Takeshi Okada is a man under pressure. A poor showing in a recent friendly defeat to Uruguay and some unconvincing performances in the first round of World Cup qualifying has left many wondering whether the former international is the right man to guide Japan to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Okada took over as Japan coach after Bosnian Ivica Osim suffered a tenure-ending stroke in November 2007. It's not the first time that the former Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F. Marinos tactician has stepped in mid-campaign. With Japan in danger of missing out on qualification for the 1998 World Cup, Okada took over from the sacked Shu Kamo and guided the Blue Samurai to the finals in France. Three straight losses resulted in the sack, but a successful club career that saw him guide Marinos to back-to-back championships ultimately earned Okada a recall to the national team set-up. His second spell in charge got off to an inauspicious start in a dreary 0-0 draw with Chile in a friendly in Tokyo, and things haven't improved much since then. A 1-0 loss to Bahrain in Manama in World Cup qualifying sparked alarm bells, and ironically it's in the heat and humidity of Manama that Japan kick off the second round of qualifying against an increasingly familiar opponent. With Japan's form on the road decidedly shaky, player attitudes have come under scrutiny. Japan's Olympic campaign - where coach Yasuharu Sorimachi's team lost all three matches in the group stage - has led some to question whether Japanese players have the necessary hunger to compete on the world stage. Speaking to The Daily Yomiuri about the desire of his players, Okada said: "You have to think of something if you're trying to maintain that edge in a society like this, especially when they could be pampered." "It has to be primal, it has to come from within. You don't fight because you're being told to fight or because you think you have to. You have to want to beat your opponents, you have to want to win the ball back. You need that to win." Okada's decision to stress the importance of individual desire begs the question of why Kashima Antlers star Mitsuo Ogasawara continues to be overlooked. The 29-year-old is one of the most gritty characters in Japanese football, yet despite being capped some 53 times by his country, he has seemingly been made a scapegoat for Japan's early exit at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Kashima team-mate Daiki Iwamasa is another who has struggled to capture Okada's attention, despite being at the heart of one of the best defences in the country. And while the Japan Football Association will point to the inclusion of Antlers youngster Atsuto Uchida as proof that Kashima players are not being deliberately overlooked, the feeling remains that Kashima are being punished for bestowing former star Zico on the national team as coach in 2006, with the Brazilian eventually hounded out of the job by a fiercely critical domestic press. Should Okada have succumbed to the whims of the JFA, it would mark an uncharacteristic departure for a man who in the face of severe pressure left the wildly popular Kazu Miura out of his 1998 World Cup squad. Thus the quietly-spoken 52-year-old will live and die by his player selections, and he will hope that his squad can grind out a result in Manama. With tricky fixtures against Uzbekistan, Qatar and Australia still to come, Japan can ill-afford to get off to a poor start in the second round of World Cup qualifying when they take to the pitch at the Bahrain National Stadium on September 6. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Takeshi Okada is a man under pressure. A poor showing in a recent friendly defeat to Uruguay and some unconvincing performances in the first round of World Cup qualifying has left many wondering whether the former international is the right man to guide Japan to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Okada took over as Japan coach after Bosnian Ivica Osim suffered a tenure-ending stroke in November 2007. It's not the first time that the former Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F. Marinos tactician has stepped in mid-campaign. With Japan in danger of missing out on qualification for the 1998 World Cup, Okada took over from the sacked Shu Kamo and guided the Blue Samurai to the finals in France. Three straight losses resulted in the sack, but a successful club career that saw him guide Marinos to back-to-back championships ultimately earned Okada a recall to the national team set-up. His second spell in charge got off to an inauspicious start in a dreary 0-0 draw with Chile in a friendly in Tokyo, and things haven't improved much since then. A 1-0 loss to Bahrain in Manama in World Cup qualifying sparked alarm bells, and ironically it's in the heat and humidity of Manama that Japan kick off the second round of qualifying against an increasingly familiar opponent. With Japan's form on the road decidedly shaky, player attitudes have come under scrutiny. Japan's Olympic campaign - where coach Yasuharu Sorimachi's team lost all three matches in the group stage - has led some to question whether Japanese players have the necessary hunger to compete on the world