I always thought it was because they needed/wanted to differentiate it from American Football. My students, anyway call American Football "Ame-Futo," so hat might have somehow mutated as well. I sort of gave up to "soccer." I lived in the US and in Japan too long to argue every time it is actually called "football"... I have a student researching about the pre-pro soccer period in Japan, maybe he'll get us the solution.
In my country we say "horse" to a player like Muscat, Pogatetz, Simeone, Toda.. how can I say that in Japan?
Something like this: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwHzCtRa2SE"]YouTube - Melbourne Victory's Kevin Muscat sickening tackle[/ame] Or this... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVrezCnIQko"]YouTube - Cocito x Kaka[/ame]
Satsujin in portuguese means matador, assasino. in brazilian football vocabulary we say matador to a striker who score too many goals Ronaldo, Romario...... and Alex Mineiro lol
here's the answer why. Keio University Soccer Club (est. 1927) http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%85%B6%E6%87%89%E7%BE%A9%E5%A1%BE%E4%BD%93%E8%82%B2%E4%BC%9A%E3%82%BD%E3%83%83%E3%82%AB%E3%83%BC%E9%83%A8 and please refer to this too Tokyo University Association Football Club (est. 1918) http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9D%...90%83%E9%83%A8
Maybe not journalism related but I've got some problem. How to read a buzzword 「潟る」? Kataru? I find it sometimes on blogs, 2ch etc. It's also a nice word coming (I always liked 「鹿島る」 also) from Albirex fans and means loosing a goal in the last minutes or in additional time. Somebody could help with this one?
gata-ru. http://ja.uncyclopedia.info/wiki/J%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B0%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E4%BF%82%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E3%82%B9%E3%83%A9%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0 5 OCT 2011 Nabisco Cup Nagoya Grampus Eight - Albirex Niigata 90'2-2 120'5-3