CHILDREN FULL OF LIFE

"In the award-winning documentary Children Full of Life, a fourth-grade class in a primary school in Kanazawa, northwest of Tokyo, learn lessons about compassion from their homeroom teacher, Toshiro Kanamori.

"He instructs each to write their true inner feelings in a letter, and read it aloud in front of the class.

"By sharing their lives, the children begin to realize the importance of caring for their classmates."



Thank you to Anonymous for the link.

Children Full of Life (2 of 5)‏ - YouTube

Children Full of Life (3 of 5)‏ - YouTube



Children Full of Life (5 of 5)‏ - YouTube

FOODS TO PROTECT AGAINST RADIATION

Simple foods provide protection against radiation exposure

"Sulfur-containing antioxidants found in ... broccoli, kale, cabbage, and garlic have been found to provide protection against radiation exposure through their detoxifying properties.

"Pectin in fruits has also been shown to reduce levels of the radioactive substance Cs-137...

"A study published in Russia ... used concentrates of dietary fiber from lemon peel and beet root among other plants and found that the fiber did have radioprotective properties. The authors concluded that concentrated dietary fiber can be used ... to accelerate the elimination of nuclides or radioactive elements."

"The Swedish Government monitored the radiation level of foods following the Chernobyl disaster. They found that most animal based foods including meat, dairy, and fish had higher levels of radioactive substances than fruits, vegetables, grains, and potatoes."



Various foods may help guard against radiation (ESSENCETIAL LIFE: RADIATION Protection Foods etc / Nuclear Radiation Protection with Nutrition The No Diet Blog)

Beetroot

Rosemary

If your body lacks calcium, potassium and other nutrients, it will more readily absorb the radioactive elements, so eat plenty of the following:

Bananas, sunflower seeds, pumpkins seeds, green leafy veg, black beans, apricots, avocados, brussel sprouts, dates, figs, potatoes, prunes, raisins, tomatoes, mint, dandelion, celery, carrots

Black Strap Molasses, Apple Cider Vinegar

Vitamin B3 (Niacin / Nicotinic Acid)

Seaweeds, shellfish, and butter (contain Iodine)

Green tea, eggs, tumeric, ginger.

AVOID taking too much of any of the above. Taking a lot of beetroot juice, for example, can make your urine turn red!

~~

FUKUSHIMA FALSE FLAG

From http://twelfthbough.blogspot.com/

Webre and Moret ... discuss the likelihood that Fukushima was a false flag.

"Among the objectives of the controllers of the Fukushima quake/nuke false flag operation on Japan were the crippling of Japan and the rendering of at least 1/3 of Japan radioactive in order to cripple the Japan détente with China..."

Michael Cohen (allnewsweb.com):

"UFO sightings and alien interest in both earthquakes and nuclear plants have been documented for years.

"This publication has reported extensively on the intense, if not unprecedented , UFO activity in Japan before, during and after both the earthquake and the tsunami. So it comes as no surprise that a number of UFO sightings as well as film evidence of alien activity around the damaged Fukushima Nuclear Plant have come to light."

Full details here: filling the gap

~~

NUCLEAR JAPAN

In Japan, plutonium is created as a by-product of the nuclear energy industry.

In 1995, Japan was reported to have 4.7 tons of plutonium, enough for around 700 nuclear warheads.

Japan has a uranium enrichment plant which could be used to make highly enriched uranium suitable for weapon use.

Japan has developed the M-V three-stage solid fuel rocket, similar in design to the U.S. LGM-118A Peacekeeper ICBM, which could serve as a delivery vehicle for nuclear weapons. (Japanese nuclear weapon program - Wikipedia)

Note the following:

(1) Secret Weapons Program Inside Fukushima Nuclear Plants?

(2) "Like Israel, Japan is a "secret" nuclear power."


Japan has raised the severity level of its Fukushima nuclear crisis to the maximum seven.

This is the same level as Chernobyl. (Japan raises nuclear crisis to same level as Chernobyl)

The 2009 report, "Chernobyl: Consequences of the Catastrophe for People and the Environment", published by the New York Academy of Sciences, estimates the number of deaths attributable to the Chernobyl meltdown at about 980,000. (Nuclear apologists mislead the world over radiation)

FT guide to radiation

To measure radiation, scientists use the unit known as the sievert (Sv) – divided into thousandths (millisieverts or mSv) and millionths (microsieverts or µSv).

The figures below show typical exposure levels and their effects:

2 mSv per year - typical background exposure from the environment (actual level depends on altitude, natural radioactivity of local rocks, etc)

2.4 mSv per year - average dose to US nuclear industry workers

9 mSv per year - exposure to airline crew flying regularly between New York and Tokyo

20 mSv per year - current limit (averaged) for nuclear industry employees and uranium miners

100 mSv per year - lowest level at which any increase in cancer risk is clearly evident

(The US National Academy of Sciences BEIR VII report has concluded, no dose of radiation is safe.)

1000 mSv (1 sievert) cumulative - estimated to cause a fatal cancer many years later in 5 out of every 100 people exposed to it

1,000 mSv (1 sievert) single dose - temporary radiation sickness - not fatal

5,000 mSv (5 sieverts) single dose - fatal within a month to half of those who receive it

10,000 mSv (10 sieverts) single dose - fatal within weeks

~~

Worldwide Spread of Radio-Active Material from Japan

Chernobyl victims photo from: http://members.greenpeace.org/gpblog.../chernobyl.jpg

Model of global distribution of radio-active emissions from Fukushima


~

THE BAD GUYS AND NUMBERS

Website for this image globalrumblings.blogspot.com

Some events linked to the number eleven:

11 November 1918 - on the 11th hour, World War I ended (11/11/18)

11 September 1941 - the construction of the Pentagon began.

11 September 1973 - The CIA put Pinochet into power in Chile.

11 September 1990 - Bush gave his State of the Union Address about the New World Order.

11 September 2001 - The World Trade Centre attacks took place.

11 March 2004 - The Madrid terror attacks.

11 February 2011 - Mubarak stepped down.

11 march 2011 - The Earthquake and tsunami hit Japan

Japan Earthquake 11 - 3 - 11

On 9 11 (9 November 1989) the Berlin Wall came down, an event organised by the CIA and its communist counterparts.

