Revisiting the Japanese sports scene

It has been 4 months since I left Japan and I've pretty much forgotten about everything sports-wise that was going on there. I used to populate this blog with complaints about sports in Japan, particularly the problems associated with Japanese baseball, but once I left the country, the old adage of "out of sight, out of mind" came to bear. I stopped checking the standings and ceased visiting the few Japanese sports sites that I used to enjoy, turning my focus to more international events that might prove worthy of a sports road trip.

Now I'm going back to Japan for a short business trip in early October, which happens to be the final weekend of the baseball season. Suddenly, the NPB was back on my radar so I took a look at what's going on. Sadly, not much has changed. The Yomiuri Giants are leading the Central League by 11 games while the Yakult Swallows and Hiroshima Carp are battling it out for that third and final playoff spot, a mere 22 games off the pace. Those two play at Jingu on the weekend I am visiting, so I'll likely head over once for old time's sake. The Giants host Yokohama on both days, so the possibility of a double header is on the cards too, but it will depend on the standings; paying any money to the Giants to watch a meaningless game is not something I would enjoy. In the Pacific League, Seibu leads the Fighters by half a game with the Softbank Hawks just 4 back. Again though, all three teams make the playoffs, so the race is merely for playoff positioning, which is not that exciting. Oh, and those ties are as prevalent as ever, with 68 out of 756 games ending in sister-kissers so far.

That weekend will also see a full slate of matches in the J-League, which is in the midst of a relatively exciting campaign. With the men's national team dominating World Cup qualifying and the women's team fresh off an Olympic silver medal (that should have been Canada's), soccer in Japan is certainly looking brighter than ever and the domestic circuit seems to be taking advantage. With 24 of 34 weeks completed, Vegalta Sendai lead Sanfrecce Hiroshima by a point, with the Urawa Reds just 3 back. Six more squads are within striking distance as parity has hit the league, with the exception of woeful Sapporo, who have but 3 wins and a draw and will be back in J2 next year. There are a couple of Tokyo-area games on the weekend I am there and I hope to make it out to one of them depending on how things shape up with other plans.

Update:  The Swallows started winning and the Carp started losing as soon as I posted this. Thus there is no reason to go to the game. In other news, a friend had an extra F1 ticket for the race in Mie, so I will be attending that on Sunday.

Next Up

Before that though, I'll be checking out the F1 in Singapore next weekend, and then off to Sri Lanka for a few matches in the T20 World Championship the following weekend. I'm also traveling to Hong Kong but so far haven't found any sports to watch while I am there. There's even a remote chance I'll be in India for the F1 there at the end of October. It will be a very busy month, so keep checking back for updates.

Best,

Sean

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Kashiwa Reysol 2 at Consadole Sapporo 0 - April 7, 2012

Consadole Sapporo came into being in 1996 when the Toshiba Soccer Club transferred their franchise to an ownership group based in Hokkaido. Since then, they been on a roller coaster ride of promotion and relegation between the two divisions of J.League, falling down to the lower division 3 times only to eventually come back to J1. They won the J2 title last year which meant yet another promotion, but also more quality opposition. The season is early, with only four games played, but already Consadole is just one from the bottom with only a draw to show from those four contests.

Sapporo Dome

Their official home ground is the Sapporo Dome (above), which is also home to the Nippon Ham Fighters. Baseball takes priority, so 7 of their summer games are played at Atsubetsu Stadium, a poor substitute for the dome from what I understand. I've already commented on this venue after seeing the Fighters there on Thursday, so will avoid rehashing most points, but want to discuss some of the differences between watching a baseball game and soccer match at this facility.

The first thing I noticed was that getting into the stadium would be much more of a hassle for soccer. Tickets are separated into "priority" and "normal" with priority given to those who are members of the fan club from what I could tell. Whatever the reason, my ticket had no priority and I was told to stand in a line down at street level, which I obediently did for about 30 minutes, shivering in the morning chill. (I had checked out of my hotel and decided to head directly to the stadium three hours before the 2pm start - stupid move in hindsight, as I knew gates opened at noon).

Finally, at around 11:45 they marched us up the stairs (shown above) and I thought we would be getting in a bit early, but no, we stopped for about 10 minutes there, still shivering, before another short march to the actual gate, which was at least partially covered. Another five minutes passed until the clock struck twelve and we were allowed in. It turns out that the priority ticket holders get to enter the stadium before us plebes and that is why all the machinations were necessary. Even then, there were so few fans (just over 14,000) that I got to sit exactly where I wanted. The whole system was just silly, when the stadium is only 1/3 full there is no real advantage to having a priority ticket, other than getting in a few minutes earlier. It's a typical Japanese set-up though, where common sense takes a back seat to over-regulation. If you are seeing a soccer game here, show up 5 minutes after gates open and you'll be fine.

