NEWS

The relegation race in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE is a massive fight, with as many as seven clubs battling to stay out of the bottom four and keep their spot in the top flight for next season. Every point is crucial, and any time one of those teams can manage three points, it’s massive.Over the weekend, it was Yokohama FC and Oita Trinita who pulled off win…

Nagoya Grampus’ pursuit of continental glory came to an end on Sunday with a 3-0 loss to Pohang Steelers in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League. The draw sent Nagoya to the Republic of Korea for the one-legged tie and Grampus were unable to come away with the away win.The match could have been very different had Nagoya been able to break through …

Yokohama F·Marinos cut Kawasaki Frontale’s lead atop the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE back down to single digits with a thrilling comeback finished off by top scorer Daizen Maeda. The Tricolor scored twice in the last six minutes to beat Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, 2-1, and now trail Frontale by just nine points with six matches to go in the season.Daiki Suga gav…

Vissel Kobe entered the weekend in all-important third place, but that was only on goal difference. Nagoya Grampus were even with them on points, making the race for the final guaranteed AFC Champions League place red hot, and putting the pressure on Vissel to use Saturday’s match-in-hand to put some distance between them and Nagoya.Vissel got the job done,…

Vegalta Sendai were fortunate to avoid relegation last season, finishing second from the bottom and staying in the top flight only because nobody suffered the drop last year due to the pandemic. But this season relegation is going to happen and Vegalta are second from the bottom again, putting them in a desperate fight to keep their place in the MEIJI YASUD…

Vissel Kobe have never finished better than seventh in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE, but this season has been unlike any other in club history. The Ushi have been spectacular, ranking among the league’s best in goals scored and goals conceded. That play has catapulted them to third place, which would be a club record.And how does a team play so well both goin…

Nagoya Grampus are the last remaining J.League club in the AFC Champions League and on Sunday they will carry that flag to the Republic of Korea for their quarterfinal clash with Pohang Steelers.This quarter-final tie will be a rematch of the group stage, where Nagoya beat Steelers, 3-0, before the two sides battled to a 1-1 draw when Grampus had already cl…

Japan found themselves in trouble after losing to Saudi Arabia in FIFA World Cup qualifying last week. They had two losses from their first three third round qualifying matches and were in danger of digging themselves a deep hole to make it to Qatar 2022. Maybe most concerning was they had to play unbeaten Australia in their next contest.The Samurai Blue pr…

By Sean CarrollOver the years dozens of Australians have donned J.League colours, with many of them performing match-winning roles out on the pitch - either by scoring crucial goals or stopping them going in at the other end.Here we look back at a handful of standout contributions from Socceroos stars in the J.League.1) Alex Brosque - Shimizu S-PulseBrosque…

Nagoya Grampus and Cerezo Osaka will meet in the J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP Final. The two clubs got the job done in the second legs of their ties, holding on after successful first legs to advance to the ultimate match of the competition.Grampus held a 3-1 lead after the first leg, but had to play away to an F.C.Tokyo team that features a dangerous attack so …

Coaches from all all over the world have taken charge of teams in the J.League over the past three decades, including of course several from Australia.As well as some of the best tacticians from down under working their magic in Japanese dugouts, several Australian players with J.League experience have also gone on to become highly-regarded managers in thei…

By Sean CarrollAs well as being the best football league in Asia, the J.League has also carved out a strong reputation on account of the fashionable shirts worn by its players.Some colourful, daring and, on occasion, outrageous designs have been sported by clubs over the years, and several Australians have had the pleasure of donning some of these fancy thr…

Nagoya Grampus and Cerezo Osaka got the results they wanted out of the first legs of their 2021 J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP semi-finals. Nagoya rolled to a big 3-1 home win over F.C.Tokyo, while Cerezo walked away with an away goal and 1-1 draw against Urawa Reds. Now, they are just 90 minutes away from advancing to the cup final. No team is better situated to …

Kawasaki Frontale’s title defense was under threat with Yokohama F·Marinos closing the gap on them atop the table and they were in danger of dropping points against Kashima Antlers. The match reached stoppage time tied 1-1 and looked bound for a draw. Then, Ten Miyagi got involved.The 20-year old took one touch to settle the ball, looked up and saw the goal…

Mitchell Langerak was in goal for four MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE contests in September and he allowed a grand total of two goals. The Aussie was his typical excellent self in turning away opponents and he even set a league record for most clean sheets in the first 28 matches of a season. All in all, it was a spectacular month for the Nagoya Grampus backstop an…

Kawasaki Frontale are back on track to win their second consecutive MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE title after a sensational September and that run of form earned Toru Oniki Manager of the Month honors.Frontale won all four of their September contests, outscoring their opponents 8-3. They won a pair of matches in stoppage time, showing off the determination and cal…

The J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP semifinals have reached the halfway point, and Nagoya Grampus and Cerezo Osaka are in a strong position to book their spots in the final.Nagoya took advantage of home field in the first leg by jumping all over F.C.Tokyo from the first whistle, pressuring the visitors immediately. T ehosts struck for their first goal just 17 minut…

Japan’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Saudi Arabia and Australia will have a strong J.LEAGUE flavor. As is usually the case for the Samurai Blue, the team is made up of several players who currently play in the domestic league, and many more who got their start in it before moving abroad.The crop of current MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE players are le…

The 2021 J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP is down to just four teams, and this week the finalists will be determined by a pair of two-legged semi-final ties. In one clash, we have the cup holders F.C.Tokyo taking on Nagoya Grampus, while the other features Urawa Reds and Cerezo Osaka.Tokyo captured the crown last season primarily thanks to an outstanding defense tha…

Andrés Iniesta was the star of the show as Vissel Kobe dominated Urawa Reds, 5-1, for a crucial three points as the Ushi chase a place in next season’s AFC Champions League. Vissel and Urawa entered the match level on points as two of five teams in the fight for one (or two) remaining spots in next season’s continental competition available through league p…