trinita)

My view on the transfers:
Gifu have signed a dozen of University-players, but only MF Hashimoto from Vejle in Denmark have any previous experience with top-flight football. Meanwhile, they've relased just as many, with several players that were used on a frequent basis last season are gone. That includes goalie Hino, who's gone to Tokushima, and in defence four members that received a fair amount of playing time last season are gone as well. They've made just as many changes to their midfield, while up front they have the same players as last year.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Mizutani / Noda - Nomoto, Kawashima, Tanaka / Akita, Ki.Kan / Tominari - Takagi / Seo, Ka.Kan, Shimada, Hashimoto / Nagayoshi - Katagiri, Katayama

my view on the team:
With so many inexperienced players and so many changes to their squad, i'ts hard to predict how Gifu will fare this season, but the team looks overall weaker than last season. Unless the new players get settled really soon, Gifu will be in for a tough season and probably be lurking near the bottom of the table. They got a decent attack though with Katayama and Katagiri, as well as Korean Park in back-up.

Player to watch: Atsushi Katagiri

Manager Hideki Matsunaga
An experienced coach, that has been in charge of Verdy,Vissel and Kofu in the past. A respected figure in japanese football, and is good at working with youngsters which is good with regards to all the young players at the club.

Supporters:
Gifu averaged just above 3 000 last season, and is one of the poorest supported team in the league. Got some passionate fans though, which despite the modest number manages to create a good atmosphere at the matches.

Where they will finish:
Gifu looks no stronger than newcomers Toyama and Fagiano this year, and I think they are one of the teams in the front-seat for the last-place and wooden-spoon award. With so many young and untested players they are in for a tough season, but they should be able to beat atleast one of the newly-promoted teams and finish above last place.

15th-18th

J2 2009 preview: Roasso Kumamoto

2009-03-06T02:09:00.001+01:00

ROASSO KUMAMOTO:
Stadium: KKWing Stadium (32,000) and Kumamoto Suizenzi Stadium (15 000)
Average attendance 2008: 5,279
Last season's finish: 12th

2009 season's transfers:
GK Masaki Kinoshita (On loan from Gamba Osaka)
DF Kunihiro Yamashita (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)
MF Nozomi Osako (Draft from Kagoshima Josei High School)
7 MF Yasunobu Matsuoka (Transferred from Gamba Osaka)
MF Toshiya Fujita (Transferred from Nagoya Grampus)
MF Toshiya Ishii (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
MF Hironori Nishi (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)
9 FW Satoshi Nakayama (Transferred from Gamba Osaka)
FW Jun Uruno (Transferred from Ventforet Kofu)
FW William Yoshikawa (Drafted from Akatsuki High School)
FW Shotaro Ihata (Drafted from Shizuoka Sangyo University)

Out

4 DF Yusuke Suzuki (Transferred to AC Nagano Parceiro)
9 FW Yoshio Kitagawa (Retired)
10 MF Kiyoshi Saito (Released)
11 FW Yutaka Takahashi (Transferred to Avispa Fukuoka)
13 FW Tamon Machida (Transferred to Sony Sendai F.C.)
14 DF Kenichi Kawano (Transferred to MIO Biwako Kusatsu)
17 MF Masahiko Kumagai (Released)
19 DF Kenichi Uemura (Retired)
20 MF Mitsuhiro Seki (Transferred to New Wave Kitakyushu)
23 DF Koji Arimura (Retired)
29 FW Yosuke Kobayashi (Transferred to Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.)
31 GK Yoichi Futori (Transferred to Gamba Osaka)
34 MF Kwon Seok-Geun (Released)
35 MF Oh Min-Seok (Released)
36 FW Park Sang-Tae (Released)

My view on the transfers:
The only big loss for Roasso in the transfermarket this year is FW Takahashi ,who have moved to Avispa. A revelation last season with all his goals, he was the by far best player for Roasso. Uruno, a fringe-player from Kofu, is the only replacement brought in,so they look weaker than before up front. In midfield veterans Fujita and Ishii makes nice additions, and will without a doubt be important members of the team this year.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Yoshida / Kobayashi - Yano, Ichimura, Cha, Kawabata / Fukuo - Komorida, Ishii, Fujita, Kina, Nakayama, Kijima

My view on the team:
Even without Takahashi, Roasso looks a better side this year, due to the two newcomers in midfield mainly. The defence isn't the best though,and they will probably concede alot of goals this year as well. Fujita and Ishii will propel the team forward and be good inspirators in tough times, while Nakayama and Kijima will probably be preferred up front.

Player to watch: Ji Ho Cha

Manager:Makoto Kitano
Formerly a youth and assistant coach of Kyoto Sanga, Kitano has been in charge of Roasso since 2007 with decent results under his belt. Not one that are likely to do wonders with Roasso though, but not the worst in the league.

Where they will finish:
Roasso's 2nd season in J2 will probably be a bit more enjoyable than the first, and they should be able to upset a few teams this season. They got a horrendous start to the 2008-campaign, but looked much stronger in the latter half of the season. If they can continue from that they should be able to finish reasonably high on the table. Somewhere around last year's 12th seems a good bet, as there are three new teams to compete against.

11th-14th

J2 2009 preview: Sagan Tosu

2009-03-06T02:07:00.001+01:00

SAGAN TOSU:
Stadium: Tosu Stadium (25,000)
Average attendance 2008: 7,261
Last season's finish: 6th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
DF Keita Isozaki (Transferred from Vegalta Sendai)
DF Masayuki Yanagisawa (Transferred from Cerezo Osaka)
DF Takuya Yamada (Transferred from Yokohama FC)
DF Masaki Watanabe (Drafted from Kyoto Sangyo University)
MF Yusuke Shimada (On loan from Omiya Ardija)
MF Samuel (Drafted from Chukyo High School)
MF Yuto Takeoka (Drafted from Kokushikan University)
FW Hiroshi Ichihara (On loan from Oita Trinita)
FW Josue (Returned from F.C. Machida Zelvia)
FW Kei Ikeda (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)

Out
2 DF Yuichi Shibakoya (End of loan from Oita Trinita)
4 DF Park Jung-Hae (Transferred to Daejeon Citizen)
9 FW Kim Sin-Young (End of loan from Cerezo Osaka)
11 MF Leonardo (End of loan from Tokyo Verdy)
14 MF Keisuke Funatani (End of loan from Júbilo Iwata)
15 DF Hiroshi Tetsuto (Released)
19 MF Junya Yamashiro (Transferred to V-Varen Nagasaki)
22 FW Hiroyuki Ishida (Released)
25 FW Yoshihito Fujita (Transferred to Omiya Ardija)
26 MF Toyoki Hasegawa (Released)
29 MF Takashi Soejima (Released)
- DF Hidenori Kato (Transferred to Gainare Tottori)

My view on the transfers:
Sagan have brought in three new defenders that will probably go straight into the team, or atleast be considered valuable members. Yanagisawa is a top J2 right-back, and Isozaki and Yamada are solid additions as well. Shibakoya is gone though, but overall that part looks better this year.In midfield Leonardo is gone, who were a valuable member last season, and he is to be replaced by Shimada from Omiya. Shimada did a solid job for Thespa last season. Up front their star-striker Fujita have left for Omiya, as well as Korean Kim. That leaves only three inexperienced strikers in the early 20
s left to score goals, which in my opinion sounds very alarming.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Akahoshi / Muro -Yanagisawa, Iio /Takachi, Hidaka, Isozaki / Yamada - Hirose /Nozaki, Eto, Shimada / Shimizu, Takahashi - Josue/Taniguchi, Ichihara

My view on the team:
Defensively Sagan looks as strong as ever, and the opposition will probably have a hard time scoring on them this year as well. Up front however, the options are few, and only three inpexerienced and young strikers are to choose from. Ichihara from Oita might make a good addition, but neither Josue or Tanigichi have showed anything before that suggests they should be able to score many goals at this level.

Player to watch: Yu Eto

Manager: Yasuyuki Kishino
Kishino has been in charge since 2007, and is a very defensive-oriented coach that doesn't let the team take any risks. It means they score few goals, but also manages most of the time to keep the conceded goals at a minimum.

Supporters:
Sagan averaged over 7 000 last season,which isn't too bad. They have some nice fans, that are passionate about their team and even travels in relatively large numbers to away matches as well.

Where they will finish:
Without any goalscoring-machines in the squad, I don't think Sagan will be able to challenge for a top 3 finish this year. Fujita made the difference in the previous seasons, but with him gone and no real replacement being brought in it doesn't look too good this year. An upper half finish seems more realistic, and if Sagan can avoid defeats they could even surprise by finishing higher as well.

6th-9th

J2 2009 preview: Avispa Fukuoka

2009-03-06T02:05:00.001+01:00

AVISPA FUKUOKA:
Stadium: Level Five stadium (22,563)
Average attendance 2008: 10,079
Last season's finish: 8th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Eita Kasagawa (Promoted from youth team)
DF Makoto Tanaka (Transferred from Júbilo Iwata)
DF Kazuki Yamaguchi (Drafted from Fukuoka University)
MF Wellington (Transferred from América Futebol Clube (MG))
MF Yuji Miyahara (Transferred from Ehime F.C.)
19 FW Tetsuya Okubo (Transferred from Kashiwa Reysol)
FW Alex Henrique Jose (On loan from Batatais Futebol Clube)
FW Yutaka Takahashi (Transferred from Roasso Kumamoto)
FW Hideya Okamoto (On loan from Gamba Osaka)

Out
4 DF Mark Rudan (Transferred to FC Vaduz)
6 MF Takanori Nunobe (Retired)
8 MF Ufuk Talay (Transferred to North Queensland Fury FC)
14 MF Hokuto Nakamura (Transferred to F.C. Tokyo)
20 FW Mike Havenaar (End of loan from Yokohama F. Marinos)
26 MF Shingo Honda (Released)

My view on the transfers:
Avispa have strengthened their team since last season, with improvements in every area of the pitch. Tanaka from Jubilo will be a great asset to a fledgling defence, while Wellington and Miyahara are improvements to the midfield. Okubo, who were the team's topscorer last season, has completed his transfer from Reysol, partnering up with Takahashi from Roasso, who took J2 by storm last season. Alex is an improvement as well, which means they are much better covered up front than last yar. Havenaar have left for Marinos, but the tall youngster weren't a huge success. The biggest loss is MF Nakamura, who were regarded as one of the better players in the team. Talay is gone as well, but Wellington and Miyahara should be able to replace them.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Yoshida - Yamagata, Niwa,Tanaka, Nakajima - Suzuki / Miyahara, Wellington, Jogo/Kudo, Hisanaga - Okubo, Takahashi / Alex

My view on the team:
Avispa looks a more complete team this season, with a stronger defence and deadlier strikers. There are some question marks about the midfield though, and much relies on whether or not Wellington will be a success. Okubo and Takahashi together along with Alex in backup should be able to score alot more goals than last season.

Player to watch: Tatsunori Hisanaga

Manager: Yoshiyuki Shinoda
Shinoda took over after Pierre Littbarski in July last season, and did a pretty good job as the team improved alot afterwards. Shinoda have coached U-15 and U-18 teams for Avispa earlier, as well as being assistant-coach for the first team, but this is his first major manager-job.

Supporters:
Avispa have a large fan-base, and have some of the most loyal fans in J2. Despite being relegated, they still have over 10 000 in average, which means there's a good support within the city of Fukuoka.

Where they will finish:
Avispa looks a stronger outfit this year, and is a dark horse for promotion. IF Vegalta and Cerezo are favorites for the two first positions, Avispa will probably have to fight against Shonan,Kofu and Consadole for the 3rd place, and they surely have the potential to do so. Decent back-up players and a better defence suggest that, as well as a much more feared attack.

3rd - 6th

J2 2009 preview: Ehime FC

2009-03-06T02:03:00.001+01:00

EHIME FC:
Stadium: Ehime Prefectural General Athletics Park (20,000)
Average attendance 2008: 3,704
Last season's finish: 14th

2009 season's transfers:
GK Hiromasa Yamamoto (Transferred from Cerezo Osaka)
DF Yuichi Shibakoya (On loan from Oita Trinita)
DF Kenta Yoshikawa (Drafted from Hannan University)
MF Daiki Tamori (Transferred from Ventforet Kofu)
MF Shunsuke Oyama (Transferred from Urawa Red Diamonds)
MF Ryosuke Ochi (Transferred from Oita Trinita youth team)
FW Yoshihiro Uchimura (Transferred from Oita Trinita)
FW Josimar (Transferred from Ventforet Kofu)

Out:
DF Yuzo Minami (Transferred to V-Varen Nagasaki)
DF Shingo Hoshino (Released)
MF Hideto Inoue (Retired)
FW Ryota Miki (End of loan from Gamba Osaka)
MF Yuji Miyahara (Transferred to Avispa Fukuoka)
MF Kim Tae-Yeon (End of loan from Vissel Kobe)
FW Ryosuke Sasagaki (Released)
GK Daisuke Tada (On loan to Cerezo Osaka)
MF Yoichi Kamimaru (Released)
FW Takuya Yokoyama (Released)
DF Hirotada Ito (End of loan from Gamba Osaka)
DF Akio Fukami (Released)
FW Manabu Wakabayashi (End of loan from Omiya Ardija)
GK Masaharu Kawahara (End of loan from Oita Trinita)

My view on the transfers:
Ehime has gotten rid of several players since last season, and seem to have trimmed their squad drastically. No real key players have left though, and instead they've released some of their more average players. Two regulars last season are gone, both in midfield, as Miyahara has been sold to Avispa and Kim returned to Kobe. Only Oyama of any quality has been brought in, which means that part is weakened. They got a new GK in Yamamoto, who were the first choice for Cerezo last season. DF Shibakoya is a good addition as well, which means the defence looks stronger. Up front Josimar have returned to the club, and will be the teams leading striker this season. Uchimura, who comes from Oita, will probably partner him.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Yamamoto - Takasugi, Kanamori, Shibakoya, Mikami - Akai / Chishima, Ego, Oyama / Aono, Yokotani - Josimar, Uchimura / Tanaka

My view on the team:
Ehime's starting eleven looks stronger, but lack some decent options if players get injured. The defence should be strengthened with Yamamoto and Shibakoya, while they will probably struggle to take control of the midfield, atleast against the better teams. Josimar is probably good enough for 15 goals a season, which is a huge improvement from last year, where none of the strikers managed to get a big goal-tally. Unlike last seasons, Ehime will probably try to stick with the same players more than before, which means the regulars should get a better chance to play themselves into good form. That was a problem last season, atleast with the strikers, with the coach constantly changing between 5-6 strikers.

Player to watch: Josimar

Manager: Kazuhito Mochizuki
Been in charge of Ehime since 2005, without never really managing to take them up to the next level. A pleasant guy, but hasn't showed anything in the past that suggests he is a top-manager.

Supporters:
Ehime got one of the smallers fanbases in the league, and dont enjoy too much back-up in the local community. They come from a place with literally no football-culture whatsoever, which explains their poor number of fans.

Where they will finish:
I don't think Ehime will be able to do any major progression since last year, but they should be good enough to keep 2-3 teams behind them atleast. A relatively small squad means they might struggle at the latter half of the season, as the regulars will experience alot of fatigue and such.

14th-16th

J2 2009 preview: Tokushima Vortis

2009-03-06T02:01:00.002+01:00

TOKUSHIMA VORTIS:
Stadium: Naruto Athletic Stadium (20,000)
Average attendance 2008: 3,862
Last season's finish: 15th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Suguru Hino (Transferred from F.C. Gifu)
GK Hideaki Ueno (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
GK Daijiro Takakuwa (Transferred from Yokohama F. Marinos)
GK Kazuki Abe (Promoted from Amateur Team)
DF Kentoku Noborio (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
DF Bae Seung-Jin (Transferred from Yokohama F.C.)
DF Takashi Miki (Transferred from Nagoya Grampus)
DF Kazuto Tsuyuki (On loan from Nagoya Grampus)
DF Hikaru Mita (Transferred from Shonan Bellmare)
DF Takahiro Ohara (Drafted from Tokai University)
DF Hiroaki Ando (Drafted from Kanagawa University)
DF Masahiro Ishikawa (Drafted from Naruto High School)
MF Wataru Inoue (Transferred from Nagoya Grampus)
MF Jun Aoyama (On loan from Nagoya Grampus)
MF Takaaki Tokushige (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
FW Fábio (On loan from Villa Rio Esporte Clube)
FW Toshiaki Haji (Transferred from Ventforet Kofu)
FW Akihiro Sato (Drafted from Tokai University)

Out:
GK Torashi Shimazu (Released)
DF Jungo Kono (Retired)
DF Yuji Ishikawa (Released)
DF Naoya Shibamura (Transferred to Gainare Tottori)
MF Da Silva (End of loan from Madureira Esporte Clube)
DF Shogo Nishikawa (End of loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
FW Souza (End of loan from Marília Atlético Clube)
MF Andrezinho (End of loan from Roma Esporte Apucarana)
FW Yutaro Abe (Transferred to Gainare Tottori)
MF Taketo Shiokawa (Released)
MF Kenji Takahashi (Released)
DF Kazuma Irifune (Retired)
MF Jun Tamano (Transferred to Thespa Kusatsu)
GK Yasutaka Homma (Retired)
GK Taiji Furuta (Released)
FW Hideo Okamoto (Transferred to Kamatamare Sanuki)
MF Takuto Koyama (Released)
DF Takatoshi Matsumoto (Released)
MF Taku Ishihara (End of loan from Yokohama F. Marinos)
DF Yushi Ito (Transferred to Grulla Morioka)

My view on the transfers:
Tokushima have released all their goalkeepers, and brought in four new ones. The first choice will most likely be Hino, who stood for Gifu last season. Likewise in defence, 3-4 players that received playing time last season is gone, while there are five new names on the block. Nishikawa has gone back to Sanfrecce, and is the biggest loss, but with a couple of reinforcements from Nagoya as well as Mita from Shonan they look better covered this year. Actually there are two new additions in midfield as well form Nagoya, with Jun Aoyama as the biggest signing. Aoyama were on loan to Cerezo last season, where he played 14 matches, and should be able to improve Tokushima's midfield this season. Tokushige, a long-time server of both Kyoto and Cerezo in the past, is also new and will be a good player to have with all his experience. Da Silva, Shiokawa and Andrezinho las left though, with only Da Silva to counted as a big loss. Andrezinho never managed to break in to the team, and is back in Brazil now. Likewise, his compatriot Souza has left as well, as the FW only managed two goals in 17 appearances last season. Instead of him Tokushima have gone for a 21-year old Brazilian called Fabio, who have played for several clubs already, including a brief spell with Botafogo. He seems a much better deal, and should be able to do better than Souza atleast. Haji from Kofu is new as well.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Hino - Miki, Fujita / Bae, Mita, Noborio / Meta - Kuranuki, Hikichi / Kataoka, Aoyama, Oshima - Fabio, Haji / Sugawara

My view on the team:
Tokushima look much better this season than in previous years, and should for once be able to finish higher up than in last place. The midfield in particular looks strong, with Kuranuki being the best of the lot. Aoyama should be able to do some good things for them as well, and the gifted Oshima is always a threat going forward. Up front Fabio will take one of the starting roles, either with Haji, Sugawara or Ishida alongside him. The defence looks stronger as well, but they're likely to conceded a fair amount of goals this year as well.

Player to watch: Fabio

Manager: Naohiko Minobe
Minobe were in charge of Kyoto for 1 year from 2006 to 2007, but were fired 2 months before the season ended in 2007 as Kyoto seemed to miss out on promotion that year. As it turned out, Kyoto managed to get promoted with a new coach on board, and Minobe were blamed for failing to do the same with such a talented bunch of players Kyoto had at that time. Hasn't really done wonders with Tokushima either, and is among the more poor coaches in the league.

Supporters:
Situated on Shikoku, Tokushima is far away from the football-frenzy parts of Japan, but nevertheless have they managed to build a small and very loyal fanbase in their hometown.
They also have a small gropu of hard-core fans that follows the team at every away-match.

Where they will finish:
Tokushima looks stronger than ever before, and they seemed to have done some smart shopping in the off-season. They should be able to beat the newly-promoted teams as well as teams like Ehime and Gifu, and with that climb a few places on the table.

14th-16th

J2 2009 preview: Fagiano Okayama

2009-03-06T02:00:00.001+01:00

FAGIANO OKAYAMA:
Stadium: Momotaro Stadium
Average attendance 2008: N/A
Last season's finish: 4th (JFL)

2009 season's transfers:
IN:
GK Hidenori Mago (Transferred from Sagawa Shiga F.C.
GK Kazuma Shiina (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)
DF Kazuya Sakamoto (Transferred from Urawa Red Diamonds)
DF Masahiko Sawaguchi (Transferred from F.C. Ryukyu)
DF Takashi Nishihara (Drafted from Ehime University)
DF Ryujiro Ueda (Transferred from Gamba Osaka)
DF Yutaka Baba (Drafted from Osaka Gakuin University)
DF Yuichi Morimoto (Drafted from Komazawa University)
MF Kazunari Hosaka (Transferred from Ventforet Kofu)
MF Kengo Ukai (Transferred from Ventforet Kofu)
MF Yuki Kotera (Drafted from Hannan University)
MF Ryohei Kamon (Drafted from Momoyama Gakuin University)
MF Yuji Makihara (Drafted from Kobe International University)a
FW Kohei Nishino (On loan from Oita Trinita)
FW Tsuyoshi Shinchu (Drafted from Biwako Seikei Sport College)
FW Takuro Yoshioka (Drafted from Shizuoka Sangyo University)
FW Shotaro Dei (Drafted from Kochi University)
FW Takuya Yamamoto (Drafted from International Pacific University)

Out
GK Takaya Tsutsumi (Released)
DF Takuya Ito (Transferred to New Wave Kitakyushu)
FW Yusaku Asahina (Transferred to Kamatamare Sanuki)
MF Hideyuki Nakagawa (Released)
DF Takaki Shigemitsu (Transferred to New Wave Kitakyushu)
DF Hideaki Ikematsu (Transferred to FC Târgovi?te)
FW Sho Kamogawa (Released)
MF Takamichi Seki (Transferred to Okinawa Kariyushi F.C.)

My view on the transfers:
Fagiano have brought in a few reinforcements to adjust to life in J2, but noe of which can really be called quality-players. Two rookie defenders from Urawa and Gamba respectively will boost the defence, while two midfielders from Kofu is set to strengthen that part of the field. The biggest signing is FW Nishino from Oita, who played for Mito the last couple of season. A decent forward, but isn't exactly a goalgetter.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Lee - Ozaki, Sawaguchi, Nomoto, Ueda / Ukai - Tamabayashi, Kawahara, Senoh / Hosaka, Ono - Nishino, Kobayashi / Kiyama

My view on the team:
Fagiano doesn't look any particularly strengthened since last season, and like Kataller they will probably struggle to make much of an impact. They finished 4th in JFL last season, behind both Tochigi and Kataller. There are several players with experience from J2 earlier in the team, which might be a good thing as they then know what to expect. The players brought in doesn't look any particular better than the ones already at the team, but will surely make use of themselves even as back-up. The defence looks the weakest part, with rather inexperienced players.

