Japan J-League 28/29 April

[igor5]

Japan J-League

28 Apr 05:00 Yokohama FC v Shimizu S-Pulse 3.00 3.00 2.20
28 Apr 07:00 Oita v Gamba Osaka 3.00 3.00 2.20
28 Apr 08:00 Kashiwa Reysol v Nagoya 2.37 3.00 2.70
28 Apr 08:00 Omiya Ardija v Ventforet Kofu 2.25 3.10 2.80
28 Apr 08:00 Vissel Kobe v FC Tokyo 2.20 3.00 3.00
28 Apr 11:00 Jubilo Iwata v Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1.83 3.20 3.75
28 Apr 11:00 Niigata v Yokohama F-Marinos 2.10 3.10 3.10
29 Apr 07:00 Kawasaki-F v JEF Utd Ichihara 1.72 3.20 4.33
29 Apr 08:00 Kashima Antlers v Urawa Red 2.62 3.10 2.37

Bet365

[igor5]

Another Absolute Must-Win Game - Kofu Preview
Another Saturday and another critical J1 fixture looms for struggling Omiya Ardija. And if Robert Verbeek's team are to stay in the top flight for another season, it is home games against the likes of Ventforet Kofu that simply must be won.

Last week saw a Squirrels XI missing arguably its four best players commit the heinous crime not of losing their clash with JEF United - it is not this as such that disappointed the travelling fans so much - but of appearing unforgivably disorganised and lacking in commitment.

Clearly, one does not need to field one's strongest team at least to make a decent attempt to win a match, but even these fundamental characteristics appeared to be missing from the eleven players selected by coach Verbeek. The Ardija supporters will therefore be hoping that two things have occurred during the intervening few days, which perhaps thankfully have not included a Nabisco Cup game in the schedule.

Firstly, that Kota Yoshihara and Daigo Kobayashi may at last be showing some signs of returning to fitness. Omiya may have gained their solitary J-League win without 2006 star Daigo and an apparently invigorated Yoshihara, but the side are now looking increasingly threadbare and lacking in focus without them.

Secondly, that Verbeek himself will have managed to instil in his players a sense of fighting spirit and engagement with the task in hand. It comes as something of a shock to have to write these words, given that shortly prior to his arrival in Japan the Dutchman was described in some quarters as being a clear-thinking and even aggressive coach in terms of communicating what he expected from the squad.

Nevertheless, it would appear as if an injection of urgency and passion is what is required to get to grips with a Ventforet Kofu side who have themselves started to turn around a poor start and have gone on to score nine goals in the last three matches. Following the loss to big guns Gamba Osaka of main striker Bare in the close season, many fans wondered where Kofu might get their goals and the answer has come from the slightly unexpected source of midfielder Takehito Shigehara.

The ex-Kashiwa Reysol man has found the net four times thus far - one more, of course, than the entire Ardija team - and so finds himself in third place in the Top Scorer list. But despite Bare's departure, Kofu have a workrate that has enabled them to record results like last week's 3-2 defeat of erstwhile leaders Kashiwa, with Kazunari Hosaka scoring twice in the last six minutes to claim the three points. What Ardija wouldn't give for some such never-say-die spirit.

http://furtho.blog4.fc2.com/

[Diomed]

J.LEAGUE/Lay out the silverware
04/28/2007

If you weren't able to get your fill at last weekend's J.League smorgasbord, never fear, there's plenty more to sink your teeth into in Round 8. In charge of saying grace will be Yokohama FC, whose prayers to prevent a sixth-straight defeat are likely to go unheeded against Shimizu. For appetizers, a little-known Kofu midfielder will be out to make history by continuing to score on every shot, while the main course consists of three teams vying to go to the top of the table above Gamba on Saturday. Dessert comes Sunday when the four-time league champion Kashima Antlers host last year's winners, the Urawa Reds.

* * *

¢¢Yokohama FC (18) vs. Shimizu S-Pulse (6)

It will come as a great relief to the S-Pulse that their next match following two losses is against the worst team in the league. Yokohama is in panic mode. Coach Takuya Takagi is desperate to inject some new blood into his aging, ailing squad, but hasn't got the capital to bring in a big-name player. So he's stooped to scouting satellite leagues for cheap, inexperienced help.