stage. Speaking to The Daily Yomiuri about the desire of his players, Okada said: "You have to think of something if you're trying to maintain that edge in a society like this, especially when they could be pampered." "It has to be primal, it has to come from within. You don't fight because you're being told to fight or because you think you have to. You have to want to beat your opponents, you have to want to win the ball back. You need that to win." Okada's decision to stress the importance of individual desire begs the question of why Kashima Antlers star Mitsuo Ogasawara continues to be overlooked. The 29-year-old is one of the most gritty characters in Japanese football, yet despite being capped some 53 times by his country, he has seemingly been made a scapegoat for Japan's early exit at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Kashima team-mate Daiki Iwamasa is another who has struggled to capture Okada's attention, despite being at the heart of one of the best defences in the country. And while the Japan Football Association will point to the inclusion of Antlers youngster Atsuto Uchida as proof that Kashima players are not being deliberately overlooked, the feeling remains that Kashima are being punished for bestowing former star Zico on the national team as coach in 2006, with the Brazilian eventually hounded out of the job by a fiercely critical domestic press. Should Okada have succumbed to the whims of the JFA, it would mark an uncharacteristic departure for a man who in the face of severe pressure left the wildly popular Kazu Miura out of his 1998 World Cup squad. Thus the quietly-spoken 52-year-old will live and die by his player selections, and he will hope that his squad can grind out a result in Manama. With tricky fixtures against Uzbekistan, Qatar and Australia still to come, Japan can ill-afford to get off to a poor start in the second round of World Cup qualifying when they take to the pitch at the Bahrain National Stadium on September 6. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

If there was a sense of inevitability ahead of the draw for the final round of World Cup qualifying in Asia, neither Japan coach Takeshi Okada, nor Australia coach Pim Verbeek let it show. Both reacted casually when Japan and Australia were drawn together in Group A, along with Middle-Eastern sides Qatar and Bahrain and potential dark horses Uzbekistan. The two teams met in a classic 2006 FIFA World Cup encounter, in which the Socceroos came from behind to register a thrilling 3-1 group-stage win courtesy of a late Tim Cahill brace and an emphatic John Aloisi strike. In a statement released by the JFA, Japan coach Okada claimed that "(w)hen you think about the destinations and travel involved, it probably could have been worse." He is right. While Japan and Australia will both feel confident of booking one of the two qualification places available in their group, Group B of qualifying will cause nightmares for fans of Korea Republic, Iran, DPR Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - all of whom have at one time qualified for the finals of the World Cup. Nevertheless Japan and Australia will no doubt eye each other warily in the build-up to their two clashes, set down for February 2 in Japan and June 17 in Australia. While most Japanese fans were gracious in defeat following their team's catastrophic collapse in Kaiserlautern two years ago, scratch the surface of the average Blue Samurai supporter and a sense of injustice still lingers. Japan were just six minutes away from beating the Socceroos, with Zico's side wilting under the brutal summer sun at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion. Both Zico and Guus Hiddink are long gone from their adopted national teams, and an Australian outfit that has often been accused of technical deficiencies can no longer rely solely on their superior fitness levels to get them over the line. That was made abundantly clear when Japan beat Australia on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the quarter-finals of the 2007 Asian Cup. Looming large as a potential obstacle for both teams is Uzbekistan; a team studded with European-based players who also turned in an admirable performance at the 2007 Asian Cup. The Uzbekis will be looking to spring some upsets along the way in a 10-match qualification campaign, with the two third-placed finishers in each group squaring off against each other for the right to face the champions of Oceania in a winner-takes-all playoff. Both Japan and Australia will feel confident of avoiding that scenario, but with both sides itching for revenge and Australia looking to flex their muscle in their first ever Asian qualification campaign, the fledgling rivalry between the two countries could be set to boil over once again. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

