Japanese J.League Soccer Season Preview
2008
Michael Tuckerman previews the 2008 J.League season
Eighteen teams now complete the top division in Japanese professional
soccer.
J.League: Teams
Albirex Niigata
Northern outfit Albirex Niigata surprised many by finishing in
sixth place last season, with Jun Suzuki's men maintaining
a steady course throughout the campaign.
As always they were tough to beat at their imposing Big Swan Stadium,
winning nine times in front of their passionate fans. They managed
to overcome a difficult spell of three consecutive home losses to
claim their highest ever league finish, thanks mainly to the goals
of Brazilian striker Edmilson.
Having sold Edmilson to Urawa Reds the northerners will place
their faith in last season's Brazilian Serie B top scorer
Alessandro Nunes. Niigata have also sold captain Silvinho, fellow
midfielder Shingo Suzuki and the experienced duo of Masataka Sakamoto
and Masaki Fukai, and having failed to bring in any big-name replacements,
a top half finish will once again depend heavily on their home form.
2007 finish : 6th
2007 top scorer: Edmilson (19 goals in 29 games)
2007 average attendance: 38,276
Stadium
Big
Swan World Cup Stadium (42,300)
Consadole Sapporo
After five years in the wilderness northern outfit Consadole Sapporo
return to the top flight following a roller-coaster J2 campaign
last season. The Hokkaido-based side raced out to a commanding lead,
but ultimately clinched the title on the final day after an absorbing
duel with fellow promoted sides Tokyo Verdy and Kyoto Sanga FC.
Rumours of financial turmoil are threatening to derail Sapporo's
chances in 2008, and on the pitch Brazilian midfielder Alceu has
also already been released having only recently joined from Kashiwa
Reysol. Consadole have signed several other players with top flight
experience, but as Yokohama FC will attest, that doesn't always
guarantee survival in the tough world of J1. Brazilian striker Nonato
has been drafted in from Bahia, but it could be last season's
top scorer Davi who holds the key to success for Toshiya Miura's
side.
Once again Sapporo will split their home fixtures between the
futuristic Sapporo Dome and the more rustic surrounds of Atsubetsu
Park Stadium, as they gear up for their first top flight campaign
since 2002.
2007 finish : Champions J2
2007 top scorer: Davi (17 goals in 39 games)
2007 average attendance: 12,112
Stadium
Sapporo
Dome Stadium (41,580)
FC Tokyo
2007 promised so much yet delivered so little for capital club
FC Tokyo. Big-name signing Paulo Wanchope turned out to be a big-name
flop and was released midway through the season. Coach Hiromi Hara
lasted a little longer – he was sacked after an ignominous
campaign which culminated in a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of local
rivals Kawasaki Frontale in front of Tokyo's own fans.
Hiroshi Jofuku has been brought in to replace the unpopular Hara,
while top scorer for the past two seasons Lucas Severino has moved
on to Gamba Osaka. He has been replaced by Capore, who finished
top scorer in the K-League last season with unfashionable Gyeongnam
FC, while Naotake Hanyu has joined from fellow misfits JEF United.
FC Tokyo enjoy some of the most passionate support in the J. League,
yet fans are growing increasingly frustrated with a team that has
failed to finish in the top half for the past two seasons. This
year they'll have to contend with the return of Tokyo Verdy
to the top flight, and with things potentially getting worse before
they get better, a top half finish might be another distant dream
for FC Tokyo this season.
2007 finish : 12th
2007 top scorer: Lucas Severino (12 goals in 32 games)
2007 average attendance: 25,290
Stadium
Ajinomoto
Stadium (50,000)
Gamba Osaka
For the second season in succession Gamba Osaka appeared to choke
with the finish line in sight, as both Kashima Antlers and Urawa
Reds finished above them on the table in 2007. They'll be
looking for an improved performance this time around, but with an
AFC Champions League campaign potentially distracting the Osakans,
the Kansai club will have their work cut out for them.
Lucas Severino has been brought in to replace former star striker
Magno Alves, who departed in acrimonious circumstances after Gamba
lifted the League Cup last season. Gamba's defence has also
been bolstered by new additions Mineiro, Hiroki Mizumoto and Yohei
Fukumoto, while striker Masato Yamazaki is another new arrival,
with the Panasonic-backed club clearly building a squad capable
of competing both domestically and internationally.
