The J-League is proper back this weekend and the fixture organiser types have done their darnedest to make sure there are a whole bunch of appetising-looking games. Top of the list has to be the Shizuoka derby between table-toppers Shimizu S-Pulse and the Sky Blues of Jubilo Iwata, whose financial woes forced them over the World Cup break to sell on star striker Lee Keun Ho to Gamba Osaka. Lee's new club play host to their hated rivals from Saitama, Urawa Reds, and second play fourth as reigning champions Kashima Antlers take on Kawasaki Frontale.

In third place at the moment are Nagoya Grampus, whose World Cup star Marcus Tulio Tanaka has been quoted extensively in the press as saying that he feels unmotivated after having come back from South Africa via Brazil, where is father is in ill-health. Hoping to take advantage of this state of affairs will be lowly Omiya Ardija, seemingly all fired up under new coach Jun Suzuki. The Mighty Squirrels could certainly do with the points, in particular as the other teams who currently make up the bottom three, Kyoto Sanga and Shonan Bellmare, come face to face.

At the top of J2, Koki Mizuno may feature for Kashiwa Reysol at Yokohama FC after his return to Japan from Celtic, but the main news story in the second flight over the break has been the takeover by the J-League itself of former giants Tokyo Verdy, as a consequence of the Green Machine's failure both to pay back an agreed proportion of a loan and to find a suitable new main sponsor. It's now looking more and more questionable as to whether Verdy will exist at all after the end of this season, and their miserable year continues at surprise high-flyers Tochigi SC.

There has been talk that Verdy could be the subject of a Yokohama Flugels-style merger with (i.e. takeover by) ambitious non-league outfit Machida Zelvia, based around the fact that Machida is at least in Tokyo and the club are gearing up for J-League entry, possibly as soon as next season. Now standing third in the JFL, Zelvia have a tough match against fourth-placed Honda FC this weekend, although the title favourites are another club with their eyes on a move to the pro ranks. Located over on the Japan Sea coast towards the south of Honshu, Gainare Tottori are at home to Sagawa Printing.

This weekend has seen the staging in Obihiro, Hokkaido, of the 2010 Eastern Japan Shakaijin Soccer Tournament, a curious annual competition in which a handful of Regional League reigning champions meet up with a host team - in this case, Rokkatei Maruseizu FC, the works side of a well-known biscuit manufacturer - and a smattering of representative XIs. One of this latter category won the tournament for the first time in its ten-year history in 2009, when a Niigata XI beat Tohoku League title holders Grulla Morioka 3-1 in the final.

Grulla, one of good number of Regional League teams aiming for spots in the J-League over the next few seasons, were this time eliminated in the First Round by our old friends Sapporo University Goal Plunderers, but the representative teams once again provided strong opposition. The Goal Plunderers were out-pillaged by the city slickers from Tokyo and a side from Fukui prefecture, representing the Hokushinetsu region, accounted for hosts Maruseizu. And it was Tokyo who emerged triumphant in Monday's final, putting nine past the Fukui XI to take the title down south to the capital.



A distant view of Yazaki Valente against a Fukui Representative XI

First Round

17 Jul: Sapporo University Goal Plunderers 2-0 Grulla Morioka
17 Jul: Yazaki Valente 2-2 Fukui Representative XI (PK 12-13)

Second Round

18 Jul: Rokkatei Maruseizu FC 1-3 Fukui Representative XI
18 Jul: Tokyo Representative XI 2-1 Sapporo University Goal Plunderers

Fifth / Sixth Place Play-off

18 Jul: Grulla Morioka 0-2 Yazaki Valente

Third / Fourth Place Play-off

19 Jul: Rokkatei Maruseizu FC 1-2 Sapporo University Goal Plunderers

Final

19 Jul: Fukui Representative XI 0-9 Tokyo Representative XI

Final Standings

1. Tokyo Representative XI (Kanto)
2. Fukui Representative XI (Hokushinetsu)
3. Sapporo University Goal Plunderers (Hokkaido)
4. Rokkatei Maruseizu FC (Hosts)
5. Yazaki Valente (Tokai)
6. Grulla Morioka (Tohoku)

Well, it was probably only a matter of time, but they've made it back to the top. Taking advantage of a slip-up by Shimizu S-Pulse, champions Kashima Antlers are back in pole position in the J-League following a 2-1 win over Kawasaki Frontale, the winning goal coming from South Korean World Cup defender Lee Jung Soo twelve minutes before the end. Frontale had Junichi Inamoto sent off and now find themselves six points off the pace, after a less-than-positive start to their league programme post-World Cup, while S-Pulse drop back to second after they could only play out a goalless draw in the Shizuoka derby with Jubilo Iwata.

