Bottom club JEF United stunned table topping Kashima Antlers as the J. League resumed following the week-long All-Star break, winning 3-1 at a packed Fukuda Denshi Arena in Chiba. Australian defender Eddy Bosnar opened the scoring for United with a thunderbolt free-kick just before half-time, but it was talismanic striker Seiichiro Maki who stole the show, steering home two superb headers after the interval. His goals made Masashi Motoyama's well-taken header redundant, as the Antlers paid the price for fielding an under-strength starting eleven. The win delighted United's Glaswegian coach Alex Miller, who paid tribute to his side's determination following a win that draws United level on points with second-from-bottom Consadole Sapporo. Elsewhere Urawa Reds were held to a 2-2 draw by Kashiwa Reysol in front of 46,981 fans at Saitama Stadium, with both teams scoring in the final minute of the game. Winger Minoru Suganuma opened the scoring for Reysol, however the Sun Kings were pegged back by an equaliser from Japan international Yuki Abe. Yuichiro Nagai looked to have handed Urawa all three points, however ex-Bayer Leverkusen striker Franca salvaged a point for Reysol as he came off the bench to equalise just seconds after Nagai's goal. High-flying Nagoya Grampus were beaten 1-0 at home by FC Tokyo in front of 12,269 fans at Mizuho Athletics Stadium, with former Heracles Almelo striker Sota Hirayama scoring the only goal of the game. In a day of upsets new Yokohama F. Marinos coach Kokichi Kimura registered his first win in the Japanese top flight as the Kanagawa outfit beat Gamba Osaka 2-1 in front of 24,711 fans at Nissan Stadium, with strikers Hideo Oshima and Daisuke Sakata scoring either side of a Takahiro Futagawa strike. Elsewhere in a full round of fixtures Consadole Sapporo were beaten 2-1 at home by Omiya Ardija, Tokyo Verdy hammered Albirex Niigata 4-0 at Ajinomoto Stadium, Oita Trinita clawed back a two goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Shimizu S-Pulse, Jubilo Iwata went down 1-0 to Vissel Kobe in front of a near-capacity crowd at Yamaha Stadium and Kyoto Sanga FC were also beaten 2-1 at home by visitors Kawasaki Frontale. League Cup semi-finalists decided The four Nabisco League Cup semi-finalists were decided after the second-leg of quarter-finals took place on August 6. Struggling Shimizu S-Pulse booked their place thanks to a pulsating 2-1 win over Kashima Antlers at Nihondaira Stadium, as defender Keisuke Iwashita and midfielder Akihiro Hyodo handed the Shizuoka side a commanding two-goal lead. Former S-Pulse striker Marquinhos pulled a goal back for Kashima, but despite battering the Shimizu defence late on, the Ibaraki outfit were unable to conjure a second goal that would have seen them claim an away-goal win, following a 0-0 draw in the first leg of this tie. Defending champions Gamba Osaka booked their place in the final four on away goals, losing 2-1 away at Yokohama F. Marinos but advancing thanks to their 1-0 win in the first leg in Kanazawa. Nagoya Grampus beat JEF United 1-0 in both legs of their quarter-final to book their place in the last four of the competition, while southern upstarts Oita Trinita are the final League Cup semi-finalist, having seen off FC Tokyo in the last eight. The semi-finals will take place on September 3 and 7, with Shimizu S-Pulse facing off against Gamba Osaka, while Nagoya Grampus take on Oita Trinita as the four sides aim to book an afternoon out at the National Stadium in Tokyo in November. Japan make losing start to the Olympics Yasuharu Sorimachi's under-23 side made a losing start at the Beijing Olympics, going down 1-0 to the United States in steamy conditions at Tianjin Stadium. Houston Dynamo midfielder Stuart Holden scored the only goal of the game just after half-time in front of over 57,000 fans in Tianjin, with Japan now needing to beat Nigeria in their next group game on August 10 to have any chance of progression to the knock-out stages. Meanwhile