gabriele – Page 51 – J.League Regista

Orange alert

Sound the klaxon! After taking a year’s sabbatical in J2, and ending the season as champions, Omiya Ardija find themselves back in the big time in 2016. But what is…

Sushi Football’s prediction challenge

In a new (aren’t they all new?) regular feature I, @sushi_football, will be pitting my predicting wits against the cream of J.League knowledge. The inaugural challenge is between myself and…

Playing for kicks

Futuristic stadia, heated toilet seats, bleached blond players driving Nissan GTR’s, trips to away games in bullet trains….these aren’t the kind of things you’d find in Japan’s unheralded, yet thriving,…

All aboard the Yokohama F.Marinos express. Destination…….?

It is a fair question to ponder: What direction are the team from the port city heading in? Has a lack of winter spending left them behind their traditional rivals…

Giravanz Kitakyushu: Time for the next step?

After a top-six finish in 2014, and narrowly missing out on the play-offs last year, Giravanz Kitakyushu start 2016 with sights set high. They have one of the most respected…

It’s a big season for……

In this first part of a (possible) two part series, @sushi_football looks at some of the players, managers & clubs that 2016 is vital for. Wataru Endo – Urawa Reds…

Return of the Mach!

This year sees the return of Machida Zelvia to J2 after the Kanto-based club triumphed in the J2/J3 relegation play-off against Oita Trinita. So what does this year have in…

Matsumoto Yamaga: Stick or Twist?

Stuart Smith (@sushi_football) takes a look at what is in store for Matsumoto in 2016, and the decision to stick with what they know in coach Yasuharu Sorimachi. Was it…

J.League clubs in the ACL

This week saw the final qualifying round of the Asian Champions League (ACL). The only Japanese side that had to qualify for the group stage was FC Tokyo, and the…

The Good, The Bad, and The J.League

Jon Steele (@J2KantoBites) takes an occasional look at some of the ways in which the J.League does things slightly differently than other, more established professional divisions around the world. 1) The fixture…