And there's a gap opening up between the top three and the rest in J1, the other title challengers being Dragan Stojkovic's Nagoya Grampus. Despite playing more than half the game with ten men, the Red Whales stole all three points in their game at Omiya Ardija when Josh Kennedy stooped to head in Marcus Tulio Tanaka's superb cross. Ardija remain in the relegation zone, where Shonan Bellmare gave their own chances of survival a boost by beating Kyoto Sanga. Even so, it wasn't all bad news for Omiya supporters, as Saitama rivals Urawa Reds conceded a peachy Yasuhito Endo goal deep into injury time to lose at Gamba Osaka.

Runaway J2 leaders Kashiwa Reysol also let one in in the dying seconds as Kenta Togawa snatched an equaliser for Yokohama FC, enabling Ventforet Kofu to close the gap to six points thanks to their win at Oita Trinita. But the following four teams in the standings all lost - JEF United getting done over by Consadole Sapporo and Avispa Fukuoka's defeat at Thespa Kusatsu being the most eye-catching - meaning that Kashiwa and Kofu remain out in front. At the halfway point in their debut J2 season, however, Giravanz Kitakyushu prop up the rest of the league, their draw with Roasso Kumamoto meaning they have only one win all year.



Yasuhito Endo whoops it up with his Gamba chums

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 13/34

FC Tokyo 2-2 Kobe
Gamba 3-2 Urawa
Hiroshima 3-0 Marinos
Kashima 2-1 Kawasaki
Kyoto 0-1 Shonan
Niigata 1-1 Cerezo
Omiya 0-1 Nagoya
S-Pulse 0-0 Jubilo
Yamagata 3-1 Sendai

1. Kashima 27 (+11)
2. S-Pulse 26 (+11)
3. Nagoya 25 (+5)
----------------
4. Kawasaki 21 (+1)
- - - - - - - - - -
5. Cerezo 20 (+5)
6. Urawa 20 (+3)
7. Hiroshima 19 (-2)
8. Gamba 18 (+4)
9. Marinos 18 (+2)
10. Niigata 18 (+1)
11. Yamagata 17 (-5)
12. Jubilo 16 (-3)
13. FC Tokyo 15 (+1)
14. Sendai 13 (-6)
15. Kobe 12 (-5)
----------------
16. Shonan 12 (-8)
17. Omiya 10 (-6)
18. Kyoto 10 (-9)

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 18/36

Ehime 1-2 Toyama
JEF 0-3 Sapporo
Kitakyushu 2-2 Kumamoto
Kusatsu 2-1 Fukuoka
Oita 0-1 Kofu
Okayama 2-1 Mito
Tochigi 0-1 Verdy
Tokushima 2-1 Tosu
Yokohama FC 2-2 Kashiwa

Bye: Gifu

1. Kashiwa 43 (+24)
2. Kofu 37 (+15)
3. JEF 31 (+12)
-----------------
4. Fukuoka 29 (+13)
5. Tosu 28 (+2)
6. Kumamoto 27 (-3)
7. Tochigi 26 (+7)
8. Tokushima 26 (-1)
9. Verdy 23 (+3)
10. Sapporo 23 (-1)
11. Gifu 21 (-10)
12. Yokohama FC 20 (-2)
13. Ehime 20 (-2)
14. Mito 20 (-5)
15. Oita 19 (-2)
16. Toyama 16 (-13)
17. Okayama 15 (-11)
18. Kusatsu 13 (-13)
19. Kitakyushu 11 (-13)

Really excellent coverage, Furtho. I'm trying to get a little more into leagues just that bit further out from the norm (the norm being Ireland at the moment) and this is a genuinely fantastic resource.

Thanks, Away Goals, and welcome to the thread. Feel free to chip in.