Another difference for the soccer match was getting around the stadium. Whereas the ballpark had no off-limit spots, in soccer, they need to separate the visitors section from the rest of the seating area since fan violence is a huge problem at J.League games. Ha! Fans ride crowded trains together before and after the game without a problem; again this is just for show. You can still walk around the stadium, however at the visitor area, you have to go outside the actual building for about 50 meters to avoid seeing any of those hated opposition fans.

This is actually pretty cool because much of the dome wall is glass and they have painted city names on this wall, apparently in the general direction that the city lies. However, these are not visible during the game because they lower blinds to block out the natural light, so that even day games appear to be played at night. That's Tokyo below, in reverse as I am outside the dome.

Here is a picture of the field taken during the tour on the previous day, you can see the sunlight shining through.

I should mention that these city names are part of the Art Grove, 24 pieces of art scattered around the Sapporo Dome and its grounds. I saw a few of them while wandering about and would say that you'd have to be a pretty big fan of art to get much out of it.

During the soccer matches, there are a few different food choices as each concession has a special soccer-only item. My recommendation is the Consadole Burger, a pepper chicken fillet covered with chili sauce and lettuce that is much better than it sounds and is available at any of the Mos Burger stands. As well, outside food is allowed, which is was not at the baseball game. Beer vendors roam the aisles only up to game time and then are relegated to the top concourse so as not to interfere with the fans' view.

As well, fans here are much better than those I encountered at the Fighters' game, watching the match and not irritating me in the least. I just wish there were more of them. That's the main cheering section below but other than that it was pretty empty.

Finally, a shot of some World Cup 2002 jerseys on display at the Memorial Walk in the West Gate.

It is really interesting watching two completely different sports in the same venue (basketball and hockey don't count in this sense). The Sapporo Dome is a great facility but as with all multi-purpose venues, it cannot satisfy every need of both sports. For soccer, the better seats are near the goal line as the seating is more like a coliseum so the midfield seats are farther from the field as you can see below. Yet these seats are more expensive. My advice is to get an SB unreserved ticket for 2,700 yen and sit as close as you want.

Overall, baseball is a better bet at the Sapporo Dome in terms of suitability of the venue, but the Consadole fans made the soccer game a more enjoyable experience. Whatever the case, if you are in Sapporo, head to the dome for one or the other, it is a unique sports facility that must be seen to be believed.

The Game

Last year's J1 champion Kashiwa Reysol was visiting and although they were off to a rough 1-1-2 start, they were by far the better team. From the first whistle they dominated, winning two corners in the first few minutes and essentially playing most of the first half in the Sapporo end. Below you can see a Sapporo defender clearing another attack.

The pressure was sure to yield something and just past the half-hour mark, the ball fell to Masato Kondo who broke around his defender and simply powered the ball over Consadole keeper Takahiro Takagi. I though Takagi had proper position, but Kondo's bullet was perfectly placed into the top corner and simply unstoppable. Great goal to open the scoring for the visitors.

The second half started better for Sapporo, who managed a couple of chances, but Reysol resisted and began their relentless attack again. After winning a corner in the 63rd minute, last year's MVP Leandro Domingues launched the ball into the box and defender Naoya Kondo rose to head home for the 2-0 lead. That really decided the game, although Consadole tried to get one back, there was no beating the Kashiwa defense.

The final shot count was 23-7 for Reysol, who totally outclassed their hosts for 90 minutes. Amazingly though, Consadole rose a level in the standings as Gamba Osaka lost by 3 goals to move below them on goal differential.

Notes

After the game, I took a bus from Fukuzumi Station to the airport to catch my flight back to Tokyo. Japan is so reliable that I could book a flight 3 hours after the game and not have to worry about public transportation failing me. At the airport, I saw the Reysol players arriving for their own flight back, snappily dressed in suits and ties. They were not harassed at all, except by one old lady in a Kashiwa jersey who ran over excitedly to Domingues and gave him a big hug. Frankly, I think most Japanese don't even know there is a J.League; we sports fans think that it is the center of the universe but in reality more people don't watch sports than do.

Next Up

After a short rest at home, I'll fly to Fukuoka on Tuesday for a Softbank Hawks game, with the Fighters the visitors this time. Check back Wednesday for a report on that.

Best,

Sean

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Kashiwa Reysol 3 at Urawa Reds 1 - December 3, 2011

One of the things I enjoy seeing is championships in pro leagues, because they are so rare and memorable, not to mention historic. I've been at a Stanley Cup winning game (Devils in '95), World Series championship (Diamondbacks in '01) and the Yakult Swallows' Japan Series win in '97. I've also seen some minor league championships such as the Memorial Cup Final in 1990, one of the greatest junior hockey games ever played.