911 days after 9/11/01 the Madrid Bombings took place.

~~~

Bush's invasion of Iraq began on 19 March 2003.

Obama's invasion of Libya began on 19 March 2011.

8 Years To The Day

~~~

President Kennedy was assassinated in the 11th month, on the 22nd day, and on the 33rd parallel.

~~~

JAPAN EARTHQUAKE CAUSED BY US MILITARY?

A13 drew our attention to the article entitled:

"HAARP Magnetometer data shows the Japan earthquake was induced.":

The United States Air Force and Navy has provided a visual insight into what caused the 9.0 magnitude off of Japan on March 11, 2011 at 05:46:23 UTC.

The image above was downloaded from the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) website.

It is a time-frequency spectrogram, which shows the frequency content of signals recorded by the HAARP Induction Magnetometer.

This instrument, provided by the University of Tokyo, measures temporal variations in the geomagnetic field (Earth’s magnetosphere) in the ULF (ultra-low frequency) range of 0-5 Hz.

Notions have been added to the image to show you what was happening the day the Japan earthquake and tsunami struck.

By looking at the accompanying HAARP spectrum chart above you can see when the 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck – red line drawn vertically – and what was happening before and after the earthquake.

What you can also see is a constant ULF frequency of 2.5 Hz being recorded by the magnetometer.

The ULF 2.5 Hz frequency is evidence of an induced earthquake.

The chart recorded this constant before, during and after the 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck.

On March 11, 2011 the 2.5 Hz ULF frequency was being emitted and recorded from 0:00 hours to about 10:00 hours – or for 10 hours.

We know for a fact that the Japan earthquake lasted only a few minutes so why was the earthquake signature frequency (2.5 Hz) being recorded for 10 hours on the morning of March 11, 2011?

Because a HAARP phased array antenna system was broadcasting (transmitting) the 2.5Hz ULF frequency and it triggered the Japan earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

If you go to HAARP’s official website you can see for yourself that the 2.5 Hz ULF frequency wasn’t only being broadcated for 10 hours, it was constantly being broadcasted for 2 days prior to the earthquake.

Broadcasting began on March 8, 2011, just before midnight as you can see on HAARP’s website page – http://maestro.haarp.alaska.edu/cgi-bin/scmag/disp-scmag.cgi?20110308.

Click on the Next Day link to see that the earthquake inducing 2.5 Hz ULF frequency was being broadcasted for the entire days of March 9, 2011 and March 10, 2011.

Even though the signature frequency of an earthquake was shown throughout March 9 and March 10 there were no constant earthquakes occurring off the east coast of Japan.



What is the significance of a 2.5 Hz ULF broadcast?

The natural resonance of an earthquake is 2.5 Hz.

Scientists working for the United States military discovered this using the phased array antennas at the HAARP facility in Alaska.

HAARP’s own charts suggests that earthquakes occurred constantly for 3 days.

We know for a fact that they haven’t.

The HAARP magnetometer data provides proof that the Japan earthquake was not a naturally occurring quake – it was triggered.

This data shows us that a HAARP military installation was broadcasting the known earthquake signature frequency in order to trigger a major earthquake.

The broadcast was most likely being transmitted from a floating HAARP system like the floating Sea-Based X-Band Radar platform that can be moved anywhere in the Pacific or Atlantic ocean under the protection of a carrier strike group – like the USS Ronald Regan.

Where was the USS Ronald Reagan on the morning of March 11, 2011?

According to a Stars & Stripes March 9, 2011 report – Reagan carrier group steams toward South Korea to join exercise.


MORE HERE: HAARP Magnetometer data shows Japan earthquake was induced ...

AND HERE: I Understand and I wish to Continue: A Worm IN The Works..

NUCLEAR STUFF IS DANGEROUS

Nuclear stuff is dangerous. (URANIUM IN THE UK, USA AND ELSEWHERE )

A graphic showing the path of the Japanese nuclear plume ...

Contamination with nuclear material has been going on for years - URANIUM IN THE UK, USA AND ELSEWHERE



Iraq

Some people think Chernobyl was the result of Sabotage

"Articles about the possibility that Chernobyl 'accident' was staged by foreign secret service agencies started to emerge in the Russian press (Sovietskaya Rossiya, June 16, 1992, April 25, 1996, Za Ruskoe Delo 6, 38, 1996, Trud, April 26, 1995) and elsewhere, recently reappearing on Pravda.ru (February, 2004) .

"These allegations were based on observations that, under scrutiny:

"It is unlikely that the sequence of events that led to the meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor could have been accidental"

"Technicians who disconnected the safety mechanisms of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant,Alexandrov, Feinberg, Sagdeev, Zaslavsky,are now living in comfort abroad."

Iran says its nuclear programme was hit by sabotage

"Conspiracy theory: ... set off a global disaster that will upset/reset the world economy.

"Since the economy is essentially one big Ponzi scheme, blaming the scheme's collapse on a 'causeless' catastrophic event like this poses the only way to preempt the real reason: because we've run out of money to prop up the pyramid.

"The execution of such a disaster is highly feasible: setting off an explosion in a building is beyond simple. As for the earthquake, they could have waited for it, or used HAARP..." (DAE think that Japan's nuclear plants were blown up on purpose to ... )

~~

Japan's World Cup campaign set to kick-off

Japan begin their quest to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa when they meet Thailand at Saitama Stadium tonight.

The Blue Samurai warmed up for the fixture by recording a 0-0 draw with Chile at the National Stadium in Tokyo on January 26, before beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0 at the same venue four days later.

Koji Yamase came off the bench to score twice against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the Yokohama F. Marinos star is not expected to start against Thailand.

19-year-old Kashima Antlers youngster Atsuto Uchida is widely expected to feature in the run-on side in place of experienced Gamba Osaka defender Akira Kaji.

Coach Takeshi Okada has also named a 35-man interim squad for the upcoming East Asian Championship in China.

Kashima midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara was a notable omission, while there was a surprise recall for Alessandro Santos, who recently rejoined Urawa Reds after spending a season at Austrian club Salzburg.

Okada looks set to become embroiled in a club versus country row with Urawa Reds coach Holger Osieck. The German-born Osieck has asked for the club's new star signing Naohiro Takahara to be excused from the East Asian Championship, with another long J-League campaign set to kick-off in March.

Japan kick-off their East Asian Championship campaign against DPR Korea on February 17, before they take on hosts China and finish off with a clash against arch-rivals Korea Republic.

Pan-Pacific Championship

The inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship gets under way in Hawaii on February 20, with J-League side Gamba Osaka set to take on David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy, in a match that is sure to generate plenty of interest in Japan.

The other clash sees fellow MLS side Houston Dynamo take on either Sydney FC or Queensland Roar, with the outcome of the A-League finals series set to determine which Australian team makes the trip to Hawaii.

The respective winners of the two matches meet in the tournament final on February 23.

Japanese Players Overseas

Shunsuke Nakamura and Koki Mizuno : Celtic

Shunsuke Nakamura has returned from a knee injury that plagued him towards the end of 2007 and was instrumental in Celtic's recent 5-1 Scottish Cup thrashing of Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. New signing Koki Mizuno was not included in the squad having only just completed his move from JEF United.

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto : Salzburg

With Alessandro Santos having rejoined former club Urawa Reds, ex-Gamba Osaka defender Tsuneyasu Miyamoto is now the sole Japanese player at Austrian club Salzburg. Miyamoto is currently injured and is unlikely to feature in the Salzburg starting eleven when the Austrian Bundesliga resumes on February 15.