A couple of interesting Japan-related news items to report on briefly. Firstly, several players have left, or are in the process of leaving, the J-League for foreign clubs. Yuto Nagatomo caught the eye during the World Cup on the left-hand side of the Japanese defence and the 23-year-old has left FC Tokyo for a loan spell until the end of 2010/11 at Cesena in Italy. A couple of ex-national team strikers are also on their way, veteran Naohiro Takahara having signed for FC Seoul following his release by Urawa Reds, while JEF United's Seiichiro Maki is by all accounts now in Russia negotiating terms with Amkar Perm.

Meanwhile a FIFA delegation headed by the president of the Chilean Football Federation, Harold Mayne-Nicholls, arrived in Japan on Monday to inspect facilities relating to the country's aim to host the 2022 World Cup. The Japanese are in competition with Australia, Qatar, the US and South Korea, but are hoping that a high-tech bid coupled with the country's advanced infrastructure will be enough to seal the deal when FIFA announce in December the identity of the hosts for both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Like the Australians, Japan originally bid for either tournament, but subsequently withdrew their interest in 2018 to concentrate on the later competition.

Another top player quit Japan for the Middle East this week, with the shock announcement that South Korean World Cup defender Lee Jung Soo has left champions Kashima Antlers to sign for Qatari outfit Al Sadd. Lee was only with the Antlers for a matter of months, having joined from Kyoto Sanga over the winter, and his final significant contribution to the J-League was to score the goal against Shonan Bellmare last weekend that took Kashima back to the top of the table. This weekend they will aim to hold on to that lead by beating Jubilo Iwata.

Elsewhere it's third against second as Nagoya Grampus take on Shimizu S-Pulse, while Kawasaki Frontale will not have a better opportunity to reignite their faltering championship challenge than a home fixture against bottom side Kyoto. A key game at the foot of the standings sees Omiya Ardija go to Vissel Kobe, at the very least a must-not-lose encounter for Ardija, who have the lowest number of goals scored in the division. The best attack belongs unsurprisingly to Akira Nishino's Gamba Osaka side, whose trip to Yokohama F Marinos promises to be entertaining stuff.

Not much doubt as to the most eye-catching match of the weekend in J2, where leaders Kashiwa Reysol have a local derby against third-placed JEF United. Reysol go into the game without talismanic forward Franca, who at the midway point of his sixth season at the club has been released from his contract. If Kashiwa are able to win, Avispa Fukuoka can move into the promotion places with a win over Fagiano Okayama. Robert Cullen, recently cut from the Jubilo Iwata squad, may make his debut for Roasso Kumamoto at Kataller Toyama.

Following on from Japan's encouraging showing in the World Cup it seems as if there is currently a greater level of foreign interest in the J-League - and over the weekend, the top J1 clubs did their best to provide a decent advert for Japanese football. Kashima Antlers edged three points clear at the top, coming from two down at half time to beat Jubilo Iwata with a late winner from Marquinhos. But the game of the day undoubtedly came at Nagoya Grampus, where Keiji Tamada scored twice but then missed a penalty in tremendous 3-3 draw against Shimizu S-Pulse.

Kawasaki Frontale just about maintained their title challenge as they squeezed past lowly Kyoto Sanga, while Cerezo Osaka brushed aside Montedio Yamagata to continue their recent run and move into fifth. Yokohama F Marinos against Gamba Osaka didn't deliver the hoped-for bundle of goals but still made for excellent watching, the Sailors' young forward Yuji Ono catching the eye in a 1-0 win for his side. Down at the bottom, Omiya Ardija and Shonan Bellmare both lost to remain with Sanga in the relegation places, although last year's J2 champions Vegalta Sendai are heading rapidly in the wrong direction.

The second half of the 2010 J2 season got off to a cracking start, with a top-of-the-table Chiba prefecture derby that saw leaders Kashiwa Reysol concede on 89th-minute equaliser at home to JEF United. Combine that with a thrilling 4-3 win for Ventforet Kofu against Tochigi SC and as things stand it looks as though Kashiwa and Kofu are going to be heading back to J1, but it's all to play for as regards the third promotion spot. In perhaps the best form of the challengers are Roasso Kumamoto, for whom Northern Irish / Japanese striker Robert Cullen scored on his debut in a 2-0 win at Kataller Toyama.