These matches are relatively easy to see because they occur in championship series so you just have to show up, pay the exorbitant ticket price, and regardless, one team will eventually take the title. The situation is a bit different in soccer. League titles can be decided before the season is over, or you can have multiple teams in contention on the last day of the season, so you have to be in the right stadium at the right time.

Such was the case in the J League this year, with 3 teams in contention on the final matchday. Kashiwa Reysol had a 1-point lead on defending champions Nagoya Grampus, while Gamba Osaka was just 2 points back. Fortunately for me, Kashiwa was visiting the Urawa Reds in Saitama, close enough for me to venture up on Saturday afternoon to see if they could hold on for the crown.

Saitama Stadium 2002

Opened in 2001 for the 2002 World Cup, Saitama Stadium 2002 is one of the largest football-only venues in Asia. It hosted 4 matches in that World Cup, including England's 1-1 draw with Sweden and Brazil's semifinal win over Turkey.

The stadium is located about a mile north of Urawa-Misono station (which commemorates the World Cup with the mural above), which itself is a 45-minute ride from the center of Tokyo, on trains that get very, very crowded. There are shuttle buses from the station, but I prefer to walk along the footpath as there are concession stands along the way and you can appreciate the size of the stadium as you approach. There are also meter markings along the way so you know how far you have left. I don't think you save much time with bus anyway, as the lineups to board were huge.

Outside the stadium is a large plaza with a number of food trucks serving a wide variety of Japanese and western food. There are also a sizable number of plastic tables on which to eat, so you can relax to enjoy your meal. I highly recommend you arrive early and choose one or two of these culinary choices as it is going to be far better than the food you get inside. My favourite was the yakitori spot below, called Nihonichi, which served a good variety at 100 yen a stick.

Tickets here are reasonably priced for Reds games, with the best seats going for just 4,500 yen and the unreserved seats just 2,000 yen. The stadium is divided into four quadrants (A, B, C, D) that are colour-coded, with A and C along the sides and B and D used for the end zones.

You can enter the lower concourse via any gate and walk around, as long as you are not wearing the visiting kit. I recommend you do this as there are a number of displays that recall those heady days of the World Cup. I worked at this stadium for those games and it was rather nostalgic to see the memorabilia still on show.

In order to reach the upper deck, you have to enter the specific gate on your ticket and walk up several flights of stairs. The ticket also includes which specific aisle to use, which is important as there are limited walkways in the seating bowl, which makes getting out after the game a real hassle.

The home fans occupy the lower deck in the north end of the stadium, while the visitors are confined to a small area on the south side. Even then, fans of both squads were interspersed in the other sections, I was surrounded by yellow-clad Kashiwa supporters on one side, while Red rooters were on the other.

As this is a football-only venue, the seats down below are close to the action and make for a good investment, if you can get them. Even the upper deck seats are good, although I was at one end, which was not the best. There is plenty of leg room here, and no problem seeing the field with the upper deck rather steep.

The stadium is one of the most attractive in Japan, which is used to seeing functional but boring arenas. Here, the upper deck seats taper from the center to the end zones and are covered by curving roofs, while the end zones are open. This allows views of the surrounding countryside from the upper deck, although there isn't much to see.

From a distance, the stadium reminds me of Miller Park in Milwaukee with its roof open, but it is just an illusion, the two roofs do not approach each other at any time.

Overall, Saitama Stadium is a great venue to watch soccer. The proximity of the seats allow the supporters to be part of the game, and the unique architecture and souvenirs from 2002 make it a special place for students of the game. The only problem here is the access - it is far from the city, far from the station, and there are not enough walkways or washrooms. Keep that in mind if you ever decide to pay a visit here.

The Teams

The Urawa Red Diamonds are one of the best-supported teams in Asia, averaging over 40,000 fans per game over the past few seasons. Winners of the League and Emperor's Cup in 2006, the Reds were the fourth Japanese club to achieve Asian glory, taking the AFC Champions League title in 2007. Lately though, they've fallen into disarry, and they lay 15th out of 18 teams this season. They were technically in danger of being relegated if they lost, but they needed the 16th-place team to win by 13 goals if they lost by 1, so it was unlikely. Their fans are famous for their boisterous displays and provide terrific atmosphere in this large stadium.

Kashiwa Reysol were the champions of J2 last season, earning automatic promotion back to the top league. This season they had been near the top of the league since the beginning, along with 3 other clubs. After 23 rounds, Kashiwa lay fourth, behind Gamba, Nagoya, and Yokohama F. Marinos. But an 8-1-1 record from there put Reysol in first with just one match day to go. It is unheard of for a promoted team to challenge for the league title but that was just what Reysol had done; in a season where no squad dominated, they were the most consistent, with 22 wins and 3 draws from their 33 games. Both Nagoya and Gamba had better goal differential, so Reysol needed a win to ensure the crown, a draw would not be enough.