While the rest of the world has at least one eye on the European Championships, the domestic season resumed in Japan on June 25 when Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka hosted rescheduled Round 11 fixtures. In a season punctuated by World Cup qualifiers and the Beijing Olympics, Kashima and Gamba were forced to reschedule their Round 11 fixtures against Oita Trinita and Kyoto Sanga FC respectively, as the original match date clashed with AFC Champions League fixtures. Neither side was disadvantaged by the rescheduling, with both coming out 1-0 winners. Kashima were slightly fortunate to do so, winning courtesy of a solitary strike from substitute Danilo in front of a crowd of just 8,286 at Kashima Stadium. His stooping header cannoned in off the underside of the crossbar, after Oita had twice hit the woodwork through Roberto and Mu Kanazaki. In Osaka hosts Gamba triumphed in front of a healthy midweek crowd of 15,840 fans in a Kansai derby, with star midfielder Yasuhito Endo bursting on to an intelligent knock-down from striker Lucas Severino before stroking a pinpoint left-foot finish beyond Kyoto keeper Yuichi Mizutani. There is a full round of J1 fixtures on June 28/29, with the pick of the games featuring a clash between Shimizu S-Pulse and Kyoto Sanga FC - for whom ex-Shimizu midfielder Fernandinho is likely to feature just weeks after his loan move to Kyoto, Kashiwa Reysol host Urawa Reds in the unusual surrounds of the National Stadium in Tokyo, high-flying Nagoya Grampus host defending champions Kashima Antlers at Mizuho Stadium, while the pick of the Sunday fixtures sees FC Tokyo welcome regional rivals JEF United to Ajinomoto Stadium. While the First Division enjoyed a recent domestic break, J2 continues to grind on unabated. Relegated Sanfrecce Hiroshima look odds on to win the division; the Mazda-backed southern club are already ten points in front of nearest rivals Montedio Yamagata and Cerezo Osaka following the latest round of fixtures. In the pick of the June 28/29 action Hiroshima travel to surprise package Montedio Yamagata, bottom club Roasso Kumamoto host fallen giants Cerezo Osaka, Ventforet Kofu welcome in-form Shonan Bellmare to Kose Sports Park and Shikoku outfit Ehime FC welcome Kyushu strugglers Avispa Fukuoka to Ningineer Stadium. Japan National Teams Takeshi Okada's Japan ended the first round of World Cup qualification with a sluggish 1-0 win over Bahrain on June 22. Watched by 51,180 fans who braved incessant rain at Saitama Stadium, Okada's team failed to impress, with Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Hisato Sato and Nagoya Grampus front-man Keiji Tamada cutting forlorn figures up front for the Blue Samurai. They were starting in place of the suspended Yoshito Okubo and the dropped Naohiro Takahara, but it was left to teenage defender Atsuto Uchida to score a fortuitous last-minute winner for Japan to take all three points. Japan had already qualified for the second round of World Cup qualifiers, and they will learn their opponents when the draw for the next round of qualifying is made at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on June 27. Meanwhile the Japan under-23 team drew 0-0 with Cameroon at the National Stadium in Tokyo on June 12 as coach Yasuharu Sorimachi's side continues their preparations for the upcoming Beijing Olympics. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Euro 2008 is now in its 'endspiel' as they say here. It is hard to believe 24 games have already taken place, with only seven to go, but I for one always get a bit of a sinking feeling as a tournament enters its knockout phase. The first round is always the best part of any tournament to experience because the fans of all the countries are around. I find nothing more lonesome than the free days before the final as the tournament winds down and the partying concludes. Unless of course England were involved but no hypotheticals for now. So far, Euro 2008 has lost some huge fan groups - the Swedes, Czechs, Poles and the largest two of all - those of host nations Austria and Switzerland. The silver lining is of course that games from now on are winner-takes-all, 'there must be a result tonight' knock-out. This means more passion, incident and recrimination and no repeats of France v Romania. * * * Here in Vienna the tournament is anything but dead. While we may not get 200,000+ in the fan zone again like we did when Austria played Germany, there will be standing room only when Croatia tackle Turkey here on Saturday night. This is almost a local derby. Both nations have huge immigrant populations in the Austrian capital, Croatia's an old legacy of being part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, Turkey's from being part of the neighbouring Ottoman one. While most Turks in Vienna are 20th century arrivals, they have always had a presence here in one way or another; in 1683 Turkish forces surrounded Vienna and almost took the city. Official statistics claim 16,500 Croats live in Vienna out of a national total of 56,000 but their flags are everywhere, especially around the Balkan enclave of the 16th district, the Ottakringerstrasse, a neighbourhood shared with who else but their opponents at the Pratar on Saturday. The Turks are even more prevalent if anything, with their cuisine the most commonly found in the city. Turkey's last-gasp win against the Czechs was celebrated by thousants of noisy red-clad fans jammed into the fanzone and across the city long into the night. Surely no set of supporters cheers their team with such fiery, nationalistic fervour as the Turks. Expect Saturday to be one big, noisy, high-pressure