JEF United supporters before the derby at Kashiwa Reysol

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 14/34

Cerezo 3-0 Yamagata
Jubilo 2-3 Kashima
Kawasaki 1-0 Kyoto
Kobe 3-1 Omiya
Marinos 1-0 Gamba
Nagoya 3-3 S-Pulse
Sendai 2-3 Niigata
Shonan 1-3 FC Tokyo
Urawa 0-1 Hiroshima

1. Kashima 30 (+12)
2. S-Pulse 27 (+11)
3. Nagoya 26 (+5)
----------------
4. Kawasaki 24 (+2)
- - - - - - - - - -
5. Cerezo 23 (+8)
6. Hiroshima 22 (-1)
7. Marinos 21 (+3)
8. Niigata 21 (+2)
9. Urawa 20 (+2)
10. Gamba 18 (+3)
11. FC Tokyo 18 (+3)
12. Yamagata 17 (-8)
13. Jubilo 16 (-4)
14. Kobe 15 (-3)
15. Sendai 13 (-7)
----------------
16. Shonan 12 (-10)
17. Omiya 10 (-8)
18. Kyoto 10 (-10)

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 19/36

Fukuoka 0-0 Okayama
Gifu 1-1 Ehime
Kashiwa 2-2 JEF
Kofu 4-3 Tochigi
Mito a-a Oita
Sapporo 1-2 Yokohama FC
Tosu 0-0 Kusatsu
Toyama 0-2 Kumamoto
Verdy 1-1 Tokushima

Bye: Kitakyushu

1. Kashiwa 44 (+24)
2. Kofu 40 (+16)
3. JEF 32 (+12)
-----------------
4. Fukuoka 30 (+13)
5. Kumamoto 30 (-1)
6. Tosu 29 (+2)
7. Tokushima 27 (-1)
8. Tochigi 26 (+6)
9. Verdy 24 (+3)
10. Yokohama FC 23 (-1)
11. Sapporo 23 (-2)
12. Gifu 22 (-10)
13. Ehime 21 (-2)
14. Mito 20 (-5)
15. Oita 19 (-2)
16. Okayama 16 (-11)
17. Toyama 16 (-15)
18. Kusatsu 14 (-13)
19. Kitakyushu 11 (-13)

A very brief preview here of the next round of J1 matches, which take place over Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Frontrunners Kashima Antlers take on mid-table Albirex Niigata, for whom Marcio Richardes scored his third goal of the game in injury time and direct from a corner to beat Vegalta Sendai 3-2 at the weekend. Nagoya Grampus, currently in third, ought to be able to pick up three points at home to Shonan Bellmare, but probably the standout match of the round is at second-placed Shimizu S-Pulse, who host in-form Cerezo Osaka.



Tokushima Vortis fans at Sunday's J2 game with Tokyo Verdy

Thought you might be interested in the latest escapade of Denis Marques.

He's obviously envious of the police attention enjoyed by Adriano, Wagner Love and Bruno. This is how his car ended up at the weekend. The headline says 'Denis Marques parks his car in a house'.

He refused to take a breath test but the police said he was drunk. He hasn't played since March and Flamengo are lokking to offload him as soon as possible as he's on quite a hefty wage.

Cheers, Cantagalo. That reminds me, I couldn't make head or tail of this piece from the beginning of June - anything I ought to know?

Sorry - link not working....

Oooh, sorry.

esportes.terra.com.br/futebol/brasileiro...z+no+AtleticoPR.html

It's about his old club Atlético Paranaense where he was Brazil's leading scorer in, I think, 2006, possibly being interested in taking him off Flamengo's hands. Flamengo would jump at the chance as he has been training separately from the squad even before last weekend's little adventure.

The problem is wages with Marques being on £70,000 a month - the same as long-serving stars like Leo Moura, Juan and, er, Bruno - and with a contract until December. Atlético have also just had a couple of good wins which have taken them out of the relegation zone so I doubt very much that he'll go there.

Thanks, Cantagalo. I'm interested to know what happens to the player, so do let me know of any news.

