RSS
ATOM
advertisement
Goal.com Special: Spotlight On J-League Title Climax
Japan is the home of dramatic final days of the season and this year is no different writes Matthew Hernon...
|
Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
Nov 20, 2009 3:15:37 AM
Eight points clear and looking a cut above the rest
Kashima Antlers looked to be strolling to a third consecutive title back in
August, yet somehow you knew they would find a way to make life difficult for
themselves.
That is what happens in the J-League. It is the reason why the title decider goes to the wire year after year. In 2005 five teams were still in contention right up to the last minute of the campaign.
In 2007 Urawa managed to throw away what looked like an unassailable lead losing their last three games. The Antlers managed to crawl over the line that time relying on some help from Shimizua S-Pulse and Yokohama FC.
They will also need some favours from others this year if they are to once again lift the crown. Their autumn slump has left them playing catch up.
Kawasaki Frontale have a point advantage with three games to go, while Gamba Osaka are look menacing in third.
1. Kawasaki Frontale P 31 Pts 58 GD 23
2. Kashima Antlers P 31 Pts 57 GD 15
3. Gamba Osaka P 31 Pts 54 GD 18
Twice runners up, could this finally be the year for the Kawasaki club? A point ahead, with what appears a much easier run-in than the other two, they are unquestionably the best attacking side in the top flight.
With Kengo Nakamura providing the bullets in midfield, their Brazilian trio along with North Korean Chong Tae-Se has Japanese defences running scared. Chasing down Kashima's lead, their form over the past couple of months has been excellent.
Now they are in the driving seat, the question is how will they cope with the pressure? They lost their composure in the recent Nabisco Cup Final defeat to FC Tokyo, but recovered well to defeat Jef United in the next game.
Three more victories in the League and that Cup Final will be quickly forgotten about.
Remaining Fixtures: Oita Trinita (a) Albirex Niigata (h) Kashiwa Reysol (a)
Just one win in the months of September and October, the Antlers season appeared to be imploding.
Yet despite all their troubles they remain just a point adrift and a victory in their previous game against Yamagata has given the locals reason to be optimistic again.
On current form and based on remaining fixtures Frontale would appear to be the better bet, but when it comes to the crunch few are better than Kashima.
Whether coming from behind as they did in 2007 or leading from the front like in 2008, they know what it takes to win the title.
They have players with bags of experience like Mitsuo Ogasawara, Koji Nakata and Marquinhos and they will be ready to pounce if Kawasaki slip up.
Remaining Fixtures: Kyoto Sanga (a) Gamba Osaka (h) Urawa Red Diamonds (a)
The dark horses. They need to win their tough remaining games and hope Kawasaki fail to win at least two of theirs.
Sounds difficult, but they know how unpredictable the J-League can be. A last minute FC Tokyo equalizer against Cerezo Osaka on the final day handed Gamba their first and only title back in 2005.
They may need something just as dramatic to happen this time around. The fixture list hasn't been kind to them either.
Their next two games are away at fourth placed Shimizu S-Pulse and title rivals Kashima on November 28.
Even for a side boasting top players like Yasuhito Endo and Hideo Hashimoto, you feel nine points from their last three games may be beyond them.
Even if they manage it they will be relying heavily on others, then again.
Remaining Fixtures: Shimizu S-Pulse (a) Kashima Antlers (a) Jef United (h)
Matthew Hernon
That is what happens in the J-League. It is the reason why the title decider goes to the wire year after year. In 2005 five teams were still in contention right up to the last minute of the campaign.
In 2007 Urawa managed to throw away what looked like an unassailable lead losing their last three games. The Antlers managed to crawl over the line that time relying on some help from Shimizua S-Pulse and Yokohama FC.
They will also need some favours from others this year if they are to once again lift the crown. Their autumn slump has left them playing catch up.
Kawasaki Frontale have a point advantage with three games to go, while Gamba Osaka are look menacing in third.
1. Kawasaki Frontale P 31 Pts 58 GD 23
2. Kashima Antlers P 31 Pts 57 GD 15
3. Gamba Osaka P 31 Pts 54 GD 18
Kawaski Frontale
Twice runners up, could this finally be the year for the Kawasaki club? A point ahead, with what appears a much easier run-in than the other two, they are unquestionably the best attacking side in the top flight.
With Kengo Nakamura providing the bullets in midfield, their Brazilian trio along with North Korean Chong Tae-Se has Japanese defences running scared. Chasing down Kashima's lead, their form over the past couple of months has been excellent.
Kawasaki Frontale Out In Front
Now they are in the driving seat, the question is how will they cope with the pressure? They lost their composure in the recent Nabisco Cup Final defeat to FC Tokyo, but recovered well to defeat Jef United in the next game.
Three more victories in the League and that Cup Final will be quickly forgotten about.
Remaining Fixtures: Oita Trinita (a) Albirex Niigata (h) Kashiwa Reysol (a)
Kashima Antlers
Just one win in the months of September and October, the Antlers season appeared to be imploding.
Yet despite all their troubles they remain just a point adrift and a victory in their previous game against Yamagata has given the locals reason to be optimistic again.
Kashima Have The Know How
On current form and based on remaining fixtures Frontale would appear to be the better bet, but when it comes to the crunch few are better than Kashima.
Whether coming from behind as they did in 2007 or leading from the front like in 2008, they know what it takes to win the title.
They have players with bags of experience like Mitsuo Ogasawara, Koji Nakata and Marquinhos and they will be ready to pounce if Kawasaki slip up.
Remaining Fixtures: Kyoto Sanga (a) Gamba Osaka (h) Urawa Red Diamonds (a)
Gamba Osaka
The dark horses. They need to win their tough remaining games and hope Kawasaki fail to win at least two of theirs.
Sounds difficult, but they know how unpredictable the J-League can be. A last minute FC Tokyo equalizer against Cerezo Osaka on the final day handed Gamba their first and only title back in 2005.
They may need something just as dramatic to happen this time around. The fixture list hasn't been kind to them either.
Their next two games are away at fourth placed Shimizu S-Pulse and title rivals Kashima on November 28.
Gamba May Have To Settle For ACL Place
Even for a side boasting top players like Yasuhito Endo and Hideo Hashimoto, you feel nine points from their last three games may be beyond them.
Even if they manage it they will be relying heavily on others, then again.
Remaining Fixtures: Shimizu S-Pulse (a) Kashima Antlers (a) Jef United (h)
Matthew Hernon
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
Madrid top money league for seventh straight year
The Spanish giants continue to dominate the Football Money League as they have expanded their enormous lead over the top clubs from England, Germany and Italy
-
Can Suarez repeat Cantona's grand comeback?
The divisive Uruguayan can look to history when he starts against United on Saturday for the first time since receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra
-
Capello remains one of the greats of the game
After tasting success wherever he had gone previously, the coach will look upon his time at Wembley as an incomplete job rather than a complete failure
-
The importance of Champions League qualification
The Ruhr side's remarkable run in Europe's elite tournament saw their revenue unexpectedly soar last season, but some teams are structured to depend on such results to survive
-
Key battles: Manchester United v Liverpool
The former Reds defender believes that the Uruguayan must put controversy to the back of his mind when his team face the champions
Advertisement
Advertisement