The Game

The morning started with heavy rain, but by game time, it had cleared, though the field was still slippery. As I took my seat, I could feel the tension in the air; the Reysol faithful were nervous being so close to their first league title. Although Urawa were not the powerful side from years gone by, they had their home fans urging them on. I expected a good game and was not disappointed.

It was clear early on that Kashiwa were the better team as they attacked continuously, only to have their shots go wide or over the net. It wasn't until the 29th minute when Jorge Wagner took a corner kick that was first saved by a defender, then booted off the post. The ball bounced out to Wagner who was running in from the corner untouched. He blasted a shot that would have missed but it bounced off the leg of keeper Nobuhiro Kato and through his legs to make it 1-0 Reysol.

Nine minutes later, another Kashiwa corner fell to defender Wataru Hashimoto, who tapped the ball over his head with his back facing the net. Kato was caught well off the line and Hashimoto had his first goal of the season and it looked like Reysol were well on their way, up 2-0.

The second half saw Kashiwa look tentative early on, and Urawa took advantage when an innocent-looking cross found the head of Yosuke Kashiwagi, who put the ball in the upper right corner of the net to cut the Reysol lead in half.

At this point, the stadium found an extra level of tension. Nagoya had scored in their match which meant that if Urawa could manage another tally, Reysol would lose the title. The Reds pressed and had a couple of good chances, but it was their keeper Kato who would be the story yet again. Off yet another Kashiwa corner, the ball bounced out to Akimi Barada, who softly lobbed it towards net from 35 yards. The ball bounced just in front of Kato, who mishandled it and watched it cross the line to give Reysol the insurance they needed. The fans around me erupted knowing that the title was theirs. Highlights of all the goals can be seen here. Interesting that two of them were the direct result of goaltender gaffes.

The rest of the game was mere prelude to the postgame party. There were no chances on either end as the teams played out the last few minutes with Reysol knowing they were about to be crowned 2011 J League Champions.

The Celebration

When the final whistle blew, the Reysol players collapsed in exhaustion on the field while the substitutes raced over to commence the group hug. Manager Nelsinho Baptista was given the traditional do-age (pronounced doh-a-ge), where the coach is tossed in the air three times.

The players then went to their supporters and bowed in appreciation. When it was time for the trophy presentation, they gathered around a small sign declaring them champions, and were presented with the championship plate, which they held up to the crowd (below). I was on the wrong side of the stadium to get a good picture, but you can see it is not a big trophy by any means.

The players returned to the front of their supporters section and a different group of players raised the plate to raucous cheers. Then it was over. The players filed off and that was it. The whole thing took maybe 15 minutes and was rather anti-climatic compared to the championships in North America.

Notes

After Kashiwa cleared the field, the Reds players came out for a final goodbye. Team president Mitsuo Hashimoto spoke and I was shocked at the hatred the fans had for him. The booing was loud and incessant, lasting from the moment he appeared until the stopped speaking. Check out this video for the evidence.

On the way back to the station, the Kashiwa fans were quiet, talking about their team's chances in the upcoming Club World Cup tournament or next years AFC Champions League. There were no drunken louts screaming, no fights, no riots, just happy fans basking in a hard-fought championship. On the train home, you wouldn't have guessed that their team had just completed a historic season, they all sat quietly and studied their smartphones.

That's one difference between fandom here and there. In Japan, the fans give it all inside the stadium, screaming and yelling for hours, but once the game is over, they revert to their normal, quiet selves. Back home, fans cheer long after the game is over, usually getting smashed in the process, and often smashing other things. I have always complained about the lack of real emotion exhibited here at sporting events, but as sports in the States has become consumed by hype, I find that I now prefer the self-control exhibited by fans here. I'm all for having a good time but too often it comes with a heavy price, with damages to a city's reputation taking far longer to repair than damages to a few shop windows. I'm sure there's a happy medium here, but not sure how it can bee achieved.

Update: Minutes after I posted this, I read about 13 fans being injured rushing the field after Oklahoma State's Big 12 championship win. I hate college football for so many reasons, and this episode just adds to the list. It also illustrates my point - hype drives college football now, so fans think it is actually meaningful to win a championship in a conference that features 3 or 4 competitive teams, so much so that they rush the field and tear down goalposts without regards for the safety of others. Is there no perspective left in American sports?

