EMPEROR'S CUP FINALISTS DECIDED

Urawa Reds vs Gamba Osaka in Emperor's Cup Final

Old rivalries will be renewed in the Emperor's Cup Final, when Urawa Reds face off against Gamba Osaka on New Year's Day. The Reds will be looking to make up for their finals football failings, after a promising start to the J-League season ended in tears earlier in December.

The Saitama (just north of Tokyo) based club stumbled through their semi final with Kashiwa Reysol via a 117th minute winner courtesy of Tadanari Lee. Urawa had previously knocked off quarter final opponent Vissel Kobe 3-0. The Reds picked up three first half goals in that fixture on December 26th, however, their December 29th fixture was more taxing.

Gamba Osaka's path through the quarter finals and into the final has been less troublesome. On Saturday, 26th December, Gamba got home 3-1 over Sagan Tosu, while three days later they gave the J-League champions a footballing lesson.

Inspired by another Takashi Usami brace (Usami scored twice v Sagan Tosu), Gamba demolished Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-0. It was sweet revenge for the Osaka club who were runners up to Hiroshima in the J-League's two legged Championship Final just weeks earlier.

Hiroshima were no doubt suffering burnout. The 'purple archers' had recently won the Championship Final, before playing four matches at the FIFA World Club Cup, where they finished a respectable third.

THE FINAL

In today's final however, it's Urawa who will most likely be feeling the effects of fatigue after their 120 minute semi final with Kashiwa. In order to win the Emperor's Cup, the Reds will have to alter the 'head to head' history of this fixture.

In 2015 the teams met four times, and Gamba Osaka were victors on three occasions. The most recent being the J-League Championship Semi Final on 28th November.

Urawa's influential midfielder Yosuke Kashiwagi is in doubt also after his 39th minute injury substitution against Kashiwa.

The above factors make it hard for us to envisage a win for the Reds however, bookmakers have the Kanto club as favourites. Along with bragging rights the reward for today's winner is a place in Asian Champions League Group G with Melbourne Victory (Aust.) and the likes of Suwon Bluewings (Sth Korea). The loser will slot into Group H with Guangzhou Evergrande and Sydney FC. 

ONE GOAL ENOUGH FOR GAMBA TO TAKE ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL PLACE

Gamba Osaka host Guangzhou Evergrande in the second leg of their Asian Champions League Semi Final tonight. The first leg ending 2-1 in favour of the Chinese club, Gamba now needs just a 1-0 victory to take their place in the ACL Final alongside Al Ahli of UAE.

RECENT FORM

Since their loss to Evergrande in China, Kenta Hasegawa's men suffered two more defeats in succession. In one, a depleted Gamba lost 2-1 to struggling Albirex Niigata in Japan's version of the League Cup, while the other loss saw them ship five goals to 7th placed Kawasaki Frontale.

Gamba Osaka vs Guangzhou Evergrande

The Kansai club have since won their next two outings. Correcting their first leg loss to Niigata they advanced to the final of the aforementioned Cup competition with a 2-0 victory, before a 2-1 win over old foes Urawa.

Importantly in the context of tonight's fixture, the clean sheet against Niigata was Gamba's first in ten matches. Can we expect the entertainers to get down and gritty against the Chinese Super League's champions elect? Probability says no.

But for their part Guangzhou Evergrande aren't exactly a tower of strength either. In their eleven ACL fixtures in 2015, Evergrande have scored 18 goals and conceded 14. More than a goal per match.

KEY PLAYERS FOR THE HOME TEAM

Gamba Osaka will be buoyed by the return of regular centre back Daiki Niwa. The 29 year old was missing for the first leg due to suspension but is back for the home tie and sure add some assuredness to the backline.

Gamba will also look for a bigger contribution from attacking midfielder Takashi Usami who was substituted in the 74th minute of the first leg. The match had started with both sides showing equal intent, however, 25-30 minutes into the match things changed.

THE FIRST LEG

Gamba were ahead via a Feng Xiaoting own goal (12th min) and the Japanese club were content to sit back and rarely send men forward in meaningful assaults on goal - totally out of character. Gamba conceded through a superb half volley from Huang, Bowen before an equally brilliant header from captain Zheng, Zhi in the 57th minute.

The post match statistics were damning for Gamba Osaka. Evergrande firing off an incredible 22 shots to Gamba's miserly 3. Being hosts those statistics should change, but will it be enough?

All the questions will be answered tonight.

Kick Off: 7pm Japan time.

GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE v GAMBA OSAKA - ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI FINAL PREVIEW

Gamba Osaka vs Guangzhou Evergrande

It's a promoters dream. Two of the continent's biggest clubs, the reigning champions of their respective leagues, and an international rivalry that dates to a time before football.

China's Guangzhou Evergrande takes on Japan's Gamba Osaka.

It's the Asian Champions League semi final, a match that doubles as a grand final for the east side of the conference. While Guangzhou is once again topping the charts in the Chinese Super League, Gamba Osaka's form in the 2nd Stage of a complicated J-League season is simmering to dangerous levels.

Currently 4th in the J-League's combined or regular table, the Osaka club will go into the two legged tie as underdogs. Torch bearers for the once vaunted but now stuttering Japanese club competition, Gamba is aiming to bring the Champions League title to Japan for the first time in seven years. The last time a Japanese club was champion it was Gamba who tore Adelaide United apart in a one sided final. 

Led by statesman Yasuhito Endo, Gamba Osaka boasts one of the most feared attacks in the AFC, with the silky Takashi Usami and the brute force of Brazilian Patric. 

After being forced to miss the quarter final tie with Jeonbuk, Usami said, "In the next match I want to show how I can contribute to the team and help us go to the final," on the AFC Official site. 

"Guangzhou is one of the best teams in Asia and they will be coming at us hard seeking the win," he added. 

Usami was instrumental in Gamba's domestic treble last year, and the flashy attacking midfielder has truly experienced a rebirth since his Munich malaise. 

Meanwhile, Guangzhou will be looking to emulate their 2013 ACL triumph. Boosted by the recent purchase of Paulinho from Tottenham, the southern Tigers host the first leg. After ditching previous manager Fabio Cannavaro, the club went for the 'slightly more experienced' Felipe Scholari. 'Big Phil' has somehow been able to inject life back into a side that has admittedly achieved everything over the last three to four years and would be excused if motivation was on the wane. 

"Every second on the field is going to be important on Wednesday," Scholari warned, and the Brazilian implored his men to keep a clean sheet and take a lead to Osaka for the second leg. 

For punters there seems to be only one team in the first leg, as Gamba Osaka have been quoted as long as $5.50 at some betting agencies. Looking at the following stats provides good reason for the bookies and desperate to be banking on a Chinese win:

• In their quarter final tie Guangzhou dispatched of Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol by roundly drubbing the Chiba club 3-1 in the first leg in Japan.
• Guangzhou is undefeated in their last 17 matches.
• Felipe Scholari is unbeaten as manager of the Chinese club.
• Guangzhou has game breaker Paulinho.
• The Tigers also have Ricardo Goulart and Chinese international Gao Lin.
• Gamba Osaka will be without regular centre-back Daiki Niwa.
• Gamba Osaka has conceded 7 goals in their last 5 matches.

For those that like an underdog, maybe you can take some solace in these stats:

• After losing their first two ACL matches this year, Gamba have gone 8 matches undefeated.
• Takashi Usami has played 29 matches and scored 19 goals this year.
• Gamba defeated their last Chinese opponent (Guangzhou R&F) 5-nil in China.
• The Japanese club has scored the most goals in the 2015 ACL with 19 goals from their 10 matches. Guangzhou Evergrande has only managed 16. 

If forced to pick a winner I have to side with Guangzhou Evergrande, as the Tigers have too many game breakers. Gamba themselves have Usami, Patric and super sub Shu Kurata as possible match winners, but the enforced change in the back-line could be the difference. 

Enjoy what should be a two-legged feast of attacking football. 

EAST ASIAN SOCCER - NEWS ROUND-UP

Usami and Patric embrace.

In Japan Gamba Osaka completed the domestic treble, after defeating second tier Montedio Yamagata in the Emperor's Cup Final. 

Just one week earlier Gamba had captured the J-League title, and with little time to celebrate, the Kansai natives were facing an upbeat Yamagata club who had just won promotion to J1 for 2015. It didn't take long for Gamba's class to tell though, with in form Takashi Usami finding the back of the net in the 4th minute, before Patric doubled the lead in the 22nd minute. 

In the second half the underdogs jagged a goal to restore hope, but once again Usami asserted the authority of the J-League champions. The match ending 3-1, Usami with two goals and an assist.

Stunningly the man of the match was still ignored by national team manager Javier Aguirre. True, the Samurais have a wealth of attacking midfielders, but this blogger was not the only one shocked by his absence in Japan's Asian Cup squad.

