here my children... BTW, I plan to be on chat during Kyoto's game, from 14:00 http://www.chatzy.com/145877716756 password: ruyramos c ya
2008's Groups A: Nagoya Grampus Eight Kyoto Sanga FC Urawa Reds Vissel Kobe B: Tokyo Verdy Jubilo Iwata Shimizu S-Pulse FC Tokyo C: Kawasaki Frontale JEF United Chiba Kashiwa Reysol Consadole Sapporo D: Yokohama F-Marinos Oita Trinita Albirex Niigata Omiya Ardija March 20 Group A: Nagoya - Kyoto Urawa - Kobe Group B: Verdy - Jubilo Shimzu - Tokyo Group C: Kawasaki - Chiba Kashiwa - Sapporo Group D: Yokohama - Oita Niigata - Omiya Group B is the Derby-Group
OMG, Sanga won 1-0 in Nagoya!! Other final score, so far: Kawasaki F. 0-JEF Chiba 1... Bad, bad, baaaaaaad start for Frontale!
Just got back from S-Pulse vs FC Tokyo. Shimizu outplayed them from start to finish. Takuro Yajima started the rout with a neat finish after only a couple of minutes. Sota Hirayama equalised with a header because he's about ten foot taller than any S-Pulse defender before the half-time break. S-Pulse got a penalty before half-time - I can't remember who the foul was on, Fujimoto or Fernandinho, but anyway Fujimoto rolled the penalty home. Kazumichi Takagi scored the third, side-footing home after Fujimoto blasted a wayward volley across goal that I'm sure he will call a pass. Anyway the volley cut out Hitoshi Shiota and every Tokyo defender for the easiest finish of Takagi's life. FC Tokyo brought an impressive away support to Nihondaira. That's about all. Carry on, etcetera.
I don't think they will be a relegation candidate. They had two problems - the first that they conceded after about 120 seconds, and the second that S-Pulse, for whatever reason, were really up for this match. I read in the press that Kenta Hasegawa was really frustrated that S-Pulse were knocked out at the group stage last season, and it seems like Shimizu really want to reach at least the last eight this time around. Aside from Akinori Nishizawa, they sent out pretty much a full strength team in this game. But for their part FC Tokyo looked relatively strong. The problem seems to be Jofuku's willingness to always play a 4-5-1 formation. Doesn't matter who is up front... Hirayama, Capore, Akamine... they are always isolated. Everyone always talks about Tokyo's great midfielders... Ishikawa, Kajiyama, Kawaguchi, Konno (not that he played today) blah blah blah but the thing is, every single time one of them gets a cross in, the opposition defence always knows that all they have to do is get one strong defender to make a challenge and the danger is cleared. The goal Tokyo scored today was because Takagi and Aoyama were asleep in the S-Pulse defence... but there's only so many goals Tokyo can score like that. I don't think they'll be relegation candidates, but they might need to change tactics if they are to think about climbing into the top half of the table in the league.
Hey, thanks a lot for the analysis. I'll pass it to Coach Kato, as in 10 days or so, Sanga will travel to Tokyo FC... Let's see if we manage to let them score... In the meantime, Sunday's Sanga-Reds becomes quite sexy, uh? Urawa MUST win this one, but we won't give it away, especially remembering 2006's 1-5... GRRRRRRRRR....
March 23 Group A: Kobe-Nagoya Kyoto-Urawa Group B: Iwata-F Tokyo Tokyo V-Shimizu Group C: Sapporo- Kawasaki Chiba- Kashiwa Group D: Omiya- Yokohama Oita- Niigata
OMG, Sanga tied the Asian Champions coming back from two behind and shooting repeatedly at their goal in the second half... I am in awe.
