The Emperor's Cup schedule is out!!!!!!!!!!!

Woohoo!!!!!!! Big news! My favorite competition in Japan put out their schedule and Verdy has a home game......at Nishigaoka!!!!!! Hooray! I won't be going though because Omiya actually has a game in Saitama this year.

The game will be either on the 2nd or 3rd of November and it will match the winner of the game between random prefectural squad from Tochigi or Chiba or Aomori or some such place and last year's surprise Emperor's cup runner up and defending Xerox Cup champion Sanfrecce Hiroshima. If they are able to advance, they would face the winner of the Kawasaki Frontale/Montedio Yamagata-unnamed prefecture winner in the lovely confines of.......NAGASAKI. I won't be going to that because it's Nagasaki and I don't have the money.

http://www.jfa.or.jp/domestic/category_1/games/2008/ep_cup_2008/round_4.html#N4

DHL offense done..........new nickname?

With the demise of the Diego, Hulk, and Leandro power trio, I was wondering what the label of the new offense should be. Diego.......Oguro..........Hiramoto...............Yeah, I'm coming up with a blank.

Bare off to the UAE?

Gamba Osaka super striker Bare is rumored to be on his way to the lovely confines of the United Arab Emirates and Al Ahari for the ridiculous sum of 10oku en (1,000,000,000 yen). Sports Hochi has the ridiculous report that Gamba is now looking to acquire Shimzu flop Marcus Aurelio to replace the big striker. You're getting 1 billion yen, can't you aim for something higher like, I dunno, Horvy maybe? How about RickHicki? He has as many goals in his career as Aurelio.

Here's a good idea......instead of trying to cherry pick players from other squads, why don't you take some of that cash and invest in a scouting system so you can bring in good players yourself. I know a certain unnamed journalist thought that this plan was just supercool but it's not.

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20080723-OHT1T00056.htm

Ahh ya little scamp

Remember when one of the old English National teamers picked up a cheap yellow because he was close to getting the limit and wanted to get it out of the way while he was gone with the National Team and then got hurt and missed a chunk of the season (Was that Beckham? Am I just making this story up in my head ?) Well, Oita kiddie keeper Shusaku Nishikawa decided to do just that because he was one yellow away from losing a game due to suspension. How does a goalkeeper pick up 4 yellows in half a season is beyond me but that's for another time. Anyway, we know he did it on purpose because the precocious little lad told everyone he did it on his blog (dedicated to his secret dream of being a member of HEY!SAY!!JUMP!!! judging by his girlish little photo. )

Anyhow Nishi, karma is a Rosie O'Donnell sized beyotch and I'm afraid you my friend are going to have to pay the tab at the door. Not for doing it..........that's actually a pretty smart move in my opinion......but for blabbing about it on your myspace page.

The Morning after the morning after

Well Verdy won 2-1 after a couple of tense moments and a dodgy PK call by Iemoto. Hiramoto worked the Hulk position to perfection though, assisting on one goal and getting the call on the other.

Seriously though, 3 overturned goals and 1 iffy PK in the two games since VERY Special Referee Iemoto has come back. What a twat.

Anyhow Nick has provided us with another stellar PBP

Here it is

Well I thought the game was great, all action, woodwork rattled aplenty at both ends, a noisy crowd and 3 points in the bag. The whole approach was different from the word go, the previous tactic of "feed Hulk let him go with it and see what happens" was obviously not the plan on yesterday. I thought we showed that we can play a little yesterday. We moved it around well had lots of options going forward and could have scored more. Standouts for me were Hiramoto, Diego and Oguro. All played very well and all 3 involved in both goals. Superb.At the same time though we were a crossbar away from turning 3 points into 1 deep into second half injury time, with a curling free kick from just outside the box beating Doi in about five different ways!! Anyhow, it came back off the bar and was bundled in by Lee (who was a pain for our defence all night by the way).The ref blew for high feet and a bit of wrestling by the erstwhile striker.To be fair to the ref he blew BEFORE the ball was in the net and tv replays show that there was a push and his feet were high. However, I wouldnt have been up in arms if the goal was allowed to stand. 50-50 call which went our way. No comfort to the Reysol support behind the goal though. I hope the ref doesnt live anywhere near Kashiwa thats for sure!! Well what the heck is going on with Hulk then?? There has been no official word from the club that he has gone and the website is reporting on the birth of Hulks first kid, hence him going back to Brazil. The kids new name??? Youve guessed it "Ian". Hows that for a traditional South American name?? Unless his wifes Welsh and loves Ian Rush or something.... the plot thickens, or doesn`t as the case may be.

Nice work as always Nick. And a good win for Verdy. Next up is Jubilo Iwata who might be without their keeper and Captain Kawaguchi.

Reserve Action AHOY

ヴェルディのスターティングメンバーは、
ＧＫ高木、Takagi
ＤＦ吉武 Yoshitake
、飯田 Iida
、新村 Shinmura
、足助 Ashikage
MF
、萩村 Hagimura
、福田 Fukuda
、廣山 Hiroyama
、河野 Kawano
、ＦW
オサマ Osama
飯尾 Iio
。リザーブ ＧＫ鈴木 Suzuki、ＤＦ八塚 Hatsuka(ユース)、大木Ooki(ユース)、ＭＦ三竿(ユース)、ＦＷ井上 Inoue。

Goals were scored in the 66th minute by Kaz Iio and the 87th by Taira Inoue after Verdy had gone down 1-0 at the half

Box score here
http://www.albirex.co.jp/contents/teaminfo/result080721_s.php

HULK WATCH-RETRACTION

Let me backtrack a little. As of today, there has been no official word on Hulk's status as a player for Verdy. All the news I have reported on the subject has been pieced together using Japanese wire services, rumors from other boards and my opinion. While I do believe that we have seen the last of Hulk in green given his lackluster play, recent antics, and events over the past couple of weeks, it is still possible he could turn up next month wearing green and acting like a spoiled child. I think the PSG bid has legs and if I had to bet, I would put my money on that, but Ken Matsushima rightly pointed out on his message board that there has been no official word on the transfer of Hulk to France, Portugal or any other destination. As of this moment he is still a member of Verdy.

Also to make it clear, I have about as much inside knowledge of Verdy as anyone else.....which is to say, none. All of my posts are opinion unless sourced so there you go.

Sorry if I have been misleading.

SG

Pregame Chatter

Here is the lineup for Verdy

GK Doi
DF Tomisawa
DF Nasu
DF Tsuchiya
DF Wada
MF Sugawara
MF Fukunishi
MF Shibasaki
MF Diego
FW Oguro
FW Hiramoto

BENCH
GK Takagi
DF Fukuda
DF Hagimura
MF Ono
MF Kawano
MF Iio
FW El Samni

Who's missing? Oh yes.......Leandro.

In other news, Vissel Kobe was given a 2 man advantage and still could manage only a tie against Consadole Sapporo. The tie means that Sapporo is 2 points out of the relegation promotion spot and 4 points away from catching Verdy, thus putting even more of an impetus on tonight's little get together.

I'm on Vacation and it's getting interesting. Let's hope the Leandro/new foreign imports break before my trip to the USA!

Feel free to post today here.....I will be checking the ticker

You can also see highlights of the Urawa match and future matches here
http://4media.tv/soccer/club/tokyov/

I'll pop in later!

Verdy at the break

Going into the second half of the season, Verdy finds themselves in 14th place, just a breath away from playing VegaltaCerezoMontedioSaganThespaShonan in a pro/rel playoff extravaganza. Let's take a quick look at the HIGHS and LOWS of Verdy J1 2.0.

High Point of the season- Arguably the game against then 1st place Nagoya was the best moment in a rocky first half. Verdy had come off a shelling by.....you guessed it....Kashiwa Reysol and had only one win on the entire season. A loss could have put the team in JEF Chiba territory but the men in green came through with a decent 2-0 effort and turned the season around to go on a nice 4-1-1 streak headed into the June break

Low point of the season-It wasn't the worst loss of the season scoring wise, but the 2-0 loss to Omiya after the break really was the most disheartening for a squad that had some momentum before the respite. After a tumultuos rest which saw 2 of the 3 Brazilians show up very late to training and throw the team into upheaval, the performance by Verdy was a step back. Did Coach Hashiratani lose the squad by failing to crack down on the two erstwhile mercenaries? It was a mess to be sure.

The Dedimar award- Goes to Leandro for being highly touted and offering little but excuses and uninspired performances. The man was brought into create, and create he did.........team turmoil and a poisonous atmosphere leading to bad team chemistry.

New Face Award- Of all the former J Legends to be brought in, the new face of 2008 has to be the youngster Hiroki Kawano. Kawano has managed to notch 2 goals in limited minutes and has produced numerous chances. While his slight build and defensive lapses put the team at risk from time to time, the Verdy youth product has brought excitement and hope back to Ajinomoto. And I'll go ahead and say it, this kid is much better than the more hyped Morimoto but you won't see that in the Japanese press.

MVP Defense- Yukio Tsuchiya has been the only consistent performer on an otherwise mediocre back line. Tsuchiya has disrupted and guarded well for most of the season, only having a few lapses and he's managed to be a presence in the attack on set pieces. A few more centimeters and he would have been a NT mainstay.

MVP Offense- Diego has been the only consistent performer on an otherwise mediocre front line....Deja Vu! No seriously, Hulk has had flashes of brilliance but when you shoot 100 times you should have more to show for it and Diego has nearly matched him in less than half the shots. And Diego has been professional and in shape the whole year. I had my doubts about the big man stepping up to J1 but he has been decent as a creator.

Biggest disappointment not named Hulk- Captain Toshihiro Hattori follow in the footsteps of previous captains Harutaka Ono and Takuya Yamada as guys who are known for being vocal and inspirational and truly out of their depths on the field. If Hattori isn't making an erstwhile cross, he's falling over and letting someone get off a clean shot. The team is filled with guys like this but he is the most noticeable. The policy nest year needs to be no more old dudes from Jubilo's glory days. I'm serious.

