Japanese J.League Soccer Season Preview
2007
Michael Tuckerman previews the 2007 J.League season
Eighteen teams now complete the top division in Japanese professional
soccer.
J.League: Teams
Albirex Niigata
Albirex Niigata got off to an inauspicious start in 2006, when
they were thrashed 6-0 in their opening fixture on the road to Kawasaki
Frontale. They followed that up with successive wins over FC Tokyo
and Omiya Ardija, thereby sealing their fate as one of the J-League's
most inconsistent teams.
The northerners have strengthened during the off-season, bringing
in Jun-Marques Davidson and Minoru Chiyotanda to shore up a defence
that conceded a hefty 65 goals last season - including a 7-0 thumping
at the hands of Jubilo Iwata. Albirex have also signed Masataka
Sakamoto from JEF United and brought in Masaki Fukai on loan from
Kashima Antlers, and manager Jun Suzuki will be hoping that those
two can add some attacking impetus.
Midfielder Shingo Suzuki and livewire striker Kisho Yano both
had impressive seasons last year, and club officials will be hoping
for more of the same in 2007. Albirex are also one of the best supported
clubs in Japan, but unless they can stem the tide of goals conceded,
then a top ten finish might be beyond the Niigata-based
outfit.
2006 finish: 14th
2006 top scorer: Edmilson (10 goals in 25 games)
2006 average attendance: 38,709
Stadium
Big Swan World Cup Stadium (42,300)
FC Tokyo
FC Tokyo endured a dismal 2006, which culminated in the mid-season
dismissal of Brazilian coach Alexandre Gallo. Hisao Kuramata was
his replacement, but with Kuramata unable to inspire the team to
any great heights, Hiromi Hara has been brought back for his second
spell in charge of the capital city club.
On paper, FC Tokyo have a squad that is the envy of several of
their rivals. That squad has recently been strengthened with the
signing of Costa Rican World Cup star Paulo Wanchope, and former
Japan international Takashi Fukunishi. Add to that the likes of
defender Teriyuki Moniwa- who played at the 2006 FIFA World
Cup, and current international Yasuyuki Konno, and FC Tokyo have
a squad that looks capable of a top five finish.
The team's problem over the years has been a lack of consistency.
Neither Gallo, nor Kuramata appeared capable of instilling confidence
in their players last season, and club officials will be hoping
that Hara - the man who lead FC Tokyo to the 2004 League Cup
title, will be able to recreate that form and fire this proverbial
"sleeping giant" up the J-League standings.
2006 finish: 13th
2006 top scorer: Lucas Severino (18 goals in 31 games)
2006 average attendance: 24,096
Stadium
Ajinomoto
Stadium (50,000)
Gamba Osaka
Gamba Osaka went neck and neck with Urawa Reds in the title race
for most of last season. After losing 3-2 to Urawa on the final
day of the season, Gamba were ultimately pipped for second place
- and a spot in the Asian Champions League, by fast finishing
Kawasaki Frontale.
Coach Akira Nishino
has been at the helm since 2002, and his reign has produced one
of the most attack-minded teams in Japan. This season Gamba have
strengthened their attack by signing Brazilian striker Bare from
Ventforet Kofu - despite the fact that strikers Magno Alves and
Ryuji Bando scored 42 goals between them in 2006. The return of
Yasuhito Endo from his debilitating illness should provide a boost,
while much will be expected of rising young stars Shinichi Terada
and Akihiro Ienaga.
The club haven't experienced any major departures -
talismanic defender Tsuneyasu Miyamoto has left for the Austrian
Bundesliga, but he wasn't a guaranteed starter last season,
while Fernandinho and Arata Kodama have joined Shimizu S-Pulse on
loan. Success may hinge not only upon how the team responds to last
season's disappointment, but also on how coach Nishino manages
the three competing egos of his high-profile strike force.
