Football Japan Minutecast

Second half strikes from Mitsuo Ogasawara and Daiki Iwamasa piled the pressure on beleaguered Oita Trinita manager Pericles Chamusca as J1 leaders Kashima Antlers came from a goal behind to win 2-1 at the Kyushu Oil Dome yesterday afternoon. The bottom club had looked keen to add to Kashima�fs woes following a penalty shootout exit at the hands of FC Seoul in the AFC Champions League on Wednesday, and Hiroshi Kiyotake sparked hopes of a real upset with the opening goal nine minutes after the interval. Oita�fs problems at the back were all too apparent, however, as they allowed far too much room for the champions to manoeuvre and ultimately steal all three points for themselves.

While the win keeps the Antlers seven points clear at the top, Chamusca�fs future now appears far from certain after his side�fs twelfth consecutive league defeat left them eight points adrift at the bottom, with just four points from their opening 15 games. The run is eerily similar to Trinita�fs 13-game winless streak in 2005 that saw the Brazilian appointed in the first place, but is all the more surprising after a fourth place finish and victory in the Nabisco Cup last year came built on the foundation of the league�fs most solid defence. Former Japan under-20 coach Yasushi Yoshida and ex-Urawa Reds boss Gert Engels have already been cited as potential replacements.

Another side in trouble are Montedio Yamagata, after a 1-0 loss at home to Kawasaki Frontale made it no wins and just two points in the last seven games for a team who had started their debut season in J1 in superb fashion. Gamba Osaka bounced back from their defeat to Frontale in the Champions League with a 2-1 win at Yokohama F Marinos, while two goals from Toshihiro Matsushita kept Albirex Niigata in second and relegated their beaten opponents, Nagoya Grampus, down to twelfth.

Urawa Reds stay third after a 2-0 win over Vissel Kobe, but Sanfrecce Hiroshima fall to sixth after losing by a similar scoreline at Kyoto Sanga. Kashiwa Reysol gained a crucial 3-2 victory over Jubilo Iwata to move closer to safety, as 16th-placed JEF United Chiba lost 2-0 at home to Omiya Ardija. FC Tokyo leapfrogged Shimizu S-Pulse into seventh with a 2-1 win at the National Stadium.


J1 results (matchday 15)
Kyoto Sanga 2-0 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Jubilo Iwata 2-3 Kashiwa Reysol
Urawa Reds 2-0 Vissel Kobe
JEF United Chiba 0-2 Omiya Ardija
FC Tokyo 2-1 Shimizu S-Pulse
Montedio Yamagata 0-1 Kawasaki Frontale
Yokohama F Marinos 1-2 Gamba Osaka
Albirex Niigata 2-1 Nagoya Grampus
Oita Trinita 1-2 Kashima Antlers


AFC Champions League first knockout round results (Eastern section - 24 June)
Nagoya Grampus 2-1 Suwon Bluewings
Gamba Osaka 2-3 Kawasaki Frontale
Kashima Antlers 2-2 FC Seoul (FC Seoul win 6-5 on penalties)
Pohang Steelers 6-0 Newcastle Jets

Sanfrecce Hiroshima broke Vissel Kobe hearts with a 4-3 win at the Big Arch on Sunday afternoon as the J1 clubs returned to league action for the first time in four weeks. Goals at the very beginning and end of the first half from Kota Hattori and Tomoaki Makino had Sanfrecce looking comfortable at 2-0 going into the break, but the balance of the game swung dramatically immediately after the restart with a penalty by Yoshito Okubo, making his first start for Vissel after re-signing from VfL Wolfsburg. Further strikes from Yosuke Ishibitsu and Hiroto Mogi in the following 20 minutes completed an unlikely comeback to put the visitors on the brink of a dramatic victory.

The celebrating Kobe fans had reckoned without the goalscoring prowess of their hosts, however, as Yosuke Kashiwagi fired home an equaliser with six minutes left on the clock, before Hisato Sato flicked in the winner barely 60 seconds later to take last season�fs J2 champions up to fifth.