The pressure is on- Coach Hashiratani. The whole Hulk mess and Japanese player group sob really has you in a bind. Yokohama F Marinos fired their coach and arguably their squad was in much better shape. I imagine the hairdo will give you about 6 games to get the team to a respectable 10th or 11th before he cuts you out and installs a FANTASTICO big name guy to take your place. A name that starts with Rui and ends with Ramos perhaps?

Grades (on a G scale of 1 to 5....5 being best)

Doi 3 Gs- Decent performance but the age is showing. Why they didn't push harder for Sugeno is beyond me.

Wada 2Gs- Injuries and less than inspired play brings the score down on this former Fulie.

Nasu 2Gs- Another disappointment thus far. Expected more out of him as the big punsher to accent the crafty Tsuchiya

Tsuchiya 4Gs- Ohhhhh, how I wish he had never left Omiya. Good player and one of the better signings for Verdy. That's a veteran signing.

Tomisawa 1G- All around player, meaning he manages to play all positions equally bad. Why is he on the field?

Hattori 1G-Not going to beat a dead horse on this one but I'm not impressed to say the least.

Sugawara 3Gs- Really been a bit of a surprise considering he was pretty poor in J2. Quietly efficient this year and not many mistakes.

Fukunishi 2Gs- I think he is more a case of not having a set position in this team. He's too slow to be on the wings and not good enough to replace Diego up top. Decent player, bad signing.

Ono 1G-Like Fukunishi except without the talent. He's just getting in the way of Shibasaki and Kawano's development. Not a J1 player.

Kawano and Shibasaki 3Gs- Good effort in limited time. Making rookie mistakes but contributing something to the team. I'd love to see more.

Hiroyama 1G- Injuries and erratic play have hampered one of my favorite players. Here's hoping he can turn it around

Iio 2Gs- I haven't noticed him too much so that's probably a good thing.

Leandro 1G- Unbelievably bad signing. Moments of good play surrounded by piles of dreck.

Hiramoto 2Gs- Very limited time, now's your chance to show you are a player..........been waiting for a good 4 years now.

Oguro N/A- Not yet......but soon.

Funakoshi- Just kidding, Bikkuri Donkey has been on the shelf too long to get a grade.

Hulk 0Gs- 7 goals and one huge cancerous tumor have been your contributions to this squad. Bon Voyage Les Enfants Terrible..........I imagine you'll be the Jerry Lewis of soccer with your clownish facial expression and fake cries of anguish and pain. As the Nike saying goes JUST gerard deparDIEU IT.

Hasiratani 1G- I don't blame him for the results so much as his mishandling of the Brazilian situation. The second half needs to be better and the losses by 2 or 3 goals need to be cut down.

Eternal Sunshine of the Clueless mind

Tomorrow is Anpanman day at Ajinomoto stadium and a more fitting theme might not be possible as Verdy faces Chiba nemisis Kashiwa Reysol. As you might remember, Verdy lost in their last meeting against Reysol 5-1.

From the start, results against Reysol haven't been great

Let's take a look

3-25-1995 H Verdy 0-1 Kashiwa L

5-10-1995 A Verdy 1-0 Kashiwa W

9-23-1995 A Verdy 7-1 Kashiwa W

11-15-1995 H Verdy 2-0 Kashiwa W

3-23-1996 H Verdy 2-3 Kashiwa L

10-2-1996 A Verdy 2-1 Kashiwa W

Nabisco Cup Verdy 2-1 Kashiwa Semifinals

7-2-1997 H Verdy 1-3 Kashiwa L

9-27-1997 A Verdy 1-2 Kashiwa L

7-25-1998 H Verdy 1-3 Kashiwa L

11-14-1998 A Verdy 1-2 Kashiwa L

5-22-1999 A Verdy 1-0 Kashiwa W

9-15-1999 H Verdy 1-3 Kashiwa L

3-18-2000 A Verdy 0-1 Kashiwa L

7-1-2000 H Verdy 1-0 Kashiwa W

4-14-2001 H Verdy 1-0 Kashiwa W

9-29-2001 A Verdy 1-1 Kashiwa T

3-31-2002 H Verdy 0-1 Kashiwa L

11-17-2002 A Verdy 1-4 Kashiwa L

7-12-2003 H Verdy 3-1 Kashiwa W

10-19-2003 A Verdy 2-0 Kashiwa L

3-21-2004 H Verdy 0-1 Kashiwa L

11-6-2004 A Verdy 2-0 Kashiwa W

5-14-2005 H Verdy 1-0 Kashiwa W

11-26-2005 A Verdy 1-5 Kashiwa L

4-1-2006 H Verdy 2-3 Kashiwa L

6-10-2006 A Verdy 1-4 Kashiwa L

8-22-2006 H Verdy 4-1 Kashiwa W

10-14-2006 A Verdy 1-4 Kashiwa L

4-19-2008 A Verdy 1-5 Kashiwa L

Not too awful 12-17-1 but recent results have skewed in Kashiwa's favor, including 4 of the last 6 contests being decided by 3 goals or more in Kashiwa's favor. Add to that Verdy's recent run in the past 4 contests (3 losses and a win against JEF reserves) and the loss of big striker Hulk and on paper this looks like a bloodbath.

However, I think tomorrow's contest might be a surprise win. Here's why

1. Kashiwa isn't that good- Seriously, the team that currently resides in 3rd has won alot of 1-0 contests on bad bounces, other team's mistakes and non-calls. Eventually that luck turns the other way. While there is talent on the squad, namely GK Takenori Sugeno and FW Tadanori Ri, the team relies more on physical play and grabbing and eventually that comes to backfire on you. They've had a real nice run but they are due for a drubbing.....and those usually happen when you least expect it.

2. Hulk is gone- Yeah, you read that right. I know it sounds crazy, but losing your morst talented player forces the impetus to create and score on the other members of the team and more often than not they come through.......in the short term. I expect Verdy to come out firing to prove that they were more than a one man show. Look for Hiramoto to be especially good tomorrow.....in the past he has shown he can turn it up for a 1 or 2 game stretch.

3. The team is on notice- After the antics of Hulk finally wore thin, the team is on notice that no one is untouchable on this squad. As a whole, they've been underperforming so today is the day to step it up. I imagine the era of big egos of yesteryear might be coming to a close soon, especially with the noose tightening around Hahiratani's neck. This is all his team now and he has to make sure they respond after the events transpiring in the past few weeks. The players asked for this and now they got what they wanted.

Yahoo Japan has this lineup for tomorrow

GK Doi

DF Tomisawa-Tsuchiya-Nasu-Wada

DMF Sugawara

Branch Fukunishi-Ono

AMF Diego

FW Oguro-Hiramoto

I think Leandro will start for Oguro but have a very short leash. I believe he is soon to be out the door if he doesn't perform. Look for him to be pulled at halftime, benched for the game against Jubilo and out of the J league by August. with his best friend on his way out, I don't see Leandro in green for long.

WAGAMAMA!

It finally hit the fan last night. Today reports out of Verdy camp are that Hulk has gone home to Brazil and has played his last game in the green of Tokyo.

http://www.jsgoal.jp/club/00068000/00068298.html

News stories

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2008/07/18/04.html

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20080718-OHT1T00035.htm

It seems as though Hulk got upset at being taken out of the game and pulled away from Hashiratani after he tried to say good job, showing up his coach in the process.

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2008/07/18/KFullNormal20080718066_p.html

After the game, the meeting between Hashiratani, Kato (the technical director), Team President Hagiwara and Constantine Teo (Hulk, Leandro, and Diego's representative) took place and it was agreed that Hulk would be finished as a Verdy player. Talks have been ongoing for the services of Hulk between Verdy and numerous clubs including Paris SG, who have reportedly put up a 4 million Euro bid (6.7 oku yen). Considering the team bought him for 5oku, you seriously have to consider it, especially since he has made himself known as poison to two clubs now.

While the big striker was contributing at a decent rate (7 goals in 11 games) and opening up chances for other players, his antics were starting to wear down the fabric of Verdy as a team. 90 minute Japanese only meetings, not showing up to practice, putting in petulant and substandard performances against Omiya and Kyoto. It came to the point where either Hashiratani had to go and numerous players who couldn't get along with Hulk or Hulk had to be severed from the squad. Hulk was the choice.

Now it appears that Verdy will have to find a player who can fill the void. Oguro is not the same type of player.....think more of a Washington type of ball hawk. Hiramoto can be, but doesn't show the desire to score on a consistent basis like Hulk. There's also a possibility of a new foreign player coming in during the transfer window......probably Brazilian and not half as good.

So now the team finds itself in 14th place, a collection of stars from yesteryear and youngsters not yet ready for primetime. Where will the goals come from? Who will be the catalyst? No one knows for sure, but this team is now going to have to actually be a team to win and not a collection of one fantastic talent and 10 hangers on.

Oh yeah.....3-2 Urawa on a hat trick by the douchebag.

The effort was there

But unfortunately for Verdy, the finishing was not. After a tumultuos week in which the non-Brazilian members had a meeting with management and Leandro and Hulk were given belated fines for not showing up to training on time, Verdy faced off against fellow strugglers Kyoto Sanga in a game to get some much needed points. Playing in a more traditional spread 4-4-2, Verdy took the field with Leandro and Kawano playing wide. The difference was evident as a much faster Verdy side controlled play for large stretches of play.

29 shots between the two clubs only produced one goal however as Fernandinho hit a streaking Atsushi Yanagisawa who caused the ever increasingly innefective Toshihiro Hattori to fall on his posterior and struck for an easy goal.

The second half saw the debut of Masashi Oguro, who had one nice cross to a hesitant Hulk who was a bit slow in striking.

Overall not a bad effort, especially from the two young mids Kawano and Shibasaki and erstwhile forwards Hiramoto and Leandro.

Clown moment of the game came when Kyoto defender Tatsuya Masushima, taking a note out of the Hattori school of acting dropped like a rock when brushed by Hulk in the box.

