J-Football Journals Round-Up #2

From the writer;

Amongst a very, very busy schedule of university and coursework in a frantic mid-April, work like this offers me almost a "break" while still being productive.

The way I think of creating such big jam-packed articles, is that it leads to a good future, a good experience, and something to show for all of my hard work. It's proof that I've come a long way in my life and I am proud of it.

In these segments like the one here; I just write down what I think. I find that people are often indulged, simply in what others are thinking in the moment and what they intend to do. It can be somewhat inspiring to other people.

The one thing somebody needs to continue to do in their life is learn. Learning keeps a soul young, curious, open to new things and refreshes the mind in a way it shocks your nervous system, keeping you awake.

If you need it, here it is; learn something new, stay awake, innovate, build, create, and look forward to the little things in life. Beautiful days are coming!

But before that, grab a coffee, sit back for a few minutes, and enjoy this issue!

An Absolute J-League Classic!

While the Levain Cup was mostly in action last weekend, we saw an explosive matchup between Kawasaki Frontale and Yokohama F. Marinos!

A 3-3 draw is in the spotlight thanks to the approach of both sides; all guns blazing. The Frontale were the first to strike thanks to young Yuto Ozeki, who was making his first start for the team and played out a great game.

The 20-year-old is a midfielder to keep an eye on, as his performance was man-of-the-match worthy up until game hit boiling point.

The Marinos’ Yan made the first mistake giving Ozeki his goal - but the winger was nowhere near done. He struck the net in an equalising effort before Colombian Cesar Haydar let an absolute cracker of a shot rip the Yokohama net.

The score stood at 2-1 to the Frontale until Jun Amano equalised in the 89th - the game seemed done and dusted in a lock of horns.

The rambunctious winger Yan had other ideas, another goal saw Yokohama on-course to rob Kawasaki of all three points as the time sat at 90+2.

Peak J-League entertainment ensued when the Frontale decided they were not done yet. Kota Takai, a boy garnered by the media as the next Japanese centre-back, managed to hit the Marinos in an unexpected time of 90+9 rescuing his side from loss.

Levain Cup Concerns for Shimizu

The S-Pulse saw their crashout handed to them by J2 side Jubilo Iwata after going in front in the first minute thanks to a rapid Ahmed Ahmedov goal. Iwata hit back and sealed the win in the 80th minute thanks to Ricardo Graca’s clinical finish.

The former league leaders Kashima Antlers also saw a shocking defeat at the hands of Renofa Yamaguchi, being punished by the 1-1 deadlock leading them all the way to penalties, losing out on the shootout.

Germany x Japan Collaborations

In recent times we have seen the two countries contribute and connect their footballing youth scenes. Why? Germany and Japan have had a very similar football mentality and values ingrained within their culture of the sport.

Players are grounded and taught to work smart off the ball rather than providing constant bravado. Players are taught to adapt to tactics and in-game situations.

Via the official Stuttgart website.

“Youngsters from V-Varen Nagasaki will pay regular visits to VfB to train with the club, experience a new culture and foreign environment”

V-Varen Nagasaki and Stuttgart have completed an agreement to help each other’s youth development. Both clubs have similar strategies when it comes to nurturing youth footballers, allowing them to cooperate this way.

However, this is not the only collaboration across continents - as the city of Bochum and Tsukuba hold an agreement not only city-wise, but the two teams- VfL Bochum and Tsukuba University-  have a connection in terms of developing players and holding matches against each other.

The University frequently holds student exchanges via Japan and Germany, which makes this partnership no surprise to people within the circle. However scouts, fans and external officials may not have been aware of such an agreement!

The EFL Samurai!

The EFL Championship has a host of Japanese footballing talent. The past week has really highlighted the plethora of Samurai in an extremely demanding division.

Yuki Ohashi scored for Blackburn - his ninth goal of the season as they came over Luton Town away. The striker was then featured in the EFL Sky Bet Championship Team of the Week.

Yu Hirakawa’s Bristol City won against West Brom thanks to a late goal from Roberts.

Ao Tanaka featured in a Leeds win against Preston North End in which he played the full 90 minutes in. The Japanese is becoming a fan-favourite thanks to his tenacity and work rate at Elland Road.

Tomoki Iwata helped Birmingham City to being awarded the League One title and climbing back to the EFL Championship next season.

Belgian Bravado!

The Belgian football scene has no shortage of Japanese ballers either, with Jun Goto amassing attention around him after a well-played Al Wahda international U15s tournament - the Anderlecht youth player picking up the man of the match award for the game vs RC Lens.

Elsewhere, Ayumu Yokoyama bagged his first goal for Jong Genk - however it was a consolation as the team has seen seven out of eight games lost, in an unfortunate situation. The player is currently on loan from Birmingham.

Samurai Blue’s Smart World Cup Prep

Via goal.com

The Japan National Team negotiated a possible tour to the USA in order to set the stage and adjust to conditions within the continent ahead of a vibrant world cup.

