tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23940394745602805592024-02-18T23:29:05.892-08:00Squirrel TalkA Fan's blog about Omiya Ardija FC
Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-52162026800910766722014-03-14T01:57:00.001-07:002014-03-14T02:05:59.933-07:00Ardija versus Nagoya GrampusOn a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon, 8th March 2014, I went along to Nack 5 stadium to watch the Squirrels take on Nagoya Grampus. To be honest I was lacking confidence, even with Grampus having lost their opening season game 3-2 at home to S Pulse. Ironically they had lost to a goal fired in by former Ardija favourite Novakovic. Furthermore Nagoya were also getting used to a new manager in Akira Nishino, who had replaced Stoijkovic. A crowd of just under 10,000 gathered at the stadium, suggesting that a lack of optimism for the new season had spread to the fans who had been enticed in when the team had been sitting on top of J1 under coach Verdenik.<br />
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Omiya set up 4-4-2 which was a change from the first game when we had started the game with just one up front. The change in personnel was Zlatan coming in for Cho. The first half was very disappointing for Omiya. I cannot remember any serious effort on the Grampus goal. Worse still, the passing was poor, teammates didn't seem to be able to find each other, and control was often poor too. It did not make good watching for Ardija fans.<br />
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Nagoya played the better football in what was in all honesty a lacklustre first half. Tulio was hardly troubled in defence at all. Danilson looked strong, driving forward. Kennedy and Tamada were probing in the Omiya penally area, but as yet to no effect. At half-time it was 0-0.<br />
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The second half began in much the same way and on the 53rd minute Nagoya got the breakthrough that had seemed to be coming for a while. Kennedy played a neat pass through to Tamada. The Omiya defenders stood and called for an offside decision, which was not forthcoming, and Tamada had the freedom of our penalty box to finish smartly.<br />
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Omiya were still struggling to launch any serious attacks, yet it was Nagoya who made the first changes to their team with a double substitution on the 61st minute. Nagai came on for Edamura and Taguchi came on for Isomura. A few minutes later and Grampus extended their lead, when a rare Ardija period of possession broke down just outside the Grampus penalty box, from the defensive tackle the ball went to Ogawa deep in the Nagoya half, but he was able to run the length of the pitch almost unchallenged and finished easily past goalkeeper Shimizu. Kikuchi tried to make a challenge on Ogawa as he got into our penalty box, but just stumbled and fell over, making Ogawa's finish even simpler. <br />
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Strangely enough, going 2-0 down at home, finally brought some better play from the Squirrels. The team managed to keep possession longer and start to stretch the Grampus defence. At last that defence was breached in the 70th minute when Takahashi finished off a neat Ardija move, and put the ball home from close in on goal. The fans started to believe that just maybe a draw was possible.<br />
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Omiya continued to pressure and Carlinhos was brought on for the disappointing Kataoka, and made a real difference in the midfield. He brought a measure of composure and control to the midfield. With Hasegawa coming on for Kanazawa we had 3 tall strikers on the pitch, and started to launch crosses which unfortunately were dealt with very well by Tulio, who most times managed to get a clearing head on the ball. Then deep in additional time Carlinhos sent a deep cross over, which evaded the heads of the Nagoya defence, Hasegawa managed to head it across and Takahashi put the ball in the back of the net to the delight of the home fans. However that delight swiftly turned to disappointment as the linesman's flag was raised for offside and the referee disallowed the goal, and very soon the final whistle went and Ardija had lost 2-1 to Grampus. Watching replays of the disallowed goal, I think the decision, though marginal, was correct<br />
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So Omiya have lost their opening two games. Obviously this is not a good situation to be in, and as soon as I left the stadium I began to check results elsewhere. This could be a regular feature of this season, as I expect the relegation struggle to be tight. It is disappointing to feel the extent of our ambition is to hope those around us drop points. Already many pundits are suggesting Tokushima will go straight back down. If that is the case, Ardija are fighting to avoid two spots. Can we do it? On the positive side, the last twenty minutes were better. But then again, what came before was pretty poor. The players have to work hard in training, because on the pitch they still look like they are getting to know each other. The most impressive player for Ardija in this game was the Brazilian Carlinhos, and he didn't enter the game until the 71st minute!<br />
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Next up for Omiya is an away game against Kawasaki Frontale. Although Frontale are only in 14th position at the moment, they have some good players and Ardija will have to improve on this performance, if they are to pick up their first points of the season. I would like to see Carlinhos start the next match. Finally, what has happened to Tomiyama?<br />
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Come on you Squirrels!!!<br />
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Team - Shimizu<br />
Murukami<br />
Kataoka<br />
Kikuchi<br />
Takahashi<br />
Imai<br />
Ienaga<br />
Watanabe<br />
Kanazawa<br />
Zlatan<br />
Radoncic<br />
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Subs Carlinhos for Kataoka 71'<br />
Izumisawa for Murakami 80'<br />
Hasegawa for Kanazawa 83'<br />
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Crowd: 9980<br />
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Conditions: Sunny, dry<br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-74486842787113970492014-03-02T22:54:00.003-08:002014-03-03T04:38:37.065-08:00Opening Day of the seasonOmiya Ardija kicked off their campaign for the 2014 season with an away game against last season's runners-up Yokohama F Marinos at Nissan stadium in Yokohama in Kanagawa just south of the nation's capital, Tokyo on Sunday March 2nd 2014.<br />
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Omiya lost the game 2-0. Yokohama F Marinos opened the scoring with a goal through new signing Jungo Fujimoto in the 17th minute of the first half.<br />
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The goal was a well taken left footed shot from the edge of the penalty box after a devastating run from Manabu Saito which left defenders in his wake until the final challenge, which rebounded the ball to Fujimoto and he finished. Saito has been a real thorn in the side of Ardija during recent contests. Avery good player whom one wonders if he will get a real chance in the national team.<br />
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After half time Ardija started to improve but never really threatened the Yokohama goal seriously and Marinos had the better chances including an Ito header off the crossbar from a free kick .<br />
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The result was put beyond doubt with Ito's 87th minute goal. The ball was cleared by Ardija to the midfield but possession was lost far too easily. From the challenge the ball went straight to Ito and he turned, took a touch and fired in from 30 yards out. A stunning strike to kill the game off. The game finished 2-nil to Yokohama F Marinos.<br />
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Here is the Ardija line up that started the game;<br />
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Shimizu<br />
Murakami<br />
Kataokoa<br />
Kikuchi<br />
Takahashi<br />
Imai<br />
Ienaga<br />
Watanabe<br />
Kanazawa<br />
Radoncic<br />
Young-Cheol Cho<br />
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Zlatan came on for Radoncic in the 53rd minute<br />
Izumisawa came on for Cho in the 74th minute<br />
Hasegawa came on for Kanazawa in the 75th minute<br />
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The crowd was 23, 166. The conditions were rainy and wet.<br />
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It was the first game under a new regime and with some new players in the line up. I don't think it's the right time to panic yet. With Vortis Tokushima and Ventforet Kofu both being thrashed and Vegalta Sendai losing at home 2-1 under a new manager to Albirex Nigata, I think we are already getting a good idea of the teams which we will be competing against to maintain our J1 status. It's early days yet and let us hope that this squad of players can work hard and forge new and succesful partnerships under the leadership of coach Okuma to preserve our treasured position in the top flight of Japanese professional football.<br />