Despite the new arrivals the core of Gamba's starting eleven
should remain the same, with talisman Yasuhito Endo expected to
lead his side around the park once again. Whether that is enough
to propel the Panasonic-backed club to a second ever league title
remains to be seen, given that many of their closest rivals have
strengthened significantly during the off-season.
2007 finish : 3rd
2007 top scorer: Bare (20 goals in 31 games)
2007 average attendance: 17,439
Stadium
Banpaku
Stadium (23,000)
JEF United
If fans of the Chiba Dogs thought that things couldn't possibly
get any worse than their 2007 season, they were wrong. Five members
of last season's starting eleven weren't waiting around
to find out, as captain Yuto Sato and Japan internationals Naotake
Hanyu, Satoru Yamagishi, Hiroki Mizumoto and Koki Mizuno all departed
during the off-season.
Veteran Croatian Josip Kuze has been brought in to replace the
much-maligned Amar Osim as coach, after Osim was sacked following
the final game of last year – just two weeks after his father
Ivica Osim had suffered a massive stroke. The only big-name player
to have stayed with the club is Seiichiro Maki, but it was his lack
of goals that saw JEF United battling against relegation for most
of last season.
Australian Eddy Bosnar has been brought in to shore up the defence
now that Ilian Stoyanov and Nenad Djordevic have been shown the
door, while Ryota Aoki, Tatsuya Yazawa and the highly-rated Takuya
Kokeguchi should all prove useful signings. The stand-out addition
is the return of veteran Masataka Sakamoto from Albirex Niigata,
but not even he will be able to steer JEF United clear of a relegation
dogfight this season.
2007 finish : 13th
2007 top scorer: Koki Mizuno (9 goals in 29 games)
2007 average attendance: 14,149
Stadium
Fukuda
Denshi Arena (18,500)
Jubilo Iwata
Three-times J. League champions Jubilo Iwata endured a tough 2007,
which saw Brazilian coach Adilson resign midway through the campaign
and young midfielder Naoya Kikuchi sacked following a sex scandal.
Former assistant coach Atsushi Uchiyama remains at the helm of
the Yamaha-backed outfit, and despite their ninth place finish Jubilo
have resisted making wholesale changes. The addition of ex-Sanfrecce
Hiroshima winger Yuichi Komano and strikers Gilsinho and Hiroki
Bandai should strengthen the team, but given Jubilo's recent
inconsistency, it may take the team some time to gel on the pitch.
Gone are the days when Jubilo presented an annual challenge for
the title and they look unlikely to do so in 2008, with a mid-table
finish perhaps the best that Jubilo fans can expect.
2007 finish : 9th
2007 top scorer: Ryoichi Maeda (12 goals in 22 games)
2007 average attendance: 16,359
Stadium
Yamaha
Stadium (17,000) & Shizuoka 'Ecopa' Stadium (51,000)
Kashima Antlers
Even by their trophy-laden standards 2007 was a remarkable year
for Kashima Antlers. The Ibaraki giants recovered from a dreadful
start to snatch the J. League title on the final day of the season,
as the Antlers set a new club record by winning their final nine
games in a row to clinch an improbable title win.
The catalyst for Kashima's resurgence was the mid-season
return of mercurial midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara, who endured a disappointing
spell at Italian club Messina, but who was imperious in leading
Kashima to their fifth J. League crown. Ogasawara will once again
lead a team that has made few changes from last season, although
the highly-rated Masahiko Inoha has been drafted in from FC Tokyo,
while Olympic-team member Shuto Suzuki is another new face to watch.
Despite their title win, questions remain about the effectiveness
of Kashima's strike force. Marquinhos may have scored fourteen
league goals last season, but many of his goals came when Kashima
already had victory sewn up, and there will be plenty of pressure
on youngster Yuzo Tashiro to find the back of the net this year.
Despite those concerns Kashima will approach the new season with
their confidence sky high, although back-to-back titles might be
beyond them given their lack of reinforcements.
2007 finish : Champions
2007 top scorer: Marquinhos (14 goals in 31 games)
2007 average attendance: 16,239
Stadium
Kashima
Stadium (39,026)
Kashiwa Reysol
Kashiwa Reysol were the surprise package of 2007, steering themselves
into eighth place in the table following their promotion from J2.
The Chiba-based side enjoyed plenty of success from a game plan
based on old-fashioned aggression, although coach Nobuhiro Ishizaki
also managed to unleash a couple of gems in Minoru Suganuma and
Tadanari Ri.
