Football in Japan


Emperor’s Cup Semi-final results
December 29, 2007, 5:57 am
Filed under: Emperor's Cup, Emperor's Cup 2007 results | Tags: , , ,

Kashima Antlers and Sanferecce Hiroshima have reached 2007 Emperors Cup Final.

2007 J.League Champions, Kashima Antlers will face Sanferecce Hiroshima, who is relegated to J.League Divisin 2 for the next season, on 01/01/2008 at National Stadium.

29/12/07
Gamba Osaka 1-3 Sanferecce Hiroshima
- Hisato Sato 1′ (Hiroshima)
- Ryuichi Hirashige 38′ (Hiroshima)
- Bare 39′ (Osaka)
- Issei Takayanagi 89′ (Hiroshima)

Kawasaki Frontale 0-1 Kashima Antlers
- Masashi Motoyama 72′ (Antlers)



Emperor’s cup Semi-final fixtures
December 24, 2007, 3:32 am
Filed under: Emperor's Cup, Fixtures | Tags: , , ,

 29/12/07

Gamba Osaka v Sanferecce Hiroshima

Kawasaki Frontale v Kashima Antlers



Emperor’s cup Quarterfinal results.
December 22, 2007, 1:20 pm
Filed under: Emperor's Cup, Emperor's Cup 2007 results | Tags: , ,

22/12/07
Gamba Osaka 1-0 (AET) Shimizu S-Pulse
Shinichi Terada 92′

Kashima Antlers 1-0 (AET) Honda F.C. 
Atsushi Yanagisawa 110′

23/12/07
F.C. Tokyo 0-2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Yosuke Kashiwagi 13′
Yuichi Komano 37′

Ehime F.C. 0-2 Kawasaki Frontale
Masahiro Ohashi 43′
Juninho 65′



Troussier is back to Japan.
December 20, 2007, 11:21 pm
Filed under: Japan Football League | Tags: , ,

F.C. Ryukyu, JFL (Japan Football League) club, has announced that Philippe Troussier, the former Japan national team manager, assumed a general manager of the team on 18th December.

He said “I had thought that I might come back to Japan again but I had never thought that it is in Okinawa. I am going to lead the club to be elite and absolute professional team.”

He, however, said that he is not a coach so he will not be in the bench during the game.

He was Japan national team coach from 1998 to 2002.



J. League Cup 2008 Group Stage.
December 19, 2007, 1:32 am
Filed under: Fixtures, J. League Cup | Tags: , ,

J. League announces the schedule of J. League Cup (also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup ) 2008.

Group A
Urawa Red Diamonds
Nagoya Grampus
Kyoto Sanga F.C.
Vissel Kobe

Group B
F.C. Tokyo
Tokyo Verdy 1969
Shimizu S-Pulse
Jubilo Iwata

Group C
Condadole Sapporo
JEF United Ichihara Chiba
Kashiwa Reysol
Kawasaki Frontale

Group D
Omiya Ardija
Yokohama F. Marinos
Albirex Niigata
Oita Trinita

- Each group winners will be qualified to the quarter-final stage.

- Two runners-up (who have the best result among runners-up) will be qualified to the quarter-final stage.

- Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka are seeded to the quarter-final stage as they have to play AFC Champions League 2008 Group stage.

- Matches will be played from 20th March 2008.

J. League Official Site (Japanese)
http://www.j-league.or.jp/release/000/00002157.html 



AFC Champions League 2008 Draw
December 18, 2007, 12:05 am
Filed under: AFC Champions League 2008 | Tags: , , ,

Group A
Sepahan F.C. (Iran)
PFC Kuruvchi (Uzbekistan)
Al-Ittihad Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)
Al-Ittihad Aleppo (Syria)

Group B
Al-Wasl FC (UAE)
Saipa F.C. (Iran)
Al-Kuwait Kaifan (Kuwait)
Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (Iraq)

Group C
Al-Sadd (Qatar)
Al-Wahda (UAE)
Al-Karama (Syria)
Al-Ahli Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

Group D
FC Pakhatakor (Uzbekistan)
Al-Gharafa (Qatar)
Arabil FC (Iraq)
Al-Qadisiya (Kuwait)

Group E
Changchun Yatai (China)
Adelaide United (Australia)
Pohang Steelers (Korea Republic)
Binh Duong (Vietnam)

Group F
Krung Thai Bank (Thailand)
Beijing Guoan (China)
Nam Dinh F.C. (Vietnam)
Kashima Antlers (Japan)

Group G
Melbourne Victory (Australia)
Chonburi FC (Thailand)
Gamba Osaka (Japan)
Chunnam Dragons (Korea Republic)

- Each group winners will be qualified to the quarter-final stage. 