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The next game on this journey is at home to Nagoya Grampus on Saturday March 8th at 3pm.<br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-79009333664160624402014-02-27T20:18:00.001-08:002014-02-27T20:18:10.172-08:00Visit to Omiya Ardija's training groundOn Sunday February 23rd I went for the first time to Omiya Ardija's training ground. The ground is situated a short ten minute walk from Nishi Omiya station on the Saikyo line. It's very easy to find. Just walk out of the station, go past the Saitama Sakae school and follow the pavement which is called Ardy way and you cannot miss it. I'm going to post a few photographs of my morning there for you to enjoy.<br />
The atmosphere at the ground was friendly and relaxed. On this particular day the training session, which started at 11am, was only a light session involving a period of jogging and stretches for the main squad. This was because the team had played a friendly game the day before against Matsumoto Yamaga. Most of the players finished after the stretches but a small group of the squad including Kota Ueda set up a small pitch with small sized goals and practiced their passing and movement in a kind of 5 a side game. All the players and the new coach were very friendly and welcoming to all the fans who were there to watch the session. They took time to talk to the fans, sign autographs and have their photos taken with the fans. I could not imagine such a scenario happening these days in the major European leagues, at least not in such a relaxed atmosphere. It was a great morning so thank you to the players and staff of Omiya Ardija.<br />
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Ardy Road signpost!<br />
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the main building</div>
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the Orange shop for Ardija merchandise</div>
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the players jogging round</div>
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some of the players practicing </div>
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the fans lined up waiting to get the players' signatures and photos</div>
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the Ardija van</div>
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Cho taking a having a long chat with his fans</div>
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Ardija vending machine</div>
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-58143006835174076762014-02-12T00:29:00.001-08:002014-02-12T00:29:29.664-08:00Takashi Kitano's autograph<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my students went along to an Omiya Ardija training session recently and kindly got me the autograph of Ardija goalkeeper Takashi Kitano. I hope to go along soon and watch Kitano and the other players train too.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-63421150543178405352014-02-06T03:25:00.000-08:002014-02-06T03:25:32.877-08:00Omiya Ardija training schedule for February 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Photograph taken in the Orange shop. Training schedule for the players in February 2014. Let's hope training is going well.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-25185674425828318762014-02-06T03:18:00.001-08:002014-02-06T03:26:39.289-08:00Season 2014 Omiya Ardija Squad numbers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AZ5PuCXLGgkThe6EvNKyWJr7f1tUOGXehui2tPdyMqnGm4YXVc_EAZZe2otQDrPmjRjn_FPRRP1pqRDuU8pnSp3xwRaLuqgn0RThnXXEMJVoOVnsElvoM8UziB6M_Vlg3Mu0369HZG8/s1600/IMG_4461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AZ5PuCXLGgkThe6EvNKyWJr7f1tUOGXehui2tPdyMqnGm4YXVc_EAZZe2otQDrPmjRjn_FPRRP1pqRDuU8pnSp3xwRaLuqgn0RThnXXEMJVoOVnsElvoM8UziB6M_Vlg3Mu0369HZG8/s1600/IMG_4461.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a><br />
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If you are thinking of getting a new shirt for the upcoming season and want to have it printed with your favourite player's name, here is the list of the numbers the squad will be using.<br />
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I took this photograph in the Orange Shop in Omiya.<br />
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This year no player will wear the number 12 shirt. At least not yet, though it's on the list. Unlucky for some number 13 doesn't even get a mention. The team is getting superstitious perhaps.<br />
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Diago Watanabe has moved to take over the number 10 shirt.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-50750065281367442014-02-05T18:55:00.001-08:002014-02-05T19:00:01.350-08:00 Season 2013Omiya Ardija - season 2013<br />
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<b>14<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Omiya Ardija<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span> 34<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>14<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>3<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>17<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>45<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>48<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>−3<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>45</b><br />
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What a strange season 2013 was for Omiya Ardija supporters. I'm sure all of us at the beginning of 2013 could not have predicted the ups and downs that we would experience. However, one thing we all definitely predicted is that Ardija would not be relegated and would finish in 14th place. Most fans probably tipped us to finish anywhere between 13th and 15th. We were bang in the middle of that. Just like normal. What was not normal was how we went about ending up in 14th place.<br />
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Two managers, two very different streaks, a first ever run at the top of the table, a behind the scenes player revolt, the signing of an ex- Premier League player, and a dramatic slide down the table to our usual position.<br />
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Many would still question the wiseness of the decision to sack Verdenik, the man who brought in the Slovenian attack duo to help surge Ardija to the very heights of J1. At the time of his sacking, Verdenik's team were on a 5 game losing streak. This was surely too soon to pull the trigger. It seems now that it was driven by problems in the team and the club behind the scenes.<br />
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The bigger problem for the fans was that his replacement would take the club on a far worse losing streak, and turn out performances that were lifeless and showed a lack of spirit, skill, teamwork and tenacity. Qualities that had pushed the Verdenik team to the top and had made Ardija difficult to play against.<br />
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Ogura looked out of his depth at Ardija. This might be unfair. He stepped into a difficult situation at Omiya but certainly he did not bring the best out of the players. He showed no ability to halt the slide, to change the team line ups, or to try new formations. The sad truth is we finished 14th and not in a relegation place, because of the points we had amassed earlier in the season under the management of Verdenik and not because of anything Ogura brought to the club. By the end of the season the only sane decision for the Chairman was to sack him. Thankfully he did so.<br />
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The Chairman must take some of the blame. His decision to support the players against Verdenik backfired horrendously. The performances in the latter half of the season were embarrassing. I have better memories of seeing Omiya fight for their life in previous seasons, than the poor play served up by Ogura's team. There may have been other reasons behind the Verdenik sacking, but they have not been made public. The Chairman, like the manager and the captain of a club needs to hold a firm, strong line at times. Otherwise everything can unravel. It did do alarmingly at Ardija last season. The saving grace is that the relegated teams were just too many points worse off to save Ardija's skin. We are still in J1.<br />
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I'm not sure if it's been announced yet who is the captain for season 2014 but I wonder if it should be Kosuke Kikuchi. He clearly played a role in whatever went on in the club at the time of Verdenik's departure and he doesn't seem strong enough on the pitch with regard to other players. Zlatan and Novakovic continually displayed dissent to the referees. Something which Kikuchi should have put a stop to. He should also have been firmer with Shohei Takahashi to deal with some of his petulance and on field behaviour. He must have the support of people in the club. If he continues to be captain, I will be looking for a better performance from him in that role.<br />