Next Up

I'm flying to France shortly for a 2-week roadtrip that doesn't involve sports. I'll be back in Japan for the new year and planning all my 2012 trips. Check back then for an exciting announcement about me going to see more Maple Leaf road games.

Best,

Sean

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Nabisco Cup Final - Jublio Iwata 5 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3 - November 3, 2010

This past Wednesday was Culture Day in Japan which meant it was time for the final of the Nabisco Cup, the J League's equivalent to the Carling Cup. I watched it last year so won't write about the tournament structure this time, interested readers can check out last year's post.

The Teams

Although the game is played in Tokyo, the teams are labeled as visitor and home so the fans buy the right tickets. The visitors were Sanfrecce Hiroshima. I actually watched their first game in the tournament back on September 1st, when they lost 1-0 to Gamba Osaka. But they managed to win the second leg 2-1 and then beat Shimizu S Pulse in the semi-finals to make it here. They have never won the Nabsico Cup, nor taken a full season title in the J League, so this was a great chance for them to gain some real silverware (they have one Super Cup but that is just a one-game trophy which they qualified for by losing the Emperor's Cup the previous year). In the J League this season they lie 9th with 11 wins and 9 draws out of 28 matches.

They were facing Jublio Iwata, a one-time dynasty based in Shizuoka Prefecture, which is just southwest of Tokyo. Between 1997 and 2002, the club won 3 league titles , a Nabisco Cup, an Emperor's Cup and an Asian title, but they've fallen into the mid-table the past few years. This season they sit two spots below Hiroshima with a 10-9-9 record. Their goalkeeper is Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, who backstopped the Japanese in the 2002 World Cup, but who is nearing retirement.

I should mention that Hiroshima didn't participate in the round-robin portion of the tournament as they were playing in the AFC Champions League. So this was only their 5th Nabisco Cup game, while Iwata had played 11.

The Fans

Both teams had thousands of supporters at each end of the stadium. I expected Jublio (above) to have a few more fans simply because they are closer, and outside the stadium there were dozens of buses with Iwata banners. But the Hiroshima faithful (below) had made the journey in great numbers as well and both sides presented their colours and songs before the game. What I found interesting is that there were less Sanfrecce fans at the game I saw in Hiroshima; glad to see that they are embracing the idea of the road trip!

The Game

I'm going to refrain from detailed descriptions of all the goals in this game, because there were eight of them! That's right, 8 goals in a soccer game. What's even more amazing is that there were only three goals at the 88 minute mark. After that, things got pretty wild. Before proceeding, I suggest you check out a YouTube Video that shows them all.

With the video, it's difficult to understand how quickly those goals came though. The first 25 minutes of the match were rather dull, with neither team able to generate any offense. Iwata came closest when a free kick from Kota Ueda (directly below) missed the top corner (below that).

The first goal was scored in the 36th minute when Keisuke Funatani ran onto a perfect cross from Ryoichi Maeda, heading the ball through Shusaku Nishikawa's legs.

But Hiroshima were not fazed, and Croatian Mihael Mikic made a spectacular run down the right flank, shaking two defenders, running into the box, and crossing to Tadanari Lee, who mishit the ball moving backwards but caught Kawaguchi going the wrong way and the ball dribbled into the net.

If you watched the video above, you would have seen Sanfrecce holding a big team celebration, as all 11 players on the field, including the keeper, gathered near the Iwata net, went to one knee, and made a motion as if drawing a bow. I'm not sure of the meaning, but it was a bit over the top.

Jublio's Norihiro Nishi

Hiroshima's second goal came just 3 minutes into the second half when a long ball from Koji Morisaki eluded two Iwata defenders and found itself on the foot of Satoru Yamagishi who calmly slotted past Kawaguchi. Yamagishi then ran to the Sanfreece supporters and took quite a while getting back to the field, but the referee didn't warn him which I found surprising. Two goals and two excessive celebrations; would the soccer gods take offense?

The answer would be yes. In the 88th minute, Nishikawa couldn't handle a strong header off a corner kick and the ball went straight to Maeda (last year's J League scoring champ) who tapped home to tie the match and send it to overtime. The picture above shows Maeda's outstretched leg touching the ball, which is hidden by a lunging Nishikawa.

The extra time started slowly, although Sanfrecce hit the crossbar midway through. But it was another corner kick that led to the goal as Iwata's Minoru Suganuma volleyed home a headed pass 12 minutes in. That seemed to crush Hiroshima, who promptly made a defensive blunder that allowed Ryohei Yamazaki to score two minutes later. But no, Sanfrecce had a free kick that was expertly taken by Tomoaki Makino, beating a diving Kawaguchi to make it 4-3 at the extra time interval. That's 3 goals in 3 minutes, a rather unusual occurrence in soccer, and it looked like Hiroshima had hope.