Kashiwa's fortunes in 2008 may rest heavily on the form
of those two players, although the experienced Alex and fellow Brazilian
Popo have been drafted in from Avispa Fukuoka and Korean side Gyeongnam
FC respectively. They'll join ex-Bayer Leverkusen striker
Franca in a team that should have enough experience and youthful
exuberance to steer itself back into mid-table, particularly if
goalkeeper Yuta Minami maintains the superb form he showed last
season.
As always Kashiwa can rely on some of the most passionate support
in Japanese football, and Reysol's vociferous fans would like
nothing more than to finish above local rivals JEF United and establish
themselves as the premier team in Chiba once again.
2007 finish : 8th
2007 top scorer: Tadanari Ri (10 goals in 30 games)
2007 average attendance: 12,967
Stadium
Kashiwa
Hitachi Stadium (15,900)
Kawasaki Frontale
Kawasaki Frontale finished a respectable fifth in the J. League
last season, but fans of the Kanagawa club could be forgiven for
wondering what might have been. Kawasaki just couldn't seem
to get going in the league, as an AFC Champions League campaign
and League Cup run that saw them lose out in the final took its
toll.
This season the one name on everyone's lips is Hulk. The
Brazilian striker scored an incredible 62 goals in two seasons out
on loan at J2 clubs Consadole Sapporo and Tokyo Verdy, and he has
been recalled by coach Takashi Sekizuka to replace the departed
Magnum.
Given that Kawasaki possessed one of the worst defensive records
of any team in the top half last season, the arrival of Hulk will
do little to shore up a leaky back three. It might also fail to
mask the departure of tricky attacking midfielder Magnum, with Kawasaki
looking top-heavy with strikers as Juninho, Hulk, Chong Tese and
Kazuki Ganaha all jostle for a place in the starting line-up. Nevertheless
there's no doubt that Kawasaki possess a strike force that
could become the envy of the J. League, and it might just be enough
to fire them to their second top-two finish in three years.
2007 finish : 5th
2007 top scorer: Juninho (22 goals in 31 games)
2007 average attendance: 17,338
Stadium
Todoroki
Stadium (25,000)
Kyoto Sanga
Yo-yo club Kyoto Sanga FC return to the top flight after a one
year stint in J2, following their dramatic two-legged victory over
Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the relegation/promotion playoff.
The Kansai club have made some astute signings, bringing in goalkeeper
Yuichi Mizutani from Kashiwa Reysol, experienced ex-Gamba Osaka
defender Sidiclei, former JEF United captain Yuto Sato and veteran
ex-Japan international Atsushi Yanagisawa up front. They've
also retained the services of last season's top scorer Paulinho,
while fellow Brazilian Ataliba has been drafted in from Flamengo
for his second spell in Japanese football.
After their last promotion to the top flight Kyoto finished the
2006 season in last place in J1. They'll be keen to avoid
a repeat of that debacle this time around, with coach Hisashi Kato's
men likely to set their sights on the lower mid-table regions of
the league.
2007 finish : 3rd (J2)
2007 top scorer: Paulinho (24 goals in 43 games)
2007 average attendance: 6,629
Stadium
Nishikyogoku
Stadium (20,242)
Nagoya Grampus
They may have shortened their name, but fans of one Japan's
wealthiest clubs will hope for more than superficial changes after
Nagoya Grampus endured yet another frustrating season in 2007. It
culminated in the end-of-season departure of coach Sef Vergoossen
to PSV Eindhoven, with former Nagoya legend Dragan Stojkovic installed
in the hot-seat at the Toyota-backed club.
The pressure on Stojkovic to lift Nagoya out of the doldrums will
be immense, but the man known as ‘Pixy' will have his
work cut out for him following the departures of the influential
Keisuke Honda and Kim Jung-Woo. Injury-prone Slovakian defender
Marek Spilar has been replaced by ex-Red Star Belgrade man Milos
Bajalica, but it's the arrival of former Kawasaki midfielder
Magnum that many fans hope will herald a change of fortunes for
the beleaguered club.
Once again Nagoya will rely heavily on the services of Norwegian
front man Frode Johnsen in attack. His goals are unlikely to be
enough to lift Nagoya anywhere near the top five, unless his team
mates trade in their usual erratic form for something more consistent.