TIGHTEN SECURITY

Next up for Verdy is a short trip down the Musashino line to Urawa and the Red stench of Saitama. This game has an interesting undercurrent as Yukio Tsuchiya faces up against the man who he put out of action for a year with an erstwhile tackle. Tsuchiya didn't face the Reds when Tanaka came back, having been pulled out with injury. A story floating around Omiya is that Tsuchiya left for Verdy because of increasing harassment of himself and his family during his one year stint in orange so I imagine the atmosphere will be a little tense.

During the weekend, Verdy comes home to face Kashiwa in a biannual bludgeoning by the yellow thugs of Chiba prefeture. Good news though, the 20th will be An-pan-man day so when Kashiwa is putting up their 5th goal against Verdy.........again.......you can at least be happy with the fact that you got a free An-pan-man file folder or whatever the hell they are going to foist upon the unsuspecting fans at this seedy affair.

ODDS OF CROWD CONFRONTATIONS

Urawa 30%
Kashiwa 10%

Look in the mirror

Can anybody tell me what the difference is between Verdy and today's guest Kyoto? It is like looking in the mirror in alot of ways. Both teams came up from the depths of J2 to return to top level soccer. Both have brought in big names from the past and present to bolster their squads. Kyoto with Sidiclei, Sato, Fernandinho, Mizumoto, and Yanagisawa. Verdy with Tsuchiya, Doi, Fukunishi, Hulk, and now Oguro. Both have had Rui Ramos and Kazu Miura gracing us with their presence in green and purple. Both have had to watch Harutaka Ono stumble around for 9o minutes. And both have been led by a Hashiratani.

Today sees two teams with high expectations and lower results. Verdy is coming off one of their better performances with a 3-0 dismantling of bottom barrel JEF Chiba while Sanga returns after a 1-1 tie to Oita. Seemingly every game this year is a must-win for positioning and both teams look to get a win to distance themselves from relegation.

All reports are that Masashi Oguro will make some of apperance in today's contest. Questions remain about the fitness and confidence level of the former goal king. I imagine he won't be in the best shape, but getting on the field probably is the most important thing today.

THE LINEUP

GK DOI

DF Tomisawa-Tsuchiya-Nasu-Hattori

DM Sugawara

Wings Fukunishi Shibasaki

OM Leandro

FW Hulk Hiramoto

(Yahoo has said Oguro, El Golazo calls it for Hiramoto. I'm gonna say he comes in early second half for the emotional lift)

KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Shut down Fernandinho early
2. Run-run-run
3. Control the midfield

VERDY signs another for the future

Meiji University midfielder Masato Fujita is the second commitment for 2009. That is all

KNOCK OUT!!!!!!!!!!

Verdy crushed JEF Chiba........this was one of the first games I've seen where a 3-0 scoreline doesn't do the game justice. Seriously JEF, you could bring in Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Sir Alex, and Arsene as a technical director and you aren't gonna get a result with that woeful squad on Saturday.

After 45 minutes of slipping and sliding around, Hashiratani made the switch of Harutaka Ono for Shibasaki and it paid off. Hulk started the bloodletting with a 35 meter rocket shot against JEF's woeful keeper and it went downhill from there. Shibasaki and Diego added to the count and it was over.

The only bad news out of the game was that Diego will be out for the game against Kyoto who tied Oita 1-1.

In other news, Verdy picked up their first win in the Sattelite campaign with a 3-2 win in Niigata.
Osama El Samni notched one and Kawano picked up 2 more before Albirex got two back late.

Kappa Derby part deux-Chiba time

The mighty men of green come home after a dismal performance against the little squirrels of Omiya to face a bottom sitting but newly resurgent JEF Chiba squad. Since new man Alex Miller has taken over the wheel, the Chibains (Chibese? Chibish? ) have been undefeated. However Nagoya took the first leg 1-0 on an early goal by Norwegian striker Frode Jonsen.

Recent rumblings from Hashiratani have pointed to the fact that the once solid pencling in of DHL is now not so certain. New signing Masashi Oguro and benchers Kaz Iio and Kazuki Hiramoto could possibly see some time as starters in future contests. Oguro has been ruled out for today's match and will make his debut against Kyoto on the 12th.

Yahoo has the same lineup as last weeks game against Omiya going for Verdy.

A loss could see the squad back in the uncomfortable position of relegation playoff with a tiny bit of breathing room from the bottom. A win could push the squad back up in the top 10.

TEST THESPA

If you haven't been paying attention, the mighty Thespans of Kusatsu have jumped up to a solid 5th in J2. A win today, combined with a loss or tie by Vegalta and Cerezo would see the 3rd year J2 squad reach the unbelievable heights of promotion playoff. Seriously unbelievable and I think probably illegal.......somebody better get some white cups and plenty of liquids cause the J league is gonna need a sample.

Seriously, can't you picture random boy band starring in a story about a little team who works in a hot spring during the day and plays their hearts out at night for the chance to be in J1. Then they go to ASIA and face off against random rich Middle East team and finally they play Manchester United and become Champions of the world......TV drama with some insufferable SMAP guy as coach and freaky foreign talent as well. Maybe they can call it SPABOYS or something dumb like that.

Big Signing day

Verdy finally got the striker they wanted today. That's right Meiji Universities own Kyohei Hayashi signed with the squad for next year. Hayashi was a product of the Verdy youth system and made the Kanto league best 11 team. Good signing for the future.

Kawano becomes a man

Actually, he becomes a better paid man, qualifying for his A contract after accruing enough minutes to be a full fledged J leaguer. Nice job!

Weekly Soccer Digest name 3 to the weeks worst 11

Leandro, Daisuke Nasu, and Tomo Sugawara all found themselves in the wheezing 11. I would have found a place for Hulk too but they seem to be nicer.

Oguro thoughts

If the reports from Sponichi are to be believed, Verdy signed Oguro to a 3 year, 700,000,000 yen deal. http://sports.yahoo.co.jp/news/20080701-00000025-spn-spo.html

Maybe it's a tad high, but they did get a proven goalscorer in J league competition, albeit 2005 J league competition. And one wonders what 2 years of frustration and inaction has done to the big mans psyche.

A more perplexing pattern is that of Verdy's blast to the past of signing big name stars of yesteryear whether or not they fit into the team mold. Hattori, Doi, Fukunishi......former National teamers who have seen better days. Now Oguro. If it works, it will be a sight to see......if it doesn't, well 2005 comes to mind. And not in a good Gamba way but a bad Ossie Ardilles 7-0 way. Where's Kazuyuki Toda when you need him?

OH YEAH.....

That was Toda huffing and puffing in bright yellow for JEF Chiba the other day. Toda is quickly becoming Exotic Terminater 2.0, helping to see another squad down to relegation land. Granted, they were bad before he came around but 50 minutes of uninspired chugging against a 10 man Gas Attack didn't dispell any notions about the sell-by date of this old hash.

Yokohama FC, the next stop?

Help is on the way?

Sponichi Annex is reporting that former NT player and goal leader of Gamba's incredible championship run is possibly ready to make up his mind about his next team.

It could happen tonight according to the article and Verdy is the likely destination

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2008/06/30/12.html

Everything goes well and Oguro could be suited up for July games.

How I'd use him

Hulk Oguro

Diego

Kawano Leandro

Fukunishi Sugawara

Hattori Nasu Tsuchiya

Doi

Almost a 5-5 and speed is finally on the wings. The middle is a bit slow but there's coverage.

Good signing and maybe you even think about jettisoning Leandro for a good strong foreign presence in the back or center......like Ze Luis except talented and skilled.

Let me get this off my chest.....

Seriously, this isn't going to be a report so much as a rant.

Today saw a team bear all of it's flaws in one ugly picture. While one could say the back line was not at full speed with the insertion of a plodding and ineffective Tomisawa in for Wada or that Verdy was hard done by an ineffective and indecisive official, the end result was that this team showed a lack of heart at the top of the offense and a lack of speed in the middle and back. While the stats say that Verdy dominated play, they didn't. A couple of nice stretches were surronded by garbage, especially with the two formerly AWOL Brazilian strikers Hulk and Leandro.

Seriously, when you aren't getting calls and your team is down, whining isn't going to get you any favors.........you sack up and play. The difference in the two offenses were Denis Marquez whined for a bit, saw it wasn't going to fly with Hellen Keller with a whistle and put two in the back of the net, Hulk on the other hand did everything but play today. Leandro meanwhile did little better but showed at least a passing interest in the game, playing some decent defense and getting a couple deep runs in the box. Actually, the two most dangerous chances for Verdy came from Yukio Tsuchiya and Seitaro Tomisawa, who bounced shots of the post and crossbar respectively.

Unfortunately, the defense was Brokeback more than Jake Glyllenhall on the prarie, allowing numerous Omiya players chances in the box. I'm not sure if playing two slow wingbacks in Hattori and Tomisawa along with two plodders in the midfield in Ono and Fukunishi is really a sound strategy. And after today, I'm not sure if playing two talented but uninterested Brazilian strikers is better than playing two less talented but fully motivated strikers in Kaz Iio and Kazuki Hiramoto, neither of which thrills me in the least. Hiramoto was hard done late when on a breakaway, he was grabbed by the arm in the box by I believe the always disastrous Yosuke Kataoka and given on a free kick instead of a PK. Part of the blame goes to a completely useless official who let both sides get away with murder. The other part of the blame lies with Verdy themselves, who argued and whined constantly all game.......watching Hattori go down like he was hit by sniper fire after Leandro barely touched him was embarassing. And Hulk, Diego, and Leandro got way too close to the official, making a decent amount of contact...........a more assertive ref would have red carded at least two of them and the league would have slapped 3 more games on for good measure.

This should be a wakeup call for a team who had a nice bit of momentum going into the last break. When this team of veterans shuts up and plays, they can beat almost anyone. However when they choose to cry in the most Urawaesque fashion, they deserve to get beat .

Time to play for the shirt.

SOILENT DERBY!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow marks the first Soilent Green Derby. Why is it named Soilent Green Derby? Because I'm the only one that probably actually gives a rat's ass about this game.

Quick facts for those at home.

Tokyo Verdy has played Omiya twice in league play, both times in 2005. Verdy took a 3-2 victory at the forerunner to NACK5 Stadium, Omiya Koen.