¢¢Oita Trinita (16) vs. Gamba Osaka (1)

This could be another lop-sided affair if Trinita play as poorly as they did in their 5-0 loss to the F Marinos in Round 7. With a week to work on patching up the gaping holes in their defense, Trinita may be able to keep Gamba from running up a basketball score against them, but little else--Oita hasn't scored in three matches.

¢¢Omiya Ardija (17) vs. Ventforet Kofu (14)

Ventforet's impressive comeback against Reysol last weekend should be enough to spur them on to their first back-to-back wins of the season against Omiya, who are still finding it next to impossible to score. Ventforet is undefeated in three and are cashing in on goals from midfielder Takehito Shigehara and supersub Kazunari Hosaka, who's scored three goals on three shots in only 23 minutes played.

¢¢Kashiwa Reysol (5) vs. Nagoya Grampus Eight (2)

Nagoya rebounded from two defeats with a 2-0 win over Vissel last weekend and can solidify its position in the top three with an away win over the Sun Kings. Reysol have won both games handily at Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Stadium this season without conceding a goal.

¢¢Vissel Kobe (12) vs. F.C. Tokyo (15)

Kobe hasn't lost when attacker Yoshito Okubo has scored this season, so it's a shame he's suspended for Saturday's match against the Gasmen. Still, they may not need him against Tokyo, whose only wins this season have come against the two worst teams in the league, Omiya and Yokohama FC.

¢¢Albirex Niigata (6) vs. Yokohama F Marinos (9)

The F Marinos have been an impossible team to gauge this season. Their best performance of the season was a 2-0 win over Shimizu in the Nabisco Cup, but they followed that with two league losses and a pitiful 1-1 cup draw with Ardija. After two scoreless matches, they promptly went out and ripped five past Oita in Round 7. Albirex, meanwhile, have been one of the most consistent teams in the league, winning three, drawing three and losing only once, 2-0 to the then red-hot Grampus Eight.

¢¢Jubilo Iwata (8) vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima (11)

National team keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi took a beating in the tabloids this week for allowing five goals against Gamba on the weekend, his worst outing since 1995 when he leaked five against JEF United Ichihara when he was with the Yokohama Marinos.

Kawaguchi called the 5-2 loss the worst game he's played in: "I've been around soccer a long time," the 31-year-old said, "but that was the worst match I've been involved in."

Jubilo have had zero success against top-of-the table teams this year and have only done enough to scrape past the others.

Sanfrecce strikers Hisato Sato and Ueslei, held goalless in Round 7, can hear opportunity knocking.

¢¢Kawasaki Frontale (3) vs. JEF United Chiba (13)

Frontale are in full stride after their morale-boosting win against Urawa last Saturday and a commanding AFC Champions League victory over the Chunnam Dragons on Wednesday. Striker Kazuki Ganaha has been suspended for violating the league's anti-doping code, but Jong Tae Se, who scored twice against the Dragons, looks to be a capable replacement.

¢¢Kashima Antlers (10) vs. Urawa Reds (4)

In-form striker Atsushi Yanagisawa is out of the Kashima lineup again, this time for three months with a broken left foot suffered last weekend. In the absence of any other goalscorer--nobody aside from Yanagisawa has scored for slow-burning Kashima in the last three matches--it is hard to see where a victory will come from this weekend against the league champs. If Brazilian forward Marquinhos doesn't pick up the mantle quick, Kashima could find themselves in serious trouble in the following months.

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-...704280079.html

[kompressaur]

Thanks for that diomed a good read thanks. Bookmarked too

Anyone got any fancies themselves?

[kompressaur]

likewise igor thanks

[kompressaur]

i dunno if these 2 are any good. they should all be in English (or engrish)
http://www.wldcup.com/Asia/news/index.html
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/

actually they look ok to me

[junior98]

without atsushi that is a bad news for kashima , i,m going with Urawa reds thx diomed