Daisuke Matsui : Le Mans

Former Kyoto Sanga FC man Daisuke Matsui is enjoying a stellar season in the French Ligue 1, and he scored the winner in Le Mans' 1-0 win over glamour side AS Monaco last weekend.

Shinji Ono : VfL Bochum

Injury-plagued former Japan international Shinji Ono has joined Bundesliga club VfL Bochum from 2006 J-League champions Urawa Reds, and the ex-international made a dream start, coming off the bench to set up both goals in Bochum's come-from-behind win over high fliers Werder Bremen at the weekend.

Naoya Kikuchi : Carl Zeiss Jena

Former Jubilo Iwata star Naoya Kikuchi injured ligaments in training shortly after signing for 2.Bundesliga strugglers Carl Zeiss Jena. The midfielder, who is serving a year long domestic ban after his arrest for having sex with a 15-year-old-school girl last year, is expected to miss between four to six weeks of action for his new club.

Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com

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Milan Win World Club Cup

After the excitement generated by the semi finals I decided to head somewhere more tranquil. Catching the westward bound Shinkansen I headed for Itsukushima, home of the floating shrine and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It offered a stark contrast to the previous night as there were more deer than
people wandering around the dimly lit streets. But in the bay the floating shrine was lit up. I understand that mere mortals used to have to enter the island by boat through this shrine. These days it would seem to be a matter of studying the tides as the two times I have been here the shrine appears to be standing on a mud flat.

Choosing something to eat isn't as difficult as you would imagine here in Japan. Mainly due to the fact that outside the majority of establishments they have either a photograph or a plastic imitation of the dishes available.

The main problem I have is when they describe the dish in English, seeing the likes of eel, squid and octopus immediately puts me off, whereas written in Japanese the food might still look appealing. This night I chose a local speciality okonomiyaki, a noodle dish with pancakes and
fried eggs as well as shaved fish, called hanakatsuo. When this is added as a topping to a hot dish, the heat has the effect of making the flakes move as if dancing; because of this, it is also known as dancing fish flakes.
Watching the shavings move made me wonder if John Lennon was on drugs or just eating okonomiyaki.

It just so happened that the next day Sanfrecce Hiroshima were hosting Jubilo Iwata in the Emperor's Cup. So taking the Astram line monorail out of the city, with buildings below and hills on either side I eventually reached The Big Arch, home of Sanfrecce and almost a World Cup venue in 2002. As I walked in I was handed a leaflet, with closer inspection I found that it was
a songsheet for the supporters, complete with words (in Japanese). So later
I was to be entertained with Smoke on the Water, Ale, Ale Hiroshima
(possibly a drinking song) and The Great Escape.

Two well taken free kicks gave Sanfrecce a comfortable win and a place in the semi-finals of the Emperor's Cup. This appeared to appease the home supporters in the sparse crowd who looked a little lost in the 50,000 stadium built originally for the 1994 Asian Games.

Headed homeward after the match on the Shinkansen with a brief stop (normally less than a minute between arriving and departing stations (at Osaka and then a slight detour in Nagoya) before arriving back in Tokyo on the eve of the Club World Cup Final.

The first match of the day saw Urawa Red Diamonds clinch third spot thanks to a 4-2 penalty shoot win, after a 2-2 draw during normal time. Washington the Urawa goalscorer, with two headed goals will be greatly missed as he is now to return to Brazil. However he has promised the Japanese that one day he will be back to manage the only club he could ever play for in Japan.



The final itself was a simply a showcase for Kaka, who in turn used it to announce that he belonged to Jesus. Kaka was a constant menace and as well scoring he provided two assists and provoked into a foul a Boca player which saw him sent off. Boca supporters continued their chant of "dale Boca" throughout, but whilst it must have looked as though the team were dallying, in truth Kaka delivered a performance which saw him crowned World Player of the year, if the vote had gone to anyone else they would have changed it after watching this display. His performance meant that once again Brazil were the winners of this competition, a fact which clearly hurt the Argentinians. He taunted the Boca fans with the trophy and Brazil flag as he ran round on Milan's lap of honour.



Once again Japan has left its impression on me. The place where you start the day with the latest energy drink, with two pills dispensed in a plastic cup before knocking back some potion. The cleanliness of the place, where even at the football stadiums people pick up their rubbish and place it in the bins provided. Where you now pay for items by scanning your mobile phone
over a paypoint. This time though I get to leave my own (fingerprint) impression with Japan.

© Ross Clegg & Soccerphile.com


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Marcus Tulio Tanaka Anchorman?

Like the teams at the World Club Cup I have now adjusted to my surroundings, having arrived in Japan last Friday lunchtime, after an 11 hour flight and nine hours time difference.
This gave me enough time to check in at my hotel and have something to eat before collecting my tickets for the tournament and attending the opening game.

Initial frustrations over my inability to understand the language and even more frustrating being unable to read the signs are overcome by familiarity on my third trip to the country. At least they drive on the left over here.

The purchase of a rail pass is a necessity for any foreigner contemplating travelling in Japan as with a couple of trips you will have paid for it.
Having done just that, I set off for Kobe on Saturday morning. It is just under 600km away, but only 3 hours by the Hikari Super Express Shinkansen.

During the day I managed to take in the 5th Round Emperor's Cup game between Vissel Kobe and Kawaski Frontale, before heading to Chinatown and then viewing the Kobe Luminaire - a light festival held in Kobe every December since 1995 to commemorate the Hanshin earthquake of that year. The streets are closed and lit up forming what seems like an arch that leads to what could be a palace.

Returning to Tokyo I met up with a Japanese friend, Tetsuma, to see Pachuca v Etoile Sportive Du Sahel. We had already spotted large groups of schoolchildren dressed in dug out coats (a sure sign that Japanese people are going to the match), and he explained that a large number of tickets were given to schools. As we arrived at the ticket booth we were approached by a young man offering two free tickets for the game.

The match itself was frustrating but symptomatic of a lot of games played at this competition over the last few years. Both sides were restrained and play was concentrated around midfield as players held on to the ball for too long. In the first half a couple of Sahel lapses gave Alvarez a chance to shine.

Unfortunately he didn't take them and Sahel punished the Mexicans with a deflected strike late on. This delighted the travelling supporters who celebrated for some time with the team and then in the darkness of the stands in the National Stadium (which houses the Prince Chichibu Memorial Sports Museum).

The next day saw proceedings move from Tokyo to Toyota (who just happen to sponsor the tournament). Toyota lies around an hour away from Nagoya, the name of the city was changed in 1959 by the Toyada family who revived the economy of the town by founding the Toyota Motor Company. The magnificent stadium was completed in 2001 and occasionally hosts J-League side Nagoya Grampus Eight (who in a rare role reversal were originally called Toyota Motor S.C.)



The local Urawa supporters and FIFA will be delighted that they made it through to this prestigious stage of the tournament. Where they are guaranteed a further two games and a meeting with AC Milan.

