Welcome to J-League 2010

By: Rob | March 6th, 2010

Following on from my expressed interest in watching some different kinds of football from the norm, and Chris’ extraordinarily good post about the Asian Champions League, here’s a bit more football from the East, as yesterday, or today (timezones are confusing) saw the kick of Japan’s J-League, a league I’ve been meaning to watch more of for awhile.

The big game so far is the one I linked to above, an exciting 2-1 win for Nagoya Grampus Eight against Gamba Osaka (two of only five teams to have competed in every season of the J-League since its inception). It was a really enjoyable game, some good goals, and two teams having a proper go at it.

New converts to the J-League might well be attracted to Kawasaki Frontale, who Chris describes as the Arsenal of Asia. Well good news if so – they got off to winning ways, a 2-1 against Albirex Niigata.

The other game was a 1-0 win for FC Tokyo against Yokohama F.Marinos.

So onto the bigger picture, and the first thing you’ll want to do, is find a team you want to follow. When watching a new league it always makes it easier if you have some sort of care about which team it is you’re following. I haven’t settled yet, as I need to follow the story a bit before developing an affinity for someone, but when you do pick, it’ll probably be from these teams – the teams playing in Japan’s top league this season.

Vegalta Sendai
Montedio Yamagata
Kashima Antlers
Urawa Red Diamonds
Omiya Ardija
F.C. Tokyo
Kawasaki Frontale
Yokohama F. Marinos
Shonan Bellmare
Albirex Niigata
Shimizu S-Pulse
Júbilo Iwata
Nagoya Grampus
Kyoto Sanga F.C.
Cerezo Osaka
Gamba Osaka
Vissel Kobe
Sanfrecce Hiroshima

There are a few names you’ll probably recognise from there, whether its because of where players have ended up, or come from (or in the case of Arsene Wenger, managers). Geography freaks might also notice that all the teams come from the one (of Japan’s ~~three~~ four) islands, Honshū, its the first time that’s happened since 1995.

The league format is refreshingly familiar. Those 18 teams play each other twice, home and away, three points for a win, one for a draw, none for a loss. The top three qualify for the following season’s Champions League, and the bottom three get relegated.

Kashima Antlers are the defending champions, and as Chris alluded to, Kawasaki Frontale finished second last time around. Hopefully i’ll be here every now and then to give you an update about what’s happening out East, but there is a J-League Offside. It hasn’t been updated for the new season, which probably means there is a great opportunity for writing there. Email daryl[at]theoffside[dot]com if you want a chance to write there, at the very least, you would have me reading there.

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Category: Asia, World Football

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richard

can we have some j-league blogging here?
Dustin

Watch Japanese wrestling...it's awesome.
Tom

Yeah, when I lived in Japan we used to go and watch Ehime FC play and sit next to the ultras. They even called themselves ultras. There were about a hundred of them that spent the whole game singing, waving giant flags and jumping up and down. It was insane. And this was for a J2 side with average attendances of only a couple of thousand.

Saying that, when the Japanese go for something, they're really serious about it.
Dustin

If I wanted to get into the J-League...where would I watch it consistently? Any online feeds or things like that?
Cory

I also remember watching a special on Jubilo Iwata in the early 2000's, and watching them play. Fans, kits and football was exciting. Kind of like my Houston Dynamo! Overall the league has phenominal fans, German meets Mexican style support.
chris

I rarely choose teams based on sponsors, but I may have to make Nagoya Grampus my team - no one will be able to stop them this year.
Socratinho

I was up late last night and caught the Kashima Antlers x Urawa Reds match. Great game.
Rob

Sorry Tom, that's my bad, and i fixed it since.
Tom

On the other topic, outside of Ehime FC, Jubilo Iwata are my Japanese side, based only on the fact I remember seeing a bit on them probably about ten years ago on Futbol Mundial and their fans were magnificent.
Tom

Not to be pernickety, but there are four main Japanese islands. I fear you are forgetting about beautiful Shikoku, home to the mighty Ehime FC in J2! If by mighty you mean we've finished in the bottom half of the league in every season we've been in existence (I think) and would have been relegated long ago if there were anywhere to get relegated to!
Luka

Kashima-Urawa was just as big as the Nagoya game, but it was more or less dominated by Kashima. Marquinos for Kashima is a very good striker. In fact, watching the J-League you'd notice one thing - that majority of strikers in the league are Brazilian.