J-League News:
Gamba top the table going into 'Golden Week'
'Golden week' is a popular time of year in Japan, with many choosing to schedule time off around the several public holidays that take place towards the end of April and the start of May.
Far from taking time off, the J-League kicks into over-drive, with some of the biggest clashes in Japanese football whetting the appetite of football fans.
On the last weekend in April, 41,283 fans turned out at 'Big Swan' Stadium in Niigata, only to watch in disbelief as home side Albirex Niigata crashed 6-0 to Yokohama F. Marinos.
Urawa Reds' massive travelling support made up a large proportion of the 36,146 fans that turned out at Kashima Stadium, and it was the Reds' fans who went home happy, as a solitary Robson Ponte strike was enough to see off hosts Kashima Antlers.
A full round of midweek fixtures will take place on May 3, with several mouth-watering derbies catching the eye.
Vissel Kobe have the unenviable task of welcoming Gamba Osaka to Kobe Wing Stadium, as the two clubs clash in a 'Kansai Derby.' This will be the second time that they have met in 2007, with Gamba holding Kobe to a 2-2 draw when the two clubs clashed in the League Cup on March 25.
Yokohama F. Marinos are in devastating form, having beaten Oita Trinita 5-0 and Albirex Niigata 6-0 in successive matches. They take on Kawasaki Frontale in the Kanagawa Derby at Nissan Stadium, with Kawasaki looking fatigued in recent weeks after their exploits in the Asian Champions League.
Two of Japan's most bitter rivals clash at Nihondaira Stadium to complete the round, as Shimizu S-Pulse take on Jubilo Iwata in the Shizuoka Derby.
Jubilo famously beat Shimizu on penalties at Nihondaira Stadium in a championship decider in 1999, when the J-League was still contested over two separate stages.
All tickets for this long-awaited fixture have been sold, meaning that around 19,000 fans should cram into Nihondaira to see which club will claim the first bragging rights of 2007.
The regional match-ups continue when another full round of fixtures takes place on May 6.
Struggling Kyushu club Oita Trinita take on fellow southern outfit Sanfrecce Hiroshima, with Oita desperate for a win to scramble clear of the relegation zone.
Kashima Antlers clash with fellow giants Yokohama F. Marinos at Kashima Stadium, as two of the heavyweights of Japanese football look to escape from mid-table mediocrity.
Kawasaki Frontale take on neighbours FC Tokyo, and club officials will expect another near-capacity crowd at Todoroki Stadium for this game.
Pride of place goes to the Saitama Derby, however, as lowly Omiya Ardija host cross-town rivals Urawa Reds at Saitama Stadium. Omiya are currently second-from-bottom, and they need a drastic change of form and fortune if they are to avoid a lengthy battle against the drop in 2007.
The pick of the fixtures in J2 sees Vegalta Sendai take on Kyoto Sanga FC on May 3, before Sendai travel to Sapporo to take on Consadole on May 6, as first meets second at Atsubetsu Stadium.
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