And then there were three. Two familiar contenders, one plucky outsider and four league games are all that stand between Kashiwa Reysol, Gamba Osaka, Nagoya Grampus and the J. League title. Autumn is especially beautiful across the Kantō Plain, when the deciduous leaves fall and a mellow sunlight light frames the back streets and alleys of one of the world's most populous regions. That's true even in the gritty industrial Chiba town of Kashiwa, where the locals are hoping their promoted upstarts can win back to back championships. Kashiwa Reysol coasted through J2 last season, holding off the challenge of Ventforet Kofu to win the second division by ten points. At the helm was grizzled Brazilian coach Nelsinho, whose association with Japanese football is so lengthy his first club Verdy was still based in Kawasaki. The much-travelled tactician won the J. League with Verdy and later took over at the club formerly known as Nagoya Grampus Eight, before embarking on a peripatetic waltz around his native Brazil. He's back in the J. League now and Nelsinho's knowledge of Brazilian has proved especially useful in the realm of player recruitment. In 2010 he signed Leandro Domingues from Bahia club Vitoria and watched contentedly as the playmaker steered the Sun Kings to the second tier title. This year he drafted in veteran Jorge Wagner from Sao Paulo and the versatile attacking talent has produced a stellar campaign. Add to that the goals of strikers Junya Tanaka and Hideaki Kitajima and it's no surprise Kashiwa's sheer attacking strength has propelled them to the top of the table. Standing in Kashiwa's way are defending champions Nagoya Grampus. The Aichi side broke their long trophy drought by winning the J. League for the first time last season, employing the not-so-novel tactic of simply signing the best players from rival teams. Former Urawa Reds talisman Marcus Tulio Tanaka and ex-Yokohama F. Marinos defender Hayuma Tanaka were joined this season by one-time Shimizu S-Pulse star Jungo Fujimoto and ex-Vissel Kobe speedster Kensuke Nagai - widely regarded as one of the most promising talents in Asian football. It's a tried-and-true tactic and combined with Australian international Josh Kennedy's unquenchable thirst for goals, Nagoya have slowly muscled their way up the standings and are currently breathing down Kashiwa's neck in the race for the championship. Sandwiched between the pair are Gamba Osaka, who have endured a strange campaign at their Suita city home. The Osakans started slowly and sold prolific striker Adriano to Qatari club Al-Jaish, after he'd scored nine goals in just eight league games. They looked like they'd struggle without him, until the arrival of Rafinha from J2 side Thespa Kusatsu. The Brazilian has made his compatriot look positively sluggish, blasting home 10 goals in 14 league games - including a hat-trick against Kawasaki Frontale - and just as importantly laying on several more for strike partner Lee Keun-Ho, who has suddenly transformed into one of the most dynamic strikers in the league. With Yasuhito Endo pulling the strings in midfield and plenty of big-match experience behind them, it's unlikely Gamba will be the first to blink in a tense three-team tussle for the title. Nagoya arguably have the easiest run home, while all three teams face tough looking away trips on the final day of the campaign. Grampus are on the road to Big Swan Stadium where they will face Albirex Niigata, while Gamba Osaka face a daunting trip to the parochial Nihondaira Stadium to take on mid-table outfit Shimizu S-Pulse. It's Kashiwa who look set to face the toughest trip of all, as they cross the Kantō Plain to take on a Urawa Reds side battling relegation. Urawa's wretched campaign is perhaps best summed up by the fact they sacked coach Zeljko Petrovic just a fortnight out from a League Cup final. The final straw was a 1-0 home defeat to Saitama city rivals Omiya Ardija, which prompted Petrovic to claim he'd resign at the end of the season. He wasn't given the chance, and former youth team coach Takafumi Hori is the man charged with the task of ensuring one of Japan's most popular clubs avoids relegation for the second time in their checkered history. Urawa are locked in a dogged battle with Ventforet Kofu to avoid the final relegation place - Montedio Yamagata and Avispa Fukuoka are already doomed - and Kofu's lanky Japan international Mike Havenaar is on a single-handed mission to prolong Kofu's stay in the top flight. The man known as "Mike" has