Player to watch: Shugo Kawahara

Manager: Satoshi Tezuka
Tezuka's been in charge of Fagiano since 2007, and have done a pretty good job with the club. Before that he was the manager of Thespa Kusatsu. A former Japanese international, Tezuka is an experienced figure in japanaese football.

Supporters:
Fagiano averaged around 3,500 last season, but those figures are expected to rise a little this season. At most they had over 11,000, so the interest is there.

Where they will finish:
Like Kataller, I think Fagiano will be one of the bottom-dwellers this season. They haven't done anything to strengthen their team since last year, and I doubt those players are good enough to bring them success in J2.

16th -18th

J2 2009 preview: Kataller Toyama

2009-03-06T01:57:00.001+01:00

KATALLER TOYAMA:
Stadium: Toyama Athletic Recreation Park Stadium (28,494)
Average attendance 2008 : N/A
Last season's finish: 3rd (JFL)

2009 season's transfers:
In:
MF Kang Hyun-Su (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
DF Sho Asuke (Transferred from Tokyo Verdy)
DF Tetsuya Funatsu (Drafted from Biwako Seikei Sport College)
DF Kazuhito Esaki (Drafted from Hosei University)
FW Masato Sakurai (Drafted from Hamamatsu University)

Out:
DF Keiichiro Hashimoto (Released)
DF Hideya Tanaka (Kamatamare Sanuki)
MF Satoshi Yoshioka (Retired)

My view on the transfers:
Toyama hasn't made any real changes to their team, and the only ones brought in are a few university-players plus two rookies from Kyoto and Verdy. None of the players that helped the team win promotion last season has gone as well, which means the squad is pretty much unchanged.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Nakagawa - Nishino, Hamano, Tsutsumi, Nakata - Kamizono, Kabayama / Nagayama, Watanabe, Asahi - Hasegawa, Ishida / Nagatomi

My view on the team:
Few of the players have an previous experience with J.League-football, and the most "merited" of them is infact Kamizono, who played a few seasons for Mito in J2 a few years ago. Untested at this level, Toyama is expected to struggle in their debut season, but looked pretty good last year so they might be able to upset a few teams. Both strikers Hasegawa and Ishida have scored lots of goals in JFL, and should be able to bag a few here as well. The defence doesn't look too strong though, and I think they will struggle against the big teams.

Player to watch: Mitsuru Hasegawa

Manager: Hiroshi Showa
Like his players, Showa is untested at this level, which makes it hard to file a description of him. A former assistant coach of Cerezo Osaka and Sagan Tosu means he have gone the grades, and probably picked up some good tricks along the way.

Supporters:
Toyama averaged just over 4000 last season, which is more than clubs like Ehime,Mito and Tokushima. At the most they had over 10 000 at one of their games, which means there's a vast interest for the club in their hometown.

Where they will finish:
Toyama looks on paper like the weakest team in the league, and I would be surprised if they managed to keep too many teams behind them when the season is finished. A very in-experienced squad, but good team-morale and determination and will enough to deliver might give them a few wins. Most likely they will end up close to the bottom though.

17th - 18th

J2 2009 preview: Ventforet Kofu

2009-03-06T01:54:00.002+01:00

VENTFORET KOFU:
Stadium: Kose Sports Stadium (17,000)
Average attendance 2008: 10,354
Last season's finish: 7th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Kota Ogi (On loan from Vissel Kobe)
DF Daniel (On loan from Associação Desportiva São Caetano)
DF Yuki Toma (Drafted from Hamamatsu University)
MF Marcelo Labarthe
MF Naoki Hatada (Transferred from Kashiwa Reysol youth team)
MF Hiromu Karasawa (Promoted from youth team)
11 FW Maranhao (Transferred from Sertãozinho)
FW Kim Sin-Young (Transferred from Cerezo Osaka)
FW Masaru Matsuhashi (On loan from Oita Trinita)
FW Hiroshi Morita (Transferred from Omiya Ardija)
FW Yuki Koike (Drafted from Chuo University)

Out
5 DF Yuki Inoue (Transferred to Tochigi S.C.)
6 MF Kazunari Hosaka (Transferred to Fagiano Okayama F.C.)
8 MF Daiki Tamori (Transferred to Ehime F.C.)
11 FW Jun Uruno (Transferred to Roasso Kumamoto)
14 FW Josimar (Transferred to Ehime F.C.)
15 FW Sales (Released)
17 MF Tomoyoshi Tsurumi (Retired)
18 FW Toshiaki Haji (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)
20 FW Shota Kimura (Transferred to Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.)
22 GK Shigeru Sakurai (End of loan from Montedio Yamagata)
23 MF Kengo Ukai (Transferred to Fagiano Okayama F.C.)
26 DF Ken Yorii (Transferred to Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.)
28 MF Daisuke Kanzaki (Transferred to V-Varen Nagasaki)
35 DF Ryo Yamamoto (Released)

My view on the transfers:
Kofu has done some adjustments to their team since last season, mainly in attack where three new strikers has been brought in. Maranhao's loan-deal has been turned into a permanent move, and to aid him Kim from Cerezo, Morita from Omiya and Matsuhashi from Oita have joined the team. GK Ogi is on loan from Vissel, and most likely he will see some playing time this season. In defence, a couple of frequent starters are gone, and the only newcomer are Daniel from Brazil. Marcelo will surely add some skills to the midfield.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Abe / Ogi - Akimoto / Sugiyama, Yamamoto, Daniel, Ikehata / Wada - Mio, Fujita, Marcelo, Ishihara - Maranhao, Morita / Kim

My view on the team:
Not a bad squad, but not a particularly good either. There's no real leaders in the team that can guide them up to the next level, like Bare did earlier for them. There's no obvious weak points in the team either though, so I think they will be able to put up a fight with even the best teams in the league. Unlike last season, in which they struggled alot with scoring goals, the attack almost looks like the strongest part of the team this year. Maranhao is good for atleast 15 goals when he got a complete season to do it on, and altohugh Morita never blossomed in J1 he should be good enough to pose a threat to teams at this level. Kim were weighed too light for Cerezo, but looked good at times at Sagan last season, and Matsuhashi and Maeda are also players that can deliver at this stage.

Player to watch: Maranhao

Manager: Takayoshi Anma
Anma is a rather inexperienced coach, but didn't do a bad job last season in charge. Especially the 2nd hald of the 2008-season Kofu looked quite good, and Anma seems to have done alot of things right. He's got overall a better squad to work with this season than the last.

Supporters:
Kofu had one of the biggest average-crowds in J2 last season, and lost remarkably few fans after the relegation in 2007. Most teams experience a drastic decrease in the crowd after that, but that didn¨t happened with Kofu which shows how loyal their fans are.

Where they will finish:
Kofu should be able to do better this year than last season, in which they finished on a disappointing 7th. Whether or not they are good enough to aim for a top 3 finish remains to be seen, but with maximum luck such a place are within reach. However, they need one or two of the players to step forward if that is to happen, and the strikers needs to be consistent goalscorers as well. There's a good spirit within the team though, which will of course boost the team's performances.

4th - 8th

J2 2009 preview: Yokohama FC

2009-03-06T01:51:00.001+01:00

YOKOHAMA FC:
Stadium: Mitsuzawa Stadium (15,064)
Average attendance 2008: 6,793
Last season's finish: 10th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
4 DF Kenta Togawa (Signed from Tokyo Verdy)
DF Shosuke Katayama (Signed from Nagoya Grampus)
DF Terukazu Tanaka (On loan from Omiya Ardija)
DF Tomonobu Hayakawa (Loan Return from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)
DF Ryuji Ito (Drafted from Teikyo High School)
25 MF Yusuke Sudo (Signed from Nagoya Grampus)
MF Daishi Kato (Signed from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
MF Ken Hisatomi (Drafted from Tokai Univ. Daigo High School)
MF Yoo Hyo-Jin (Signed from Busan Kyotong)
FW Go Nishida (Signed from Hannan University)

Out
5 MF Elizeu (Transferred to Vegalta Sendai)
6 DF Kosuke Ota (Transferred to Shimizu S-Pulse)
8 DF Yosuke Nakata (Transferred to Grulla Morioka)
9 FW Anderson (Released)
13 MF Kunihiko Takizawa (Transferred to Tokyo Verdy)
14 MF Cho Young-Cheol (Transferred to Albirex Niigata)
15 FW Taro Hasegawa (Released)
32 DF Takuya Yamada (Transferred to Sagan Tosu)
- DF Bae Seung-Jin (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)
- MF Tomoya Uchida (Transferred to Omiya Ardija)

My view on the transfers:
Yokohama have lost a few regulars since last season, including their topscorer Anderson. DF's Ota,Yamada and Nakata are gone as well, all players that were used alot last season. Likewise in midfield, where Elizeu, Takizawa and the talented Cho are all gone. Three new defenders have been brought in to replace the departed ones, so that area of the field should be settled. In midfield Kato and Sudo are new, which in my opinion doesn't hold the same quality as the players gone. Up front Hasegawa is gone as well, which were a solid back-up player.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Koyama - Ono, Yatsuda, Togawa, Katayama - A.Miura, Kato,Sudo,Nejime - Ikemoto / K.Miura - Namba

My view on the team:
Yokohama looks pretty mediocre this season as well, with no players standing out as leaders. The defence doesn't look too bad, but few options in back-up means they can't afford too many injuries. The midfield doesn't exactly oozes quality either, and they might struggle against the better teams atleast. Up front Namba will be the main-man this season, with Ikemoto serving as his partner. Super-veteran Kazu Miura will probably receive some playing time as well, but in the last couple of years he's become more a liability than someone who adds strength to the team.

Player to watch: Daishi Kato

Manager: Yasuhiro Higuchi
Higuchi took over the reigns ahead of this season, and will have a hard task producing good results with the club. With veterans like the two Miura's still in the club pulling strings off the pitch, Higuchi's influence might not be as big as he wants, as the hier-archy that is at Yokohama has caused upstirs with previous managers.

Supporters:
Got a nice group of hardcore-fans, but not the largest in numbers. After Yokohama Flugel's fall, most fans in Yokohama support Marinos instead which means Yokohama FC will only be the club for the hardcore fans, atleast until they are good enough to challenge their city-rivals again in J1.

Where they will finish:
Yokohama doesn't look any better than a midtable team this year as well, and will probably struggle to even make it to the upper half of the table. They got a decent starting lineup though, and will be able to steal some points from the big teams over the season.

9th - 13th

J2 2009 preview: Shonan Bellmare

2009-03-06T00:57:00.001+01:00

SHONAN BELLMARE:
Stadium: Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium (18,500)
Average attendance 2008: 5,994
Last season's finish: 5th

2009 season's transfers:
No.
GK Yosuke Nozawa (Transferred from Albirex Niigata)
DF Akihiro Sakata (On loan from Cerezo Osaka)
DF Taisuke Muramatsu (Transferred from Honda F.C.)
DF Keisuke Takigawa (Drafted from Nihon University)
DF Kento Fukuda (Drafted from Joso Identy Youth)
MF Yoshito Terakawa (Teransferred from Albirex Niigata)
MF Yuki Igari (Returned from Sagawa Printing S.C.)
MF Yohei Maeda (Transferred from Shimizu S-Pulse youth team)
FW Jung Jung-Hyun (Drafted from Konkuk University)
FW Kohei Yamamoto (Drafted from Hosei University)

Out
2 DF Toshihide Saito (End of loan from Shimizu S-Pulse)
4 DF Hikaru Mita (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)
9 FW Naoya Umeda (Transferred to Gainare Tottori)
11 FW Naoki Ishihara (Transferred to Omiya Ardija)
14 MF Genki Nagasato (Transferred to Tokyo Verdy)
15 MF Yoshio Kitajima (Released)
17 MF Shunsuke Oyama (End of loan from Urawa Red Diamonds)
24 MF Nozomu Kato (Retired)
27 GK Yohei Hamasaki (Transferred to Sagawa Printing S.C.)
29 MF Satoru Hayashi (On loan to Gainare Tottori)
31 DF Yosuke Kawamata (Released)

My view on the transfers:
Shonan haven't made any real improvements on their team since last season, with only a couple of veterans from Albirex being brought in. GK Nozawa will probably receive some playing time, and might be getting the starting spot, while MF Terakawa, who's already 33, will most likely be used on a more frequent basis. They've lost quite a few players, with the biggest loss being FW Ishihara, who's moved to Omiya in J1. Two or three other players that received a fair amount of playing time last season have left as well.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Kim / Nozawa - Tamura, Jean, Yamaguchi / Suzuki, Usui - Sakamoto, Adiel, Nagata, Terakawa / Kikuchi - Tuto, Hara / Abe

My view on the team:
Alot of their players have turned 30 already, and Shonan aren't exactly a youthfilled and energetic team anymore. They still look to have a solid starting 11 though, but with many of the backup players last season gone, their squad looks thinner.The loss of Ishihara up front will be big, but Tuto, who scored 5 goals in 7 matches last season will do his best to fill his shoes. They got one of the best players in J2 in Adiel, who pull the strings in midfield.

Player to watch: Tuto

Manager: Yasuharu Sorimachi
Sorimachi were in charge of Japan U23 and their Olympic Team from 2006 to 2008, and although he never won any major trophies with them he made them into a solid team that played attractive football. Not the type who take uncalculated risks though, and often chooses the safe option over the risky one. That have on several occasions in the past proved to be the wrong choice, but nevertheless Sorimachi is a coach that knows his game. His experience with young players might result into some of Shonan's rookies getting some chances with the first-team.

Supporters:
Despite having been a solid J2 side for years now, Shonan still continues to draw a modest crowd. An average of just below 6,000 a game isn't good enough for a perennial promotion-chaser, especially considering Shonan ( or Bellmare Hiratsuka as they were called earlier) were a good J1 team back in the 90's. In other words not the most intimidating supporters around.

Where they will finish:
Shonan will be hoping for another shot at promotion this year, which might turn out to be a tougher task than they want. The team doesn't look any stronger than last year, and in Ishihara they lost a match-winner. However, the chance is there, and with only Vegalta and Cerezo to be considered as real favorites for a promotion-finish Shonan could with a little bit of luck finish 3rd.

3rd-6th

J2 2009 preview: Tokyo Verdy

2009-03-06T00:52:00.002+01:00

TOKYO VERDY:
Stadium: Ajinomoto Stadium (50,000)
Average attendance 2008: 14,837
Last season's finish: 17th (J1)

2009 season's transfers:
IN
DF Kazuya Iwakura (Transferred from New Wave Kitakyushu)
DF Takuya Wada (Promoted from youth team)
MF Takahiro Kawamura (Transferred from Júbilo Iwata)
MF Genki Nagasato (Transferred from Shonan Bellmare)
MF Kunihiko Takizawa (Transferred from Yokohama FC)
MF Kento Tsurumaki (Returned from Mito HollyHock)
MF Yu Tomidokoro (Promoted from youth team)
FW Leonardo (Returned from Sagan Tosu)

Out
3 DF Shigenori Hagimura (Retired)
4 DF Takumi Wada (End of loan from Shimizu S-Pulse)
5 DF Daisuke Nasu (Transferred to Júbilo Iwata)
10 MF Diego (Transferred to Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
11 MF Harutaka Ono (Released)
18 DF Kojiro Kaimoto (Released)
20 MF Nozomi Hiroyama (Transferred to Thespa Kusatsu)
23 MF Takashi Fukunishi (Retired)
24 MF Tsuyoshi Yoshitake (Released)
28 DF Sho Asuke (Transferred to Kataller Toyama)
29 DF Sho Miyasaka (Released)
32 FW Osama Elsamni (Transferred to FK Teplice)
- DF Yugo Ichiyanagi (Transferred to Vegalta Sendai)
- DF Kenta Togawa (Transferred to Yokohama FC)
- DF Seiji Sonoda (Released)

My view on the transfers:
Verdy has lost 3-4 defenders since last season, with the main departures being Nasu and Wada. Obviously players they would have good use of this season as well, but the biggest loss lies in midfield, where Diego has moved to Kyoto. Also Ono, Hiroyama and Fukunishi are gone, which leaves alot of holes to fill. No defenders have been brought in as replacements, whereas in midfield Kawamura and Leonardo are the biggest signings. Leonardo returns from Sagan where he has spent the last two seasons on loan, while Kawamura comes from Jubilo, where he played 11 matches last season. In one way it's a good thing that they have trimmed the squad, as they've had far too many average players in the team.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Doi - Fukuda, Tomisawa, Tsuchiya, Hattori - Kawano / Shibasaki, Sugiwara, Takizawa, Leonardo - Oguro, Leandro / Hiramoto

My view on the team:
Verdy doesnt look as strong as they did in 2007, much to the case that their two stars up front Diego and Hulk are no longer within the team. It's an aging team, and whether or not they will manage to keep it up for the entire season is doubtful. The defence isn't too bad, but against the more quick-attacking teams they will struggle I think. They lack a leader in midfield as well, but got some promising players at the flanks. Kawano will probably receive more playing-time this year, and Leonardo proved he has what it takes at Sagan as well. Oguro has good opportunity to revive his career this season, as he should be able to score a few goals in J2. Leandro didn't quite got it together last season, but will see some playing time this year, and if he can find back to the form he showed in Brazil earlier Verdy might do well. They also got the aging Hiramoto and Funakoshi to choose from, but neither can be called super-strikers, even at this level.

Player to watch: Hiroki Kawano

Manager: Takuya Takagi
Takagi were promoted from coach to manager ahead of this season, as he took over from Hashiratani. Takagi enjoyed enourmous success with Yokohama FC in 2006, winning promotion with them and breaking several records along the way. That was his first year in charge of a club, but 2007 proved tougher as Yokohama failed to make an impact in J1. Surely a manager with alot of potential, and the capability to do great things with Verdy.

Supporters:
Verdy were once the biggest team in Japan, but after some rough years where they among other things moved away from their current location the fan-base have become smaller every year. Situated in the middle of Tokyo, they haven't really managed to grow a proper fanbase in the local community, as most of the fans in Tokyo cheer for either FC Tokyo or one of the surrounding clubs. Still manages to attract a reasonable crowd at their home-matches though.

Where they will finish:
Verdy will be hoping to bounce straight back into J1 this season, but in my opinion they seem to lack the quality to do so. If key players like Oguro manages to find back to the form they showed earlier they have the potential for a top 3 finish though, but most likely they will have to settle for a finish just below.

4th - 7th

J2 2009 preview: Thespa Kusatsu

2009-03-06T00:50:00.002+01:00

THESPA KUSATSU:
Stadium: Shikishima Stadium (10,050)
Average attendance 2008: 4,215
Last season's finish: 9th

2009 season's transfers:
In:

16 DF Daisuke Fujii (Transferred from Albirex Niigata)
DF Keiichi Misawa (Transferred from Vissel Kobe)
DF Tatsuya Kawahara (On loan from Omiya Ardija)
MF Nozomi Hiroyama (Transferred from Tokyo Verdy)
MF Jun Tamano (Transferred from Tokushima Vortis)
MF Minori Sato (Drafted from Maebashi Ikuei High School)
27 FW Ken Tokura (Transferred from Kawasaki Frontale)
FW Junki Koike (On loan from Urawa Red Diamonds)

Out
6 MF Nobuhito Toriizuka (Retired)
10 MF Yusuke Shimada (End of loan from Omiya Ardija)
17 MF Tadahiro Akiba (Transferred to S.C. Sagamihara)
18 FW Shota Iwata (Released)
23 DF Akira Ishigame (End of loan from Omiya Ardija)
24 MF Jin Kanaoya (Transferred to Fukushima United F.C.)
27 DF Bae Seung-Jin (End of loan from Yokohama FC)
38 MF Reiichi Ikegami (End of loan from F.C. Tokyo)

My view on the transfers:
Thespa have released MF's Toriizuka and Shimada, who both were regular members of the team last season. Toriizuka have retired, while Shimada, one of the pillars of last season's team, have ended his loan-spell. The other released players are only fringe members of the team, so they've managed to kept most of the players from last season. Some reinforcements have been brought in as well, with FW Koike looking the most promising one. The Urawa Reds-striker is a very talented player, that were never given enough chances at Urawa to shine. J2 seems a more appropriate venue for him at this stage of his career, so he should be able to make an impact on Thespa. Hiroyama is new from Tokyo Verdy, and will make a nice addition to the midfield. There's a couple of other newcomers as well, but none of which will go straight into the first-team.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Honda - Fujii / Terada, Tanaka, Omoto / Kita, Choi - Hiroyama, Kumabayashi, Matsushita, Yamazaki - Takada, Koike

My view on the team:
Thespa has kept most of their top-performers from last season, and with the arrival of Hiroyama and Koike they look overall strengthened. The defence looks tight, and will probably prove a tough team to score at this season as well. The midfield likewise, but if one or two members are missing the team's quality will fall drastically as there are no solid players in back-up. Takada is a very good J2-level striker, and along with Koike they should be able to score some goals this season. Lack of depth seems to be biggest problem though, which might mean we're in for a similar season like last year, where Thespa fell apart in the last 3rd of the season.

Player to watch: Junki Koike

Manager: Toru Sano
Sano has been the coach of Kyoto Sanga in the past, as well as Yokohama Flugels ( now Yokohama F Marinos), and is an experienced fellow. He doesn't have the best results to show for though, but nonetheless a respected coach that were appointed ahead of this season. His predecessor Ueki achieved good results with the team, and Sano's goal is to match those.

Supporters:
Your average japanese fans, that sings and dances throughout the entire match. Thespa doesn't have the biggest fanbase though,and they're not among the better ones in the league.

Where they will finish:
Thespa looks overall just as strong as last season, and should be able to come up with some good results this year as well. A tough team to score on, and with Takada and Koike up front they should be able to bag a few goals themselves as well. Sano's tactics is a bit more loose than Ueki's though, so they will probably adapt a more offensive strategy this year. I think a mid-table finish is what Thespa's fans have to hope for.

