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Yokohama F·Marinos’ furious run up the table and right onto the heels of Kawasaki Frontale came to an end right before the international break. After getting within one point of the league’s top team, Marinos had their 13-match unbeaten streak snapped by Kashima Antlers, and combined with a win by Frontale, had their deficit stretched to four points.This we…

Japan’s week of FIFA World Cup qualifying did not start according to plan, with a 1-0 loss to Oman in Suita putting them on the back foot, but they bounced back with a big win over China on Tuesday thanks to Yuya Osako. The Vissel Kobe forward’s 40th-minute goal was the difference in Japan’s 1-0 victory that put them back on track in their quest to qualify …

The 2021 J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP is down to four teams after the quarter-final stage wrapped up over last weekend, with plenty of goals and action across the second legs of all four ties.Kawasaki Frontale 3, Urawa Reds 3 (Urawa advance 4-4 on away goals)In what was by far the match of the round, Urawa completed a second-leg fightback for the ages. After tak…

The 2021 J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP is down to eight teams and Wednesday saw them square off in the first legs of their ties.How do they stand at the halfway point of their two-legged match-ups?Cerezo Osaka 0, Gamba Osaka 1The quarter-final draw dealt us a major clash as Osaka’s two teams were paid up with each other and the first leg went to Gamba. Traveling …

The MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE fixtures to be broadcast on the J.LEAGUE International YouTube channel have been announced for the month of September.Supporters will encounter an action-packed calendar of live football as summer turns to fall, headlined by the Osaka Derby in the 2021 J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP and a trip to Chiba for promotion hopefuls Júbilo Iwata …

The third round of AFC qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar begins this week, and Japan have called up a slew of J.LEAGUE stars past and present for their matches against Oman and China. With the 12 remaining teams split into two groups, a top two finish in each will qualify teams to the World Cup, while third-place teams will have to go through a playo…

The MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE is evolving, and we see it clearly with the men between the posts. Over the last four years, goalkeepers have been taking far more short goal kicks, receiving far more passes and making far more passes of their own. This is true across the league, but two goalkeepers in particular have emerged as exceptional ball-players who are t…

Kashiwa Reysol have not spent much time in the relegation zone this season, but they also haven’t been able to put much space between them and the drop, making every match crucial as they try to stay in the top flight.On the other hand, Yokohama FC have been rooted to the bottom of the table all season, but a good run of form in the late summer has demonstr…

Sagan Tosu have been led by their defense all season, so it was fitting when their center back delivered them victory at both ends of the pitch against Vegalta Sendai on Sunday.Eduardo took his usual spot in the heart of defense and played immaculately, cutting out Vegalta’s forays forward with ease. The Sagan backline, which had struggled of late with just…

For weeks, Kawasaki Frontale have seen their lead atop the 2021 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE table decrease, with Yokohama F·Marinos closing down on them, but they hit back over the weekend. The champions beat Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, 2-0, while Marinos fell to Kashima Antlers by the same scoreline to put Kawasaki four points ahead of their title challengers.F…

A recent look at our JSTATS indicate ongoing shifts in how goalkeepers are being used across the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE.For example, goal kicks are a routine part of any match, but how teams in Japan choose to take them is changing.A look at the J1 League data on where goal kicks are taken shows that in 2017, 19.4% of goal kicks were hit short - defined as …

Yokohama F·Marinos’ pursuit of Kawasaki Frontale has been relentless and their high-powered attack now has them on the verge of passing the defending champions. The Tricolor are just a point back of Frontale, with a chance to potentially jump into first place this weekend, but if they are going to get there, they are going to have to pass the team with more…

A couple months ago, Kawasaki Frontale were cruising to another MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE title. Powered by the most dangerous attack in the league, they looked unstoppable. But the goals have become harder to come by, as have the results, and now their lead atop the table is down to just one point with Yokohama F·Marinos in hot pursuit.While Marinos have jump…

Another week, another hat trick by a Yokohama F·Marinos forward voted as the Performance of the Week by the J.LEAGUE’s international fans.On Matchweek 24, it was Daizen Maeda who scored three goals and garnered top weekly honors. Last weekend, it was Léo Ceará’s turn for a hat trick and Top Performance recognition.The Brazilian showed off all his skills to …

The Yokohama F·Marinos attack has been unstoppable for months and that continued in Tosu. Four different players scored for the Tricolor en route to a 4-0 victory against a Sagan team that has become known for its steely backline. Combined with Kawasaki Frontale’s loss to Avispa Fukuoka, Marinos now stand just one point back of the defending champions in th…

Kawasaki Frontale are the defending MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE champions, and put together arguably the best season in the history of the league in 2020. This year, they’ve looked just as dominant and entered Wednesday’s trip to Fukuoka without a loss in their last 30 matches.To beat Frontale, it would take something extraordinary. Well, Avispa Fukuoka had Jord…

Sagan Tosu’s rise to third place this season has been driven by their terrific defense. Even in recent weeks, as the defense has slumped some, they are still resolute at the back and clearly leaning upon goal prevention to stay near the top of the table. But they’ve needed more firepower up front, and they may have found it by moving Tomoya Koyamatsu into a…

Second-place Yokohama F·Marinos visit third-place Sagan Tosu for a midweek clash, but while the two teams are separated by just one place, they are in very different races.Marinos are engaged in a title fight, having cut the deficit to defending champions Kawasaki Frontale to just four points for the top spot. Meanwhile, Sagan only hold third place on goal …

Nagoya Grampus hit a bit of a rough patch over the last couple months, dropping from potential title contender to out of the top four entirely, so they made a big signing to help turn things around. Jakub Świerczok was brought in to give them a bonafide striker, and he showed why Nagoya thought he can be a season-changer for them against Avispa Fukuoka.The …

Vissel Kobe and Kashima Antlers entered the weekend level on points for fourth place, and their clash at Noevir Stadium Kobe was understandably billed as a battle between teams vying for an AFC Champions League berth for next season. For nearly 80 minutes, it looked like neither team would come out on top, but then Yoshinori Muto got involved.The forward, s…