The silence in the crowd was eerie on Monday night in Toyota as the game was about to kick off. Until the Urawa supporters as one, burst in to rhythmic chanting which continued for the majority of the game. This trance like state was evident as locals around us began joining in by clapping, the older folks around the stadium thankfully refrained from joining in the pogoing.

This same concentration was not matched on the pitch by last years Asian Footballer of the year, Tulio, whose defensive lapse let in Sepahan for their goal.

After the match it was back to my accommodation a Nagoya, a capsule hotel.
Once again the experience can be quite daunting as with most things Japanese there are prescribed ways that things are done. I gathered immediately that my shoes should be removed and placed in a locker. Upon payment I was given a wristband with a locker key and a number. I was shown a map which showed the layout of the beds, mine was number 163.

Having placed all my clothes in the locker, I made use of the one size fits all pink shorts. The next room had washing facilities but up the steps I could see the glass door steaming up. Walking through them revealed a communal baths with hot water being pumped through artificially replicating the hot springs found outdoors around Japan.

So having observed the ritualsand thoroughly washed myself I saw that a pile of pink shorts lay discardedin the basket next to the door. Oh well, I would have looked silly going in with my shorts.

Testing the different pools I noted that one was freezing cold. I opted for the warmer version with the bubbles massaging my back. I then found the sauna, and briefly made use of the cold pool. By this stage of the evening there was no one else around so I sheepishly investigated my
surroundings and found a door through which there was a pile of towels and Japanese style pyjamas.

Now it was off to find my capsule. (A walk around the place revealed that all the capsules fitted in just two rooms). Having found it, I slid in and proceeded to look for the light switch. I found a radio with an alarm clock but no switch. Eventually I realised that an object I had felt could be a
torch. Sure enough it was. I now pulled down my blind and retired for the night. Emerging at around 10a.m. the next morning I noted that everyone else had gone, but it didn't stop me from visiting the pool again. The hardest part of the whole experience turned out to be leaving the place.

© Ross Clegg & Soccerphile


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FRIDAY NIGHTS AND THE GATES ARE LOW

On Friday 7th December the opening match of the FIFA World Club Championship was played between Waitakere United of New Zealand and Sepahan of Iran. In this the third tournament to be held in Japan FIFA decided to alter the format slightly in order to boost attendances. Having attended in 2005, I would agree with their idea of the league winners from the host nation competing, as surely all games they play would be sold out. So with the opening game moved back to a Friday I decided to alter my schedule in order to attend such a game.

In the meantime the winners of the six confederations were playing out their own cup competitions to decide who would be there in Japan. In the Asian Cup Urawa Red Diamonds beat Sepahan 3-1 to qualify in their own right. But then I realised that Sepahan had been awarded a place at the tournament as only one team from the host country were allowed to compete. At the time Urawa held a ten point league, with four games to go and so the decision seemed fair enough. Urawa though managed to lose the title on the last day of the season to Kashima Antlers and were also knocked out of the Emperor's Cup.

So as a result of Urawas success in the Asian Cup the opening fixture was decided. Bearing in mind that the purpose of this competition is to find the best club side in the world, casting an eye down the Waitakere line up, made me think that FIFA might be changing the format again in the very near future. Danny Hay, Neil Emblem and Darren Bazeley (remember any of them?) all started for the New Zealand side. Knowing nothing about this team I read up in the programme and found that they come from just outside Auckland, have a stadium with a capacity of 8,000 and their home town is shown as a field of sheep!

So it was no surprise that Sepahan raced into a 2-0 lead within three minutes. Their Iraqi striker Emar Mohammed finding himself on a hat trick with a full 86 minutes to go. The format of the competion means that the winners go on to play Urawa Red Diamonds in a quarter final and then if successful play again on Thursday and on Sunday. So it was no surprise that Sepahan slowed the pace down and conserved energy. The first half fizzled out with a series of wayward long range shots which were never going to test the goalkeeper. Or so I thought.

With the second half just a few minutes old another long range shot, but this time it was on target, the goalkeeper had it covered, in fact it was possibly going wide, until he let it through his hands and into the net. Not content with this, as Sepahan played out time Waitakere applied pressure and the Iranian goalkeeper (a paid up member of the goalkeepers union) decided to push the ball into his own net, under the slightest pressure from Danny Hay the Waitakere captain.

The crowd was 24,788 the lowest so far for an opening game. While FIFA is being idealistic in allowing a team from New Zealand to compete for this title I wonder how long it will take before a rankings system is put into place for clubs worldwide and the entrants to be decided from this. Meaning that you have the best in both footballing and in all probability financial terms.

Ross Clegg


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Reds manager Osieck magnanimous in defeat

It’s been a rough week for the Urawa Reds to say the least.
Last Wednesday the two time defending Emperor’s Cup champions were sent packing from this year’s tournament by second-division club Ehime FC, an embarrassing 2-0 loss that was followed by an even greater disappointment on Saturday—-failure to repeat as J-League champions.
The Reds crashed to defeat to last-place Yokohama FC on the final day of the season, allowing the Kashima Antlers to spirit the title away thanks to a 3-0 victory over Shimizu S-Pulse.
The Antlers finished the season with 72 points, two more than Urawa, who only five rounds earlier had led Kashima by 10 points and looked to be a shoo-in for their second major title of the year following victory in the Asian Champions League in November.
Having lost both trophies that predecessor Guido Buchwald had captured a year earlier, current Urawa manager Holger Osieck had every right to be in a glum mood afterward. But much to his credit, the 59-year-old German took the recent defeats in stride, exhibiting the kind of class and dignity you see all too infrequently in professional sports these days.
Following are excerpts from Osieck’s press conference and a chat after Urawa’s 1-0 loss to Yokohama at Yokohama’s Nissan Stadium:


“We’ve experienced a huge disappointment today. We couldn't achieve this season's main goal but I've thanked the players, who I think have done wonderfully this season.
This past month they've been extremely tired both mentally and physically. I’ve been asked about this many times and said they weren’t bothered by all the matches but they were, they are tired. I think the victory in the ACL final made them lose the extremely high level of concentration they had all season. I think this is only human after a great achievement. But they have done really well, they have won one big title and this shows how hard it is to win two big titles in the same season.”

Q: It was a disappointing result today but how would you sum up the season to date?
“Despite the disappointment we feel today, overall it has been a very successful run with a lot of positives. Today of course it was not what we expected. We thought we could win the J-League too, but sometimes you’re lacking that final touch of concentration after winning a major title and you can observe this in many other areas. And to keep the focus up despite all our efforts it’s pretty difficult and I think subconsciously there may some kind of setback. Although the players really tried everything today, in particular the second half when we switched our system and focused more on attacking. I can’t blame anybody. They really tried hard. It wasn’t that they played arrogantly or whatever. Everybody could see they tried their utmost.”

Q: Do you think that by winning the J.League last season, the players maybe didn’t have the same fire to win it again this year?