scored 16 of Kofu's 36 goals so far and with European clubs rumoured to be taking an interest in the 194-centimetre giant, a player who recently scored his first international goals for Japan could be set for a barnstorming finish to the campaign. There's little doubt another thrilling finale lies in store for one of the world's most entertaining leagues. Will Kashiwa Reysol hold their nerve and become the first team to win back to back J2 and J1 championships? Will Gamba Osaka spoil the party and destroy the dreams of Nagoya Grampus in the process? And can Urawa Reds shake off Ventforet Kofu in the quest to maintain their top-flight status? Time will tell, but as the first of the winter chills rustles the falling leaves on Japan's busy thoroughfares and streets, the J. League is only just starting to heat up. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

The sight of Gamba Osaka running out at Expo '70 Stadium tonight is unlikely to fill their fans with hope. It's more likely to fill those in attendance with a sense of trepidation as the team currently leading the J. League standings does battle with defending Nabisco Cup champions Jubilo Iwata for a trophy no one genuinely wants to win. Last weekend, Gamba celebrated twenty years at their Banpaku home with a well deserved 1-0 win over bitter rivals Urawa Reds which kept them top of the league. Tonight, however, Gamba run out at their crumbling home ground to take part in one of the most chaotically organised League Cup competitions in recent history. March's devastating Tōhoku earthquake not only saw the J. League put on hold, it also prompted the complete reorganisation of the League Cup - known to all and sundry as the Nabisco Cup after its biscuit-producing sponsor. Two rounds of hastily arranged home-and-away fixtures were organised but as in previous seasons, Japan's four AFC Champions League representatives parachuted in at the quarter-final stage. That means Gamba Osaka, their crosstown rivals Cerezo, defending league champions Nagoya Grampus and 2010 Emperor's Cup champions Kashima Antlers now run out for the first time this season in a competition supposed to represent the best knock-out football Japan has to offer. That is palpably not the case - the JFA-administered Emperor's Cup is a far superior tournament - but so redundant is this year's League Cup, the J. League must finally address the issue. The first step is to permanently do away with the pointless group stage in favour of a straight knock-out format. The second is to reintroduce J2 teams, giving fans the opportunity to see new teams in action and encouraging both underdogs and favourites to treat the competition seriously. The third step is for the J. League to otherwise accept that some teams may not field full-strength starting elevens, instead offering a run-out to fringe first-team members. If that encourages opponents to go for the jugular against more illustrious rivals, so much the better. As it stands, the current format offers little prestige to those who lift the trophy. Oita Trinita won it in 2008 and were relegated from the top flight a year later. FC Tokyo ultimately suffered the same fate. Meanwhile, Jubilo came within two minutes of losing last year's final only to beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 5-3 in extra-time. Jubilo's reward was a trophy and a cash prize, but there was no place in the AFC Champions League for Masaaki Yanagishita's men and the Shizuoka outfit ended up finishing eleventh in the league. Jubilo's win was a welcome one for the recently success-starved club, but it also highlighted the fact most teams only care about the Nabisco Cup once they've reached the final. That's the same case in most countries, but it seems a mediocrity the J. League is willing to endure. They should do so no longer, because tonight's League Cup clashes will inspire enthusiasm from only the most die-hard of supporters, with most neutrals concentrating on the fact Japan are in action later in the week. And should Gamba or fellow title chasers Nagoya Grampus and Yokohama F. Marinos lose key personnel to injuries tonight, the clamour for a total overhaul of Japan's never-ending Nabisco Cup nonsense will grow louder still. Nabisco Cup quarter-final schedule: Wednesday, October 5 (all 7pm kick-offs) Kashima Antlers vs Yokohama F. Marinos (Kashima Stadium) Nagoya Grampus vs Albirex Niigata (Mizuho Stadium) Gamba Osaka vs Jubilo Iwata (Expo '70 Stadium) Cerezo Osaka vs Urawa Reds (Nagai Stadium) Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

