YOKOHAMA LOSE J-LEAGUE ON FINAL DAY

 

Yokohama have lost the J-League, after failing to win in their last two matches of the season. Yes, they were hacked by local rivals Kawasaki on the last day, but champion teams are not known for limping over the line. While Yokohama F-Marinos was losing over the last two rounds, Hiroshima was winning, and the defending champions would eventually leapfrog F-Marinos on final day drama that is 'run of the mill' stuff in the J-League.

Both Yokohama and Hiroshima faced teams playing for direct entry into the 2014 Asian Champions League. Worse for Yokohama was the fact that Kawasaki were local rivals and hardly the type to have their neighbours waltz off with the title on their turf (Todoroki Stadium). The home team had the J-League's top scorer in Yoshito Okubo (26 goals), but they wouldn't need him when some dodgy goalkeeping, and even dodgier adjudicating provided Kawasaki with the go ahead goal. Okubo's long range drive did float a little as it came in from the keeper's right side, but he batted away rather unconvincingly, and the ball bounced nearest to midfielder Ryota Oshima, who's obvious handball wasn't sighted by ageing ref Yuichi Nishimura. After that Oshima put the ball on a platter for Brazilian Renatinho and Kawasaki were away in the 53rd minute. Yokohama rarely threatened until the final five minutes when they had a glut of corners which they couldn't convert. Manager Higuchi was quoted on J-League Official saying, "We were all looking to round off the season with the title but didn't get it and that hurts." While he spoke further in a consolatory manner of his players, they will rue the day they put on a lackadaisical effort at home to Niigata with the title within reach.

Hiroshima's efforts were somewhat helped along by the cunning of 25 year old defender Tsukasa Shiotani. Hiroshima led the match 1-nil when Naoki Ishihara chipped over the keeper on the 35 minute mark. Takahagi's side-footed through ball for the striker was superb. But entering first half stoppage time defender Shiotani dribbled out from the back with Kashima striker Yuya Osako in tow. Unfortunately it seems Osako's fleet footed presence threw up a gust of wind, which knocked the defender off balance. The referee quickly pulled out his bright yellow card; Osako's second yellow, and gifted Hiroshima the three points. Sadly Hiroshima's last day heroics will be blighted by some poor adjudicating and memories of cunning. My sister once said to me the farce of soccer is that a seemingly strong, superbly balanced athlete can sometimes fall over his own feet, and at vital moments. She calls it diving; I've come to recognise it as one of the crafts of the game. Kudos to Shiotani for his ability to fool the officialdom.




And so Hiroshima were crowned J-League champions for the second year in a row. Hiroshima finished one point ahead of Yokohama and three ahead of Kawasaki. They will now contest the Emperor's Cup quarter finals on December 22nd. They're expected to get by Ventforet Kofu as are Yokohama expected to beat relegated Oita Trinita. In the other quarter finals Vegalta Sendai host FC Tokyo, while Sagan Tosu are at home to the rampant Kawasaki Frontale.

In 2014 the J-League will welcome back Gamba Osaka, Vissel Kobe and play-off winner Tokushima Vortis. Tokushima are the first team from the island of Shikoku to enter into J1. Good luck to them in 2014. Meanwhile, we bid farewell to Oita Trinita, Jubilo Iwata (amazing), and Shonan Bellmare.
 

KASHIWA WRESTLE WITH GUANGZHOU IN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

It's a promoters dream but can Kashiwa Reysol expect to compete with Guangzhou Evergrande? Over the two legs of the Champions League semi final I think not. 

Kashiwa will host Guangzhou on Wenedsay night, September 25th. The two teams met twice in 2012 during the group stage, and the result then could well be repeated this year. While in Japan Kashiwa managed a 0-0 draw, but at Tianhe Stadium Guangzhou scored a comfortable 3-1 victory. It may be stating the obvious but Kashiwa need to pull out all stocks in order to prevent away goals while at Hitachi Stadium. The 'sun kings' won't want to be travelling to China next week needing away goals in front of a likely packed house.