the Japan women's team were held to a 2-2 draw in their opening match against New Zealand, although they had to do things the hard way as Kristy Yallop and an Amber Hearn penalty sent New Zealand into a commanding two-goal lead. They were pegged back by an Aya Miyama penalty before Nadeshiko legend Homare Sawa equalised with four minutes remaining. The United States did the double over Japan when their women's team beat Nadeshiko Japan 1-0 on August 9, with Carli Lloyd scoring the only goal. Japan must now beat the already-qualified Norway by a large margin and hope that results elsewhere go their way to have any hopes of progressing beyond the group stage. 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

Round 19 in the J. League could prove a turning point for several clubs with a number of marquee fixtures set down for the weekend of July 26/27. The pick of the Saturday fixtures see FC Tokyo host Yokohama F. Marinos at Ajinomoto Stadium, as teams from Japan's two largest cities get ready to rumble in the capital. After making an excellent start to the season FC Tokyo have fallen away of late, and substitute Shingo Akamine's last minute equaliser in their most recent 1-1 draw away at Kyoto Sanga FC followed heavy losses to both Urawa Reds and Kashima Antlers. Yokohama F. Marinos are worse off having recorded six straight losses, including two under new coach Kokichi Kimura, whose tactics and team selections appear to have baffled both Marinos players and fans alike. At Todoroki Stadium sixth placed Kawasaki Frontale host third placed Nagoya Grampus, with both teams coming off last start wins. Kawasaki came from behind to beat Urawa Reds 3-1 in front of more than 50,000 fans at Saitama Stadium, while Nagoya hammered Urawa's cross-town rivals Omiya Ardija 4-0 at Mizuho Athletics Stadium. Elsewhere on Saturday there's a nostalgia-filled clash between rivals of yesteryear Jubilo Iwata and Tokyo Verdy at Yamaha Stadium, while fourth placed Gamba Osaka host Oita Trinita at Expo '70 Stadium, with Gamba having recently announced plans to build a new 35,000 capacity stadium not far from their current home.

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.

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

Nagoya Grampus lead the J. League standings by three points ahead of the traditional Golden Week rush. The Toyota-backed outfit are playing fast-paced, attacking football under new coach Dragan Stojkovic, however Nagoya fans are quick to point out that they were also leading the league at the same stage last season, only to limp home to an eventual eleventh placed finish. Nevertheless Nagoya's confidence will be sky-high ahead of their visit to Ajinomoto Stadium where they take on the hapless Tokyo Verdy, who followed up a 5-0 thrashing by Shimizu S-Pulse in the League Cup with a similarly embarrassing 5-1 defeat by an injury-hit Kashiwa Reysol last weekend. Shimizu S-Pulse take on FC Tokyo at Nihondaira Stadium, with these two sides having already met in the League Cup at the same venue this season. Shimizu won that game 3-1, and with the Shizuoka outfit hovering just above the relegation zone, they'll hope for a repeat scoreline in front of their passionate supporters. Northern sides Consadole Sapporo and Albirex Niigata will slug it out at the Sapporo Dome, with both teams looking to pull away from the bottom three. Fourteenth placed Sapporo have made a shaky return to the top flight, but they'll feel confident of taking something from a Niigata side that is currently entrenched in the relegation zone. The pick of the fixtures sees newly promoted Kyoto Sanga FC take on Urawa Reds at what will be a packed Nishikyogoku Stadium. These two sides have already met twice in the League Cup this season, with Kyoto outplaying their more fancied rivals on both occasions. They were unable to conjure a winner in a thrilling 3-3 draw in Kyoto, while the return clash at Komaba Stadium ended in a 1-1 stalemate. Kyoto will hope