Former Japan international Naoki Matsuda has died. The 34-year-old collapsed during training with Japan Football League club Matsumoto Yamaga on August 2. The tenacious defender played more than 360 top-flight games for Yokohama F. Marinos and was one of the most popular players of the J. League era. He joined third-tier side Matsumoto Yamaga after being released by F. Marinos at the end of last season. Once a mainstay of the Japanese national team, Matsuda started all four of Japan's games on home soil at the 2002 World Cup. He was rushed to hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest before afternoon training with his new club. Doctors are yet to determine the cause of Matsuda's condition, although Japan has experienced heatwave conditions for much of the summer. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

Umbrella sellers are no doubt doing a brisk trade in Yokohama as Kanagawa giants Yokohama F. Marinos lead the way in the J. League standings. F. Marinos fans are known for their colourful support and it's a common sight to see the Tricolore run out against a backdrop of twirling umbrellas at their cavernous Nissan Stadium home. The port city giants beat regional rivals Omiya Ardija 2-1 at home last weekend to maintain a two-point lead over Chiba side Kashiwa Reysol, who were held to a scoreless draw away at Vegalta Sendai. Reysol's clash with Vegalta was their second in the space of four days at Yurtec Stadium, after the two sides met in the League Cup in midweek, with Vegalta prevailing 3-1 on aggregate. Defending champions Nagoya Grampus are looming as an obvious threat in the league, and they've moved into third place in the table after brushing aside bottom club Avispa Fukuoka 3-0 at Hakatanomori on Sunday. In other Sunday action, more than 28,000 fans turned out for Cerezo Osaka midfielder Takashi Inui's farewell match against Kashima Antlers at Nagai Stadium, but the home fans left disappointed as Kashima came away with a comprehensive 3-1 win. Avispa Fukuoka are doomed and the future doesn't look much brighter for Montedio Yamagata, while Ventforet Kofu are still four points off safety despite the recent high-profile summer signings of Kim Jin-Kyu and Davi. In J2, Tokushima Vortis are the surprise league leaders and they hammered Kataller Toyama 3-1 in their most recent clash at Pocarisweat Stadium. FC Tokyo slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat away at Giravanz Kitakyushu, while fellow big guns JEF United were held to a 1-1 draw by Yokohama FC in front of more than 13,000 fans at Fukuda Denshi Arena in Chiba. Relegated Kansai side Kyoto Sanga have endured a nightmare season in the second tier, with the club from Japan's former imperial capital lying a dismal 17th place in the standings in the 20-team division. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

The nightmare continues for Saitama giants Urawa Reds after they were held to a scoreless draw away at fellow strugglers Montedio Yamagata overnight. The Reds have recorded three straight draws since beating bottom club Avispa Fukuoka in June, leaving coach Zeljko Petrovic's side languishing in fifteenth. It's a far cry from the halcyon days when Urawa regularly challenged for the title and to make matters worse, Petrovic has seen veteran Brazilian striker Edmilson depart for Qatari club Al-Gharafa. The Reds have signed towering Serb striker Ranko Despotovic as his replacement, but the Serbian international will need to make an immediate impact if Urawa are to haul themselves clear of the relegation zone. The J. League table as of July 7 sees promoted Chiba side Kashiwa Reysol lead the way from Yokohama F. Marinos and surprise package Vegalta Sendai at the top of the standings. Perennial title challengers Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers sit back in the pack having played two games less than many of their opponents, while hapless trio Ventforet Kofu, Montedio Yamagata and Avispa Fukuoka are overwhelming favourites to go down to J2. Highlight weekend fixtures include Vegalta Sendai travelling to a sold-out Hitachi Stadium to take on Kashiwa Reysol, Ventforet Kofu hosting regional rivals Shimizu S-Pulse and high-flying Sanfrecce Hiroshima welcoming Cerezo Osaka to Big Arch Stadium. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