But just four minutes into the second half of OT, Maeda added his second, chesting down a long free kick and racing into the box, where he chipped over Nishikawa to seal the game. Sanfrecce had a penalty at the final whistle, but Kawaguchi made a diving stop to send the Iwata fans into a frenzy.

Jublio wins the Nabisco Cup 5-3! What an amazing game! Not particularly well played by either side, particular the Hiroshima defense who were constantly giving up chances, but a lot of fun to watch. Neither goalkeeper will be writing home about this one either, but the fans certainly enjoyed it. Below is a list of the goals.

The Free Stuff

The other great thing about the Nabisco Cup is getting free junk food. This year was Oreo chocolate cream cookies and Chip Star, a rather bland Pringles imitation. There was also a double-sided trading card with Hisato Sato of Hiroshima on one side and Iwata's Maeda on the other. There is also the pamphlet with the history of the tournament and detailed descriptions of both teams.

Next Up

November 13th is the AFC Champions League final. Before that there is a baseball game between the Korean champion SK Wyverns and the NPB champion, which I may go to. After that I'm in Okinawa for a few days and then there's some Top League Rugby on the 27th. Then the roadtrip portion of the blog gets restarted as I'm off US and Canada for a month of hockey, football, and basketball. I'll post the final trip schedule next week as it has been decided and tickets have been booked.

Best,

Sean

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Nabisco Cup Final Set

Just a quick post, about a week late, to note that the Nabisco Cup final will pit Sanfrecce Hiroshima against Jublio Iwata. I saw Hiroshima's first game in the competition back on September 1st when they lost 1-0 to Gamba Osaka. But they rebounded to win the second leg and then beat Shimizu S Pulse in the semi-finals. Meanwhile in the other semi, Iwata knocked off the team I semi-support, Kawasaki Frontale to advance. Iwata has a much more storied history with several league championships and an Emperor's Cup to their name, mostly from the late 90s, while Hiroshima has very little to brag about, winning only the 2008 Super Cup.

The game is on November 3rd at 14:00 and I was smart this year and got tickets in advance. Both teams are in the middle of the table in J League, so it should be an interesting match. I'll be cheering for Hiroshima though so if you are a gambler, taking Iwata is the wise choice as teams I root for have a bad habit of losing regularly.

Best,

Sean

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Kataller Toyama 0 at Tokyo Verdy 1 - J League Division 2 - June 12, 2010

With the World Cup underway, Japan's J League is taking a 1-month break. This weekend saw the last action until mid-July with a round of games in the second division. One of these matches was held at Komazawa Stadium in southern Tokyo. I used to play road hockey right next to it and had always wanted to see a game there, so couldn't pass up the chance to catch Tokyo Verdy and Kataller Toyama fight it out Saturday afternoon.

Komazawa Stadium

Built in 1964 for the Olympics, Komazawa Stadium is located in Komazawa Park and is one of several sports facilities in the area. The nearest station is Komazawa Daigaku on the Denentoshi line which is 3 stops south of Shibuya station. Avoid the express train though as it passes this station. From the station it is a nice 10-minute walk that takes you through the park. Next to the stadium is a tall structure that is the Olympic control tower, shown above.

The stadium is unique in that there are 6 triangular walls that line one side as you can see above. These provide shade in the upper rows of those sections, but the rest of the stadium is open to the elements. The seating area slopes down at both ends to create a wave-like feeling. As it also hosted track and field events, it is not a soccer-only facility and consequently the seats are some distance away from the pitch, as shown below.

Komazawa is no longer used as a regular home ground for a professional team so the amenities are lacking. The outdoor concourse is small and there is little in the way of food or drink choices inside. The seats themselves are just stools with no back and not that comfortable.

Half the stadium was closed as there were only 3,300 people to fill the 22,000 seats, so I didn't get to do much walking around. Although it is nearly 50 years old, it has held up well and I'm glad I had the opportunity to see a game in this historic venue.

The Teams

Tokyo Verdy was formed in 1969 as a company club for Yomiuri Shimbun, the same firm who owns the Tokyo Giants. Known as Yomiuri F.C. for the first 24 years of their existence, the club benefited from the deep pockets of the owners and won several titles in the 1980s, including the Asian Club Championship in 1988 when their opponent forfeited. When the J League started play in 1993, the team became known as Verdy Kawasaki and continued their success, taking the first two league titles as well as the first two League Cups and enjoying the presence of national team stars such as Kazuyoshi Miura and Ruy Ramos.

