"It's Groundhog Day!" There's no sign of Punxsutawney Phil, but Nagoya Grampus coach Dragan Stojkovic must be checking his calendar in disbelief as the Aichi-based side prepare to face FC Tokyo at Ajinomoto Stadium for the second time in three days. Naohiro Ishikawa looks set to play the Ned Ryerson role to the Serbian coach's Phil Connors, with Ishikawa causing opponents plenty of irritation with some career-best form. The diminutive winger was the catalyst for FC Tokyo's 3-0 thrashing of Nagoya at Ajinomoto Stadium in the J. League last weekend, scoring his 10th goal of the campaign and taking himself level with Davi and Edmilson at the top of the goalscoring charts.

Like it's much-maligned English cousin, the League Cup in Japan is facing an image crisis. That's nothing new for J. League officials, who for years have struggled with the competing interests of Japan's biggest clubs. A revamped Asian Champions League has brought the League Cup issue to a head. While Gamba Osaka, Kashima Antlers, Kawasaki Frontale and Nagoya Grampus battle for continental glory this season, the remaining fourteen J1 clubs are left with the consolation of another dreary League Cup campaign. With Asian combatants Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers afforded a bye into the League Cup quarter-finals in 2008, the remaining sixteen teams were divided into four groups of four. The four group winners and two best-placed runners-up then progressed to the knock-out stages along with Gamba and Kashima.