2006 finish: 3rd
2006 top scorer: Magno Alves (26 goals in 31 games)
2006 average attendance: 16,259
Stadium
Banpaku
Stadium (23,000)
JEF United
Last season was an unqualified disaster for JEF United, and things
may get worse before they get better, following the departure of
the inspirational Yuki Abe to Urawa. Add to that the exits of Masataka
Sakamoto, Mario Haas and Nebojsa Krupnikovic, and things are looking
grim indeed in Chiba.
Not even the 2006 League Cup trophy could gloss over the cracks
appearing in JEF United's championship-contender façade,
and the honeymoon period is well and truly over for new coach Amar
Osim, who succeeded his father Ivica in the United hot-seat. With
Seiichiro Maki's inexplicable loss of form virtually leaving
the club without a striker, United have nevertheless gambled on
journeymen Teruaki Kurobe and Tatsunori Arai to try and solve their
goal scoring problems, instead of bringing in a proven J1 goal scorer.
At the rate that they are going, fans at the brand new Fukuda
Denshi Arena could be enjoying J2 football by this time next season.
After being tipped as title contenders last season, JEF United suddenly
look as though they'll be scrapping it out at the bottom.
Unless coach Osim can instill some confidence in his players, United's
nightmares may have only just begun.
2006 finish: 11th
2006 top scorer: Seiichiro Maki (12 goals from 32 games)
2006 average attendance: 13,393
Stadium
Fukuda
Denshi Arena (18,500)
Jubilo Iwata
If 2006 was "a game of two halves," then few would
have expected Jubilo Iwata's top five finish last season,
following their poor start to the season. Languishing in tenth just
after the halfway mark of the season, Jubilo shot up the table on
the back of some outstanding performances from youngster Yoshiaki
Ota, who inspired the club to ten wins from the final thirteen games
of the season.
The success of Ota and fellow youngsters Naoya Kikuchi, Kota Ueda
and Bobby Cullen has prompted a wholesale clearance at Jubilo, with
veterans Takashi Fukunishi, Hiroshi Nanami, Toshihiro Hattori and
Takayuki Chano all departing for pastures anew. The only major addition
has been the signing of Brazilian Marquinhos Parana, but with Shinji
Murai returning from injury and Ryoichi Maeda looking to impress
up front, Jubilo look a side with the potential to challenge for
the title.
The loss of several of the players that made Jubilo Iwata such
an imposing dynasty at the turn of the century, shouldn't unduly
affect the team. Indeed, coach Adilson Dias Batista - who replaced
Masakuni Yamamoto midway through last season, will be aiming for
at least a repeat of last season's top five finish. If Jubilo get
off to a good start, however, then they may readjusts their sights
towards a fourth J-League crown.
2006 finish: 5th
2006 top scorer: Ryoichi Maeda (15 goals in 27 games)
2006 average attendance: 18,002
Stadium
Yamaha
Stadium (17,000) & Shizuoka 'Ecopa' Stadium (51,000)
Kashima Antlers
Brazilian Paulo Autori was hired from World Champions Sao Paulo
FC in 2006, amidst claims that the highly priced coach could bring
the glory days back to Kashima Antlers. He failed to do so, and
the unpopular Autori was quickly shipped back from whence he came.
Enter new man Oswaldo de Oliveira, who is the latest in the long
line of Brazilians charged with winning trophies at Japan's
most successful club.
Kashima's problems last season were up front, where Atsushi
Yanigasawa and Alex Mineiro were utterly woeful. Mineiro has since
departed, and Kashima have replaced him with another Brazilian in
the form of Marquinhos, most recently of Shimizu S-Pulse. The Antlers
have also signed Danilo and Fabao from Sao Paulo FC, and Yuzo Tashiro
could get a chance to continue the decent form he showed towards
the back end of 2006, if Yanigasawa continues to misfire.
Much will depend on the form of Kashima's new Brazilian signings,
with the club still struggling to accommodate the loss of former
playmaker Mitsuo Ogasawara, who is on loan at Italian outfit Messina.
"Winning in style" is the modus operandi at Kashima Stadium, and
unless new coach de Oliveira has his team playing a certain brand
of football, he could find himself offside with Kashima's passionate
supporter base.
