As 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Wednesday, 6 March 2013
Monday, 18 February 2013
Omiya Ardija 2013 J League fixtures
March 2013
2nd March Shimizu S Pulse HOME
9th March Jubilo Iwata AWAY
16th March Albirex Nigata HOME
30th March Kashima Antlers HOME
April 2013
6th April FC Tokyo AWAY
13th April Cerezo Osaka AWAY
20th April Urawa Reds HOME
26th April Kashiwa Reysol AWAY
May 2013
3rd May Oita Trinita AWAY
6th May Sanfrecce Hiroshima HOME
11th May Vegalta Sendai AWAY
18th May Shonan Bellmare HOME
25th May Ventforet Kofu AWAY
July 2013
6th July Sagan Tosu HOME
10th July Nagoya Grampus HOME
13th July Yokohama FM AWAY
17th July Kawasaki Frontale HOME
31st July Sanfrecce Hiroshima AWAY
August 2013
3rd August Kashima Antlers AWAY
10th August Cerezo Osaka HOME
17th August Sagan Tosu AWAY
24th August Kashiwa Reysol HOME
28th August Kawasaki Frontale AWAY
31st August Yokohama FM HOME
September 2013
14th September Albirex Nigata AWAY
21st September Vegalta Sendai HOME
28th September FC Tokyo HOME
October 2013
5th October Urawa Reds AWAY
19th October Oita Trinita HOME
27th October Nagoya Grampus AWAY
November 2013
10th November Ventforet Kofu HOME
23rd November Shimizu S Pulse AWAY
30th November Jubilo Iwata HOME
December 2013
7th December Shonan Bellmare AWAY
Thursday, 6 December 2012
End of the Season
The 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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, 30 November 2012
"Great" Escape
So 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.
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.
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.
Likewise season after season in Japan it seems that Omiya Ardija's name and The Great Escape are inextricably linked together.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Likewise season after season in Japan it seems that Omiya Ardija's name and The Great Escape are inextricably linked together.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, 23 November 2012
Cerezo away!
The Squirrels went to a rainswept Cerezo Osaka and took all three points in a fantastic 3-1 away win. Goals from Novakovic, Watabe and Aoki sealed the win. A win which unfortunately due to the incredibly close nature of the J1 league has not made us safe, but nevertheless it's a win that keeps our heads just above the water and moves us a step nearer to the longed for safety.
A terrific performance from the lads, and a team performance. In the wet conditions of the first half and the slightly better conditions of the second half, Ardija played as a unit and errors - passing or defencive ones were kept to a minimum. Scoring three goals away from home is no mean achievement for any team, but for Ardija to do so at this late stage of the season, when victory could mean so much, it was a great performance. With Kobe and Gamba both winning away from home too, it kept us above those two relegation rivals and out of the bottom three.
It has to be said that the team has improved under Verdenik and he has turned the team around from one which looked a shambles, poor passing, weak defending, too many errors, and an ineffectual attack that generally failed to frighten the opponent's goalkeeper let alone the back of the net, into a working unit. In this game the team never lost it's shape. Each part of the unit knew it's job and did it mostly well. Players knew where each other were and looked to find them with direct passes or passes to run on to, and we broke with speed and looked likely to score. 5-1 or 6-1 would not have surprised me at the end of the game. The addition of Zlatan and Novakovic, though initially viewed by some fans with scepticism, has proved to be a success and they have shown themselves to be valuable members of the team, providing goals (including hat-tricks from both players) and leading the front line as well as working hard for the team.
Let's not get too carried away, and I may have already done so! But this was a good performance, when I had expected a nervy, edgy showing from Ardija, understandable given our precarious position. Ardija don't do nervy and edgy well. Does anyone? Albirex at home only 3 weeks before this game was a distinctly poor showing, when in that game I thought the opposition were unlucky to lose the game, and looked much better than the Squirrels who seemed aimless, error-strewn and shapeless. The team against Cerezo, with only Zlatan and Watanabe missing from the Nigata line-up, looked a different set of players.
Let's hope the confidence shown during this game and gained from the result will carry on into our last two crucial games of the season, home to Jubilo and away to Shimizu. Hello Shizuoka! What do you have in store for the Squirrels?!
Back to the Cerezo game and Novakovic kicked things off with a first half strike from a free kick, which was superb, then in the second half we went 2 nil up through a swift passing move that came on the counter that lead to Watabe's goal and was exciting to watch as we swept forward and extended our lead. Cerezo hit back with a goal but never really threatened to get even and when an error from Cerezo defender Kim gave Aoki the chance to make it 3-1 the points were safe.