night in Vienna. I was there the last time the two met in the European Championship, in Nottingham in Euro 1996. Both had qualified for a finals for the first time and after relentless pressure, Croatia ran out winners thanks to an 86th minute winner from Goran Vlaiovic at the City Ground. * * * The host nations have been the subject of gripes from a number of English journalists these past few days, complaining Austria and Switzerland are too genteel and more interested in Alpine sports than hosting a football tournament. I wonder how badly travelled these men are if they have only just discovered Alpine Europe and its clean and pleasant ambience. Comparing joyful and spotless Salzburg to the grotty and scary Marseille at France '98, I know which I prefer to be a fan in. Austria and Switzerland have excellent public transport networks, free of charge to ticket holders, and there are no sirens, heavy-handed policing, sounds of breaking glass, fans with blood pouring from wounds and local toughs waiting on street corners to assault you, all of which I have experienced in other European countries with football. But leaving that aside, are they implying every European Championship ever after should be held in one of England, Spain, Germany or Italy? The same condescending argument was trotted out when the World Cup went to the helmetball-loving USA in 1994 and baseball-loving Japan in 2002. I disagree. I don't think football should be a closed shop and the staging of those two World Cups sparked a surge in interest in the countries involved and in the case of the USA, the birth of a professional league which 12 years later could attract the England captain across the ocean. For the same reasons, Poland & Ukraine deserved Euro 2012 more than Italy and I look forward to the FIFA World Cup coming to China and Australia before long. * * * Who on earth would want to be a referee with all the abuse they get? Howard Webb is the latest to get police protection for his family after Polish fans posted his address & the usual death threats on the internet after he awarded Austria a last-minute penalty (quite rightly according to the rules). Other refs this tournament who have placed their head on the guillotine include Sweden's Peter Frojdfeldt, who awarded Ruud Van Nistelrooy's goal against Italy despite Christian Panucci lying in a heap over the goalline and clearly not being active, and who sent off both coaches at the Austria v Germany game for no obvious reason. The Sun in England has printed referees' contact details before in a shameful baying to the crowd. Swiss referee Urs Meier was one of their victims in 2004, receiving 16,000 abusive emails before being placed under police protection. Then a year later, Anders Frisk, one of Europe's top refs, retired after death threats to his family from Chelsea fans after Jose Mourinho had stoked the fire by falsely claiming he and Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard had conversed at half time in their Champions League clash. Sooner or later a referee will get seriously hurt, or worse. Anyone who has ever reffed a game at any level can confirm just how tough a job it is, which makes the comments from Polish coach Leo Beenhakker and the even more stupid Polish sports minister Miroslaw Drzewiecki, who called Webb a "disgrace" and a "fraud", quite despicable. Until robots and cameras take over the officiating, we have to accept the human eye will make mistakes. You have to expect the odd decision to go against you, even if it involves a goal in the last minute. That is the way football has always been. Everyone knows that. In any case, keyboard ultras should beware: Howard Webb is a police sergeant by trade and looks the sort of guy I would not want to meet on a dark night. (c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

The sixth and final matchday of Japan's Nabisco League Cup group stage took place on June 8, with six teams advancing to the knock-out stage to join AFC Champions League combatants Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka in the final eight. The shock of the afternoon came before a crowd of 35,417 at Saitama Stadium, where visitors Nagoya Grampus thumped hosts Urawa Reds 5-1, with in-form striker Keita Sugimoto scoring a hat-trick after coming off the bench at the fifty-seventh minute mark. It was an unhappy afternoon for Urawa's third-choice goalkeeper Nobuhiro Kato, who conceded four goals in the final half hour after Urawa's Tsukasa Umesaki had cancelled out Yoshizumi Ogawa's early first half strike. Elsewhere Jubilo Iwata beat Shimizu S-Pulse 2-0 in the third Shizuoka derby of the season at Yamaha Stadium, with Robert Cullen and Gilsinho capitalising on some sloppy S-Pulse defending. Shimizu thought they had opened the scoring when Kazuki Hara rattled the net on twenty-seven minutes, however his strike was ruled out for offside. Jubilo took advantage when Takuya Matsuura curled in an inch-perfect cross for Robert Cullen to steal in behind the defence and nod home the opener after thirty-six minutes, and Jubilo scored a crucial second just before half-time when Gilsinho robbed Shimizu playmaker Jungo Fujimoto of possession before curling an excellent finish beyond Yohei Nishibe in the Shimizu goal.

