KAWASAKI — An 11th-place finish last season suggests Kawasaki Frontale's days as a J. League championship contender are over, but playmaker Kengo Nakamura is refusing to go quietly as the club prepares for another tilt at a first-ever title.
Frontale went into last year's campaign having finished each of the previous five seasons in the top five, claiming the runnerup spot three times to establish themselves firmly among the division's heavyweights. But a rash of high-profile departures and the arrival of rookie manager Naoki Soma hinted that 2011 would be a year of transition, and so it proved as a run of eight straight defeats over the summer derailed the Kanagawa club's title challenge.
Now, with long-serving striker Juninho leaving over the winter, Frontale's prospects look anything but clear. More responsibility than ever will rest on the shoulders of midfield inspiration Nakamura, and the 31-year-old admits he is unsure what to expect.- http://www.japantimes.co.jp
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