that it's a case of third-time lucky when they meet Urawa in the league, however they are missing the suspended Ataliba, Sidiclei and Tatsuya Masushima - as well as coach Hisashi Kato, all of whom were controversially sent off by referee Ryuji Sato in Kyoto's most recent 1-0 loss away at Albirex Niigata. On Sunday defending champions Kashima Antlers make the trip to Omiya Park to take on locals Omiya Ardija, while there's a hotly anticipated Kansai derby on the cards when Vissel Kobe host local rivals Gamba Osaka. With the Golden Week holiday period heralding a jam-packed fixture list there is also a full round of matches on April 29. The pick of those games sees Urawa Reds take on last season's J2 champions Consadole Sapporo at Saitama Stadium, Yokohama F. Marinos host regional rivals JEF United at Nissan Stadium, while ex-Kawasaki Frontale playmaker Magnum faces up to his former club when Nagoya host Kawasaki in what should be an absorbing duel at Mizuho Stadium in Nagoya. Kawasaki Frontale manager Takashi Sekizuka steps down 47-year-old Kawasaki Frontale manager Takashi Sekizuka has resigned, citing poor health for his decision. The popular Sekizuka was the second-longest serving manager in the top flight behind Gamba Osaka's Akira Nishino, having guided Kawasaki from the Second Division into the upper echelons of the top flight. He steered the Kanagawa club to a second place finish in J1 in 2006, before Kawasaki reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League a year later. Sekizuka will be replaced by his assistant Tsutomu Takahata, who steps up to take over as manager of a side that has struggled in the new season so far. Nabisco League Cup The third round of Nabisco League Cup group-stage fixtures took place on April 16, with few surprises to speak of. Nagoya Grampus lead the way in Group A after they beat Vissel Kobe 2-0 thanks to goals from Keita Sugimoto and a strike from veteran midfielder Toshiya Fujita, while Urawa Reds prop up the group after their 1-1 draw at home to Kyoto Sanga FC. In Group B Shimizu S-Pulse thrashed a sorry-looking Tokyo Verdy 5-0, with midfielder Fernandinho scoring a first-half brace. The undefeated Shimizu top the group, with FC Tokyo and Jubilo Iwata locked in a tight battle for second place following their 1-1 draw in the capital. JEF United may be propping up the J. League standings, but the 2005 and 2006 League Cup champions sit atop Group C, although they are level on points with Consadole Sapporo after the two sides played out a 0-0 draw in Chiba. Kawasaki Frontale thrashed Kashiwa Reysol in the other game, with Juninho scoring a hat-trick. Yokohama F. Marinos are unbeaten in Group D, and they hammered a woeful Omiya Ardija 4-0 in their clash at Mitsuzawa Stadium, with ex-Cruzeiro striker Roni scoring twice. In the evening's other fixture Albirex Niigata drew 1-1 with Oita Trinita, leaving Oita in second place in the group. The next round of fixtures are scheduled to take place on May 25. AFC Champions League Kashima Antlers crashed to their first defeat in the AFC Champions League on April 23, going down 1-0 to Beijing Guoan thanks to Tiago's solitary strike at Beijing's Fengtai Stadium. The defeat will have left Kashima coach Oswaldo de Oliveira fuming after he complained bitterly of a fixture list that saw his side play domestic giants Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka ahead of the clash, while Beijing Guoan went into the match having enjoyed a ten-day break in the Chinese Super League. Kashima lead the way in Group F on goal difference, with only the group winners progressing to the quarter-finals. Gamba Osaka sit atop Group G of the Champions League after they comfortably disposed of A-League side Melbourne Victory, winning 2-0 at Expo '70 Stadium in the northern outskirts of Osaka thanks to a brace from striker Masato Yamazaki. The next round of fixtures are set to take place on May 7. 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