2007 finish: 11th
2007 top scorer: Frode Johnsen (13 goals in 26 games)
2007 average attendance: 15,585
Stadium
Mizuho
Athletics Stadium (27,000)
Oita Trinita
Kyushu outfit Oita Trinita endured an unexpected battle against
relegation in 2007, despite fielding virtually the same squad that
finished in eighth place just a season earlier. The alarming loss
of form of ex-Japan internationals Shusaku Nishikawa, Shota Matsuhashi
and Daiki Takamatsu was partly to blame for Oita's slump,
and the southern club have responded by revamping their squad.
Unfortunately for Oita fans their side looks far weaker than even
last year's vintage, with key midfielder Tsukasa Umesaki having
departed for Urawa Reds, while Yohei Fukumoto and Masato Yamazaki
have been lured to Gamba Osaka. Matsuhashi has also departed for
Vissel Kobe, and their replacements are hardly an awe-inspiring
bunch. 35-year-old Brazilian veteran Ueslei has joined from relegated
Sanfrecce Hiroshima, but fellow new signing Akihiro Ienaga was injured
shortly after joining from Gamba Osaka, and is expected to miss
the first half of the season.
Put simply, finishing outside the bottom three might be the best
that Oita can hope for in 2008, as a side that once looked capable
of challenging for a top five finish nows look set to battle it
out at the wrong end of the table.
2007 finish : 14th
2007 top scorer: Daisuke Takahashi (10 goals in 29 games)
2007 average attendance: 19,759
Stadium
Big
Eye (43,000)
Omiya Ardija
Omiya Ardija fans will be hoping for some consistency after they
were forced to endure one of the most nail-biting campaigns in the
club's short history last season. Coach Robert Verbeek was
unceremoniously sacked midway through the campaign and replaced
by unpopular former chief scout Satoru Sakuma – the man who
had overseen the arrivals of flops like Mauricio Salles and Enilton
and signed off on the transfers of Bare and Leandro to Ventforet
Kofu and Vissel Kobe respectively, where they both became stars.
Satoru has stepped aside for Yasuhiro Higuchi to take over as
coach, but in the absence of any major new signings, Omiya could
be set to endure their toughest season yet in the top flight. They'll
welcome the fact that they no longer need to ground share with bitter
local rivals Urawa Reds, given that their Omiya Park Stadium finally
re-opened following lengthy renovations towards the end of last
season. Whether that is enough to keep Omiya in the top flight remains
to be seen, as the Saitama strugglers get set for yet another relegation
dogfight.
2007 finish : 15th
2007 top scorer: Kota Yoshihara (5 goals in 26 games)
2007 average attendance: 11,741
Stadium
Omiya
Stadium (21,500)
Shimizu S-Pulse
A second successive fourth place finish was a satisfactory result
for Shimizu last season, but they could struggle to repeat their
success in 2008 given the departure of Korean striker Cho Jae-Jin.
The Korean star has been Shimizu's top scorer for the past
two seasons, and new signing Marcos Aurelio will have some big boots
to fill if Shimizu are to enjoy a repeat of their recent success.
Shimizu have also drafted in former Brazilian international Marcos
Paulo Alves, but the key signings could be youngsters Takuya Honda,
Shinji Tsujio and Genki Omae. S-Pulse will also rely on contributions
from mercurial playmaker Jungo Fujimoto and ex-Gamba Osaka midfielder
Fernandinho, while elsewhere the side is peppered with a blend of
youth and experience.
S-Pulse have arguably punched above their weight in recent seasons
and they could struggle to break into the top five in 2008, given
the loss of their talismanic star striker. Nonetheless their atmospheric
Nihondaira Stadium will remain an imposing venue for away teams,
particularly if young strikers Takuro Yajima and Shinji Okazaki
can make the step up from bit-part players to full-time goal scoring
forwards.
2007 finish : 4th
2007 top scorer: Cho Jae-Jin (13 goals in 28 games)
2007 average attendance: 15,952
Stadium
Nihondaira
(20,339)
Tokyo Verdy
Tokyo Verdy finished second in J2 under former Japan international
Ruy Ramos last season, but Ramos has moved upstairs and made way
for Tetsuji Hashiratani to take over as coach of the fallen giants.
There's an air of familiarity to the 2008 Verdy vintage, with
ex-FC Tokyo stars and former Japan internationals Yoichi Doi and
Takashi Fukunishi joining the club, along with former Yokohama F.
Marinos stalwart Daisuke Nasu. Despite those additions Tokyo Verdy
could struggle in attack now that last season's J2 top scorer the
incredible Hulk (37 goals in 42 matches) has departed for Kawasaki
Frontale, and there'll be plenty of pressure on ex-Sao Paulo striker
Leandro to find his scoring form as quickly as possible. The side
will once again be steered around the park by veteran Toshihiro
Hattori, but elsewhere Tokyo Verdy look short on quality.