8th - 12th

J2 2009 preview: Tochigi SC

2009-03-06T00:44:00.001+01:00

TOCHIGI SC:
Stadium:Tochigi Green Stadium (16,000)
Average attendance 2008: N/A
Last season's finish: 2nd (JFL)

2009 season's transfers:

In
22 DF Masataka Tamura (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
DF Atsushi Yoneyama (Transferred from Nagoya Grampus)
DF Norihiro Kawakami (Transferred from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)
DF Yuki Inoue (Transferred from Ventforet Kofu)
DF Yuki Okubo (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
MF Keisuke Kurihara (Transferred from Vissel Kobe)
MF Takumi Motohashi (Transferred from Montedio Yamagata)
MF Atsushi Ito (Transferred from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)
FW Manabu Wakabayashi (Transferred from Omiya Ardija)
FW Kazuhisa Kawahara (On loan from Albirex Niigata)

Out
3 DF Atsushi Terui (Transferred to FC Ganju Iwate)
4 DF Masakazu Washida (Transferred to F.C. Ryukyu)
8 MF Masamitsu Kobayashi (Retired)
9 FW Yusaku Ueno (Retired)
10 FW Satoshi Yokoyama (Released)
13 DF Toru Yamazaki (Transferred to Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.)
15 MF Isao Kubota (Transferred to New Wave Kitakyushu)
17 MF Koji Fukasawa (Transferred to Fukushima United F.C.)
22 GK Tatsumi Iida (Released)
23 DF Ryosuke Kawanabe (Released)
26 FW Yuichi Sakamoto (Released)
27 MF Daisuke Hoshi (Released)
30 DF Chon Ryungpop (Released)

My view on the transfers:
Tochigi have done a complete make-over since last season, and brought in 10 players from different clubs in J1. A few players have been released as well, including FW Yokoyama, who scored over 20 goals for them the last two seasons. The defence has been beefed up with Yoneyama and Okubo as the two biggest signings, both players who received a fair amount of playing time in J1 last season. MF Kurihara, who played 29 matches for Kobe last season, will take command of the midfield, and the veteran will be joined by former Montedio-player Motohashi. Motohashi only played a handful of matches last season, much due to injuries, but is still regarded as a very strong player. Ito from JEF is the 3rd newcomer, but he's not nearly as renowned as the two others. Up front Kawahara from Albirex and Wakabayashi from Omiya will surely make good additions to the team.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Shibasaki - Tamura / Okada , Kawakami / Irie, Yoneyama, Okubo - Sato, Motoyama, Kurihara, Takayasu - Kawahara, Matsuda / Wakabayashi

My view on the team:
Alot of unknown players, but they got a good group of core-players that should be able to carry the team forward. The midfield is without a doubt the strongest department, with the experienced Kurihara pulling the strings. Sato is a real threat going forward, and we should expect alot of goals from him. Motoyama and Takayasu are good players as well. The defence doesn't look the same though, and Tochigi will probably suffer some heavy defeats as they doesn't seem to have enough quality in their side to do anything about the bigger teams. Yoneyama is an experienced player though, and against the smaller teams Tochigi should be able to do well. Up front Kawahara is the main threat, but he's never been the type of player that bags 15-20 goals a season. Wakabayashi likewise, and Tochigi might have to rely on Matsuda for goals. Most likely Kawahara and Matsuda will be the starting members.

Player to watch: Yukihiko Sato

Manager: Hiroshi Matsuda
Tochigi got a good coach in Matsuda, who's been in charge of both Avispa and Vissel in the past. Not a defensive-oriented coach, so expect a Tochigi-side that won't be afraid of going forward.

Supporters:
Tochigi enjoy's a good back-up among the local fans, but doesn't have the biggest fanbase.The fans are as passionate as others though, but I doubt the Tochigi Green Stadium will be sold out at any time this season.

Where they will finish:
Tochigi is the newly-promoted team that looks the strongest on paper, with their numerous additions to the team. A nice 2nd place finish in last year's JFL isn't too bad either, so clearly it's a team that got some quality. I think they will be able to win a few matches, but more likely they will suffer the same "destiny" as Gifu did last year, not being quite able to perform consistently over the full season.

13th-16th

J2 2009 preview: Mito Hollyhock

2009-03-06T00:41:00.001+01:00

MITO HOLLYHOCK:
Stadium: Kasamatsu Stadium ( 22,022)
Average attendance 2008: 3,074
Last season's finish:11th

2009 season's transfers:
IN:
GK Kohei Doi (On loan from Vissel Kobe)
DF Sunao Hozaki (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)
DF Hiroki Kato (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)
MF Kim Tae-Yeon (On loan from Vissel Kobe)
MF Shunichi Nakajima (Transferred from F.C. Ryukyu)
MF Kota Morimura (On loan from F.C. Tokyo)
MF Yuki Shimada (Drafted from Komazawa University)
MF Taiki Tsuruno (Transferred from Consadole Sapporo youth team)
FW Kota Yoshihara (Transferred to Omiya Ardija)
FW Hiroyuki Takasaki (On loan from Urawa Red Diamonds)

OUT:
3 DF Daishi Hiramatsu (Transferred to F.C. Tokyo)
5 DF Bruno (Released)
11 FW Shogo Shiozawa (Transferred to Sagawa Printing S.C.)
13 MF Takuya Shiihara (Released)
14 DF Yoichi Akiba (Retired)
15 MF Naoya Ohashi (Transferred to Fukushima United F.C.)
16 MF Park Joo-Ho (Transferred to Kashima Antlers)
18 MF Takafumi Akahoshi (End of loan from Urawa Red Diamonds)
19 FW K?hei Nishino (End of loan from Oita Trinita)
20 DF Takashi Kuramoto (End of loan from Oita Trinita)
24 FW Masahiro Takahashi (Released)
25 MF Yoshikazu Suzuki (Released)
26 MF Biju (Transferred to Zweigen Kanazawa)
29 MF Kazuhiko Shingyoji (Released)
33 MF Kento Tsurumaki (End of loan from Tokyo Verdy)
37 MF Park Jong-Jin (End of loan from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

My view on the transfers:
Mito have made several changes to their team since last season, especially in midfield where they've lost perhaps their two best members in Park (sold to Antlers) and Akahoshi ( returned to Urawa). Several other players receing a fair amount of playing-time has left as well, including the veteran play-maker Biju. In defence the impressive Hiramatsu has transferred to FC Tokyo, while another often-used centreback Kuramoto has returned to his mother-club Oita. Mito hasn't brought in any major reinforcements to their defence, so on paper they look weakened defensively this season. In midfield as well, although they've brought in two talented youngsters that will most likely go straight into the team. Up front Nishino is gone, but they've brought in Yoshihara and Takasaki, which more than enough makes up for Nishino's loss.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Homma - Ozawa, Suzuki, Nakamura, Owada / Kato - Muramatsu, Hori / Kanazawa, Kim, Kikuoka - Arata, Takasaki / Yoshihara

My view on the team:
Mito got a solid goalkeeper in Homma, but who at times seems to lack focus. Not exactly a consistent performer, but came up with match-winning performances more than once last season. The defence seems weakened, and it's hard to see Mito being able to defend against teams like Cerezo,Shonan and Verdy. If they're two new rookies turns out to be good it doesn't look too bad though, but my bet is they will struggle. In midfield they've lost their two best players last season, and just like with the defence, Mito look overall weakened in this department as well.The only department that seems strengthened are the attack, as Arata will probably continue to deliver top-notch performances. Urawa-starlet Takasaki should be able to bag a few goals on this level as well, and with the experienced Yoshihara to back them up as well they look well-covered. Mito will most likely adapt the offensive style they had last season this year as well, which means we'll probably see lots of goals at both ends this season as the defence doesn't seem good enough to stand on their own
.
Player to watch: Hiroyuki Takasaki

Manager: Takashi Kiyama
Turned Mito into a much more entertaining team his first season in charge, and managed to upset several of the big clubs last year. His attacking-oriented style of football led to alot of conceded goals though, and humiliating losses to rival-clubs. I'd expect much the same this season, although Mito might opt for a tad more cynical approach to some of the matches atleast.

Supporters:
Mito had the smallest average crowd in the league last season, with a mere 3,000 on every game. The ones that do support them though are known to be among the friendlest in all of Japan, and enjoys big respect among the other club's fans.

Where they will finish:
Mito finished on a nice 11th place last season, but it might turn out hard for them to do the same this year. With three new teams in the league the competition is getting harder, but none of the newly-promoted teams looks good enough for an upper-half finish, which means they will have to rival against teams like Mito and Ehime instead. Mito should be able to hold a few teams behind them this year as well, but a repeat of last year's 11th might be too much to hope for.

12th - 15th

J2 2009 preview: Vegalta Sendai

2009-03-06T00:39:00.001+01:00

VEGALTA SENDAI:
Stadium: Sendai Stadium (19,694)
Average attendance 2008:14,080
Last season's finish: 3rd

2009 season's transfers:
IN
5 DF Yugo Ichiyanagi (Transferred from Tokyo Verdy)
20 MF Takahisa Nishiyama (Transferred from Kawasaki Frontale)
31 MF Daisuke Saito (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
GK Shigeru Sakurai (Transferred from Montedio Yamagata)
DF Park Joo-Sung (Transferred from Suwon Samsung Bluewings)
DF Toshio Shimakawa (Transferred from Kashiwa Reysol youth team)
MF Elizeu (Transferred from Yokohama FC)
MF Keita Sogabe (Transferred from Vissel Kobe)
FW Marcelo Gomes Soares (On loan from Associação Atlética Ponte Preta)
Out
6 MF Masashi Miyazawa (End of loan from Oita Trinita)
17 DF Keita Isozaki (Transferred to Sagan Tosu)
22 GK Junnosuke Schneider (Transferred to Gainare Tottori)
24 MF Yukihiko Sato (Released)
26 MF Shinya Tanoue (Released)
29 MF Shinji Kaneko (Transferred to F.C. Ryukyu)
32 DF Kazunari Okayama (Released)
33 FW Nadson (Transferred to Esporte Clube Vitória)

My view on the transfers:
Vegalta have gotten rid of a few aging midfielders, and both Sato and Tanoue has been released. Both received a fair amount of playing time last season, but the signing of Brazilian Elizeu from Yokohama FC should make up for that loss. In defence, Vegalta has turned the loan-deals of Ichiyanagi and Saito into complete transfers, as well as bringing in a former Korean international in Park. Up front Nadson has been released, but the Brazilian striker only played 11 matches last season, and didn't have quite the impact the club were hoping for when they bought him. A rather unknown Brazilian have been brought in as a replacement in Marcio, and the jurt is still out on him and whether or not he will strengthen the team.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Hayashi - Kitani, Saito, Ichiyanagi, Park - Sekiguchi, Ryang, Nagai / Sugai, Tamura / Chiba - Hirase, Nakashima / Marcel

My view on the team:
Vegalta's strongest department is without a doubt the midfield, where they have several quality players. Sekiguchi is perhaps one of the best players in the league, and Ryang poses a big threat to the opposing teams with his eye for goal. Nagai and Chiba have both turned 30, but still seems to have enough quality left to add something valuable to the team. But the younger Sugai,Tamura and Tomita are all talented players, and will probably be used more frequently this year as the legs of the veterans are getting weaker. Up front they lack a real goalscorer-type, and last year Hirase became their topscorer with 13 goals, which is an all-time high goal-tally for the veteran. Nakashima and Nakahara doesn't seem to have that killer-instinct ahead of goal either, so alot depends on whether or not Marcel will turn out to be a scoop. The defence isn't too bad, but they got little cover if some of the regulars were to be injured or suspended. Still, Vegalta is one of the cheapest teams when it comes to conceding goals in the league, which is much due to their cautious strategy as well.

Player to watch: Kunimichi Sekiguchi

Manager: Makoto Teguramori
A rather new name in Japan, but in Teguramori's debut season in charge of a pro-club he took Vegalta took a strong 3rd place finish. Seems to focus more on the defensive play than attack, and doesn't let the team takes any uncalculated risks going forward.

Supporters:
One of the best supporter-groups in Japan, and the noise and atmosphere their fans creates at Vegalta's home-matches aren't matched by many other clubs in Japan. Large in numbers, and an average of over 14 000 in J2 is very impressive. Their stadium only takes about 19 000 though, but they have the much bigger Miyagi Stadium in back-up if needed.

Where will they finish:
Vegalta have been in the running for promotion four years in a row now, and just missed the cut every year. Last season they finished 3rd and got to the play-offs, but lost there to Jubilo Iwata. Surely one of the favorites for promotion this year as well, as the team doesn't look any particularly weakened. Few options up front means the goals won't come easily though, which might prove vital come December.

1st - 5th

J2 2009 preview: Consadole Sapporo

2009-03-06T00:37:00.002+01:00

CONSADOLE SAPPORO:
Stadium: Sapporo Dome (42,300) and Sapporo Atsubetsu Park Stadium (20,005)
Average attendance 2008: 14,547
Last season's finish: 18th (J1)

2009 season's transfers:
In
No. Position Player
GK Hiroki Aratani (Transferred from Omiya Ardija)
5 DF Yoshinobu Minowa (Transferred from Kawasaki Frontale)
DF Cho Sung-Hwan (Transferred from Pohang Steelers)
MF Danilson Córdoba (Transferred from Independiente Medellín)
MF Shinya Uehara (Drafted from Okinawa University)
MF Hiroyuki Furuta (Promoted from youth team)
FW Thiago Quirino (Transferred from Djurgårdens IF Fotboll)

Out
3 DF Junji Nishizawa (Retired)
5 DF Tomohiko Ikeuchi (Released)
10 FW Davi (Transferred to Nagoya Grampus)
11 FW Anderson (Released)
14 MF Tomoki Suzuki (Retired)
16 MF Shinji Otsuka (Retired)
19 DF Shusuke Tsubouchi (End of loan from Vissel Kobe)
21 DF Yasuhiro Hiraoka (End of loan from Shimizu S-Pulse)
24 MF Masaya Nishitani (Retired)
26 GK Yasuhiro Tominaga (Retired)
28 GK Takahiro Takagi (End of loan from Omiya Ardija)
29 MF Jun Marques Davidson (End of loan from Albirex Niigata)
33 MF Chung Yong-Dae (Released)
34 FW Edson (End of loan from Esporte Clube Vitória)
- DF Tsuneyuki Ueda (Transferred to Honda Lock S.C.)
- DF Hiroshi Kichise (Released)
- FW Shinya Aikawa (Retired)

My view on the transfers:
Consadole have gone through a complete make-over since they were relegated, and several regular starters have gone. Only in defence are four players that received frequent playing time gone since last season, as well as their preferred goalkeeper Takagi. Five midfielders are gone as well, as three or four veterans have decided to hang up their boots. In one way a good thing, as Consadole now can give their talents more playing-time. Up front, Consadole's best player by a mile last season Davi has left for greener pastures, and will leave a big hole to fill for the rest of the strikers. Anderson is also gone, but he never managed to make an impact on the team. They've done some shopping as well though, and from Omiya they've picked up GK Aratani, who will be a good back-up to Sato, who took over Takagi's place in the middle of last season and kept it ever since. In defence, Minowa has made a permanent move from Frontale, while the former Korean international Cho will also be a solid acquisition from Pohang Steelers. In midfield, Consadole have brought in the talented Danilson Cordoba from Colombia, who despite his young age have already been an established member of Independiente Medellin for years. Surely a player that will improve Consadole. Thiago is brought in to fill Davi's shoes, but the Brazilian has a relatively poor spell in Sweden behind him. There was expected great things from the attacker, but he never really found the rhythm in Allsvenskan, and is hoping to revive his career in Japan instead.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Sato - Soda, Minowa, Nishijima, Cho - Fujita, Sunakawa, Danilson, Claiton - Thiago, Nakayama

My view on the team:
Consadole got a solid midfield, with lots of options to choose from. They got several talented youngsters that's already established within the team, and during a long season that will come in handy as the regular starters might suffer from fatigue. The defence however looks weakened, and only Nishijima were considered a regular last season. Cho will strengthen the team though, but they lack options and doesn't look as good as they did last time they were in J2. Up front there will be alot of pressure on Thiago to deliver, as it's he Consadole are hoping to get most of their goals from. Nakayama has never been a goalscoring type, and although they got a few talented FW's in back-up, it looks thin. Sato is a decent goalkeeper, and with Aratani in back-up they are well-covered in that area.

Player to watch: Danilson Cordoba

Manager: Nobuhiro Ishizaki
A rather inexperienced coach that will make his debut on this level with Consadole. Were appointed ahead of this season, and not really much to say about him.

Supporters:
Consadole got a good crowd, and one of the biggest fanbases in J2. Their fans are very loyal, and the bond between the club and fans are strong. Due to long travels to pretty much every other arena in Japan they don't have as many fans as other teams at away-matches.

Where they will finish:
Consadole were butchered in J1 last season, but I doubt they will suffer the same destiny as Yokohama FC did after a similar season in 2007. Consadole looks like one of the stronger teams in the league, and if their new players will adapt quickly they can make a serious bid for a top 3 finish. However, with so many unknowns left unclear they will at most be looked upon as a dark-horse this season.

2nd - 6th

J1 2009 Preview: Round-up

2009-03-04T01:53:00.003+01:00

Now that I'm done with my team-by-team preview for J1 I thought it would be appropriate with a little round-up about how I think the table will look when the season are finished in December:

1. Gamba Osaka 70p

--------------------------
2. Urawa Reds 66p
3. Kawasaki Frontale 63p

-----------------------------
4. Kashima Antlers 62p
5. Shimizu S-Pulse 59p
6. FC Tokyo 59p
7. Nagoya Grampus 58p
8. Oita Trinita 55p
9. Yokohama F Marinos 49p
10. Vissel Kobe 49p
11. JEF United 45p
12. Kyoto Sanga 43p
13. Omiya Ardija 40p
14. Sanfrecce Hiroshima 38p
15. Jubilo Iwata 34p

--------------------------
16. Kashiwa Reysol 32p
17. Albirex Niigata 30p
18. Montedio Yamagata 24p

Agree? Disagree? post your comment below. For a detailed preview for each team look in the menu on the right.

J1 2009 preview: Oita Trinita

2009-03-02T01:40:00.002+01:00

OITA TRINITA
Stadium: Oita Big Eye (43,000)
Average attendance 2008: 20,322
Last season's finish: 4th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
DF Shusuke Tsubouchi (On loan from Vissel Kobe)
MF Takashi Umeda (Returned from F.C. Gifu)
MF Masashi Miyazawa (Returned from Vegalta Sendai)
MF Keigo Higashi (Promoted from youth team)
FW Yasuhito Morishima (Transferred from Cerezo Osaka)
FW Shunsuke Maeda (Transferred from Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
FW Takahiko Sumida (Drafted from Sakai High School)
Out:
DF Ryo Kobayashi (End of loan from Kashiwa Reysol)
FW Hiroshi Ichihara (On loan to Sagan Tosu)
FW Masaru Matsuhashi (On loan to Ventforet Kofu)
DF Tetsuya Yamazaki (Retired)
GK Masaharu Kawahara (Transferred to Kamatamare Sanuki)
DF Yohei Fukumoto (On loan to JEF United Ichihara Chiba)
DF Yuichi Shibakoya (On loan to Ehime F.C.)
DF Yuichi Nemoto (Released)DF Takashi Kuramoto (Released)
MF Yoshihiro Uchimura (Transferred to Ehime F.C.)
MF Kazuhiro Kawata (Released)
FW Kohei Nishino (On loan to Fagiano Okayama F.C.)

My view on the transfers:
Oita hasn't lost any of any significance in the off-season, but hasn't really brought in any big names either. They've extended the loan deal of MF Ienaga from Gamba, as well as made FW Morishima's move permanent from Cerezo. A couple of other acquisitions, but mainly players that will be used in back-up.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Nishikawa - Uemoto, Fukaya, Morishige, Fujita - Ienaga, Kanazawa, Suzuki, Edmilson / Roberto - Ueslei, Takamatsu / Morishima

My view on the team:
Oita looks very strong in defence, and probably has one of the best defensive lineups in the league, if not the best. Nishikawa is a great shot-stopper, and Fukaya / Morishige forms a solid central-defence while Uemoto and Fujita both are important contributors to the team. In midfield, Oita has a new dimension in Ienaga, as the technically gifted midfielder lost all of 2008 due to an injury. Kanazawa is the main threat though, and will try to build further on from his magnificent 2008-season. Up front the aging Ueslei will once again be in focus, with Takamatsu, Morishima and Takahashi alternating for the 2nd role. The team could do well with a bigger squad though.

Player to watch: Mu Kanazawa

Manager: Pericles Chamusca:
Chamuscha has done wonders with a rather grey team, and the fact that he almost led them to the title last year tells that he's a great coach. Very defensive in his strategy, but as long as the points keeps ending up in Oita the fans doesn't complain.

Supporters:
Oita has a rather big fanbase, and they averaged over 20 000 last season. They got a very nice stadium with a good atmosphere, and the loud home-fans were without a doubt one of the reasons why The Big Eye were turned into a fortress last season.

Where will they finish:A repeat of the fairytale-season Oita had in 2008 is unlikely, but Chamusca has a nice bunch of players to work with, and Oita will be a tough team to beat this year as well. I don't think they have what it takes to fight for a top 5 finish though, but an upper-half finish wouldn't be surprising.

7th - 11th

J1 2009 preview: Sanfrecce Hiroshima

2009-03-02T01:37:00.001+01:00

SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA
Stadium: Hiroshima Big Arch (55,000)
Average attendance 2008: 10,840
Last season's finish: 1st ( J2)

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Yutaro Hara (Promoted from youth team)
DF Shogo Nishikawa (Returned from Tokushima Vortis)
MF Takashi Rakuyama (Transferred from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)
MF Mihael Mikić (Transferred from NK Dinamo Zagreb)
MF Koji Nakajima (Transferred from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

Out:
DF Kozo Yuki (End of loan from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)
FW Stjepan Jukić (Transferred to NK Croatia Sesvete)
GK Koichi Kidera (Transferred to Zweigen Kanazawa)
MF Kazuyuki Toda (Released)
FW Shunsuke Maeda (Transferred to Oita Trinita)

My view on the transfers:
Sanfrecce have kept all their regulars from last season, with only 2nd string players leaving the squad. They've been quiet on the transfer market as well though, with only Croatian winger Mikic as the only major addition to the team. An experienced player, but he will meet fierce competition from the likes of Kashiwagi and Takahagi. Nishikawa, who returns from Tokushima, adds depth to the defence, and the same goes for a couple of other midfielders brought in mainly to be used as back-up players.

Preferrable starting line-up:
3-5-2: Shimoda - Makino, Stoyanov, Moriwaki - Takahagi, Ka.Morisaki /Ri Han-Jae, Ko. Morisaki, Hattori, Kashiwagi / Mikic - Sato, Kubo / Hirashige

My view on the team:
Sanfrecce has produced alot of talents over the last couple of years, and have a very solid squad now. In goal veteran Shimoda will probably still be regarded as no.1, although he lost big parts of the 2008-season to injuries which let rookie Sato guard the posts in 28 matches. Sato did his job quite well, and might give Shimoda a hard fight for the no.1 spot. The defence is quite good as well, and most likely Sanfrecce will adapt a 3-5-2 formation. They don't have too many options back there though, and it's important to avoid injuries on the regulars. The midfield is without a doubt Sanfrecce's strongest part, with 6-7 class players. It will be hard to please them all, as one or two of them atleast will have to sit on the bench if all are fit. Up front Sato is a class-act, but there are question marks over his partners Kubo and Hirashige, who neither had a particular good 2008-season. Kubo is getting older and are more prone to injuries, where as Hirashige only on occasions sparkled last year. If both fails to deliver, a 3rd option would be to push Kashiwagi further up in the pitch, leaving space for Mikic on the flank.

Player to watch: Yojiro Takahagi

Manager: Mihailo Petrovic
An experienced manager that has coached clubs all over Europe in the past with reasonably success. Managed to get relegated with Sanfrecce in 2007 against all odds, but were given the chance to take them back up the following year, and led Sanfrecce safe through J2 last season in a very dominant way. Seems like a solid coach, and has brought in his compatriot Mikic ahead of this season.

Supporters:
Got a good core of supporters that gives everything for the team, but aren't particularly big in numbers. A good thing is that the average crowd only decreased by a mere 1000 pr game from 2007 to 2008, even though they played in a lower league. Very loyal fans, and expect approximately 15 000 on average this season.