The win came without Brazilian midfielder Carlinhos, a player whose performances earlier in the season have been underestimated due to the poor quality of the side at that time. He does a lot of the groundwork in front of the defence and likes to get the ball forward to the more creative midfielders quickly. Some of his work on the pitch is important but maybe goes unnoticed as fans prefer to focus on the flashier elements in the side now the team is playing better. Yet when those players were badly misfiring earlier in the season I think Carlinhos helped to keep us afloat at times. I don't know if he is injured or just doesn't fit into Coach Verdenik's vision for the team now, and I am not sure how much longer he will be at Ardija. I hope to get the chance to watch him play and bury one of his piledrivers in the back of Jubilo or S-Pulse's net.
A final note on this game. A fillip to the fans who travelled all the way to Kansai to watch the team play in terrible conditions and seeming to stand on what looked very much like a grass bank terrace. I may be wrong about this, but that is what it looked like on the television. I am surprised that such an away end has passed the standards required for a J1 or J2 team. I don't think it would in many other footballing nations, certainly in Europe. It must have been a wet and muddy experience. Thankfully the players gave the fans a performance to enjoy and to forget the conditions.
Next up is a home game to Jubilo Iwata. Ardija fans will be looking for a similar performance and result.
A terrific performance from the lads, and a team performance. In the wet conditions of the first half and the slightly better conditions of the second half, Ardija played as a unit and errors - passing or defencive ones were kept to a minimum. Scoring three goals away from home is no mean achievement for any team, but for Ardija to do so at this late stage of the season, when victory could mean so much, it was a great performance. With Kobe and Gamba both winning away from home too, it kept us above those two relegation rivals and out of the bottom three.
It has to be said that the team has improved under Verdenik and he has turned the team around from one which looked a shambles, poor passing, weak defending, too many errors, and an ineffectual attack that generally failed to frighten the opponent's goalkeeper let alone the back of the net, into a working unit. In this game the team never lost it's shape. Each part of the unit knew it's job and did it mostly well. Players knew where each other were and looked to find them with direct passes or passes to run on to, and we broke with speed and looked likely to score. 5-1 or 6-1 would not have surprised me at the end of the game. The addition of Zlatan and Novakovic, though initially viewed by some fans with scepticism, has proved to be a success and they have shown themselves to be valuable members of the team, providing goals (including hat-tricks from both players) and leading the front line as well as working hard for the team.
Let's not get too carried away, and I may have already done so! But this was a good performance, when I had expected a nervy, edgy showing from Ardija, understandable given our precarious position. Ardija don't do nervy and edgy well. Does anyone? Albirex at home only 3 weeks before this game was a distinctly poor showing, when in that game I thought the opposition were unlucky to lose the game, and looked much better than the Squirrels who seemed aimless, error-strewn and shapeless. The team against Cerezo, with only Zlatan and Watanabe missing from the Nigata line-up, looked a different set of players.
Let's hope the confidence shown during this game and gained from the result will carry on into our last two crucial games of the season, home to Jubilo and away to Shimizu. Hello Shizuoka! What do you have in store for the Squirrels?!
Back to the Cerezo game and Novakovic kicked things off with a first half strike from a free kick, which was superb, then in the second half we went 2 nil up through a swift passing move that came on the counter that lead to Watabe's goal and was exciting to watch as we swept forward and extended our lead. Cerezo hit back with a goal but never really threatened to get even and when an error from Cerezo defender Kim gave Aoki the chance to make it 3-1 the points were safe.
The win came without Brazilian midfielder Carlinhos, a player whose performances earlier in the season have been underestimated due to the poor quality of the side at that time. He does a lot of the groundwork in front of the defence and likes to get the ball forward to the more creative midfielders quickly. Some of his work on the pitch is important but maybe goes unnoticed as fans prefer to focus on the flashier elements in the side now the team is playing better. Yet when those players were badly misfiring earlier in the season I think Carlinhos helped to keep us afloat at times. I don't know if he is injured or just doesn't fit into Coach Verdenik's vision for the team now, and I am not sure how much longer he will be at Ardija. I hope to get the chance to watch him play and bury one of his piledrivers in the back of Jubilo or S-Pulse's net.
A final note on this game. A fillip to the fans who travelled all the way to Kansai to watch the team play in terrible conditions and seeming to stand on what looked very much like a grass bank terrace. I may be wrong about this, but that is what it looked like on the television. I am surprised that such an away end has passed the standards required for a J1 or J2 team. I don't think it would in many other footballing nations, certainly in Europe. It must have been a wet and muddy experience. Thankfully the players gave the fans a performance to enjoy and to forget the conditions.