2006 finish: 6th
2006 top scorer: Alex Mineiro (10 goals in 31 games)
2006 average attendance: 15,433
Stadium
Kashima
Stadium (39,026)
Kashiwa Reysol
Kashiwa Reysol are back in the big time, although their stint
in J2 was limited to just the one season. They could struggle in
the top flight in 2007, however, with a fairly thin looking squad
that hasn't been boosted by any big name signings.
Kashiwa only secured promotion to J1 on the final day of the 2006
season, after stuttering badly in the run home. They all but handed
the championship to Yokohama FC, but just managed to pip Vissel
Kobe for the second automatic promotion place. Their top scorer
from last season, midfielder Diego, has departed for Tokyo Verdy,
with his replacement likely to be new signing Márcio Araújo,
while defensive midfielder Alceu has joined from Palmeiras. Former
Nagoya Grampus Eight defender Masahiro Koga has been brought in
to shore up the defence.
Coach Nobuhiro Ishizaki will have a real fight on his hands trying
to keep Kashiwa in the top flight. With some tough opening fixtures,
Kashiwa could find themselves struggling at the wrong end of the
table, well before the mid-season break.
2006 finish: 2nd (J2)
2006 top scorer: Diego (21 goals in 43 games)
2006 average attendance: 8,328
Stadium
Kashiwa
Hitachi Stadium (15,900)
Kawasaki Frontale
Kawasaki Frontale were the surprise package of the 2006 J-League
season. In only their second season in the top flight since winning
promotion at the end of the 2004 season, Kawasaki exceeded all expectations
by finishing second behind Urawa Reds. They did so amidst a blaze
of goals, with the club from Kanagawa Prefecture finding the back
of the net a staggering 84 times!
Brazilian striker Carlos Juninho and Japanese international Kazuki
Ganaha did most of the damage for Kawasaki, scoring a combined total
of 38 goals between them. Yet Kawasaki's real stars were arguably
their irrepressible young midfielders Hiroyuki Tanaguchi and Kengo
Nakamura, who each contributed thirteen and ten goals respectively.
Kawasaki's major signing this season has been Francismar from
Cruzeiro, and if he can strike up an effective partnership with
Magnum in midfield, then Kawasaki could trouble several teams again
next season.
Kawasaki will no longer be able to rely on the "surprise factor"
in 2007, with their J-League counterparts now well aware of their
capabilities. With participation in the Asian Champions League set
to strain the club's resources, much will depend on whether the
influential Nakamura and Tanaguchi can replicate their stellar form
from last season. If they cannot, then Kawasaki might find themselves
finishing outside the top five this season.
2006 finish: 2nd
2006 top scorer: Carlos Juninho (20 goals in 29 games)
2006 average attendance: 14,340
Stadium
Todoroki
Stadium (25,000)
Nagoya Grampus Eight
With no major signings to speak of, Nagoya Grampus Eight can probably
expect another season of mid-table mediocrity under Dutch coach
Sef Vergoossen. Nagoya certainly have one of the J-League's most
effective strikers, in the form of Norwegian international Frode
Johnsen, but with a relative dearth of quality around him, it is
difficult to see the club pushing for a top ten finish.
Much will be expected of young Japan international Keisuke Honda
in midfield, alongside former Jubilo Iwata stalwart Toshiya Fujita.
Veteran goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki is probably the key player at
the club - he was Japan's reserve goalkeeper at the
2006 FIFA World Cup, and he and defender Masayuki Omori will no
doubt be called upon to lead from the front, even if that is in
defence.
Nagoya Grampus Eight don't necessarily have a bad squad,
but with so many teams around them having strengthened their own
squads, it is difficult to see Nagoya improving on their somewhat
flattering seventh placed finish last year. Their constant shuttling
between Toyota Stadium and Mizuho Stadium doesn't appear to
help them, either. Nevertheless they have a shrewd tactician in
Vergoossen, and are a team that are always capable of springing
an upset or two.