Working in Kashiwa's favour is their recruitment of Cleo from Guangzhou Evergrande. The forward was recently quoted by the South China Morning Post saying, "I think their strength lies in their attacking player." He put a big emphasis on the contributions of Muriqui and Elkeson, and said of his own position that he wasn't focused on revenge. Also in Kashiwa's favour, fortunately or unfortunately is the fact that their J League hopes are dashed so the Champions League is no doubt the central focus. What is questionable though is Kashiwa's topsy turvy inconsistent form this year. East Asian Soccer noted recently that Kashiwa had lost a number of matches that they were expected to win, and over a two legged semi final this is sure to 'rear its ugly head' again.  

Meanwhile, Guangzhou have all the momentum with a 6-1 aggregate win over Qatar's Lekhwiya. Apart from personal favourite Muriqui, the Japanese should watch out for fullback Linpeng Zhang. The tattooed defender will be up and down the sideline all night ensuring the Kashiwa midfield doesn't get too comfortable. Manager Marcello Lippi spoke to the AFC website recently and gave a backhanded complement saying, "I have studied lots of DVDs and looked at how Kashiwa play and they have a good balance to their side and they are very stable." He added, "They have a strong away record but I am not sure why, maybe this is due to luck."

With captain Hidekazu Otani out due to suspension, and a lack of consistency being the only constant for Kashiwa it's only stage fright that can stop Guangzhou Evergrande from qualifying for the Asian Champions League Final. The two legged final will see them meet either FC Seoul or Esteghlal.  

GUANGZHOU POISED FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIS

Chinese mega-club Guangzhou Evergrande are poised to win their two legged Asian Champions League quarter final and advance to the semi finals. The Tigers are 2-nil up against Saudi club Lekhwiya and travel with confidence after another successful season. They currently hold a 14 point lead with just six matches remaining in the Chinese Super League, meaning a third straight domestic league championship is likely.

An aggregate win for Guangzhou with its wealth of funds and stars to boot will set up a possible China-Japan showdown. However, Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol is no sure thing to advance from their quarter final as they're currently locked at 1-1 with Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia. Of much concern for Reysol and taciturn manager Nelsinho (quit the club a fortnight ago, only to re-commit) is the Chiba club's inconsistency. Another factor against the Japanese is the second leg will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In the other quarter finals Buriram of Thailand are battling to reverse a 1-nil deficit to Esteghlal. The Thais are another ACL team experiencing success on the domestic scene, with a five point buffer to their nearest rivals Muang Thong United just eight matches from the finish line. Buriram are a an incredible underdog story in this year's competition as they only made their way into the ACL via a play-off with Australian club Brisbane Roar. The Thai club will be playing under new manager Alejandro Menendez whose first game in control was a 2-nil defeat of domestic rivals BEC Tero Sasano. The manager and players are confident of overcoming their Iranian counterparts. "The team is in a good position and I have not changed a lot. There are a lot of good things in place and I will only think about changes in the future."

Meanwhile, in the other quarter final, FC Seoul host Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw with both sides confident of progressing to the Asian Champions League semi finals. Unfortunately for Al Ahli they will be without their South Korean attacker, Suk Hyun Jun who has more then four years experience in Europe. Manager Vitor Pereira had these words to say before the match, "We have a lot of respect for FC Seoul but we have confidence in our abilities and we feel we will be the team going to the semi finals."

All matches kick of Wednesday evening, 18th September, 2013.

NELSINHO SAYS HELLO AGAIN TO KASHIWA

The J League has gone into a brief recess while international soccer captures our focus, but the big news in the J League is the sudden resignation and subsequent backflip of Nelsinho, the manager of Kashiwa Reysol.

The Brazilian has overseen the most successful period in the little club's history, with the club currently enjoying their second foray into Asian Champions League territory. In 2011 Kashiwa made history when they won the J League title in their return season, fresh from winning the J2 and the Emperors Cup (2010). Prior to his backflip, the manager was quoted in the Japan Times saying, "This team should be challenging at the top of the table. It's unacceptable to be in 9th or 10th place. Resigning is not something I have just decided today." Last Saturday's loss to Kashima Antlers, seemed to have been the last straw for Nelsinho. In returning to the hot seat Nelsinho now has the opportunity to take the club further into the ACL which resumes on Wednesday 18th September with their return leg in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Reysol and Al Shabab are poised at 1-1 after the first leg in Kashiwa.