The return match saw a late goal by Tuto tie up the game and give Omiya a point. This was the first game for Verdy after humiliating Real Madrid and Fiorentina in back to back friendlies.

Verdy has one former Omiya player, DF Yukio Tsuchiya, who should expect a real warm welcome from the Omiya faithful after bailing out on the squad for a division 2 team after only one year.

Omiya boasts 4 former Verdy men, including Daigo and Yoshiyuki Kobayashi, Naoto Sakurai, and Shin Kanazawa.

Tokyo Verdy has had a tumultuos break, with two of their 3 star Brazilians, Hulk and Leandro showing up late to training camp after Nabisco Cup action. News reports have implied that one or both might not be on the field at the start of the game as a means of discipline.

El Golazo posted this lineup for both squads

GK Omiya EZUMI Verdy DOI

If you had asked me 2 years ago, I could have easily answered Doi was the better of the two keepers, but Ezumi has been great between the sticks while Doi has been prone to let up a ton once in a while. Doi however usually turns in a good performance against Verdy.

I give the slight advantage to Omiya

DF Tanaka, Tomita, Leandro, Hato OMIYA Hattori, Nasu, Tsuchiya, Tomisawa VERDY

Both teams try out new wing backs in Tanaka and Tomisawa. I think Omiya is stronger in the middle and maybe Verdy has the edge on the wings. Both teams tend to make mental errors....note this is a matchup of 1 and 2 when it comes to own goals.

Slight nod goes to Verdy on this one.....Hattori is better on the wing than either Omiya player and distribution is key.

MF Kobayashi D and Y, Saeki, Fujimoto OMIYA Ono, Diego, Hattori, Sugawara VERDY

Offensively Verdy gets the advantage, Diego and Fukunishi have been in form as of late. Defensively it's a push, Yoshiyuki is the best midfielder of the 8 right now. If Daigo and Fujimoto can get something going, it will be a long day for tired wheels of Ono and Fukunishi. Saeki and Sugawara are both retreads from Vissel who are limited in range and skill......if they weren't wearing different unis, I doubt you could tell them apart.

Advantage-PUSH

FW Denis Marquez, Yoshihara OMIYA ???????????? VERDY

Who knows if it's Hulk and Leandro or Hiramoto and Iio. Omiya boasts the more creative player in Denis. Verdy counters with the most prolific one in Hulk.

NO CALL

Sparkplug Tokita OMIYA Kawano VERDY

Both players have come from the depths to be fresh faces on older squads. Kawano might be the best prospect to come out of the youth system, ever and Tokita has improved by leaps and bounds from the start of the season.

Advantage VERDY- Kawano is a truly special player and could be a great one. Tokita is a hustler but can't match what the kid brings.

WARHORSE Saito OMIYA Hiroyama VERDY

I have to give this one to Saito because Hiroyama has struggled with fitness all year, but both players have done whatever it takes to fill in any role for their squad. Saito has been better this year.

Advantage OMIYA

Intangibles- Verdy is coming in with secret practices and AWOL Brazilians. Omiya is playing in Kumagaya, where to be blunt, they suck. Add to the fact that they ahve never grabbed a point in J1 against a Tokyo squad in Saitama and you can see trouble is a brewin. Plus Kumagaya sucks.

Advantage VERDY

Coaches Higuchi OMIYA Hashiratani VERDY

Push- both seem to not adapt too much to change, keeping their own styles. They seem very similar so I'm not sure either will have an effect.

Final prediction Omiya gets the win. Daigo gets off the schnide and puts in one goal and 2 assists, including one to Morita. Hulk gets the one for Verdy.

Oguro in, Hulk out, and Kyoto has a new player personnel director?

Well, long time no see to all of you readers out in Verdy land. Sorry, just couldn't get enthused about writing about Nabisco cup or the 35th installment of embarassing ways to lose to FC Tokyo Gas donkey punchers united 1998 or whatever they call the other team in Ajinomoto these days.

Anyhow, Sponichi Annex dropped this little bomb this morning

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2008/06/22/08.html

And a few days ago this was posted by Sports Hochi

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20080618-OHT1T00070.htm

Well to sum up, the rumor is that Hulk might go to France and play for Marseilles. Other teams mentioned include Sporting and Porto in Portugal and Atletico Madrid in La Liga. The other player mentioned to be leaving for other opportunities would be Leandro, which in my opinion might not be such a bad thing. He has been for the most part a bust and leaving would open up a spot for a new player who could adjust better to the J league.

The new bit of information was the teams interest in Oguro, formerly of Gamba and recently a giant bust in Serie A. Who knows if he has anything left in the tank but he was a guy who could put massive goals on the board and if Verdy were to keep him with Hulk, there could be some goal records set if he can regain his form.


KYOTO'S NEW PERSONNEL DIRECTOR.....

Sources around the league have disclosed to me the identity of th new man running Kyoto's FO. After the recent signings of Fernandinho from Shimizu and U-23 defender Mizumoto, I was curious to see who the mastermind was.

It's Satan.

DERBY DAY PART DEUX

Sunday sees the two tenants of Ajinomoto square off for the 15th time in both clubs history as Verdy and FC Tokyo square off in Nabisco Cup group play.

Some facts

FC Tokyo have dominated not only the Nabisco Cup matchups (3-0-0, including a knockout of Verdy on their way to the Nabisco Cup championship) but the matchup in general (9-2-3 in total)

Satoru Asari and Ryuji Fujiyama are the FC Tokyo players to be with the squad for all the derby matches.

Yoichi Doi has been at all of the games but this will be his second as a Verdy keeper.

Yoshinari Takagi and Kazuki Hiramoto both have been squad members for all of the games for Verdy.

Verdy have all the players who have appeared for both squads in the Tokyo Derby (Doi, Shibasaki, Fukunishi,)

THE LINEUP

Verdy looks to play a full strength squad against an FC Tokyo team missing 3 for the NT callups

Look for the DHL trio up top

A midfield of Ono, Fukunishi, and Sugawara

The defense of Hattori, Nasu, Tsuchiya, and Wada

Doi in the net

A loss would most certainly doom Verdy to elimination in the glorified Satellite cup.

ACL behaving badly

Well, the good news is J League teams all advanced to the quarterfinals of the ACL with the recent 4-0 win for Kashima. The bad news is that all three squads have found themselves on the wrong side of attention grabbing headlines with the arrest of two Antler players for DUI. the players, who shall remain nameless because I'm too damn lazy to look up their names are suspended for the rest of the season after the arrest. Meanwhile, no word on penalties for the girlfight that took place between Gamba and Urawa.

Finally

Dokool, our resident FCT sycophant dared to challenge me on the use of icons by teams around the world. While technically he is correct that most teams use symbols that have nothing to do with their squads for their own personal glory, my point was that using the symbol of populist struggle and revolution for the poor and downtrodden is really weak considering that Urawa is by far the richest and most powerful club in Japan and probably east Asia as well.

So suck it Gasman!!!!!!!!!

(eh, he's probably right)

SWEET SASSY MOLASSY, IT'S RAINING GOALS

Hulk notches 2, Leandro bags 1, and the glorious gods of self-inflicted wounds decide to bestow their bountiful feasts of misery and angst upon another unsuspecting victim by gifting Verdy their first own goal in reverse (I don't know what this sentence means either but Shimizu scored upon themselves).

BTW, if you are keeping track at home, Verdy is now tied with Omiya for own goals in all competitions with 3. However, Omiya did get one of those in Nabisco Cup play so Verdy is the leader going into the clubhouse.

Wait a minute.......this just in, Verdy indeed scored upon themselves at the end to boost their tally up to 4, so yes Verdy is the undisputed leader of self-immolation (God, I hope I used that word right).

Final score 4-1 Verdy, who find themselves up in the lofty position of 11th and 1 full game out of the relegation seat. In a weird turn of events, only 6 points seperates 16th place Jubilo from 4th place.....ahhh, hell, let's call it Kawasaki.

PANIC ON THE STREETS OF URAAAAWA, PANIC ON THE STREETS OF OSAKA...

I wonder to myself, are there two bigger groups of self important twats than Gamba fans and Urawa supporters? Guess I should be proud that our little league is "growing up" and acting like tools in Europe but I think the whole thing is pretty lame.

Hey, Gamba fans.....stop throwing crap at children, allright. You aren't at a Hanshin game in your lame little tiger pajamas. And BTW, game 13 isn't really the time to act like you just won the Champions League.

Urawa fan........nice charge of the gates and WOW how neat is it that you waited outside in the parking lot like a 13 year old after school because someone dissed your peeps. This whole fake "hard man" act was boring long ago, using F@#$ in your signs while crying about Kashima doing the same thing.......better than you, The display of a Confederate flag and Che Guevara (While ironically standing for everything he would hate) the droning chant and constant whining and booing when things don't go your way. The term douchebag comes to mind. And really, Tulio giving a lecture on FAIR PLAY and sportsmanship. That greasy diva is bent over on the ground more than a Thai ladyboy in a half-off sale. Ref baiting clowns should not be speaking about sporting etiquette, ever.

This is what will happen. Nothing. Ohhhhh, Omiya fans will be frisked when they come in because they might have an errant pet bottle and I'll have to pay 500 yen for a warm cup of Qoo but neither team will feel any repurcussions.

So yeah, when it comes down to it, it's not the J League who is harmed or either team or the fans or even the kid who was maimed by the pet bottle.........it's me. Soilent Green is the real victim in all of this because I can't have a friggin Diet Coke while I watch the game. I wasn't even at the game and I'm the only one that gets punished..............unbelievable.

MEDIA WHORE

I'm not really sure who was the bigger media whore in Verdy camp last week as a bunch of old J League legends took on the Verdy reserves in an epic 3-2 battle. Two of the ancient warriors were vying for most annoying ever.