2006 finish: 7th
2006 top scorer: Frode Johnsen (10 goals in 17 games)
2006 average attendance: 14,924
Stadium
Mizuho
Athletics Stadium (27,000)
Oita Trinita
Oita Trinita faded after a promising start to the 2006 season,
which is probably not a surprise considering that they don't
have the deepest of squads. That squad has taken a hit with the
departure of the highly-rated youngster Tsukasa Umesaki to Grenoble
in France, which robs the club one of their most promising young
players, although at least Shusaku Nishikawa will return from injury
in goals.
Oita's most notable signings for the 2007 season include
former FC Tokyo midfielder Masashi Miyazawa, while Brazilians Serginho
and Augusto have signed from Corinthians and Yokohama FC respectively.
The club certainly needs reinforcement up front, with the goals
eventually drying up between strikers Daiki Takamatsu and Shota
Matsuhashi last season.
Despite a large and loyal following, Oita Trinita could find themselves
struggling in the bottom half of the table in 2007. They won't even
have local rivals Avispa Fukuoka to spur them on - they were relegated
to J2, and Oita may need to content themselves with a mid-table
finish, at best.
2006 finish: 8th
2006 top scorer: Daiki Takamatsu (12 goals in 29 games)
2006 average attendance: 20,350
Stadium
Big
Eye (43,000)
Omiya Ardija
Omiya Ardija start the season with a new coach, in the form of
Dutchman Robert Verbeek (the younger brother of Pim
Verbeek, the South Korean national team coach). Fans will be
hoping that he can bring more success than the conservative Toshiya
Miura, who has opted for the cold climes of Sapporo in 2007. Brazilian
stalwart Toninho has surprisingly been released, with another Brazilian
defender, Leandro, brought in from Cruzeiro to replace him.
The heart and soul of this Omiya outfit is undoubtedly midfielder
Daigo Kobayashi, who either creates or scores most of the team's
goals. Verbeek will be hoping that Brazilian striker Alison can
do likewise, with former coach Miura seemingly unwilling to give
the striker an extended run in the team. Hayato Hashimoto will be
another player happy to see the back of Miura, and he will be hoping
to cement a place in the starting eleven, with a continuation of
his good performances from the tail-end of 2006.
With Omiya overshadowed by near-neighbours Urawa Reds, it is difficult
to envisage anything but a struggle to stay out of the bottom reaches
of the table, for Saitama's so-called "second club." With renovation
work at the Omiya Park Soccer Stadium still not complete and the
team playing most of its matches at Urawa's Komaba Stadium this
season, fans of Ardija will be hoping that the club can stick around
for at least one more season, so that they can return to their spiritual
home as a J1 outfit.
2006 finish: 12th
2006 top scorer: Daigo Kobayashi (9 goals from 33 games)
2006 average attendance: 10,234
Stadium
Komaba
Stadium (21,500)
Sanfrecce Hiroshima
The Mazda-backed club hovered outside the relegation zone for
much of the first half of 2006, but an excellent second half to
the season under new coach Mihailo Petrovic saw Sanfrecce reach
an unexpected tenth place on the J-League table.
With no notable signings ahead of the 2007 season, scrutiny will
no doubt be directed towards Petrovic, with his ability to transform
an under-achieving side into potential top five candidates certain
to be tested. Last season Sanfrecce relied on a highly effective
strike force of the excellent Hisato Sato and former Nagoya striker
Ueslei. Combative ex-Shimizu S-Pulse and Tokyo Verdy player Kazuyuki
Toda has joined the club permanently, and he was a key figure for
Sanfrecce in defence last season.
With expectations seeming to dwindle year by year - along
with the crowds in Hiroshima,
coach Petrovic will be hoping for some breathing space, as he attempts
to mould Sanfrecce's mixture of talented youngsters and battle-hardened
veterans into an effective unit. A top ten finish will be the least
that club officials are hoping for, but with Sanfrecce consistently
failing to impress, that goal might prove beyond Petrovic and his
men this season.
