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A Look at the Upcoming 2005 Season in Japan

Naheen Madarbakus & Liam Ring report on what to look for in the J.League this season.

Will the J.League boom continue?

Football in Asia is fast making a reputation for itself and Japan's J-league is right at the forefront. Japan has had its fair share of football limelight recently, first with co-hosting the World Cup in 2002, then Asian Cup success against China in summer 2004. Now J-league 2005 is about to kick off in one of its most exciting seasons ever.

At the ripe old age of 12, J-league is making some serious changes. The upcoming season has generated possibly the most interest since it was established in 1993. Improving attendances and increased interest from sponsors mean that finances have never looked rosier and with the arrival of the World Cup in 2002, teams have been given use of stadiums that they could only dream of in previous years.

The league is quite a simple one to follow. Two divisions of J1 and J2 comprise of 18 and 12 teams respectively (from 2005). The season, which used to be a two stage affair (with the winners of the first half playing the winners of the second half for an outright winner) has been scrapped. Running from March through December, the new format will guarantee that consistency will be rewarded come seasons end. Although the much anticipated 'playoff' between the part one and part two champions will be sorely missed by some, more excitement can be expected from lively domestic cup competitions and Japan's national aspirations towards the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The league is quite a simple one to follow. Two divisions of J1 and J2 comprised of 18 and 12 teams respectively (from 2005). The two stage format (with the winners of the first stage playing the winners of the second for the title) has now been scrapped in favour of a single season running from March through December. This more orthodox system will reward consistency although the excitement of the old championship playoff will be sorely missed by some.

So who's hot in 2005? Of course, Yokohama F Marinos, champions for the past two seasons, will be gunning for a hat-trick of successes. However, the transition to a single stage league format could see a dip in form similar to their second stage performance last season, perhaps ending the Marinos' party. Although their form has been inconsistent in the past, keep your eyes on Eastern Japan's Urawa Reds. The Kanto team is hoping to make up for a disappointing 2004 season after seeing their title dreams slip through their fingers last December in a gripping final.

Other teams hoping to recover from a slump in 2004 are Jublio Iwata, who had a meteoric fall from grace in the second half of last year, and Tokyo Verdy, who will hope to build on their Emperor's Cup win in January after strengthening their strike force with the Brazilian, Washington. Gamba Osaka who caved in to the pressure of high expectations after some good form, slipping from 3rd to mid-table in just a handful of games, will be seeking to overcome their underachiever tag and bring some glory to the Kansai region.

At the other end of the table, lucky survivors Cerezo Osaka, Hiroshima Sanfrecce and Kashiwa Reysol, will want to put last season's disappointments behind them. With only the expansion of the top division to thank for their continued presence, Kashiwa and Cerezo will be hoping that they can take advantage of their good fortune but will have to compete with newly promoted Omiya Ardija and Kawasaki Frontale.

In J2, Thespa Kusatsu and Shikoku's first professional football club, Tokushima Vortis, will make their league debuts this season. Avispa Fukuoka will have to put their failure to win promotion behind them with Montedio Yamagata and Kyoto Purple Sanga hot on their heels. Watch out for draw specialists Yokohama FC who'll be hoping to show there's more than one team in Yokohama capable of bringing home the silverware.

For a slice of cup action, turn your attention towards the J-league Yamazaki Nabisco Cup. The preliminary stages of this tournament start with clubs being drawn into groups of 4 teams, playing each other twice for the chance to progress. The first stage of the competition takes place between late March and mid July. The survivors then go on to the knock out stages with the final in November. It's a great competition which adds a little edge to its league counterpart.

The other major tournament is the Emperors Cup with the final taking place on New Years Day. This is the Japanese equivalent of the English FA Cup; more your straightforward knock out competition with even non-league clubs getting a chance to grab some of the limelight. Last season's surprise package were Thespa Kusatsu who knocked out both Cerezo and champions Yokohama F Marinos.

And what can be expected from the national team this year? Japanese footballers have much to play for with the forthcoming World Cup 2006 on the agenda. Now 2 years into their qualifying campaign, it's the year to stake a claim for a place in what is hoped to be Zico's squad for Germany. With Japan in a challenging group alongside North Korea, Bahrain and Iran, their route to the next World Cup is sure to dominate the headlines this year.

Naheen Madarbakus & Liam Ring

The Japanese J-League Has Continued to Grow Since 1993.

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