J-Football Journals Round-Up #13

Amidst a very busy September schedule, I continue to manage to commit some time to J-FOOTBALL JOURNALS and still be able to grace (or annoy) your social media feeds with the presence of the publication.

In this issue, I've taken a more "summarising" approach - we will look back at a fruitful J-League table and how it has played out as of Gameweek 31 - but some features on Gameweek 30, too.

A look at the Asian Champions League should shuffle things up too - enjoy!

Gameweek 31 Analysis - We're almost there!

The end is nigh! J1-League however, has not settled. This isn't the Premier League, there's no Manchester City, there are several teams GUNNING for the title so late.

With the season nearing the end fast, we will take a look at the likelihood of teams winning the league. As it is still a very entertaining and perplexing title race, Jan Šereš attempts to weather the storm with a data-driven analysis.

Jan Šereš' amazing work.

Above, you can see the current standings analysis - taking into account 10,000 simulations to grasp what will be the most likely outcome at the end of this season. Kashima Antlers seem like the most likely candidate, but Vissel Kobe's resilience could spell trouble for the favourites.

Kobe had a slow start to their season, even losing 1-0 to relegation candidates Albirex Niigata. They were prone to mistakes, but this is now behind them and they have been unbeaten in four.

To accompany the data analysis, we will also look into some of the top players in the league so far.

Rafael Elias - a proper striker, Kyoto Sanga's clutch man - someone who is never in doubt! The Brazilian striker has an average 7.50 rating according to SofaScore - once even achieving a 9.8 against FC Tokyo in a swashbuckling performance where he sealed a hattrick in Kyoto's 4-0 win.

Cerezo Osaka's own Brazilian Lucas Fernandes is also a top player, posing a frequent goal threat almost every game.

Yuki Soma of Machida Zelvia is seeing his peak as he produces frequent feats - with a number of assists provided for teammates, as well as the odd goal.

Machida Zelvia continue to surprise people only just a season after their top-flight debut, even managing to scrape a 1-1 draw in their first ever Asian Champions League outing.

In hindsight, Machida Zelvia, Kashiwa Reysol, and Kyoto Sanga remain as some of the teams who could undermine the two giants above them - it seems Vissel Kobe and Kashima Antlers are treading on thin ice come October.

English Football Graced With Japanese Phenomenon

@Rovers on X

The first ever Japanese link-up in English men’s football history. For the first time, both creator and finisher were Japanese!

Lancashire saw history being created as Yuki Ohashi and Ryoya Morishita combined to score the winning goal for Blackburn against Watford. An overlap from Morishita allowed Ohashi to pick the oncoming winger out from a tight spot for the finish.

Morishita recently arrived from Polish giants Legia Warszawa and has instantly become a fan favourite. His plucky personality and randomness was always one of the things fans enjoyed - and it has not died down since his arrival in Lancashire.

Kyoto Seika Appoint Ex-Real Madrid Man

alchetron.com

Kyoto Seika Leoreson has made yet another leap-step in their club's progress. With the amateur side only being five years old, only time will tell whether such rapid progress will bring them fruits of labor on the same wavelength.

2010-11 Copa Del Rey winner David Mateos, a product of the prestigious Real Madrid, has been appointed as the Sporting Director of the JFJ-affiliated club.

The experienced footballer will share his knowledge from the very top of the game to Kyoto Seika Leoreson - who are set to continue their development in areas such as sponsorship, funding, performance on the pitch, and aiming for promotion in the coming years.

This now gives the club an indirect connection to several top-flight clubs. We would like to give David a very warm welcome to the Kyoto Seika Leoreson Football Club!

We are proud to continue to support KYOTO SEIKA LEORESON as we watch them grow further.

Asian Champions League Opening Review

Sanfrecce Hiroshima were the opening J-League side to play in the Asian Champions League - and had gone off to a flyer. Their clean 2-0 win against Melbourne City is a statement win, they are not here to mess about!

Yotaro Nakajima - a Japan U20 international - netted the second goal for Hiroshima as they sank Melbourne on their own home turf.

Machida Zelvia played their first ever Asian Champions League match against FC Seoul just a year after making their J1 debut. A welcome to the Asian stage meant Zelvia went behind courtesy of a Marko Dugandzic finish, assisted by none other than Jesse Lingard.

However as it was written in the Tokyo skyline stars, JFJ-favourite Henry Mochizuki correctly struck a stray ball after Machida’s move into the Seoul box looked too sloppy. Machida’s match ended in a 1-1 deadlock as they correctly met the standards of a tough competition.

How will the Asian Champions League go for J-League sides this year? Will they be able to echo the same progress Kawasaki Frontale made - having reached the semi-finals last year?

GW 30 - Tokyo Derby Under the Lights! FC Tokyo’s Smash-And-Grab

Our dear friend who is currently in Japan, Francesco Serrone, was present at the derby match between the two Tokyo sides - FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy - which ended in a streamlined win for the red-and-blue.

A fantastic light display before the match set the tone of the game - a brilliant night between two of the jubilant Tokyo sides, in the midst of the city.

Francesco Serrone's experience

The mesmerizing lights display is something regular amidst J-League games - bringing to light the insane passion supporters and clubs have for the sport.

FC Tokyo have now won three games 1-0 on the bounce - Tokyo Verdy, Kawasaki Frontale, and Avispa Fukuoka in the wake of their resurgence. Four games unbeaten is a positive streak, yet remain fourteenth in the J-League.

It was Keita Endo who had received the most plaudits as he bagged two goals in the last four matches - one against Nagoya, and another to sink Kawasaki Frontale early in the 23rd minute.

However this raises questions- will they be able to keep up? Is this the start of a squad awakening?

Japan X Croatia

Friend of J-Football Journals, innovative Sports Data Analyst Jan Šereš shared with us an interesting piece of news;

“The agreement mainly includes:

• Organising friendly matches and various exchange programs across all age groups

• A coach exchange program

• A referee exchange program

• Knowledge sharing between the two administrations

• Sharing expertise on sponsorships, TV and media rights, and match organisation”

A meeting between the Japanese Football  Federation (JFA) and the Croatian Football Federation took place in Tokyo - President Miyamoto and co. discussed a partnership where both countries seek to develop their football landscape.

With Croatia’s immense player development in the sport, Japan aims to learn and take note of how such a standard can be built. The organisation of friendly matches and exchange programmes will not only promote this but allow players to network across Asia and Europe in meaningful interactions.

The coach exchange programme will promote the sharing of information and training knowledge between the two nations in order to instill a better standard in both footballing communities.

Expertise in media will raise the barriers and allow sports journalists, sports organisations, and match officials to have an easier time in acknowledging both areas of the sport - in Japan and Croatia.

Marijan Kustic; “Since the beginning of the nineties, Japan has made exceptional steps in the development of football and today it is the most successful football federation in Asia, whose national team is a regular participant in the world championships, and we ourselves were convinced in Qatar three years ago as they are a quality, solid and character team.”

Where this partnership will go and what developments it will incite it is yet to be seen - in early days, we do not expect too much traction, but in the years to come it will for sure be visible in both nations’ football developments.