2006 finish: 10th
2006 top scorer: Hisato Sato (18 goals from 33 games)
2006 average attendance: 11,180
Stadium
Hiroshima
Big Arch (50,000)
Shimizu S-Pulse
With a number of pundits tipping them for relegation in 2006,
Shimizu S-Pulse confounded their critics by finishing a surprising
fourth. They did so playing a free-flowing, attacking brand of football
under the guidance of former S-Pulse striker, Kenta Hasegawa.
Shimizu's attacking football stems from a triumvirate of
young midfielders, in the form of Akihiro Hyodo, Takuma Edamura
and the 2006 J-League Rookie Of The Year, Jungo Fujimoto. With veterans
Teriyoshi Ito and Takahiro Yamanishi giving the side grit and guile,
and former Japan international Daisuke Ichikawa marauding down the
right-hand touchline, Shimizu overwhelmed a number of their opponents
last season.
The club have signed former Cerezo Osaka striker Akinori Nishizawa
to replace the departed Marquinhos, while Mitsuhiro Toda was brought
in to add competition up front - although he will miss the opening
months of the season with a fractured leg. Fernandinho and Arata
Kodama signed from Gamba Osaka, and with S-Pulse's squad looking
even stronger than last season, fans at Nihondaira Stadium will
be dreaming of a renewed title assault in 2007.
2006 finish: 4th
2006 top scorer: Cho Jae Jin (16 goals in 32 games)
2006 average attendance: 14,302
Stadium
Nihondaira
(20,339)
Urawa Reds
2006 was the year of the Urawa Reds. Their legion of loyal fans
were finally able to celebrate the J-League crown that they so desperately
craved, whilst the club also added a second successive Emperor's
Cup to the trophy cabinet for good measure. On the downside,
they said goodbye to departing coach Guido Buchwald, who after three
years at the helm, has returned to Germany to spend more time with
his family.
Buchwald's replacement is a familiar face at Urawa, coming
in the form of Holger Osieck, who is in his second spell at the
club. Much will depend on how former Canadian national team coach
Osieck handles the combined challenge of defending the club's
J-League crown, with their debut in the Asian Champions League.
Urawa made only one addition to their squad this season - but
what an addition! Former JEF United midfielder Yuki Abe became the
most expensive Japanese player ever signed in a domestic deal, when
he moved to the Reds for around $US3 million. He will replace Japan
international Alessandro Santos, who has joined Salzburg in the
Austrian Bundesliga. The lack of new faces means that Urawa shouldn't
take long to gel in 2007, but a new coach and a new challenge in
the form of the ACL, means that successive J-League crowns are anything
but a foregone conclusion.
2006 finish: Champions
2006 top scorer: Washington (26 goals in 26 games)
2006 average attendance: 45,573
Stadium
Saitama
Stadium (63,700)
Ventforet Kofu
By any stretch of the imagination, 2006 was a wildly successful
season for Ventforet Kofu. Undoubtedly the smallest club in the
J-League, the team from Yamanashi Prefecture were virtually unbackable
favourites for relegation. Yet coach Takeshi Oki shocked everyone
with his unique "swarming" tactics, and Kofu celebrated
by finishing some fifteen points above the drop zone.
Much of Kofu's success last season was based on the form
of Brazilian top scorer, Bare. He has since departed for Gamba Osaka,
and club officials will be hoping that his loss does not prove a
catastrophic one. Another Brazilian, Alberto, has been brought in
as a potential replacement, while Tomoyoshi Tsurumi and Tatsuya
Masushima have joined from Shimizu S-Pulse and FC Tokyo respectively.
While Bare's loss will no doubt have an impact, Kofu are arguably
one of the tightest-knit teams in the J-League. They defend and
attack as a compact unit, and their team play and camaraderie was
enough to see off several more highly-fancied opponents last season.
With that formula still in place, there's no reason why they shouldn't
be able to fend off relegation in 2007.