Suspect #1 is the always moody Hide Nakata, who put in a good showing against marginal talent, chipping in 2 assists for the losing side. While Nakata has said he's tired of the limelight, it seems as though he keeps popping up when you least expect it, like the shy girl in the pretty prom dress who keeps asking, "Do I Look fat?" . While his intentions of playing an exhibition with the likes of Motohiro Yamaguchi and Daisuke Oku for charity are admirable, one wonders if he really does just miss the attention. I'd say yes.

Suspect #2 Ruy Ramos- Never one to miss an opportunity for attention, the hairdo has said that he would like to sign Nakata and play him in August. Overlooking the fact that Nakata is a 30 something midfielder who hasn't played in 2 years, adding an ego to a squad filled with them would surely cause a riot of epic proportions.

http://jp.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=697829

Anyhow, here is the goal writeup........I think Nakata will be in a Bellmare uniform by next year, but that's just me.

Lost Weekend

Well, The DHL era took a bump with the 2-0 loss to the malformed turtles of Oita. I'm not sure what was worse, letting in a goal to the nappily coiffed Edmilson or scoring a goal on your own team. Either way, it was predictible that Verdy would lose after travelling the length of Japan to play a well rested squad.

To make matters worse, Verdy hosted Omiya in a satellite math today and were thouroughly spanked 3-0. The lineup was as follows

GK：高木 Takagi
DF：福田 Fukuda、飯田 Iida、足助 Asuke、和田Wada (youth)（ユース）MF：柴崎（晃）Shibasaki 、新村 Shinmura、廣山Hiroyama、河野 Kawano FW：井上 Inoue、飯尾 Iio SUB：柴崎（貴 Shibasaki、宮坂 Miyasaka、吉武 Yoshitake 、エルサムニー El Samni、平本 Hiramoto＜交代＞62分：井上ＯＵＴ　エルサムニーＩＮ82分：飯尾ＯＵＴ　平本ＩＮ

Goals were scored by Taishi Tsukamoto, Hiroshi Morita, and Masahiko Ichikawa in the first Sat matches for both squads.

Next week finds Verdy in a relegation position match with Shimizu S Pulse. the last time the squads faced off, Shimizu came away with 5 goals to bludgeon the green in a Nabisco Cup affair.

OFF TOPIC:JEF Chiba-OFF THE RAILS

After 1/3 of the season, JEF Chiba has decided to pull the plug on the Josip Kuse experience, firing the Croatian gaffer after an awful 0-2-9 start. My question though is this.....when are they gonna sack the FO? As far as I know, former Captain of the Green Titanic, Tadashi Karai is still in charge of all the personnel moves for JEF Chiba.

You might remember Karai as the man moving the deck chairs when all the young talent was fleeing Verdy for greener (no pun intended) pastures in.....well....mostly Saitama but you get the picture.

http://brilliantomiya.blogspot.com/2006/12/verdy-gm-moves-to-chiba.html

If you've missed Karai's work with Chiba, here it is.

Kept Osim's dimwitted son
Lost captain Yuki Abe to Urawa in a bidding war.
Got rid of mainstay defender Ilian Stoyanov after he got in a fight with Osim's dimwitted son.
Picked up useless foreign flopper Djorjevic and semi-useless striker Reinaldo on the cheap as well as erratic FW Tatsunori Arai. Erratic and semi-useless are still with the team.
Watched the team finish 13th.
Let Koki Mizuno go to Celtic
Lost in bidding wars for Hiroki Mizumoto (Gamba), Naotake Hanyu (FC Tokyo), Satoru Yamagishi (Frontale), and captain Yuto Sato (Kyoto).
Brought in molasses slow Eddy Bosnar and Drukovic, who possibly could be the worst player in J1 not named Takuro Nishimura.

But JEF reserves looks awesome right now.......actually Kuse wasn't a bad move. When I saw the team play Omiya, it was a group of young players pressing and attacking and clawing their way to an even score. The woeful backline and decrepit keeper were the problems in that game. The one "national teamer" that did stay around, Seichiro Maki, has done absolutely nothing and might be the biggest loser in this whole trainwreck of a season.

Bring in someone new though.....that should get you one whiff of fresh air before you realize your franchise is filled with rot. Bring in another foreign retread who doesn't have much of a clue about the J League. I'm sure Bora Milutnovic is waiting by the phone. Better yet, see if Avispa will swap you coaches. Maybe you can turn Petey Littbarski into your own little yellow Pixy and hope the fans feel natsukashii about the whole thing.

Your trains suck and your fans don't deserve this crap. Knock it off and do the right thing.......resign.

Oitans 11

Oh god.......I've been waiting 3 years to unleash that stupid title and today is the day! Huzzah!

Anyhow, Verdy demolished a quickly sinking Consadole side 3-1. The scoring started early when Leandro finally got his name in the books with a goal. The two Brazilians, Diego and Hulk also chipped in goals to build a big lead before Claiton stole one back.

The mean green outshot their promotion brethren 25-4. Actually this has been a pattern for Consadole with games of 20-6 (versus Urawa in a 4-2 loss) and 20-4 (against Kyoto in a 1-0 defeat). To be fair to the little birds from the north, they have had a schedule which has taken them from Sapporo to Urawa, Urawa down to Kyoto, and back up to Sapporo in the span of 10 days. Compare that with a team like FC Tokyo, whose farthest trip was a two hour train ride down to Shizuoka during the 10 day span and you can see why some teams look much better than others. It also probably has to do with talent and management as well, but the schedule has done Sapporo no favors.

Speaking of favors, Verdy gets to now travel to the lowest depths of J hell when they venture to take on the malformed tortoises of Kyuushu, Oita Trinita. For their part, Oita followed up a home win against Yokohama F Marinos with ummm nothing. They had the holiday off because the team they play (Gamba?) will take part in a death match in the ACL. Oita has been one of the more, shall we say, physical teams in the J league and it's worked for them......especially at home. Look for them to smack a couple people in the pie hole before it's all said and done. MF Muu Kanazaki has been really good for Oita and they seem to play their best in front of the home mongrels so this one is gonna be very tough. Add to that the absence of central defender Daisuke Nasu (due to yellow accumulation) and we could see some big scoring in this one.

Hulk has to get off early and not let the antics of Hobert or Edmilson get him into some stupid cards. That will be the key to the game.

Hell Week

Well, really hell days. The oh so wise schedule makers at J League headquarters decided it would be grand to send Verdy on a little tour of Japan. Tomorrow finds team green headed north to Sapporo to take on fellow 2007 J league risers Consadole Sapporo in a Kappa Derby. Consadole has struggled to find the right mix in J1, finding themselves in 17th.

On Saturday, Verdy heads south to Oita, who due to a scheduling quirk, gets a week long rest to recuperate and wait for Verdy to come in. One concern for Verdy is the accumulating yellows. Currently Hattori, Wada, and Diego all sit on 3 yellows apiece, so a rugged game could see a rather unique lineup in Kyuushu. Expect Oita to rough it up a bit against the older and more tired Verdy squad.

A Classico indeed!!!!!!

In probably the most exciting game so far for fans of the mean green, Verdy notched 3 goals and held on to win against a very talented Yokohama Marinos side. Goals were scored by Hulk, Diego, and Takashi Furuhashi to propel the squad up to 15th with 11 points.

Yoku Dekimashita!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE HEAT INDEX.......Bottom's up in April

We will go in reverse order this month to reserve the surprise until the end.

18th. JEF Chiba- The once proud franchise is in shambles following numerous defections, Osim's son, and the hiring of the idiot that presided over Verdy's relegation campaign. Oh yeah.......your trains suck too.

17th. Consadole Sapporo- It's a bad sign for Toshiya Miura and company that the squad has come out with a very slow start. The M.O. on Miura squads is a strong start followed by a swoon in summer. Claiton has been great, the rest......meh.

16th. Albirex Niigata- I'm sorry but losing 3-1 to Oita seriously does you no favors in the heat index. 2 wins based on dodgy calls from the oh so consistent and noble judges help keep the third orange team from straight danger.

15th. Kashiwa Reysol- I thought Fransa was only a bad hairdo and a free kick now and then but this team needs him badly. Not sure what they are gonna do until the obasan comes back. Popo has been a disaster.

14th. Shimizu S Pulse- Signs of shaking off the rust are showing with wins over Kashiwa on the road and FC Tokyo at home. Still need a scorer though. Hey, didn't Anderson used to be on your team?

13th. Tokyo Verdy- Shook off a big loss to Kashiwa by beating Nagoya and Yokohama at home and tying up Niigata on the road. Hulk makes this a very different team.

12th. Kyoto Sanga- Unfortunately more a victim of bad luck than bad play........oh, there's another red card.

11th. Oita Trinita- Mu Kanazaki is making them forget about Umesaki. What are the odds he'll be sitting on the bench for Gamba next year?

10th. Jubilo Iwata- Gilsinho has helped the squad to their normal level of mediocrity. What has happened to the NT's? Seriously, what's going on in Shizuoka?

9th. Omiya Ardija- Perfect storm of tired legs and an opportunistic opponent caused humiliation. Looks like the boys are gonna have to tighten up the d and scratch some points out in the next couple of weeks.

8th- Yokohama F Marinos- Roni is showing signs of life but Lopes has been disappointing. The effort is there but the results less so.

7th- Nagoya Grampus- As is their MO, they have fallen back to earth. We get to see what kind of coach Pixy truly is........is he Arsene or Ruy?

6th-Gamba Osaka- This rating goes more on the strength of their play in the ACL. Tough loss to Omiya was followed up by a nice win against Nagoya.

5th-Kawasaki Frontale- Shaking off the after effects of their coach quitting and the Hulk debacle to pick up some results. Looks like they are scoring again as well.

4th- Vissel Kobe- Playing some nice football without scorer Leandro. They're also 4th because I forgot about them and don't really want to go back and change it. Maybe 8th.

3rd-Urawa Reds- Better to be lucky than good, although they did wallop Sapporo.

2nd- Kashima Antlers- Well boys, you wanted to go to Asia........now you're feeling the burn.
Marquinhos health also seems to be a concern.

1st- Tokyo Gas FC- Makes me a little sick too but they earned it. The good thing is they don't crown champs in May but they are good. Cabore is a player. Hirayama is a slug.