Next up is a home game to Jubilo Iwata. Ardija fans will be looking for a similar performance and result.
Thursday, 8 November 2012
At the top
Putting Ardija's perennial struggle for J1 survival aside for one moment, there has been an intriguing battle at the top of the J1 table, which has now come down to two teams. Those two teams have been there or thereabouts all season, and of course they therefore have also been the two most consistent teams in the league. Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Vegalta Sendai.
Urawa Reds have been flashy at times this season, and I have to say, fairly consistently third in the table, but they lack a certain something before they look like winning another J1 title. The killer instinct. They might have it in front of goal at times, but not enough, and they might over-run a team in midfield, with flair and skill which is very pleasing to watch, but they certainly lack it in defence. There are many ways to kill off a team and Reds haven't quite worked out how yet. This has left them unable to pull away from the rest of the pack, and has cost them any realistic hope of winning the title 3 games from the end.
There are a number of teams fighting it out for Asian Champions League places with 3 points currently separating 3rd place Urawa from 8th place Kashiwa Reysol. Of those teams - Reds I have just discussed, the rest are Grampus, S-Pulse, Marinos, Sagan Tosu and Reysol. From among those teams I have been most impressed with S-Pulse. They are a young side looking to build for the future and they play a brand of football which is attractive to watch. I think their coach has the right attitude to football and one which should bring S-Pulse success in the coming years. However I feel right now they still need something extra to push them on to the next level. I imagine that might be a goalscorer to support the goals of Genki Omae and to tighten up their defence.
So back to the two leaders. Sanfrecce and Vegalta at the top means we are going to get a new champion of J1. Sanfrecce did win the stage one of the J1 championship in 1994, but they lost the championship play off to stage 2 winners Verdy Kawasaki. So, effectively we will get a new J1 champion and that can only be a good thing for the development of club football in Japan, and give hope to fans that you don't need to be an Antlers fan to see your club be successful. The clubs have proved the doubters wrong this season, as many pundits predicted that either one of them would fall away at some point in the season. This just hasn't happened and furthermore, neither has one of them managed to pull away and open up a reasonable gap at the top of the table. Perhaps each team's performances and success has driven the other on and consequently they have handled the pressure that comes with leading the table so much better than expected.
So who is going to get over the finishing line in first place.
Many neutrals would vote for the men from Sendai. This is the emotional call. The team has represented the areas in Japan devastated by the March 11th 2011 earthquake with pride and strength, and given many people still suffering in those areas much hope and heart. However, emotions are not enough to win the title, and Vegalta have backed this up with very strong and determined displays on the pitch. Durability and getting results where other teams would have walked away with nothing, has been a key factor in their season. It's built on teamwork and sheer handwork, which might not always be pretty, but it is something I respect the team for. They offer the J League an alternative style to the general rule of how Japanese club sides play. They harry other defenders into making mistakes, and they can counter swiftly and make your team pay for their errors. Their on-pitch attitude can sometimes bring criticisms from fans of other teams, but again I see this as a good thing in the development of the league. The best leagues have a variety of clubs, styles of play, rivalries and players. I still think the J League needs some work in this area. Vegalta Sendai and also this season's J1 newcomers, Sagan Tosu serve up a different brand of football to which most Japanese club sides play. For Vegalta, up front Shingo Akamine has been their goal machine, and he has also been ably supported by Brazilian import, Wilson. If their defence remains strong, and their midfield can win the ball quickly and launch swift attacks, they have the firepower to win the title, and the never-say-die attitude to pull it off.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima finished 7th in the last two J1 seasons, and most people would have expected them to push for an Asian Champions League place this season. Instead, they have surprised J1 observers by challenging for the title at the top of the league for most of the season. Compared to Vegalta, I find Sanfrecce's style of play much more pleasing on the eye. They score goals too. In Hisato Sato they have the league's top scorer and surely he will win the Golden Boot in Japan this season, and perhaps given the rarity of goal machines in Japan, he deserves to be named player of the season and get a spot in the national team. Japan's national team always frustrates me with so much midfield ability and creativity, yet they score so few goals unless they are playing a very low ranked minor footballing nation. Okazaki is a player who surely only gets the nod because of his effort, he's a nice guy and somehow plays in Germany. I wouldn't pick him, if I were coach. Back to Hiroshima, their players are all comfortable on the ball, the forward line displays some impressive inter-play passing and touches as well as doing the business in front of goal. As an Ardija fan, it's both great but galling to see Naoki Ishihara doing so well this season at Sanfrecce.