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Fans can discuss in detail the deficiencies of the squad or players in particular. For me the major weak point of the team is the lack of variety. There is no plan B. Once it went wrong for Ardija, there was nothing else for them to try. The set up was always the same. They just went on playing the way they had been all along, and they kept on losing. The magic had gone. Heads dropped. Opponents knew how what to expect and knew how to deal with it and outplay Ardija.<br />
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The hope for the future is that we might build a squad that can play a variety of styles of football. Not simply 4-4-2.<br />
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To finish: Let's not forget that in season 2013 Omiya Ardija were top of J1 for a while. That was a brilliant feeling. The kind of feeling that football is all about. Yes, it went horribly wrong, but before it did, it was fantastic being on top of the league.<br />
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Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-24712471322493625402013-09-19T05:00:00.002-07:002013-09-20T21:03:16.685-07:00J. League adopts two-stage formatOn Tuesday 16th September 2013 the J League made a public announcement that is set to be the footballing news story of the season in Japan and even overshadow the result of this year's Championship. The J League has decided to return the J1 championship to a two stage format from season 2015 for the first time since season 2004. All the talk across social media since the news broke, has been about this controversial decision.<br />
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My opinion is clear. I much prefer to remain with the current single season format. I believe that football is a simple game and is played within a simple league system. I just believe that the champion should be the best team after playing everyone in the league home and away. As I said, simple.<br />
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The J League would like to introduce a two stage system which would climax in a play off series, the details of which are as yet unclear. The J league believe that this will increase viewer excitement and thereby attract more fans into the stadiums and more money into J league coffers. That may be true.<br />
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However I would argue that firstly this system will not find the best team of the season. Such a system is common to fans of North American sports such as baseball and basketball, but anathema to most European fans of football. It works in those sports, but I don't want to see it in football.<br />
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We just do not believe that it's a fair way to find the team deserving of the title champion. In many ways the excitement the J League hopes to create by installing the 2 stage format, is very contrived.<br />
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I wonder why the J League feels the need to do this, when it already has an exciting league in operation. Compared to the major leagues in Europe, the J league has provided a wider variety of champions. In fact the current champions, Sanfrecce Hiroshima are first time holders of the title. They now sit third with 9 games to go. So it's quite possible that the title will change hands again. Boring? In need of a drastic overhaul? I cannot say so.<br />
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Secondly I feel that it's far from certain that the new fans enticed along for the play offs will stay for the week in week out season's fixtures. They are most likely to turn up for the dramatic finale but won't be seen at the less glamorous matches. We'll see just how many more make it through the turnstiles across the land in 2015 if the J League do indeed go along with this proposal. Perhaps it is the case that any increase in numbers, however short-term, makes the changes worthwhile.<br />
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The ironic part of this is that if the 2 stage format was being used for this season, Omiya Ardija would be in with a shout of the title, having qualified for the play offs by finishing 2nd in the first stage. Well, actually we are in with a shout right now as we stand in 7th place, 9 points behind the leaders and 9 games left. An outside chance you might exclaim, but still a chance. 3 wins and other results go our way and we could be right up there. 3 losses and we could be hurtling to our usual 13th place finish. Not enough excitement for you?<br />
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Opinion is definitely divided, although the 'No' camp have so far been more vociferous than the 'Yes' camp. Japanese fans have been displaying banners around the stadiums on matchdays. Some fans went to J League HQ to demonstrate. Social networking sites are full of angry comments. But it seems that the J league have guaranteed themselves a big pay day from sponsors as long as they introduce this controversial format. A big fat pay day that they cannot refuse, even in the face of disgruntled fans.<br />
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I would love to see new fans come into the stadiums. It would be great to see the J League bringing in new plans to attract more supporters. But not this way. Not for me.<br />
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Here are my ideas to boost the domestic game. I'm sure you will have others. It's not rocket science.<br />
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I think it would be more constructive to look at ways of making the current cup competitions more exciting and dramatic. They seem tired and only burst into life from the semifinal stage. The group stage of the Yamazaki Nabisco cup is awful. A lot of work could be done to revamp these competitions.<br />
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A return to J1 fixtures taking place from Friday night through Saturday until Sunday evening would allow a greater number of people to get to games. I have been unable to attend a number of Saturday games due to work commitments. I'm sure many other workers find it hard to go along to games now they are all on Saturday.<br />
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The marketing of the J League could be so much better. I have only seen one poor piece of advertising with Gonchan. Why doesn't the J league utilise all the young, exciting players like Kakitani, Kudo, Yuya Osako to get the kids wanting to go and watch. Why not get some of the National team exports to Europe to do a bit of work on behalf of the league that helped them on their way to success in the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and other leagues across Europe? If Winning Eleven can get cool advertising, why can't the J league?<br />
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Other things to consider would be ticket pricing, merchandising pricing, the choice of games on TV and the presentation of them, both in-studio discussions and match commentators.<br />
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So, I'm still hoping the J league reconsider their decision and I'm left wondering whether the fans feel so passionately against this proposal that they would go as far as a mass boycott and deny themselves their pleasure. To follow their team and enjoy the game of football. The people's game.<br />
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If they do, I'll join them for as long as it takes. But it won't mean I've forgotten the team or the club. That never fades.<br />
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And I will say this. In 2015 if the 2 stage format comes in. I will still be an Omiya Ardija fan, and I'll still follow them in the stadium and on the television. I can't give my football up. But it will be different. And I'm not sure if it will be the same.<br />
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See below various links to recent articles on this issue which are worth reading.<br />
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Andrew McKirdy of the Japan Times wrote this piece that sets out his concerns. You can find it on the Japan Times website at www.japantimes.co.jp/sports It's headline is "J League courting disaster with return to two-stage season."<br />
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Ben Maxwell and Alan Gibson discuss the topic on this latest J Talk podcast. You can find it at jtalkpodcast.blogspot.com.<br />
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Angus MacLeod has posted this balanced article looking at some of the reasons why the J League feels the need to change and possible future impacts. Find the article on Angus' website at Japanfooty.com.<br />
