Well 2008 and it seems that Verdy really enjoy monochrome. The home unis are pretty much the same save the absence of cyberagent on the front.
The all-yellow isn't my favorite. Last year's blue was excellent. This year kinda is a let down.
Here is a pic of Fukunishi sporting green
Leandro in white. I don't mind the white look but last years road uniform was something special. One thing we learned is that Leandro is very short.

Finally the pink is back and we know how Takagi responds to pink. The orange piping makes this the most hideous keeper kit since last year's Omiya Samon jubilee. This year it's Krappa.

Leandro in, Sonoda out and yes we have a schedule

I'll write it up this weekend, but real quick

Here is the link to the schedule

http://ameblo.jp/nobuyuki-s/entry-10067765523.html

Tough go till the derby on April 12th

Leandro officially signed with the squad yesterday

Keiji Sonoda is headed to V Varen Nagasaki........I have a scarf from V Varen Nagasaki

2 players go down...or up.

WE GOT LOTS OF NEWS SO LET'S DIG IN


1. Yes, we have a schedule.....or at least part of one. Those wacky guys in the J League scheduling department decided it would be groovy to have an old fashioned grudge match for Verdy's first game back. So Verdy gets to go back to where it all began for their first game in the big show........that's right, Verdy goes to Kawasaki! March 9th the green boys get to face Hulk, Masato Ohashi and Shinya Yoshihara in what could be an epic battle......or a Globetrotters/Washington Generals match......Who knows.

The Home opener sees Verdy take on Defending Champions Kahima and old friend Marquinios on the 15th. SUPER! the league must not like Tokyo having two teams in J1.

For the second straight year, J1 Champs will take on the cream of the J2 crop as Consadole takes a trip south to Kashima for their opener.


Taisei Fujita accepted a contract to play for Tokushima Vortis. Fujita only appeared in 10 games but I was impressed with him for the most part. I think Vortis will be a good situation for him.
AL BANGURA UPDATE: An arbitration panel ruled that Bangura offers enough to English Society to be granted a work permit. It's good news for now, but Bangura is still not quite out of the woods yet. He still needs to get a more permanent status before we can stop worrying. But great news nonetheless. Here's hoping he can stay for good.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/watford/7179542.stm

Finally, Adieu to Kento Tsurumaki who takes a 1 year trip north to Mito Hollyhock in hopes of getting some playing time. Tsurumaki last appeared with recent JFL promotees Fagiano Okayama, appearing in 19 games and notching 5 goals. Tsurumaki is just 20 years old so this could be a really good thing for the kid.

BTW.......Here is a list of all the home openers for J1 and J2

Go Thespa!

http://www.jsgoal.jp/news/00059000/00059648.html

I guess the Yokohama-Tokyo express goes both ways

News off the Verdy website is that Kenta Togawa is now headed to Yokohama FC. Togawa appeared in 32 games for Verdy last year, notching 1 goal in the process. He will reunite with Tsunami and former (and future) teammates Shingo Nejime and Takuya Yamada.

http://www.verdy.co.jp/news/topteam/?cmd=DispNews&news_id=399

Tubby is back!

Mr 20% is back in green. Verdys official website has reported that Kazuki Hiramoto has indeed returned from his less than successful stint in Yokohama. Hiramoto ended the campaign with 3 goals in 14 games for the fulie. Here's hoping he shrugs it off and moves forward from here.

http://www.verdy.co.jp/news/topteam/?cmd=DispNews&news_id=400

Yokohama FC Watch

With the Hiramoto departure, it's tough to figure out who is left on the squad who is not named Miura.

Well, let's try it

Coach Julio Leal and Takuya Takagi

GK Takanori Sugeno---Kashiwa Reysol 1

DF Motohiro Yamaguchi-retired 2

MF Daisuke Oku-retired 3

FW Tatsuhiko Kubo-unaffiliated 4

DF Ichiei Muroi-retired 5

MF Yohei Sakai-unaffiliated 6

DF Yoichi Akiba-unaffiliated 7

DF Kazuya Iwakura-unaffiliated 8

MF Jun Tamano-Tokushima Vortis 9

DF Norio Omura-Gainare Tottori 10

DF Takumi Wada- Tokyo Verdy 11

FW Kazuki Hiramoto-Tokyo Verdy 12

MF Tomoya Uchida-Omiya Ardija 13

MF Tomoyuki Yoshino-Gainare Tottori 14

MF Oh Beom Sook-Pohang Steelers 15

MF Marcos Paulo-Shimizu S Pulse 16

MF Catatau- Brasilense FC 17

MF Chong Yong De- Consadole Sapporo 18

DF Be Song jin- Thespa Kusatsu 19

DF Takanori Nakajima- Avispa Fukuoka 20

FW Takahisa Nishiyama- Kawasaki Frontale 21

MF Mitsunori Yabuta- FC Gifu 22

MF Hiromasa Kanazawa- Mito Hollyhock full transfer 23

Who's left?

Kohei extends his stay

Fagiano Okayama continues the tradition of stocking their squad with Verdy players by extending the deal of 19 year old forward Kohei Kiyama. Kiyama will be with the club until the start of 2009.

http://www.verdy.co.jp/news/topteam/?cmd=DispNews&news_id=398

Leandro deal coming very soon

Talk in the Brazilian Press is that Leandro will be bought for about 2 million US. News outlets in Japan had him down as a forward but it seems he is more in the model of Marcus......except he's not 80 years old.

http://esporte.uol.com.br/futebol/ultimas/2008/01/11/ult59u142474.jhtm

Kazuki's new diet plan?

