Japan fight back to salvage point

Miyagi: Hosts Japan recovered from a shock start of the match to salvage a come-from-behind 2-2 draw against New Zealand to stay at the top of Group A of the ongoing FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2012 Japan.

In the match played at Miyagi Stadium on Wednesday, Japan conceded two early goals but came back brilliantly to earn a point which saw them topping the group on goal difference to New Zealand. Group rivals Mexico defeated Switzerland 2-0 to stay in contention for the quarter-final while Switzerland are out of reckon for the knockout stages.

Yoko Tanaka’s 37th minute strike and equalizer from Ayaka Michigami in the 71st minutes rescued Japan who were clearly the better side on the day with their total shots reaching 28 against New Zealand’s eight in the match.

New Zealand opened the match in a promising note and Ayu Nakada’s clearance of a corner ended up inside her own net in the 11th minute for the New Zealanders’ lead. They doubled their lead in the 15th minute through Rosie White’s second in the tournament as the forward connected a brilliant left-footer after controlling the ball on her chest.

A deflected effort from Tanaka reduced Japan’s deficit to 2-1 in the 37th minute and the moment of the match came in the 71st minute when Michigami connected a sublime header against lanky Kiwis’ defenders. Japan looked for the winner in final quarter of the match without avail.

“We have not showed our gifted techniques fully yet," said Japan coach Hiroshi Yoshida. "Today we showed our technical football to some extent, but that was not enough to win the match."

Japan will take on Switzerland in the final match of Group A on Sunday.

Article source: http://www.the-afc.com/en/component/content/article/944-fifa-womens-u-20-world-cup-2012/39837-japan-fight-back-to-salvage-point

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

FC Seoul - Incheon United

Actually the best tournament group right now, FC Seoul will be only if you be successful to prize all three factors of conflict with Incheon United.. Away group objective not to preserve from relegation but no inspiration and will probably come back in the Nationwide Group where he marketed. Incheon is in very inadequate appearance and the group certainly will not generate any more treatable against FC Seoul. Pick a bet I would definitely bet on 1000Euro with FC Seoul prediction of 1.5 benefits incapable objectives. 

 

All encounters between Seoul and Incheon U. s. FC have been healthy, in four of six events ultimate outcomes led to a sketch and won only 2 or Seoul. Incheon in conditions statistic no house group has not won now rate is very great ranking and I'm sure will keep with 4 objectives in his wallet.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Asian Handicap 101: Why Is It Preferred?

3 Advantages of Asian Handicap Explained the Easy Way

In modern-day sports betting, there are a lot of exciting options to choose from. Punters usually go for betting options that give them more thrills in their bets. An enjoyable option available in sports betting these days is the use of Asian handicap odds. Obviously coming from Asia, the use of Asian handicap in football sports betting has become popular throughout the rest of the world among sportsbooks and punters alike. Here in this article, Asian handicap is explained the easy way through the explanation of 3 of its advantages.

1: Asian Handicap Removes Draws

Perhaps a dilemma faced by some punters out there is the instance of a football match concluding in a Draw. Naturally, A Draw result can be sometimes frustrating especially when it happens on a high-profile match because punters usually pick from two possible propositions only. That is exactly what Asian handicap odds are trying to resolve. Those odds work by giving the weaker side a certain number of points as handicap. When a match with Asian handicap odds results in a Draw, the weaker team technically wins because of the handicap. Because of that, punters are always left to choose between two propositions only.

2. Asian Handicaps Have Higher Yields for Weaker Teams

It is common knowledge in sports betting that weaker teams have bigger odds, in general. Asian handicaps could encourage more punters to risk their chances by enlarging the fixed odds of weaker teams in football. Since no one could predict the winner of every football match correctly anyway, risking in Asian handicap odds could either bring suspense or excitement.  When the weaker team wins in a match, punters who picked it using Asian handicap odds become big winners.

