Kawasaki Frontale UK (川崎フロンターレ)

Cerezo Osaka 0-0 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 10:54:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Sunday, 8th August 2010 (18:00 kick off)
Venue: Kincho Stadium
Attendance: 14,031

Scoresheet:

Teamsheet:

GK AIZAWA
DF ITO (yellow card 38', replaced by MORI 88')
DF IGAWA
DF KIKUCHI (yellow card 22')
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA 65' (yellow card 90'))
MF NAKAMURA
MF TASAKA (yellow card 74', replaced by KUSUKAMI 80')
MF VITOR JUNIOR
FW KUROTSU
FW JUNINHO

Comment:

Still struggling to pick up points on the road. Nothing new there.

Highlights:

To follow...

Kawasaki Frontale 3-2 Vegalta Sendai

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 14:42:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Sunday, 1st August 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 16,326

Scoresheet:

JUNINHO 40'
KUROTSU 60'
TANIGUCHI 84'

SEKIGUCHI 24'
FERNANDINHO 27'

Teamsheet:

GK AIZAWA
DF ITO
DF IGAWA
DF KIKUCHI
DF KOMIYAMA (yellow card 74')
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA 64' (yellow card 86'))
MF NAKAMURA
MF KUSUKAMI (replaced by RENATINHO 80')
MF VITOR JUNIOR
FW KUROTSU (replaced by TANIGUCHI 82' (yellow card 84'))
FW JUNINHO

Comment:

Now, that's more like the Frontale we all know and love - shambolic and inspired in almost equal measure.

Two goals down at the half-hour mark, only the most die-hard amongst the Frontale faithful would have envisaged a 3-2 final score. Which is strange, because it seems like only yesterday (and I suppose it is only really last season) when the boys in blue were renowned for this sort of comeback.

As it stands, the team is still clinging onto the title race by the skin of its teeth. However, with the wins against Sendai and Kyoto feeling more like points gained than the draws against Omiya and Yamagata have felt like points dropped, something's going to have to change if we're to keep pace with the likes of Kashima, Shimizu and Nagoya - all currently looking much more convincing as would-be champions.

Highlights:

To follow...

Montedio Yamagata 0-0 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 09:09:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Wednesday, 28th July 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: ND Soft Stadium
Attendance: 12,045

Scoresheet:

Teamsheet:

GK AIZAWA
DF ITO
DF IGAWA (yellow card 80')
DF KIKUCHI
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (yellow card 62', replaced by YOKOYAMA 75')
MF NAKAMURA
MF TASAKA (yellow card 57', replaced by KUSUKAMI 80')
MF VITOR JUNIOR
FW KUROTSU
FW RENATINHO (replaced by JUNINHO 62')

Comment:

Four games played since the mid-season break. 2 goals scored, 2 goals conceded. Do those sound like Frontale stats to you?!

Highlights:

To follow...

Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 Kyoto Sanga FC

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:12:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Sunday, 25th July 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 17,862

Scoresheet:

JUNINHO 89'

Teamsheet:

GK AIZAWA
DF ITO (yellow card 69')
DF IGAWA
DF KIKUCHI
DF KOMIYAMA
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by JUNINHO 62')
MF NAKAMURA
MF TASAKA (replaced by KUSUKAMI 77')
MF VITOR JUNIOR
FW KUROTSU
FW RENATINHO (yellow card 66', replaced by YOKOYAMA 71')

Comment:

Bland game. Great three points. Super Juninho!

Nice assist from Kusukami, too. Maybe time to give him a start in place of Tasaka on Wednesday?

Highlights:

To follow...

Kashima Antlers 2-1 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:06:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Saturday, 17th July 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Kashima Stadium
Attendance: 26,607

Scoresheet:

FELLYPE GABRIEL 21'
LEE 78'

KUROTSU 39'
(INAMOTO sent off 42')

Teamsheet:

GK AIZAWA
DF IGAWA
DF ITO (replaced by NOBORIZATO 81')
DF KIKUCHI
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (yellow card 23', 42')
MF NAKAMURA
MF TASAKA
MF VITOR JUNIOR (replaced by KUSUKAMI 75')
FW KUROTSU
FW RENATINHO (replaced by TANIGUCHI 87')

Comment:

An away day in Kashima is a tough enough prospect with 11 players on the field. So it was no great surprise to see Frontale come away with nothing following the first-half dismissal of Junichi Inamoto.

That's not to say they didn't have their chances. Had the likes of Renatinho and Vitor been a bit more clinical on the counter in the second half, it could have been a very different story. Although, to be fair, Takashi Aizawa's goal did live a charmed existence at times.