It's tough being Urawa Reds. The "biggest club in Asia" tag is a difficult one to live down, even if the Saitama giants haven't come close to winning a trophy for years. The Reds burst onto the Asian football scene by winning the J. League under the swashbuckling auspices of German coach Guido Buchwald in 2006, befo re his more circumspect succ essor Holger Osieck steered the Saitama giants to Asian Champions League glory the following year. But no sooner had Urawa begun to dominate the J. League than their world fell apart, as the popular Saitama side spectacularly disintegrated in the 2007 title race, prompting the dismissal of coach Osieck just two games into the 2008 season. Two m ore German coaches followed, but neither Gert Engels nor Volker Finke could steer Urawa to the silverware they so desperately craved. Enter Zeljko Petrovic. The Montenegrin coach enjoyed a peripatetic playing career, turning out for the likes of Dinamo Zagreb, Sevilla and PSV Eindhoven in a 16-year career spent largely in the Netherlands. Petrovic ended his playing days at small Dutch outfit RKC Waalwijk - the club he coached in the Dutch second division in 2007-08 - but crucially he also enjoyed a three-year spell in Japan with Urawa Reds. Petrovic's time in Japan coincided with Urawa's relegation to the second tier of the J. League and the charismatic coach knows all about the Reds' storied history. Urawa packed out every game of their compact Komaba Stadium home in the second divi sion and crowds have continued to grow since their move to the futuristic Saitama Stadium. Indeed, a crowd of 42,767 fans turned out at Saitama Stadium on April 24 to see Urawa hammer defending champions Nagoya Grampus 3-0, in a match in which playmaker Yosuke Kashiwagi and diminutive forward G enki Haraguchi tore the Nagoya defence apart. Fast forward to May 7, however, and the Reds are under pressure following two straight Golden Week defeats. A emotional 1-0 loss to locals Vegalta in the earthquake-shattered surrounds of Sendai gave way to a similarly disappointing 2-0 defeat to regional rivals Yokohama F. Marinos, when 47,056 mostly home fans left less than impressed by Urawa's shoddy defending and inability to convert chances. Another big crowd is expected to descend upon the Nat ional Stadium in Tokyo today, where Chiba side Kashiwa Reysol host the Reds in a late-afternoon blockbuster. The promoted Sun Kings set the early pace this season, winning their first three games before crashing back to earth with an unlucky 2-1 defeat to Montedio in the rugged wilds of Yamagata. The vast horde of Reds fans who travel home and away to support their team means Kashiwa are unwilling to host this game at their compact Hitachi Stadium, so home advantage is lost as Reysol prepare to welcome the Reds to the neutral confines of Kokuritsu. The venue has hosted some thrilling clashes between these two sides over the years, most notably on the same weekend two seasons ago, when Sergio Escudero crashed home the unlikeliest of winners to propel Urawa to a stunning 3-2 come-from-behind victory in driving rain. A calm Petrovic has shrugged off the back-to-back defeats to Vegalta and F. Marinos, saying his side are still confident despite the Golden Week setback. "Currently, our players' spirits are high and very strong," he told the club's website. "Their physical conditions are also well. For this reason, all we have to do now is to believe in our play style and just fight." Fighting is a given, but it's results that count in the business of winning trophies. Another defeat here could spell trouble for new man Petrovic, as he walks the tightrope between staying confident and avoiding catastrophe at one of Asian football's most recognisable clubs. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

Five weeks after a devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused widespread destruction in Japan's northern Miyagi Prefecture, the J. League finally resumes with five Round 7 games taking place on April 23. Foremost among them is the clash between Kawasaki Frontale and Vegalta Sendai, with Sendai the city closest to the epicentre of the earth-shattering quake which struck on March 11. Sunday's big clash sees Urawa Reds host defending champions Nagoya Grampus, with all matches taking place in the afternoon as the J. League does its part to conserve energy. Rounds 2 to 6 will be completed at a later date. Round 7 fixtures: April 23 Kashima Antlers vs Yokohama F. Marinos (National Stadium) Omiya Ardija vs Kashiwa Reysol (Nack5 Stadium) Kawasaki Frontale vs Vegalta Sendai (Todoroki Stadium) Ventforet Kofu vs Vissel Kobe (Yamanashibank