Fortunately, this dominance would not last. Yomiuri tried to replicate the national following of its baseball team, but with local teams in more areas and the league gradually losing popularity, the plan failed and the club were unable to sign new talent to replace their aging veterans. Verdy finished mid-table for the rest of the decade and eventually moved back to Tokyo, changing their name to Tokyo Verdy. Success eluded them here as well and they were relegated to J2 in 2005. Although they returned to the top division in 2008, they finished 17th and were sent back down for last season.

This year they had 4 wins and 5 draws in 15 games which was only good enough for 15th in the 19-team league. With 15 goals for and only 14 against though, it seemed like they were a better team than their record indicated.

On the other hand, Kataller Toyama has only been around for two seasons, joining J2 last year and finishing 13th. This season they are just as bad, with only 4 wins and a draw from their 15 matches, suffering a league-worst 30 goals against.

The Game

Kosei Shibasaki sends one deep

Based on the above stats, I figured a low-scoring game was in order and for a change, I was right. It was immediately clear that Toyama were not strong on the backline. Tokyo attacked early and were rewarded when the Toyama defence failed to clear the area in the 12th minute. Midfielder Takuma Abe dribbled past two defenders and chipped the ball over a lunging Yuji Nakagawa (shown below) for his first goal of the season. The rest of the half was rather uneventful as Toyama pressed and managed 6 corners but only a single weak shot on net.

In the second half, Tokyo spent the majority of time in possession but couldn't add to their lead. But with Toyama unable to generate any consistent pressure, it didn't seem like a problem. The Verdy defense was solid and resisted any Toyama attempt, such as below heading another corner away. It wasn't until late in the game that Kataller had a brilliant chance, but the shot was parried away by keeper Yoichi Doi, himself a one-time member of the national team (that's him below in blue).

The game ended 1-0 and was a rather lackluster affair. Tokyo were clearly superior; Toyama didn't look like a professional side in my opinion. With the win, Verdy moved up to 10th in the league while Toyama will continue to languish near the bottom. Not a memorable match but I was able to cross another sports venue off the list (298 and counting).

Notes

Tokyo Verdy averaged nearly 15,000 fans last season playing in J1, but this year they are down to 5,500 as they struggle in the second division. Talk about fair weather fans. Of course, given the quality of the match I saw, it's difficult to blame them.

Next Up

Not much on the calendar until I head back to the US for a final baseball trip in July. I will check out one day of industrial league baseball next week when the Tokyo tournament holds its second-round games, but other than that, it will be lots of soccer on TV.

Best,

Sean

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One week left in the J League season

If you think the 26-week MLB regular season is too long, or maybe the 8-month grind of the NHL (including playoffs) is a bit stretched, you won't be a fan of soccer. Particularly the J League. The 2009 season started back on March 7th and is just finishing up this coming Saturday, for a total of 39 weeks. That's the same length of time it takes to have a child and I'm not sure which is more difficult to endure.

OK, I'm exaggerating a bit. I've seen some good soccer games this season. And the schedule is stretched due to international matches, Nabisco Cup ties, and Emperor's Cup fixtures. Still, it's too long and by the end, there is little left to decide.

There are only two teams left chasing the title. Two-time defending champs Kashima Antlers lead Kawasaki by 2 points. Sadly for Frontale, they lost a game at Oita back on November 23rd which cost them the league lead. At the time, Oita was the worst team in the league and already relegated. But Kawasaki couldn't manage to get even a point in a 1-0 loss and they are now staring up at the Antlers. The equivalent for NFL fans would be New Orleans visiting Tampa Bay needing a win to clinch the NFC title and losing (interestingly, Tampa Bay travels to the Superdome on the 2nd to last week of the season).

December 28th update: Tampa Bay beat New Orleans in overtime so the Saints have yet to clinch first. My jinx continues!

Anyway, it's another in a long series of Kawasaki chokes as they continue to struggle to land their first top-flight silverware. The final weekend sees them visit relegated Kashiwa Reysol while Kashima travels to Saitama to take on Urawa Reds. Frontale needs a win and a Kashima loss or tie in order to take the championship. It's unlikely but not impossible and so there's a bit of excitement this Saturday.

I was toying with the idea of going to Kashiwa to see the game, but it's sold out as the Reysol fans are taking advantage of their last chance to enjoy J1 football. As well, with both games occurring at the same time, you would need an out-of-town scoreboard to properly follow the championship chase. I'm not sure if other scores are posted regularly in Kashiwa, so I think I'll just stay at home flipping between both games. I'll be rooting for Kawasaki; here's hoping that the last weekend of the season was worth the wait.

Best,

Sean

Update: Kashima won their game 1-0 to clinch the title while Kawasaki won 3-2 in Kashiwa. As for me, I was stuck at work and missed the games, although with the result, not that disappointing. The Emperor's Cup is all that's left for Frontale, so we'll see you in Sendai next week!

