...And then there where 2!

So, back in October, I talked about the state of the J League. Well, here is the pre-final week update. I will be back next week with who has won the J League title. The league this year has proven to be very close. We have been all the way through the season, and only in the final 2 weeks have we narrowed down the number of teams with theoretical chances to do anything to 2! The relegation issue has been finally sorted, the title race has come down to the wire.

So. First of all. The relegated teams.

Oita Trinita is not a surprise. Last season they surprised Japan by being quite a force. Ending the season a long way up from where they currently are today. However, it was all on the back of one of the leagues stingiest defences. Their strike force did not set the league on fire, so Trinita employed an almost Italian style of play from the 80's and 90's, and locked up the back. Winning many games by 1 goal.

This year however, started badly. The forward line had not improved greatly, whilst the defence had now been found out. It could not gel like it had the season before, and opposing teams had far more success. This combined to start the season badly, and for the pain to basically continue all year. Despite the loyal fans turning out each and every week.

A mid season managerial change saw a small bounce, but ultimately led to nothing. Oita was doomed to the drop almost from day 1. Though, they have managed some notable things. Getting a victory over Nagoya being 1. These better moments, however, where too far apart to do nothing other than add a little sugar to a large bitter pill.

Next, Chiba JEF United. JEF started out only slightly better than Trinita, and basically headed the same way. JEF United used to be one of the stronger teams in the J League. However, a managerial merry-go-round saw a turnover in players, and the team suffered as a result. Over the space of a few seasons, JEF sank down the league. Last season they managed to engineer a last day escape.

This season, the gaping vortex that is relegation tried that little bit more, and JEF proved unable to escape this time round. Collapsing like a soggy flan.

Next up for the drop, Kashiwa. A bit like JEF, only their decline has been longer and slower. Used to be a top team, then over the course of several seasons, the decline was steady, and almost imperceptible.

The start of the season saw Kashiwa duke it out with Oita and JEF to be ranked as the worst team in the league.

However, too late, the team woke up. They began to fight and over the last few weeks they scrapped out several important results. Including recently, where they went to Niigata and by winning, gave themselves a fighting chance to escape and at hte same time end Niigata's slim hopes of getting into 3rd and qualifying for the Asian Champions League. However, this last weekend saw Kashiwa finally succumb when they rather limply stumbled to a draw with the team they where hoping to overhaul, Omiya.

OK. So, back up to the top of the table.

As of 3pm on Saturday, we had the top three teams going into games that Saturday which would have a massive bearing on the destination of the championship.

Kashima stood at the top of the league on 60 points and a +16 goal difference. Kawasaki Frontale are in second, with 58 points and a +22 goal difference. Gamba Osaka are third with 57 points and a +20 goal difference.

In the penultimate round of games, Kashima was scheduled to play Gamba, and Kawasaki had a home game against Albirex Niigata.

Well, first of all Kawasaki. I am sorry Kashima, but Albirex could not do the job for you. If Kashima had won, and Albi, then Kashima would be the champions as of now. Unfortunately, Kawasaki where the better side. Played better, and had better control of the ball. However, they could not break down a stubborn Albirex defence, and only bagged the 1 goal. Indeed, they needed some luck as Niigata did have a couple of amazing chances to equalize, but as is the story of Niigatas season, they where all a case of "close, but no cigar."

On to the more intriguing tie of Kashima having to play Gamba. First v third? A mouth watering clash for anyone! Unfortunately, it did not deliver. It delivered a result. An emphatic result. Kashima rolled off with the points after stuffing Gamba 5-1!

Kawasaki's win kept them just 2 points behind Kashima, whilst Gamba's loss put them 5 points back from Kashima, and out of the race.

We now head into the final weekend with Kawasaki having the arguably easier game against the relegated Raysol, whilst Kashima face the more daunting challenge of heading to Saitama to take on Urawa Reds. Whilst this has not been Urawa's season, they do occupy 4th, and are a very dangerous animal with some of the best players in Japan.

A win for Kashima seals the deal. Anything other than that leaves them very vulnerable. Should Kashima draw, and Kawasaki win, that means both teams will end the season on 64 points, and Kawasaki winning on goal difference by 3 goals! A 34 game season, and it could be ended by 3 simple goals!

However, 1 result that is entirely likely is that Kawasaki wins, and Kashima loses. This allows Kawasaki to leapfrog Kashima and win the league by 1 point.

As you can see, the league is going down to the wire. It is all in Kashima's hands to win or lose. However, their grip is tenuous, and the slightest hint of a slip will allow Kawasaki to jump in and snatch the prize with the last gasp of the season after Kashima have spent such a long time in the top slot!

To again quote Sir Alex Ferguson...

"Its squeaky bum time!"

Oh, just to wrap up...

I cant leave off without talking about Albirex Niigata. This has been a season that, on the face of it, many Albi fans will look back and say that it has been a good year. Especially after the last couple of years where Albirex have had no consistency. 1 year 14th, then 6th, then back down to 13th. To go into the final weekend of the season in 8th is a significant improvement.

Problem is, this season has shown what Albirex could do. Albirex started the season, and rapidly climbed up the table, and about a third the way through Albi finally broke through. They managed to climb to the top of the tree and for a few weeks, they where able to look back, and see all the other teams strung out behind them.

Unfortunately, after that, the season slowly unravelled. They did occupy third for a long time, clinging on to the last Asian Champions League slot for dear life. Unfortunately, they where unable to do so, and the loss to Kashiwa ended their faint hope of grasping the third slot.

Still, it has been a fantastic season. And, if results go Niigata's way, they very well could end the season fifth, thanks to their better goal difference!

Still. One thing is sure. Niigata will have to look for a new manager. Jun Suzuki has announced his intention to finish at the end of the season.