Brief coverage now of the midweek round of J1 matches, staged as the stifling Japanese summer gets towards its most humid and unpleasant. Following the recent departure of two of their four first-choice defenders, leaders Kashima Antlers stumbled to a 2-2 draw at home to the Marcio Richardes-inspired Albirex Niigata. Those dropped points enabled Shimizu S-Pulse to close the gap at the top, as the Shizuoka Oranges put behind them their sluggish form to beat Cerezo Osaka, while Nagoya Grampus' defeat of Shonan Bellmare means that only two points now separate the top three teams.

At the other end of the table, Kyoto Sanga had Yutaka Akita in charge for the first time against Urawa Reds, following the sacking of Hisashi Kato. Akita's charges performed well in the first half but then collapsed after conceding Wilfried Sanou's goal shortly after the re-start. Sanga ended up losing 4-0 and thus remain dead last, behind Shonan and Omiya Ardija, who brought to an end their losing streak but conceded a late equaliser to Yokohama F Marinos. Vegalta Sendai are just above the relegation zone, their draw with Sanfrecce Hiroshima meaning that the northerners haven't won in ten league games.



Kyoto Sanga fans in summer yukata at the match with Urawa Reds

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 15/34

FC Tokyo 1-1 Jubilo
Kashima 2-2 Niigata
Kobe 1-3 Gamba
Kyoto 0-4 Urawa
Nagoya 2-1 Shonan
Omiya 1-1 Marinos
S-Pulse 3-2 Cerezo
Sendai 1-1 Hiroshima
Yamagata 0-0 Kawasaki

1. Kashima 31 (+12)
2. S-Pulse 30 (+12)
3. Nagoya 29 (+6)
----------------
4. Kawasaki 25 (+2)
- - - - - - - - - -
5. Cerezo 23 (+7)
6. Urawa 23 (+6)
7. Hiroshima 23 (-1)
8. Marinos 22 (+3)
9. Niigata 22 (+2)
10. Gamba 21 (+5)
11. FC Tokyo 19 (+3)
12. Yamagata 18 (-8)
13. Jubilo 17 (-4)
14. Kobe 15 (-5)
15. Sendai 14 (-7)
----------------
16. Shonan 12 (-11)
17. Omiya 11 (-8)
18. Kyoto 10 (-14)

It's top against bottom in J1 this weekend, and anyone who knows anything about the J-League will understand that it would be bonkers to consider any of the relevant fixtures to be cut and dried. Leaders Kashima Antlers are at home to a Vissel Kobe side three points and two places above the relegation zone, while title challengers Shimizu S-Pulse make the short trip to Shonan Bellmare, who are fighting to avoid dropping straight back down to J2. Last year's J2 champions, Vegalta Sendai, started the season well but now desperately need points from their game at the Blue Dolphins of Kawasaki Frontale.

Over in Saitama it's the first local derby of the season, with mighty-but-inconsistent Urawa Reds aiming to build on their 4-0 midweek thumping of Kyoto Sanga and clamber back up towards the outer fringes of the title race at the expense of determinedly un-mighty neighbours, Omiya Ardija. Experience says that, however hot favourites they may be, any of the big clubs could slip up despite the lowly stature of their opponents and best placed to take advantage are Nagoya Grampus, in third place thanks in part to the goals of Josh Kennedy and this weekend away at Yokohama F Marinos.

Round 20 in J2 started on Friday, when more than 11,000 people saw Fagiano Okayama beat Consadole Sapporo 1-0 to move away from the cluster of clubs at the foot of the table. The focus of attention in the division is moving towards the scrap for the third promotion spot, which has become more open due to JEF United's downturn in results - JEF are at home to Oita Trinita but while fourth-placed Avispa Fukuoka have a bye this weekend, there's an opportunity for both Roasso Kumamoto and Sagan Tosu to boost their chances against Thespa Kusatsu and Ehime FC respectively.

There were wins and goals aplenty for most of the top teams in J1 over the weekend, Kashima Antlers holding on to first place with a comfortable 3-0 defeat of Vissel Kobe. But the performance of the round was definitely Shimizu S-Pulse's 6-3 destruction of Shonan Bellmare, which had them four up in 26 minutes. Frode Johnsen got a hat-trick for S-Pulse, although the division's top scorer is still Nagoya Grampus' Josh Kennedy, who scored his tenth of the season as his team beat Yokohama F Marinos. Those results mean that the leading bunch of three sides remain ahead of the rest in the hunt for the 2010 title.

