Kuma Power Posted July 15, 2023 Share Posted July 15, 2023 Couldn't find a thread for the Japanese J.League, so thought I'd start one in case anyone is interested. It's currently halway through the 2023 season, and for this season the J.League are streaming live free-to-watch games on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JLEAGUEInternational Great if you're looking for a match to watch with your morning coffee! Games are usually mid-morning UK time on Saturdays and Sundays, I think tomorrow (Sun 16 July) the live games are title-chasing Vissel Kobe vs Sagan Tosu; and relegation-haunted Kashiwa Reysol vs Gamba Osaka. Not sure I can match the level of insight or frequency that others put into some of the international threads, but will try to share anything interesting that comes up. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted July 20, 2023 Author Share Posted July 20, 2023 (edited) Bizarre scenes in the Emperor's Cup (Japan's equivalent of the Scottish Cup) this week and last. Third division Kataller Toyama vs top-flight Albirex Niigata finished 2-2 and went into extra time, but with heavy rain making play impossible, the tie was stopped at half time in extra time with Niigata leading 3-2. Rather than replaying the whole tie, the teams met again to play the last 15 mins of extra time. Realising how easy it is to get football fans to part with money and smelling a giant-killing, Kataller got a limited edition run of '15 mins to go for win!' t-shirts made up and sold them at 3000 Yen (about £15) a pop. The final 15 mins were played yesterday and sadly it didn't go well for Kataller. Niigata scored soon after the restart to make it 4-2, and a late goal to make it 4-3 wasn't enough to stop Kataller being knocked out. https://www.kataller.co.jp/game_info/天皇杯jfa第103回全日本サッカー選手権大会-3回戦/ https://www.kataller.co.jp/all/game-info/天皇杯グッズ情報！/ ETA props also to the hardy band of about 50 Niigata Ultras, who made the 5 hour round trip to Toyama to watch their team play 15 mins of football! https://twitter.com/gomesssuuu/status/1681594195902107649?s=20 Edited July 20, 2023 by Kuma Power 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eednud Posted July 21, 2023 Share Posted July 21, 2023 Travelling from Takayama to Tokyo had to change to bullet train at Toyama. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted July 21, 2023 Author Share Posted July 21, 2023 Toyama's a great wee place! Kataller Toyama have struggled in the third division for a few seasons but are doing well this year and are currently in the promotion spots for a return to the J2 league. Weirdly enough, one of their biggest owners - and one of the largest industries in Toyama - is YKK, apparently the world's biggest producer of zips. Tomorrow's live streamed game is Vissel Kobe vs Kawasaki Frontale (kickoff 11am UK time I think). Vissel Kobe have a chance to open up a lead at the top of the table over second-placed Yokohama F Marinos, before things slow down in the top league for a couple of weeks to accommodate the various friendlies with European teams (lower leagues will be continuing full steam!). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brummie Clyde Posted July 22, 2023 Share Posted July 22, 2023 My team (Omiya Ardija) seem to be getting worse every season. Struggling in J2 currently. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted July 22, 2023 Author Share Posted July 22, 2023 11 hours ago, Brummie Clyde said: My team (Omiya Ardija) seem to be getting worse every season. Struggling in J2 currently. Aye, Omiya aren't having a great season. In real danger of being cut adrift at the bottom of J2 - mind you, there's a whole blob of teams ahead hovering above the relegation spots, so there's still time if they can get themselves back within striking distance. My team in Japan - Iwaki FC - are one of the teams in that blob. Before this season, I used to joke that Iwaki were the Cove Rangers of Japan. They came up through the leagues very fast with good financial backing, and played in a stadium in an industrial zone by the sea It then got very surreal when - just like Cove in the Championship last season - Iwaki started ok in J2 before hitting a wall, getting thrashed multiple times, sacking the manager and bringing the previous manager back. Thankfully, things are working out better for Iwaki's coach than they did for Paul Hartley, and they are now unbeaten in 6 and inching away from trouble. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brummie Clyde Posted July 23, 2023 Share Posted July 23, 2023 Quite like that there was a team based in Okinawa in J2; FC Ryukyu. That's a decent away trip! Got relegated to J3 though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GNU_Linux Posted July 24, 2023 Share Posted July 24, 2023 On 23/07/2023 at 03:44, Brummie Clyde said: Quite like that there was a team based in Okinawa in J2; FC Ryukyu. That's a decent away trip! Got relegated to J3 though. Two Okinawa teams in the national leagues now as SV Okinawa are in the JFL after winning promotion last season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted July 31, 2023 Author Share Posted July 31, 2023 It's the time of year where J.League teams start bringing out their 'summer uniforms' - shirts that they wear for a few games during the height of summer and into autumn. Summer is traditionally a time of fireworks and festivals (and drinking) in Japan, so lots of teams take the opportunity to release special edition shirts that reflect the local identity and geography. If like me you’re a bit cynical, then you could argue it’s also a good chance to raise some extra cash from fans...