So who is going to win. From a purist point of view it should be Sanfrecce, from a tactical and pragmatic approach it could very well be Vegalta. It won't be Urawa Reds unless a minor miracle takes place and that will keep us Squirrels fans happy. Finally it will come down to who has the guts and courage to see the job through. A bit of luck too might come in handy. It's been close all the way so far, the next 3 games are going to be fun to watch. Enjoy.
Urawa Reds have been flashy at times this season, and I have to say, fairly consistently third in the table, but they lack a certain something before they look like winning another J1 title. The killer instinct. They might have it in front of goal at times, but not enough, and they might over-run a team in midfield, with flair and skill which is very pleasing to watch, but they certainly lack it in defence. There are many ways to kill off a team and Reds haven't quite worked out how yet. This has left them unable to pull away from the rest of the pack, and has cost them any realistic hope of winning the title 3 games from the end.
There are a number of teams fighting it out for Asian Champions League places with 3 points currently separating 3rd place Urawa from 8th place Kashiwa Reysol. Of those teams - Reds I have just discussed, the rest are Grampus, S-Pulse, Marinos, Sagan Tosu and Reysol. From among those teams I have been most impressed with S-Pulse. They are a young side looking to build for the future and they play a brand of football which is attractive to watch. I think their coach has the right attitude to football and one which should bring S-Pulse success in the coming years. However I feel right now they still need something extra to push them on to the next level. I imagine that might be a goalscorer to support the goals of Genki Omae and to tighten up their defence.
So back to the two leaders. Sanfrecce and Vegalta at the top means we are going to get a new champion of J1. Sanfrecce did win the stage one of the J1 championship in 1994, but they lost the championship play off to stage 2 winners Verdy Kawasaki. So, effectively we will get a new J1 champion and that can only be a good thing for the development of club football in Japan, and give hope to fans that you don't need to be an Antlers fan to see your club be successful. The clubs have proved the doubters wrong this season, as many pundits predicted that either one of them would fall away at some point in the season. This just hasn't happened and furthermore, neither has one of them managed to pull away and open up a reasonable gap at the top of the table. Perhaps each team's performances and success has driven the other on and consequently they have handled the pressure that comes with leading the table so much better than expected.
So who is going to get over the finishing line in first place.
Many neutrals would vote for the men from Sendai. This is the emotional call. The team has represented the areas in Japan devastated by the March 11th 2011 earthquake with pride and strength, and given many people still suffering in those areas much hope and heart. However, emotions are not enough to win the title, and Vegalta have backed this up with very strong and determined displays on the pitch. Durability and getting results where other teams would have walked away with nothing, has been a key factor in their season. It's built on teamwork and sheer handwork, which might not always be pretty, but it is something I respect the team for. They offer the J League an alternative style to the general rule of how Japanese club sides play. They harry other defenders into making mistakes, and they can counter swiftly and make your team pay for their errors. Their on-pitch attitude can sometimes bring criticisms from fans of other teams, but again I see this as a good thing in the development of the league. The best leagues have a variety of clubs, styles of play, rivalries and players. I still think the J League needs some work in this area. Vegalta Sendai and also this season's J1 newcomers, Sagan Tosu serve up a different brand of football to which most Japanese club sides play. For Vegalta, up front Shingo Akamine has been their goal machine, and he has also been ably supported by Brazilian import, Wilson. If their defence remains strong, and their midfield can win the ball quickly and launch swift attacks, they have the firepower to win the title, and the never-say-die attitude to pull it off.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima finished 7th in the last two J1 seasons, and most people would have expected them to push for an Asian Champions League place this season. Instead, they have surprised J1 observers by challenging for the title at the top of the league for most of the season. Compared to Vegalta, I find Sanfrecce's style of play much more pleasing on the eye. They score goals too. In Hisato Sato they have the league's top scorer and surely he will win the Golden Boot in Japan this season, and perhaps given the rarity of goal machines in Japan, he deserves to be named player of the season and get a spot in the national team. Japan's national team always frustrates me with so much midfield ability and creativity, yet they score so few goals unless they are playing a very low ranked minor footballing nation. Okazaki is a player who surely only gets the nod because of his effort, he's a nice guy and somehow plays in Germany. I wouldn't pick him, if I were coach. Back to Hiroshima, their players are all comfortable on the ball, the forward line displays some impressive inter-play passing and touches as well as doing the business in front of goal. As an Ardija fan, it's both great but galling to see Naoki Ishihara doing so well this season at Sanfrecce.