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Barry Valder, Shimizu S Pulse fan and blogger has his say on this divisive issue at his blog s-pulseukultras.blogspot.jp.<br />
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Most of the above articles share my opinion. I would like to post some articles here, which are in favour of the changes. But as yet I haven't found any. If I do, I'll be sure to reference them in the name of balance.<br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-49508957427000389082013-09-19T01:16:00.001-07:002013-09-19T03:55:57.481-07:00The J-Talk Podcast: The J-Talk Podcast - 2013 J1 Matchday (23 &) 24Please find a link below to the J Talk podcast for matchday 23 and 24. I've linked it here as it contains another interview with Lucas Neill by Scott McIntyre, of SBS The World Game. The interview took place after our great home win over league leaders Yokohama F Marinos by one goal to nil. Lucas also talks about his thoughts ahead of Australia's match with Brazil which the Socceroos would go on to lose 6-0.<br />
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It's an interesting listen to hear his views, on the Ardija game, our team and how his early days at Ardija have gone for him. If you are an Squirrels fan, it's worth a listen.<br />
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<a href="http://jtalkpodcast.blogspot.com/2013/09/2013j1md24.html?spref=bl">The J-Talk Podcast: The J-Talk Podcast - 2013 J1 Matchday (23 &) 24</a>: A 20 minute solo podcast that also includes Scott McIntyre's chat with Omiya defender Lucas Neill following Ardija's win over leader...Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-78973416054064498362013-08-29T18:05:00.002-07:002013-08-29T18:05:22.699-07:00Lucas Neill interview on SBS The World GameBelow is a link to an interview with Lucas Neill done by Scott McIntyre of SBS The World Game.<br />
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Neill, Ardija's latest signing gives his views on Ardija, the J League and his personal ambitions all the way up to the Asia Cup in 2015.<br />
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<a href="http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/video/43632707507/Neill-maps-out-his-schedule">http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/video/43632707507/Neill-maps-out-his-schedule</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-73337571577978017182013-08-20T04:12:00.001-07:002013-08-20T04:13:47.134-07:00Neill signs for Omiya Ardija - Article from SBSThis article has some quotes<br />
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<a href="http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1164431/Neill-signs-for-Omiya-Ardija">Neill signs for Omiya Ardija : Aussies Abroad : The World Game on SBS</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-83623752620985993462013-08-20T04:05:00.002-07:002013-08-20T04:06:23.738-07:00Tsutomu Ogura confirmed as Ardija's new coachTsutomu Ogura has been confirmed as Omiya Ardija's new coach, today August 20th 2013.<br />
A brief statement and a profile of his career appeared on the club website. See the link below.<br />
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<a href="http://www.ardija.co.jp/news/detail/4184.html">http://www.ardija.co.jp/news/detail/4184.html</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-4429660076784902672013-08-18T20:42:00.002-07:002013-08-18T21:16:25.192-07:00Welcome to Ardija to Lucas NeillIt's official. Lucas Neill has joined Omiya Ardija.<br />
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Here is a piece on it from Neill's management company's website.<br />
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<a href="http://www.inspiresg.com/neill-signs-in-japan">http://www.inspiresg.com/neill-signs-in-japan</a><br />
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Interestingly, the writer suggests the Squirrels regularly provide players for Japan's national team. I don't remember us doing that at all in the time I have been following the club. In fact, I read that it had taken place only once and even then it was as a substitute in a friendly game.<br />
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Still, that's the role of agents, to generate interest in their player.<br />
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Clearly this move to Ardija is part of a strategy for Neill to make sure he is in Australia's world cup squad come next summer in Brazil. But what do the Squirrels get?<br />
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Well, hopefully we get a very experienced defender who our current crop of young defenders can learn from. Takahashi and Imai will be able to see him on the training pitch and during matches if Neill gets picked to play. Let's hope they take the chance to learn from him as it is very rare for Ardija's young players to come into close contact with a player who has represented his country almost 100 times, played in World Cups and played in England's Premier League.<br />
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If he gets on the pitch, the fans will see a committed, hard tackling performance from Neill.<br />
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But can he help arrest Ardija's six match losing slide?<br />
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His age, speed and fitness must be a concern. His name makes this transfer sound a bigger move than it is in reality. It's a short term move, which quite possibly will suit both sides equally. But it's not a transfer that will change the outcome of this season nor will it have much of an impact on where Ardija go next season and in the future.<br />
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Having said that, it could be a fun ride, and I wish Neill all the best for his time at Omiya Ardija and hope it goes well for him and for the team.<br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-37214295833156380572013-08-18T20:42:00.001-07:002013-08-18T20:46:45.475-07:00Lucas Neill - Gladiator<br />
Here is a video I found of Lucas Neill on YouTube. I think the clips in the video demonstrate Neill's defencive style clearly to Ardija fans who might not have seen too much of the defender.<br />
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The question remains does Neill still perform at this level now at aged 35? We will see him at the Nack5 and be able to judge him on his performances.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YLkCpdr1dLg" width="459"></iframe>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-81515446967493370102013-08-16T00:31:00.001-07:002013-08-16T00:47:05.734-07:00The J-Talk Podcast: The J-Talk Podcast - 2013 J1 Matchday 20I made my debut appearance on the J Talk podcast last Monday. In fact it was the first time I had ever appeared on any podcast on any topic ever.<br />
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The J Talk podcast is a podcast which features discussion on all issues concerning Japanese football, including J1, J2, the newcoming J3 and the national team. It's hosted by Ben Maxwell.<br />
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So it was a bit of a daunting prospect and I was rather nervous beforehand. I hope that I did ok. I think my passion as a fan comes across well, especially since I was still in shock at the decision which had only happened 24 hours prior to the show's recording.<br />
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Information regarding the sacking and any reasons for it was scarce so the decision at that time still seemed slightly odd. Details that have come out in the press since then have cleared up the picture more than was possible at the time of the show.<br />
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Recording the show was fun and I particularly thank Ben and Angus who I was on the show with, for making me feel relaxed and welcome.<br />
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The part I feature in is the lead-off section and lasts just under 25 minutes. The link is below. Have a listen.<br />
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<a href="http://jtalkpodcast.blogspot.com/2013/08/2013j1md20.html?spref=bl">The J-Talk Podcast: The J-Talk Podcast - 2013 J1 Matchday 20</a>: A 62 minute podcast with Angus MacLeod & Steve Fryer, Cesare Polenghi and Jon Steele. In Part 1 Angus, Steve and I discuss the situati...Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-42424345998939054302013-08-16T00:29:00.002-07:002013-08-16T00:29:54.748-07:00Japan Times Article: The President's Press ConferenceArdija's President, Shigeru Suzuki gave a press conference on Tuesday this week.<br />
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Here is a link to an article from the Japan Times that was in the August 14th 2013 print issue and online from August 13th 2013. It's a piece from the Kyodo news agency and quotes the Ardija chairman, Shigeru Suzuki.<br />