China may be the dominant Asian force in women's football, but having secured their place in the semi-finals of the AFC Women's Asian Cup currently taking place in Vietnam, that is something that Japan are hoping to change. Coach Norio Sasaki's side could hardly have booked their semi-final place in more dramatic circumstances, needing to beat Australia by two clear goals in their final group game at Thong Nat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City on June 2. Early strikes from Kozue Ando, Yuki Nagasato and Aya Miyama eased Japanese nerves, and a late Clare Polkinghorne effort proved academic as both nations progressed to the last four of the tournament. Japan's success comes on the back of their recent East Asian Championship win in China, where they lifted the title following a 3-0 thrashing of the hosts at Yongchuan Stadium in Chongqing. Coach Sasaki credited his country's first ever major women's title to the strength of the domestic Nadeshiko League, where players ply their trade in an increasingly professional environment. Comprised of an eight-team First Division and a nine-team Second Division, the bulk of the current Japan squad contains players from the two dominant forces in Japanese women's football, three-time reigning champions NTV Beleza and Saitama outfit Urawa Reds Ladies. Tokyo Verdy affiliate NTV Beleza are sponsored by Nippon TV and led by stars Homare Sawa - Japan's most capped player and the Most Valuable Player at the recent East Asian Championships, and striker Yuki Nagasato - a mainstay of the national team despite not yet having celebrated her 21st birthday. Urawa Reds Ladies contributed four players to Japan's AFC Women's Asian Cup squad, including veteran goalkeeper Nozomi Yamago and defender Kozue Ando, and both will be looking to wrest the domestic Nadeshiko League trophy away from the dominant NTV Beleza. With the competition currently on hiatus given the national team's quest for continental glory, Urawa Reds Ladies lead the early standings ahead of their main rivals NTV Beleza. They won't have things all their own way, however, with the Okayama Yunogo Belles and the Kobe-based INAC Leonessa also looking to put up a stern challenge in this season's competition. The Nadeshiko League provides an opportunity for players like Saki Kumagai and Michi Goto - both students at Tokiwagi Gakuen High School who were called up for Japan's AFC Women's Asian Cup campaign, to continue training and playing football at an elite level after their school days have ended. While the women's game in Japan hasn't quite reached the level of its male counterpart the J. League, attendances continue to rise - with crowds in excess of 2,000 turning out to watch the stars of NTV Beleza and Urawa Reds Ladies do battle, while teams such as the Fukushima-based TEPCO Mareeze and Tasaki Perule FC continue to hold their own, with funding channelled in from the likes of the league's major sponsor Plenus. Indeed the competition looks set to return to the halycon days of the mid-nineties, when the league achieved national prominence before an economic bust saw a sharp downturn in the fortunes of women's football in Japan. Whether Japan can beat arch-rivals China for a place in the final of the AFC Asian Women's Cup remains to be seen. Japan's players will at least have a vibrant domestic league to return home to, however, as the women's game in Japan continues to go from strength to strength. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

They may be struggling in the league, but Shimizu S-Pulse are on course to book a place in the quarter-finals of the Nabisco League Cup following their most recent 4-2 victory over local rivals Jubilo Iwata on May 25. Playmaker Jungo Fujimoto scored twice for the Shizuoka side, but it was 23-year-old striker Kazuki Hara who stole the show, turning in an eye-catching performance as he looks to press claims for a regular starting position in Kenta Hasegawa's side. JEF United remained unbeaten under new coach Alex Miller after they beat Consadole Sapporo 2-1 away in Hakodate, with ex-Vegalta Sendai striker Tatsunori Arai scoring twice. The largest crowd of the day turned out at Toyota Stadium, where hosts Nagoya Grampus thumped Urawa Reds 4-2 to all but end Urawa's hopes of progressing to the last eight of the competition. The Saitama giants have picked up just two points from their four matches played so far. Another full round of Nabisco League Cup fixtures takes place on May 31, with the pick of the action seeing Kyoto Sanga FC hoping to keep their quarter-final hopes alive when they host Nagoya Grampus, FC Tokyo take on Shimizu S-Pulse in the unusual surrounds of Matsumoto Stadium in Nagano, Kashiwa Reysol and JEF United face off in the Chiba derby at Kashiwanoha Stadium and Oita Trinita welcome Yokohama F. Marinos to the Kyushu Oil Dome, with