So who is going to win. From a purist point of view it should be Sanfrecce, from a tactical and pragmatic approach it could very well be Vegalta. It won't be Urawa Reds unless a minor miracle takes place and that will keep us Squirrels fans happy. Finally it will come down to who has the guts and courage to see the job through. A bit of luck too might come in handy. It's been close all the way so far, the next 3 games are going to be fun to watch. Enjoy.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
Been a while....
Very sorry about letting this blog about Omiya Ardija drift....It's been quite a season and it's not over yet. 3 games are left and it's still all to play for.
The Squirrels find themselves in 14th place and on 37 points which in most seasons would be enough to avoid the drop into J2. This year, however is very different and 40 or 41 points is likely to be the goal to survive in J1. Then again it might be even more. This season's relegation dogfight has been more exciting and involved then any season I can remember. Going into the last 3 games I make it that 7 teams still have something to worry about. It makes it edgy and nervous for fans of the teams in the mix, but great excitement for neutrals. Ardija's remaining games are away to Cerezo, and then a massive double header against Shizuoka - a final home game against Jubilo followed by the last game of the season away to Afshan Ghotbi's impressive young Shimizu S-Pulse side.
I feel at this stage that Cerezo is our best chance of taking all 3 points, even though trips down to Osaka are never easy. Shimizu on the last day is going to be a very tough proposition with S-Pulse quite likely to be playing for an Asian Champions League place and looking to end their season on a high in front of their own very passionate supporters. Jubilo is never an easy game for us and we were very poor against them earlier in the season when their midfield dominated the game easily and their frontline, if in the mood, can finish chances off. Yet there is some hope, Jubilo recently have been on a terrible run of form and haven't won since a 2-1 victory away to Vissel Kobe on September 15th. Their game before coming to Nack5 is a home game to Grampus whose form is up and down this season, but they have won 3 of their last 4 games so Jubilo could be looking at another defeat against Nagoya.
Meanwhile Cerezo are on a run of 3 draws which followed a superb run of 4 wins that seems to have made them safe as they now sit on 41 points, which as I said at the beginning of this post, is the total that should be enough to survive in J1. Yet nothing is certain this season and Cerezo might be their own worst enemy to think they are out of the woods yet. It's going to be a tricky game for the Squirrels, but I think one that might prove crucial in guaranteeing our safety. A win and two draws is my prediction, but a win, followed by a draw and then a loss might be more likely. Then again.....
The Squirrels find themselves in 14th place and on 37 points which in most seasons would be enough to avoid the drop into J2. This year, however is very different and 40 or 41 points is likely to be the goal to survive in J1. Then again it might be even more. This season's relegation dogfight has been more exciting and involved then any season I can remember. Going into the last 3 games I make it that 7 teams still have something to worry about. It makes it edgy and nervous for fans of the teams in the mix, but great excitement for neutrals. Ardija's remaining games are away to Cerezo, and then a massive double header against Shizuoka - a final home game against Jubilo followed by the last game of the season away to Afshan Ghotbi's impressive young Shimizu S-Pulse side.
I feel at this stage that Cerezo is our best chance of taking all 3 points, even though trips down to Osaka are never easy. Shimizu on the last day is going to be a very tough proposition with S-Pulse quite likely to be playing for an Asian Champions League place and looking to end their season on a high in front of their own very passionate supporters. Jubilo is never an easy game for us and we were very poor against them earlier in the season when their midfield dominated the game easily and their frontline, if in the mood, can finish chances off. Yet there is some hope, Jubilo recently have been on a terrible run of form and haven't won since a 2-1 victory away to Vissel Kobe on September 15th. Their game before coming to Nack5 is a home game to Grampus whose form is up and down this season, but they have won 3 of their last 4 games so Jubilo could be looking at another defeat against Nagoya.
Meanwhile Cerezo are on a run of 3 draws which followed a superb run of 4 wins that seems to have made them safe as they now sit on 41 points, which as I said at the beginning of this post, is the total that should be enough to survive in J1. Yet nothing is certain this season and Cerezo might be their own worst enemy to think they are out of the woods yet. It's going to be a tricky game for the Squirrels, but I think one that might prove crucial in guaranteeing our safety. A win and two draws is my prediction, but a win, followed by a draw and then a loss might be more likely. Then again.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)