Elsewhere, it was a tale of struggles for many clubs welcoming back weary Japan stars after their loss in Australia on Wednesday. Nagoya Grampus fell to ninth after a shock 1-0 loss at home to JEF United Chiba, while both Gamba Osaka and Urawa Reds suffered the ignominy of being booed off the pitch by their own fans, after 2-0 defeats to Albirex Niigata and Yokohama F Marinos, respectively.

Kashima Antlers did manage a 1-0 win at home to Jubilo Iwata to extend their lead at the top to seven points with a game in hand over Albirex, who have leapfrogged Urawa into second. Kawasaki Frontale are a further point behind in fourth, having also played one game fewer than most others, after a 2-0 win against Oita Trinita. Despite not losing any of their six matches in the Nabisco Cup group stage, Peracles Chamusca�fs side have now suffered ten straight defeats in the league, and have conceded more in 14 games than they did in the whole of last season.

Shimizu S-Pulse move up to sixth after a 4-1 win at home to freefalling Montedio Yamagata, Omiya Ardija beat Kyoto Sanga 2-1, while Kashiwa Reysol remain on just nine points after a comprehensive 3-0 loss at home to FC Tokyo.


J1 results (matchday 14)
Kawasaki Frontale 2-0 Oita Trinita
Shimizu S-Pulse 4-1 Montedio Yamagata
Nagoya Grampus 0-1 JEF United Chiba
Gamba Osaka 0-2 Albirex Niigata
Kashima Antlers 1-0 Jubilo Iwata
Omiya Ardija 2-1 Kyoto Sanga
Kashiwa Reysol 0-3 FC Tokyo
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 4-3 Vissel Kobe
Yokohama F Marinos 2-0 Urawa Reds


World Cup qualifying results (Asia - 17 June)
Group A
Australia 2-1 Japan
Bahrain 1-0 Uzbekistan

Group B
South Korea 1-1 Iran
Saudi Arabia 0-0 North Korea

The line-up for the quarter finals of this year�fs Yamazaki Nabisco Cup is now complete after the three-month group stage finally reached its conclusion on Saturday afternoon. Urawa Reds and FC Tokyo secured the wins they needed to guarantee places in the last eight alongside Japan�fs four AFC Champions League representatives and the already-qualified Shimizu S-Pulse, while Yokohama F Marinos sneaked through without kicking a ball as Sanfrecce Hiroshima failed to pick up the single point they required away to Jubilo Iwata.

Urawa were the day�fs big winners, beating Saitama rivals Omiya Ardija 6-2 in a match that turned on a red card for midfielder Chikara Fujimoto five minutes into the second half. The Reds will now take on Shimizu when the competition resumes next month, with a home leg on 15 July before the return trip to Nihondaira two weeks later. FC Tokyo play Nagoya Grampus, Gamba Osaka face Yokohama F Marinos, while Kashima Antlers entertain Kawasaki Frontale.

The league action in J1 gets back under way next Saturday after a four-week hiatus, but the Japanese national team will first travel to the Melbourne Cricket Ground to renew their rivalry with Australia in the World Cup qualifiers. With both countries already comfortably assured of their places in the Finals, the meeting is likely to lack its usual intensity, but Japan will still be looking to bounce back from their dull 1-1 home draw with Qatar last Wednesday with a win that would secure them top spot in Group A.

Uzbekistan visit Bahrain later the same evening needing a win to snatch a play-off spot away from their hosts, but the real action will come in Group B, as three teams separated by just one point battle it out for one automatic berth and one place in the play-offs. North Korea currently hold a two-goal ascendancy over Saudi Arabia before the two meet in Riyadh in a game that will guarantee qualification for the victors. A draw could yet see fourth-placed Iran steal second if they can win away to group winners South Korea.


Yamazaki Nabisco Cup results (matchday 7)
Group A
Urawa Reds 6-2 Omiya Ardija
Albirex Niigata 1-2 Oita Trinita
Jubilo Iwata 2-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Group B
FC Tokyo 3-1 Shimizu S-Pulse
Kyoto Sanga 0-3 Kashiwa Reysol
Vissel Kobe 1-0 Montedio Yamagata


World Cup qualifying results (Asia)
Group A
Australia 2-0 Bahrain
Japan 1-1 Qatar

Group B
South Korea 0-0 Saudi Arabia
Iran 1-0 United Arab Emirates