both teams locked in a tense battle for supremacy in Group D. J. League issues apology The J. League has issued an apology to Kawasaki Frontale striker Kazuki Ganaha, who saw his appeal against a J. League-imposed doping ban upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Geneva. Ganaha was handed a six-match ban by the J. League in 2007 after he was issued an intravenous drip by his club in an attempt to overcome the effects of a cold. Although Ganaha's injection contained little more than a garlic infusion he was subsequently banned by the J. League, who claimed that his treatment contravened their strict anti-doping regulations. The Court of Arbitration for Sport found that Ganaha was not at fault for the breach and overturned the J. League's decision, as well as ordering the J. League to contribute to the cost of Ganaha's appeal. Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka look set to escape punishment Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka look set to escape official sanctions following the serious crowd disturbances that marred Gamba's 3-2 victory over the Reds at Saitama Stadium on May 17. Both clubs were forced to apologise to J. League chairman Kenji Onitake in the aftermath of the tumultuous scenes, while Gamba Osaka took it upon themselves to disband one of their main supporter groups. Nearly two weeks after the match the J. League is yet to hand down official sanctions, suggesting that two of Japan's most powerful clubs will go unpunished for their roles in some of the worst fan violence to have hit the league. Japan National Teams Japan may have won the Kirin Cup, but Takeshi Okada's team failed to impress too many fans when they followed up a 1-0 win over Cote D'Ivoire on May 24 with an insipid display in a 0-0 draw with Paraguay just three days later. It wasn't just the turgid football that will have alarming bells ringing in JFA headquarters, with a respectable 40,710 crowd at Toyota Stadium followed three days later by a turn-out of just 27,988 that left more than half of Saitama Stadium empty. Coach Okada dropped goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi and Urawa Reds striker Naohiro Takahara from his starting eleven, and it was Takahara's replacement Keiji Tamada who scored the winner over the Cote D'Ivoire. After starting both matches, Tamada's Nagoya Grampus team-mate Seigo Narazaki will almost certainly take the gloves for Japan's upcoming World Cup qualifier with Oman at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. Meanwhile Yasuharu Sorimachi's Olympic team lost out in the semi-finals of the 2008 Toulon Tournament to Italy, going down 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw, with Celtic's Koki Mizuno missing the crucial spot-kick. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

Josip Kuze became the second manager in the J.League first division to be sacked in the 2008 season, following Holger Osieck's marching orders from the Urawa Reds after just two matches. JEF United Chiba announced on their website that they had terminated the 55-year-old Croatian's contract on Wednesday without providing further details. It is not immediately known who will replace Kuze. JEF are winless in 11 matches and are in last place with two points from two draws. We caught up with Kuze following United's 3-0 loss to the Urawa Reds at Saitama Stadium on Tuesday, less than 24 hours before his firing. Did you think you could have gotten something out of today's match with the score locked at 0-0 at halftime? "I'm disappointed, of course. We lost. They scored three goals. We have the right organization but we made mistakes and gave the opponent the advantage." And now you're 10 points out of 16th place (just above the drop zone). "It's a difficult situation and the other clubs have big advantages. We have only two points, we are analyzing everything, we need new players." The Japanese papers cited sources within JEF who said you were planning to step down if you didn't win today. So these rumors were obviously not true? "Newspapers always speculate. I was talking with the club and we are talking about all the possibilities. They say no way, I will stay. I want to stay and they want me to stay. We are thinking positively. Of course we have to analyze things and first of all we want to get more players. That's all I know." So the team told you they were happy with your perform ance? "I didn't say that, I am just trying to be objective. In my opinion we are working hard. As a coach I try all day to analyze things. The players are happy, the coach is happy, everything is OK. But I wasn't prepared to come here and find that we lost four or five players in the midfield before our preseason even started. But even that is not the problem. In my opinion it's because we had many injured players and many players are slowly coming back