Stadium) Shimizu S-Pulse vs Avispa Fukuoka (Outsourcing Nihondaira Stadium) April 24 Montedio Yamagata vs Cerezo Osaka (ND Soft Stadium) Albirex Niigata vs Jubilo Iwata (Tohoku Den Stadium) Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Gamba Osaka (Hiroshima Big Arch) Urawa Reds vs Nagoya Grampus (Saitama Stadium) Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami which tore through north-eastern Japan have forced the postponement of all J. League games this weekend. The J. League announced this morning that no games would take place in J1 or J2 over the weekend, with early reports suggesting some grounds may have suffered structural damage. Vegalta Sendai were due to host defending champions Nagoya Grampus at Yurtec Sendai Stadium on Saturday, but with the stadium just over 10 kilometres from the coastline, it's unclear whether the 20,000-capacity venue has suffered damage. Unverified reports suggest Kashima Stadium has also been rattled by the quake, while JEF United's Fukuda Denshi Arena is not far from an oil factory currently ablaze in the aftermath of the devastating quake. It's not known when football will resume following the deadly temblor, which was one of the strongest earthquakes in recorded history. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

The 2011 J. League kicks off on March 5, and it looks set to be another bumper season . A handful of marquee match-ups dominate the opening day, including the Osaka derby between Gamba and Cerezo and a regional showdown between promoted Ventforet Kofu and Jubilo Iwata. Defending champions Nagoya Grampus kick off their campaign with a tricky home fixture against Yokohama F. Marinos at Toyota Stadium, while promoted Kashiwa Reysol host Shimizu S-Pulse in a Saturday night slugfest that has been sold out for weeks. Sunday's games see Vissel Kobe take on Urawa Reds just months after Vissel salvaged their top flight status with an astonishing 4-0 final-day victory over the Reds, while heavyweights Kashima Antlers welcome Omiya Ardija to Kashima Stadium. Round 1 fixtures : March 5 Ventforet Kofu vs Jubilo Iwata (Yamanashibank Stadium) Nagoya Grampus vs Yokohama F. Marinos (Toyota Stadium) Gamba Osaka vs Cerezo Osaka (Expo '70 Stadium) Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Vegalta Sendai (Big Arch Stadium) Avispa Fukuoka vs Albirex Niigata (Level-5 Stadium) Kawasaki Frontale vs Montedio Yamagata (Todoroki Stadium) Kashiwa Reysol vs Shimizu S-Pulse (Kashiwa Hitachi Stadium) March 6 Vissel Kobe vs Urawa Reds (HOME'S Stadium) Kashima Antlers vs Omiya Ardija (Kashima Stadium) Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football

They've scrapped, they've scraped and they've even overcome a penalty shoot-out: it seems like nothing can stop Japan in their quest for a fourth Asian Cup title. Japan conceded a soft equaliser just seconds away from an extra-time win over arch-rivals South Korea in their semi-final, only for goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima to stand tall as he saved the Taeguk Warriors' first two penalties in a one-sided shoot-out victory. Now Australia are all that stands between Japan and a record fourth Asian Cup crown, although the Socceroos could prove a formidable opponent after thrashing Uzbekistan 6-0 en route to a Khalifa Stadium showdown. That's especially the case now that Japan's quarter-final hero Shinji Kagawa has been ruled out through injury, with the Samurai Blue set to miss one of their most effective attacking outlets. Nagoya Grampus forward Jungo Fujimoto or Urawa Reds playmaker Yosuke Kashiwagi are potential replacements for coach Alberto Zaccheroni, although he could once again rely heavily on CSKA Moscow star Keisuke Honda - who has already been nominated for the tournament's Most Valuable Player award. Honda missed a penalty in normal time during the dramatic win over South Korea - substitute Hajime Hosogai slammed home the rebound - and the highly-rated front man will be eager to improve on the big stage, with a host of European giants reputedly clamouring for his signature. Japan will need to overcome the strength and size of an Australian side desperate to claim a first ever Asian crown in what is only their second appearance in the tournament. Speed versus strength, skill versus size - it's shaping up to be a fascinating Asian Cup final, and one that Samurai Blue fans everywhere are hoping will confirm their status as Asia's premier side. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters Euro 2012 football