CLASSICO!!!!!!

Since the days of JSL, a long standing rivalry has been in effect between the two entities known as Yokohama F Marinos and Tokyo Verdy. It was only fitting that the very first J League game was played between the former Nissan FC and Yomiuri FC. On that first day, Verdy got the first goal but Yokohama got the win. 32 league matches later, Verdy finds itself on the short end of the rivalry and a definite underdog for tomorrow's match.

So after a two year plus hiatus, the Classico is back on. While some of the shine is off the rivalry with the additions of Kawasaki Frontale and FC Tokyo, not to mention the rapid decline of Verdy and the slow fade of Marinos, don't be fooled into thinking that both teams don't care about the win. This is a rivalry.

Currently, 3 players for the Tricolore once donned green, including the superb NT defender Yuji Nakazawa, who left for Yokohama under circumstances that will never be forgiven amongst the old soldiers in the stands. Verdy counters with recent signing, DF Daisuke Nasu, who has been a bright spot amongst a disappointing class of reinforcements.

Both squads play a triangle type of offense with large Brazilian mids serving as the rudder for the offense (Marinos-Lopes, Verdy-Diego). Both have Brazilian forwards who have been disappointing so far. The difference between the two is the quality of the midfield. Yokohama has relied on speed and good ball control to keep the team going. Verdy meanwhile has struggled to ingrain the former FC Tokyo man Takashi Fukunishi into the scheme comfortably. Recently, fans have seen the reemergence of former J2 captain Harutaka Ono into the plans of Hashiratani and company and the results (1 win and 1 tie) have been promising.

Anyhow, the potential lineup (according to El Golazo and Yahoo.Jp) looks a little like this

Hulk Leandro

Diego

Ono Fukunishi

Sugawara

Hattori Nasu Tsuchiya Wada

Doi

TWO OUT FOR THREE

Yuzo Funakoshi and Kojiro Kaimoto are both being shut down for 3 months due to various injuries. Nothin else to say, really.......I'm sure Nick is heartbroken.

Finally, that Takuya Yamada uniform is still up for sale with NO BIDS.........I'm shocked and frankly disappointed that no one here has put up the cash for that little treasure. I'm also mildly contemplating attending the match on the 18th between Verdy and Shimizu.....which has been pushed back to 6pm because somebody tried to blow up Chofu I guess..............I gotta be honest, I'm not really against blowing up Chofu....it's far and I don't like it that much. I'd rather they play in that place that holds 5000 people and has one bathroom.

Well..........ecstasy

Watched the game last night at ohhh 3am and saw what happened.

Verdy looked real chippy, taking Nagoya on at every turn. while in the first half it looked like Nagoya had the better of play, Verdy held their own. One sign that had me worried was a lack of skill on their short passing game. It seemed like the midfield was giving up way too many turnovers with lazy passes.

The second half saw Hattori float one in the box to Diego, who stumbled, causing the Nagoya defender to lose his footing and fall down. Diego recovered and put in a fairly tepid shot which Narazaki reacted far too late to and Verdy scored. Very soft goal. Diego then started crying for some unknown reason which kinda freaked me out.

The second goal was a thing of beauty. Wada boomed one from about the half line and sent it into the box for the pre-pubescent Kawano, who got past his man and headed a rocket past Narazaki. Great goal, excellent effort and nice cross. That kid is a pretty special player.

Oh, yes.......3 points at home for Verdy which puts them in 16th. Also it puts them in first in the Kappa standings with the loss by Consadole.

Next week is a Tuesday match away to Albirex Niigata. Hulk and Tomisawa will be back. Fukunishi will be out with card accumulation. He kinda gets on my nerves with his complaining. Between him and Hulk, Verdy should see alot of cards this year.

2 hours till agony or ecstasy.

I've looked at the lineup for today's match against Nagoya......I'm gonna go with agony.

Here is the Yahoo prediction.

Iio (goal machine that he is)

Leandro (Maybe Verdy can get Francisimare back?)

Diego (Eventually he will start to score.......what year is unknown)

Ono (Speed kills..........so he's about as dangerous as a kitten)

Sugawara (He's still on the team?)

Fukunishi (This year's Nanami? Has not done much as of yet and he would be the bookend kitten to match Ono)

Wada (Wada.........you doing? I dunno but defense isn't one of the things)

Tsuchiya (has he finally hit the wall? Is he marginal now in J1? )

Nasu (Actually solid in the middle.....remember Hagimura is waiting)

Hattori (Is he this year's......ummm....Hattori?)

Doi (Does anyone else think that maybe it would have been better for someone like Kashiwa to sign him as a good backup and let Sugeno come here...........he's adequate but not really that great. It seems like he would be a good starter for an up and coming J2 team instead of one on the cusp of falling down)

Oh yeah, you are also playing the hottest team in Japan at the moment. Super!

Guests From other teams

Welcome! I actually love having visitors from other teams come in and voice their opinions. 2 things though............1. Try to watch the language a bit. Not real pleased to read F#$$$$ or S### on the comments. I'm not against the blue language but it looks a little unclassy shall we say (And this site is nothing if not classy......LOVEDOLL ahoy!!!!!) 2. Try and keep the (what do the kids call it these days? ) aggro down to a minimum......when did I become "BIG VERDY SOCCER"? The banter and smack talk are fine but please keep the hate down to a respectable level........I guess this goes for everyone. Again Bienvenue and welcome!

Finally......Christmas comes early

Saw this little gem on Yahoo Auctions

http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r41030504

For only 248,000 yen you too can soak up the aura and scent of the AOD himself, Takuya Yamada. Dress up like the Exotic Terminater and pretend you too are going to battle to defend Yomiuri Nippon Verdy Kawasaki Chofu 1969 FC against the likes of Yokohama and ummm, Yokohama.

If anybody buys this you must take a picture of yourself in the full attire and after I'm done laughing, I will post in on the site......and laugh some more!

All over but the pouting

Days like this happen............after coming off a 5-0 pasting at the hands of Shimizu, Verdy ventured to Chiba to meet their nemesis, a lackluster Kashiwa Reysol side. And like in many games of the past, they got their taint force fed to them.

Didn't see the game, but I imagine after playing a defensive 4-5-1, letting in goals means there is a flaw with the team as a whole. Maybe it's a case of meeting a tough matchup on a bad day and getting snowballed by a confluence of bad events. Or maybe the team is built in the mold of squads like Yokohama FC and Vissel Kobe, a collection of old players past their seel by date and young guys not quite ready to turn the corner sprinkled in with marginal talent who really shouldn't be in the league. Or maybe the team just needs a catalyst who can spur them to greater things on any given night.......like Hulk.

Whatever the case may be, Coach Hashiratani and crew need to straighten things out and quick because the gap between J1 squads in 2009 and those that won't be got a touch bigger yesterday and players like Doi, Hattori, Fukunishi, Ono, Tsuchiya, and Hiroyama aren't getting any younger.

And like clockwork, the schedule does no favors for teams that need it the most as a surprisingly resurgent Nagoya Grampus comes into town on Saturday to add insult to injury. Hulk will be serving game 3 of his suspension so I assume the donkey will be front and center for this nasty little affair. Personally, I think the team needs to go 3-5-2 with a Diego/Hiramoto pairing up top or 3-6-1 with Hiramoto as the point of the spear.

My vision


Hiramoto

Leandro Diego

Komano Fukunishi

Ono Hattori

Wada Nasu Tsuchiya

Doi

Against Nagoya, you need to load up the middle so they don't have room to operate......the layered 6 is going to clog things up and have people helping on the break. You also have Leandro and Diego filling the post so you can at least get a semblance of a counterattack. The pieces are slow but there's no helping that.

Tough day ahead next week. at least Albirex is coming up and a chance for some points.

Get the Vaseline

Cause Wednesday night was a major league reaming. To be fair though, it was a B team that trudged out against Shimizu S Pulse in the Nabisco Glorified Satellite Cup in Shizuoka. Seriously, any coach that puts out an A squad in this competition in qualifiers should be fired. I was ecstatic over the results against Yokohama by my Ardija because #1 It means more playing time for the kids in the last 3 games #2 Players like Nishimura, Morita, and Aratani showed themselves to be truly useless in their one big chance to impress and #3 Other squads who do qualify, like say ohhh, Jubilo are much more likely to wear down mentally after getting run out of the quarters.

Verdy should be happy with this result. Here's a quick question.....of Ventforet, Sanfrecce, and Omiya, which team did not qualify for the Nabisco Quarterfinals? Omiya. Which team barely survived relegation? Omiya. Coincidence, maybe......but when you aren't a deep team, every extra game hurts you a bit more and more.

Nabisco Cup gets you a trip to Hawaii.......that's it. Look at who won in the past. Kashiwa, FC Tokyo, JEF Chiba with Amar Osim. Not a real big list of killers there huh.

So great, you won Nabisco Cup. Whadda you want, A Cookie?

Next up is the nefarious yellow beasts from Kashiwa. The last time the teams faced in J1 competition, Verdy got sent to the lower depths. Should be a blast!