(For those wondering why Aizawa's suddenly been promoted to first-choice keeper, Riki Sugiyama picked up a calf injury in training the day before the Omiya match and is likely to be out for at least a month.)

There's still a long way to go this season, but the boys now need a decent run of three-pointers if they're to avoid falling too far off the pace.

However, after the loss of two big names (in Eiji and Tese), one gets the feeling that some kind of morale booster is now required to get things back on track, whether it be the return to action of an in-form Juninho or a new signing. Worryingly, I'm not too sure how likely either of these is.

Highlights:

To follow...

Kawasaki Frontale 0-0 Omiya Ardija

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:57:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Wednesday, 14th July 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 17,722

Scoresheet:

Teamsheet:

GK AIZAWA
DF IGAWA
DF ITO (replaced by NOBORIZATO 87')
DF KIKUCHI
DF KOMIYAMA
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by KUSUKAMI 69')
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA 75')
MF NAKAMURA (yellow card 33')
MF TASAKA
MF VITOR JUNIOR
FW KUROTSU

Comment:

To follow...

Highlights:

To follow...

Goodbye Eiji, Tese

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:31:00 +0000

And we're back!

Wednesday night sees the welcome return of J.League action with Omiya Ardija visiting a sweaty Todoroki Stadium.

Not only will fans get to see what progress the stay-at-home members of the team have made during their mid-season training camp, it will also be an emotional farewell to two fine servants of the club - Eiji Kawashima and Chong Tese.

Eiji is heading for the bright lights of the Belgian top flight with newly-promoted Lierse SK. While Tese will be testing his mettle in the German 2nd division with recently-relegated VfL Bochum. Good luck to them both - they will be missed.

No news of any replacements, but judging by Riki Sugiyama's assured performances in goal last season, I'd say a new striker would be the higher priority (after all, who knows what state Juninho will be in after 6 months on the sidelines?). As well as maybe a defender...or two.

Here's the team I hope to see starting against Omiya (assuming Mori is serving his suspension and the rest are all match-fit):

SUGIYAMA
IGAWA, KIKUCHI, ITO, KOMIYAMA
INAMOTO, TANIGUCHI, KENGO
VITOR
JUNINHO, RENATINHO

What's Occurring?

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:22:00 +0000

Despite the enforced hiatus in Frontale fun due to some other competition taking place in South Africa, there's still news enough to merit a quick update.

It's been a bit of a mixed bag for our four World Cup hopefuls. Chong Tese is undoubtedly getting the most press coverage, and deservedly so judging by the two belters he scored in a warm-up game against Greece the other week. The sturdy striker is reported to have had a trial with an unnamed EPL team earlier this year, and is hoping to attract the attention of Europe's top coaches during North Korea's spell in the limelight this summer.

Would losing Chong be a major blow to Frontale's title aspirations? I'm not so sure. World Cups tend to throw up some rather inflated transfer fees and, who knows, if coach Takahata could bring in a couple of quality signings in his place, it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Things have also been going well for Eiji Kawashima, who has given himself every chance of being named in Japan's starting XI. A man-of-the-match performance against England (including a penalty stop and an even more impressive finger-tip save from Wayne Rooney's corner-bound curler) was backed up by a reasonably solid display against Ivory Coast. With Seigo Narazaki looking decidedly out of sorts against South Korea, this could be the chance the big shot-stopper has been waiting for.

Opportunities to impress have been a bit more sparse for Kengo and Inamoto. Japan coach Takeshi Okada gave both players a run-out in the second half against Ivory Coast, but neither was involved against England, and Kengo only had a couple of minutes against South Korea.

To be fair, Inamoto was only ever going to be a bench player at best. Kengo, on the other hand, appeared to have cemented his place in the team over the past year or so. As the only player who's been able to provide any real penetration in the final third for Japan, it's difficult to understand Okada's apparent preference for the more workman-like approach of Kobe's Yoshito Okubo.

Closer to home, veteran defender Shuhei Terada has undergone operations on both knees, and is likely to need at least two-month's rehabilitation. If the club do end up pocketing a Chong-sized cheque over the course of the summer, one would think an established centre-back must be pretty high on Takahata's wishlist.

Also missing matches will be Yusuke Mori. The feisty right-back's outspoken behaviour at the end of the Jubilo Iwata game compelled the J.League's disciplinary committee to slap him with a two-match ban. The club has since taken it upon themselves to impose their own two-match ban, making it a total of four games in all. Not entirely sure of the nature of the offence, but where there's Mori there's usually fire.