Where will they finish:
I think Sanfrecce learned their lesson back in 2007, when they kept on saying "we're too good to be relegated" but had to face the drop still. The team look even stronger now, but even though they cruised through J2 last season doesn't mean they will get an easy task this year. If they manage to finish somewhere around mid-table they should be happy. I don't think they will be one of the three squads that will be relegated, although the possibility is absolutely present.

10th-15th

J1 2009 preview: Vissel Kobe

2009-03-02T01:33:00.002+01:00

VISSEL KOBE
Stadium: Kobe Wing Stadium (34,500) and Kobe Universiade Stadium (45,000)
Average attendance 2008: 12,981
Last season's finish: 10th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Kenta Tokushige (Transferred from Urawa Red Diamonds)
DF Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Transferred from Red Bull Salzburg)
DF Ryuhei Niwa (Returned from Cerezo Osaka)
DF Tsubasa Oya (Drafted from Kansai University)
MF Alan Bahia (On loan from Clube Atlético Paranaense)
MF Akihito Kusunose (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)
FW Kazuki Ganaha (Transferred from Kawasaki Frontale)
FW Marcel (On loan from S.L. Benfica)
Out:
MF Keisuke Kurihara (Transferred to Tochigi S.C.)
FW Leandro (Transferred to Gamba Osaka)
FW Yoshito Okubo (Transferred to VfL Wolfsburg)
MF Tomoyuki Sakai (Released)
MF Takayuki Toyomitsu (Released)
GK Kohei Doi (On loan to Mito HollyHock)
MF Keita Sogabe (Transferred to Vegalta Sendai)
FW Masahiro Ito (Released)
DF Keiichi Misawa (Transferred to Thespa Kusatsu)
GK Kota Ogi (On loan to Ventforet Kofu)
DF Shusuke Tsubouchi (On loan to Oita Trinita)
DF Kiyokazu Masuda (Transferred to Arte Takasaki)
MF Kim Tae-Yeon (On loan to Mito HollyHock)
FW Shingo Kinoshita (Transferred to MIO Biwako Kusatsu)

My view on the transfers:
Vissel have lost both their two best forwards since last season, as Okubo has headed for Germany while Leandro were sold to Gamba. Vissel have brought in out-of-favour striker Ganaha from Kawasaki Frontale, as they are hoping the talented striker will revive his career in Kobe. Also, Marcel has joined the ranks on a one year loan deal from Portuguese outfit Benfica. It remains to be seen if the two can fill the holes left behind by Okubo and Leandro, as both the two players have under-performed in recent years. DF Miyamoto is a solid acquisition to the defence, which definitely strengthens the team. In midfield, Alan Bahia is new from Atletito Paranaense, where he was regarded as one of the pillars of the team. Leandro and Okubo are the only departed players of any significance.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Enomoto - Yanagawa / Niwa, Kitamoto, Miyamoto, Mogi / Kobayashi - Kim, Botti / Park, Bahia, Suzuki / Tanaka - Ganaha / Yoshida, Marcel

My view on the team:
Despite the fact that Kobe's two best players have left, they look almost better this season as they have strengthened each section of the team. Whether or not Ganaha and Marcel can replace Okubo and Leandro remains to be seen, but with Bahia and Miyamoto brought in as well as Niwa returning from Cerezo they look a more complete team this season. Last year their defence were hampered by alot of injuries, which meant alot of different players saw some action. With more options back there this year they should be better covered if that is to happen again. Vissel got five foreigners in the team, three Brazilians and two Koreans, which means one of them have to be left out of the squad at all time. The weakest among them seems to be Park, which means Bahia will probably take his role within the team. They got a solid squad, and even some decent back-ups if needed.

Player to watch: Marcel

Manager: Caio Junior
Despite his young age, Caio is an experienced manager that has been in charge of several top clubs in Brazil. Last year he coached Flamengo in which he finished 5th with. In 2007 Caio were rated as the 2nd best coach in the Brazilian League. Supporters:Despite having two big and spacious stadiums, Kobe only averages around 12 000 each season, which is among the lowest in J1. They have a nice group of supporters though, and when the club are playing in the high-tech Kobe Wing Stadium they usually manages to create a good atmosphere as well. Where will they finish:Kobe doesn't look too bad, and I think they will be able to fight for a finish on the upper half of the table. They got a squad filled with potential, and will prove a hard opponent for even the best teams. I don't think they will be able to fight for a top 5 finish though, but they should be able to match last season's finish atleast.

7th - 11th

J1 2009 preview: Gamba Osaka

2009-03-02T01:29:00.002+01:00

GAMBA OSAKA
Stadium:Banpaku Stadium (23,000)
Average attendance 2008: 16,128
Last season's finish: 8th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Yoichi Futori (Transferred from Roasso Kumamoto)
DF Kazumichi Takagi (Transferred from Shimizu S-Pulse)
DF Park Dong-Hyuk (Transferred from Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i)
DF Shunya Suganuma (Promoted from youth team)
MF Takashi Usami (Promoted from youth team)
FW Shohei Otsuka (Promoted from youth team)
FW Ryota Miki (Returned from Ehime F.C.)
FW Cho Jae-Jin (Transferred from Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
FW Leandro (Transferred from Vissel Kobe)
Out:
DF Mineiro (End of loan from Sport Club Internacional)
DF Yohei Fukumoto (End of loan from Oita Trinita)
FW Roni (End of loan from Cruzeiro Esporte Clube)
FW Hideya Okamoto (On loan to Avispa Fukuoka)
GK Masaki Kinoshita (On loan to Roasso Kumamoto)
DF Ryujiro Ueda (Transferred to Fagiano Okayama F.C.)
DF Hirotada Ito (Transferred to Renofa Yamaguchi)
MF Yasunobu Matsuoka (Transferred to Roasso Kumamoto)
MF Toshihiro Matsushita (Transferred to Albirex Niigata)
FW Satoshi Nakayama (Transferred to Roasso Kumamoto)

My view on the transfers:
Gamba has been the most active club on the transfer-market this season, and brought in several players expected to go straight into the team. Up front, Gamba have splashed out on Cho Jae-Jin and Leandro, who will give Bando,Yamazaki and Lucas a good run for the starting roles this season. In defence, former Korean international Park as well as Japan NT-member Takagi are new. The 16-year old wonderkid Usami will probably see some action as well in midfield, as there are expected great things from him. Among the departed players, none were regular starters so the team look without a doubt stronger this year.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-3-1-2: Fujigaya - Kaji, Takagi / Park, Yamaguchi, Yasuda - Endo, Myojin / Hashimoto, Futagawa - Lucas - Leandro / Bando, Cho

My view on the team:
Without a doubt one of the best teams in the league, if not the best. They got about 10 current or former international players, and it oozes quality all over. Fujigaya is a decent goalkeeper, but not among the best in the league. The defence however have taken a major boost this year, with Takagi and Park joining. The wingbacks Kaji and Yasuda are top class as well, and contributes alot in attack with their endless runs down the flanks. In midfield Endo will continue to pull the strings, and surrounded by Myojin and Futagawa they have perhaps the strongest central midfield in the league. Lucas will probably be the binding player between the midfield and strikers. Cho is almost certain to nail one of the starting roles up front, and most likely Leandro will receive the other. Gamba also got Bando and Yamazaki to choose from though, so they have a strong back-up.

Player to watch: Yasuhito Endo

Manager: Akira Nishino
Dubbed the "Arsenè Wenger of Japan" due to the similar playing style Gamba and Arsenal possess, and Nishino isn't the type who settle with just a win, he wants to win in style. Gamba are arguably the most attractive playing team in Japan, but beautiful football doesn't always result in points. Nishino is a very attacking-oriented coach as well, which explains why Gamba concedes as much goals as they do.
Supporters:
Passionate and energetic, the black and blue fans brings good support to Gamba. A rather poor stadium with running tracks means they are having a hard time creating a good atmosphere though.

Where will they finish:
As Gamba won the Emperor's Cup, they won qualification to ACL which means they will have the chance to defend their continental crown from 2008. However, the participation there meant Gamba sometimes performed worse in the league, which explains why they finished a lowly 8th place. A bigger squad this year means they should be better prepared for that, and if there's any team that can do well on both stages, it's Gamba. Definitely one of the favorites for this year's title.

1st - 3rd

J1 2009 preview: Kyoto Sanga

2009-03-02T01:25:00.002+01:00

KYOTO SANGA
Stadium: Nishikyogoku Stadium (20,668)
Average attendance 2008: 13,687
Last season's finish: 14th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Kenya Matsui (On loan from Júbilo Iwata)
GK Tatsuya Morita (Drafted from Narashino High School)
DF Tatsuya Masushima (Transferred from F.C. Tokyo)
DF Lee Jung-Soo (Transferred from Suwon Samsung Bluewings)
DF Shun Morishita (Transferred from Júbilo Iwata)
DF Yuta Someya (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)
MF Diego (Transferred from Tokyo Verdy)
FW Kim Seng-Yong (Drafted from Korea University (Japan))
FW Yohei Toyoda (Transferred from Nagoya Grampus)
FW Takumi Uesato (Drafted from Miyako High School)
FW Atsutaka Nakamura (Drafted from Municipal Funabashi High School)
Out:
MF Ataliba (Transferred to Marília Atlético Clube)
DF Ryuzo Morioka (Retired)
FW Takaaki Tokushige (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)
FW Yutaka Tahara (Released)
MF Fernandinho (End of loan from Shimizu S-Pulse)
MF Toshiya Ishii (Transferred to Roasso Kumamoto)
DF Yuki Okubo (Transferred to Tochigi S.C.)
MF Daishi Kato (Transferred to Yokohama FC)
MF William (On loan to Sagawa Printing S.C.)
GK Hideaki Ueno (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)
DF Masataka Tamura (Transferred to Tochigi S.C.)
DF Kentoku Noborio (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)
DF Takashi Hirajima (Transferred to Cerezo Osaka)
MF Kang Hyun-Su (Transferred to Kataller Toyama)
MF Daisuke Saito (Transferred to Vegalta Sendai)
FW Wataru Sumida (Transferred to V-Varen Nagasaki)

My view on the transfers:
Kyoto have mande a few improvements to the team,with the most changes taking place in midfield. The former Korean international Lee is new, and will take over the role that Ataliba had last year. Like Ataliba, Fernandinho is gone as well, but newcomer Diego will try to fill his shoes. Up front the talented FW Toyoda has been brought in, and will be a nice addition to Yanagisawa and Paulinho. Several players not really good enough for a starting role has gone, which means they have lost several valuable back-up members since last season.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Hirai - Masushima, Sidiclei, Mizumoto, Kakuda - Diego, Lee, Sato, Watanabe / Nakayama - Yanagisawa, Paulinho

My view on the team:
Kyoto's squad isn't too bad, and they got a solid defence with Mizumoto as the natural leader. A talented midfield as well, and with Yanagisawa and Paulinho up front they should have enough firepower to cause some trouble for the opposing teams. They rely heavily on individuals though, and if a few of the regular starters are missing through injuries or suspension Kyoto will struggle to find good enough replacements within the team.

Player to watch: Yuto Sato

Manager: Hisashi Kato
Kato has been in charge of Kyoto since 2007, and have made a solid job taking them up from J2 his first year in charge, and managed to keep them clear of relegation in 2008. A cautious manager though, that doesn't like to take unnecessary chances. A former Japanese international.
Supporters:
Kyoto got one of the smallest fanbases in J1, and only averages around 13 000 pr match. Their small and outdated stadium doesn't really attract more fans though, and the hardcore fans is having a tough time trying to create a good atmosphere at Nishikyogoku.

Where they will finish:
Kyoto is the team with the most relegations and promotions in J.League, and has been dubbed the "elevator-team". They managed for once to stay afloat in J1 after a promotion last season though, but now they are entering the difficult 2nd-season. -but Kyoto looks quite strong actually, and they should be good enough to match last season's 14th place. If they can avoid injuries to key-members, they should be safe this year as well.

13th-15th place

J1 2009 preview: Nagoya Grampus

2009-03-02T01:19:00.003+01:00

NAGOYA GRAMPUS

Stadium: Toyota Stadium (45,000) and Mizuho Stadium (28,000)

Average Attendance 2008: 16,555

Last season's finish: 3rd

2009 season's transfers:

In:

DF Genta Matsuo (Drafted from Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences)

MF Hayuma Tanaka (Transferred from Yokohama F. Marinos)

MF Yoshiki Hiraki (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)

MF Ryota Isomura (Promoted from youth team)

MF Taishi Taguchi (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa High School)

FW Davi (Transferred from Consadole Sapporo)

MF Koji Hashimoto (Drafted from Meiji University)

FW Hikaru Kuba (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai Kashiwa High School)

Out:

DF Takashi Miki (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)

MF Masayuki Omori (Released)

DF Atsushi Yoneyama (Transferred to Tochigi S.C.)

FW Frode Johnsen (Transferred to Shimizu S-Pulse)

MF Toshiya Fujita (Transferred to Roasso Kumamoto)

DF Kazuto Tsuyuki (On loan to Tokushima Vortis)

DF Shosuke Katayama (Transferred to Yokohama FC)

MF Keiji Watanabe (Released)

MF Wataru Inoue (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)

MF Yusuke Sudo (Transferred to Yokohama FC)

MF Jun Aoyama (On loan to Tokushima Vortis)

FW Yohei Toyoda (Transferred to Kyoto Sanga F.C.)

My view on the transfers:

Nagoya have brought in FW Davi from Consadole, as a direct replacement for the releasted Johnsen. Davi seems a better deal than Johnsen, but his loyalty to the club has already came under doubt as he was very near a move to Olympiakos earlier this year, even before playing a single match for Nagoya. MF Tanaka is also a solid acquisition and will be a good supplement to the team as he can play both as a back and a winger. Apart from Johnsen, there hasn't been any key members who have left the club, but frequent starters like MF's Fujita and Watanabe and DF's Katayama and Yoneyama are all gone which means the depth of the squad isn't as good as it was earlier. With participation in ACL as well, Nagoya might find themselves a bit short on quality players as it tears down alot on the players stamina to compete at two stages.

Preferrable starting line-up:

4-4-2: Narazaki - Tanaka, Yoshida, Bajalica, Abe - Ogawa, Nakamura, Yoshimura, Magnum - Davi, Tamada

My view on the team:

Their starting line-up looks quite strong, with a solid defence and talented bunch of midfielders. Ogawa and Magnum are two of the best wingers in the league, and will create alot of goalscoring opportunities for the two strikers with their nifty runs down the flanks. Davi is a beast, and is probably good for 20 goals or more if he keeps himself injury-free. Tamada is a great contributor to the team as well, and with Sugimoto in back-up they are well-covered. They have one of the best defences in the league as well.

Player to watch: Maya Yoshida

Manager: Dragan Stojkovic

"Pixy" made his debut as a manager last season, and managed to steer Nagoya to a highly impressive 3rd. A former fan-favorite from his playing-days with the club, Stojkovic has a good connection with both the fans and players. Opts for a defensive style of football, but as long as it gives results the fans couldn't care less about that.

Supporters:

Averages around 16 000, and have a decent group of hardcore fans that follows the team on away-matches. Nagoya has the great Toyota Stadium at their disposal, but opts instead for the much older and unattractice Mizuho for the majority of their home chances. The matches at Toyota usually attracts a bigger crowd though.

Where they will finish:

It's unlikely Nagoya will manage to match their 3rd place from last season, with ACL to think about and all. They have a solid squad though, and will most likely find themselves on the upper half of the table this year as well. A finish just below the top 4 or 5 seems most likely.

4th - 7th

J1 2009 preview: Jubilo Iwata

2009-03-02T01:15:00.002+01:00

JUBILO IWATA
Stadium: Ecopa Stadium (50,000) and Jubilo Soccer Stadium (17,343)
Average attendance 2008: 15,465
Last season's finish: 16th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Shinya Yoshihara (On loan from Kawasaki Frontale)
GK Takuya Ohata (Promoted from youth team)
DF Daisuke Nasu (Transferred from Tokyo Verdy)
DF Shinnosuke Honda (Drafted from Tomioka High School)
Out:
DF Makoto Tanaka (Transferred to Avispa Fukuoka)
MF Takahiro Kawamura (Transferred to Tokyo Verdy)
DF Shun Morishita (Transferred to Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
MF Hiroshi Nanami (Retired)MF Ryosuke Nakajima (Released)
GK Kenya Matsui (On loan to Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
MF Toru Morino (Transferred to S.C. Sagamihara)
FW Takashi Fujii (Released)

My view on the transfers:
Jubilo has been awfully quiet during this year's transfer window, and haven't brought in any major reinforcements at all. Only DF Nasu can expect to see any first-team action, and he will probably serve as a replacement for the departed Tanaka. They haven't lost that many players either, so their squad looks pretty much the same as previous seasons.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Kawaguchi - Kaga, Chano/Suzuki, Nasu, Komano - Ota, Matsuura, Naruoka / Ueda, Nishi / Murai - Gilsinho, Maeda

My view on the team:
On paper, Jubilo doesn't look too bad, and they have a vast number of talented midfielders and strikers in the team. Defensively it doesn't look that good though, and the aging duo of Chano and Suzuki are getting slower every year. They got a really good goalkeeper in Kawaguchi, which is a potential match-winner for them. Up front Gilsinho and Maeda forms a good partnership, but in recent seasons Jubilo have been very prone to injuries to their offensive players. They certainly got potential, but at worst they'll see a repeat of last season's misery as the team seems to lack a good atmosphere and team-spirit.

Player to watch: Takuya Matsuura

Manager: Masaaki Yanagishita
Yanagishita were appointed ahead of this season, and this is his first job on this level. Unexperienced, and might struggle to gain respect from the many aging players at the club. If Jubilo gets off to a bad start, Yanagishita might find himself without a job sooner than he wants.

Supporters:
Jubilo has an old and small stadium, and only averages around 15 000 pr game. The fans are lively, and famous for their enthusiastic use of flags at the home-games and they usually manages to build up a good atmosphere.

Where they will finish:
Most people thought Jubilo were too good to be relegated last season, but according to the way they played, they didn't deserve more. The squad is pretty much unchanged, so Jubilo might be in for another tough season as they are going through a generation-change. If they manages to keep their players injury-free they should be able to improve on last year's finish though, but they don' look like a team able to finish above mid-table. At worst, Jubilo will be involved in the relegation battle once again, although their player material suggests they should be higher up on the table.

12th-16th

J1 2009 preview: Shimizu S-Pulse

2009-03-02T01:10:00.001+01:00

SHIMIZU S-PULSE
Stadium:Ecopa Stadium (50,000) and Nihondaira Stadium ( 20,339)
Average attendance 2008: 16,599
Last season's finish: 5th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
DF Kosuke Ota (Transferred from Yokohama FC)

DF Yasuhiro Hiraoka (Returned from Consadole Sapporo)

DF Toshihide Saito (Returned from Shonan Bellmare)

FW Frode Johnsen (Transferred from Nagoya Grampus)

FW Yuichiro Nagai (Transferred from Urawa Red Diamonds)

FW Yu Kijima (Drafted from Tsukuba University)
Out:
DF Takahiro Yamanishi (Retired)

DF Kazumichi Takagi (Transferred to Gamba Osaka)

FW Takuro Yajima (Transferred to Kawasaki Frontale)

FW Mitsuhiro Toda (Retired)

FW Marcos Aurélio (Transferred to Coritiba Foot Ball Club)

FW Akinori Nishizawa (Transferred to Cerezo Osaka)

DF Takumi Wada (Transferred to JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

MF Fernandinho (Transferred to CR Vasco da Gama)

My view on the transfers:
Shimizu have lost the important DF Takagi to Gamba Osaka, but apart from him they've managed to keep their best players last season. FW's Nishizawa, Toda and Yajima are all gone though, but none of them were regarded as regular starters. They've bought two new experienced strikers instead in Johnsen and Nagai, who will have to fight with Hara and Japan International Okazaki for the starting roles up front. With four quality strikers on board, few teams can match the firepower Shimizu has this season. A couple of defenders are also new to the team, with youngster Ota being the most promising. The former NT-player Saito is good to have in back-up, while Hiraoka will most likely only be a squad player.

Preferrable starting lineup:
4-3-1-2: Nishibe - Ichikawa, Aoyama, Ota, Kodama - Honda, Fujimoto, Edamura - Nagai - Okazaki, Johnsen / Hara

My view on the team:
In midfield and attack, Shimizu are among the strongest teams in the league. There's a few question marks over their defence though, but last season they didn't fare too bad, and with Ota on board as well, who looked good for Yokohama FC last season, they look a little bit stronger. Whether or not they will opt for 4-4-2 or the more likely 4-3-1-2, they have a very impressive line-up going forward, and Shimizu should be able to score some goals this season.

Player to watch: Takuma Edamura

Manager: Kenta Hasegawa
Hasegawa took over Shimizu in 2005, and had a rough start to his managerial career.He took Shimizu to 4th place both in 2006 and 2007, and last season they finished 5th after a very strong 2nd half of the season. A well-respected manager, and seems to bring alot of knowledge to the club.

Supporters:
Shimizu has one of the most noisy and colourful fans in the league, and the sacred Nihondaira is a feared stadium in all over Japan. They only use the much bigger Ecopa for derby matches and other big events, as they only average around 16 000 a game. Despite the modest number, Shimizu's fans makes more noise than many of the other well-supported clubs, and are also known for travelling to away matches in big numbers.

Where they will finish:
Shimizu have finished within the top 5 three years in a row now, and this season they look even stronger so they might be able to improve on that. The competition is fierce though, and Shimizu has to up their game if they want to challenge for the title. I don't think they will finish any lower than 5th, but they doesn't strike me as a championship-winning team either as they have too many defensive woes.

3rd - 6th

J1 2009 preview: Albirex Niigata

2009-03-02T01:04:00.002+01:00

ALBIREX NIIGATA
Stadium:Niigata "Big Swan" Stadium (52,600)
Average Attendance 2008: 34,490
Last season's finish: 13th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
DF Gilton (Transferred from Cerezo Osaka)
MF Toshihiro Matsushita (Transferred from Gamba Osaka)
MF Gotoku Sakai (Promoted from youth team)
FW Cho Young-Cheol (Transferred from Yokohama FC)
MF Jun Marques Davidson (Returned from Consadole Sapporo)
MF Yuta Mikado (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)
FW Pedro Júnior (On loan from Omiya Ardija)
FW Hideo Ōshima (Transferred from Yokohama F. Marinos)
FW Junichi Bruno Castanheira Suzuki (Transferred from Gamba Osaka youth team)
MF Kazuya Myodo (Transferred from Japan Soccer College)
Out:
FW Alessandro Nunes (Transferred to Cruzeiro Esporte Clube)
MF Yoshito Terakawa (Teransferred to Shonan Bellmare)
DF Keiji Kaimoto (Retired)FW Kazuhisa Kawahara (On loan to Tochigi S.C.)
GK Yosuke Nozawa (Transferred to Shonan Bellmare)
MF Ayato Hasebe (Transferred to Japan Soccer College)
DF Fitzgerald Michael James (On loan to Japan Soccer College)
GK Yudai Suwa (Transferred to Japan Soccer College)
DF Daisuke Fujii (Transferred to Thespa Kusatsu)

My view on the transfers:
Niigata has lost their topscorer Alessandro as well as GK Nozawa. Apart from those two they've managed to keep all their regulars. Veteran DF Terakawa has left for Shonan,but already turned 34, he's not someone that would have seen too much playing time this year. Niigata has brought in several strikers to replace Alessandro, with Marinos's Oshima being the biggest name. The Korean talent Cho is also new, as well as out-of-favour striker Pedro from Omiya. In defence, left-back Gilton is sure to make an impact on the team, as despite his young age he has shown tremendous skills with Cerezo. MF Matsushita, who were on loan from Gamba, have completed his transfer and is now the property of Niigata.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Kitano - Uchida, Chiyotanda, Nagata, Gilton/Chiba - Honma, Matsushita, Richardes, Tanaka - Yano, Oshima

My view on the team:
Not the best squad, and 2009 might prove to be another tough season for Albirex. They got reasonably quality in all departments, but no profiles that stands out. Albirex looked good on occasions last season, but more often than not they struggled to keep up with the opposing team. Only a nice run near the end of the season saved them from being relegated. Their defence isn't all too bad, but they receive little help from the midfielders, and usually concedes alot of goals. Up front Yano and Oshima are similar types, which might not turn out to be a good thing. Oshima is pretty good at finishing as well though, but his height and physical strength makes him a natural target for the long balls as well. This role Yano has had in the last couple of seasons, so it will be interesting to see how Niigata will play this year.