The bull sees red as Verdy gets the gas

Yesterday saw the first official Tokyo Derby since the relegation years and unfortunately Verdy dropped it 2-1 on an own goal from young midfielder Shibasaki. Didn't catch the game but someone who did was our very good friend Nick, who has the report!

well moving on to the Tokyo Derby... the first half an absolute snorefest. Somebody correct me if I am mistaken but neither goalkeeper made a save?? Boring! Boring Boring!! NOTHING doing from either side until Hulk won a free kick on the edge of the FC Tokyo box. Diego teed it up to make the angle and the boy Hulk curled it round the keeper for a 1-0 lead. Cue the crap rocking the baby celebration...dear oh dear, next guy who does it should be shot for sheer unoriginality. In the World Cup 15 years ago for Brazil, OK it was cool, now its just rubbish. Anyhow, on a score basis I was happy at half time and chuckled that I had been pissed off to not be able to make the game because of work. On to the second half, started as before though with increasing regularity, the play was getting further and further towards the Verdy goal, this is not to say that Doi was being tested in any way, just that the crap game was being contested nearer to our goal than theirs. Diego (after being played in brilliantly by Hulk)had a glorious chance to put us 2 up 10 mins or so after the break only to fire at the keeper from just inside the box.This was made 100 times worse when around the 60 minute mark FC Tokyo, lashed in a corker. Quick 1-2 outside the box and Hanyu (I think) hit it first time on the volley, Doi got his fingers to it but it wasn`t enough. An excellent strike and the marker for the last 30 minutes. We were at full stretch for the last third with little going forward. The other team in Tokyo were REALLY pressing but fortunately they struggled with the final ball big time. Their guy Cabore...wow! hope he didn`t cost much on todays performance. Anyhow Verdy wouldn`t be Verdy without messing things up in injury time. To be fair they had battered us for the last 30 minutes since their goal and although its always a sickener to lose in injury time, it WAS on the cards. Own goal again im afraid... Even more annoying and made me want to puke was Hulks sending off!! Now we were very lucky last week with decisions but the opposite today, Hulk got his marching orders for THE most fussy yellows ever. The first a debatable foul ok,Ive seen them given, the second in the 93rd minute for jumping for a header!!If ANYONE can find an offence in Hulks second yellow card today, please write in.Is it an offence to jump within someones "personal space" now?? Sorry sir, yellow card, your armpits smell?? The Tokyo guy didnt go down, didnt feign injury, didn`t do anything, just carried on. Maybe the rocking the baby celebration was too much for the ref...We lost today but gave as good as we got. A draw would have been fair but since when have Verdy made things easy!!?? Its great being Green!!

I too hate the baby rocking.

A couple of other notes, looks like a Gashead has popped up on the Rising Sun News message board and there are unflattering pictures of Verdy up and away. Show your love!

Also, I don't understand why the good folks at the LoveDoll headquarters keep writing but they do. I think it's for prostitutes but I'm not sure. any of you brave souls wanna check it out and let me know, I would love for the LoveDolls to be my first site sponsor. maybe one of them could be Miss Soilent Green 2008. Just a thought!

Next up for team green is a Nabisco Cup match against somebody evil.....ahh yes, Shimizu away. After that is a quick jaunt to the always hated Kashiwa Reysol, where Diego and Yukio Tsuchiya get to meet up with their old friends and Verdy gets a shot at the squad who sent them to second tier hell. Good Times!

Chatroom fun

http://www.chatzy.com/145877716756 Password: ruyramos

Gora from the Sanga blog has graciously set up this chat room for all gametime discussions. If you would like, please pop in and discuss Verdy and Hulk.

Also, Shintaro Kano reveals that another former Hulk club, Consadole Sapporo, was hot on the heels of the bombastic striker.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20080406TDY24303.htm

See ya in a few!

Vissel Kobe up next after another loss

The rags are all saying that we might see the Hulk system in action tomorrow against Kobe at HomeStadium.

Wednesday's game might have offered a clue as to what the team will look like for the foreseeable future.

Wednesday

Hiramoto

Diego

Leandro Kawano

Tomisawa Fukunishi

Hattori Nasu Tsuchiya Wada


Doi

So Hulk, who managed to put up 13 shots in a reserve match against the kids yesterday in for Hiramoto. I'm actually wondering what will happen to Hiramoto now that Hulk is back. Last year he was finished before it started......would we possibly see another rental or will he be a 10 minute man?

Actually that brings up a good point...........who lost in this little acquisition?

Francisimare-Well, he's done already

Hiramoto- Similar style player and shows he and Hulk don't mesh well together.

Iio- Leandro gets his spot on the wing, fair or not. I'd say fair!

Chiba, Albirex, Consadole, Omiya, and others who were in a position to drop- Adding a big gum in the season hurts the lower level squads immensely. Without Hulk, it was pretty clear to see Verdy would struggle greatly......with him? Maybe still a struggle, but it won't be dull.

Also, if you get a chance, Nick posted another excellent review of the games. Check it out!

HE'S BACK!!!!!

The squad announced today that in hopes of shoring up this campaign and surging ahead they have brought in Dedimar.............Ahhh, April Fools was yesterday

No, actually Hulk is officially back.

http://www.jsgoal.jp/club/00062000/00062938.html

And Francisimare is no more.

Here are 9 reasons why Hulk will be a better fit in Verdyland

1. He is in his natural position as a spearhead for the offense

2. He will get plenty of chances to touch the ball

3. He is surrounded by complimentary players like Diego and Leandro

4. He's not competing against another primadonna

5. He has a good relationship with Hashiratani and his boss

6. He's a shot machine on ateam that doesn't shoot.

7. He knows the system and it's tailor made for him

8. Strong leaders who have been there before, unlike Frontale

9. He's in Green

Hulk back on the 6th?

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/soccer/news/2008/04/01/01.html

Sponichi house of sports and porn (via Gora) is reporting that it is pretty much a done deal between Verdy and Kawasaki for Hulk. the rag is reporting that if all goes well, Hulk might be in the lineup against Vissel Kobe at Kobe. Ironically enough, that was Hulk's last game in the black and blue of Frontale. Look for more info Tomorrow, but for now it looks as if Hulk is coming back.

Getting closer

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20080401-OHT1T00111.htm

If you believe Sports Hochi......and I usually don't.....it looks like Verdy might be bringing back the big striker Hulk in the next day or two. Good move if it happens.

WINNING 11-March edition

These are Soilent Green's 11 best for March

FW Leandro Vissel Kobe- The striker has had his hand in many things for the Kansai club and is a main reason why they are in the position they are in. 2 months without him is gonna hurt.

FW Marquinhos-Kashima Antlers- Best striker on the team so far. We'll see if it lasts.

MF Yoshizumi Ogawa Nagoya Grampus- The young mid has helped lighten the burden of losing Honda to europe and deserves credit for the fast Nagoya start.

MF Yasuyuki Konno FC Tokyo- The engine that runs the gasman attack. 7 goals is not too shabby.....maybe focus on defense a bit though?

MF Mu Kanazaki Oita Trinita- Like Ogawa, Kanazawa has filled in nicely for the departed Umezaki and injured Ienaga. The retarded turtles are probably the shock team of 2008.

MF Keisuke Kurihara Vissel Kobe- The old man and former Kawasaki Verdy player is quietly putting together a nice season in midfield for the 2nd place squad.

DF-MF Sidiclei Kyoto Sanga- Although Yanagisawa and Watanabe are grabbing the headlines, Sidiclei has been a rock in the middle of the field for the upstart Sanga squad. Definetely worthy of praise for a man Gamba thought was past it.

DF Takanobu Komiyama Yokohama F Marinos- Great start so far and often overshadowed by his more illustrious teammate in D

DF Yuji Nakazawa Yokohama F Marinos- Lazarus of the back 4. Always in the mix and incredibly hyped. He's played up to it so far.

DF Toru Araiba Kashima Antlers- Best player on the best defense so far. God Kashima is scary.

GK- Koji Ezumi Omiya Ardija- Ezumi has stolen points for Omiya by playing like a demon between the pipes. Unbelievable skill shown by a guy who Soilent Green thought didn't have it in him.

Best player for Verdy IMHO- GK Yoichi Doi. Didn't really like the pickup at first but Doi has kept the squad in position to steal points. Allowing only 2 goals while being placed in a Gamba shooting gallery deserves some praise.

5 shots

5 shots today. 5 little shots. 5 measly shots

22 shots on the season so far........22 shots total.

2 goals....1 on a PK

Today saw Coach Hashiratani run out a lineup without Kaz Iio, instead choosing to line Leandro on the side and pair up Diego with the big donkey. And it worked, sort of. The donkey got his goal but the previously inept Gamba Osaka got 2 on an incredible 19 shots. Lucas AKA Lionel Richie Jr. managed to grab one late to seal the deal for Gamba and send Verdy into relegation territory for the first time this season.

More troubling for the team is that fellow promotion debutants, Kyoto Sanga and Consadole Sapporo both have wins in league play and seem to have their teams in position to at least be competitive. Today's game saw 4 yellow cards for the Verdy side......almost matching the shot total.......which did I mention was a paltry 5 today?

Somebody on the Big Soccer boards asked the question "Are Verdy really that desperate to spend 500000000 yen to get Hulk from Frontale?"

Yes, they are.

The good news is Sports Hochi is reporting that indeed there is interest from the team to sign Hulk. They are currently exploring ways to make this come to fruition. Whether or not Kawasaki wants to deal with Verdy is another matter, but I think the yen is mightier than the possible fan grudge that could happen if Hulk is successful and Juninho still stinks.

Other news from the Hochi is that Rui Ramos is getting a change in title from Executive Director to Managing Director. Why? Who F@#$$$$ Knows?

So if your keeping score at home

Albirex really sucks right now and that makes me sad because I like Albirex and their fans.
Urawa, Gamba, and Kawasaki don't suck as bad as everybody thought.
Chiba is starting to suck like everyone thought they would.
Omiya is not bad but kinda suck at scoring still. Shimizu sucks sometimes. Kashiwa sucks without Fransa. Consadole and Kyoto don't quite suck as much as promoted teams usually do.
Oita sucks even though they don't suck. Nagoya hasn't sucked yet but are due to. FC Tokyo sucks because they are FC Tokyo. Jubilo sucks against everyone except for Gamba and Verdy.
Verdy doesn't have enough offense to not suck. Yokohama F Marinos don't suck very much. Vissel sucks because they are owned by Rakuten and they changed their shirts and they bought their way to respectability and Leandro should come back to Omiya.

Kashima desn't suck at all and if they keep up their pace, the J League will suck this year meaning that in fact Kashima sucks for screwing up the J league.

Kazu Sucks.

You say goodbye, I say hello?

I hate the Beatles and if I never hear another song by them again it would be too soon.