“I don’t think so. If you want to be a successful team you’ve got to continually set new targets. And after the ACL I think it was our target and we were in the position where we could have achieved it.”

Q: Was this a tricky game for you to coach given that there was such a huge gap between the Reds and Yokohama FC?
“I didn’t see any gap today. If they had played the entire season like that they would be among the top six (instead of being relegated to J2). That’s for sure.”

Q: So were you surprised at how well they played?
“No. Because I followed their recent games on DVD and look at the scores—they hardly allowed any goals against. And they hardly scored but OK they did today but even if we had tied today it wouldn’t have been enough. We had to win.”

Q: And now you only have one week until the start of the FIFA Club World Cup. It’s relentless.
“Well it’s another big one and I hope I can get my players back in the real state of freshness, not only physically but mentally. Of course, we have to get over this disappointment today first.”

Q: The players will be down but the possibility of playing AC Milan in the semifinal should be a big motivating factor for them.
“I think the game in itself has enough motivation that it might accelerate the process of recuperation.”

Q: Will your players be physically ready for the Club World Cup?
“You may be ready, you may be in the mood, you may be willing but between what you want to do and what you can do actually because of various things is the flip side of the medal. I’m pretty sure every player will try his best and try to produce the best performance. I’m 100 percent sure, but it’s definitely a different situation when you have players in midseason playing against players at the end of a season. The other teams are all in midseason. Iran’s Sepahan started their season in August. In Europe they start their seasons at the end of July or start of August. The same with the other countries. It makes a slight difference. If we had 26 odd games less under belt our freshness would be at a different level. Those are all facts. That’s just information, nothing to do with excuses. But it must be considered.”

Q: Was there any sense of anxiety in the dressing room after losing to Ehime on Wednesday?
“No, no, no. I think we tried to keep our focus. The Ehime game was a different situation, with different players. Internally I have to deal with it. With different players on the pitch I expect them to perform. In particular when you haven’t played regularly.”

Q: Would you comment on the performance of goalkeeper Ryota Tsuzuki over the season. He’s been massive for you.
“Of course. He had a very good season. He conceded the smallest number of goals in the league. Of course the defense had a lot to do with that but there were a number of times when he was on his own and he did really well. I think he played outstandingly this season.”

Q: You seemed very friendly with Kashima manager Oswaldo Oliveira following the 1-0 loss to the Antlers in the penultimate round. Do you plan to call him tonight to congratulate him?
“From my perspective we are colleagues. OK, we are also competitors and we both want to win. But that doesn’t mean that I have to bitch at somebody or whatever. You have to admit that he is doing his job, he’s doing his best, I’m doing my job, I’m trying my best. Why not when getting together have a chat or whatnot? I think it sends a positive signal. In particular, in some countries in Europe there’s a kind of hostility that comes from within and that shouldn’t be the case. Of course I’m all for rivalry but why not shake hands? Like today, (Yokohama FC manager Julio Leal) did a great job, so should I get in his face over it? No, it’s OK, “Congratulations on a job well done.” You’ve got to have some standards otherwise you should stay home. If you cannot lose in dignity you don’t deserve to win. That’s for sure. That’s my credo and I’m living up to that.”

Q: A bit off topic, but could you comment on Takeshi Okada taking over as the new manager of the national team?
“Yeah, I read it today and I wish him the best of luck. I know him and he’s a very experienced coach and he’s very close to the top football minds in Japan, he used to be national team coach himself, and was a very successful club coach too. If it’s true, not just a media (fabrication) … I learned from my mother. She said, ‘Whatever you read in the papers is correct.’” (laughs)

Q: You had to deal with a lot of injuries this season. Do you feel a need to deepen the squad next year?
“I don’t want to touch on this today because it may sound like an excuse. I’m not the kind of guy to say, how do you say? To blame it on fatigue. It’s a fact. Everybody who’s involved in the game knows it. You have some injuries, the odd player isn’t available but OK, that is why you have a bigger squad. But a bigger squad doesn’t necessarily mean you have 18 or 19 players who play on the same level. And there must be a gap. Even the top teams have a gap. Some may have 18 players that you can use whenever they need but in every team there are key players who determine the structure of the team and you can never do without them. If those players are not playing then the entire structure is getting weaker. But no excuses. I mean we had it, we could have done it, but OK, it didn’t happen and so it wasn’t meant to be. You have to accept it. Should I now jump from here [pretending to throw himself over a railing] or shoot myself?” (laughs)

Copyright © C.G. Williams & Soccerphile.com

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Final day fight as the J-League goes down to the wire

For the third season in a row, the J-League title race will be decided on the final day of the season.

That's because Urawa Reds lost 1-0 to second-placed Kashima Antlers in front of 62,123 fans at Saitama Stadium on November 24, thanks to midfielder Takuya Nozawa's solitary strike.

Kashima had defender Toru Araiba controversially sent off for a second bookable offence after just forty-two minutes, and referee Kenji Ogiya again grabbed the headlines when he sent off Kashima substitute Yuji Funayama for "spitting" with just seconds remaining. Urawa fans claimed that Funayama had spat in their direction, but television replays suggest that Funayama simply spat on the ground before attempting to take a throw-in.

The shock loss leaves Urawa one point ahead of Kashima in the J-League standings going into the final day of the season.

In Round 34 action, Urawa travel to Nissan Stadium where they will take on rock bottom Yokohama FC. Tens of thousands of Urawa fans are expected to make the trip to the port city for what will practically be a "home" fixture for the visiting side.

Kashima Antlers will host Shimizu S-Pulse at a packed Kashima Stadium, where Kenta Hasegawa's S-Pulse will once again hope to spoil an opponent's title hopes. Shimizu delivered a fatal blow to Gamba Osaka's chances of winning the league by beating them 3-1 at Nihondaira Stadium in Round 30, and Urawa were held to a 0-0 home draw by Shimizu in Round 32, when a Reds victory would have sewn up the title.

Elsewhere Ventforet Kofu were relegated after they slumped to a 2-1 defeat away at Kashiwa Reysol - Kofu's twentieth league defeat of a turbulent season. They will join Yokohama FC in J2 next season, with Sanfrecce Hiroshima currently occupying the promotion/relegation playoff place.

In J2, Tokyo Verdy and Consadole Sapporo are neck-and-neck on 88 points going into the final round of the season. Tokyo Verdy have a superior goal difference, whilst Kyoto Sanga FC are in third place in the standings on 85 points.

Tokyo Verdy travel to Nagai Stadium in their quest to claim the J2 crown, where they will face a tough-looking Cerezo Osaka in the final league match of the season. Consadole Sapporo arguably have an easier fixture - they host second-from-bottom Mito Hollyhock at the Sapporo Dome.

Kyoto Sanga FC travel to third-from-bottom Thespa Kusatsu, with the third placed finisher in J2 set to face Sanfrecce Hiroshima in a playoff to determine which team will take their place in the top flight next season.

Urawa Reds knocked out of the Emperor's Cup

Reigning champions Urawa Reds were dumped from the Emperor's Cup by J2 side Ehime FC on November 28, going down 2-0 to the Second Division battlers in their Fourth Round encounter.

That match had been rescheduled due to Urawa's exploits in the AFC Champions League, and the Saitama side paid the price for a poor performance, with Toshiya Tanaka scoring twice as Ehime FC registered a shock Cup victory.