Understandably, Nelsinho is a frustrated man, but were his actions just clever psychology? Able to beat the best on their day, but just as capable of 'stealing defeat from the jaws of victory', when facing lower ranked sides, the 'sun kings' haven't been shining regularly enough. Below are some of this seasons major slip ups.

• Exhibit one: July 6th, 2-3 loss at Niigata. 
• Exhibit two: May 18th, 1-3 loss at home to Cerezo Osaka.
• Exhibit three April 13th, 1-3 loss at Ventforet Kofu.

Kashiwa's current tally of 36 points sees them out of the J League title race (11 points adrift of leaders), but they're alive and kicking on all other fronts. They're now into the semi-finals of the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup, final 32 of the Emperor's Cup and of course still challenging for the Asian Champions League. Will Nelsinho's return arouse the Kashiwa Reysol squad?

Asian Champions League Quarter Finals Draw Completed

The Asian Football Confederation has finalised the draw for the remainder of it's burgeoning club competition, the Asian Champions League. The draw pitted east Asian clubs against west Asian clubs for the quarter finals, but beyond the last eight it's possible that east can meet east and west likewise. Hosts of the event also boasted about the 11% increase in overall ACL attendances.

Quarter final one sees 2012 finalists Al Ahli face FC Seoul. The west Asian team from Saudi Arabia boast a midfield dominated by South American midfielders, plus Brazilian striker Victor Simoes, with 12 goals from 19 matches this season. Quarter final two features Iranian super club Esteghlal, and underdogs Buriram United from Thailand. Interestingly for Australian soccer fans Buriram battled their way through Group E (the group this blogger labelled the weakest in the east side of the draw), after defeating Brisbane Roar in a play-off for their place in the ACL. Esteghlal won their group and defeated Al Shabab Al Arabi of UAE to make their way to the quarter finals. The Iranians have averaged crowds of over 24,000 for the ACL plus a phenomenal 80,000 for their clash with Saudis Al Hilal.

Nelsinho - manager of Kashiwa Reysol

Quarter final three has Japan's Kashiwa Reysol hosting Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia. Kashiwa manager Nelsinho had spent a year with Al Shabab's rivals the aforementioned Al Hilal (93/94), but Kashiwa captain Otani conceded most of the players knew nothing of Al Shabab. Typically conservative the captain said, "We have had good results in the group stage and the Round of 16 and we will fight all out for a place in the semi finals." Meanwhile quarter final four sees Guangzhou Evergrande hosting Qataris Lekhwiya. The Chinese will be favourites, but they fell to west Asian opposition last year, so Lippi and his men will no doubt be on their toes.

From this point on the tournament will be played with a two legged format, including the final. The first leg of the quarter finals kicks off on 21st August, while teams are forced to wait until 18th September, for the return leg. Important to know is that the winner of quarter final one faces the winner of quarter final two, and winner three will play four. This increases the likelihood of an east Asian showdown between Kashiwa and Guangzhou. The suit wearers at the AFC would be rubbing their hands and drooling at such a possibility. 

GUANGZHOU POWER PAST MARINERS

Sometimes you walk away from a soccer ground wondering why you bothered to give up your hard earned dollars. The Asian Champions League Round of 16 match between Central Coast Mariners and Guangzhou Evergrande, was NOT one of those occasions.

The Chinese giants appeared to have underestimated their Australian opponents when the Mariners went ahead in the 7th minute. It was youngster Mitchell Duke whose lunging effort was redirected to give the Mariners a shock lead. It had the 4000 odd travelling Guangzhou fans gasping for oxygen. This wasn't the plan. But the team from Gosford continued their marauding raids down the flanks, particularly the left with Josh Rose contributing the most.



The inevitable momentum swing occurred in the 27th minute when Paraguayan international Barrios levelled the scores. The goal resulted after a breakaway, with midfielder Conca feeding the ball to the irrepressible Muriqui on the left. The Brazilian looked to send to the ball into the box, but the resulting scramble saw the ball land at the feet of Barrios. He buried a bouncing volley into Matt Ryan's net. The game had changed and Zac Anderson's bullying of Barrios off the ball was nullified.