Anyhow, Sports Hochi has a little blurb today saying that Verdy is very interested in the possibility of signing Hulk to the squad.

http://hochi.yomiuri.co.jp/soccer/jleague/news/20080328-OHT1T00291.htm

Two things standing in the way of signing the big man are the transfer fee of 5 big fat ones (problem) and the lack of a foreign spot (not a problem *COUGH*Francisimare*COUGH*)

The article said that Verdy will elaborate more today. The team would look much better with the big man in the lineup again.

Speaking of lineups, El Golazo picks these 11 for tomorrows game with Gamba

GK Doi

DF Hattori-Nasu-Tsuchiya-Wada

MF Hiroyama-Tomisawa-Fukunishi-Iio

MF Diego

FW (I guess) Leandro

Take a look for Inoue and Hiramoto to be on the bench and the team to switch to two top later in the game. Hiramoto scored 3 against the university squad they had a friendly against last week.

Anyhow, if things work out with Hulk..........we might see the last of the no shot offense.

Deja Vu in Kawasaki?

A while ago, a team called Verdy Kawasaki left the Kanagawa city and headed for Tokyo. Yesterday, a man who for all intensive purposes WAS Verdy last year, packed up and left Kanagawa. Today, Hulk is the most sought after talent in the J League. 2 league ames into the season and the Brazilian has decided that the coupling of him with the rapidly aging Juninho wasn't in the cards. Playing out on the wing, rather than his natural middle position has left the mercurial striker in a very foul mood.

Speculation has already started as to where the big boy is headed.

Here are some options in Japan and out as well.

1. URAWA REDS- Rumors were flying about Hulk being gobbled up by the big red machine. With the early flops of Takahara and Edmilson, you have to say it's a good bet that Urawa will be a player in any bidding war. Add to the fact that they still have one slot open for a foreign allocation and it would be an easy assumption that Hulk lands in red just like another moody Brazilian striker (well 2 actually, Edmundo and Washington both ended up in Urawa)

2. Tokyo Verdy- No discussion of possible destinations would be complete without mentioning the green of Verdy. Hulk had a career year here, he is tailor made for the system and has a great chemistry going with Diego. Dropping either Leandro or Francisimare would not be a huge loss considering what would be coming back in.

3. Omiya Ardija- Yeah, stop laughing. Omiya was in the bidding war for Maki during the offseason and it's becoming increasingly clear that Denis Marquez is not going to be in the plans of Coach Higuchi anytime soon. The service of Marquez to Juninho and Chong Tese is exactly what is needed for Frontale to get their ball rolling again and Hulks pressing style and strength with the ball would be a perfect compliment to the young Pedro Junior up top. It would also allow Kota Yoshihara to use his speed on the wing. A swap of cash and Marquez for Hulk would be a perfect fit for both teams and it would also help a squad that doesn't really get in the way of Kawasaki's championship intentions.

4. Shizuoka squads- Both Jubilo and Shimizu seem to be in ruts. The addition of Hulk would change the complexion and chemistry of both teams. Probably for the better......especially with Jubilo.

5. Middle East- Hulk has been in Japan for 3 years and he has mentioned the fact that he'd like to become a citizen......however there is alot of money to be made in the desert. Ask Rodrigo Gral.

6. Europe- there was talk that Bayern Munich were looking at Hulk as a potential addition. He could probably find a job in the Netherlands or smaller leagues and excel. He might have to wait on that though with the transfer window closed.

As I said before, I didn't think he was gonna fit in with the scorers at Kawasaki and he didn't. I couldn't imagine it would be only a month in though. Good luck to him wherever he lands.

Hashiratani Enthusiastic about the Forwards!!!!!!

Or not so much actually. Shintaro Kano of the Daily Yomiuri had an interview with the coach who gave a less than stellar response.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20080324TDY20304.htm

While Hashiratani managed to keep his chin up after the draw, he didn't sound particularly enthusiastic about his team's future prospects for goals, with Verdy next traveling west to face Gamba Osaka in the league on March 30. The manager even seemed to be signaling SOS.
"I thought the boys fought hard for 90 minutes," the former Japan defender said. "But again, we just didn't have enough quality in front of goal.
"All I can say to the players is that we have to work harder in training. If we can get someone new, that would be great but it's not up to me to make that decision; it's the company's.
"All we can do is try to work better with what we're given."

The team did well in the offseason to build up the back 4 but one has to wonder if bringing in a complementary, assist oriented striker and a less than stellar midfielder to serve as a backup was the best use of resources for the team in regards to the foriegn player allocations. Starting to look like the J1 versions of Basilio and Anailson.

Meanwhile throwing the explosive personality of Hulk in the already unstable mix at Kawasaki Frontale has caused the team to arguably be the biggest disaster in the J League thus far. Frontale dropped another game to the lambs of the great north end in Sapporo yesterday, giving them an awful 1 point in 4 matches (League and Cup). Thankfully for them, Urawa has been the main story as front running flops.

The Heat Index
Blazing Hot
1. Kashima Antlers-ridiculous 21 goals in 4 matches and no signs of slowing down soon. Didn't Marquinhos used to play for Verdy?

2. Yokohama F Marinos- The tie against Omiya was predictable.......they haven't won against Omiya since Nabisco Cup 2005.

3. Oita Trinita-Shockingly at the top of the heap when almost everyone left them for dead. They will go as far as Ueslei's ancient legs and crotchety soul will take them.

4. Kyoto Sanga FC- who knew that Elevator Sanga would be the hot squad in the Kansai area. Even when they get down, they manage to claw their way back. Could make some noise in the Nabisco Cup.

Sunny Outlook

5. Nagoya Grampus- Pixy has his boys off to a fine start and wins over Kobe and Urawa don't hurt at all. We'll see if they remain the Grampus of old or if the new gaffer has instilled some fighting spirit.

6. Vissel Kobe- Back to Back wins over Kawasaki and Urawa would be remarkable in any other season but this isn't any other season. If Leandro and Okubo are able to kick it up a notch, they have an outside chance to contend for the title.

7. FC Tokyo- Odd team, FC Tokyo. They look respectable right now but wait a few weeks and they will go cold again. Victories over Jubilo and Niigata really pose more questions than answers and getting run out at Shimizu doesn't look good. However Cabore and Emerson look like real players.

Cool Breeze

8. Shimizu S Pulse- Another up and down squad. Opening day disappointment against Oita followed by wins against less than stellar Chiba and FC Tokyo.

9. Omiya Ardija- Much improved over last seasons snorefest. Troubling signs involving their second half collapses to Albirex and Kyoto on the road. However, the home scoreless streak continues. Big tests against Shimizu and Nagoya ahead.

Cold Front

10. Jubilo Iwata- even though the squad has won twice, one wonders if this a team capable of competing in the upper levels. Filled with big names and NT perenialls. I think the crush will be on once the heart of World Cup qualifying starts. Smells like Sanfrecce.

11. Kashiwa Reysol- I'm sorry but you should never, ever let a lead go when your a man up against a team like Chiba. Ever. Not happy with you Kashiwa......not at all.

12. Gamba Osaka- Eeks in on the gutty performance in Korea. Somebody did something to Bare after his crushing of the Dynamo in Hawaii. Maybe he got the cursed tiki from one of the Brady boys and now he has to go find Vincent Price to take off the voodoo........or something like that.

This group sponsored by Kappa who could possibly see all three of their squads in J2 next year.

13. Tokyo Verdy-Scoring is nice and it helps you stay in J1. Try to find someone that can actually do it. Shades of Omiya 2007.

14. Consadole Sapporo- Big win yesterday against Kawasaki. Unfortunately that didn't come in a match that counts (league wise) so they are the early front runners to take the plunge. Takagi is back though so the dude with the really awful mullet can step away from the goal.

15. JEF Chiba- Kuse has the team playing a tight, lock down, drag out type of game which has netted them a creible 2 draws. Good coach.......so-so talent. We'll see if he can keep them above water.

Blizzard Conditions

16. Urawa Reds- The fans are pissed, the team is dysfunctional, the coach has been sacked. Yep, I'm in Heaven!!!!!!!!!!! Unfortunately we saw signs of them coming out of their funk with a hat trick by Edmilson against Kyoto in a 3-3 draw.

17. Kawasaki Frontale- Wow...........not pretty at all. I thought that Hulk wasn't gonna be a good fit but man........didn't think it would be this bad. The Tokyo tie was bad, the Kobe thrashing was worse, but that loss against Consadole had to take the cake.

18. Albirex Niigata- Omiya wishes they could play Niigata every week.....drubbings at the hands of Oita and FC Tokyo aren't helpful either. Should be helped by the eventual return of Richardes but will it be too late for coach Suzuki?

Fit to be tied

The scoreless streak continues as Coach Hashiratani and the lads went out to a 0-0 draw with the always tough Shimizu S Pulse.

Verdy opted to go with the behemoth Yuzo Funakoshi up top in place of Leandro in a bizarre one top formation. However, the team did manage to get off 12 shots to Shimizu's 8.

The tie puts the team last in the 4 team group

Standings

Shimizu 4pts 1-1-0 +2
FC Tokyo 3pts 1-0-1 0
Jubilo 3pts 1-0-1 0
Tokyo Verdy 0-1-1 -2

Next up for team green is a visit to out of form side Gamba, who find themselves in the same precarious position as Verdy early on in the season. A win would do wonders for the confidence of Tokyo's other squad.......hell, a goal would probably boost their spirits immensely.

Anyhow, if you have any thoughts or views on the game, as always feel free to post them here!

Hagimura sees red as Verdy stumbles

Another 2-0 loss is in the books as Verdy drops one to Jubilo at Ajinomoto

Personally I don't care about Nabisco Cup at all and think if you aren't using it to either A. Blood young players in live competition or B. Trying to straighten out some sort of team defect then the whole thing is a waste of time

Hell, FC Tokyo won one of these stupid competitions once......how important could it be?

Anyhow, I'm still not in the mood to write but I will post little snippets here and there and let you talk about the games.......it seems there still is a desire for you guys to connect with eachother and since I started this monster, it's the least I can do.

BTW......I don't think one top with a non-scoring forward is the best idea. Not sold on Leandro and I'm wondering where Chubbymoto waddled off to after his first successful foray into Verdy green.