- Urawa Red Diamonds are qualified to the quarter-final stage as winners of 2007 AFC Champions League.

- Group matches will be played from 12th March 2008.

2008 AFC Champions League Draw (Please scroll down)
http://www.afcchampionsleague.com/en/news/index.asp?aid=51775&cid=1397 



Ponte wins J-League MVP.
December 17, 2007, 7:32 pm
Filed under: J. League Division 1, J. League Division 2 | Tags: , , ,

Brazilian midfielder, Robson Ponte (Urawa Red Diamonds) is awarded J-League Most Valuable Player in 2007 while he was absent from the ceremony as he needs treatment for his injury.

He played 33 matches and scored 7 goals.

J-League MVP
Robson Ponte (Urawa Red Diamonds, Brazil)

Best Eleven
GK Ryota Tsuzuki (Urawa Red Diamonds, Japan)
DF Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers, Japan)
DF Tanaka Marcus Tulio (Urawa Reds Diamonds, Japan)
DF Satoshi Yamaguchi (Gamba Osaka, Japan)
MF Yuki Abe (Urawa Red Diamonds, Japan)
MF Keita Suzuki (Urawa Red Diamonds, Japan)
MF Robson Ponte (Urawa Red Diamonds, Brazil)
MF Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale, Japan)
MF Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka, Japan)
FW Juninho (Kawasaki Frontale, Brazil)
FW Bare (Gamba Osaka, Brazil)

Top Scorer
Juninho (Kawasaki Frontale, Brazil)

Young Player of the Year
Takanori Sugeno (Yokohama F.C., Japan)

Fair Play Team Award
Gamba Osaka

Fiar Play Player Award
Daisuke Sakata (Yokohama F. Marinos, Japan)
Teruyoshi Ito (Shimizu S-Pulse, Japan)
Hisato Sato (Sanferecce Hiroshima, Japan)

Manager of the Year
Oswaldo de Oliveira (Kashima Antlers, Brazil)

Referee of the Year
Masayoshi Okada

Assistant Referee of the Year
Toru Sagara

J-League Best Pitch Award
Tohoku Denryoku Big Swan Stadium

Meritoriousness Player Award
Yasuto Honada
Amaral
Shoji Jo

Special Award
Urawa Red Diamonds

Official Home page (Japanese)
http://www.j-league.or.jp/awards/ 



FIFA Club World Cup 2007 Final
December 16, 2007, 3:15 pm
Filed under: FIFA Club World Cup 2007 | Tags: , ,

16/12/07   International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama

Boca Juniors 2-4 AC Milan

Filippo Inzaghi (21′, AC Milan)
Rodrigo Palacio (22′, Boca Juniors)
Alessandro Nesta (51′, AC Milan)
Kaka (61′, AC Milan)
Filippo Inzaghi (71′, AC Milan)
Massimo Ambrosini (85′ OG)



Fifa Club World Cup 2007 3rd Place Match
December 16, 2007, 3:03 pm
Filed under: FIFA Club World Cup 2007 | Tags: , ,

16/12/07   International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama 

Etoile Sportive du Sahel 2-2 (penalty 2-4) Urawa Red Diamonds

Sabeur Frej (5′ Penalty, Etoile Sahel) 
Washington (35′, Urawa Reds)
Washington (70′, Urawa Reds)
Amine Chermiti (75′, Etoile Sahel)



One more match from Emperor’s cup 5th round.
December 15, 2007, 10:19 pm
Filed under: Emperor's Cup, Emperor's Cup 2007 results | Tags: , , ,

15/12/07   Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-0 Jubilo Iwata

Just a week before Sanfrecce Hiroshima was relegated to J-league Division 2 in the next season. They, however, showed their ability of the football  by beating Jubilo Iwata. Kouji Morisaki scored two free-kick goals to qualify for the Emperor’s Cup quarterfinal.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima will meet Tokyo F.C. at the quarterfinal of the Emperor’s Cup on 22nd December.