Player to watch: Gilton

Manager: Jun Suzuki
Suzuki has been in charge since 2006, and haven't really brought anything new to the team. Niigata has the potential to be a big club with their big crowd and healthy economy, but so far they've failed to bring in good enough players to take the next step. So it's not only Suzuki's fault that Niigata have struggled in the last couple of years, but so far he hasn't done anything that suggests he is the right man to take them higher on the table either.

Supporters:
Niigata is one of the most football-crazy places in all of Japan, and despite poor results the fans keep coming in hordes to watch Albirex play. They averaged over 34 000, which is a decrease of almost 4000 since 2007. So clearly the fans are showing signs that they are fed up with the underperforming side. Nevertheless, the fans are among the best in Japan and is of big importance to the club.

Where they will finish:
I think Niigata will have another tough season, and will be involved in the relegation-battle this year as well. Whether or not they are good enough to avoid the drop remains to be seen, but with no real quality players to carry the team forward they might struggle to survive. However, the "Big Swan" is a tough place to travel to, and Albirex usually manages to pick up alot of points at home during a long season.

14th-17th

J1 2009 preview: Yokohama F Marinos

2009-03-02T01:00:00.002+01:00

YOKOHAMA F MARINOS
Stadium:Nissan Stadium (72,600)
Average Attendance 2008: 23,682
Last season's finish: 9th

2009 season's transfers:
In:
MF Jeong Dong-Ho (Drafted from Boo-Kyung High School)
FW Mike Havenaar (Returned from Avispa Fukuoka)
FW Kazuma Watanabe (Drafted from Waseda University)
FW Manabu Saito (Promoted from youth team)
FW Jin Hanato (Promoted from youth team)
Out:
MF Hayuma Tanaka (Transferred to Nagoya Grampus)
MF Lopes (End of loan from Cruzeiro Esporte Clube)
FW Hideo Ōshima (Transferred to Albirex Niigata)
GK Daijiro Takakuwa (Transferred to Tokushima Vortis)
MF Taku Ishihara (Released)MF Takashi Inui (Transferred to Cerezo Osaka)

My view on the transfers:
Marinos have released their topscorer last season Oshima to Albirex Niigata, as well as the talented wing-back Tanaka to Nagoya. Both important members to the squad, and might turn out hard to be replaced. MF Lopes never really managed to live up to his expectations, and has left the club. The only newcomer of any importance is FW Havenaar, who has returned from J2 outfit Avispa where he spent the entire 2008-season. Havenaar only scored 8 goals, and it's hard to see him filling Oshima's shoes. Much the same type of player though, so he will probably get some chances to break into the first-team.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Enomoto - Komiyama, Nakazawa, Matsuda, Tanaka/Kurihara - Kano, K.Yamase, Hyodo/Kawai, Ogura/Hasegawa - Sakata, Havenaar

My view on the team:
Marinos looks strong in defence, but lacks depth in attack without any real goalgetters. Nakazawa/Matsuda forms perhaps the best central-defence in the league, and the sidebacks are quite strong as well. Koji Yamase is a great playmaker, but the players surrounding him doesn't quite match his level. MF Kano, who only worked his way into the team near the latter half of last season, showed great technical skills, and also has a killer-instinct and enough egoism to do things on his own. If he can build on that, Marinos will surely get a whole new dimension to their attack. They don't have too many strikers to choose from though, and Sakata and Havenaar are expected to be the regulars.

Player to watch: Kenta Kano

Manager: Takashi Kuwahara
Kuwahara took over Marinos midway through last season, and managed to steer the club clear of relegation. He doesn't have too much experience prior to that, but Marinos looked a better side with him at the helm than earlier that season.

Supporters:
Marinos averaged around 23 000 last season, which is quite high. But they have a gigantic stadium, so even though they have 40 000 on a home-match, the stadium will feel empty. Their fans certainly know how to create a good atmosphere though.

Where they will finish:
Marinos is not the same powerhouse they were a few years back, and realistically the most they can hope for is a mid-table finish this year. They got a very tight defence,and I think they will a hard team to score on. The lack of options up front might hurt them though, and I think they will finish somewhere around 10th.

8th-12th

J1 2009 preview: Kawasaki Frontale

2009-03-02T00:57:00.001+01:00

KAWASAKI FRONTALE
Stadium: Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium (25,000)
Average Attendance 2008: 17,565
Last season's finish: 2nd

2009 season's transfers:
In:
GK Takashi Aizawa (Returned from Cerezo Osaka)

GK Shunsuke Ando (Promoted from youth team)

MF Vitor Júnior (Transferred from Santos Futebol Clube)

MF Kyohei Noborizato (Drafted form Kagawa Nishi HS)

FW Takuro Yajima (Transferred from Shimizu S-Pulse)
Out:
FW Kazuki Ganaha (Transferred to Vissel Kobe)

MF Taku Harada (Released)

GK Shinya Yoshihara (On loan to Júbilo Iwata)

GK Yuki Uekusa (On loan to Montedio Yamagata)

MF Masahiro Ohashi (Transferred to Gangwon FC)

MF Tatsuya Suzuki (Released)

DF Yoshinobu Minowa (Transferred to Consadole Sapporo)

MF Takahisa Nishiyama (Transferred to Vegalta Sendai)

FW Ken Tokura (Transferred to Thespa Kusatsu)

My view on the transfers:
Frontale has managed to kept most of the players that took the club to 2nd last year, with the only departures of any importance is FW Ganaha and MF Ohashi. Ganaha found himself way down the pecking-order last season, and decided it would be best for him to move on and try to revive his career another place. Ohashi played over 20 matches last season, but Frontale decided to release him on a free-transfer. MF Junior, who were on loan last season, have made his move permanent. Actually the only signing Frontale has made this year is FW Yajima from S-Pulse. Yajima does not possess the same amount of quality as his compatriots at Frontale does though, so most likely Yajima will be used as back-up striker.

Preferrable starting-lineup:
4-4-2: Kawashima - Ito, Yokoyama, Terada, Igawa - Yamagishi, Taniguchi, Nakamura, Mori/Vitor Junior - Juninho/Renatinho, Chong Tese

My view on the team:
Overall a very strong line-up, with no real weak links. Defensively Kawashima is one of the best shot-stoppers in the league, and in Terada/Igawa they have two of the best defenders as well. The midfield is arguably the best in the league, and up front the aging Juninho still seems to have a little gas left in the tank to perform on a high level one more season. If not, the talented Renatinho seems more than ready to take over his compatriot's duties. Chong has had two very good seasons for Frontale now, and is one of Asia's most gifted strikers. Frontale are well-covered all over the line, but if I have to point out on weak point it has to be the defence, who doesn't always seems to be 100% focused.

Player to watch: Chong Tese

Manager: Takashi Sekizuka
Sekizuka have been in charge of Frontale since 2004, and deserves alot of credit after turning the team in to an annual title-contender. Last season Sekizuka took a break due to stress-related issues, but are back in the manager-seat this season. Sekizuka loves attacking football, and sometimes seems to neglect the defensive responsibilites. Still, it has made Frontale into one of the best teams in Japan, and also one of the most entertaining one to watch.

Supporters:
With approx. 17 000 in average last season, Frontale is not among the best supported clubs in the league. They have a small, but nice stadium as well, so even at derby-matches they can only hold 25 000 fans. Passionate and noisy as anyone else though, and Frontale's "12th man" at home-matches.

Where they will finish:
Frontale has established themselves as a title-contender, but are yet to win the trophy. They came close last season when they finished only 3 points behind Antlers in 1st, and are hoping to improve on that this year. However, as they are qualified for ACL they will need to compete on two stages, and looking at last year, that took alot of energy out of the team. As they haven't really strengthened their team they might suffer the same problem this year. However, Frontale will without any doubt be one of the heavy-weight teams this year as well, and although I doubt they will be able to claim 1st, another top 3 finish seems likely.

2nd-5th

J1 2009 preview: FC Tokyo

2009-03-02T00:54:00.000+01:00

FC TOKYO
Stadium: Tokyo National Stadium (56,000) and Tokyo Soccer Stadium (50,100)
Average Attendance 2008: 25,716
Last season's finish: 6th

2009 season's transfers:

In:

GK Ryotaro Hironaga (Returned from Yokogawa Musashino F.C.)

DF Daishi Hiramatsu (Transferred from Mito HollyHock)

MF Hokuto Nakamura (Transferred from Avispa Fukuoka)
Out :
MF Emerson (Released)

FW Nobuo Kawaguchi (Retired)

MF Kota Morimura (On loan to Mito HollyHock)
GK Kota Ogi (End of loan from Vissel Kobe)

DF Tatsuya Masushima (Transferred to Kyoto Sanga F.C.)

MF Reiichi Ikegami (Transferred to F.C. Kariya)

MF Kenji Suzuki (Transferrd to Gainare Tottori)

FW Rychely (Transferred to Esporte Clube Bahia)

FW Ryuki Kozawa (Transferred to Gainare Tottori)

My view on the transfers:
Tokyo have been awfully queit on the transfer-market this year, and have been able to keep pretty much their entire team. MF Emerson have left, but the Brazilian never really managed to lift Tokyo's game, and he won't be missed. MF Nakamura is the only signing of any significance, and the talented midfielder seems a better deal than the departed Emerson. Nakamura has been one of Avispa's better players the last couple of seasons, and is expected to take it to the next level this year. DF Hiramatsu is brought in as a back-up to the first-team, and is a good player to have through injury-ridden times.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Shiota - Nagatomo, Moniwa, Sahara, Konno - Ishikawa, Kajiyama, Hanyu, Otake/Nakamura Cabore, Hirayama/Akamine

My view on the team:
Tokyo got quality players in every section of the team, and should be aiming to improve on their 6th place from last season. They got an impressive defence, with Nagatomo causing a threat offensively as well from his wing-back position. Moniwa is one of the better central defenders in all of J.League, and with Sahara and Konno as well they look well-covered. Konno, who's the captain of the team, can be used as a midfielder as well, but with Tokyo being better covered in that area it's likely we'll see him either as a CB or as a side-back. The midfield is a very talented one, with many technically gifted players. The only concern is the lack of size, as they are easily outmuscled against the more rough-playing teams in the league. Cabore is expected to be regular starter up front, with Akamine and Hirayama battling it out for the other role. Cabore can be used as an attacking midfielder as well, and if Hirayama finds back to the form he showed in Holland a few years ago, Tokyo should be able to aim for a top 3 finish this year.

Player to watch: Naohiro Ishikawa

Manager: Hiroshi Jofuku
Jofuku took over Tokyo ahead of last season, and managed to finish 6th in his debut season with the team, only 4 points behind a top 3 finish. Jofuku is a well-liked manager, and seems to have brought in a good team-spirit to the team.

Supporters:
Tokyo averaged over 25 000 last season, which was the 3rd highest after only Urawa and Albirex. Clearly FC Tokyo have become Tokyo City's number 1. team, but with many clubs situated in the surrounding areas they have struggled to build up a proper fanbase in the past.

Where they will finish:
Without a doubt a very strong team, but Tokyo still has a littlw way to go before they can count themselves as a serious title contender. They are more a dark horse, who with maximum luck could end up lifting the trophy in December. A top 3 and qualification for next year's ACL is a more realistic target though, and they should atleast be able to match last season's 6th.

3rd-6th

J1 2009 preview: Kashiwa Reysol

2009-03-02T00:49:00.001+01:00

KASHIWA REYSOL
Stadium:Hitachi Kashiwa Stadium (15,900) and Kashiwa-no-ha Stadium (20,000)
Average Attendance 2008: 12,308

Last season's finish: 11th

2009 season's transfers:

In:

DF Hiroki Sakai (Promoted from youth team)

DF Wataru Hashimoto (Drafted from Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences)

MF Alceu (Transferred from São Carlos Futebol Clube)

MF Adigun Adebayo (Transferred from Shooting Stars F.C.)

MF Kohei Higa (Promoted from youth team)

MF Ren Sengoku (Promoted from youth team)

MF Masato Yamazaki (Promoted from youth team)

MF Kosuke Taketomi (Promoted from youth team)

FW Masato Kudo (Promoted from youth team)

Out:

MF Alex (Transferred to JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

DF Ryo Kobayashi (On loan to Montedio Yamagata)

FW Tetsuya Okubo (Transferred to Avispa Fukuoka)

My view on the transfers:
Among the newcomers, the two midfielders Adebayo from Nigeria and Alceu from Brazil are the only one of any quality. A bit strange Reysol didn't opt to strengthen their team more, as last season clearly showed they lack depth to challenge for a top 5 finish. MF Alex has moved to rivals JEF, but Alceu is a direct replacement for him. Adebayo is an exciting prospect, and the Nigerian is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his African compatriots Patrick Mboma and Seydou Doumbia, who both had success in Japan. Overall the team looks to have pretty much the same quality as last season though, which were hampered by injuries to key members. If they can avoid that this season they might not be too far from the top come december.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-1-1: Sugeno - Otani ,Koga ,Kobayashi, Kurakawa - Suganuma, Ota, Sugiyama/Adebayo, Alceu - Lee - Franca

My view on the team:
Up front it doesn't look too bad, with Franca and Lee forming a deadly partnership. They got Popo in back-up, who although isn't much of a goalscorer is a valuable member of the team nonetheless. Adebayo will probably be lightly matched at first, but as he will get used to the japanese style of football, we will probably see more and more of him. Alceu is injured for the first months of the 2009-season, which means we'll see either Popo or Kurisawa taking his role. The defence is unchanged, which isn't necessarily a good thing. There were times last season when Reysol looked really poor defending, and they could do well with a few acquisitions.

Player to watch: Tadanari Lee

Manager: Shinichiro Takahashi
A rather unknown name in japanese football, and no real previous coaching experience at this level. Will probably not make too many changes from last season when it comes to playing-style and tactic, atleast not in the beginning.

Supporters:
Reysol are known for having the nastiest fans in Japan, and Kashiwa are often tagged "The home of the hooligans" in Japan. Not all of them are looking for trouble though, and the hardcore-fans are perhaps among the most intimating fans in Japan. A small and poor stadium doesn't help on the atmosphere though, and only Omiya have a smaller average-crowd.

Where they will finish:
Reysol are relying heavily on their offensive shot-guns in Franca,Lee, Alceu etc. If they will have as many injuries to their key players as they had last season, Reysol will be in for a hard task as the squad is quite thin. Bad news already with Alceu missing atleast the two opening months of the season, and considering how prone to injuries Franca and Lee have been in the past, my guess is that's not the last of injury-woes Reysol will see this season. A lower-half finish seems most likely, but they should be able to avoid the drop. However, injury-free the team has potential to finish within the top 10, but with a in-experienced manager and thin squad I think they will struggle.

13th-17th

J1 2009 preview: JEF United

2009-03-02T00:42:00.002+01:00

JEF UNITED
Stadium:Chiba Fukuda Electric Arena (”Fukuari”) (20,000)
Average attendance 2008: 14,084
Last season's finish: 15th

2009 season's transfers:

IN:

DF Yohei Fukumoto (On loan from Oita Trinita)

DF Takumi Wada (Transferred from Shimizu S-Pulse)

MF Alex (Transferred from Kashiwa Reysol)

MF Naoya Saeki (Transferred from Omiya Ardija)

MF Masaki Chugo (On loan from Kashima Antlers)

FW Masaki Fukai (Transferred from Kashima Antlers)
Out:
GK Tomonori Tateishi (Retired)

FW Reinaldo (Transferred to Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas)

MF Koji Nakajima (Transferred to Sanfrecce Hiroshima)

FW Takuya Kokeguchi (End of loan from Cerezo Osaka)

DF Norihiro Kawakami (Transferred to Tochigi S.C.)

MF Kazuyuki Toda (End of loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
DF Yuichi Nemoto (End of loan from Oita Trinita)

DF Tomonobu Hayakawa (End of loan from Yokohama FC)

DF Kozo Yuki (Released)DF Junya Tanaka (Transferred to HOYO Atletico ELAN Oita)

MF Atsushi Ito (Transferred to Tochigi S.C.)

MF Takashi Rakuyama (Transferred to Sanfrecce Hiroshima)

MF Park Jong-Jin (Transferred to Gangwon FC)MF Kosuke Nakahara (Transferred to Kamatamare Sanuki)

FW Tomoya Kumagai (Transferred to V-Varen Nagasaki)

My view on the transfers:
JEF have been able to extend their loan-deal with FW Fukai, who were perhaps the most vital player to their great season run-in which saw them just avoid relegation last season. They've also brought in MF Chugo from Antlers, which played 24 matches for the champions last season. Clearly a player that will strengthen JEF, and along with two other newcomers in Alex and Saeki their midfield seems much stronger this year. The defence has been beefed up with Wada and Fukumoto, although neither of them can be considered as major reinforcements. Alot of players have left, but none of which were considered regular starters.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Okamoto - Sakamoto, Bosnar, Ikeda/Fukumoto,Aoki - Chugo,Kudo/Alex, Shimomura,Yazawa - Fukai,Maki

My view on the team:
Goalkeeper Tateishi have retired, but the veteran were beginning to look more and more unstable guarding the posts, and Okamoto were the preferred starter in the latter half of last season as well. More pressure on Okamoto this season though, as he's the only establishes goalkeeper they got. In defence Bosnar will continue to be a commanding figure, and after Miller took over the club the back four looked actually quite good. Saito is getting older, so he probably won't see too much playing time this year, which means newcomer Fukumoto might be given a few tries. In midfield Chugo and Alex are new additions and they look more complete this season in that part of the field. Yazawa were their main contributor offensively last season, but with Chugo added to the team they now have more firepower down the flanks. Up front Fukai and Maki forms a very promising duo, with Maki's aerial abilities going well together with the speedy little Fukai, who are good at reading the game. Fukai and Maki almost singlehandedly together shot JEF away from the relegation-zone last season.

Player to watch: Masaki Fukai

Manager: Alex Miller
Former long-time coach of Liverpool, the Scotsman turned JEF's misery into joy as he guided them out of the dropzone into a safe 15th place in the last round of the season. A fairytale kind of comeback, for a team that went the first 10-11 matches or so without winning. Clearly a man that knows what he's doing, and if the latter half of last season is something to compare with, one have to wonder what Miller can work out when he's in charge from the beginning of. Miller have added his son Greg to the coaching-staff, which is exactly the same as JEF's former coach Ivica Osim did when he brought in his son Amar.

Supporters:

JEF have noisy supporters, and especially at home at a packed Fukuari are they capable of intimidating the opposing team. Not the biggest support group, but averages around 15 000 in a 20 000-capacity stadium, so its often full.

Where will they finish:
JEF looks stronger, and under the guidance of Miller they should be able to finish at mid-table or so. I don't think they will be involved in any battle against relegation this season, as they have a healthy mix of players that are willing to bleed for the shirt. The team-spirit seems high as well.

8th-11th place

J1 2009 preview: Omiya Ardija

2009-03-02T00:38:00.001+01:00

OMIYA ARDIJA
Stadium: Omiya Park Stadium ( 15,500)
Average attendance 2008: 10,714
Last season's finish: 12th

2009 season's transfers:
In:

GK Takahiro Takagi (Returned from Consadole Sapporo)

DF Mato Neretljak (Transferred from Suwon Samsung Bluewings)

DF Haruki Nishimura (Returned from Arte Takasaki)

DF Shunsuke Fukuda (Drafted from Hosei University)

MF Ryohei Arai (Promoted from youth team)

MF Tomoya Uchida (Transferred from Yokohama FC)

MF Park Won-Jae (Transferred from Pohang Steelers)

FW Yoshihito Fujita (Transferred from Sagan Tosu)

FW Naoki Ishihara (Transferred from Shonan Bellmare)
Out:
GK Hiroki Aratani (Transferred to Consadole Sapporo)

DF Leandro (End of loan from Cruzeiro Esporte Clube)

MF Naoya Saeki (Transferred to JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

MF Daigo Kobayashi (On loan to Stabæk Fotball)

FW Kota Yoshihara (Transferred to Mito HollyHock)

FW Hiroshi Morita (Transferred to Ventforet Kofu)

DF Takuro Nishimura (Released)DF Terukazu Tanaka (On loan to Yokohama FC)
DF Tatsuya Kawahara (On loan to Thespa Kusatsu)

FW Naoto Sakurai (Retired)

DF Akira Ishigame (Retired)

MF Yusuke Shimada (On loan to Sagan Tosu)

FW Pedro Júnior (On loan to Albirex Niigata)

FW Manabu Wakabayashi (Transferred to Tochigi S.C.)

My view on the transfers:
Omiya have lost one of their best players in Daigo Kobayashi to Stabæk, as well as MF Saeki and DF Leandro. Kobayashi gave the team an extra dimension in attack, and will be hard to replace. Omiya have brought in Croatian DF Neretjlak, who played for Suwon in Korea for several years. He will be a direct replacement for the departed Leandro. Korean international Park has also been brought in from Pohang Steelers, and although he's not the same kind of player as Kobayashi, he's expected to take his role. Up front Omiya have gotten rid of several fringe-players, and instead bought two merited J2-strikers in Fujita and Ishihara. Both have had tremendous success in J2, and the question is whether or not they have what it takes to compete at J1-level as well. But with Omiya already having two good strikers in Denis Marques and Lavric, there might not be too much playing time. Ishihara can work his way as a winger too though, and will probably be used a bit on the flank. Either way, Omiya looks to have more depth this season than previous years, especially up front.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Ezumi - Tsukamoto,Neretjlak,Tomita,Murayama - Park, Fujimoto,Kataoka/Uchida, Kanazawa/Ishihara - Marques,Lavric/Fujita

My view on the team:
In Ezumi Omiya have a solid goalkeeper, and with Neretjlak and Tomita forming the central-defence they doesn't look too bad in defence. There's question marks with the side-backs though, and against teams that attacks down the flanks Omiya might struggle. In midfield they are well-covered, but perhaps lacks the creative one that has the skills to provide the strikers with passes. That role will probably fall to Fujimoto this season, but he needs help from his team-mates around him if he's gonna succeed. Up front Marques and Lavric forms a very good partnership, and with solid back-up players in Fujita and Ishihara they should be able to score more goals than in previous seasons.