Kawasaki Frontale in fourth sure made it difficult for themselves, continuing their ropey form following the post-World Cup re-start, but they came two goals down to beat Vegalta Sendai 3-2. That loss meant that Sendai dropped into the relegation zone alongside Shonan and Kyoto Sanga, whose miserable season continued with a 3-0 defeat at Sanfrecce Hiroshima. But jumping out of the bottom three are Omiya Ardija, 1-0 winners in the Saitama derby with Urawa Reds despite playing more than half the game with ten men, following the dismissal by English guest referee Stuart Attwell of defender Kazuhiro Murakami.

In J2, Kashiwa Reysol might still be unbeaten but they're on a run of three drawn games now, after their trip to Shikoku and Tokushima Vortis ended 1-1. Ventforet Kofu missed the opportunity to close the gap as they fell to a shock 1-0 defeat at home to crisis club Tokyo Verdy, but JEF United got their promotion campaign back on track by thumping Oita Trinita 5-0. There were stutters from most of the teams trying to get back in touch with the top three, although Tochigi SC moved closer to contention by beating Yokohama FC thanks to an injury time winner by teeny Brazilian forward Ricardo Lobo.



Frode Johnsen. Wooaarrgghh

J1 Scores & Standings @ Round 16/34

Gamba 1-0 Yamagata
Hiroshima 3-0 Kyoto
Jubilo 0-3 Cerezo
Kashima 3-0 Kobe
Kawasaki 3-2 Sendai
Marinos 0-2 Nagoya
Niigata 2-1 FC Tokyo
Shonan 3-6 S-Pulse
Urawa 0-1 Omiya

1. Kashima 34 (+15)
2. S-Pulse 33 (+15)
3. Nagoya 32 (+8)
----------------
4. Kawasaki 28 (+3)
- - - - - - - - - -
5. Cerezo 26 (+10)
6. Hiroshima 26 (+2)
7. Niigata 25 (+3)
8. Gamba 24 (+6)
9. Urawa 23 (+5)
10. Marinos 22 (+1)
11. FC Tokyo 19 (+2)
12. Yamagata 18 (-9)
13. Jubilo 17 (-7)
14. Kobe 15 (-8)
15. Omiya 14 (-7)
----------------
16. Sendai 14 (-8)
17. Shonan 12 (-14)
18. Kyoto 10 (-17)

J2 Scores & Standings @ Round 20/36

Ehime 1-1 Tosu
JEF 5-0 Oita
Kitakyushu 1-1 Mito
Kofu 0-1 Verdy
Kumamoto 0-1 Kusatsu
Okayama 1-0 Sapporo
Tochigi 2-1 Yokohama FC
Tokushima 1-1 Kashiwa
Toyama 3-2 Gifu

Bye: Fukuoka

1. Kashiwa 45 (+24)
2. Kofu 40 (+15)
3. JEF 35 (+17)
-----------------
4. Fukuoka 30 (+13)
5. Tosu 30 (+2)
6. Kumamoto 30 (-1)
7. Tochigi 29 (+7)
8. Tokushima 28 (-1)
9. Verdy 27 (+4)
10. Yokohama FC 23 (-2)
11. Sapporo 23 (-3)
12. Ehime 22 (-2)
13. Gifu 22 (-11)
14. Mito 21 (-5)
15. Oita 19 (-7)
16. Okayama 19 (-10)
17. Toyama 19 (-14)
18. Kusatsu 17 (-12)
19. Kitakyushu 12 (-13)

Shimizu S-Pulse against Kashima Antlers has to be top of the list of J-League fixtures this weekend, second taking on first as the J1 season reaches its mid-point. S-Pulse have in their last three games scored twelve but conceded eight, culminating in last week's extraordinary 6-3 win at Shonan Bellmare, while the Antlers' previously top-class defence has been looking a lot less assured since the departure of Atsuto Uchida to Schalke 04 and Lee Jung Soo to Al Sadd in Saudi Arabia. Something's got to give when the two teams meet, and it could have a significant impact on the destination of this year's J-League title.