3. Asian Handicaps Provide More Possibilities

Because of the varying degrees of Asian handicap figures, some punters still end up losing in their bets even though their chosen team wins the match by one goal. That makes Asian handicap exciting – punters are compelled to choose their bets wisely. Also, Asian handicap odds do not just take winning and losing into account. It also considers the importance of the amount of points a certain team gains during the match, since point handicaps could change everything in the end. Thus, punters using Asian handicap odds do not just wish that their chosen team would win. Rather, they also hope that their chosen team would score more points ahead of its opponent.

Want to try your luck betting for Asian handicaps? Do it now by betting at www.12BET.com.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Consadole Sapporo vs FC Tokyo Match Preview

Consadole Sapporo vs FC Tokyo Match Preview 5/12 12:00pm GMT+8.

Team Name	CONSADOLE SAPPORO
Management Corporation	The Hokkaido Football Club Co., Ltd.
President	Takemi YAHAGI
Address	1 Hitsujigaoka, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo City, Hokkaido 062-0045, Japan

Titles	J2 League (2000, 2007)
League Position	1998/14th, 1999/J2/5th, 2000/J2/1st, 2001/11th, 2002/16th, 2003/J2/9th, 2004/J2/12th, 2005/J2/6th, 2006/J2/6th, 2007/J2/1st, 2008/18th, 2009/J2/6th, 2010/J2/13th, 2011/J2/3rd
Club Mascot	Dole-kun

Team Name	F.C.TOKYO
Management Corporation	Tokyo Football Club Co., Ltd.
President	Kenji AKUNE
Address	2-15-10 Sarue, Koto-ku, Tokyo, 135-0003, Japan

Titles	J2 League (2011),League Cup(2004, 2009)
League Position	1999/J2/2nd, 2000/7th, 2001/8th, 2002/9th, 2003/4th, 2004/8th, 2005/10th, 2006/13th, 2007/12th, 2008/6th, 2009/5th, 2010/16th, 2011/J2/1st
Club Mascot	TOKYO DOROMPA

Who will win? Bet now for your favorite team at www.12bet.com

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Ali Karimi: I am Living

Tehran: After a series of speculations, Iranian international Ali Karimi admitted on Tuesday that he will leave Tehran giants Piroozi after the end of the domestic season.

Speaking to the Iranian press after a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in their ACL Group D match on Tuesday, the 2004 AFC Player of the Year has declared that he is in no mood to renew his contract which is expiring at the end of Iran’s domestic season.

“My contact will expire at the end of the season and I am not going to renew it,” local paper Tehran Times quoted the former Bayern Munich star as saying. 

“Piroozi could have been beaten with six goals, so we were lucky in this match. I will leave the team and the officials can sign better players than me,” the 34-year-old added after the match against Al Hilal.

A win at Azadi Stadium could have sealed a last-16 place for Piroozi but now they need to win in the UAE against bottomers Al Shabab Al Arabi in their Group D last match day on May 15.

Considered one of the talented midfielders Iran has produced, Karimi’s best came in 2004 when he walked away with the topscorer honours in the Asian Cup with five goals and was later awarded the AFC Player of the Year.

He secured a move to European giants Bayern Munich in 2005. In his three spells with the Iranian President Cup winners, Karimi scored 39 goals in 123 

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Asian League | Japan J-League Division Scores

Below is the latest and correct scoring of each team in Asian League | Japan J-League Division 1.

You can see more results in 12bet.com.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

AFC Champions League Preview

The other Group D game takes place in Doha, where third-placed Al Gharafa will be looking to get their campaign back on track when they face bottom side Al Shabab Al Arabi.

The Qatari club have not yet given up hope of qualifying for the last 16 although they must beat Al Shabab on Tuesday and hope for other results to go their way in order to advance.

"We have a complicated situation as we have to win in order to maintain our chances in the competition,” said Al Gharafa coach Paulo Silas.

"The match will not be easy especially as our opponents are a strong team and they have a similar situation as us. Therefore, it will be a tough match for the two teams and hopefully we can win it."