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The article suggests that Tsutomu Oguro will be the replacement for Verdenik. From reading this article it seems that Oguro will not be officially in place before the Sagan Tosu away game on August 17th 2013.<br />
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The chairman gives his opinion that the decision had to be made, because Verdenik had clashed with the coaching staff and lost the dressing room.<br />
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see below for the link.<br />
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http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/08/13/soccer/struggling-ardija-to-appoint-ogura-as-new-coach/#.Ug3R7tsCa8E.gmailStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-4195724372965571222013-08-16T00:09:00.002-07:002013-08-16T00:09:24.451-07:00Questions for Mr VerdenikAt this time I would love to have an interview with Mr Verdenik. It would be really interesting to hear his views on all that has gone on at the club during his brief reign.<br />
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Unfortunately I am not a journalist and have no access to Mr Verdenik. Furthermore I have failed to bump into him around Omiya this week. I had rather imagined him wandering disconsolately among the shops, restaurants, cafes and department stores of Omiya these past days. All alone. A solitary figure in a fading grey baseball cap.<br />
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Well, never mind. Here is the next best thing. The following are the questions I would ask. Would you ask anything else?<br />
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1. Why did you lose your job?<br />
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2. What was the best moment of your managership?<br />
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3. Who is the best Japanese player at the club?<br />
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4. If you were still in charge, and could sign one player, who would it be?<br />
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5. What 's your favourite Japanese food?<br />
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6. If you could do one thing differently during your time at Omiya Ardija, what would it be?<br />
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7. Will you sign and sell the grey baseball cap on ebay?<br />
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8. Will you tell us what really happened between you, the players and Mr Oguro?<br />
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9. What do you think of the club, it's fans and it's future?<br />
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10. What are you going to do next?<br />
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Well, thank you Mr Verdenik for an amazing and unexpected run. I wish you all the best in your future. Wherever that may be.<br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-17359800156407691672013-08-15T20:16:00.001-07:002013-08-15T20:16:38.839-07:00Verdenik sacking 2 Steve Barme, Omiya Ardija fan and regular contributor to both the J Talk podcast and Japanfooty.com has written a great article on the Verdenik sacking, which you can find a link to below.<br />
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The article appeared on the Japanfooty.com website on August 16th 2013.<br />
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http://www.japanfooty.com/the-omiya-u-turn#.Ug2ZFUixv1A.gmail<br />
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Follow Steve on twitter @AgentOrange2009 for lots of Ardija news and chat.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-56512280770684603452013-08-15T20:02:00.000-07:002013-08-15T20:02:07.744-07:00Lucas Neill to join the SquirrelsLucas Neill appears set to join Omiya Ardija later today according to The Guardian newspaper. This article was published on the Guardian's website on 14th August 2013.<br />
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http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/14/lucas-neill-move-omiya-ardija<br />
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Lucas Neill is a 35 year old experienced Australian defender. He has played for several clubs in the Premier League and made 92 caps for Australia.<br />
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If he joins on a 4 month contract as suggested, he will come into a side that needs to stem a 5 match losing run that has seen the Squirrels' defence conceded 11 goals.<br />
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Neill is a feisty, committed player who is certain to give his all each game if he can stay free of injury.<br />
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It could be an interesting 4 months for Neill and Ardija fans should he decide to sign the contract on offer.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-18264234335960268342013-08-15T19:42:00.002-07:002013-08-15T19:42:52.222-07:00The Squirrels sack VerdenikHere is a link to an article written by Andrew McKirdy, who writes for the Japan Times on Japanese football. He calls Verdenik's dismissal ' a massive gamble.'<br />
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This article appeared online on August 14th 2013 and in print on August 15th 2013.<br />
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<a href="http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/08/14/soccer/omiya-taking-massive-gamble-with-verdenik-dismissal/#.Ug2QuuWOHUn.gmail">http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2013/08/14/soccer/omiya-taking-massive-gamble-with-verdenik-dismissal/#.Ug2QuuWOHUn.gmail</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-78448300620400785132013-04-15T21:10:00.001-07:002013-04-15T21:29:29.671-07:00Ardija make the news!Omiya Ardija find themselves in a very strange position after only 6 games of the season. We are in the news! Usually the media aren't interested in the Squirrels so early in the season, or if they are, it probably means we are about to fire our coach. But this year is different. The Squirrels are flying high in the league, currently sitting in third place behind Urawa Reds and league leading Yokohama F Marinos.<br />
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Furthermore we are on a record-equalling unbeaten run in the league stretching back 17 games to September 1st last year, when we drew 1-1 in the derby match away to Urawa Reds. Just now I maybe feel I can get away with cheering, 'Come on you mighty Squirrels!'<br />
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Our coach Verdenik is now finally drawing interest from the press, with everyone eager to find out what he is doing right at Omiya. Prior to this, he was just that old man who always wears a grey baseball cap, never sits down in games and oh...he kept them up but they always do that!<br />
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Let's look at where we are this season, and there are two key points for me as an Ardija fan - the points and the performances.<br />
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Firstly, the points. I'm not getting too carried away with our league position, pleasing as it is. I'm far more delighted that we have 14 points after only 6 games and are well on our way to securing our J1 future next season. A J1 future will allow us to build on the groundwork being done now by the players and the coaching staff. This must be our first goal of the season. It cannot be denied though that we are in with a chance of getting our highest ever J1 finishing position. So far we have never finished higher than twelfth, eleventh place or better should be our second goal of the season. I'm also a firm believer in getting the points on board as soon as possible, so that when legs get tired, injuries occur, and suspensions kick in, the team will be in a better situation to handle any possible points drought that might come along, especially at the tail-end of the season. More positively, I think that Ardija fans are hoping that our current position will breed the confidence to continue the strong performances and avoid the usual down to the wire end to the season.<br />
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Now to the performances. The basic Verdenik system is clear. He has tried to build confidence in the team by maintaining the same formation and players as much as possible. This might sometimes seem negative, but I think it has allowed Verdenik to get his ideas across steadily and to merge the influence of Zlatan and Novakovic to the players who were at the club under previous manager Jun Suzuki. The formation is clear - 4-4-2. Kitano in goal, in defence Shimohira, Kikuchi, Takahashi and Watabe. The midfield is normally Watanabe, Kanazawa, Aoki and Cho Yong-Cheol. Upfront, when fit Zlatan and Novakovic.<br />