Gert Engel's first match in charge of Urawa Reds, following the sensational sacking of Holger Osieck , ended in defeat. Urawa's loss to Vissel Kobe 1-0 in the Nabisco League Cup was Urawa's third successive loss without scoring. Group A Nagoya Grampus 0 Kyoto Sanga 1 Urawa Reds 0 Vissel Kobe 1 Group B Shimizu S-Pulse 3 FC Tokyo 1 Tokyo Verdy 0 Jubilo 2 Group C Kawasaki Frontale 0 JEF United 2 Kashiwa Reysol 1 Sapporo Consadole 1 Group D F Marinos 1 Oita Trinita 0 Albirex Niigata 2 Omiya Ardija 2 Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League Nabisco Cup Betting

After sensationally sacking coach Holger Osieck in the aftermath of Urawa's second successive league defeat of the season, all eyes will be on Saitama Stadium for the beginning of the Gert Engels era as Urawa Reds kick off their Nabisco League Cup campaign at home to Vissel Kobe. Club president Mitsunori Fujiguchi claimed that Osieck had lost the support of the players, and former assistant coach Engels will hope to win over players and fans alike with some positive results in Urawa's upcoming League Cup matches. In contrast to Holger Osieck, Nagoya Grampus coach Dragan Stojkovic was ecstatic with Nagoya's 2-0 win over Urawa last weekend, and the Toyota-backed club kick off their League Cup campaign when they face Kyoto Sanga FC for the second time in two weeks. The League Cup is comprised of a six-game group stage, with the four group winners and two best-placed runners-up joining AFC Champions League participants Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka in the quarter-finals. The fixture list for the first two League Cup rounds is; March 20 Group A Nagoya Grampus vs Kyoto Sanga FC (Mizuho Stadium) Urawa Reds vs Vissel Kobe (Saitama Stadium) Group B Tokyo Verdy vs Jubilo Iwata (Ajinomoto Stadium) Shimizu S-Pulse vs FC Tokyo (Nihondaira Stadium) Group C Kawasaki Frontale vs JEF United (Todoroki Stadium) Kashiwa Reysol vs Consadole Sapporo (Kashiwanoha Stadium) Group D Yokohama F. Marinos vs Oita Trinita (Mitsuzawa Stadium) Albirex Niigata vs Omiya Ardija (Big Swan Stadium) March 23 Group A Vissel Kobe vs Nagoya Grampus (Kobe Wing Stadium) Kyoto Sanga vs Urawa Reds (Nishikyogoku Stadium) Group B Jubilo Iwata vs FC Tokyo (Yamaha Stadium) Tokyo Verdy vs Shimizu S-Pulse (Ajinomoto Stadium) Group C Consadole Sapporo vs Kawasaki Frontale (Muroran Stadium) JEF United vs Kashiwa Reysol (Fukuda Denshi Arena) Group D Omiya Ardija vs Yokohama F. Marinos (Omiya Park Stadium) Oita Trinita vs Albirex Niigata (Kyushu Oil Dome) In the pick of the J2 fixtures on March 20, Vegalta Sendai host Avispa Fukuoka in a clash of promotion hopefuls, Thespa Kusatsu take on unbeaten Yokohama FC, another unbeaten club in Sanfrecce Hiroshima travel to Shonan Bellmare, while Mito Hollyhock host Ventforet Kofu. On March 23 Yokohama FC host Sagan Tosu, Cerezo Osaka welcome Vegalta Sendai to Nagai Stadium, Sanfrecce Hiroshima face Mito Hollyhock at Big Arch, while FC Gifu host Tokushima Vortis in a Sunday evening clash. Keiji Tamada earns surprise recall to the Japan team Nagoya Grampus striker Keiji Tamada has earned a surprise recall to the Japan squad that travels to Manama to face Bahrain in a crucial World Cup qualifier on March 26. The 27-year-old has not featured for the national team since scoring against Brazil at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, after a series of injuries saw him lose his place in the Nagoya starting line-up under former Dutch coach Sef Vergoossen. Tamada has started both of Nagoya's league matches under new coach Dragan Stojkovic, however the experienced striker will battle with Vissel Kobe front man Yoshito Okubo for a place in the Japan starting line-up. Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Junichi Inamoto also earned a recall from coach Takeshi Okada, although Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura was not asked to make the arduous journey to the Gulf State. AFC Champions League under way Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka have experienced contrasting emotions in the AFC Champions League so far. 2007 J. League champions Kashima have scored an astonishing fifteen goals in their two matches so far, following up a 9-1 win away at Krung Thai Bank FC with a 6-0 demolition of hapless Nam Dinh at Kashima Stadium. Gamba Osaka, meanwhile, needed a late Lucas Severino strike to force a 1-1 draw with Thai side Chonburi FC at Expo '70 Stadium in Osaka, before they came from behind to beat Korean outfit Chunnam Dragons 4-3 in a thriller in Gwangyang, with striker Ryuji Bando scoring twice. 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

The 2008 J-League fixture list has been announced, with the season kicking off on March 8 and winding up on December 6 after 34 rounds of matches. The highlight match of the opening round is the clash between heavyweights Yokohama F. Marinos and Urawa Reds at Nissan Stadium. Kashima Antlers kick-off their title defence by hosting J2 champions Consadole Sapporo in their opening fixture at Kashima Stadium. The second week of action sees Consadole Sapporo host Yokohama F. Marinos at the Sapporo Dome, whilst Urawa take on a much-changed Nagoya Grampus FC at Saitama Stadium in their first home match of the season. As usual the Golden Week holiday period is an action-packed affair, with the pick of the fixtures the Shizuoka Derby between bitter rivals Shimizu S-Pulse and Jubilo Iwata on May 3. Omiya Ardija will host city rivals Urawa Reds at the newly renovated NACK5 Stadium on September 20, with Omiya sacrificing a big payday at the gate in favour of home advantage, having switched this fixture from the much larger Saitama Stadium. The fixture list is subject to change as a result of the Beijing Olympic Games, whilst qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup also takes place throughout the season. League Cup Fixture List announced The draw for the 2008 League Cup has also been announced, with the group stage kicking off on March 20 and wrapping up on June 8. Group A Nagoya Grampus FC Kyoto Sanga FC Urawa Reds Vissel Kobe Group B Tokyo Verdy FC Tokyo Shimizu S-Pulse Jubilo Iwata Group C Kawasaki Frontale JEF United Kashiwa Reysol Consadole Sapporo Group D Yokohama F. Marinos Oita Trinita Alberix Niigata Omiya Ardija Defending champions Gamba Osaka and J-League champions Kashima Antlers enter the competition at the quarter-final stage. Transfers Urawa Reds have pulled off a major coup by signing Japan international Naohiro Takahara from Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt for a fee of around 180 million yen. Takahara joins fellow new arrival Edmilson, who was signed from Albirex Niigata to replaced the departed Washington. Also joining the Reds is highly-rated midfielder Tsukasa Umesaki, whose arrival from Oita Trinita reputedly cost Urawa in excess of 200 million yen. Makoto Hasebe departs in the opposite direction, having signed a deal with ambitious German side VfL Wolfsburg. Reigning champions Kashima Antlers have been quiet on the transfer front, bringing in Masahiko Inoha from FC Tokyo whilst farewelling former club captain Atsushi Yanagisawa, who has signed for newly promoted Kyoto Sanga FC. Chiba side JEF United have lost no less than five frontline players for the 2008 season. Koki Mizuno is set to join Scottish side Celtic, whilst Japan internationals Naotake Hanyu and Satoru Yamagishi have joined FC Tokyo and Kawasaki Frontale respectively. Hiroki Mizumoto has left for Gamba Osaka, whilst former captain Yuto Sato has departed for Kyoto Sanga FC. Elsewhere the other major signings so far have seen Japan international Yuichi Komano join Jubilo Iwata from relegated Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Brazilian playmaker Magnum makes the switch from Kawasaki Frontale to Nagoya Grampus FC - who saw Keisuke Honda recently sign for Dutch side VV Venlo, Lucas Severino leaves FC Tokyo for Gamba Osaka, whilst Shimizu S-Pulse have signed a trio of highly-rated