Al Gharafa will be without defender Hamed Shami and forward Farhad Majidi who are both suspended.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Bayern Munich Beats Real Madrid in a Penalty Shoot

From first league, Real trailed by a goal then Cristiano Ronaldo strikes -- the first, a penalty and next is a neat low

finish which put them in control.With a spot kick done by Arjen Robben, he leveled the tie for Bayern. No further

goals meant a shoot-out, which Bastian Schweinsteiger settled to send his team to the final goal.While Mario

Gomez and David Alaba scored for Bayern, the goalkeeper Manuel Neuer played a major part saving real's first two

penalties, from Kaka and Ronaldo.This was the second time in major Champions League shoot-outs ronaldo had

missed from the spot. If you remember he also failed for Manchester United in the 2008 final against Chelsea.So let's

follow the game of Real Madrid and see if they will beats Sevilla FC.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Kawasaki Frontale announce appointment of new manager Yahiro Kazama

The former Sanfrecce and national team player begins his first professional managerial stint two weeks after the firing of former boss Naoki Soma for poor results

 

J-League's Kawasaki Frontale on Monday unveiled new manager Yahiro Kazama, two weeks after parting ways with Naoki Soma.


The 51-year-old will coach his first professional club after running the football programme at Tsukuba University, where he also played. Kazama's career as a player began in Germany at Bayer Leverkusen and continued at BVL Remscheid and Eintracht Braunschweig. He then returned to Japan, joining Mazda SC and staying with the club after it became Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 1992.


Earning 19 caps for Japan's national team, Kazama was also the first Japanese footballer to score in the J-League's inaugural 1993 season. In recent years he has also worked as a commentator for Fuji Television, a role which he will continue through May. After taking part in his first practice session on Wednesday, Kazama is expected to make his professional managerial debut against Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Saturday.


Frontale announced the departure of Soma on April 11 due to poor results, just five matches into his second year as coach after achieving an 11th-place finish last season. The team have won three, lost three and drawn once heading into the eighth round of play and currently sit in 10th place.

 

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Japanese in Europe: Kagawa's goal assures Dortmund of second straight title, while Usami starts & Honda returns

Japanese players across Europe made their presence known with several memorable appearances, not the least of which was the Dortmund man's 13th goal of the season

 

Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg): Started in the 0-0 draw away to Mainz. Substituted in the 46th minute.
Gotoku Sakai (Stuttgart): Played a full 90 minutes in his club's 1-1 draw at Koln. The youngster added another mostly solid game for the Swabians except for a moment shortly before half-time when his bad clearance led to a chance for the Geissbocke.
Shinji Okazaki (Stuttgart): Entered from the bench in the 69th minute in his team's 1-1 draw at Köln. The former S-Pulse forward was fielded as a left midfielder‚ before he switched to Sakai's side on the right flank.
Yuki Otsu (Borussia Monchengladbach): Watched his club's 2-0 loss away to Borussia Dortmund from the bench.

 

Hajime Hosogai (Augsburg): Played a full 90 minutes in his team's 1-1 draw against Schalke. The former Urawa Reds man had a good game as the link between his side's backline and attacking department, creating also a huge chance in the 41st minute. The 25-year-old will miss the away match against Monchengladbach due to being shown his fifth yellow.
Atsuto Uchida (Schalke): Made a full appearance in the 1-1 draw away to Augsburg. While the right-back didn't make too many attacking runs‚ he had a solid game in defence‚ preventing Augsburg from snatching the winner in the second half.
Takashi Inui (Bochum): Played a full 90 minutes for 1-1 draw away to Cottbus.

 

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

G Osaka Vs Shimizu S-Puls football liga match preview

JAPAN J-LEAGUE DIVISION 1: 12BET odds G Osaka Vs Shimizu S-Puls 4/22 6PM GMT+8

Gamba Osaka (P6 W1 D1 L4 GD -5) finally got on the winning track last week, despite being 2-0 down before half time against Kawasaki Frontale. 3 goals, and three points will do a world of good for the confidence of this team who are in transition. Good performances are now coming from new imports or still-young players such as Kurata, Terada, Abe, Sato, Fujiharu, Konno and more look good for the future of the club, while stalwarts Endo, Futagawa, Kaji and Myojin soldier on and help the new team take shape. It is a season of transition for this team so the fans have to be patient but there is no reason why Gamba can not build on the win last week and start moving up the table now.