into the team. For example (Ryota) Aoki, he started playing only three weeks ago. (Seiichiro) Maki has a problem. (Shohei) Ikeda started two weeks ago. Reinaldo played only one game. (Takuya) Kokeguchi also, and (Yuta) Baba. All those players, one by one they have been coming to the team and that's a problem." So in your opinion the mood at the club is good? "It's not a bad atmosphere. We have a good working atmosphere. We are trying to make a more enthusiastic mood and to make a competitive and winning spirit. But everything is OK--in the dressing room and in the training. The only bad thing is that we cannot win." What needs to be done to stop the rot? "In my opinion it is time to analyze everything after the game against Oita (on May 10). Because after that we have a break. It's time to sit down and figure out what's the best thing for JEF. Anyway, I have a lot of experience. I want to stay. I think I can turn things around. But I have demands. To make a good team, we need to change some positions on the team and bring in some strong figures." Do you have any players in mind? "Yes, of course, but it is a difficult time for foreigners right now because we can't do anything until the first of June. And for Japanese players also we are talking to some clubs but they also want to finish that first stage and then they can say for certain who they can or can't trade away." What's JEF's biggest problem right now? "Our problem is our defense. In my opinion we have no intelligence in defense, soccer intelligence. Without intelligence you can't make a compact defense. Individually they have power, they can cover and everything, but thinking and reading the game is a problem. Correcting things during the game is a problem. And we need one leader in defense with intelligence." Your team put up quite a fight today for the first hour. They seem more motivated than in previous games. "This bad situation is motivation for our players. And they know that now each game is so important and so I think our attitude is OK, and our organization is good, but individual mistakes put us in a difficult situation. And that's difficult to learn. That's a problem. Can they learn it or can they not learn it? And how long will it take for them to learn it? We have no time to wait." Copyright: C.G. Williams & Soccerphile.com Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

New Urawa Reds manager Gert Engels guided the Asian champions to their first win of the season on Sunday, snapping a four-game drought that included two losses in the J.League and a loss and a draw in the league Nabisco Cup. The Reds defeated Albirex Niigata 3-0 on goals from Takahito Soma, Marcus Tulio Tanaka and Yuichiro Nagai on a rainy afternoon at Saitama Stadium. Afterwards we caught up with Engels, the former assistant manager who was promoted after the firing of fellow German Holger Osieck two games into the 2008 season. Engels said the win meant a significant weight had been lifted from his and his team’s shoulders and added that he hoped the victory would lead to greater things to come this year as the Reds look to regain the league and Emperor’s Cup titles they lost to the Kashima Antlers last year. Q: You must be relieved to have won today … A: Yes that’s the right word, relief. It was very important for us to win here and to win with such a goal difference is even better. 3-0 sounds good, even though it could have ended 3-1 or even 5-2. But I think we got the crowd to support because we tried to play aggressive and go forward and it’s important we do that here at home. Q: It looked like the players were keen to run up the score. A: In the second half we pushed a little too hard. We have to remember that we have a game on Wednesday. There were some situations where we shouldn’t have looked for the fastest way to the goal, we should have kept the ball a little more. There were a few scenes where (Hajime) Hosogai played the ball to Umesaki when he was under pressure. He should have stopped and passed back or tried the other side of the pitch. But I’m happy my players did this, they are young and can recover in the next two days. It’s better than playing too slowly. It was important for our fans that we pushed till the end. Q: You used Tulio as a (defensive) midfielder for the first time. It looked like a stroke of genius in retrospect. A: I think it worked. But everyone knows he’s not the big mover. And we have three games in a row now. We will see. The defense line worked well and Hosogai played 90 minutes with the Olympic team so I really though Tulio could influence the game more from the center of the pitch than from the back. I know he’s a player who likes to push forward and I thought (as a defender) there would be situations where he pushed forward too much and left us with only two defenders. As a midfielder he was in a situation where he