The second half was dominated by Guangzhou as the cavalry charged. International striker Gao Lin had the crowd on their feet with a bicycle kick attempt on goal. Ryan tipped it over, much to the disappointment of the Guangzhou fans. They were rabid! The 'red tide' would keep rising though. Right fullback Zhang Linpeng was the Chinese version of the 'Duracell rabbit'. He was up and down the right wing all match and his shimmy on the edge of the box to round Mariners defender Josh Rose was worth the entry fee. Soon we were adding Muriqui's back-heeled shot to the highlights reel, as it glanced off the upright in the 71st minute.

It appeared the Mariners had decided the only way to muffle the Guangzhou attack was to play a high line and cramp the midfield. A risky tactic which eventually saw Muriqui punish the home team. A high ball was lofted into the centre of the field, and Barrios's poor first touch presented the ball in the path of Muriqui. The Brazilian took one touch and then unleashed. It was 2-1 in the 76th minute, and a mountain for the Mariners to climb. Nevertheless, the Mariners fans would see some more goal mouth action with the Guangzhou keeper forced to make an almost unsighted save late in regulation time.

The 2-1 first leg sees Guangzhou in a powerful position heading back to China. Next week's second leg will be played at Tianhe Stadium, and the Mariners can expect a sea of red to greet them. Guangzhou regularly attract crowds of 40,000, but the their are no guarantees in soccer, and while the Mariners were beaten at home, they certainly acquitted themselves well. Working in the Mariners favour is Guangzhou's cut and thrust style. They will definitely get some opportunities to score in China, but their execution will need to be spot on.

Barrios hits the deck at Gosford

Asia's largest travelling supporter group: Guangzhou 

MARINERS IN TEST AGAINST ASIA'S FINEST

Daniel McBreen hits the winner in the 2012/13 A League Final

On Wednesday 15th May the Central Coast Mariners will face the stiffest test of their so far unfruitful ACL lives. The little team from Gosford who were recently crowned champions for 2012/13, are up against China's Guangzhou Evergrande. Guangzhou have marched out of the ACL's group of death with one loss and some impressive victories.

The Mariners have got mileage out of using the underdog tag over the years, despite making it to four A League Grand Finals. This blog has been on the case of the Mariners for the continued 'little battler-ism' being employed by club management, and playing staff over the years, however, this time they are free to play the underdog card. It's okay.

Boasting a star studded and rather 'well remunerated' line-up, Evergrande slipped up once against Japan's biggest soccer club Urawa Reds, while scoring two draws against Korea's ACL top guns Jeonbuk Hyundai. Nicknamed the Tigers, Guangzhou has become the big money club of Asia since the Evergrande Real Estate Group provided their assistance. The stars include 29 year old Dario Conca of Argentina who is said to be on US$10.4 million a year. Aussie midfielder Rostyn Griffiths formerly of Central Coast Mariners has touted Conca as the danger-man. Everything goes through him . . . he floats around the pitch playing as the attacking midfielder and he is very dangerous from set pieces. Griffiths is a voice of authority on the Chinese Super League being a regular at local rivals Guangzhou R&F. Also posing a threat to the Mariners hopes are the likes of Paraguayan Lucas Barrios brought to the club last year on a record transfer fee of 8.5 million Euro (equal to roughly US$11mil). Meanwhile the struggling former Borussia Dortmund striker can only manage to earn US$8.7mil a season. There is no salary cap in 

China. By far my favourite for the Tigers though is Muriqui who has put in some stunning performances in the ACL. He'll be positioned on the wing or as a forward in a 4-4-2 formation. Rounding things off is superstar manager Marcello Lippi.

With a paltry US$2.5mil budget the Mariners have defied logic with their consistency in the A-League. A major problem for Central Coast has been player retention. Midway through the 2011/12 A League season the club were hamstrung by the losses of prodigal son Matt Simon and defensive midfielder Rostyn Griffiths. This season they've seen brilliant youngster Tom Rogic exit to Celtic in Scotland. Also rumoured to be on their way out are keeper Matt Ryan (Premier League interest), defender Trent Sainsbury, striker Bernie Ibini-Isei and the retiring Patrick Zwaanswijk. Incredibly it's team unity which has been the dominant theme of the Mariners narrative.For the Mariners to have a chance in Wednesday night's first leg they will have to all play at their best. Thirty-six year old striker Daniel McBreen has had his best ever professional season, scoring 19 goals. It's possible McBreen's physical style could upset the Guangzhou defence but getting the ball to the man will be a herculean task. Guangzhou are expected to dominate the midfield but the job of breaking down that dominance lay at the feet of English import Nick Montgomery and local club stalwart John Hutchinson.