(worth noting that Japanese teams, even in the second and third tiers, usually charge upwards of £80-100 for shirts). Here's a couple from this year: FC Gifu have printed a historic painting of the Battle of Sekigahara - which was fought in Gifu - onto the front of their limited edition jerseys: Iwaki FC have released this brown number, which is supposed to represent the rock strata in which the remains of a plesiosaur - which forms the basis of the team's mascot - was discovered in the 1960s near to where the team play: And Shonan Bellmare are going for a tribute to the kit they wore 30 years ago: 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brummie Clyde Posted August 1, 2023 Share Posted August 1, 2023 Omiya Ardija won away! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted August 2, 2023 Author Share Posted August 2, 2023 On 01/08/2023 at 20:28, Brummie Clyde said: Omiya Ardija won away! Aye, thanks for that! You did Iwaki a big favour by stopping Zweigen Kanazawa closing the gap to us in the second relegation spot. Omiya's form could be turning at just the right time... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted August 6, 2023 Author Share Posted August 6, 2023 Bottom of J2 is looking pretty tense after 29 of 42 fixtures, with just 4 points separating 14th from 21st and a resurgent Omiya Ardija coming steaming up from behind, having looked dead and buried just a few weeks ago. Elsewhere, Vissel Kobe hang onto top spot in J1, ahead of Yokohama F.Marinos on goal difference, with Nagoya Grampus in third two points behind. Machida Zelvia are continuing their march towards the J2 title and promotion, with Jublio Iwata and Shimizu S.Pulse in pursuit. Most wholesome story of the last week award goes to Fukushima United, who had to issue an official apology after selling too many peaches that had been grown by the players (Fukushima Prefecture is famous for peaches), which meant they weren't able to deliver to everyone that had ordered. The club also took the opportunity to remind fans that the club also grows and sells asparagus and grapes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted August 13, 2023 Author Share Posted August 13, 2023 Nagoya Grampus vs Kashima Antlers live on YouTube just now. Commentator is talking about the Kashima Soccer Stadium curse, where Nagoya Grampus lost 22 games consecutively at Kashima's stadium from 1993 to 2008. As a fan of Raith Rovers, who haven't won in Inverness since the year 2000, I feel very seen... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brummie Clyde Posted August 13, 2023 Share Posted August 13, 2023 Omiya went behind in the 88th minute, only to get an equaliser in the 96th minute. Still cut a but adrift at the bottom of J2. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted August 14, 2023 Author Share Posted August 14, 2023 Aye, a lot of draws at the bottom end of J2 this past weekend so things are pretty much as they were. Mind you, if I was a Vegalta Sendai fan I'd be really worried - they lost again and are on a very poor run of form, getting sucked right into the J2 relegation battle. It's one of these situations where you think a club is 'too big to go down' - and we all know how that can turn out... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eednud Posted August 24, 2023 Share Posted August 24, 2023 See that J2 Ventforet Kofu drawn in the same ACL group as Melbourne City. Group H:Buriram United (THA)Ventforet Kofu (JPN)Melbourne City FC (AUS)Zhejiang FC (CHN) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted August 24, 2023 Author Share Posted August 24, 2023 That will be a great experience for Ventforet. Looks like a strong group, but they've avoided the Saudi teams so hopefully they have a chance getting out the groups. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eednud Posted August 25, 2023 Share Posted August 25, 2023 5 hours ago, Kuma Power said: That will be a great experience for Ventforet. Looks like a strong group, but they've avoided the Saudi teams so hopefully they have a chance getting out the groups. The groups are split into East and West Asian zones and from memory the draw is fixed to ensure the final nowadays is always East v West. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuma Power Posted August 25, 2023 Author Share Posted August 25, 2023 8 hours ago, Eednud said: The groups are split into East and West Asian zones and from memory the draw is fixed to ensure the final nowadays is always East v West. Ha! Did not know that but it makes sense. Cheers! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurph Posted August 26, 2023 Share Posted August 26, 2023 (edited) Yokohama FC beating Marinos 4-1 in the derby. I can’t say I watch much (any) of the J League but that seems like quite the result. Their first two goals were screamers and they were very quick on the counter. Only one team look like they wanted to win, and they hit the post and crossbar too. Well done to them. Vissel Kobe unable to capitalise at the top so far, being 1-0 down to FC Tokyo, but they did just save a penalty. Edited August 26, 2023 by Smurph 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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