At a time when the J. League is crying out for a team to take the championship by the scruff of the neck, the top five continue to falter in their race for the title. Kashima Antlers continue to lead the way on 54 points, but they will be disappointed with their most recent 0-0 draw at home to the defensive-oriented Albirex Niigata. Urawa Reds are a point further back in second, after they beat already relegated Consadole Sapporo 2-1 in front of 28,901 fans at the Sapporo Dome in their most recent clash. The Reds were forced to come from behind after the league's second-top scorer Davi notched his fourteenth goal of the season for Sapporo, before goals from Tatsuya Tanaka and Edmilson saw all three points head back to Saitama. Nagoya Grampus are the team to have stumbled the most in the run home. The Aichi club are on 52 points, but have picked up just four points from the fifteen on offer in their last five J. League games. Nagoya crashed to a 2-1 defeat to Kashiwa Reysol at a sold-out Kashiwa Hitachi Stadium last time out, and controversy reigned in the compact stadium when referee Yuichi Nishimura incorrectly ruled out a Frode Johnsen strike for offside. Although Nagoya went on to open the scoring through Yoshizumi Ogawa, late goals from Minoru Suganuma and Popo saw them crumble to a disappointing defeat. Oita Trinita were held to a scoreless draw by relegation candidates JEF United in front of 23,517 fans at the Kyushu Oil Dome, while Kawasaki Frontale were beaten 2-1 away at Omiya Ardija thanks in no small part to a wonder strike from Omiya striker Klemen Lavric. Oita are fourth in the table on 52 points, while a point further back fifth placed Kawasaki Frontale are ahead of a fast-finishing FC Tokyo on goal difference only, after the capital club thrashed Gamba Osaka 3-1 away from home in their last J. League clash. Things are just as tight at the bottom end of the table, where up to seven clubs are fighting for J1 survival. Consadole Sapporo were relegated weeks ago, while JEF United currently occupy the second automatic relegation place. Tokyo Verdy are in the promotion/relegation playoff place, but Jubilo Iwata are above them on goal difference only, after beating local rivals Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 in the Shizuoka derby last weekend. Omiya Ardija and Albirex Niigata are lying thirteenth and fourteenth respectively, but with both clubs currently on 38 points - just three points above an automatic relegation place, they are far from secure. The same can be said of Yokohama F. Marinos, who have picked up a total of 39 points, and although Kyoto Sanga FC will be pleased to have reached the 40-point mark in the league, they are still not mathematically safe from relegation with three J. League games remaining. In J2, Sanfrecce Hiroshima earned their ticket back to the top flight several weeks ago, with the southern club currently a massive twenty points clear of second place. The race for second place is tighter, but northern outfit Montedio Yamagata are in the box seat on 71 points - some five points above the promotion/relegation playoff place with three games remaining. Fellow northerners Vegalta Sendai occupy the promotion place after they drew 1-1 with Sanfrecce Hiroshima in front of 23,745 fans at Miyagi Stadium in their most recent match, with the trio of Shonan Bellmare, Sagan Tosu and Cerezo Osaka looking long odds to catch third placed Sendai in the run home. The J. League takes a break on the weekend of November 15/16 as the fifth round of the Emperor's Cup takes centre stage. Emperor's Cup The Japan Football Association has threatened Oita Trinita and JEF United with disciplinary action for fielding weakened starting elevens in their fourth round Emperor's Cup defeats last weekend. Oita Trinita lost out to Second Division local rivals Sagan Tosu, while JEF United were beaten by J1 rivals Shimizu S-Pulse in the fourth round of the Cup. Oita were coming off winning the League Cup final at the National Stadium in Tokyo three days earlier, while JEF United are fighting for top flight survival in the J. League. There were no major surprises in the fourth round, although reigning champions Kashima Antlers needed penalties to beat plucky Kokushikan University following an entertaining 2-2 draw. The fourth round clash between Gamba Osaka and J2 outfit Ventforet Kofu has been rescheduled for November 16. With the JFA continuing their practice of "hosting" a portion of the round of sixteen fixtures in neutral venues, the fifth round fixture list sees Urawa Reds take on bitter rivals Yokohama F. Marinos at Marugame Stadium, Vissel Kobe welcome Sagan Tosu to Kobe Wing Stadium, Jubilo Iwata take on the winner of Gamba Osaka and Ventforet Kofu at Yamaha Stadium, Omiya Ardija welcome Nagoya Grampus to Omiya Park, Kashima Antlers host Shimizu S-Pulse at Kashima Stadium, Albirex Niigata take on FC Tokyo at Tottori Stadium, Kashiwa Reysol face Kyoto Sanga FC at Toyama Stadium and Kawasaki Frontale take on last season's beaten finalists Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Nagasaki Stadium. Gamba Osaka crowned Asian Champions Gamba Osaka lifted the AFC Champions League after thrashing A-League outfit Adelaide United 5-0 on aggregate in their two-legged final. The Kansai club were always in control after hammering United 3-0 in front of a full house of 21,000 at Expo '70 Stadium on November 5, with Lucas Severino, Yasuhito Endo and a superb Michihiro Yasuda volley sending Akira Nishino's team on their way. It took Gamba just fifteen minutes to establish a 2-0 lead in front another capacity crowd of 17,000 at Hindmarsh Stadium in Adelaide on November 12, as Lucas Severino added to his goal from the opening leg by scoring a quick-fire brace to put the tie well and truly beyond doubt. Influential midfielder Yasuhito Endo won the final's Most Valuable Player award, as Gamba collected a third piece of silverware to add to their 2005 J. League title and 2007 League Cup trophy. Injuries cripple Okada's Japan Takeshi Okada has a selection headache to contend with, as injuries to key men Seigo Narazaki and Yuji Nakazawa have forced a reshuffle of the squad to take on Qatar in a World Cup qualifier in Doha on November 19. Urawa Reds goalkeeper Ryota Tsuzuki has been drafted in as cover for injured Nagoya shot-stopper Narazaki, while Shimizu S-Pulse defender Kazumichi Takagi replaces Nakazawa in the squad. Japan will warm up for their vital World Cup qualifier with a friendly against Syria at Kobe Wing Stadium on November 13, before travelling to the Gulf looking to add to the four points collected from their opening two final round World Cup qualifiers. 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