Good luck to Graham Arnold and his Central Coast Mariners. In this match they stand as Australia's sole representative remaining in the Champions League. It was heartening to see 7623 Mariners fans show up for the recent ACL clash with Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol. Lets hope we see more than 10000 this Wednesday. Finally, although I'm not a betting man, please bet responsibly on Guangzhou Evergrande, and for your own financial health ignore the underdog.

MARINERS SINKING IN ASIAN FUNK

Leandro Domingues in action for Kashiwa in the ACL

They may be a regular visitor to the Asian Champions League but it doesn't equate with any form of Asian success. The Central Coast Mariners have once again failed to deliver on the Asian stage and their demise is painfully of their own doing.

The Mariners have now had 14 matches in ACL competition for a measly one win. In their third visit into Asian soccer's flagship club competition, the team from serene Gosford (an hour and a bit north of Sydney) are once again experiencing failure. The first round clash with Suwon Bluewings of Korea saw the Mariners dominate but fail to rack up the three points even with the assistance of a penalty in the 88th minute. On that night in February manager Graham Arnold rested regulars Patrick Zwaanswijk (defender) and  John Hutchinson (midfielder).

Wednesday night's visit to Kashiwa saw Graham Arnold resting four regulars from the Central Coast's first eleven. Top scorer Daniel McBreen, non stop midfielder Pedj Bojic, fullback Joshua Rose and former Socceroo Mile Sterjovski. It's fair to say that they got what they deserved. The Mariners were thrashed 3-1 by a Leandro Domingues inspired Kashiwa. The Brazilian striker made a mockery of the Mariners defence with the second of his goals, a volley from the edge of the box after earlier involvement in the same movement.

Midfielder John Hutchinson was quick to sight financial differences between the clubs in a post match interview but these matters aren't usually mentioned unless you've come off a bad result. The Mariners had led 1-nil but immediately fell into the trap of sitting back and waiting for their opponent. It's obvious the Central Coast have afforded their opponents too much respect, as Hutchinson's comments illustrate, "They've obviously got a big budget and umm it's a good league, the Japanese league." Unfortunately nobody paid much attention to the fact Kashiwa were roundly thumped by FC Tokyo on the Saturday prior to this ACL clash. Manager Graham Arnold was also heard praising his opponents, ". . . When you look at the foreigners, the two they had out there tonight in Cleo as well as Domingues, they're probably a totally different level to anyone in the A-League."

It's true manager Graham Arnold is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He has to juggle ACL group matches with the pointy end of the A League. Resting players is justified but crying poor won't make things any better or easier to deal with. Champion teams overcome hurdles such as these. Unfortunately the Central Coast Mariners are still yet to take home Australian soccer's biggest prize and this year will be no different if Arnie and the yellow team continue to play the underdog, little battler card. Finding comfort in losing as the underdog is not what champion teams do.

Meanwhile in other significant results from the eastern side of the draw, Urawa Reds gave Muangthong United an absolute hiding after the Thai team went a man down early in the piece. Beijing Guoan defeated J League champs Hiroshima 2-1 and Guangzhou Evergrande also kept Chinese hearts fluttering with their 1-1 result at Jeonbuk in Korea. 

ACL KICK OFF - MARINERS SET TO STRIKE

Marcello Lippi - Guangzhou Evergrande

Today the Asian Champions League kicks off. The most mouth watering of clashes is undoubtedly Urawa Reds v Guangzhou Evergrande starting at 11pm (Sydney time) tonight. Also on the schedule for Matchday 1 is Muangthong United v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

As all fans of Asian soccer would know Evergrande from the Chinese Super League are the nascent force in the region. Last year the Chinese giants entered the ACL for the first time under super star manager Marcello Lippi. Evergrande made it to the quarter finals in 2012, while in the CSL they swept all before them again. Lippi spoke of his excitement about the Urawa Reds assignment, "We are ready for the match and hopefully we can show our spirit and style in the game." The Italian also alluded to some injury concerns which arose over the off season, "During winter training unfortunately I only had half of the team available. Zhao Xuri and Feng Xiaoting came back with injuries and they were unable to take part in training." Evergrande will still take some beating with their wealthy stock of imports that include Dario Conca from Argentina and Paraguayan Lucas Barrios.