Player to watch: Mato Neretjlak

Manager: Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang won the title with Incheon his first year in charge in 2005, but didn't quite manage to follow up on that success the years after. He took a year's absence in 2007 to study english in London, but were back in the manager-seat the following season. Incheon only managed a lowly 7th place last season, but nevertheless Chang is a well-respected coach in South-Korea. He has brought in two players that played in Korea last season,and his english skills might come in handy when he's communicating with the players. Most of the players only speak japanese though, so he will still need an interpreter.

Supporters:
Omiya is perhaps the most football-frenzy providence in all of Japan, but unfortunately for Omiya most of the fans cheer for the cross-town rivals Urawa Reds instead. Omiya's stadium only takes about 15,500, and they average about 10 000 on their home-matches.

Where they will finish:
Omiya finished 12th last season, which is pretty high to their standards. They look better this year though, but will probably once again experience a battle against relegation. But I think they will avoid the drop, and finish a few places above.

12th - 14th

J1 2009 preview: Urawa Reds

2009-03-02T00:34:00.002+01:00

URAWA REDS:
Stadium:Saitama Stadium (63,700)
Average attendance 2009: 47,609
Last season's finish: 7th

2009 season's transfers:

In:
DF Koji Noda (Drafted from Hannan University)
DF Mizuki Hamada (Promoted from youth team)

DF Takuya Nagata (Promoted from youth team)

MF Takafumi Akahoshi (Returned from Mito HollyHock)

MF Shunki Takahashi (Promoted from youth team)

MF Naoki Yamada (Promoted from youth team)
Out:
FW Yuichiro Nagai (Transferred to Shimizu S-Pulse)

MF Takahito Soma (Transferred to C.S. Marítimo)

FW Junki Koike (On loan to Thespa Kusatsu)

MF Hideki Uchidate (Retired)

DF Kazuya Sakamoto (Transferred to Fagiano Okayama F.C.)

FW Hiroyuki Takasaki (On loan to Mito HollyHock)

MF Masayuki Okano (Transferred to TSW Pegasus FC)

GK Kenta Tokushige (Transferred to Vissel Kobe)
MF Shunsuke Oyama (Transferred to Ehime F.C.)

My view on the transfers:
Urawa hasn't brought in any reinforcements this season, and are instead opting for the same group of players plus their many talented youngsters this season. A few regulars has been sold though, with FW Nagai and MF Soma being the 2 biggest losses. However, one of Urawa's problems last season were to keep all the players happy, as they simply had to many "stars" that were often left out of the team, which then again caused alot of unhappy faces in the team. So getting rid of 2 of those big names might not be a bad thing after all. The squad is still very big, and they got double cover on pretty much every position. MF Akahoshi returns from an impressive 1-year spell with Mito in J2, and he's probably gonna receive some playing time this year.

Preferrable starting line-up:
4-4-2: Tsuzuki - , Tsutsumi/Nagata,Tsuboi,Tulio, Hosogai - Abe, Ponte, Suzuki/Yamada, Hirakawa, Tanaka,Takahara/Edmilson

My view on the team:
Maybe the most star-studded team in J.League, and certainly the most expensive. Urawa were known for their big-spending sprees earlier seasons, but with the arrival of Volker Finke as coach, that strategy seems to be gone this year. Urawa got a big squad, and good cover on most positions. Their biggest woes seems to be in defence though, as they are depending too much on individuals like Tulio. Behind the starting four, there are only rookies to choose from almost. Several of the midfielders can play in defence as well though, with Abe,Hosogai and Yamada all capable of stepping in either in central defence or as sidebacks. Urawa used to play 3-5-2 earlier, but Finke seems to be going for the more traditional 4-4-2 this season. In pre-season he has used many different players, so it's hard to tell which ones will be preferred. Either way Urawa have several options in midfield, and can afford to rest players if needed. Up front, Tanaka are likely to get a starting role if he manages to keep away from injuries. Takahara and Edmilson will receive playing time as well, but with two hotshots in Escudero and Haraguchi also competing for one of the two striker roles we might see some rotation. Then Urawa are back to the problem with keeping the players happy, as big names like Takahara and Edmilson won't be too happy sitting on the bench.

Player to watch: Hajime Hosogai

Manager: Volker Finke
Finke led Freiburg for more ththan 16 years, and brought many good moments to the club. He won promotion to Bundesliga twice and also managed to take the club to the UEFA cup on two occasions. Finke's not the type of coach that splashes out money on big names, as he prefers to give youth-players the chance instead. That's good news for the many talents at Urawa, and we'll probably see some unknown names on Urawa's roster this season. Finke is new to the japanese culture though, which might prove a challenge for him. But Urawa are used to having german coaches, which will make the transition smoother. Finke doesn't speak japanese, which means he needs an interpreter to communicate with the players.

Supporters:
Urawa has the biggest fanbase in Japan by far, and their fans have become world-famous due to the massive support they provide Urawa with. Urawa doesn't only attract "good" fans though, as there are some hard-core groups of fans with alot of anger and temper as well. Japanese fans usually support their team even though they are trailing by a couple of goals, but the last couple of years there's been an increasing tendency of booing when things go bad, especially at Urawa's matches. So if Urawa doesn't play well, they will risk that certain groups of their fans will turn their back to the team, and give them a hard-time.

Where they will finish:
Urawa didn't qualify for ACL this year, which might be a good team regarding J.League. Where their main rivals Antlers and Gamba will have to travel all around Asia and Australia, Urawa can stay home and gain energy instead. Especially in the latter stage of the season that might affect the teams. The squad still looks pretty strong, but with a new coach and a new playing-style it's hard to predict how they will do. I still see Urawa as one of the favorites for the title though.

1st - 4th

J1 2009 preview: Kashima Antlers

2009-03-02T00:25:00.002+01:00

KASHIMA ANTLERS

Stadium:Kashima Soccer Stadium (41,800)

Average Attendance 2008: 19,714

Last year: 1st

2009 season transfer:

In:

DF Tomohiko Miyazaki (Drafted from Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.)

MF Park Joo-Ho (Transferred from Mito HollyHock)

MF Daichi Kawashima (Drafted from Tokai University)

FW Yuya Osako (Drafted from Kagoshima Jōsei High School)

Out:

MF Masaki Chugo (On loan to JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

DF Naoya Ishigami (On loan to Cerezo Osaka)

DF Seiji Kaneko (Transferred to Tampines Rovers F.C.)

MF Marcinho (End of loan from Cruzeiro Esporte Clube)

DF Kenji Haneda (Transferred to Cerezo Osaka)

DF Tatsuya Ishikawa (Transferred to Montedio Yamagata)

FW Masaki Fukai (Transferred to JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

My view on the transfers:

Antlers haven't made any major changes to their team, and have chosen to opt for the same core of players that gave them success in the two previous seasons. A young striker in Osako have been brought in, to which there are alot of expectations from. Most likely Osako will receive some playing time, mainly as a substitute or in non-important matches. MF Park from Mito is likely to work as a back-up for the more merited regulars. Among the departures, Chugo and Fukai are the biggest names, but neither of them managed to break into the team last season. Brazilian Marcinho turned out to be a flop, and won't be missed.

Preferable starting XI:

4-4-2:Sogahata - Uchida, Iwamasa,Inoha,Araiba - Nozawa,Ogasawara,Motoyama,Danilo - Marquinhos,Koroki

My view on the team:

Antlers got one of the best starting line-ups in the league, with quality players all over. Several of the players are NT-material, and the two brazilians in the team is among the best in J.League as well. Defensively it looks as good as ever, but behind the starting four the quality isn't near enough as good, and Antlers are therefore prone to injuries. In midfield it looks better, with 3-4 players on the bench good enough to fill in for injured or suspended players. Aoki, who recently got his NT-debut, will most likely have to compete with Danilo for a starting-lineup. Among the strikers, Antlers got the best in J.League in Marquinhos, but apart from him it's not too intimidating. Partner Koroki is a talented striker, but not exactly the type who scores 15-20 goals a year. Still young though, and will probably develop even more this year. Former NT-striker Tashiro is a solid 3rd choice, but that's it.If Antlers want to give it their best both in ACL and in the league, they should have brought in a few extra players, as they will need a big team to compete at both stages. Since they haven't, it might affect the team in the latter stage of the season, as the players might be tired from fatigue and a lack of energy. Still, Antlers looks like a serious title contender this season as well.

Player to watch: Atsuto Uchida

Manager: Oswaldo de Oliveira

One of the most merited coaches in his home country Brazil, having won both the championship and the FIFA CWC with brazilian teams. Was awarded the coach of the year in both 2007 and 2008 in J.League as he won the championship both seasons. An outspoken type, who's not afraid to give referees or JFA-officials a hard time if he doesnt agree with them. Known for a direct, but cautious style of football.

Supporters:

Antlers have very passionate fans, but only on occasions do they manage to fill up the 41,800 capacity Ibaraki. Situated just outside of Tokyo, they don't have the biggest fanbase to pick fans from, but still got one of the bigger average-crowds in the league.

Where they will finish:

Antlers will definitely compete for the title this year as well, and a top 3 finish seems like a realistic target. ACL will wear them down though, so challenging teams like Frontale and Urawa will have a benefit

there.

1st - 3rd place

J1 2009 preview: Montedio Yamagata

2009-03-01T17:48:00.004+01:00

MONTEDIO YAMAGATA

Stadium: Yamagata Prefectural Sports Stadium (20,315)

Average Attendance 2008: 6,273

Last year's finish: 2nd (J2)

2009 season transfers:

In:
GK Yuki Uekusa (On loan from Kawasaki Frontale)

DF Tatsuya Ishikawa (Transferred from Kashima Antlers)

DF Ryo Kobayashi (On loan from Kashiwa Reysol)

DF Yuki Kurihara (Transferred from Yamagata FC youth)

MF Takuya Miyamoto (Transferred from Cerezo Osaka)

MF André Silva (On loan from Sociedade Esportiva do Gama)

MF Kim Byung-Suk (Transferred from Vitoria Setubal)

MF Tatsuya Furuhashi (Transferred from Cerezo Osaka)

MF Hisayuki Sato (Promoted from youth team)

FW Jaja (On loan from Cruzeiro Esporte Clube)

Out:
MF Takumi Motohashi (Transferred to Tochigi S.C.)

FW Rychely (End of loan from F.C. Tokyo)
FW Yohei Toyoda (End of loan from Nagoya Grampus)
FW Ryosuke Nemoto (Retired)FW Shunta Takahashi (Released)

GK Tomoyasu Naito (Transferred to Fukushima United F.C.)

MF Yuta Baba (End of loan from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

GK Shigeru Sakurai (Transferred to Vegalta Sendai)

My view on the transfers:
Montedio have lost FW's Toyoda and Rychelly, who were both important to the team's success last season. However, a few additions have been brought in, and on paper Furuhashi and Jaja should be able to replace the 2 departed ones. In defence and in midfield though, the situation seems a bit worse, as Montedio hasn't really brought in any major signings since last season. The squad looks thin, and are probably the weakest in J1.

Preferrable starting XI:
4-4-2: Shimizu - Kitamura,Leonardo,Kobara,Kobayashi - Miyazaki,-Miyamoto,Kim/Miyazawa, Zaizen/Akiba - Furuhashi, Hasegawa

My view on the team:

On paper the weakest team in the league, and Montedio will probably have to battle against relegation in their debut-season in J1.Defensively they didn't look too bad last season, and with Kobayashi brought in from Oita they should be able to do reasonable well. However, most of the players aren't used to the more pacier J1, and might struggle with the tempo, especially against the bigger teams. The midfield is made up by hard-working players, but none of them poses a real threat offensively. If Montedio wants to survive, they need atleast one of the midfielders to take a bigger goal-scoring responsibility as the chances won't come as easily for the strikers as they did in last year's J2. They have decent players in back-up if one or two are out with an injury. Furuhashi is their main signing this season, and the former Cerezo-player can be used both as a striker and a midfielder. In Cerezo he were mostly a striker, and most likely coach Kobayashi ( who were in charge of Cerezo a few years ago and therefore knows Furuhashi well) will use him as a striker. Hasegawa scored 13 goals last season, and will have to compete with another newcomer Jaja for the 2nd striker-role. Montedio's brazilian contingent doesn't look too well actually, with only Leonardo looking a certain starter. MF Andre Silva might make it into the team as well, but his achievements earlier in his career isn't exactly impressive. Likewise, FW Jaja is a relatively unknown and unmerited striker.

Player to watch: Tatsuya Furuhashi

Manager: Shingo Kobayashi

Kobayashi were only a whisker away of taking Cerezo to the title in 2005, when instead it ended up at Gamba after a 1-1 draw in the last match of the season. Kobayashi were back then regarded as one of the most promising coaches in Japan, but after a horrendous start to the 2006-campaign with Cerezo he were fired. Montedio were quick to hire him as the 2007-season approached, and Kobayashi have worked his magic with the Yamagata-based club ever since. A decent 2007-season were followed by a marvellous run to 2nd place and promotion the following year against all odds, finishing ahead of more renowned clubs like Vegalta and Cerezo. Definitiely a top manager, and if anyone can keep Montedio afloat in J1 this year, it's Kobayashi.

Supporters:

Yamagata is, by japanese standards, a small town with only 250 000 inhabitants. That means Montedio doesnt have the biggest fanbase to draw crowds from, and the modest average of approx. 6000 last season underlines that. Those figures are expected to be more than doubled this year though, as they will meet teams like Urawa and Gamba instead of Gifu and Mito.The hardcore-fans are passionate, but compared to other teams in J1 they can't compete in numbers, and will struggle to make an impact on the team's performance on the pitch.

Where they will finish:

Most surely 2009 will be a battle for survival for Montedio's sake, but with a clever manager, good team-spirit and hard work they could surprise. In some ways Montedio are similar to Kofu, being a small club battling it out with the big guns. Kofu managed to both upset and surprise bigger teams when they were up, and there's nothing that says Montedio can't do the same. Realistically though, anything above 16th place would be a major surprise.

15-18th place

Transfer Updates

2009-01-11T12:01:00.002+01:00

Long time since my last post now, but the holidays and an extra amount of work means I've had little time to update lately. I'm committed to a norwegian soccer-site as well ( www.norskefans.com), which naturally takes up alot of my time.
Anyway, alot has happened at Cerezo since the 2008 season came to an end.

To take the good news first: Our wonderkid Shinji Kagawa has decided to stay put in Osaka, despite several J1-clubs pursuing him. He wants to help Cerezo win promotion, which in my opinion shows what great character Kagawa has. A bit like Hisato Sato at Sanfrecce, who got alot of praise for his commitment to Sanfrecce when he decided to go down with them last year. And Del Piero at Juve etc.. Kagawa was instrumental and our best by player by far last season, and there are probably even greater things to expect from him in 2009 as he's got one more year at his back.

Takashi Inui has completed his transfer from Yokohama F Marinos to Cerezo, after spending the latter half of 2008 on loan at us. Inui was a constant hit at us, and formed a deadly partnership along with Kagawa and Kaio. Inui, who were a fringe player at Marinos, were even rewarded with a NT-call up for the upcoming friendly match, which means Cerezo got 2 players on the National Team ( Kagawa is the other one). One has to wonder what the Marinos-staff were thinking with not seeing his potential.

A former great returns to Nagai, as Akinori Nishizawa's contract with Shimizu S-Pulse have ended. The burly striker have had 3 former stints with Cerezo, scoring 84 goals in 262 matches.
His best period he had in the late 90's, before moving to Europe and RCd Espanyol. Nishizawa were never a hit in Spain though, and likewise flopped in Bolton without even playing a match before returning to Japan and Cerezo prior to the World cup 2002. Nishizawa were a member of Japan's NT during the WC, but unlike his compatriot at Cerezo, Hiroaki Morishima, Nishizawa failed to get on the scoresheet. Nishizawa has landed 29 matches for Japan, scoring 10 goals in total. Already 32, Nishizawa is no longer a youth, but his experience could help the young strikers Kakitani and Shiratani to develop into better strikers. But with Furuhashi,Komatsu,Shiratani,Kakitani and most likely Kaio as well there is fierce competition among the strikers, so Nishizawa is by no means guaranteed a place in the squad despite his former achievements.

A couple of brazilians have been brought in as well, the 28 year old midfielder Martinez from Palmeiras and DF Thiago from Cruzeiro. Thiago has spent most of his career at Sao Caetano, and will be a nice addition to Cerezo's defence.Martinez has played for several brazilian clubs, and will be a direct replacement for Germano, who recently left for Santos FC. Germano's demise was hard to accept for several of the Cerezo-fans, as he was one of the most popular players last season. Truly a quality-player, we can only wish Germano good luck with his new club in Brazil.

Takuya Kokeguchi has returned from a rather unsuccessful yearly loan-stint at J1-club JEF United. Never a regular at Cerezo either, it's hard to imagine Kokeguchi making much of an impact with so many other quality players at the squad this season. His preferred role is a winger, but with Kagawa,Sakemoto,Inui,Furuhashi and Kakitani as his rivals Kokeguchi has a hard task ahead of himself. Personally I rate Kokeguchi though, and I hope one way or another he can have success.

Kenji Haneda, who were on loan from Kashima Antlers, have completed his move and is now a permanent member of Cerezo. Great news, as Haneda was one of few defenders that delivered last season. Full-back Takashi Hirajima, who were on loan from Kyoto Sanga, have done likewise. DF Naoya Ishigami have been brought in from Kashima Antlers on a yearly loan. The young defender played 14 matches for Antlers during 2007 and 2008, and hopefully he can be a success at Cerezo this season. Masayuki Yanagisawa have transferred to Sagan Tosu. The versatile full-back were a steady performer for Cerezo, and will be missed. Good luck to him at Sagan.

Our 2 preferred goalkeepers last season have left the club, as Takashi Aizawa have returned to Kawasaki Frontale after a rather poor stint at Cerezo. He soon lost his place to Hiromasa Yamamoto, who now have been transferred to Ehime FC. Daisuke Tada has gone the other way, as he returns to Cerezo after a 1-year stint with the Shikoku-club. His main rival will be Kim Jin-Hyeon, who have been drafted from Dongguk University in South-Korea. That means at the moment, we're without any proven goalkeepers. Considering our poor defensive record last season that might be a cause for concern, but Tada impressed at times with Ehime so he's not completely lost.

Korean striker Kim Shin-Young have made a permanent move to J2-rivals Ventforet Kofu. On loan to Sagan last season, Kim wasn't a part of Cerezo's future plans anyway. Kim scored only 1 goal for Cerezo in a total of 8 appearances. MF Ryuhei Niwa has ended his loan-spell at Cerezo, and returned to Vissel Kobe. FW Noboru Nakayama have surprisingly hung up his boots. Only 21, the talented striker had to retire due to a serious injury. He is now a coach for Cerezo's youth academy.

As mentioned in an earlier article, Hiroaki Morishima have also retired. Dubbed Mr. Cerezo, Morishi has been with the club for his entire career, and is one of the all-time greats in japanese football. What Morishima will do next has not yet been announced, but one way or another he will probably still be very much involved with what will be happening around Cerezo Osaka in the future as well.

Complete list:

In:
GK Daisuke Tada (On loan from Ehime F.C.)
GK Kim Jin-Hyeon (Drafted from Dongguk University)
DF Kenji Haneda (Transferred from Kashima Antlers)
DF Takashi Hirajima (Transferred from Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
DF Naoya Ishigami (On loan from Kashima Antlers)
MF Takashi Inui (Transferred from Yokohama F. Marinos)
DF Thiago (Transferred fromn Cruzeiro Esporte Clube)
MF Martinez (Transferred from Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras)
FW Akinori Nishizawa (Transferred from Shimizu S-Pulse)
FW Takuya Kokeguchi (Returned from JEF United Ichihara Chiba)

Out:
GK Takashi Aizawa (End of loan from Kawasaki Frontale)
MF Hiroaki Morishima (Retired)
MF Germano (Transferred to Santos Futebol Clube)
DF Masayuki Yanagisawa (Transferred to Sagan Tosu)
MF Ryuhei Niwa (End of loan from Vissel Kobe)
GK Hiromasa Yamamoto (Transferred to Ehime F.C.)
FW Noboru Nakayama (Retired)
FW Kim Sin-Young (Transferred to Ventforet Kofu)

Cerezo to stay one more year in J2

2008-12-08T00:38:00.004+01:00

Cerezo won their match against Ehime 2-1, but since Vegalta won their match as well, it means we will finish 4th, missing out on 3rd and play-off by a single point. A huge disappointment, as this was the year we were going to be promoted again, but on the positive sides we've played some really good football at times, and for the time being it seems as we might be able to hold on to atleast some of our profiles from this year. Shinji Kagawa, our biggest asset and best player, will stay on for one more year despite being chased by the likes of J1-champions Kashima Antlers, according to japanese newspapers.

Double-click for bigger version

Personally I don't think too many players will leave, as the team-spirit and atmosphere at the club seems to be high. Just take a look at this picture, which was taken at the match against Ehime. Levir Culpi will also stay on, and my personal opinion of him is also positive. His tactics are a bit risky, which explains our poor defensive record, but we score tons of goals and our games are usually very entertaining. One thing is to win a match, another thing is to win in style. Our defensive problems can be explained by the player material as well, so I don't think that's all Culpi's fault. In the last matches, we changed into a 3-6-1 formation, and from what I saw that turned in to be a great success. Hopefully Culpi will build on from that and make it work even better next year.

So who will go and who will stay? Our brazilians seems destined to stay. Gilton has just established himself at the club, while Germano enjoys life in Osaka so much that I doubt he will be willing to leave. Ale has been injured for a while now, so I don't know about him. Kaio is the one with the biggest question mark on him though, as he's young, talented and probably got alot of J1 clubs wanting his signature if Cerezo wants to let him go.

One of our strikers will probably leave anyway. Furuhashi have had a nightmare season, much because of injuries. Although I like him very much, it might be better for him to switch clubs. If we opt for a single striker next year as well, both Kaio and Komatsu seems to be ahead of him in the pecking order. That is, if both stays. Komatsu have scored 15+ goals for 2 years in a row now, and might be heading for a J1 club. Yoichiro Kakitani is a huge talent, but he doesn't receive enough playing time at Cerezo to develop properly. If he stays, I hope he gets more chances next year. He will have one more year at his back too then, and that can only be a good thing. Kakitani actually failed to scored this season, despite starting 10-15 matches.

Shinji Kagawa will most likely stay, and I hope the same goes for Takashi Inui. In defence Fujimoto is being chased by Oita, and he might be on his way out. Fujimoto didn't got to play until late in the season, but once he got the chance he made the most of it. From the little I saw of him, I hope he stays. In goal I don't think either Aizawa or Yamamoto have been a huge success. Yamamoto seems a bit slow and "heavy" for a goalkeeper ( kinda Neville Southall-ish), and Aizawa haven't showed anything that suggests he's the man to go for. Perhaps it would be an idea to get back Yoshida from Avispa, who's only a 2nd choice there?