could push. If he pushed too much, Keita (Suzuki) was there, Hosogai was there and even (captain Nobuhisa) Yamada, who was told to cover in the middle a little bit. I thought Tulio’s movement was good, and he scored a beautiful goal, which was a very good combination from everybody up front. Q: Keita Suzuki went off injured today and hasn’t looked at all sharp this season. Do you think he’s overworked? A: As you see, not only in our team but the national team they are not in good shape. And there are a few injuries in the national team, including now our Keita and (Naohiro) Takahara and even from other teams. It’s a big problem. I’m going to try to give the players more rest. If we play in the Nabisco Cup, these players play national team. It’s difficult to get them rest. We can try to rest them in training. If they have a lot of games we need to take care and maybe we can give them special training. It could be a problem with the Olympic squad, with Hosogai and (Tsukasa) Umesaki. We had a tough and long season last year and our players started up again in the middle of January. Q: This is your first win as Reds manager. Was it a special victory for you? A: I’ll remember this game, definitely. Whatever happens from now you never know. But I think the first win at home as a manager of a team like the Reds, I will remember it, definitely. A: You left defender Keisuke Tsuboi on the bench today in favor of rookie Shunsuke Tsutsumi. Can we have a few comments on that? A: We need to do this. If you are not really satisfied and you feel a player doesn’t have the confidence he usually has … We have a good squad and we can change players from game to game. And if they are used to this tension you can rest them and make them fresh again if you find the right way to do it. I think it’s very important for our team. Last year of course the pressure from the Champions League was immense, that’s why we couldn’t change players so much, we didn’t want to, and it didn’t pay off in the final weeks. I hope I can change players with the same quality more often to give them more rest and to push them. I spoke to Tsuboi and I think he himself was not very comfortable. He resigned from the national team and I thought that this would be a step forward to concentrate on his game and on his play. It showed that he was a little unsure. I said to him that if everything goes normal you will be a vital player for our team. But at the moment you don’t have the self confidence to do this. And he did very well in training the two days after. I think it was a relief for him, to be honest. But I’m sure we will need him. We will be playing offensively and we will need him to defend against counterattacking teams and I am sure we will need him. He’s a very important player for our team. Q: Osieck was canned two games into the season. What do you feel you need to do to ensure you’re still around at this time next year? A: It’s very easy: I need to win as much as possible. If we play good soccer like we did today, if we play Reds soccer, the people will forgive us if we don’t win all four titles. But my objective is of course to win titles with the Reds and to keep the team moving. And maybe also to bring young players in. Q: On injured striker Takahara: A: Takahara himself feels good with his injury. He moved well yesterday but the doctor sees an injury on the X-ray so we have to be careful. I hope for him and for us he can play against Jubilo (April 5). But the medical staff says he’s got a better chance of being ready for the game here against Kashima (April 13). It’s a risk in a young season to bring him in. We’ve got Edmilson up front, Nagai and surely we will need Takahara, but now it’s a risk. Q: On striker Nagai: A: I’m happy with what he’s been doing the last couple of games. He works very hard and he’s in good shape. He is of the age now where he also has to take responsibility. I think he suffered in the past because he never really had the stability of playing regularly in a season. But he’s become a little bit stronger mentally which is very important for him. Q: On striker Edmilson’s tantrum at being substituted late in the match against his former team: A: We need to talk about that, definitely. That’s what we don’t need now, situations like this. It was 3-0, the game was shut out and I thought we should rest him a little bit. Of course he thinks about Niigata, his former teammates, which I understand 100 percent. But I am not in the position to think about Niigata, or how he wants to score against his old club. The game was won, he’s not yet in his best physical condition and we need him on Wednesday so that’s why I made the decision to take him out. We need to talk about this and then it’s finished. There will be no problem from my side. Copyright: C.G. Williams and Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting