Oh cruel fate! Why do you mock me?

09:27 PM, Thursday, 04 September 2008

How many match reports have you seen start with the phrase "so near, yet so far?" Too many to count. Yet if there was one cliché that could sum up Shimizu S-Pulse's evening in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final clash with Gamba Osaka, that would be it. ... Posted by MikeTuckerman · Comments (0) Topics: J. League,Shimizu S-Pulse,Gamba Osaka,French League Cup 2008,AFC

Yohei Nishibe, the bell tolls for thee

07:42 PM, Thursday, 28 August 2008

How about that Keiji Tamada? You go and criticise the bloke for his useless performances for the national team, and then he goes and scores one of the free-kicks of the season to add to his first half equaliser in Nagoya's pulsating 3-2 win over Shimizu S-Pulse last night. ... Posted by MikeTuckerman · Comments (2) Topics: Shimizu S-Pulse,Nagoya Grampus,J. League,AFC,Nagoya Grampus - Shimizu S-Pulse

Are you Millwall in disguise?

01:34 PM, Sunday, 24 August 2008

"Which one of you bitches wants to dance? Hey, you know when you're doing the usual sort of threesome thing you do of a weekend and, you know, the moonlight's bouncing of your heads and your arses and everything... does that not get a bit confusing? ... Posted by MikeTuckerman · Comments (2) Topics: Japan,J. League,Shimizu S-Pulse,Kashiwa Reysol,UEFA Cup 2008,Millwall,Ferencvaros,UEFA,AFC,Shimizu S-Pulse - Kashiwa Reysol

I'm living in my own private Shimizu

05:39 PM, Friday, 15 August 2008

The O-bon holidays have prompted an eerie atmosphere around the port city of Shimizu, with the streets deserted as people return to their places of birth to pay homage to the dead. Outside the footpaths sizzle, with the occasional breeze doing little to cool the... Posted by MikeTuckerman · Comments (0) Topics: Shimizu S-Pulse,Yokohama F.Marinos,J. League,AFC,Japan,Shimizu S-Pulse - Yokohama F.Marinos

The J-League Wonder

09:24 PM, Tuesday, 12 August 2008

The J-League is the name of the Japanese football league. This was created in 1993. Its top-flight currently has 18 teams. The Japanese teams are currently dominating Asian continental club football along with their South Korean neighbours. Urawa Red Diamonds are the surrnet Asian... Posted by owls05 · Comments (1) Topics: J. League

Aussie Eddy Bosnar gets in on the act

11:10 AM, Monday, 11 August 2008

After his venomous left-foot free-kick against Kawasaki Frontale helped propel JEF United to the League Cup quarter-finals, Australian defender Eddy Bosnar scored an even more important goal for the Chiba outfit this weekend... particularly as JEF United were knocked out of ... Posted by MikeTuckerman · Comments (0) Topics: JEF United Chiba,Eddy Bosnar,Alex Miller,Liverpool,Everton,J. League,League Cup 2008,Seiichiro Maki,Emperor's Cup 2008,AFC

FC Porto sign "the incredible" Hulk

12:57 PM, Saturday, 26 July 2008

It was a lazy headline writer's dream overnight as the J. League continued its haemoraging of big-name Brazilian strikers, with Hulk leaving a club that most people in Europe have never heard of (Tokyo Verdy) to join a club that most people in Europe forget won the UEFA Champions... Posted by MikeTuckerman · Comments (5) Topics: J. League,Ginivanildo Viera De Souza Hulk,Tokyo Verdy,FC Porto,UEFA Champions League 2008,UEFA,AFC,Japan,FIFA,Australia,AFC Champions League 2008,Germany,Urawa Reds,Shimizu S-Pulse

Bare follows the cash and exits stage left

06:53 PM, Wednesday, 23 July 2008

Gamba Osaka striker Bare has signed a lucrative deal with United Arab Emirates outfit Al Ahli. The scorer of 44-top flight goals with Ventforet Kofu and Gamba Osaka is the second high-profile striker to leave mid-season in as many years, after Magno Alves departed for... Posted by MikeTuckerman · Comments (4) Topics: J. League,Gamba Osaka,Al Ahli,AFC,Melbourne Victory,AFC Champions League 2008

Goooone! The Aussie dream at Avispa Fukuoka is over

03:42 PM, Friday, 11 July 2008

Auf wiedersehen, Pierre Littbarski. The man affectionately known as "Ritti" here in Japan has been sacked as coach of Avispa Fukuoka along with assistant coach and former Norwich midfielder Ian Crook and strength and conditioning coach Anthony Crea. The multi-national... Posted by MikeTuckerman · Comments (1) Topics: AFC,J. League,Pierre Littbarski,Avispa Fukuoka

Liga de Quito: good for Ecuador, bad for Japan?

02:04 PM, Tuesday, 08 July 2008

Liga Deportiva Universitaria's remarkable penalty shoot-out victory over Brazilian giants Fluminense in the recent Copa Libertadores final will cause headaches in Japan. That's because as continental club champions, LDU Quito have won through to face the likes of English champions... Posted by MikeTuckerman · Comments (5) Topics: FIFA Club World Cup 2008,J. League,CONMEBOL,AFC,FIFA,UEFA