youngsters in Genki Omae, Shinji Tsujio and Takuya Honda, the latter of whom will hope to be named in the Japan Olympic Games squad later this season. AFC Champions League Three Japanese teams will take part in the 2008 AFC Champions League, with the competition's defending champions Urawa Reds entering at the quarter-final stage. Last year's J-League champions Kashima Antlers will be confident of topping a group that contains Chinese side Beijing Guoan, Thai outfit Krung Thai Bank FC and Vietnamese side Nam Dinh FC. Gamba Osaka face a much tougher-task when they take on 2006 A-League champions Melbourne Victory, Korean FA Cup winners Chunnam Dragons and Thai side Chonburi FC. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News

The action in Japan switched from league football to the knock-out variety this weekend, with Gamba Osaka winning the Nabisco League Cup by defeating Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 at a packed National Stadium in Tokyo on November 3. Japan under-20 international Michihiro Yasuda scored the only goal in the 56th minute, but after weathering an early Kawasaki onslaught, Gamba were worthy winners. Referee Toshimitsu Yoshida waved away appeals for a penalty in the first half after Gamba midfielder Takahiro Futagawa was seemingly brought down inside the area by Kawasaki goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, while Brazilian ace Magno Alves thumped the post with a blistering strike late in the second half, with Kawashima well beaten. The Fourth Round of the Emperor's Cup got under way on November 4, with JEF United going down 3-1 to visitors Oita Trinita in the only all-J1 encounter. Defender Masato Morishige opened the scoring for Oita after just three minutes, with striker Daiki Takamatsu adding a second ten minutes later. Brazilian marksman Reinaldo pulled a goal back for the Chiba side, but playmaker Tsukasa Umesaki added a third for Oita before half-time, to send JEF United crashing out of the competition. One of the shocks of the day came at Big Swan Stadium in Niigata, where mid-table J2 side Sagan Tosu stunned J1 high fliers Albirex Niigata 3-2. Sanfrecce Hiroshima had no such trouble in beating J2 side Shonan Bellmare 3-0, while Vissel Kobe beat Avispa Fukuoka 2-0. Struggling Ventforet Kofu knocked out Tokushima Vortis with a 3-1 win, Nagoya Grampus Eight beat Thespa Kusatsu by the same scoreline and Kashima Antlers saw off local rivals Mito Hollyhock 2-0 in an Ibaraki derby, with Yuzo Tashiro and Mitsuo Ogasawara scoring the all-important goals. Japan Football League's Honda FC stunned J1 outfit Kashiwa Reysol, winning 3-2 in a pulsating contest at Kashiwa Stadium. The visitors went ahead through striker Junya Nitta, before Kashiwa fought back through goals from Tatsuya Yazawa and Brazilian midfielder Alceu. Nitta's strike partner Kodei Suzuki forced the game into extra-time with a 77th minute equaliser, and Suzuki was the hero for Honda FC, scoring a dramatic last minute winner to send the Hamamatsu-based team into the Fifth Round. Honda FC's neighbours Jubilo Iwata had no trouble disposing of Juntendo University 6-1, but Jubilo's bitter rivals Shimizu S-Pulse needed penalties after they were held to a thrilling 3-3 draw by Meiji University at Nihondaira Stadium. The students took a shock lead ten minutes before half-time, but when Shimizu forged ahead through late goals from Akihiro Hyodo and Naoki Aoyama, the result appeared a foregone conclusion. Meiji University had other ideas, and a dramatic last minute equaliser forced the match into extra-time. They appeared to have won it when they scored first in extra-time, but when Man-Of-The-Match Aoyama headed home with five minutes of extra-time remaining, the match went to penalties. Only the crossbar saved Shimizu S-Pulse from an embarrassing exit, with the Shizuoka side flawless from the penalty spot. Meiji rattled the woodwork with their second penalty, as the students succumbed to an agonising defeat.