Meanwhile the Urawa Reds are also coming into the match with high aspirations. The team looked favourites to take out the J League title at times last year but faded disappointingly. Reds manager Mihailo Petrovic said, " I am aware of the possibilities of losing to such a strong opponent; however, we won't lose in terms of fighting spirit. I also hope we can cause them a lot of trouble." Petrovic's men made a habit of scoring goals with speedy transition play last year, and on an away trip early in the season, you can expect them to fall back on that style. It's more than a suitable situation for the Reds as they'll face a hostile Chinese crowd but no pressure to make the play. While Petrovic speaks conservatively about Urawa's chances, you can bet the Japanese will fancy themselves with possibly the most dazzling midfield in Asia. If you only watch one ACL game this Matchday, make it this one.

Muangthong and Jeonbuk ahead of tonight's ACL clash

In Thailand Muangthong will host established Asian powerhouse Jeonbuk. The green team from Korea have a great record in continental competition but Muangthong will hardly be awestruck. The Thai outfit claimed the local league by a 14 point margin and the atmosphere will be electric as the Thai's love to pit themselves against their more acclaimed Asian neighbours. Muangthong come into the match after a recent loss to rivals Buriram in the Thai King's Trophy match (2012 league winner v 2012 cup winner). With names like Guangzhou and Urawa in the group both Jeonbuk and Muangthong will not underestimate the importance of taking maximum points tonight.

From an Australian viewpoint it was disappointing to see Brisbane Roar crash out to Buriram in the recent play-off match. However, the Thai's will definitely add more in terms of crowd involvement. With only one representative in the tournament Australians could quite easily lose interest but the Central Coast Mariners should make an impact this year. The Mariners are drawn in a favourable group which includes Guizhou Renhe, Kashiwa Reysol and first round opponent Suwon Bluewings. While Suwon have acquired the services of North Korean ace Jong Tae Se and Aussie Eddy Bosnar, the Mariners are now old hands at the continental game and manager Graham Arnold has used his contacts in Japan to attain comprehensive scouting reviews. Speaking of his connection with Shimizu S Pulse manager Afshin Ghotbi Arnold said, "I contacted him, and as well as the DVD he was good enough to give me a written report on their players." Ghotbi's team played Suwon in a pre-season trial. Ghotbi is set to be sourced for information on J League outfit Kashiwa Reysol also. For the Mariners the ACL is the only frontier which they've failed to make strides in, but if the weekend's 6-2 drubbing of Melbourne Victory is anything to go by, they're set to stamp their names into the minds of Asian soccer fans.

Asian Cup Qualification Kicks Off While Japan Lash Latvia

Whilst most of Asian soccer's  big names were starting their 2015 Asian Cup qualification campaigns, Japan were having a kick about against Latvia.

Japan hit the field with all of their stars. The best early chance falling the way of Shinji Kagawa after a run from Kiyotake resulted in a 'room service' cross which Kagawa skied over the goal from the edge of the box. What was confusing was Kagawa's choice to head the ball away from goal after a Hasebe cross found him unmarked at the far post in the 27th minute. Nagatomo was up to his old tricks, making space for himself and sending in deadly accurate crosses. In the 31st minute Okazaki was on the end only for it to be directed at the goalkeeper. Keisuke Honda looked a little selfish at times with a hot and cold performance. Finally in the 41st minute Okazaki redirected a shot from Schlke's Uchida to make Japan's dominance count.

Early in the second half Okazaki almost made it two nil but the advancing Latvian goalkeeper got a last ditch duke out to prevent the Stuttgart based striker from passing the ball into the goal. Moments later in the 5th minute Kagawa dribbled to the box only to rush his shot at the sight of an on-rushing defender. On this occasion he should have slid the ball forward to Honda. The CSKA Moscow midfielder got on the scoreboard in the 60th minute with a sublime first touch goal after a Kagawa cross. The pair have looked at times to be on a different wavelength but on this occasion got it together. Soon after Okazaki added his second to allow Japan a 3-nil victory in front of 28607 fans in Kobe.