Ehime FC will now face a demoralised Yokohama FC in the Fifth Round of Japan's oldest sporting competition.

Ivica Osim awakes from coma

Ivica Osim, the man who lead Japan to a semi-final place at the 2007 Asian Cup, collapsed after suffering a stroke on November 16.

The Japan Football Association revealed that the 66 year old Bosnian awoke from a coma on November 28, and has shown signs of regaining full consciousness.

Takeshi Okada likely to be named new Japan coach

With Ivica Osim unlikely to return to coaching in the foreseeable future, former Japan coach Takeshi Okada is expected to take over as coach of the national team.

Okada was coach of Japan at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and he later went on to coach Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F. Marinos, winning the J-League with the latter in 2003 and 2004.

Japan Olympic Team qualifies for Beijing

Yasuharu Sorimachi's team qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games the hard way, holding Saudi Arabia to a nail-biting 0-0 draw in front of 42,913 fans at the National Stadium in Tokyo on November 21.

Needing a draw to top the group and ensure qualification, Japan can thank Sanfrecce Hiroshima midfielder Toshihiro Aoyama for the point, after he cleared a goal-bound effort off the line after just nine minutes.

Japan had plenty of chances, but Shimizu S-Pulse striker Shinji Okazaki was in a profligate mood and the match ended scoreless.

Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com

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Beer-man Osieck raises glass to Urawa's ACL victory

The Urawa Reds became the first Japanese team since Shimizu S-Pulse in 2000 to win a continental championship when they defeated Sepahan of Iran 2-0 in the final of the Asian Champions League on Wednesday at Saitama Stadium.
An elated Holger Osieck spoke afterward about the win, the season and his preferred celebratory poison of choice:

Q: Did you feel Sepahan were capable of scoring tonight?

A: They always create something. The strikers were obviously a little overambitious, they were running too early too deep and they were caught offside. But you should never underrate that. If they had scored then it would have made our players anxious and therefore you could never be 100 percent sure. If it’s a normal game sure, but in this game where you have to calculate away goals it could have made a difference. But fortunately it didn’t happen and we could keep our lead. And our boys worked extremely hard and considering what we’ve accomplished in the last couple of days, not weeks, it’s amazing. We had to travel to Iran (to play Sepahan in the first leg on Nov. 7), and then the Kawasaki Frontale game (on Nov. 11), which was like a championship game they way they played us. What they did (their rough play) was unbelievable. I have nothing against ambition but there’s a limit … And today again, we should never forget it was a final and there’s always pressure, always tension. And you could feel that throughout the day. There was nothing normal about our preparation like for a league game. Everybody knew what was at stake and you could really sense what was going on. And it was very important for us to show that we could handle this kind of pressure, handle our nerves.

Q: Ahead of the season you said Yuichiro Nagai (who scored the game winner on Wednesday) was going to be an important player for you. Do you feel vindicated now after some people questioned why you had given him the chance earlier in the season?

A: I think he started the season pretty well even though people were wondering why I played him. I have to admit that he was in kind of a slump but then he came back. His return to form came in the Gamba Osaka game (a 1-0 Urawa win on Aug. 15 in which Nagai scored the winner). From that game on he proved what he could do and did what I knew what he was able to do. He scored some very important goals for us, for example against the F. Marinos, etc., and he did a good job for us up front doing what I asked of him, such as defensively during build-ups by our opponents. I think Nagai has done very well for our team this year.

Q: There was a lot of pressure on you following in the footsteps of former manger Guido Buchwald, who won the league and Emperor’s Cup titles last season. You’ve won the ACL and are close to clinching the J.League title. It must make you very happy to be in this position?

A: I was aware of the pressure that was surrounding the team and in particular myself because it is never easy taking over a team that is very successful. It was easier for me in the old days when I coached here (1995-1996) and we were a bottom team. People were happy with any win we could get. Now we’re in a situation in which people ask for wins even if you have no chance. I recall we had some draws earlier in the season and it was not too pleasant. We lost some ground in the league and I think people became a little critical. But I am happy we could overcome it. And for me our trip to China for the A3 tournament was the turning point. That was the first time we were together as a full squad. In the preseason we were pretty much torn because of the different commitments of players and the late arrivals of our foreigners. I never had the entire team together. China was the first time we could really create some understanding and create some chemistry between the coach and team. And from then on it went OK. We won four in a row and headed into the summer break and I think that four-game streak carried over and of course we had an extra game against Sanfrecce Hiroshima that we won. Our start against Reysol was a bit bumpy but then we met Gamba and winning that was the most important thing we did. The performance of the team after that became very stable. In addition to our domestic success we had good games in the ACL. We beat Cheonbuk Motors, eliminated Seongnam Ilhwa, which was a very good team, and then today. In a nutshell that is our season, so you can close your notepads and write your stories now.

Q: After the victory over Seongnam (in the semifinals of the ACL) you said you were going to celebrate with a beer. Are you going to go for something a little stronger tonight?

A: Well actually I am a beer kind of guy. Whatever happens, if it’s a birthday or a victory, it’s nothing more than beer.

Q: German beer or Japanese?
A: I prefer local because you never know what’s inside imported beer.

Q: Looking back on the ACL campaign, would you say Seongnam were your toughest opponent?

A: I would say they were the strongest we played in the competition. They played football, unlike Cheonbuk, who were like another team we recently played in the J.League (referring to the rough play used by Kawasaki). You can guess, it’s like a riddle, I won’t say anything more (laughs).

Q: Are you looking forward to appearing in the FIFA Club World Cup?

A: I think it’s a great opportunity for us. If we happen to reach the semis and play AC Milan that would be a highlight in the Reds history.

Q: How does the ACL win compare to other trophies you’ve won in the past?

A: Every title you win is a special one. And this again has it’s special character, you can’t compare them. The only thing you can do is be happy you won the competition.

Q: Sounds a little like women …

A: That’s his quote, not mine!



Copyright: C.G. Williams & Soccerphile

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Blatter U-turns on World Cup rotation

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has signalled that the policy of World Cup rotation is about to be ditched.

Speaking to the BBC, Blatter admitted he would welcome England bidding for 2018, a tournament which under the present model, should be held in North or Central America.

"I am advocating we open the market," said Blatter. Back in May, he described rotation as "a milestone", speaking to FIFA delegates in Zurich, while only a month ago, announced that a final decision on rotation with regard to 2018 would come at the end of October.

With 2010 going to (South) Africa and 2014 to South America (Brazil), Europe's next turn would not have been in 2018 (CONCACAF) but in 2022, a ridiculously long wait for that continent's front runner, England.

Given the concentration of money, power, media and fan interest in European football, it seems brave, or foolhardy, to award it the tournament only once every 24 years (there are six FIFA regions).