Shimizu S-Pulse (P6 W4 D0 L2 GD +2) also have a mix of young and old and are also in transition under the astute leadership of coach Afshin Ghotbi. The likes of Ono and Takahara are guiding the less-experienced players - Omae, Iwashita, Takagi and more - along with the foreign influence of the ever-improving Calvin Jong-a-Pin and Alex Brosque and the team is grinding out results, often getting less than they deserve from games.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Sapporo Vs Kawasaki Frontale football liga match preview

JAPAN J-LEAGUE DIVISION 1: 12BET odds Sapporo Vs Kawasaki Frontale 4/21 1PM GMT+8

Consadole Sapporo (W0 D1 L5 GD -7) go into this 7th game of the J.League campaign with just a single point to their name - from their opening draw with Jubilo Iwata. Sapporo lost 3-1 at Nagoya last week and never looked like getting point while Frontale let a 2-0 lead slip at Gamba Osaka and capitulated 3-2. Sapporo must already be favourites to go down but Frontale do not seem to much better, even though they have some talented players in the ranks.

Kawasaki Frontale (P6 W2 D1 L3 GD -1) meanwhile, sit in 11th place with 7 points but, six of those points came from two fortunate 1-0 wins and their form has been very average. Emphasising that point is the fact that they have already parted with their coach, Naoki Soma. A change of coach didn't help last weekend when Frontale went down to Gamba Osaka's first win of the season, by 3-2, after being up 2-0.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

AFC Champions League Match Day 4 Results

Brisbane Roar 1-2 Ulsan Hyundai

Australian champions Brisbane Roar's hopes of progressing to the next stage were dealt a severe blow after a controversial second-half penalty helped Korean outfit Ulsan claim a 2-1 win.


Ulsan went ahead on 11 minutes when Colombian Juan Estiven Velez (pictured) dispossessed Mitch Nichols before rifling home a fine left-foot shot. However, Brisbane were level on 25 minutes when Shane Stefanutto's effort was deflected in off Kwak Tae-Hwi.


Both sides came close in the second-half, with Lee Keun-Ho and Luke Brattan both hitting the woodwork before a dubious penalty was awarded to the visitors after Sayed Mohamed Adnan's tackle. Kwak made up for his earlier error, to convert the 73rd-minute spotkick.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Kagawa & Uchida unimpressive in Ruhr derby, while Takagi spurs Utrecht comeback

While the showdown between Dortmund and Schalke gained most fans' attention, several other Japanese players in Europe also put in memorable performances for their clubs

In Germany‚ Shinji Kagawa's Borussia Dortmund looks like retaining the title after a 2-1 win in the derby over the fierce rivals Schalke on Saturday‚ following a 1-0 over Bayern Munich during the week. With only three matches to be played‚ Jurgen Klopp's men now have a virtually uncatchable eight-point advantage over second-placed Bayern.
Kagawa didn't have the impact of his first Revierderby in September 2010 when his brace earned him hero status with the fans‚ but kept the opponents' defence busy‚ covering the most kilometres out of all players. The 23-year-old was unlucky to have deflected Jefferson Farfan's shot for Schalke's opener in the ninth minute‚ but was fortunate when his header found the way to Lukasz Piszczek who leveled the score in the 17th minute.
The Knappen started with Atsuto Uchida at the right-back position who worked well defensively‚ giving Kevin Grosskreutz not too much space. The 24-year-old recorded the most ball touches in his team and had a few nice runs on the right flank‚ but looked tired before he was subbed off with five minutes to go.
In an Eredivisie showdown against fellow Japanese players Maya Yoshida and Robert Cullen at VVV Venlo‚ Yoshiaki Takagi's Utrecht came out on top with a spectacular come-from-behind 4-2 victory.
Takagi himself was involved in all four goals; his free kick led to Utrecht's first‚ followed by a corner kick that brought the hosts even at 2-2.
The 19-year-old then proceeded to set up the game-winning goal with a clever through-pass to Frank Demouge just before the hour mark‚ before assisting Utrecht's fourth goal in the 83rd minute. Takagi has been slow in establishing himself at the club since transferring from Tokyo Verdy‚ but will easily keep a starting role if he can continue with similar performances.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Leandro's brace not enough for Kashiwa in loss to Sendai

J. League leaders Vegalta Sendai preserved their unbeaten start to the season and took the defending champions' scalp in the process with a 3-2 win over Kashiwa Reysol on Saturday.

