Count down to Kick Off

Soccerphile.com’s Sanborn Brown previews the 2004 J.League season

Defending champion Yokohama Marinos meet Nabisco Cup winner Urawa Reds in the 2004 J.League opener on the 13th at International Yokohama Stadium, the site of the 2002 World Cup Final. Two of the most avidly followed teams in Japan are expected to draw some 60,000 for opening day. They are also two of the four teams Soccer-phile.com thinks have a realistic shot at winning the title this year.

Following the end of the 2003 season, last November, there have been many transfers and personnel moves that have strengthened some squads while weakening others. A few moves were thinly veiled—and expensive—PR aimed at getting fans back to the ground on Saturdays. Let’s first look at the teams that might win it all, then at the handful that might be facing demotion to J2 in 2005, and, last, at the team that has the best shot at jumping into J1 next year.

Predicting the future is a fool’s game. Injuries, weather, luck, personality issues, simple desire, money, and more all influence what happens on the field. That said, this fool’s predictions are that only four teams have a serious shot at the title (and Jubilo Iwata is not among them): Urawa Reds, Yokohama Marinos, Nagoya Grampus, and Kashima Antlers.

Of those four, Urawa is our pick to take it all. In addition to current team members—Olympic team forward Tetsuya Tanaka, national team defenders Keisuke Tsuboi and Nobuhisa Yamada, and the best player in the league in striker Emerson—the off-season saw the acquisition of two naturalized Brazilians. The addition of Japan international Alex, a speedy leftback, and 185 cm Olympic team defender Tulio Tanaka should create the most formidable lineup in the J.League. For the fans, former Japan international Masayuki Okano has been brought back on a one year-deal. Moreover, the Reds will be led this year by Germans Guido Buchwald and former Kyoto Purple Sanga’s Gert Engels—and fans can look forward to attacking, fun-to-watch football.

Yokohamans could be forgiven for making a strong case for their team to repeat. The Marinos signed Korea international Ahn Jung Hwan, a forward who starred for his county in the World Cup. Like Alex, he left Shimizu, a team long on potential but short on results. Bereft of potential, this season they will struggle. Back at Yokohama, Ahn will be paired up front with Japan striker Tatsuhiko Kubo. Other national team members include, in midfield, Daisuke Nasu and Yuji Nakazawa on the back line.

The third aspirant to the title will be Toyota-financed Grampus. Nagoya went on an off-season signing binge with the addition of midfielder Harutaka Ono on a one-year loan deal from Kashiwa Reysol. Other acquisitions include former national defender Yutaka Akita, under-23 defender Makoto Kakuda, and under-20 goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima. They will join goal machine Ueslei and national team goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki.

The last team with any chance is Kashima Antlers. Perennial powerhouse and national coach Zico’s favorite team, the Antlers boast a lineup made up of many Japan internationals (Mitsuo Ogawasara, Masashi Motoyama, and Koji Nakata). Newcomer Fabio Junior, a Brazilian striker, comes via AC Milan and has appeared for his country 15 times.

Though Kashiwa Reysol probably won’t make an impact, the signing of Brazil Olympic star Dudu should make for some exciting football. In the 2003 World Youth championships held in the United Arab Emirates, which Brazil won—defeating Japan en route—midfielder Dudu was awarded the Golden Boot for his outstanding play.
Going the other way are Oita and Sendai. Both teams squeaked by last year, just avoiding relegation. This year they won’t be as lucky. Oita jettisoned its most talented and volatile player—forward Will—figuring the amount of goals he might score was not worth the trouble he would get into.

The vanity signing award of the off-season goes to Kobe Vissel, which will be paying German-born Turk Ilhan Mansiz \450 million ($4.3 million) for a two-year deal. At 28, the World Cup standout is in his prime and is currently second in goals scored in the Turkish league; however, on the field, he is not worthy of being the highest paid player in Japan. Off the field, though, Ilhan, a close second to David Beckham in female fan appreciation, may well be worth the money to struggling Kobe. Look for many, many hyperventilating high school girls at all Kobe matches. Which should have Vissel owner and Kobe-native Hiroshi Mitani’s Crimson Group seeing black and not red.

In spite of being underfinanced and underappreciated, Kyoto Purple Sanga will tease its faithful with a run towards promotion to the top division for the 2005 season. Though the recently relegated team lost Olympic defender Makoto Kakuda to Nagoya—and is still burdened with overrated midfielder Daisuke Matsui—its forward line will shred J2 defenses mercilessly.

Japan international Teruaki Kurobe will be partnered this season with Korea international Choi Yong Soo, who scored 17 times for JEF United year. He was among the best players in the top division last season. Barring interference from the front office, Sanga should win the division easily and return to J1.

Text: Sanborn Brown www.soccerphile.com