A little off topic - any recommendations for spots to visit in Japan that are a little slower/quieter? Taking my mum over next year and wouldn’t mind some quieter areas to consider. Mostly thinking Honshu with possibly a run to Sapporo. Current thoughts were Kanazawa as an alternative to Kyoto. Izu peninsula for some nature walks. Maybe Nagano for a snowy spring experience ratehr than Sapporo (time constraints).
Full look at the results and standings coming late tonight but one worth keeping an eye on in today’s J1 fixtures could be Sanfrecce vs Yokohama F. Marinos
Sanfrecce win moves them back to 1st, F.Marinos have looked pretty good domestically since farewelling Kewell. Could be a good contest.
Arslan is absolutely tearing it up for Sanfrecce. 
I’m off to FC Osaka vs Fukushima today in J3. Will be interesting to see the quality, both mid table clubs.
FC Osaka have a boring name and club badge, but they play in sky blue so that is a winner right there.
Big ground for a J3 team?
Yeah it’ll be 80% empty. They built this for the rugby world cup, and Cerezo and Gamba already have stadiums, so FC Osaka get this obscenely large one. I assume it doesn’t cost much for them to use it given they’d be one of 2 tenants.
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The miracle dream has started to fade a little bit for Machida Zelvia. Sanfrecce Hiroshima are looking in ominous touch, rolling Yokohama F. Marinos 6-2 over the weekend. Another team worth mentioning for a miracle season is Tokyo Verdy. Returning to the top flight after so many years away, they have not been intimidated or overawed by being back in the top flight, winning again to sit very comfortably up the top end of the table where they once dominated.
J1 League Round 31 results:
Kashima Antlers 0-0 Kashiwa Reysol (21,384)
FC Machida Zelvia 0-0 Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo (10,596)
Urawa Red Diamonds 0-2 FC Tokyo (41,379)
Jubilo Iwata 0-0 Avispa Fukuoka (12,421)
Nagoya Grampus 2-0 Kawasaki Frontale (32,768)
Tokyo Verdy 2-0 Sagan Tosu (18,992)
Albirex Niigata 2-3 Vissel Kobe (23,492)
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 6-2 Yokohama F. Marinos (25,814)
Kyoto Sanga 2-2 Gamba Osaka (20,323)
Shonan Bellmare 1-2 Cerezo Osaka (10,948)
J1 League Round 31 standings:
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima - 59
- FC Machida Zelvia - 59
- Vissel Kobe - 58
- Kashima Antlers - 50
- Gamba Osaka - 49
- Tokyo Verdy - 47
- FC Tokyo - 44
- Nagoya Grampus - 43
- Yokohama F. Marinos - 41
- Cerezo Osaka - 41
- Urawa Red Diamonds - 39
- Albirex Niigata - 39
- Avispa Fukuoka - 39
- Kyoto Sanga - 38
- Kawasaki Frontale - 37
- Kashiwa Reysol - 34
- Shonan Bellmare - 32
- Jubilo Iwata - 32
- Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo - 26
- Sagan Tosu - 23
J2 League Round 32 results:
Yokohama FC 1-1 Oita Trinita (5,381)
Ehime FC 1-3 Montedio Yamagata (7,873)
Roasso Kumamoto 3-1 Blaublitz Akita (5,044)
Vegalta Sendai 2-2 Ventforet Kofu (11,272)
JEF United Chiba 4-1 Renofa Yamaguchi (9,984)
Mito Hollyhock 0-0 Fagiano Okayama (4,219)
V-Varen Nagasaki 2-0 Thespa Gunma (14,658)
Fujieda MYFC 2-3 Shimizu S-Pulse (10,667)
Tokushima Vortis 0-1 Iwaki FC (5,051)
Tochigi SC 2-1 Kagoshima United (4,650)
J2 League Round 32 standings:
- Shimizu S-Pulse - 71
- Yokohama FC - 70
- V-Varen Nagasaki - 60
- Fagiano Okayama - 52
- Vegalta Sendai - 52
- JEF United Chiba - 49
- Iwaki FC - 49
- Montedio Yamagata - 48
- Renofa Yamaguchi - 47
- Fujieda MYFC - 45
- Blaublitz Akita - 42
- Tokushima Vortis - 42
- Ventforet Kofu - 39
- Mito Hollyhock - 39
- Ehime FC - 38
- Roasso Kumamoto - 36
- Oita Trinita - 33
- Tochigi SC - 29
- Kagoshima United - 23
- Thespa Gunma - 17
J3 League Round 29 results:
Vanraure Hachinohe 2-3 Omiya Ardija (2,116)
SC Sagamihara 2-0 FC Imabari (2,600)
Giravanz Kitakyushu 2-0 FC Gifu (4,574)
FC Ryukyu 1-1 Azul Claro Numazu (2,106)
Gainare Tottori 2-0 AC Nagano Parceiro (1,891)
YSCC Yokohama 0-0 Iwate Grulla Morioka (1,602)
Zweigen Kanazawa 0-1 Kataller Toyama (9,229)
Kamatamare Sanuki 1-4 Matsumoto Yamaga (2,037)
Nara Club 2-2 Tegevajaro Miyazaki (1,229)
FC Osaka 1-2 Fukushima United (2,635 + 1 SFCU member)
J3 League Round 29 standings:
- Omiya Ardija - 69
- FC Imabari - 53
- Kataller Toyama - 52
- Giravanz Kitakyushu - 45
- Azul Claro Numazu - 44
- SC Sagamihara - 43
- Fukushima United - 42
- Matsumoto Yamaga - 42
- FC Osaka - 41
- Zweigen Kanazawa - 41
- FC Ryukyu - 40
- Vanraure Hachinohe - 39
- Gainare Tottori - 37
- FC Gifu - 33
- Kamatamare Sanuki - 31
- AC Nagano Parceiro - 31
- Tegevajaro Miyazaki - 29
- Nara Club - 28
- YSCC Yokohama - 28
- Iwate Grulla Morioka - 18
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I’m back at it again tonight. Sagan Tosu vs Avispa Fukuoka.
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Big games today, Sanfrecce vs Machida Zelvia in 1st vs 2nd clash.
And at the National Stadium Shimizu S-Pulse vs Yokohama FC 1st vs 2nd, winner pretty much assured of promotion and win the J2. Over 60,000 tickets sold as of yesterday so should be huge.
The Sanfrecce match is being carried by Optus today. Going to tune in for sure
Disturbing lack of cup holders this week.
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That didn’t take long
Keep 'em coming!
I am very keen to get in and have a look around this new stadium in Hiroshima.
The Fukuoka fans (away) with a tifo for each half, though their second half one had some issues.
Also, that lone policeman was all they deemed necessary for the entire sold out section. Imagine that…
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What is the level above amazing scenes?
Insane scenes? Just saw it in Gamba Osaka vs Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.
Consadole holding onto a surprise 1-0 lead into injury time. In the 4th minute stoppage time, Gamba awarded a penalty, and score. In the 97th, they score again to lead, and win, 2-1.
Heartbreaking stuff for Consadole, but imagine how mental that would feel being in the home stands for that!
The dream appears over for Duke’s Machida Zelvia. Lost their last 2 so now 6 points behind with only 5 games left to play.
Sanfrecce one point ahead of Vissel Kobe with Zelvia now 3rd (still a remarkable season).