"I let the players down, and I want to apologise to the fans who came all the way out here to see us. I know it's over and done with, and that there's no sense in getting down about this." "But this one hurts, and it's depressing. I can't find the words to describe how badly I feel." Shimizu S-Pulse coach Kenta Hasegawa's sombre quip to The Daily Yomiuri in the wake of his team's 2-0 League Cup final defeat to Oita Trinita on November 1 stood in glaring contrast to the euphoria emanating from the Trinita dressing room. Such is the agony and ecstasy of football, as Oita Trinita were crowned 2008 League Cup champions after a convincing win over their more fancied opponents in front of 44,723 fans at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Both coaches took tactical risks on a sunny afternoon in the Japanese capital, but it was Oita coach Pericles Chamusca's gamble of starting injury-prone club captain Daiki Takamatsu up front that paid off, as Takamatsu responded with the opening goal on sixty-nine minutes. That prompted an immediate change from Hasegawa, who had plumped for youthful exuberance in the form of Keisuke Iwashita and Masaki Yamamoto down his right hand side, only to switch back to experience as Daisuke Ichikawa and Marcos Paulo Alves were introduced as soon as S-Pulse began chasing the game. The change came too late for a nervous-looking Shimizu, and Oita sealed their win when veteran Ueslei produced a cool finish one-on-one with Yamamoto to send the massive contingent of Trinita fans behind the goal wild with delight. Oita coach Chamascu was quick to highlight the historical importance of Oita's win in a post-match statement to The Japan Times. "It is the first title for a Kyushu team ever, and it will have a very big impact not just in Kyushu but across Japan. It should help to improve football everywhere, and it shows that football has already improved in Kyushu." The Brazilian was not the only one celebrating a first ever title for the southern island of Kyushu, with J. League chairman Kenji Onitake delighted with Oita's historic victory. Oita's triumph was Shimizu's tragedy, and the tens of thousands of S-Pulse fans that had made the journey to Kokuritsu trudged downcast through the streets of Sendagaya in the wake of another painful defeat on the national stage. It is almost eight years since Shimizu lifted the Emperor's Cup on New Year's Day in 2001, and the Shizuoka side have now lost twice in succession at the National Stadium after they were losing finalists in the 2005 Emperor's Cup to Urawa Reds. This moment belonged to an Oita side who out-thought and out-fought their opponents on the big stage, however, and few could begrudge the Kyushu side their success on what was an historic day for Japanese football. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com

Around 50,000 fans will descend on the National Stadium in Tokyo on November 1 as Oita Trinita do battle with Shimizu S-Pulse for the 2008 League Cup trophy. Oita Trinita go into the match as rank outsiders, particularly with the Kyushu club missing influential midfielder Shingo Suzuki through suspension. Oita are also missing goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa through injury, while his Beijing Olympic team-mate Masato Morishige did not feature in Oita's most recent 1-0 league defeat at Vissel Kobe, although Morishige is expected to take his place in the Oita back three for this hotly anticipated clash. Shimizu S-Pulse are missing playmaker Jungo Fujimoto, who had his leg fractured by an X-rated tackle from Omiya Ardija captain Yoshiyuki Kobayashi when the two sides met at Omiya Park back in July. The Shizuoka side could also be without ex-Bolton Wanderers striker Akinori Nishizawa, with the veteran struggling for weeks to shake off a niggling knock. Nevertheless S-Pulse go into the clash as red-hot favourites, with the Shizuoka side in sparkling form having hammered AFC Champions League finalists Gamba Osaka in the league last time out. The clash also showcases a match-up between two of the most respected young coaches in Japanese football. 43-year old Pericles Chamusca was drafted in as coach of Oita Trinita midway through a difficult 2005 J. League campaign. Since then the Brazilian has steadied the ship at the Kyushu side, and although Oita battled against the drop for much of last season, the southern outfit are now enjoying their best season ever, with Oita currently sitting in fourth place in the J. League with four games remaining and fighting it out for silverware in the League Cup. Shimizu S-Pulse coach Kenta Hasegawa is a more familiar name in Japanese football. The popular 43-year old played more than 200 J. League games for home town club Shimizu S-Pulse and was capped 27 times by Japan. Installed as S-Pulse coach at the start of the 2005 campaign, the former striker has overseen steady improvement in the Shizuoka side - who are battling for their first trophy since lifting the Emperor's Cup in 2001, although S-Pulse also lifted the season-opening Super Cup the following season. Formally known as the Yamazaki Nabisco League Cup, the tournament kicked off with a group stage back in March, and represents the best chance of lifting a trophy for two of the youngest sides in Japanese professional football, with Oita Trinita having been formed in 1994, two years after the formation of Shimizu S-Pulse. The League Cup final also represents something of a coup for Japan's transport companies, with seats on JAL and ANA flights at a premium as around 10,000 Oita fans are expected to make the 900km journey from the southern island of Kyushu to the capital for this clash. Japan Rail will also be working overtime with an estimated 30,000 Shimizu S-Pulse fans set to make the 200km journey up the Pacific coastline, as the grand old venue colloquially known as "Kokuritsu" gets set to host one of the most colourful fixtures on the Japanese football calendar. 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

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