Dragan Stojkovic's in-form Nagoya Grampus are handily placed in third and travel to the capital to meet underachieving FC Tokyo, but perhaps the most interesting other match in the top division sees Cerezo Osaka host fourth-placed Kawasaki Frontale. Cerezo are enjoying an ace first season back in J1, whereas Frontale are looking less than convincing despite the return to fitness of veteran striker Juninho. Down at the bottom of the table, meanwhile, the key game is second-bottom Shonan Bellmare at an Omiya Ardija side juuuuuust outside the relegation places.

Recent reports from Chiba prefecture suggest that Koki Mizuno, Kashiwa Reysol's summer signing from Celtic, faces a long spell out injured, but the Sun Kings continue their otherwise excellent J2 campaign at home to Tokyo Verdy. JEF United's game at Sagan Tosu could be crucial for the promotion race, and just to give a brief nod to lower reaches of the J-League, wooden spooners Giravanz Kitakyushu face the longest trip of the what is turning into a pretty darn lengthy debut pro season as they head all the way to Hokkaido and mid-table Consadole Sapporo.

Hi Furtho, glad to see normal service has been resumed, and can't wait for your report on how Matsumoto Yamaga have rampaged into mid-table in the JFL.

The Kanto League finished last Sunday, and events in the Kanto League division 2 made the traditional scramble for the J-League Championship on the last day appear positively mundane.

The Kanto league only has 8 teams in each division, so it's a short 14 game season. Going into the last day, the former giants of Toho Titanium had already won the league and promotion, leaving one further promotion spot and two relegation places to be filled. The division was so tight and the fixtures such that the teams in 3rd to 6th place could be either promoted or relegated on the last day.

I gathered up a mad dog and went off to watch Japanese footballers in the midday sun. It was an exciting 35 degrees (that's two furlongs in old money). The game of choice was obviously Toho Titanium v SAI Ichihara because there was a slight overgrown bus shelter type construction at the ground which afforded some shade. Ichihara were in last place, and had to win. And they did, by scoring in the first minute, conceding a highly amusing calamitous equaliser, then regaining the lead and defending like buggery. All excellent entertainment for the princely sum of zero yen.
There were no tranny men to distribute their false and malicious rumours about the proceedings in other games, so there was almost a celebration by the Ichihara players at the end of the game. Hmmm...possibly showing my age. I suppose in these days of advanced mobile telephony the strange man with the transistor radio glued to his ear who spouts hideous lies could be a dying breed.

Anyway, the bottom team had won. In second place were Hitachi "Something" Systems (it could be Bill Systems - it could be Building Systems - it could be not worth knowing). A win would see then promoted, so showing all the poise and steeliness of nerve that my own dearly beloved team demonstrates on frequent occasions they duly lost 4-0 at home. To Aries FC, who were second from bottom, and needed a win to have a chance of staying up.

SG Systems in 3rd managed to lose at home to 6th placed Tokyo Marine Insurance, scuppering their own promotion chances but leaving the door open for the Mariners.

And the final game was the mid-table 4th v 5th, namely Honda Luminoso Sayama v Kanagawa Teachers. This turned out to be the key game. The Teachers won it, and got promoted, and Honda contrived to finish last, 2 points behind the celebrating pedagogues. And poor heroic Ichihara, vanquishers of champions, disappeared off into the prefecture leagues with them.

So, here are a couple of "before" and "after" tables:

Before:

Toho Titanium 25 +14
Hitachi Something 19 -1
SG Systems 18 +4
Honda Luminoso 18 -10
Kanagawa teachers 17 0
Tokyo Marine 17 0
Aries FC 15 0
SAI Ichihara 15 -7

After:
Toho Titanium 25 +13
Kanagawa Teachers 20 +2
Tokyo Marine 20 +1
Hitachi Something 19 -5
Aries FC 18 +4
SG Systems 18 +3
SAI Ichihara 18 -6
Honda Luminoso 18 -12

So, splendid entertainment. Apologies to you, Furtho, if I've stolen some of the thunder of one of your non-league reviews.

Oh, and one last thing, Furtho. I couldn't help noticing one Kohei Tokita kitted up in the mighty gray shirt of Oita last weekend, playing in defence, and neither could I avoid spotting Jef United 5 Oita 0. Tell me, am I to expect more of this?