Sponichi Annex spotted erstwhile Verdy superstriker at the Yomiuri training grounds this week. The report states that Hiramoto needs to lose 5 kilos before the start of the new campaign or, like me, he will find himself sitting on his ample derriere. The always generous CyberAgent have offered to help Hiramoto lose weight by lightening his wallet. Sponichi reports that Hiramotos donut money will drop from 210,000,000 yen to a paltry 60,000,000 yen......a 72% paycut.

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2008/01/11/08.html

NASU IS SIGNING NUMBER 4

As expected Yokohama Central Defender Daisuke Nasu has joined Verdy. Nasu played 6 years for Yokohama before falling out of favor. He will be expected to slot in the always dangerous slot next to Yukio Tsuchiya because it seems nobody has been capable of consistently playing there.

http://www.verdy.co.jp/news/topteam/?cmd=DispNews&news_id=397

2 more off the list

First off, we say adieu to backup keeper Shinya Yoshihara, who heads back to Kawasaki after his 1 year loan. Yoshihara played admirably in 13 games for Verdy before getting injured. The writing was on the wall when Doi was signed in.

2 more of the WSM target 9 were snatched up by other squads when K-League striker Popo and Kawasaki MF magnum were snatched up by Kashiwa and Nagoya respectively. It seems like there are new big signings everyday and Tokyo teams aren't among them.

Anyhow, more reflections for the weekend.

Island of Misfit Toys

In 1964, a team of creative geniuses by the name of Rankin and Bass made a television show telling the story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer using clay, marginally outdated actors, and sappy songs that stuck in your head for months. Nothing was ever the same. The most famous part of the show was the Island of Misfit toys.......a train with square wheels, a doll that cried grape jelly, a Charlie in the box. Year 2008 of Tokyo Verdy sees the squad using the same formula minus the songs and the clay...........unless you count the stuff in Rui's perm.

The newest target is recently release Yokohama Marinos striker and former National Teamer Takayuki Suzuki. Suzuki made his name up north in Kashima Red. Known as a "Defensive Striker", Suzuki has never been known to score in great numbers. His best scoring year was in 2001, when he notched 6 for the J League Champs. Suzuki has spent time in Brazil, Belgium, and most recently Serbia, where he played sparingly for Red Star Belgrade. Suzuki fits in perfectly in the Island of Misfit Toys as the striker that doesn't score.

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20080105-OHT1T00027.htm

Coalition of the Underwhelming?

It's official......Takuya Wada has been signed by Verdy.

http://www.verdy.co.jp/news/topteam/?cmd=DispNews&news_id=394

So to get you up to date on signings thus far

In

DF Takuya Wada Yokohama FC
MF Takashi Fukunishi FC TOKYO
GK Yoichi Doi FC TOKYO
FW Hiroki Kawano Verdy youth
GK Tomoyuki Suzuki Kokushikan University
DF Sho Azuke Kokushikan University
Coach Takuya Takagi

Out

MF Yuskue Sato Tochigi SC
DF Naoki Mihara Fagiano Okayama
DF Takaya Shigemitsu Fagiano Okayama
FW Hulk Kawasaki Frontale
FW Martin Saito
DF Taisei Fujita
GK Shinji Muro
MF Masato Ohashi
MF Hiroshi Nanami Jubilo Iwata
MF Shin Kanazawa Omiya Ardija

The new target

Well, it's official.......the WSM list has been blown to smithereens. According to the Sponichi Annex of sports and soft core pornography (ohhhh, the classic is back...but seriously they advertise copius amounts of porn on that site), talks with Yasuhiro Hato have broken down and their sights are now set on Shimizu S Pulse man and former Takagi protege, Takumi Wada. Wada appeared in 23 games for Yokohama FC before Julio Real took over and decided he wasn't worthy of playing. How'd that work ou Julio?

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2008/01/03/05.html

In other news, Sports Hochi has Atsushi Yanagisawa joining up with the newly promoted Kyoto Sanga and not joining Verdy.

Our friend Gora has a mock up of Yanagisawa in purple here
http://sangananbanjin.blogspot.com/2008/01/news-happy-2008-and-here-comes.html
The Hochi article is here
http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20080103-OHT1T00061.htm

NAGOYA IN FOR BIG CHANGES

Rumors are that alot of changes are in store for the always underwhelming Nagoya Grampus not 8. Watch in a couple days and you might see this man sign for the Grampusistas
http://www.fc-redstar.net/seasonPlayerDetail.aspx?playerID=834&cultureID=1
Also look for Oita DF Takashi Miki to head north to Nagoya. I looked at the magic site so put money on it.

Finally.......I have been very impressed with J2 squad Shonan Bellmare and their moves. Not only did they add 16 goal scorer Lincoln from Avispa, they also added Yoshiro Abe from FC Tokyo via Kashiwa Reysol as well as two young guns from Urawa in MF Shunsuke Oyama (46 games for Ehime) and MF Yuya Nakamura. Also coming in are DF Kohei Usui who appeared in 27 games for Montedio and Niigata DF Hikaru Mita, who fell out of favor after starting the lions share of games for Niigata in 2006.

Amongst all the talk of Sanfrecce coming back with a super squad, Cerezo coming in with the young guns, and Avispa and Vegalta reloading, it would be wise not to overlook a team that was not too far away from promotion.