Vegalta twice took the lead only to be pegged back at Hitachi Stadium, with goals from Naoki Sugai and Kunimitsu Sekiguchi canceled out both times by reigning league MVP Leandro Domingues.

But there was no way back when Shingo Akamine struck the winner in the 78th minute, and a late red card for Leandro compounded the misery for a Kashiwa side that has now lost half of its opening six matches.

"I told my players to get ready for a tough game against the champions," said Sendai manager Makoto Teguramori. "It was important to be psychologically strong until the end, and even if we weren't able to play well we had to make sure we got the win.

"In sports it's not always just about skill and technique. It's also about desire and the will to win."

Vegalta managed only 39 goals last season despite finishing fourth in the table, but 14 in six games already this term is a markedly different return.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

J-League considers lifting transfer restrictions for 'under-aged' players

 The new rule would allow teams to loan younger players throughout the year, allowing them opportunities to play instead of limiting them to the bench or practice squads

The J-League and Japan Football Association (JFA) this week announced the formation of a committee to discuss changes to the league's transfer system that would allow clubs to loan their young players at any time during the season. The lack of opportunities for younger players has increasingly weighed on J-League clubs since the closing of the Satellite League in 2010. Additionally, many clubs are reluctant to loan such players to other clubs in the event that they're needed to back up injured team-mates.

One notable case is that of Nagoya Grampus striker Kensuke Nagai, who despite high expectations failed to find his way into the starting lineups at both his club and the Japan national team. In the new system, Division 1 teams would be allowed to loan players 23 years of age or younger to Division 2 teams at any time during the season, rather than being limited to the traditional winter and summer transfer windows. Successful implementation would give younger players more opportunities on the pitch, raising their abilities as well as helping to bolster Japan's youth strength ahead of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

The committee is aiming to form a flexible system in which loaned players would be able to return to their club at any time if needed, but is looking for a compromise so as to not burden J2 clubs with constantly-shifting rosters. The new rules are expected to be discussed between the J-League, member clubs, and the JFA for the rest of the year, before potential implementation in the 2013 season.

In addition to the new transfer system, JFA technical director Hiromi Hara announced the association's decision to use its over-aged player slots for the upcoming London Olympics, as well as the possibility that Europe-based players such as Shinji Kagawa and Ryo Miyaichi could receive call-ups.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Nagatomo looks to recapture place in starting line-up after game-winning assist on Wednesday

The Inter defender watched the first two matches of Andrea Stramaccioni's reign from the bench, but earned a penalty kick as a substitute in Wednesday's win over Siena

After a disappointing winter in which his team replaced their manager after falling out of title contention, Inter defender Yuto Nagatomo may yet regain a spot in the starting line-up following a spirited performance off the bench in his team's come-from-behind win over Siena on Wednesday night.

The 25-year-old entered the match in the 38th minute following an injury to defender Walter Samuel, with instructions from manager Andrea Stramaccioni to attack.


Down by one goal, the Nerazzurri pulled even before the half on Diego Milito's strike. The game continued deadlocked at one goal apiece until the 81st minute, when Nagatomo was pulled down by a defender while attempting to capture the ball on the far side of the goal. The referee immediately awarded a penalty kick, which Milito converted to give the hosts the 2-1 victory.

"I was able to get my body in there first," Nagatomo told reporters after the match. "I absolutely wanted to get the ball, and it's good that I was able to turn that into a result."

The appearance was the Japan international's first since Inter's 2-0 loss at Juventus, in which he received a caution in the first half. That match was the last for Claudio Ranieri, who was replaced by Stramaccioni in the following week.

"Even though it only feels like it's been a moment [since losing my starting role], I can't relax," Nagatomo said of the battle to regain his regular position. "In these conditions, I've reaffirmed that I absolutely have to work harder."