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I think Kitano is a very sound keeper, I've only seen a poor game from him when it was a very gusty, windy day, conditions which are tricky for any keeper. He has made some very important saves for us over the 17 games and I have a lot of confidence in him. Perhaps his performances are so good, because he knows Ardija have a very capable back-up goalie in Ezumi.<br />
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In defence the key man is Kikuchi. He often makes timely tackles which have helped to keep us in games and also marshals the troops very well. His partnership last season with Komoto was excellent, but his big job this season is to help youngster and new signing from J2 Tokyo Verdy, Shohei Takahashi fit in to the team and adapt to life in J1. The biggest question mark over Takahashi is his discipline, and this has been shown clearly in incidents in our games against Kashima and Cerezo, culminating in an unnecessary red card in the latter game. Some fans might be worried about Takahashi. However he is young and we need to give him some time to develop and not write him off as a bad boy just yet. His composure on the ball and his role in Novakovic's goal in the 3-1 win over Kashima, suggests he is a talent worth developing.<br />
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For me the rock of the midfield is Aoki. He does a lot of unselfish work linking between the defence and midfield, and also works hard to break up the opposition's attacks and cover any mistakes that might occur from teammates. He is also capable of finishing, as he did in our opener against Shimizu S Pulse. The midfield players have a very good understanding and the passing between them and linking with the forwards can be very nice at times. This season it has been improved on by the midfield being more assertive in matches, with the team taking the game to the opposition, rather than waiting for an opportunity to break and score on the counter-attack. Cho Yong-Cheol has had a fine start to the season, and though he still needs to keep improving his distribution, he seems to be a much better player this season than the one we saw last season. Does this have anything to do with the departure of Keigo Higashi to FC Tokyo?<br />
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And finally to the attack. Zlatan and Novakovic are Verdenik's prefered choices. Both have proved to be great purchases for the club and have played their role in the current run. Zlatan has an array of neat touches, holds the ball up well, and can finish well. His match winning goal against Cerezo Osaka last Saturday was a delight to watch as he flicked the ball over the defender's shoulder with his right foot and finished smartly with his left foot. A smashing goal to grace any football pitch in the world. Novakovic is a tall, powerful striker who gives Ardija a strong focus through the middle, but who can play a bit of football too as well as score goals. He did some very neat footwork down the wings during the opening game against S-Pulse. Yu Hasegawa is mostly used as a sub and has the ability to finish when he is on form. Perhaps he needs more of a run in the team to really improve. 22 year old Takamitsu Tomiyama is a great hope for Ardija's future. He has come into the side this season when either Novakovic or Zlatan have been injured this season and has repaid Verdenik's faith in him with some eye capturing performances and a fantastic goal against Kashima Antlers. He has strength, pace and a good shot on him.<br />
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Verdenik has shown the willingness to blood new players. This year Takahashi, Tomiyama and Imai have been given their chance and hopefully will get more opportunities in the future to shine. He has built a team that is hard to beat, but one that is not afraid to play attractive football and can score some great goals. Squirrels fans must be enjoying this.<br />
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17 games undefeated since drawing 1-1 with Urawa Reds on September 1st 2012, one game away from a J League record of 18 games unbeaten, and who is up next for the Squirrels? Yes, you guessed it a home derby match versus Urawa Reds. The scriptwriters are waiting. Which way will it go?<br />
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Go for it!<br />
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But the important thing is to not lose sight of our goals, and to keep performing well. Win, lose or draw on Saturday, we can rise to our highest finishing position in J1 and move the club forward. That is the real victory.<br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-23966372248727600032013-03-06T23:46:00.002-08:002013-03-08T02:13:36.227-08:00S Pulse at homeAs March 2nd 2013 dawned, excitement rose throughout the country as the new season of the J League was about to begin. Fans had exhausted themselves reading the endless previews and predictions, digested the main comings and goings in the squads, admired or been disgusted by the new season's kits, and mostly laughed at the often, frankly horrendous club slogans, it was time finally for the main event to begin.<br />
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Omiya Ardija's winter break had been relatively quiet. The main action being the loss of midfielder Keigo Higashi to FC Tokyo, and the return of the successful loanee, Komoto to J2 bound Vissel Kobe. The latter an admirable sign of loyalty to his home town club as he chose to play for them in J2 rather than fight out another season with the big boys as part of Omiya Ardija's defence. Kobe have rewarded him by making him captain I believe. His partnership at the back with Kikuchi had been a key part of the Squirrels' survival in the top flight, and so Ardija fans will be looking keenly to see how youngster Shohei Takahashi fits in after his arrival from J2 outfit Tokyo Verdy, where he played 111 matches and scored 9 goals. As for Higashi, he leaves the club after two seasons of promise which never seemed to be quite fulfilled. FC Tokyo are getting a player full of potential and young enough to have time to develop and fulfill it. Being a smaller fish in a bigger pond might suit Higashi at this point in his career and I expect to read good things about him in the future.<br />
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The first match out of the hat for Ardija was an Orange derby with the team from Shizuoka, Shimizu S Pulse. I was lucky enough to receive a pair of free tickets for this game and I found myself for the first time ever sitting behind the goal next to the away supporters. Whether they had not taken up their full application, or were never given the opportunity to, I don't know. In any case, I actually thoroughly enjoyed myself in these "extra" home seats. There were no queues to buy beer or for the toilets, and with 30 minutes to go, we could easily find a good seat to view the match from. Luckily at Nack 5 there is little sign of trouble between opposing sets of fans and the segregation barriers looked relatively flimsy but thankfully were not needed. A poor policeman was employed to stand there and stare at us all the game, which he did with due Japanese diligence, or perhaps he was a baseball fan!<br />
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Omiya started with Zlatan and Novakovic up front, Cho, Kanazawa, Aoki and Watanabe in midfield and with a defence of Shimohira, Kikuchi, Takahashi and Watabe. It was a very windy day, and the strength of the wind increased steadily throughout the match. In the first half Ardija attacked towards the away end and after a slow opening period, they started to make some nice breaks and showed some ability to spread the ball well between the midfield and attack. However real chances were few and far between and our first chance came from a mistake by Bare as he passed the ball backwards and Zlatan exploited the error to set up Novakovic, whose shot was too weak but the S Pulse goalie, Hayashi could only parry it to Zlatan, whose attempt was blocked by Hayashi. In the first half S Pulse seemed slow out of the blocks and their only real chance was a header from Ishige which was saved by the feet of Kitano. At half time I sat in my seat, thinking Ardija were fairly comfortable, well organised and starting to play some nice football. Yet the suspicion that S Pulse had not really started yet, was a worry.<br />
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At the start of the second half all the S Pulse team were out and in their team huddle before even one player from Ardija had made it on to the pitch. I am sure that Ghotbi's halftime teamtalk had been swift and urgent. Go and get out there and play like I know you can. Expecting an S Pulse onslaught as the gusting wind picked up in strength, fans of the Shizuoka team were at first to be disappointed though as yet again it was Ardija who put the better moves together and exposed some weaknesses in the flanks of S Pulse's defence. Cho, whose passing was not always perfect, but whose running on and off the ball on either wing was evident in the first 70 minutes of this match, easily got down the left wing on the 56th minute and turned the S Pulse defender to cross the ball towards Takuya Aoki, only for the hapless Jong A Pin to beat Aoki to the ball and turn it into his own net.<br />