ASIAN CUP SQUAD

Japan's national team was officially announced on Monday. See below -

In a scoop for the Newcastle region where the Japanese squad will be based during the tournament, a friendly was recently announced for January 4th. The Japanese will take on New Zealand's most famous club side, Auckland City in Cessnock, while also taking on local side Lambton Jaffas in a behind closed doors trial. The Kiwi team has been a regular representative for Oceania at the Club World Cup, and turned a few heads this year after defeating Algeria's ES Setif. 

GK - Eiji Kawashima, Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shusaku Nishikawa
DEF- Yuto Nagatomo, Masato Morishige, Kosuke Ota, Uchida, Maya Yoshida, Tsukasa Shiotani, Gotoku Sakai, Gen Shoji
MF- Yasuhito Endo, Yasuyuki Konno, Makoto Hasebe, Shinji Kagawa, Hiroshi Kiyotake, Gaku Shibasaki,
ATT- Yohei Toyoda, Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda, Yu Kobayashi, Takashi Inui, Yoshinori Muto.

ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW ANNOUNCED

The 2015 Asian Champions League draw has been completed, though there are still some unknowns,

In a promoters dream Western Sydney Wanderers have been grouped with Chinese gargantuans Guangzhou Evergrande. 

Fans of both clubs will not have forgotten 2014's cage fight in the ACL quarter finals. The match saw Marcello Lippi enter the playing field at Parramatta, after two controversial red cards were handed out to superstars Zhang Linpeng and Gao Lin. 

Joining them in Group H is the J-League's most successful club, Kashima Antlers. The Antlers enjoyed a return to prominence in the J-League, inspired by the form of youngster Gaku Shibasaki. Just as mouth watering is the prospect of Koreans FC Seoul coming through the play-off phase to join the triplet of talent in Group H. FC Seoul featured in the 2013 ACL Final against Guangzhou, while in 2014 they crashed out to Wanderers in the semi finals.

WHO OWNS OSAKA? CEREZO V GAMBA

The 2014 J-League season sees the return of Gamba Osaka to J1 after a brief visit to the second tier. Fans will be treated to the usual two derbies this season but Gamba may find things have changed

 It's been a lively off season for the J-League, and Cerezo Osaka have led the market exchanges. I'm not sure whether the foray into the Asian Champions League this year has been a motivator but the Yanmar owned club have gone on an unrestrained player buy-up. Uruguayan star Diego Forlan leads the signings. "I've never received such a reception," he said. The striker has already made an appearance off the bench in Cerezo Osaka's opening ACL match.

The pink half of Osaka have beefed up their attacking stocks with the purchase of Aria Jasuru Hasegawa from FC Tokyo. Australians will remember him well, particularly Brisbane Roar fans who witnessed him tear Brisbane apart with his silky technique and fab passing game in the 2012 ACL. Australians will also be familiar with Ryo Nagai and Mitch Nichols who both joined the club during the off-season. Nichols has a clever passing game and is a Socceroos candidate for Brazil 2014. Ryo Nagai's career has been littered with injuries but when the winger is injury free he adds plenty of speed and attacking thrust. The two will most likely feature as squad players only, with the likes of Yoichiro Kakitani in front of them in midfield. Kakitani scored an extraordinary 21 J-League goals in 2013, but unfortunately for Cerezo fans Kakitani is rumoured to be on the move mid season. 

 For Gamba Osaka returning to the J-League was a formality. The first victory for Gamba was retaining a large number of their J1 squad. Inspiring national team midfielder Yasuhito Endo stayed on at the relegated club and Gamba were able to win the 42 match J2 by a narrow four point margin. Most impressive in Gamba's visit to J2 was Takashi Usami who returned from an unsuccessful stint in Germany to score 19 goals in 18 appearances. However, fast-forward to the present and Usami is out for at least the first eight weeks of the season with an ankle injury.

The traditional Kansai region heavyweights (Gamba) have been overshadowed in the transfer market by Cerezo, and their biggest signings come in the form of Masaaki Higashiguchi and Brazilian Lins. Higashiguchi is a quality keeper, transferred from Albirex Niigata. Having watched a lot of Niigata I'll say it's a good purchase, and he's a keeper capable of higher honours. Lins is a 26 year old striker with a wealth of experience in Brazil, including the Serie A where he scored 11 goals last season. But on the balance of things it looks a tough task for Gamba Osaka to match their city rivals in 2014. With former FC Tokyo manager Ranko Popovic now in charge at Cerezo fans can expect sexy football and possibly an inaugural J1 title. Meanwhile, Gamba fans should be pleased with a mid table finish, although even that may be a little optimistic.