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