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This goal suddenly brought S Pulse and the match blazing into life as Ishige hit the bar with an effort from outside the box. In the 65th minute, Ardija extended their lead, with another goal which came from the left wing, this time Novakovic was the player to turn the opposition's defence far too easily and be the provider, and there again was Aoki, and this time he made no mistake striking the ball home sweetly from just outside the box. 2-0 up with 25 minutes to go and chances still coming. It seemed as if we would be taking our first 3 points of the season at the first go. Novakovic's miss when through clear on goal from a Cho set up, and poor control from Cho himself when he was bearing down on goal, would in the end prove crucial. S Pulse finally turned up for real in the last 20 minutes and fought back to level the match through goals from firstly their main danger player, Ishige on the 74th minute and then Uchida in the 84th minute. S Pulse looked the stronger and fitter as both teams went for the winner, but neither team could and it ended 2-2. Takahashi should have done better with his attempted header to clear the ball for the first goal, and the second goal was a calamity as the free kick evaded the efforts of both the defenders and then Kitano to clear it.<br />
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The main talking point toward the end of the game involved Jong A Pin again, who made a reckless challenge and a clear foul right on the edge of the penalty box. The freekick was given but the S Pulse defender did not receive any booking from the referee. Then Jong A Pin showed dissent to the referee by arguing with him over the distance the wall was and marking out the paces for him. Here, the referee rightly showed him a yellow card, but Jong A Pin should have found himself back in the changing rooms with 2 yellow cards to his name. The other S Pulse players behaved equally as poorly as they backchatted to the referee and delayed the free kick a noticeable length of time. Unfortunately the eventual free kick taken by Novakovic was poor and went directly into the wall. Earlier in the second half their South Korean midfielder was fouled just over the halfway line. The referee correctly gave a free kick. But Min Soo made an awful meal of it, waving around that he had been elbowed when replays clearly showed that nothing of the kind happened. When the referee immediately told him that he was wrong, the player bowed his head in apology. And so he should, attempting to get your opponent wrongly booked or sent off is one of the worst things to see on a football pitch and should be ironed out of the game. These kinds of behaviour from the S Pulse players do them and their coach Ghotbi no favours. It's a shame as their football is usually very pleasing to watch.<br />
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A draw then for Ardija. It seems so disappointing after letting a 2 goal lead slip. However there are some real positives to take from this game. The overall shape of the team worked for me, and if the players get sharper over the next games as we must expect them too, then things look positive for the Squirrels. The defence was looking reasonably stable until the final section of the match and Verdenik is a coach who can work well with Kikuchi and Takahashi to give their partnership a chance to succeed. Novakovic and Zlatan will want their finishing to be better, and certainly there is a question about Zlatan's fitness who was substituted in the second half. Cho looked lively on the wings and when he makes his passes and crosses more telling and perhaps make them a bit quicker to catch the runs of the front pair, he will go on to achieve much more now Higashi has left the club. Aoki in midfield had a fantastic match. He was my player of the season last year. Lots of his midfield work often goes unnoticed but it is so valuable as he supports both the defence and then the midfield as we push forward. His name will get noticed because of his involvement in both our goals, but it's his unselfish play elsewhere that is really of note.<br />
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As for S Pulse, in Ishige they have a very exciting player to watch, but their fans must be worried that he does not join the ever growing exodus of Japanese youth to European shores. In Bare, they have a striker who will give defenders something to think about and I would expect him to find the net quite a bit. Their defence does not look so good on this showing. Time will tell if this was a hiccup or the sign of a major weak point.<br />
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Next up for Ardija is a match against the other team from Shizuoka, an away trip to Jubilo Iwata as we try to avoid the curse of Maeda. The team that Jubilo Iwata and Japan striker Ryoichi Maeda has scored his first goal of the season against in the last 6 seasons has ended the season by getting relegated. It's a quite remarkable and unusual statistic, and unfortunately for Squirrels fans he didn't score in Jubilo's opening game, a creditable 1-1 draw away at Nagoya Grampus. Ardija fans will be looking for the team to get the defence into the form it showed in the last 11 games of the 2012 season, and for Zlatan and Novakovic to have the scoring boots on, oh and to keep Maeda quiet of course!<br />
<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-63727215361458885532013-02-18T04:43:00.000-08:002013-03-06T22:24:24.398-08:00Omiya Ardija 2013 J League fixtures<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>March 2013</b></div>
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2nd March Shimizu S Pulse HOME</div>
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9th March Jubilo Iwata AWAY</div>
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16th March Albirex Nigata HOME</div>
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30th March Kashima Antlers HOME</div>
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<b>April 2013</b></div>
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6th April FC Tokyo AWAY</div>
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13th April Cerezo Osaka AWAY</div>
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20th April Urawa Reds HOME</div>
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26th April Kashiwa Reysol AWAY</div>
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<b>May 2013</b></div>
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3rd May Oita Trinita AWAY</div>
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6th May Sanfrecce Hiroshima HOME</div>
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11th May Vegalta Sendai AWAY</div>
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18th May Shonan Bellmare HOME</div>
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25th May Ventforet Kofu AWAY</div>
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<b>July 2013</b></div>
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6th July Sagan Tosu HOME</div>
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10th July Nagoya Grampus HOME</div>
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13th July Yokohama FM AWAY</div>
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17th July Kawasaki Frontale HOME</div>
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31st July Sanfrecce Hiroshima AWAY</div>
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<b>August 2013</b></div>
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3rd August Kashima Antlers AWAY</div>
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10th August Cerezo Osaka HOME</div>
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17th August Sagan Tosu AWAY</div>
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24th August Kashiwa Reysol HOME</div>
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28th August Kawasaki Frontale AWAY</div>
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31st August Yokohama FM HOME</div>
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<b>September 2013</b></div>
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14th September Albirex Nigata AWAY</div>
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21st September Vegalta Sendai HOME</div>
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28th September FC Tokyo HOME</div>
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<b>October 2013</b></div>
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5th October Urawa Reds AWAY</div>
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19th October Oita Trinita HOME</div>
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27th October Nagoya Grampus AWAY</div>
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<b>November 2013</b></div>
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10th November Ventforet Kofu HOME</div>