The Samurai Blue will face Mexico and USMT  in two demanding friendly matches in a bid to find out, test, and draft players from a wide selection roster.

Will we see some unlikely picks? There are many names within the roster that could get a surprise call-up, many of which represent J-League sides. 

Most of the current team are exclusively European-experienced players, no doubt thanks to their additional edge from playing in high-quality leagues. But what if the coach was to think outside of the box?

Manchester United Eyeing Zion Suzuki?

Via Talksport.

According to several news outlets, Zion Suzuki has been the regular subject of Manchester United representatives watching the goalkeeper’s sublime performances in the Serie A for Parma.

However back in 2023, the links were around even when the player was at Urawa Red Diamonds - the then-champions of the AFC Champions League. Suzuki was reported to have then turned the offer down as Andre Onana’s move was also imminent. (via Sponichi Annex).

Japan’s first choice goalkeeper - does he have what it takes to play at the highest, most physically and mentally demanding level of football? He would gather the financial demands of around £40 million for Parma.

Japan vs Australia AFC U17s

Scout’s eyes were caught by numerous names which graced the pitch in the AFC U17s tournament as Japan saw their exit at a 3-2 defeat at the hands of a very physical Australia side.

The Japanese were certainly punctual in their play, with ever-so accurate passes and brilliant space manipulation, but were outplayed by a more-to-the-point Aussie team who seemed to want the win a little bit more.

Some standout players included…

Ryota Hariu - Shimizu S-Pulse - The fullback showed great energy and tenacity in both attack and defence, crucial for a player in his position. I’ve been introduced to him by a fellow scout and we no doubt agreed Shimizu could have a gem on their hands.

Taito Kanda - RB Omiya Ardija - Another fullback, we’re starting to see a pattern here. Japan has excelled in the creation of gifted fullbacks, and the latest generation is no exception - Kanda was one of the leaders within the team and constantly linked up with his teammates to make use of his wide channel.

Check out the last segment of the issue for a special opinion insight on the Japanese full-back factory.

Max Anastasio - Venezia - An Aussie player I chose to include in this as he caught my eye well and truly. The midfielder plies his trade for a European club and there was no wonder why. His physical presence mixed in with technical ability in the middle will no doubt prepare him for a relentless Italian league.

University Football Updates - Ryunosuke Yada

Via Gekisaka.jp

“For a year, I think that I will be able to play for Tsukuba and go from there quickly.” Ryunosuke Yada, a young aspiring footballer from the University of Tsukuba told Gekisaka. The midfielder arrived from the Shimizu youth - which produces many talented young players.

Yada’s omission from the recent Japan U20 selection has frustrated him, but he was quoted to set his sights on returning to represent Japan in the future - albeit having his focus set on finishing his football with his university, first.

He has international experience having represented the Japan in the U17s World Cup, ex-teammates such as Yotaro Nakajima of Hiroshima, and Ryunosuke Sato of Okayama, were both called up to the U20s, leaving Yada a little bit disillusioned.

Ryunosuke Yada is a name to keep an eye on, as the tenacious player has also been catching the eyes of numerous scouts around the university football scene.

Japan’s Fullback-Fantasy 

In this opinion and view piece, I’ll delve into why I believe that the Japanese are specialised in nurturing such well-rounded full-backs.

The ekkono method is something I’ve brought up many, many times. It allows for focus on a player’s development in areas which otherwise would not be looked at in textbook coaching. A full-back usually needs all the simple attributes of a footballer such as passing, movement, communication, tackling…

But what if we were to add extra into the mix? Such as spatial awareness, vision, off-the-ball movement?

Time off the ball is crucial. A player must use it to his advantage as it helps the team create a situation-defying shape, making the most of situations, creating more opportunities for the player and teammates.

The full-back sees the pitch like no other, has more time off the ball, and is able to analyse the field of play more than a winger can. 

Players such as Shunki Higashi and Sota Miura - both two of the best full-backs in the J-League - are able to hit pinpoint, line-breaking passes which create vertical and diagonal opportunities for teammates.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s Shunki Higashi is a master hitter of the ball - although sometimes too many long-balls are made, his effort and ambition precedes other full-backs. I was impressed with his innovative ability to change the way he strikes the ball, but also his manipulation of space in his channel.

Kawasaki’s Sota Miura is another prime example - his average rating of 7.92, five assists in eight games says it all. He has a promised expected assists stat of 2.42, while he averages 2.40 successful crosses per match. Miura’s duel winning percentage also sits at a high 68.9% - giving him the title of a very well-rounded full-back.

These types of players can make or break a game - they must physically have peak athleticism as well as explosive muscle memory trained in the gym. 

Technique of hitting the ball is yet another big part of a full-back’s game. Being able to switch and cycle between different hits of the ball and change a habit is a very powerful weapon, catching opponents off-guard with dipping or curling forward passes is able to seriously change the flow of the game.

All of these components above are why Japan can make such brilliant fullbacks - Miura, Higashi, Sato, are all names to look out for if they were ever to make the jump overseas to Europe!