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Frontale fire manager Soma

Naoki Soma became the latest top-flight managerial casualty of the young J. League season Wednesday as Kawasaki Frontale announced the dismissal of the former Japan defender just five games into the league campaign.

Assistant coach Tatsuya Mochizuki will take over as caretaker manager until a permanent replacement is found for 40-year-old Soma, who has failed to live up to expectations at Todoroki Stadium since taking his first manager's job last year.

Soma in 2011 could only manage 11th place in the table at a team normally accustomed to challenging for the title. Frontale are currently 11th after two wins against as many losses and a draw.

"It is a shame I leave the team without having been able to fulfill my ambition," Soma said in a club statement.

Jose Carlos Serrao was fired on March 26 after Gamba Osaka lost their first five league and cup matches.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Long road to recovery awaits Tadanari Lee after surgery

The Southampton attacker's shock injury will keep him out for the rest of the season as well as Japan's World Cup qualifiers in June, but he his not ready to give up the fight



Just three months after his highly-anticipated arrival in England, Japan's Tadanari Lee will find himself on the sidelines until at least August as he rehabilitates his surgically-repaired right foot.At first considered it to be a light injury that occurred after a team-mate trod on the foot in training however later doctors discovered hairline fractures as well as ligament damage in the second toe after a third series of x-rays.

Until that point, Lee was considered a possibility to return on any given match day; instead the 26-year-old had wires inserted into his right foot to stabilise the affected area on March 30, and faces a minimum four months of recovery before he can step on the pitch again.Rather than helping Southampton return to the Premier League for the first time since their 2005 relegation, Lee must instead hope that his team-mates can keep the squad on top of the table with five matches remaining."To be honest, even now I've had trouble accepting the situation and sorting out how I feel," the player wrote in his official blog on April 3 before adding a message to his supporters."If there's anyone reading this blog who's hurt themselves or gotten sick, and you're worried and depressed and can't think of what to do… we may not be able to meet in person, but I hope we can overcome this together."Lee's absence will not only be felt at St. Mary's. The recovery time also rules him out of June's World Cup qualifiers, when Japan hosts Oman and Jordan before traveling to Australia. With Keisuke Honda struggling to regain his fitness and players such as Shinji Kagawa and Mike Havenaar failing to perform well on the international level, Alberto Zaccheroni will have even less breathing room than before as he considers his call-ups.But the striker, who is already on crutches, remains positive as he prepares to fly back to Japan in order to continue his recovery."After watching [video of] myself rehabbing for the first time, my first impression was that I had no energy," Lee wrote in his blog on April 5. "Starting tomorrow I want to rehab with a smile!"

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments

Japanese in Europe: Kagawa & Uchida play well in otherwise quiet weekend

With Eredivisie off for the weekend and many players in other countries resigned to watching from the bench, few Japanese were given a chance to shine in European play



In a rather quiet Easter weekend for the Japanese contingent across Europe‚ Borussia Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa's play wasn't spectacular but he still contributed to the away 3-1 win against Wolfsburg as it was his defence-splitting pass which was instrumental for his side's opener in the 22nd minute.

The 23-year-old saw a sitter go just wide in the 73rd minute and was substituted with 10 minutes to go. The champions go into the midweek clash against Bayern still keeping their three points advantage.After a poor game the week before and watching the end of his team's Europa League campaign from the bench in the midweek encounter with Spain's Athletic Bilbao‚ Schalke'sAtsuto Uchida found himself in the starting formation in the convincing 3-0 home win against Hannover on Sunday.The right-back put on a lively game‚ defending solidly and running forward on numerous occasions‚ even drawing fouls in dangerous positions. All three goals by the Knappen were created on the right side‚ and Uchida played a crucial role in the making of the third. Schalke boss Huub Stevens replaced him with fit-again German international Benedikt Howedes in the 83rd minute‚ but the Japanese earned the plaudits and leaves the Dutch manager with a difficult decision in regards to the starting formation for the match away to Nurnberg on Wednesday.

By sportsbookfanatic with No comments