The traditional system of alternating from Europe to South America was ripe for reform with the global spread of the game and now Japan/Korea, South Africa and the USA have all hosted, or are about to host, the sport's showpiece event.

Outside of the traditional power bases, Australia and China could both mount serious bids before long, but political worries will probably keep the Islamic world, in the form of Morocco and Egypt, excluded for the foreseeable future. The USA is also determined to host the World Cup again after the success of 1994, the the swathe of impressive new American stadia and the arrival of David Beckham to MLS. Mexico, too, is interested in hosting its third World Cup.

It is therefore, unquestionably the world's cup, yet any change to the traditional Atlantic alteration should not be so rigid as FIFA's rotation system. Four years is a long time to wait and in a continent like Europe where England, Russia, Spain, Italy and Holland & Belgium are all itching to host the World Cup, a possible wait of half a century is too long for any country.

Rotation was never fully explained - does Oceania or CONCACAF has as much right to host the World Cup as Europe? , never universally accepted by the football world and was only rushed in as a response to Germany sensationally snatching the 2006 tournament from the heavily Blatter-endorsed South Africa by the narrowest of margins (Oceania's Charles Dempsey abstained on the final vote).

Brazil had a shoe-in for 2014 because South America had not hosted the event since Argentina in 1978.

Brazil and its decrepit stadia and infrastructure is far from ready to host the World Cup however, a fact which swayed Blatter to renege on one of his favourite pet policies.

After Colombia and Argentina withdrew, the one-horse race south of the equator illuminated a flaw in the rotation system if the only contender is manifestly unable to host the month-long show.

"We are not in a very comfortable situation in South America," admitted the FIFA President.

"It is better to have three or four associations trying to get the number one competition of the world."

Rumours abound that a new system will prevent only the previous two host regions from applying, reducing the minimum wait for any country to 12 years.

It should be remembered of course that the FIFA Executive committee and not Blatter ratifies policy and CONCACAF's controversial Jack Warner for one is against any change to the status quo.

However, the days of the half-baked, hasty and unconvincing rotation system are now clearly numbered.

(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile



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Urawa in the box seat as Gamba begin to choke

Urawa Reds are once again four points clear of second placed Gamba Osaka, following Gamba's shock 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Yokohama F. Marinos.

A near-capacity crowd of 19,419 turned out at Expo '70 Stadium on September 16 but the majority went home stunned as a brace from Daisuke Sakata dented Gamba's title aspirations.

A day earlier, a crowd of 22,675 turned out in Hiroshima - their largest gate of the season, as Urawa easily disposed of hosts Sanfrecce 4-2, with livewire striker Tatsuya Tanaka taking his goal tally to eight goals in twelve games since returning from injury.

At the other end of the table, Ventforet Kofu put up a valiant display in the so-called Mount Fuji derby before ultimately going down 2-0 to Shimizu S-Pulse in front of 18,101 fans at Nihondaira Stadium.

With Omiya Ardija losing 2-0 to Jubilo Iwata, both clubs look doomed to spend the rest of the season in the relegation zone, given that Oita Trinita have pulled five points clear of the bottom three, following their most recent 2-2 draw with Kawasaki Frontale.

Jubilo Iwata coach Adilson resigns

Former fan favourite Adilson resigned as coach of Jubilo Iwata in the aftermath of Jubilo's 1-0 defeat to local rivals Shimizu S-Pulse in the Shizuoka derby on September 1.

The Brazilian had already been under pressure following Jubilo's first derby loss of the season in May, and his propensity to chop and change his starting eleven meant that Jubilo struggled to gain any momentum throughout the season.

Former assistant Atsushi Uchiyama has been promoted to first team coach, and he oversaw a 2-0 away win over strugglers Omiya Ardija in his first match in charge, in a match notable for the return to the starting eleven of midfielder Yoshiaki Ota and striker Robert Cullen, both of whom had fallen out of favour with Adilson.

2007 has been a difficult year for Jubilo Iwata, with midfielder Naoya Kikuchi sacked by the club midway through the season after admitting that he had sexual relations with a fifteen year old schoolgirl.

AFC Champions League

Both of Japan's representatives reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League, with Urawa Reds drawn against defending Asian champions Jeonbuk Motors FC.

Urawa won the first leg of their quarter-final, with goals from Makoto Hasebe and Tatsuya Tanaka propelling them into a two goal lead, before a late strike from Choi Jin-Cheul pulled back what could be a crucial away goal for the K-League side.

Elsewhere Kawasaki Frontale will be confident of progression after they held Iranian side Sepahan to a 0-0 draw at the Foolad Shahr Stadium in Esfahan.

The return legs take place on September 26.

Japan National Team

The Japan National Team's recent tour game tour of Europe was a success, with Japan declared the winner of a four nation tournament also featuring hosts Austria, Switzerland and Chile.

Japan held Austria to a 0-0 draw in front of a capacity crowd at the Woerthersee Stadion in Klagenfurt before succumbing in a penalty shoot-out, with Yokohama F. Marinos defender Yuji Nakazawa missing the crucial spot-kick.

Japan then came from two goals down to beat Switzerland 4-3, scoring four second half goals thanks to a brace of penalties from Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura, a header from Seiichiro Maki and a winning goal from substitute Kisho Yano.

Japan National Women's Team

Despite an impressive display, Nadeshiko Japan failed to progress to the quarter-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup in China.

Japan opened their campaign with a 2-2 draw against England. In front of a pro-England crowd, Aya Miyama opened the scoring for Japan with a neatly struck free-kick, but Japan appeared to be heading for defeat when England's Kelly Smith scored two late goals. Miyama was the hero, however, stepping up to score a stoppage time equaliser with another brilliant free-kick.

In their next match Japan scored a stoppage time winner through Yuki Nagasato to record a narrow 1-0 victory over Argentina, before reigning world champions Germany proved too strong, knocking Japan out of the tournament with a 2-0 victory.

Japan Olympic Team

After grinding out a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia in oppressive humidity in Damman on September 8, Japan returned to the National Stadium in Tokyo four days later to edge passed Qatar with a 1-0 victory in their lastest qualifying game for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

FC Tokyo midfielder Yohei Kajiyama scored the only goal after just four minutes, as Japan overcame the sending off of Hosei University midfielder Takuya Honda to take their tally to seven points from the opening three games.

Only the group winner progresses to the Olympic tournament, and coach Yasuharu Sorimachi has declared himself satisfied with his team's performances so far. The gloss was taken off this win, however, by the news that Yohei Kajiyama had suffered a serious injury that will rule him out for the rest of the qualifying tournament.

Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com

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Press Reaction Japan v Qatar

Press reaction to Japan's tame draw against Qatar in the opening Group B fixture in Hanoi's My Dinh Stadium was predictably harsh.



"Osim Anger" is the headline and the Bosnian coach has every right to be angry at his mis-firing forwards who failed to convert a number of reasonable chances in a game Japan largely dominated.



Understandably things were much different in the Gulf where the Qatari press praised coach Dzemaludin Musovic's team for its spirited comeback.

Coincidently both teams' head coaches Musovic and Osim hail from Sarajevo. Musovic was also an assistant to Osim as part of the 1990 Yugoslavian World Cup team's coaching set-up. Musovic's night ended up with a red card for protesting the last-minute dismissal of Hussain Yasser but he will surely be feeling more satisfied with the result than his former boss.

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J-League News: Gamba open up seven point gap over inactive Urawa

With four games remaining until the mid-season break, Gamba Osaka have opened up a seven point gap over nearest rivals Urawa Reds.

Gamba's last match was a case of top versus bottom, but they had a tough time against Yokohama FC, eventually winning 2-1 in front of a near-capacity crowd of 19,752 fans at Expo '70 Stadium in Osaka.

Kawasaki Frontale lost ground when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Nagoya Grampus Eight in front of 21,190 fans at Toyota Stadium. Veteran midfielder Toshiya Fujita opened the scoring for Nagoya from the penalty spot less than sixty seconds into the match, before Juninho equalised for the visitors after twenty-two minutes. Norwegian international Frode Johnsen restored Nagoya's lead after sixty-five minutes, but just two minutes later young Korean substitute Chong Te-se ensured that Kawasaki went home with a share of the spoils.

Albirex Niigata were the big movers, coming from behind to beat Vissel Kobe 3-1 in front of 38,667 fans at Big Swan Stadium and moving up to fourth place in the J-League as a result. They leapfrogged Kashiwa Reysol, who were held to a 0-0 draw by Omiya Ardija at Kashiwanoha Stadium. That was Omiya's fifth match unbeaten - although they have only won once during that run - a 1-0 win over bottom club Yokohama FC.

Oita Trinita pulled off a coup recently by announcing that they had re-signed talented midfielder Tsukasa Umesaki from Grenoble, as well as young Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Shunsuke Maeda on loan. They had to come from behind twice to draw 2-2 with Kashima Antlers in front of 21,804 fans at the Kyushu Oil Dome in their most recent J-League fixture, although it was midfielder Daisuke Takahashi who scored twice - including a last minute goal, to salvage a point for the hosts.

Shimizu S-Pulse and FC Tokyo put on a clinic of long-range finishing at Nihondaira Stadium on June 10, but it was the club from the capital who came out on top, triumphing 3-1 over their hosts.

FC Tokyo opened the lead when the pacy Norio Suzuki burst through down the left hand side and crashed an unstoppable left-foot drive passed Yohei Nishibe in the Shimizu goal. Not to be outdone, Shimizu midfielder Akihiro Hyodo then produced a candidate for goal of the season, beating Yoichi Doi with a fabulous left-foot strike from all of thirty yards, just seconds before the half-time whistle.

The turning point of this match came barely sixty seconds after the half-time whistle, when Norio Suzuki once again broke clear down the left hand side and deceived Nishibe with a cool finish that beat the S-Pulse shot-stopper at his near post. Substitute Yuta Baba then cracked home a curling long range strike that crashed down off the crossbar and in off the back of the hapless Nishibe.

Jubilo Iwata fans were celebrating the return of long-term injury casualty Ryoichi Maeda at Kose Sports Park Stadium in Kofu. Making his first start of the season, Maeda scored twice as Jubilo thrashed home team Ventforet Kofu 6-1. Yoshiaki Ota also scored a double, while midfielders Fabricio and Naoya Kikuchi scored one each, with Jubilo coach Adilson afforded the luxury of resting Japan Olympic team striker Bobby Cullen, thanks to the return of Maeda.

Consadole Sapporo still lead the way in J2, despite becoming the latest big-name team to lose to lowly Ehime FC. Sapporo lost 2-1 at Ehime Athletics Stadium in the midweek round of matches on June 13, and nearest challenger Vegalta Sendai took advantage by beating Avispa Fukuoka 1-0 in front of 11,301 fans at Yurtec Sendai Stadium.

Cerezo Osaka recorded a much-needed away victory, hammering Tokushima Vortis 4-0, but third-placed Kyoto Sanga FC crashed 2-0 away at Sagan Tosu, while Thespa Kusatsu held Tokyo Verdy to a 0-0 draw.

Naoya Kikuchi arrested

Jubilo Iwata midfielder Naoya Kikuchi was arrested on June 13 on suspicion of having sex with a minor.

Kikuchi has admitted to having sex with a 15 year old girl in late May, in violation of local laws. The encounter came to light after Kikuchi attempted to hand the girl 10,000 yen in cash, and accidentally left his wallet in the basket of the girl's bicycle.

The girl was allegedly unaware that the 22 year old Kikuchi was a professional footballer, and after handing his wallet in to police, the member of Japan's 2004 Olympic squad in Athens was questioned and ultimately arrested.

Atsuhiro Miura suspended

Former Japan international Atsuhiro Miura has been suspended by his club Vissel Kobe for making derogatory comments directed at Kobe coach Hiroshi Matsuda.

After returning from a broken toe, Miura has been unable to force his way back into the Kobe starting eleven.

He allegedly made the comments after a reserve-team Satellite League game against Nagoya Grampus Eight on June 3. Miura has voluntarily stepped down as captain of Vissel Kobe.

A3 Champions Cup

The A3 Champions Cup took place in Jinan, China this week, with 2006 J-League champions Urawa Reds representing the J-League.

The tournament, which pits the champions of Japan, Korea and China - plus one other team from the host nation against each other, saw Urawa take on K-League champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Chinese Super League champions Shandong Luneng and runners-up Shanghai Shenhua United.

Urawa lost their first match to Shandong 4-3, before beating Seongnam 1-0 in a spiteful encounter. Ryota Tsuzuki saved a penalty from Seongnam's Brazilian striker Mota in that match, before sparking a wild melee by standing over the striker who was lying disconsolate on the ground. Shanghai Shenhua were knocked out of the AFC Champions League by Urawa, but they extracted a measure of revenge by beating the Reds 3-1 in their final A3 Champions Cup match.

The scheduling of the tournament forced the postponement until Wednesday, August 1 of Urawa's Round 14 J-League clash with Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Saitama Stadium. Urawa's next J-League match is a tough encounter with near-neighbours FC Tokyo at Ajinomoto Stadium on June 17.

Japan National Teams

Japan

Two encouraging performances in the Kirin Cup have renewed the confidence of Japan fans ahead of the upcoming Asian Cup.

Japan beat Montenegro 2-0 at Ecopa Stadium in Fukuroi on June 2, courtesy of goals from Yokohama F. Marinos defender Yuji Nakazawa and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara.

The Blue Samurai overwhelmed their opponents, and they took the lead when Nakazawa produced a towering header from Yasuhito Endo's cross after twenty-three minutes. Fifteen minutes later the impressive Yuichi Komano delivered a pinpoint cross for Takahara to flick home at the near post, as Montenegro had no answer to Japan's attacking football.

The closest the visitors came was in the sixty-seventh minute, but captain Igor Burzanovic rolled a spot-kick wide after he had been brought down in the box.

Japan turned in an even more impressive performance three days later, but they were unable to break the deadlock in a 0-0 draw with Colombia at Saitama Stadium. That result was enough to see Japan lift the Kirin Cup, but fans will be more pleased with the stylish football offered by "Osim's Japan," with Naohiro Takahara in particularly good form.

Japan Olympic Team

After winning all six of their opening group matches in the gruelling Olympic qualification tournament, Japan have been rewarded with a tough-looking Final Round draw in their bid to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Japan have been drawn in Group C with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Vietnam. The Saudi's relegated Australia into second place in their opening group, while Vietnam edged out Lebanon into top spot in their group.

The four group winners will join hosts China as Asia's football representatives at the Olympics.

Japan Women's Team

Nadeshiko Japan lead their Final Round Group A with ten points from four games played. Japan dropped their first points of the campaign by drawing 2-2 with Korea Republic at Bucheon Stadium on June 10.

Japan next travel to Vietnam on August 4, before returning to Japan to play what could be a decisive final group match against second-placed Thailand on August 12.

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