Update (12/4/2011): Kashiwa was relegated in 2009, but won the J2 championship in 2010 and the J1 title in 2011. Truly an amazing sports story that will get no coverage in the hype zone controlled by ESPN.

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JEF United Chiba 2 at Kawasaki Frontale 3 - November 8, 2009

With the end of the soccer season approaching and Kawasaki Frontale barely holding on to their lead atop the J1 standings, I thought I'd revisit Todoroki Stadium on a sunny day to see them take on JEF United Chiba.

There's not much background to give here. I've seen both teams already this season; Chiba has had a terrible season and lies 17th out of 18 teams, while Kawasaki is hoping to rebound from their Nabisco Cup loss.

Before I get to the game, a slight aside. This blog is really supposed to be about traveling to watch sports - reports on more than just the game, but the whole experience - how to get there, what else to see, and any other tidbits that readers might find useful. But I haven't done much in the way of travel in the past few months as I needed a job first to secure my visa. So to keep things interesting, I tried to see as many sports in Japan as I could, visiting new stadiums, learning about different teams and even checking out new sports. But I don't want the blog to devolve into a simple recap of games I've seen - if there's no useful to pass on, the post is not warranted.

I think that this is the first time when there's no new information. The only thing different between this visit to Todoroki and the previous one in April is the competition. Today it's the J League, then it was the Champions League. As it turns out, this is a big difference for fans - attendance today was over 18,000 so good seats were difficult to find. You really need to show up when the gates open to secure your favored spot. Back in the Champions League, there were only 8,000 fans, and in my head, I expected it be just as easy to find a decent seat today. Well, it wasn't - I ended up at the goal line, down low - not a great spot to watch the game, as you can see below.

What surprises me is how the league games are so much more popular than the Cup competitions. Personally I prefer the sudden death nature of an elimination game, but it seems like most fans enjoy the regularly scheduled league contests. Not sure why that is, but I now know to show up much earlier or get a fixed seat ticket whenever I go to the J League.

The Game

This was a surprisingly good game. I'll avoid the shot-by-shot recap here to save us all a bit of time. Chiba took a shock lead in the first half, only to have Kawasaki tie it on a Renatinho penalty early in the second. A few minutes later, Renatinho added another, and it looked like Frontale was on their way. But Chiba tied it with just two minutes to go after a goalmouth scramble and the Frontale faithful saw their dreams of a title slipping away. But as the clock turned into extra time, Juninho raced down the left side and crossed to Renatinho who headed home the winner and garnered himself a hat trick in the process. An amazing finish with 2 goals in the last 5 minutes as Kawasaki wins 3-2!

Renatinho might have had 4 goals had he not missed a header in the first half. In the picture below, it looks like the ball is in, but it's just gone wide. Renatiho is the Frontale player at the right of the picture, slightly hunched. When this ball hit the side netting, the fans in my section started cheering - it really did look like a goal. Obviously it wasn't, but that was about the only blemish in Renatinho's near-perfect game.

With the loss, Chiba is officially relegated to J2 next season. This might not sound like a big deal, but their fans were devastated and the players came to their cheering section to bow in contrition. A TV interview tonight showed one of their players crying as he tried to explain the embarrassment of dropping down a level.

Meanwhile Frontale maintains their 1-point lead on Kashima with just 3 games left. Kawasaki is home to Niigata, a top-5 club, and away to Oita and Kashiwa, who are two of the worst teams in the league.

Final Score

The big news for Japan's national team is that Kengo Nakamura has pulled out of their next two matches against Hong Kong and South Africa after being injured late in the game. We'll have to see how this affects Frontale over their last 3 league games and the Emperor's Cup.

Nakamura corner

Other thoughts

I wasn't a huge soccer fan until I worked at the 2002 World Cup. But even after that, I found the J League somewhat difficult to follow. Over the past few months though, I've become much more interested in the league and its various competitions. I've been lucky with the games I've seen; all have been fast-paced with some good goals. No doubt if I had seem some 0-0 stinkers, I'd be complaining about how dull soccer is. But I didn't, so I'll definitely be looking to follow the league more closely next season.

For now, that looks to be it for live sports in 2009. My job takes up too much time during the week and I'm exhausted after seeing two games this weekend. I might try to catch one more J League game on the final match day, or maybe an Emperors Cup fixture somewhere, but we'll see how things develop. The job should be over in December, at which time I'll let you all know of a great road trip that starts in mid-January in Atlanta.

It's been a great year for sports watching for me. I've seen 61 events comprising 8 sports in 4 countries (would have been 5 except I was rained out in Korea). It's been a lot of fun, especially discovering the minors here in Japan. Not sure where I'll be next year, but you can bet that I'll be somewhere watching sports.

Best,

Sean

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