Meanwhile the first round of Asian Cup qualifiers saw no surprises. Hosts Australia and defending champions Japan are already qualified as are South Korea (Korea Republic) due to their performance in Asian Cup 2011. North Korea have secured their entry via the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

Australia will be hoping under achieving China can scrape their way into the tournament in order to take advantage of the large Chinese population in Sydney. However, China have gone down to Saudi Arabia in their first match while Group C opponents Iraq defeated Indonesia 1-nil. The Chinese did level the scores at Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium and looked set to take a point until the Saudis scored in the 77th minute.

Another group of great interest to organisers is Group B. In Group B Lebanon took a beating from Iran 5-nil. Not a great start for the Lebanese who have put on an impressive performance throughout the World Cup Qualifying campaign. Again cosmopolitan Sydney is home to a large Lebanese community, and organisers would be confident of attracting big numbers to any games in the 2015 tournament involving Lebanon.

The Asian Cup qualification rounds continue on 22nd March 2013. More information can be found at the AFC website. http://www.the-afc.com/en/afc-asiancup-2015-schedule-results?id=140&type=Stage

CLOUD OVER GAMBA COULD HAVE SILVER LINING

 Gamba Osaka's dark days in the 2012 J League could finally brighten with a berth in the Emperor's Cup final on New Years Day 2013. The competition which provides the winner with a ticket into the Asian Champions League, will be completed tomorrow when relegated Gamba face Kashiwa Reysol.

Endo in a subdued celebration against Kashima

Gamba have won their way into the final via a recent quarter final win over neighbours Cerezo Osaka, and a semi final victory over Kashima Antlers. Their win over Kashima came via captain Yasuhito Endo's goal which many felt was a cross gone wrong. The diminutive midfielder played his part in a short corner before lobbing a ball toward the box from the left. Low and behold, the ball ended up flying beyond the keeper's reach and into the net at the far post. The 23rd minute opener was the only goal of the match, meanwhile Kashiwa Reysol won their semi against Yokohama F Marinos. Reysol went ahead in the 23rd minute due to a headed goal from 22 year old Masato Kudo. Yokohama failed to deal with a cross from Jorge Wagner and the ensuing head-tennis saw old stager Nakazawa head a ball from off his own line, only to have Kudo step into the breach and make it count. It remained 1-nil, and Kashiwa are now set to play Gamba in a repeat of the 2008 final which the Kansai club won in extra time (1-nil). Revenge beckons for Kashiwa but for Gamba it's a chance to restore some pride and gain a little redemption. The relegation of Gamba Osaka was on the radar all throughout the 2012 season, but nobody truly believed it could happen. Even when the final day of the season came around Gamba's fate was in their own hands. Amazingly the club was relegated for the first time in their history. Tomorrow's final could launch the team into Asia and give the fans some much needed hope.
Kickoff: 2pm Japan time.  4pm AEDT. 

 ACL GROUPS DECIDED FOR 2013

Of the four groups featuring teams from the east Asian leagues Group F looks the most intriguing. It features Chinese giants Gaungzhou Evergrande, Urawa Reds, Jeonbuk Hyundai and Muangthong United. Gaungzhou weren't quite comprehensive champions as they were in 2011 but the club continues to build a reputation on the Asian continent. Urawa are Japan's biggest club and they look set to return to their halcyon days which saw them take out the ACL in 2007 under Holger Osieck. From the K League second placed Jeonbuk are back to continue cementing their presence in Asia. The Korean club hailing from the south west province of Jeollabuk-do are also former champions, winning the ACL in 2006 and finishing runners up in 2011. Maungthong United were comfortable champions in Thailand and play out Nonthaburi Province (north west of Bangkok). The club known as the Twin Quilins is home to highly regarded midfielder Mario Djurvoski (Macedonia) and local boy Teerasil Dangda. Striker Dangda is rumoured to be on the radar of many clubs in Asia but while he's still at Muangthong, you can expect them to be more than a handful for their more established rivals. The first round of clashes are slated for 26th February 2013, with Guangzhou hosting Urawa while Jeonbuk travel to Muangthong. The full ACL draw can be found at this link.

Teerasil Dangda