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23rd November Shimizu S Pulse AWAY</div>
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30th November Jubilo Iwata HOME</div>
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<b>December 2013</b></div>
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7th December Shonan Bellmare AWAY</div>
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Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-49532501189979988982012-12-06T22:28:00.001-08:002012-12-06T22:37:03.165-08:00End of the SeasonThe J1 season for 2012 has come to an end. Omiya Ardija finished their season with a rather tame but essentially unimportant 0-0 draw away to Shimizu S-Pulse. The goalless draw continued Ardija's unbeaten run, which now stretches to 11 games in the league. A considerable effort which guaranteed Omiya's presence in next season's J1 league. With Kashima and Jubilo both winning, there was no way the Squirrels could finish any higher than 14th, because of our vastly inferior goal difference. 14th place for Ardija fans feels ever so familiar, yet this season we knew the chance of a better finish had evaporated fast under the terrible start to the season with the previous coach, Jun Suzuki. The important point for Omiya Ardija is where do we go from here?<br />
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Twitter is already awash with rumours of players leaving, and the names of those players fans would dearly love to leave. The key at stake here is surely the core of the team which has kept us in J1 and which coach Verdenik has worked hard to get into a unit that just might be able to play attractive football, win games and not concede too many goals.<br />
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Well, that would be the plan ( and the dream!) but even before the season ended, it was widely believed that Novakovic was unhappy plying his trade in Japan and was looking for a way back to Europe. His end of season form certainly won't have hurt his chances to do just that. However it would disappoint Squirrels fans who have rightly appreciated his goalscoring efforts, and his hard work in leading the front line.<br />
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Currently Zlatan is back in Slovenia recovering from the injury he received during the last home game to Jubilo Iwata. We must hope he comes back to Ardija. His touch and technique, as well as his scoring boots would be sorely missed, if he chose to remain in Europe.<br />
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Next to consider is the coach who brought the Slovenian duo to Ardija and who found the system to fit them into the rest of Ardija's squad. I have heard nothing to suggest that Verdenik wishes to quit now, and really hope he does not jump ship just yet. He has found a formula the players are responding well to. Kikuchi and Komano look well matched, and players who previously failed to delight, have started to shine. I'm thinking of Watanabe, Watabe, Cho Yong-Cheol and Shimohira.<br />
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Let's say Zlatan stays, Novakovic and Higashi leave. With a steady unit that saw us through the last part of the season unbeaten, transfer targets would be easy to focus on. If it were all that easy! I have no idea of how contracts lie with other players and how they feel about where they want to play next season.<br />
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Another rumour doing the rounds, is that Rafael who left Ardija earlier in the season to return to Brazil, will return after not fitting in at Botafogo. I am not sure how much seriousness I can yet take this rumour and further I am not at all certain it would be a wise move for either club or player alike.<br />
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For now, all we can do is concentrate on our next game which is in the Emperor's Cup at home to Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday 15th December and look to stay unbeaten and give Squirrels' fans the hopes of an exciting cup run.<br />
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<br />Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2394039474560280559.post-33517154870126752992012-11-30T00:58:00.002-08:002012-11-30T01:05:06.879-08:00"Great" EscapeSo Omiya Ardija have done it again. With one game to go in the J1 league for season 2012, away to Shimizu S-Pulse, Omiya have already guaranteed their status in J1 for next year. A 2-0 win over Jubilo Iwata, care of a superb strike from Kanazawa and a second goal neatly finished by Watanabe after good work from Zlatan in the 5.30pm kick off on Saturday November 24th was enough to keep Ardija out of the drama of the last day of the season relegation dogfight tomorrow.<br />
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Who could blame the Squirrels if they decided to put their feet up during the last game of the season at the Outsourcing stadium tomorrow. After all, for much of the season the Squirrels seemed favourite to go down. Unable to score, with a porous defence, and a hapless coach in Jun Suzuki, the future for Ardija seemed to have J2 written all over it. Instead a lot of hard work from new coach Verdenik, his staff, 3 astute purchases which at the time, like the choice of new coach, seemed rather less than inspiring, and commitment from all the players to Verdenik's system have produced such a great outcome for the Omiya fans.<br />
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Every holiday season that hoary old classic film, The Great Escape is rolled out across the TV screens in the UK for the viewing public's enjoyment. Without fail. And each time I watch it, Steve McQueen fails to jump the barbed wire on his bike, and only 2 prisoners of war make it to safety.<br />
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Likewise season after season in Japan it seems that Omiya Ardija's name and The Great Escape are inextricably linked together.<br />
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Yet this time the word "Great" should be the focus for how we played our way out of trouble, not merely the fact of another "Escape." This wasn't a last ditch, backs to the wall effort to get us the points we needed for safety. Similarly it wasn't a hoof it clear, bang it up front and hope we score type of performance either.<br />
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This victory, and the one the week before at Cerezo were well constructed performances. Komoto has made a huge impact in defence, playing well with Kikuchi and giving the back line a confidence that was previously missing. Up front, the foreign imports from Slovenia, Zlatan and Novakovic give the opposition defenders something to really worry about, and following on from this, the Ardija midfielders have the confidence that the forwards might score, but also that they will keep possession in dangerous positions. Earlier in the season we would lose the ball far too quickly and too often, and very soon we would be back in our own half and under pressure. In recent weeks, when playing, Watabe, Higashi, Cho Yong-Cheol and Watanabe have looked transformed players, capable of joining and maintaining the attack, even scoring.<br />
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In the first half of this game Cho and Shimohira continually linked up well down the left side and provided decent service for the two strikers. Under Jun Suzuki, Cho looked out of position and unable to do much with the ball. Against Iwata, he looked sharp, full of running and a danger to Iwata. This has surely come about because of the presence of Zlatan and Novakovic providing a real focus for the wide players to go for.<br />
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The team is looking in good shape, just as the season is about to end. I am very confident the Squirrels will not be putting their feet up at Nihondaira, but instead they will be looking to extend their unbeaten streak in the league to 12 games. A win for Ardija would be a third straight win. Impressive end of season form by anyone's standards. It could even secure us our best ever J1 league finishing position. Omiya as yet have never finished higher than twelfth. Unfortunately they will have to do it without Zlatan, who picked up a season ending injury in the second half of the Iwata game. This does give Verdenik the chance to experiment with the front two. I guess he will go with Novakovic and Hasegawa, however I'd rather see the lively looking Shintaro Shimizu start, with Hasegawa given a run in the second half.<br />
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What lies ahead for Omiya. Well, a run in the Emperor's cup would be good for the club and welcome for the fans. More importantly, is keeping the squad together, the belief and confidence, and building on it during the off-season, so that Ardija might not have to take the starring role in next season's version of The Great Escape.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05814891471986898380noreply@blogger.com0