2006 finish: 15th
2006 top scorer: Bare (14 goals from 30 games)
2006 average attendance: 12,213
Stadium
Kose
Sports Park (17,000)
Vissel Kobe
Vissel Kobe secured promotion back to the top flight by the skin
of their teeth, defeating Avispa Fukuoka on away goals in last season's
promotion-relegation playoff. That marked a swift exit from J2,
and the club have celebrated by bringing in a host of new faces,
the most prominent of which are former Cerezo Osaka striker Yoshito
Okubo, midfielder Botti from Corinthinans in Brazil and ex-Yokohama
F. Marinos goalkeeper Tatsuya Enomoto.
Leandro and Sho Kitano have left the club, but if Okubo and fellow
striker partner Yusuke Kondo fire, then Vissel should have enough
firepower to trouble most opposition teams. They have an inexperienced
coach in Hiroshi Matsuda, however, and how he reacts to life in
the top flight could be crucial to the overall outcome of the season.
Vissel will be keen to avoid a return to the Second Division,
but the fact is that mismanagement at the club - which once
had the likes of Bismarck, Michael
Laudrup and Patrick Mboma on its books, has steadily eroded
the team's footballing potential. Whether coach Matsuda is
given time to mould his side, remains to be seen. If he does not
achieve rapid success, then Vissel could have an unwanted relegation
battle on their hands - minus their rookie coach.
2006 finish: 3rd (J2)
2006 top scorer: Atsuhiro Miura (15 goals in 46 games)
2006 average attendance: 6,910
Stadium
Kobe 'Wing' Stadium (34,000)
Yokohama F. Marinos
2003 and 2004 J-League champions Yokohama F. Marinos had a miserable
2006, ultimately finishing in ninth. Former national team coach
Takeshi Okada paid the price midway through the season, and his
interim replacement Takashi Mizunuma has himself been replaced by
Hiroshi Hayano, for the 2007 season.
With dressing-room morale at an all-time low last season, the
Marinos have shipped out the likes of Tatsuhiko Kubo, Tatsuya Enomoto,
Dutra and Daisuke Oka, and replaced them with players such as Marcus
de Morais, Daijiro Takakuwa and Takayuki Suzuki - the latter
ending his troubled spell at Red Star Belgrade to join the Bay City
club. One player who will be hoping for a chance to shine alongside
Suzuki is Mike Havenaar, who inexplicably struggled to get on the
park under Mizunuma, despite the club's well documented striking
problems.
Whether Hayano can inspire his squad - which appeared short on
confidence more than anything else last season, remains to be seen.
Fans of the Marinos will certainly hope that he can, particularly
with cross-town rivals Yokohama FC now threatening to steal their
limelight.
2006 finish: 9th
2006 top scorer: Koji Yamase (6 goals in 20 games)
2006 average attendance: 23,663
Stadium
Nissan
Stadium (72,000)
Yokohama F.C
2006 may have marked what appeared to be a fairytale rise to J1
for Yokohama FC, but in reality it was a long, six-year slog before
the team created from the ashes of Yokohama Flügels was able
to take their place amongst the elite of Japanese football.
The club were ultimately crowned Champions of J2, seeing off the
challenge of more established rivals Kashiwa Reysol and Vissel Kobe.
Yokohama FC have signed a number of players for their debut J1
season, including former Yokohama F. Marinos players Tatsuhiko Kubo
and Daisuke Oku. They've also signed a trio of Brazilians in Adriano,
Silva and Anderson, as well as Mitsunori Yabuta from Avispa Fukuoka.
These players should compensate for the loss of former Japan international
Shoji Jo, who has retired - although Kazu
Miura looks set to continue, at the age of 40. Last season's
top scorer Alemao has been released.
The club will undoubtedly be sentimental favourites for some fans
in Japan, but they face a tough task to maintain their J1 status.
They do at least have several experienced faces in their squad,
although former Japan international Takuya Takagi is an inexperienced
coach at this level. How he copes, could have an important bearing
on Yokohama FC's season.
2006 finish: Champions (J2)
2006 top scorer: Alemao (18 goals in 24 games)
2006 average attendance: 4,912
Stadium
Mitsuzawa
Stadium (15,050)
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