J.League Bounces Back; Trumps Other Asian Leagues

This weekend saw a full slate of J1 and J2 games take place in Japan. The first games since the opening weekend of March 5th and 6th for most teams. Despite having the advantage of playing some 'competitive' games in the ACL for the last couple of weeks, three of Japan's ACL representatives crashed to heavy defeats against fresher J1 opponents.

Grampus falling to a 0-3 loss in Urawa, the Antlers also conceding three to the Marinos (also 0-3) in what was ostensibly a home game at National Stadium, and Gamba going one better, losing 4-1 in Hiroshima. Proof positive that the j.League is the best league in Asia.

J.League agrees to resume games on April 23 - English

Headline says it all. Will post links to the updates schedule when it is available. They have a lot of games to make up. (This also means that our next games should be the ACL clashes with FC Seoul, at Home on May 6 and Away on May 19. At least we will be fresh, if not to say rusty. )
asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：SOCCER/ J.League agrees to resume games on April 23 - English

AFP: Japan hero Honda freed for quake charity game

Former Grampus stars, Keisuke Honda and Maya Yoshida will be part of the Japan squad that takes on a J.League select team, managed by Grampus manager Stojkovic, in Osaka next Tuesday. All 12 Europe-based players have been released for this charity match, despite the clubs not being obliged to release any of them.

AFP: Japan hero Honda freed for quake charity game

Toyota City Looking for Volunteer Translators/Interpreters

Toyota City is looking for volunteers who can help translate/interpret for people in the disaster area. The main demand is for English, but they are also looking for Portuguese, Chinese, Spanish and Korean translators. Lend a hand if you can.
Information in Japanese can be found here:
ＴＩＡ 東北地方太平洋沖地震 「外国人被災者支援の緊急翻訳ボランティア募集」

Japan's nuclear crisis is not Chernobyl, say experts | News.com.au

Finally, some slightly less hysterical reporting of the current situation.

Japan's nuclear crisis is not Chernobyl, say experts | News.com.au

BBC News - In graphics: Fukushima nuclear alert

Tokyo Electric Power Co.,　(TEPCO) demonstrates to the world how not to control a disaster.
Radiation fears after Japan blastBBC News - In graphics: Fukushima nuclear alert

Extra-Time Pain For Australia - Australian FourFourTwo - The Ultimate football Website

Extra-Time Pain For Australia - Australian FourFourTwo - The Ultimate football Website

Japan Clinch Asian Cup in Heart-stopping Thriller

Japan rode their luck, somewhat, in this game to win their fourth Asian Cup title and seal a place in the Confederations Cup. A textbook volley by Sanfrecce's Tadanari Lee early in the second period of Extra Time, seeing a valiant effort by Australia end in heartbreak.

Australia proved worthy finalists, as they tested Japan more effectively than any of the the other teams they faced, and indeed should really have won this game if they had been able to finish off their moves. They had much the better of the game, but by the time Eiji Kawasahima had made his second brilliant stop at the feet of Harry Kewell in the second half, you felt it was never going to be their day. So it proved as a pin-point cross found Lee in acres of space, and he sent his perfectly struck volley arrowing into the net.

Grampus new boy, Jungo Fujimoto, starting his first game of the finals, had a poor game and was replaced by Daiki Iwamaasa early in the second half. Not surprisingly, he looked a bit off the pace, and had few opportunities to show his attacking quality. This was true of the whole Japan team, which was curiously subdued for much of the game. The crisp passing and probing runs that had highlighted their play in this tournament was missing and they clearly missed the spark provided by the injured Shinji Kagawa.

Other Views

Japan Times: Lee stunner gives Japan Asian Cup

Asahi News: Lee's strike secures title for Samurai Blue

Asian Cup Final: Japan v. Australia - Japan

The World Cup blog's take on the upcoming Japan vs Australia final.

Asian Cup Final: Japan v. Australia - Japan

The local media are making a big fuss about Shinji Kagawa's broken foot, but Fujimoto, Hosogai or Kashiwagi will all make perfectly good replacements.

Japan Edge Korea to Advance to Asian Cup Final

A couple of controversial penalties, and another hard, combative, close game between Korea and Japan. This game had plenty of drama, controversy and passion. It was a cracking game, despite the best efforts of the referee to ruin it.

Japan eventually went through to the final after winning the penalty shootout 3-0, with Korea failing to convert any of the three kicks they had. Eiji Kawashima saved the first two, forcing the third kicker to miss in his effort to keep it away from the Japan keeper.

Japan Times: Japan reaches final

Japan Down Sad Qatar

Even with the help of 'home' ref, Qatar could not muster the composure to get past Japan in the first Asian Cup 1/4 final. A fighting display by Japan, saw them overcome the dismissal of Maya Yoshida to come back from 2-1 down to silence the home crowd and send Bruno Metsu's feisty charges crashing out of the tournament. The fighting spirit shown by Japan, along with the crisp passing the team has displayed in recent games, suggest that Zaccheroni may be able to take them to the next level. The passing still tends to look pretty without providing much penetration, but gives them more control of the game and with the likes of Endo and Honda in midfield, the extra time and space eventually pays dividends.

Asian Cup 2011: Japan Appeal To AFC About Eiji Kawashima's Red Card Against Syria - Goal.com

The JFA appealing a refs decision. Does this mean the J.League will also allow decisions to be reviewed, if there is a clear error? Probably not. They will just be embarrassed on Sunday Morning again, as usual.

Asian Cup 2011: Japan Appeal To AFC About Eiji Kawashima's Red Card Against Syria - Goal.com

Chaos Rules in Qatar

Japan overcome a controversial penalty decision to ease past Syria in another game they should won easily. The Iranian referee overruled his lineman, who had flagged for offside, and adjudged that it was a Japanese player who had played the ball back. Replays are far less convincing, but Japan manager Zaccheroni seems to have agreed with the ref, saying that they linesman had been wrong. They both must have eagle-sharp eyes. Meanwhile. Ryoichi Maeda had another poor game, wasting several good chances to give Japan a more comfortable margin of victory. Fortunately, Daisuke Matsui and Yasuhito Endo were back to their best and helped ensure that Japan got the three points they deserved.

Reuters: Japan ride out penalty controversy to beat Syria

Japan Snatch Draw against Jordan

In a game they should really have won quite comfortably, Japan struggled to a last-gasp draw in their opening game of the Asian Cup. Maya Yoshida, headed home the equaliser two minutes into the four minutes of added time. The former Grampus defender had already seen a first-half goal cruelly ruled out for offside (Maya wasn't but Matsui was), and had been the unlucky defender to get the touch that deflected the ball past Kawashima for the Jordan goal.

Shinji Kagawa, Tadanari Lee and Makoto Hasebe all had good chances to score but failed to do so. On the other hand, Jordan rarely threatened Kawashima's goal, apart from the deflected shot and a couple of chances when lax marking allowed them headers they should not have had.

So, the Year of the Rabbit has got off to familiar start. Japan struggling to make their superior possession and technique count against determined but ultimately outclassed opponents. The most worrying aspect was manager Zaccheroni's reaction, who spent much of the game looking like a rabbit caught in headlights. Not an encouraging sign that he will be able to lift the team and get them to earn the wins they should be getting against this sort of opponent. Japan will have to get past several such teams during the qualifying rounds for the next World Cup.

Japan Lineup
                 Eiji Kawashima
Atsuto Uchida, Yasuyuki Konno, Maya Yoshida, Yuto Nagatomo
Shinji Kagawa, Yasuhito Endo, Makoto Hasebe, Daisuke Matsui (Shinji Okazaki 58')
                       Keisuke Honda (Fujimoto 90')
                       Ryoichi Maeda (Tadanari Lee HT)

Asahi News: Zac's Japan narrowly escapes defeat

Football Japan name Asian Cup squad - Channel NewsAsia

Zaccheroni names former Grampus stars Keisuke Honda and Maya Yoshida in his final squad of 23 for the upcoming Asian Cup. So the only current Grampus player who may make the trip to Qatar is Josh Kennedy, who could miss it if his back does not respond to treatment in time.

Football Japan name Asian Cup squad - Channel NewsAsia

Japan News Another Source

For another source of Japan related news, apart from those listed in the left, try the Japan section of the World Cup Blog.

FIFA 'picks' Qatar and Russia

FIFA, surprise, surprise, have opted to give the World Cup to Russia and Qatar. Choices that will do nothing to dispell the whiff of corruption and dirty deals at the heart FIFA decisions.

BBC: Russia & Qatar will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups

The Age: Claims of bribes ignored by FIFA

The Telegraph: The £66m 'bribe' shadow hanging over Fifa

Zaccheroni Off to Flying Start

The Japan national team maintained the positive momentum they built up during the World Cup to record a win over traditional powerhouse Argentina. Whether this proves to be good for the Italian, remains to be seen. It is likely to lead to unrealistic expectations in some quarters.