Here is Sapporo coming from behind on Frontale http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoivtEXeO7c Watch out for the VERY HOT announcer... Ataliba's goal against Nagoya (from Wed) http://sangananbanjin.blogspot.com/2008/03/video-nabisco-cup-day-1-nagoya-grampus.html Sanga's goals against Urawa http://sangananbanjin.blogspot.com/2008/03/video-nabisco-cup-day-2-kyoto-sanga-fc.html
Group A Vissel Kobe 0-1 Nagoya Grampus Kyoto Sanga 3-3 Urawa Reds Group B Jubilo Iwata 0-2 FC Tokyo Tokyo Verdy 0-0 Shimizu S-Pulse Group C Consadole Sapporo 2-1 Kawasaki Frontale JEF United Chiba 1-1 Kashiwa Reysol Group D Oita Trinita 3-0 Albirex Niigata Omiya Ardija 0-0 Yokohama F. Marinos
Group A Code: 1. Kyoto 4 P 1 - 1 - 0 4 3 +1 Quarter finals ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Nagoya 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 1 1 0 2. Kobe 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 1 1 0 4. Urawa 1 P 0 - 1 - 1 3 4 -1 Group B Code: 1. Shimizu 4 P 1 - 1 - 0 3 1 +2 Quarter finals ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. F.Tokyo 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 3 3 0 3. Iwata 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 2 2 0 4. Tokyo.V 1 P 0 - 1 - 1 0 2 -2 Group C Code: 1. Chiba 4 P 1 - 1 - 0 3 1 +2 Quarter finals ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Sapporo 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 3 2 +1 3. Kashiwa 2 P 0 - 2 - 0 2 2 0 4. Kawasaki 0 P 0 - 0 - 2 1 4 -3 Group D Code: 1. Yokohama FM 4 P 1 - 1 - 0 1 0 +1 Quarter finals ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Oita 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 3 1 +2 3. Omiya 2 P 0 - 2 - 0 2 2 0 4. Niigata 1 P 0 - 1 - 1 2 5 -3 Two best runners-up Code: 1. Oita 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 3 1 +2 Quarter finals 2. Sapporo 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 3 2 +1 Quarter finals ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. F.Tokyo 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 3 3 0 4. Nagoya 3 P 1 - 0 - 1 1 1 0
Oita, Kyoto and Kobe seem the three candidates to be this season's black horse... Oita in particular seems very fit, as they have conceded very little. Niigata, Kawasaki and Urawa are clearly struggling. On Sunday, shots in the second half were 13-3 for Kyoto...
Group Stage Matchday 3 April 16 Group A Urawa Reds - Kyoto Sanga FC Nagoya Grampus - Vissel Kobe Group B Shimizu S-Pulse - Tokyo Verdy FC Tokyo - Jubilo Iwata Group C JEF United Chiba - Consadole Sapporo Kawasaki Frontale - Kashiwa Reysol Group D Yokohama F. Marinos - Omiya Ardija Albirex Niigata - Oita Trinita
S-Pulse's only chance of silverwear this year..? Oh, it would be funny if we didn't look so incapable of scoring of late!
It's at Reds' old home too - would love to play them there rather than Saitama Stadium. The Saisuta's great, but I bet the atmosphere's a hundred times more intimidating at the Komaba. S-Pulse looking for their first home win since the FC Tokyo cup game last month. Verdy are without Hulk, which is a big plus. We need all the help we can get just now!!
I'll be in the chat room for the nabisco #3 games. Please join me if you have nothing better to do. i might need moral support...
Haha... Urawa with their best starting 11, Sanga with half team made by reserves... Geez, they better win this big & easy [update] But they did not!!! Sanga's reserves deservedly tie 1-1 on the ground of the Asian Champions...OMG!!!
Matchday 3 Results Group A Urawa Reds 1-1 Kyoto Sanga F.C. Nagoya Grampus 2-0 Vissel Kobe Group B Shimizu S-Pulse 5-0 Tokyo Verdy FC Tokyo 1-1 Jubilo Iwata Group C Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 Kashiwa Reysol JEF United Chiba 0-0 Consadole Sapporo Group D Albirex Niigata 1-1 Oita Trinita Yokohama F. Marinos 4-0 Omiya Ardija