Delusions of grandeur have cost Tokyo Verdy dearly in the past,
and the capital club would no doubt be satisfied with simply finishing
above the drop zone on their return to J1.
2007 finish : 2nd (J2)
2007 top scorer: Hulk (37 goals in 42 games)
2007 average attendance: 7,327
Stadium
Ajinomoto
Stadium (50,000)
Urawa Reds
Urawa's inexplicable collapse at the end of last season - which
climaxed in their incredible final day defeat at relegated Yokohama
FC, has trigged an overhaul of coach Holger Osieck's squad. Gone
are Makoto Hasebe, Shinji Ono and the Brazilian duo of Fabio Nene
and Washington, to be replaced by Alessandro Santos, Tsukasa Umesaki,
Edmilson and Naohiro Takahara. The tenacious Keita Suzuki will once
again steer Urawa around the park, and Edmilson and ex-Eintracht
Frankfurt star Takahara should form a dynamic duo up front, although
where the dynamic Tatsuya Tanaka fits in remains to be seen.
Holger Osieck blamed his side's collapse last season on
Urawa's gruelling AFC Champions League campaign, and the defending
Asian champions will be pleased to enter this season's competition
at the quarter-final stage. They'll be desperate to reclaim
their mantle as Japan's premier team, however, and they'll
need to improve on a home record that saw them drop crucial points
at Saitama Stadium last season.
Urawa can rely on arguably the most passionate fans in Japanese
football to make life uncomfortable for visiting teams, and those
fans will demand another tilt at the title from the Saitama giants
this season.
2007 finish : 2nd
2007 top scorer: Washington (16 goals in 26 games)
2007 average attendance: 46,667
Stadium
Saitama
Stadium (63,700)
Vissel Kobe
Vissel Kobe are an enigmatic side, perhaps best summed up by their
enigmatic star striker Yoshito Okubo. The one-time Real Mallorca
hit man enjoyed a superb season last time out, earning a recall
to the Japan side and proving a masterful foil for young Brazilian
striker Leandro.
Once again Kobe will rely heavily on those two players, although
the club have also made some astute acquisitions, bringing in Norio
Suzki, Takayuki Yoshida, Shota Matsuhashi and Korean star Kim Nam-Il,
among others. The Kansai scrappers revel in spoiling the ambitions
of rival clubs, and they'll be particularly looking forward
to duels with local rivals Gamba Osaka and Kyoto Sanga FC in 2008.
Having languished in J2 during the 2006 season Kobe will be eager
to consolidate their place in the top flight. In doing so, they'll
also look to entice back some of the stayaway fans who remain unhappy
with the reign of controversial Chairman Hiroshi Mikitani.
2007 finish : 10th
2007 top scorer: Leandro (15 goals in 32 games)
2007 average attendance: 12,460
Stadium
Kobe
'Wing' Stadium (34,000)
Yokohama F. Marinos
Three times J. League champions Yokohama F. Marinos limped to
a seventh placed finish last season. The highlight was arguably
an 8-1 thrashing of local rivals Yokohama FC in front of more than
50,000 fans at Nissan Stadium, but the Tricolore's struggles
in front of their home fans spelled the end for unpopular coach
Hiroshi Hayano. He has been replaced by veteran Takashi Kuwahara,
who lifted two J. League titles while at the helm of Jubilo Iwata
in the late nineties.
Yokohama's fortunes rest heavily on the form of mercurial
midfielder Koji Yamase. The ex-Urawa man was Yokohama's best
last season, but with Yamase looking to establish himself in the
Japan set-up, Marinos fans will hope that the diminutive playmaker
can also fire his club side to some domestic success. Brazilians
Roni and Lopes have been brought in to bolster an attack that has
been shorn of Marques de Abreu, Takayuki Yoshida, Mike Havenaar
and ex-Japan international Takayuki Suzuki, with goal-scoring an
on-going problem for the Kanagawa giants.
It's been four seasons since Marinos lifted a trophy, and
the club's demanding fans may have to settle for a top five
finish this time around, as Yokohama struggles to keep pace with
the likes of Urawa and Kashima.
2007 finish : 7th
2007 top scorer: Hideo Oshima (14 goals in 30 games)
2007 average attendance: 24,039
Stadium
Nissan
Stadium (72,000)
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