Fielding a starting lineup that rested hurting Grampus stalwart Tulio, the team proved that it is still able to defend even without either Yuji Nakazawa or Tulio at the heart of the back line. An impressive team display saw them limit Messi, Tevez and Co., to a handful of half chances, with Kawashima only called into serious action to save a free kick.

Even the Argie highlights struggle to find clear chances for their team.

Japan Lineup

               Eiji Kwasahima (Shusaku Nishikawa 85')
Yuto Nagatomo, Yuzo Kurihara, Yasuyuki Konno, Atsuto Uchida
Shinji Kagawa (Kengo Nakamura 77'), Yasuhito Endo (Yuki Abe 71'), Makoto Hasegawa, Keisuke Honda
Shinji Okazaki (Kunimitsu Sekiguchi 71'), Takayuki Morimoto (Ryoichi Maeda 65')

Other Views
Japan Times: Zaccheroni records win in Japan debut
Asahi Shimbun: Zaccheroni Japan impressive

Okada; 10th Best Manager in the World?

Move over Fabio, time to let someone else try their hand at the England job. Japan manager, Takeshi Okada, may soon be available as he has said that he will quit the Japan job now that the World Cup has finished. He at least has been named as one of the more successful at the World Cup.
See ZonalMarking's article here.

Japan Eases into Knockout Stage

Japan eased to a surprisingly comfortable 3-1 win over Denmark to earn a Round of 16 matchup against Paraguay. Denmark, with no defence or midfield to speak of (and both Bendtner and Tomasson clearly not quite 100%), were no match for the Samurai Blue. The South Americans will be a tougher test, but are a team against whom Japan should have a good chance. It should be a fascinating game with both teams in with an equal chance of progressing to the quarter-finals.

Japan could easily have scored another couple of goals on top of the three they did manage. Kyoto native, Daisuke Matsui, was unlucky to see an early effort blocked by Danish keeper Sorensen, in one of his few good plays of the game. He certainly did not distinguish himself on either of the free kicks from which Japan scored the first two goals. Both were well taken, but greatly helped by poorly built wall and bad positioning by the keeper.

Manager Takeshi Okada will feel vindicated by the results so far, and we hope that the players can continue to play this well in the next game. In a tournament that has seen many of the big name teams struggle, his semi-final target may yet be achievable.

The results after the group games, see Japan lie joint sixth in the world rankings, alongside Spain.

Rank	Fed	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	CONMEBOL	Argentina	3	3	0	0	6	9
2	UEFA	Netherlands	3	3	0	0	4	9
3	CONMEBOL	Uruguay	3	2	1	0	4	7
4	CONMEBOL	Brazil	3	2	1	0	3	7
5	UEFA	Germany	3	2	0	1	4	6
6	AFC	Japan	3	2	0	1	2	6
6	UEFA	Spain	3	2	0	1	2	6
8	CONMEBOL	Chile	3	2	0	1	1	6
9	UEFA	Portugal	3	1	2	0	7	5
10	CONMEBOL	Paraguay	3	1	2	0	2	5
11	CONCACAF	USA	3	1	2	0	1	5
11	UEFA	England	3	1	2	0	1	5
13	CONCACAF	Mexico	3	1	1	1	1	4
13	CAF	Ivory Coast	3	1	1	1	1	4
15	UEFA	Slovenia	3	1	1	1	0	4
15	CAF	Ghana	3	1	1	1	0	4
15	UEFA	Switzerland	3	1	1	1	0	4
18	AFC	South Korea	3	1	1	1	-1	4
18	UEFA	Slovakia	3	1	1	1	-1	4
20	CAF	South Africa	3	1	1	1	-2	4
21	AFC	Australia	3	1	1	1	-3	4
22	OFC	New Zealand	3	0	3	0	0	3
23	UEFA	Serbia	3	1	0	2	-1	3
24	UEFA	Greece	3	1	0	2	-3	3
24	UEFA	Denmark	3	1	0	2	-3	3
26	UEFA	Italy	3	0	2	1	-1	2
27	CAF	Nigeria	3	0	1	2	-2	1
27	CAF	Algeria	3	0	1	2	-2	1
29	UEFA	France	3	0	1	2	-3	1
29	CONCACAF	Honduras	3	0	1	2	-3	1
31	CAF	Cameroon	3	0	0	3	-3	0
32	AFC	North Korea	3	0	0	3	-11	0