I think what we need is a couple of new defenders and a new defensive midfielder. That, as well as a more reliable goalkeeper should be enough to give us success next season. However, all depends on who stays on though. With 3 more teams joining J2 next year, we need a big squad so it's important to have double-cover all places.

Final table ( Double - click for bigger version):

J2 - Final round preview

2008-12-05T19:48:00.001+01:00

A look at Cerezo's match against Ehime and Vegalta's match against Thespa:
Cerezo Osaka Ehime FC

Cerezo are still without a few starters, but their squad is so big that it doesn’t really weakens them that much. With good cover all places Cerezo looks great at the moment. Ehime are without GK Kawakita still, which means Tada will meet his former teammates here. Up front Uchimura us out as well, but not really a big loss.

Cerezo got 3 straight wins now, and are in scincillating form. They’re scoring tons of goals at the moment, and Ehime will get a tough time here I think. At home Cerezo got 3-1-2 on the last 6. Ehime have only 2 points in their last 5, and away it’s 1-2-3 on the last 6. All previous meetings gives us 5-0-1, and Cerezo won both matches earlier this season.

Cerezo are naturally huge favorites, and Ehime shouldn’t be any match for them here. A win for Cerezo at the same time as Vegalta drops point means Cerezo will finish 3rd. Over 20 000 have showed up on the last 4 matches, and expect even more here as this will be the farewell-match for ”Mr Cerezo” Hiroaki Morishima as well as it being a very important match.

Vegalta Sendai Thespa Kusatsu

Vegalta are without 2 regulars in midfield, and looks overall a bit weakened because of that. They are still able to fiel a strong squad though. Thespa’s only concern is that MF Akiba is suspended. The important midfielder Kumabayashi returns form suspension.

Vegalta only got 2 points in their last 3 matches and are in alarming form at the moment. Another draw or a loss here will most likely mean they will lose that 3rd place. At home they got 3-1-2 on the last 6. Thespa have lost 3 matches in a row, and aren’t in a particular good form them either. Away they only got 0-2-4 on the last 6. All previous meetings gives us 5-5-0, and this season Vegalta won 1-0 at home and drew 0-0 away.

Vegalta are favorites, but their poor form makes it a tough object. They got alot of pressure on themselves as well, and they’ve finished 4th 3 years in a row or something, and might do it again if they don’t win this one.Thespa doesn’t have too much to play for, but they’ve come up with good results again big teams earlier this season and can do it again.

Come on CEREZO!

R44 - Thespa demolished by impressive Cerezo

2008-12-03T23:56:00.002+01:00

Thespa Kusatsu Cerezo Osaka 0-4
C: Kagawa 21’, 68’, Inui 32’, Kaio 50’

Cerezo impressed by winning 4-0 away at Thespa, and with that kept their hopes alive for finishing 3th which gives playoff. It was never any doubt about where the points would end, as Cerezo dominated from beginning to end, and looked lethal every time they attacked. Kagawa once again put in a marvellous performance, and scored 2 more goals to take his tally to 17 this season. Not bad for a midfielder, and considering his age it’s even more remarkable. Cerezo’s new formation seems to work really good, and Kagawa and Inui in their offensive midfield roles causes alot of problem for the opposition. Both contributed alot with offensive runs and neat passing here, and the 2 were involved in all of Cerezo’s 4 goals. Kagawa gave Cerezo the lead after 21 minutes, and Inui doubled that lead 11 minutes later. Thespa seemed to be atleast one level beneath Cerezo this match, and didn’t create anything that challenged Cerezo’s goalkeeper. Kaio made it 3-0 five minutes after the break before Kagawa scored his 2nd in the 68th minute. The win could have been much bigger, but 4-0 is a result Cerezo should be happy about. Cerezo outshot Thespa 21-9.

J2 round 44: Thespa - Cerezo preview

2008-11-28T13:43:00.001+01:00

Thespa’s only concern is that MF Kumabayashi are still out with suspension. Regarded as one of Thespa’s better players, he will be missed. Cerezo are missing DF Omata and Ezoe still, as well as Ale in midfield. New to the list is FW Komatsu, who got injured last round. Komatsu is Cerezo’s topscorer, but is only the 2nd choice up front now behind Kaio. Cerezo plays a 3-6-1 kind of formation now, with 3 central defenders and only a single striker. The speedy and technically midfielders Kagawa and Inui are just behind Kaio up front though, which means they got a pretty strong attack still.

Thespa only got 1-4-5 on the last 10, and looks to be in quite poor form at the moment. They’ve lost 4 of the last 5 matches as well. At home they haven’t been too bad, with 2-3-1 on the last 6. Cerezo got 2 straight wins now, and are desperate for another 3-pointer here to keep their promotion-hopes alive. They’ve won 3 of the last 4, and looks to be in quite good form at the moment, playing some very effective football. Away they got 3-2-1 on the last 6. All previous meetings gives us 1-1-4, and earlier this season Cerezo won 3-1 away, while Thespa won 2-1 in Osaka.

Cerezo are big favorites, and should normally beat Thespa without too many problems. However, last year in a similar match near the end of the season, Cerezo only managed a 2-2 draw which ended their hopes of promotion back then. It might be a similar story here, but Cerezo looks quite strong at the moment, and although Thespa plays some good football at times, they meet a much better team here. Come on Cerezo!

R43 - Kagawa seals 3 points at home vs Bellmare

2008-11-28T13:42:00.001+01:00

Cerezo Osaka Shonan Bellmare 2-1
C: Sakemoto 31’, Kagawa 46’

S: Adiel 5’

Cerezo kept their promotion-hopes alive with a strong 2-1 win at home against fellow promotion-chasers Shonan. Shonan are not out of the race yet, but their form is quite bad at the moment and it’s unlikely they will be able tu surpass both Cerezo and Vegalta on the table. Cerezo’s chances are slim though, as Vegalta can’t take more than 2 points from their last 2 matches. Cerezo has to win their matches, so alot has to go right if Cerezo wants 3rd.
They got off to a very poor start, and Adiel gav SHonan the lead after only 5 minutes on a penalty-kick. They were quick to shake off the early disappointment though, and in the 31st minute Sakemoto’s free-kick went directly into the goal which made it 1-1. Cerezo looked very dangerous, and came up with tons of chances to score. Shonan’s tight defence were hard to break down though, and by half-time the score were still 1-1. Kagawa came up with a little big of magic as he dribbled past a few players before hammering it home with a left-foot drive to make it 2-1 immediately after restart. A great goal from the young midfielder, who’s had a marvellous season. Cerezo controlled pretty much the rest of the match, and took a very deserved win in the end. FW Komatsu were injured early in the match, which meant Furuhashi came on. Kaio returns from suspension next round though, so they should still be able to field a strong attack in the next match. For the 4th time in a row, Cerezo had over 20 000 in the stands, which is even higher than city-rivals Gamba has on their games. Cerezo had 20 shots to Shonan’s 8.

R42 - We're still in it!

2008-11-13T16:54:00.000+01:00

Ventforet Kofu Cerezo Osaka 2-3

V: Maranhao 9,’39’
C: Kagawa 51’,73’, Fujimoto 69’

Shinji Kagawa

A marvellous turn-around by Cerezo in the 2nd half means they still got a chance of 3rd place, but being 6 points behind Vegalta with 3 matches left it will be tough. Kofu got off to the best start this match, and Maranhao gave them the lead from the penalty-spot after only 9 minutes. He were on target again in the 39th minute after Kofu attacked down the right-hand side. Cerezo looked changed for the 2nd half though, and coach Culpi must have said the right words, cause just a few minutes after the restart gave Kagawa Cerezo a lifeline. Kota Fujimoto, who’s only recently have been involved on the first team, equalized in the 69th minute. Kagawa once again showed how important he is to the team with another goal shortly after, which in the end became the winning goal. Despite some dangerous counter-attacks from Kofu, the result stayed the same, and Cerezo could take 3 very important points. Cerezo opted for a 3-5-2 formation this match, and although the struggled a bit defensively, it worked well in offence. FW Kaio were sent off late in the 2nd half, and the in-form striker will be out for the match against Shonan next round. Cerezo had 13 shots to Kofu’s 11.

R41 - See you next year Tochigi!

2008-10-28T11:42:00.002+01:00

Cerezo Osaka Vegalta Sendai 3-4
C: Sakemoto 17’, Gilton 22’, Kaio 35’

V: Nakashima 12’,51’, Sekiguchi 80’, Nakahara 84’

Cerezo have made it a habit of falling apart in the last stage of the match, and with that giving up a seemingly comfortable lead. They did it against Avispa and Sanfrecce recently, and now they did it to Vegalta as well. A great first half saw Cerezo 3-1 up, but all that effort were worthless after they conceded 3 after the break. With that the promotion-train has already left the station for Cerezo’s sake, and only a miracle will see them finish 2nd or 3rd now.

Atleast one Cerezo-fan didn't seem to let the result affect her mood..

Vegalta got off to the best start, as Nakashima masterfully curled the ball into the top corner to make it 1-0. Just a few minutes later, Sakemoto equalized after a scramble in front of the goal. Brazilian left-back Gilton, who’s been under some critiscism earlier, made amends with a nice goal as he came racing down the left-side. Kaio made 3-1 in the 35th minute, after Vegalta’s goalie suddenly found himself out of the goal. With that, things looked very good for Cerezo, but that were all to change after the break. Cerezo still played good football though, and had the most of the chances. But they couldn’t find the goals, and Nakashima scored a 2nd after beating Germano for the header to make it 2-3 shortly after the break. As the game came to an end, Sekiguchi equalized with a brilliant solo-effort with just 10 minutes to go. Shortly after late-substitute Nakahara took away all hopes for Cerezo with another goal.

Maeda doesn't looks too happy...

Cerezo had 21 shots to Vegalta’s 10, and clearly the home team should have deserved to win. Cerezo doesn’t seem to strong mentally though, and perhaps that’s the main reason why they won’t be in J1 next year. Surely they have enough qualities atleast. Over 20 000 showed up for this match.

Highlights from the match:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uh7Lv3YY7Y

R40 - We're still alive!

2008-10-21T20:07:00.002+02:00

SAGAN TOSU - CEREZO OSAKA

S: Takachi 80'
C: Kagawa 44', 86', Inui 60',63'

Cerezo travelled to Kyushu, or more precisely Tosu for their match against Sagan this round. With both teams still in the race for promotion, defeat was not acceptable for either teams. For Cerezo, it was even worse, and a draw or a loss would pretty much kill their hopes of a return to the upper tier of japanese football.

As for the match, both teams showed in the beginning that alot were on stake, and it was a cautious opening. Cerezo dared more than Sagan though, and had a few chances early on. Shinji Kagawa should have put the visitors 1-0 up midway through the half, but alone with Sagan's goalie he ballooned his shot. But Kagawa made amends right before the break with a well-placed shot and put Cerezo in the lead.

Sagan put on a lacklustre performance this match, and didn't had a single chance until they got their consolation goal 10 minutes from full-time. Cerezo started the 2nd half as they finished the first, and the little speedy winger Inui scored to goals within a few minutes. With that the win were out of Sagan's reach, and they looked already resigned. Inui, who were weighed too light in Marinos, has been a revelation in the pink shirt, and should have gotten his hat-trick shortly after. As the match wore on, Cerezo squandered several chances, and instead Sagan scored a lucky goal through substitute Takachi. Kagawa removed all doubt of a Sagan-comeback a few minutes later with a great header after a cross from Sakemoto. Cerezo had 15 shots to Sagan's 11. Next up for Cerezo is Vegalta at home, another must-win game!

R39 - Another 2 points dropped in Yokohama

2008-10-05T23:32:00.000+02:00

Yokohama FC Cerezo Osaka 2-2
Y: Miura 37’, Elizeu 77’
C: Komatsu 66’,74’

Cerezo didn’t manage to pull off a win in Yokohama, and with that their promotion-campaign took another blow. However, most of the others teams above them dropped points as well, so the gap up to 3rd is only 5 points. But with one more game gone, the chances are getting smaller. They should have won this one though, as they dominated pretty much the whole game. They looked terrifying in the beginning of the match, putting the Yokohama-defence under a great amount of pressure. Especially down the left-flank, were Kagawa were a constant threat. But instead it was Yokohama to take the lead, infront of a massive crowd of over 20 000 at National Stadium. Atsushi Miura showed his old legs still got it, and the wing-back found the net with a powerful shot from distance after 37 minutes. That was the only goal we got before the half, and Yokohama held a somewhat lucky lead.

Cerezo didn’t stop to play though, and continued with their offensive strategy. It finally paid off in the 66th minute when Komatsu scored his 15th goal of the season. Not too long after he added another after being beatifully played free by his compatriot up front Kaio. But Miura had more tricks up his sleeves, and with a free-kick he found the brazilian Elizeu free in the box, and Elizeu headed home the equalizer. The end to the match was dramatic as well, with a Yokohama defender being sent off. But we didn’t see any more goals, and 2-2 is a result Cerezo’s coach Levir Culpi won’t be too happy about. Cerezo outshot Yokohama 20-6.

R38 - Same old, same old...

2008-10-02T01:20:00.002+02:00

Cerezo Osaka Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-3
C: Kagawa 8’, Germano 45’
S: Takahagi 40’,42’, Sato 44’

Cerezo’s promotion chances took a real knock as they lost to Sanfrecce at home this round. Sanfrecce scored 3 goals within 4 minutes just before the break, and that little period were enough for them to get away with all points. A huge disappointment for Cerezo, who overall were on level with Sanfrecce for most of this match apart from that letdown before the break. Wonderkid Shinji Kagawa gave Cerezo an early lead after only 8 minutes, and Cerezo looked to be in decent control in the following minutes. They were headed to half-time with a 1-0 lead, but in the 40th minute Takahagi equalized. Just 2 minutes he added another before Hisato Sato made it 1-3 straight afterwards. Cerezo were shocked, but Germano reduced on a penalty-kick to make it 2-3 before the referee blew off for half-time.

Cerezo’s best player this match were Kagawa, but as the match went on Sanfrecce managed to neautralize him and that took alot of the sting out of Cerezo’s attack. Even a few offensive substitutions didn’t help, and in the end Cerezo had to see Sanfrecce get away with all the points. Cerezo had 11 shots to Sanfrecce’s 14.

The good thing we can take from this match is that we had quite a high attendance for the 2nd match in a row. Over 20 000 last round, and this time there were approx. 18 000. Vegalta's loss is also positive, but we need to close in 6 points on the lies of Shonan,Vegalta and Montedio now, as well as get by Sagan... It seems awfully tough, but neither of the teams up there are showing too much consistency so the chances are absolutely there.

R38 - Up against the Champions

2008-09-27T14:37:00.001+02:00

Cerezo Osaka Sanfrecce Hiroshima

For Cerezo, no news since the last match against Avispa, and they are still missing GK Yamamoto, left-backs Omata and Hirajima as well as Ale in midfield. Aizawa is just as good as Yamamoto though in goal, and on the left-back position they got Gilton, a new signing from Brazil that will step in as well as Niwa in back-up. Instead of Ale, former Nagoya-player Aoyama will start. All those injuries will weaken the squad a bit, but Cerezo got many players to choose to from so they should be well-covered..Sanfrecce are missing a few regulars, but they are well-covered all places so it shouldn’t affect the team’s performance in any way. Both teams are likely to field the same squads as last round according to Yahoo.

Cerezo suffered a huge blow when they lost the match vs Avispa last round with 2 conceded goals in the dying minutes. Before that their form were really good. They played quite good against Avispa too, and lead until only 5 minutes remained. So playing-wise, they seem just as strong as earlier. On the last 6 at home Cerezo only got 2-1-3. Sanfrecce secured the J2 title last round, and doesn’t need to take any more points now really. But that doesn’t mean that they will take the last matches lightly, as they are bound for breaking records if they keep it up like this. They’ve won 5 of the last 6 matches, and away they got 3-1-2 on the last 6. All previous meetings gives us 2-2-4, and earlier this season Sanfrecce won both meetings.

Cerezo got everything to play for, Sanfrecce only records and glory. Therefore the motivation should be alot higher in the home team’s camp. But Sanfrecce is stronger, and ruin Cerezo’s hopes of promotion with a win here. I think it will be close, but the fact that Sanfrecce are already in J1 probably makes them ease down a bit, and that could be the chance Cerezo needs.

MUST WIN game.

Match starts at 13.00 ( Nagai Stadium)

R37 - Cerezo mess it up - again

2008-09-24T00:51:00.002+02:00

Kazuya Maeda and the rest of the players have every reason to feel down about themselves...

Avispa Fukuoka Cerezo Osaka 3-2
A: Okubo 69’,90’, Tanaka 85’
C: Kaio 22’, Kagawa 71’

Cerezo lineup:
GK: Aizawa
DF: Yanagisawa, Maeda, Ezoe, Gilton
MF: Inui,Aoyama,Germano,Kagawa
FW: Kaio, Komatsu

Substitutes:
Kaio --> Haneda 71'
Komatsu --> Furuhashi 89'

Up until 5 minutes remaining, things looked great for Cerezo who were up 2-1. but 2 late goals from the home team turned the match around, and for Cerezo’s sake it must have been one of the most bitter defeats this season. The loss means Cerezo are falling further behind the other teams battling fo a top 3 finish, but there are still plenty of points to play for so everything isn’t lost yet.

Cerezo got off to a good start, and put Avispa under pressure immediately. They attacked mainly down the wing, and set up Kaio for several chances. In the 22nd minute, the talented brazilian met a cross from Yanagisawa to make it 1-0. Perhaps he should have scored on one of his other chances as well, but by half-time Cerezo were 1-0 up. Avispa looked a bit more lively after the break, and started creating chances on their own. Their topscorer and prolific striker Okubo equalized in the 69th minute only to see Kagawa take the visitors back into the lead a few minutes later. The end to the match were dramatic, and within the last 5 minutes Avispa turned the match around to take all 3 points. First a goal from Tanaka, before Okubo scored his 2nd of the day with a precise header in injury-time.

All in all the teams were very evenly contested, with 15 shots on goal each. Cerezo were best before the break, but Avispa took more and more over in the 2nd half. Credit to Avispa for coming from behind to take the win, but at the same time it’s disappointing from Cerezo’s side to let it happen in such an important match. Perhaps that’s one of their main problems, not being able to win they need it the most. It happened in 2005, when they lost the title on the last day, and then in 2006 when they got relegated. At the end of last year as well they only needed to win their last 2 matches to get promoted, but also then they messed it up.

R37 - Trip to Fukuoka (preview)

2008-09-22T18:35:00.001+02:00

Avispa Fukuoka Cerezo Osaka

Not too many injury problems for Avispa at the moment, who are only missing DF Rudan of any importance. He’s been out for most of the season though, so not the biggest loss. For Cerezo, no news since the last match, and they are still missing GK Yamamoto, left-backs Omata and Hirajima as well as Ale in midfield. Aizawa is just as good as Yamamoto though in goal, and on the left-back position they got Gilton, a new signing from Brazil that will step in as well as Niwa. For Ale, former Nagoya-player Aoyama will start. Both teams are likely to field the same squads as last round according to Yahoo.

Avispa aren’t in the best of forms, with only 1-4--2 on the last 7 matches.They are placed in the middle of nowhere in 9th, and doesn’t have that much to play for. Their home form is quite good though, with 3-3-0 on the last 6. Cerezo got 3-2-0 on the last 5, and seems to be in quite good form at the moment. They’ve impressed play-wise atleast, and should be on roll now. They don’t have the best away record though, with only 2-2-2 on the last 6. Cerezo are currenty in 5th, 3 points behind promotion and the pressure is on for them to get a win. Cerezo got a great record against Avispa, with 5 straight wins. Overall record is 1-2-5, and Avispa’s win came in 2006 when both teams were in J1.

In other words, Cerezo are favorites here, and should be able to win. Avispa are not bad though, and more than good enough to cause problem for Cerezo. It’s just a few days since the last match, and both teams will probably struggle with tired players, as they don’t seem to be making any chances. Cerezo got a better player material, so they should atleast be able to avoid defeat. I think we'll win though.

R36 - Germano goal saved a point

2008-09-21T01:33:00.007+02:00

Germano with another PK goal against Montedio

Cerezo Osaka Montedio Yamagata 2-2
C: Kagawa 22’, Germano 64’

M: Toyoda 33’, 45’

Cerezo lineup:

GK: Aizawa

DF: Yanagisawa, Maeda,Ezoe, Gilton
MF: Inui,Aoyama,Germano,Kagawa
FW: Kaio,Furuhashi

Substitutes:

Furuhashi --> Komatsu 55'

Aoyama --> Haneda 69'

Kaio --> Kakitani 79'

Cerezo took on 2nd placed Montedio in a thrilling and evenly-played match this round, and the teams ended up sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw. The match always seemed to have a big nerve in it, and although we didn’t see too many chances it was never a dull moment. Cerezo’s wonderkid Shinji Kagawa gave the hosts the lead after 22 minutes, when Cerezo came up with sone impressive one-touch passing counter-attack that Kagawa coolly finished. But 11 minutes later found Kitamura U-23 NT Striker Toyoda with a cross, and the compact striker did well to equalize. Just before the break Toyoda were on target once again, after Aizawa in Cerezo’s goal failed to hold on to a shot from Miyazawa.

10 minutes into the 2nd half Cerezo changed their topscorer Komatsu in for Furuhashi, and that gave a new spark to Cerezo’s play. A few minutes after that Cerezo were awarded a penalty-kick when Shogo Kobara committed a fould inside the box. Germano converted the PK as usual, and the teams were on level terms again. With a 1-man advantage, Cerezo were suddenly in control of the match, but despite several chances and some offensive substitutions near the end they couldn’t find the winning-goal. Cerezo had 9 shots to Montedio’s 10, and in the end a draw seemed a fair result. Montedio will be most happy about it though, but drawing 2-2 against the 2nd placed team is not something Cerezo can be unhappy with either.

Over 20 000 had met up for this match, which only fellow J2 team Sagan Tosu as well as Kawasaki Frontale managed to beat in the whole J.League this round. It’s quite strange that two of the highest 3 attendances this weekend were J2 matches. Gilton made his debut for Cerezo here, as he stepped in as left-back with both Omata and Hirajima out with injury. Gilton is on-loan from brazilian club Joinville, and he did quite well in his debut match according to reports.

Among the teams chasing promotion, only Vegalta managed to win, so overall the weekend for Cerezo weren't too bad after all despite only managing a point here.

Pictures from the stadium:

http://sports.geocities.jp/sendailivedoor2004/

R36 - Tough match vs the Mountain Kings ( Preview)

2008-09-19T04:53:00.002+02:00

Cerezo Osaka Montedio Yamagata
Cerezo’s injury list are growing again, and now MF Ale is ruled out. From before, DF Omata and Hirajima are out, as well as GK Yamamoto. Omata and Hirajima are both left-backs though, and Cerezo got Niwa in back-up so they should be covered. Ale is harder to replace, but it’s likely Hamada or Sakemoto will take his place in midfield. Hamada is the more defensive type, so probably it will be him. He’s done well in the past, but isn’t as good as Ale. Montedio are only missing DF Kimura, who’s been out for months with a long-term injury.

Cerezo are back on track with 10 points on the last 4 matches. That has taken them up to 4th, just 6 points behind 2nd placed Montedio with a game in hand. That means if they win this one, they could be on level terms with them if they win the game in hand as well. On the last 6 at home they only got 2-0-4, but they’ve won the latest 2.The last match were probably Cerezo’s best all season, when they won 6-0 away vs Gifu. Montedio finally lost again after going 7 matches unbeaten when they met Sanfrecce last round, and 0-4 at home surely affects the morale and confidence of the players. Meeting a strong side like Cerezo might not be the best then after such a heavy defeat. On the last 6 away Montedio got 3-1-2. All previous meetings gives us 4-0-2, and earlier this season both teams won a match each.

Considering the results last round, Cerezo are small favorites here, especially since they seem to be back on the right track again. Player by player they seem stronger than Montedio as well. Ale will be missed though, but the covering player are good as well, so they shouldn’t be too weakened. A very important match for Cerezo, and only a win is good enough.

My trip to Nagai

2008-09-17T23:04:00.010+02:00

I've just arrived back from Japan, where I attended the Cerezo - Tokushima match on August the 30th. It was my first time in Nagai since 2006, and it was great to experience the stadium and live J-football again.

I met up with a few Cerezofriends, Heichi, who I've had email contact with for about a year and who's kindly given me updates about Cerezo among other things, and his friend Riki. Outside of the stadium we bumped into MR.Cerezo, Hiroaki Morishima. Talk about luck! I had a little chat with Mr.Morishima, and he kindly signed my newly-bought Cerezo-shirt ( see picture).

Then it were off to buy tickets, and and time to get ready for the match. On the way around the stadium we also got a glimpse of Shinji Kagawa, who were suspended for this match, busy signing autographs for some members of the official Cerezo supporter club.

The giant stadium were by no means full, and only a mere 5000 attended this match. That's a bit disappointing, but that's a part of the not-so-glamorous J2 life I guess.

With Cerezo being a bit off the pace, a win against Tokushima were very important. Cerezo got off to a good start, and already after 3 minutes were they 1-0 up thanks to a goal from Ale. Ale were later announced as the Man of the Match. Cerezo looked to be in control of the match without really dominating, so therefore it was important with the 2nd goal which came through Tatsuya Furuhashi. Furuhashi has had an injury-struck season, and hasn't been anywhere near as good as he was last year. He curled in a free-kick some 16-20 yards out ( see picture).

With that Cerezo could go to half-time with a comfortable 2-0 lead. Here's a picture of me and Heichi taken in the stadium:

Soon after the 2nd half started, and we were soon about to see Cerezo score their 3rd goal of the evening. Germano stepped up to take a PK, but did his usual stop'n go twist. Apparently this referee didn't approve that, so it had to be retaken. Germano did exactly the same once more, and the referee ordered it to be retaken again. Germano refused to change his way, and repeated it again. Now the referee allowed it, although it looked exactly the same as the 2 other attempts. Strange. Here's a picture of it:

As you can see the goalkeeper has already gone down which makes it easy for Germano to place it in the open goal. Im not sure if this is allowed or not, but it happened earlier in the season too, against Kofu. With 3 goals up, Cerezo took the foot off the gas-pedal, and allowed Tokushima to get back into the match with 2 quick goals. That made for a nervous finish to the game, but in the end Cerezo held out for the win. All of us were happy with the result, but the finish to the game were crap.

After the game it was off to buy some more Cerezo-accessories, and then grab something to eat at a local izukaya. On the way out of it we ran into some nice Tokushima-fans ( pictured), who after some chatting gave me a Tokushima-scarf.

More pictures from the game will be uploaded later.

R35 - Cerezo puts 6 behind Gifu

2008-09-17T20:59:00.001+02:00

Kaio with 3 goals against Gifu

FC Gifu Cerezo Osaka 0-6
C: Kaio 12’,15’90’, Kagawa 60’,Furuhashi 64’, Komatsu 90’

Cerezo went berserk in Gifu for the 2nd time this season, and didn’t stop before they had put 6 goals behind Gifu’s goalkeeper. A huge boost for Cerezo, who proved they are back in the form we expect them to be in. Cerezo’s brazilian forward Kaio got somewhat of a breakthrough here, scoring 3 goals and being a constant threat to Gifu. Already after 15 minutes played had Kaio found the net twice. The early lead made the Cerezo-players relax, and Gifu were forced to play catch-up early on. That was a job they didn’t feel comfortable with at all, and they were never a real threat for the visitors.

Shinji Kagawa, who returned to the squad here after being suspended last round once again turned in a marvellous performance. He scored the 3-0 goal in the 60th minute, and just minutes later added Furuhashi a 4th after picking up a spill ball. The win were already secured at that point, but in injury-time Komatsu and Kaio added 2 more to complete the humiliation of Gifu. Last time Cerezo were in Gifu they won 5-0, so clearly it’s one of their lucky stadiums. Gifu had 6 shots to Cerezo’s 15.

R35 - Ahead of Gifu - Cerezo

2008-09-14T12:53:00.001+02:00

FC Gifu Cerezo Osaka

Gifu doesn’t have an injuries at the moment and can field their best possible lineup. They seem to opt for a defensive 4-5-1 formation though, with just a single forward up front. Usually Katayama and Katagiri pair up, but Katagiri are likely to be sidelined for the 2nd match in a row here. Probably to strengthen the defence, but it didn’t really help last round when they were hammered 1-7 by Hiroshima. For Cerezo their 2 best left-backs are out, as both Omata and Hirajima will sit this one out. But Niwa is available, and he’s done quite well earlier this season on several occasions. GK Yamamoto is also out, but Aizawa is regarded as better anyway so it’s not really a big loss. In other words can Cerezo field a very strong lineup here. Up front topscorer Komatsu are expected to be rested though, which means Furuhashi and Kaio will start. A bit surprising, but coach Culpi seems to have big faith in his compatriot Kaio, although the speedy brazilian are yet to score after 6 matches.

Gifu’s form is pretty bad, and they’ve played 9 matches without winning now. They got 3 straight losses as well and have fallen a few places in the table cause of that. At home they got 1-2-3 on the last 6. For Cerezo things are starting to get better now, with 7 points on their last 3 matches. That means they are still very much in contention for a top 3 finish and promotion, but still trailing the other teams by a few points. A win here could take them on level points with the 3rd placed team though. On the last 6 away they got 2-2-2. Cerezo won both previous meetings this season, including a whopping 5-0 away win.

Cerezo are big favorites here, and anything but an away win would be surprising. Cerezo’s form are on the up, and they rested last round as well which means the players should be in good condition. The big loss against Sanfrecce last round certainly wont help on Gifu’s confidence, who were poor even before that match. Cerezo controlled the last match against Tokushima, only to lose focus in the 2nd half which resulted in 2 goals against and a nervous finish to the match. But they seem to be in good form, and here Kagawa returns as well which only makes it better.
A Must-win game.

Arrived in Osaka

2008-08-30T16:18:00.004+02:00

Went to my first Cerezo match for about 2 years today, and it was GREAT. Cerezo won 3-2, the atmosphere were great and I even got to meet Mr Cerezo, Hiroaki Morishima! Some nice Tokushima-fans also gave me a Tokushima-scarf, so everything was great.
No time for writing match report or uploading pics now, but when i get back from japan there will be several pics etc.

De wa Mata!

Osaka next!

2008-08-24T23:52:00.002+02:00

Time for the annual Japan-trip, and this time 16 days will be spent mainly in Osaka. Will try to travel around a bit too, and perhaps even go see a few matches. The football-highlight of the trip will of course be the match between Cerezo and Tokushima on August 30th.

So for anyone that will be attending that match, look out for a lost norwegian gaijin dressed in pink.

Cheers!

R32 - ahead of Roasso - Cerezo

2008-08-24T23:50:00.001+02:00

Roasso Kumamoto Cerezo Osaka

Roasso has to do without DF’s Yamaguchi and Kawabata still, but got decent cover now that Cha is back. For Cerezo, there are some injuries, with the biggest loss beng FW Furuhashi. GK Yamamoto and DF Omata is out as well, but they got good cover for both of them. Furuhashi’s replacement is Kaio, and he’s done fairly well in the last 2 matches.
Roasso’s form aren’t too bad, as they are unbeaten for 3 matches and got 2-2-1 on the last 5.They are just 2 points behind Ehime now, and can get ahead of them with a win here. Their home form is quite good too, with 3-1-2 on the last 6. Cerezo finally won again last round, and did that by impressing alot playwise although the score were only 2-1 vs Mito. They looked like the same team that impressed earlier by winning several matches in a row, and might be back on track now. Before that they had 3 straight losses. Their away form is 2-1-3 on the last 6. Both teams won a match each earlier in the season, and in Kumamoto Roasso won 3-2 after a hat-trick from Takahashi.
Cerezo are favorites here as they are a much better team, and have improved form-wise as well lately. They got alot more to play for, and can’t afford to miss here. Roasso got a match-winning striker in Takahashi, whic he showed last match vs Cerezo, and he’s in good form at the moment and could cause trouble again here.

R31 - Solid performance against Mito earns 3 points

2008-08-20T22:28:00.000+02:00

Cerezo Osaka Mito Hollyhock 2-1
C: Inui 13’, Komatsu 18’
M: Akahoshi 52’

After 4 matches without a win, Cerezo finally found back to winning ways when they met Mito this round. And they played quite a good match too, constantly pressuring Mito’s defence. New signing Inui scored his first ever goal in a Cerezo-shirt in the 13th minute from close range, after a scramble inside the penalty-box. Just 5 minutes later Inui set up Komatsu for Cerezo’s 2nd goal, when Inui dribbled a few guys before taking a shot that Honam in Mito’s GK only could parry for Komatsu to head it home. Cerezo were in total control the first half, and came to tons of chances. Honma in Mito’s goal did a good job at keeping the score at 0-2, and the finishing of particularly Kaio up front weren’t that good either. Mito’s Takafumi Akahoshi reduced to 1-2 a few minutes into the 2nd half after a mistake in the Cerezo-defence, and the away-team looked much more competitive in the 2nd half. But it was no doubt that Cerezo deserved the win, and they outshot Mito 28-9 in the end.

R31 - vs Mito preview

2008-08-16T09:34:00.001+02:00

Cerezo Osaka Mito Hollyhock
Cerezo had to players injured in the last match, and both were pretty serious too. GK Yamamoto is out for 2 weeks, while DF Omata are probably out for the rest of the season. Yamamoto’s loss isn’t the worst, with Aizawa in back-up. Omata’s loss is a little more serious, but that means the new signing from Kyoto Hirajima will take the left-back position. Certainly not a bad replacement, as Hirajima were a regular for Kyoto earlier this season. Up front Furuhashi are still out, which means another new signing Kaio will take place alongside Komatsu. Kagawa are still in Beijing, and is perhaps the biggest loss of them all. Mito on the other hand, doesn’t have any injury-worries at all and will field their best squad here.

Cerezo are in really poor form, and got 3 straight defeats now and just 4 points from their last 7 matches. No wonder they have fallen to 6th in the table. They got 3 relatively easy matches coming up now though so it’s a good opportunity to get back into it. They are currently the worst home team in the league with just 0-1-5 on the last 6, which is quite surprising considering they were almost unbeatable there in the earlier stages of the season.

For Mito, its been a good period lately, with 4-1-2 on the last 7. That means they are in the run for ta top 10 finish, but it’s still a long way to go. On the last 6 away they got 3-0-3.
All previous meetings gives us 3-1-2, and both teams won a match each earlier this season.
Mito aren’t a bad team, and could very well cause trouble for Cerezo here. Considering how poor Cerezo have fared lately as well, it’s more open that what it seems on paper. Surely Cerezo got enough quality to win it though, and sooner or later they got to start winning again.

R30 - Another loss

2008-08-16T09:31:00.000+02:00

Shonan Bellmare Cerezo Osaka 3-0

S: Ishihara 15’,26’, Careca 80’

Cerezo’s misery doesn’t seem to be having an end, and once again they ended up the losing side for the 3rd consecutive match, and for the 6th time in the last 8. But in difference to most of their other losses recently, they totally deserved to lose this time, as Shonan were by far the best team. Naoki Ishihara bagged a brace early in the match to give Shonan a 2-0 lead. First he headed home a cross from Sato, before picking up a spill-ball after a freekick before hammering it in. Ishihara is really on fire at the moment, and only Hisato Sato have scored more than him this season. Cerezo never really looked like threatening Shonan, and even when they swapped DF Ezoe for FW Kakitani they looked toothless in attack. To complete the misery for Cerezo, their former striker Careca added a 3rd with 10 minutes left to play. Careca were a big disappointment at Cerezo, but when he got the chance to play against them he managed for once to find the net. Shonan took a very deserved win in the end, and outshot Cerezo 13-7.

R30 - tough match vs Shonan

2008-08-08T23:58:00.000+02:00

Shonan Bellmare Cerezo Osaka

Shonan’s only real problem here is that they have to play without Adiel, who’s arguably their most important player. Without him thet lack the offensive creativeness, and looks weaker.Apart from him though, they can field their best possible lineup. Up front Abe and Ishihara has been scoring goals all season, and although Lincoln has left the club, they don’t look too weakened up front. Careca is brought in from Cerezo, but since Cerezo still owns him, he’s ineligible to play if i understood it right. Cerezo on the other hand, are without 2 of their most important playrs in Furuhashi and Kagawa. Furuhashi got injured last match, and will be out for another 3 weeks. For him ,the season has been a major disappointment, and nowhere near as good as last year. Luckily for Cerezo, Komatsu have been scoring goals regularly, and is the team’s topscorer. Along with Komatsu though will wonderkid Kakitani play, but despite being involved in almost every game and starting most of them he’s yet to score a goal. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why Cerezo are struggling that much, with strikers not finding the net. Kagawa are busy with the olympics, and will surely be missed with his creative runs, dribbling skills and passing.

Shonan and Cerezo are tied in 5th with 42 points, but the difference is that Shonan are in decent form and Cerezo not. Shonan got 2-3-0 on their last 5 matches, and atleast manages to avoid defeat. They should win more often though if they want to get promoted. At home Shonan got 3-1-2 on the last 6. Cerezo on the other hand, only got 1-1-5 on the last 7, and has with that fallen several places in the table. They are desperate for a 3-pointer now, as they aim for the 2nd place. Luckily for them they play away, where they got 3-1-2 on the las 6. Their home form lately has been horrendous, so it might be better to regain their form away. All previous meetings gives us 3-1-1, and both matches last season in Bellmare ended with home wins. Cerezo won the first meeting this season though 2-0.
Shonan are naturally favorites due to home-advantage, injury-situation and form. But on paper, Cerezo looks the strongest, and if they were to find their form again they could get a result here. The games they’ve lost recently have all been just a by a single goal, and they’ve always been levelled with the competitors on chances etc. But looking at their results, Shonan should be named as favorites.

Lose Lose Lose Lose Lose

2008-08-07T21:01:00.002+02:00

First, apologies for poor updating lately...cause of the holidays my time is limited these days, but hopegully i will be able to update more often soon :-)

Cerezo Osaka Yokohama FC 1-2
C: Komatsu 86’

Y: Ikemoto 32’,71’

Over 15 000 had showed up to see Cerezo’s match vs Yokohama, but most of them ended up disappointed as Cerezo once again slipped to a defeat at home. This was their 5th loss in 6 home games, which is nothing else than a catastrophy for a title-contender. Remarkably enough though, they are only 3 points behind 3rd placed Sagan, so they must still be considered one of the favorites for promotion. That is however, if they can get their season back on track.

They didn’t look too bad this match, but sloppy defending saw Yokohama get away with 2 goals. First, Ikemoto met a cross from Ota to make it 1-0 after 32 minutes in what was a good Cerezo-period. Cerezo focused their attacks down the flanks, but it was clear they missed Kagawa’s creativity. The wingers did create chances though, but neither Komatsu or Furuhashi managed to convert them. Actually, Furuhashi got injured in the 1st half, which saw Kakitani enter the field instead. The new signing Kaio made his debut as he came on early in the 2nd half, but unfortunately for Cerezo he couldn’t help them in avoiding a defeat.

Ikemoto were on target again in the 71st minute to score Yokohama’s 2nd goal, and with little time left Cerezo’s chances of points looked slim. Heavy pressure on Yokohama saw them get to some chances though, but the only goal they got came in the 86th minute through Komatsu, who scored his 12th goal this season. Perhaps Cerezo should have deserved more, but in the end it was Yokohama who could celebrated a very long-awaited win. Cerezo had 14 shots to Yokohama’s 12.

R27 - Cerezo - Sanfrecce highlights

2008-07-24T22:53:00.003+02:00

Highlights from Cerezo's 1-2 loss against Sanfrecce in R27:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0tAlE8b_J8

Stunning goal from Kashiwagi, who really seems have found his feet now.

R26 - Vegalta-Cerezo highlights

2008-07-24T22:47:00.001+02:00

Highlights from the Vegalta - Cerezo match in R26:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCU2ctfUNDI

Although made by and for Vegalta fans, it seems to cover the match pretty well. That Sekiguchi is a talented dude though.

R27 - The agony continues

2008-07-22T03:23:00.000+02:00

Cerezo Osaka Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-2
C: Komatsu 52’
S: Sato 55’, Kashiwagi 63’

Poor Cerezo lost again, and were totally outplayed when they met Sanfrecce at home. Sanfrecce’s win should have been by a bigger margin, but Yamamoto in the Cerezo goal had a good day, and denied Sato and the others over and over again. However, with a bit more luck Cerezo would have ended up as winners actually, as they blew a penalty early in the 2nd half. Although Sanfrecce had the most of the chances, that goal could have stirredup the match, leaving Cerezo in charge.

Eve without a lead by half-time, Cerezo looked quite strong when they entered the 2nd half though, and took the lead just 7 minutes after the break. RB Yanagisawa and Komatsu had a nice one-two combination that ended with Komatsu giving Cerezo the lead. But it didn’t last long, and 3 minutes later Sato equalized wit a dynamic and powerful shot from distance. Now it was all Sanfrecce ,and with minutes they were 2-1 up, thanks to a goal the in-form midfielder Kashiwagi. Certainly a deserved lead, but the way it came seemed a bit lucky.
Cerezo threw on some extra firepower near the end, but it didn’t help, and Sanfrecce took all 3 points. With Cerezo’s 7 shots against Sanfrecce’s 20, it was fully deserved as well.

R27 - Clash of the Titans ( or atleast one)

2008-07-19T02:20:00.001+02:00

Cerezo Osaka Sanfrecce Hiroshima

There’s no news on the injury front for Cerezo, and the biggest loss are MF Germano. Cerezo have acquired a new player since last match though, and has rented Kyoto’s DF Hirajima. He’s been a regular starter for Kyoto this season, and will be a good addition to Cerezo. However, FW Yasuhito Morishima have been rented out to J1 side Oita Trinita. Morishima started a few matches lately, has been way down the pecking order this season, and looked like a 6th choice up front. Still, it’s a significant loss. FW Furuhashi are expected to be starting this match, but still has to go through a late fitness test. A very important player, and his return will be highly appreciated.

For Sanfrecce, there’s no news since the last match, and DF Stoyanov does not seem to be ready for the match as he’s struggling with fitness problems. Both their 1st and 2nd goalkeeper are injured, as well as another regular defender in Moriwaki.

Cerezo’s form aren’t the best, with just a single win in their last 5 matches and just 2 in the last 8. But they still holds the 2nd place, and there’s been vast improvements over the last 2 matches. They drew Vegalta last round away ,which is a strong result, but actually they deserved to win. Cerezo are typically a very solid home team, but got a mediocte 2-1-3 on the last 6 in Osaka. For Sanfrecce, they look scincillatiing, with 10 wins in their last 13, and back-to-back wins in their last 2.Away they are equally as impressive, with 5-0-1 on the last 6. All previous meetings gives us 2-2-3, with Sanfrecce winning the last match 4-1 at home earlier this season. Before that, Cerezo had 4 matches without a loss, but that was in 2006.
Sanfrecce are favorites due to their superior form, but they meet a team most people regard are equally as good to them. Surely there’s lots of potential in Cerezo, but they haven’t been 100% up to it this season. Cerezo are usually a very strong home team as well,but it’s a wide-open match

R26 - Scoreless draw in Sendai

2008-07-17T10:09:00.000+02:00

Vegalta Sendai Cerezo Osaka 0-0

The two top teams Vegalta and Cerezo shared the spoils in 0-0 draw in Sendai this round, but despite the lack of goals, it was an entertaining mach. A draw is a result neither of the teams should be particularly happy with, as we’re in a phase of the season where winning is as important than ever. But with the teams fighting for the same places, atleast none of them fell behind.

Reports says Cerezo were the best team, but couldn’t quite capitalize on their chances. Once again Shinji Kagawa was a menace, and set up his team-mates on several occasions. However, it was Cerezo’s sturdy defensive play that was most impressive this match, and they managed to keep a clean sheet against a tough opponent. Likewise for Vegalta, who seems to have problems finding the net at home though. They haven’t scored for 3 matches in Sendai, which is quite rare.
All in all a fair result, but Cerezo had the edge for the most of the match, and with a bit more spark in their attack, they would have won it. Vegalta had 12 shots to Cerezo’s 17.

Kagawa set for Beijing Olympics!

2008-07-15T19:49:00.002+02:00

Cerezo's wonder-kid Shinji Kagawa has been named as one of the 18 players that will make the trip to Beijing and the Olympic Games. It was news taken out of the blue, as Kagawa has never been involved with this team before. But despite his young age ( 19), Kagawa has already gotten his debut on the Japan NT squad, and even played as a starter in the important WC-qualifying matches a month ago. Surely this is a good opportunity for Kagawa to shine at the world-stage, and a quick peek at the full roster for the Olympic suggest that Kagawa might get an important role, as he's one of few offensive players in midfield.

Congratulations to Kagawa, and although he will be missed during the games, I bet all of Cerezo's fans are happy with the news.

R26 Vs Vegalta preview

2008-07-12T02:55:00.000+02:00

Vegalta Sendai Cerezo Osaka

Vegalta got a couple of new additions to their injury list, but neither GK Schneider or FW Suzuki are regulars. Schneider were the forst choice in goal last season, but has been demoted to the bench now. For Cerezo, the very important DF Maeda is fit again, and Cerezo can now field their strongest back-line, which will boost their chances. Germano are still out in midfield as long as Furuhashi up front. MF Ale is also back from suspension.
Vegalta’s form is not too bad, with 3-1-1 on the last 5 matches. They haven’t been too consistent though, and dropped points in fairly easy matches. Vegalta’s home form is 3-1-2. They took a strong 2-1 away win against Sagan in the last round. Cerezo had 3 straight defeats before they met Montedio away last round, and agains the odds they managed to beat an in-form home side 2-0. A strong result, but here Cerezo are facing another top-team. Cerezo have a good away record though, with 4-0-2 on the last 6. All previous meetings gives us 3-0-4, and Cerezo won the first meeting this season 2-1 at home.
It’s pretty open who’s gonna win it here as well, as neither of the teams have shown a particular good form lately. Cerezo looked good in their last match, and gets few key-members back since then. Vegalta are without any regulars, but often fails to deliver againt good teams. I think it will be a closely fought match, and most likely a 1-goal win to either of the teams. Hopefully Cerezo :-)