Jubilo Iwata 3-1 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sun, 16 May 2010 13:01:00 +0000

Competition: J.League - Division 1
Date: Sunday, 16th May 2010 (14:00 kick off)
Venue: Yamaha Stadium
Attendance: 14,760

Scoresheet:

GILSINHO 02'
MAEDA 10'
NARUOKA 66'

RENATINHO 49'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI (yellow card 58')
DF IGAWA
DF SAHARA
DF KOMIYAMA
MF NAKAMURA
MF INAMOTO (replaced by KUSUKAMI 46')
MF TASAKA (yellow card 69';replaced by NOBORIZATO 84')
FW KUROTSU (yellow card 84')
FW CHONG (replaced by VITOR JUNIOR 46')
FW RENATINHO (yellow card 52')

Comment:

To follow...

Highlights:

Gamba Osaka 4-4 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:38:00 +0000

Competition: J.League - Division 1
Date: Wednesday, 5th May 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Expo '70 Stadium
Attendance: 20,317

Scoresheet:

USAMI 33'
FUTAGAWA 59'
LUCAS 63'
MYOJIN 82'

MORI 39'
KUSUKAMI 74', 80', 90+1'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA
DF TERADA (yellow card 90+5')
DF KOMIYAMA
MF NAKAMURA
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by VITOR JUNIOR 62')
MF TASAKA (yellow card 25')
FW KUROTSU
FW CHONG (replaced by KUSUKAMI 71')
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Mixed emotions after this game. Ultimately, it was a wonderful show of resilience, with hat-trick hero Jumpei Kusukami the unexpected star of the show. But picking up points away from home has long been Frontale's achilles heel. And this was a badly wasted opportunity against a Gamba Osaka still struggling to find their feet this season.

It will come as little surprise that defence remains the key concern. Of Gamba's four goals, only the last could be described as unavoidable - Tomokazu Myojin's long-range effort taking a hefty deflection on its way past Eiji.

The defending for Gamba's opener wasn't great, but borders on forgivable. Mori isn't a natural right-back, so when one of his centre-backs is pulled out of position and he's required to tuck in, he can't really be expected to do the job properly. Yes, he allowed Takashi Usami to run onto Yasuhito Endo's cross unchallenged, but as far as I'm concerned that's just a peril of the formation Frontale choose to play. And he did atone for his mistake by drawing the sides level before the break.

Less excusable are the (now almost weekly) blunders from Shuhei Terada. For Gamba's second, the aging defender first displayed the turning circle of an eighteen-wheeler as Takahiro Futagawa jinked past him at the edge of the box. He then managed to recover just in time to divert Lucas's harmless flick back into Futagawa's path for the simplest of finishes.

Futagawa's goal was doubly painful, as Frontale had been well on top thus far in the second half. Their problems were then compounded when Yusuke Tasaka flapped wildly at an aimless Gamba clearance to send Lucas through on a one-on-one with Eiji.

So, having been much the better side since the interval, the visitors now found themselves 3-1 down - undone by their own incompetence.

But the introduction of Kusukami for the largely-anonymous Chong Tese proved a master-stroke from coach Takahata. Within 10 minutes of his arrival the youngster had pulled Frontale level again - first tapping in at the far post after good work from Komiyama down the left, and then steering a fine mid-range effort past Yosuke Fujigaya.

Myojin's fortuitous ricochet threatened to give Gamba all three points. But as the clock ticked over into injury time, Kusukami capitalised on a weak defensive header to bundle the ball into the back of the net and rescue a point.

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZgSxmio52w

Kawasaki Frontale 4-2 Shonan Bellmare

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sat, 01 May 2010 09:08:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Saturday, 1st May 2010 (16:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 19,423

Scoresheet:

RENATINHO 37', 68'
KOMIYAMA 73'
NAKAMURA 89'

ABE 29'
SAKAMOTO 39' (pen.)
USUI sent off 65'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA (yellow card 82')
DF TERADA
DF KOMIYAMA
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by KUSUKAMI 62'(yellow card 77'))
MF NAKAMURA (yellow card 86')
MF TASAKA
MF VITOR JUNIOR (replaced by NOBORIZATO 74')
FW KUROTSU
FW RENATINHO (replaced by YOKOYAMA 90')

Comment:

Another valuable three points at fortress Todoroki. But might things have been different without the 65th-minute dismissal of Shonan defender Kohei Usui?

I'm not saying he didn't deserve to get his marching orders for what was a careless, two-footed, potential ankle-breaker on Komiyama. But up until the red card Frontale were still trailing their Kanagawa neighbours 2-1 and looking decidedly uncreative in the final third.

In the end it was a comfortable win. But be warned - there'll be plenty more hairy moments like Saturday's as long as the Terada-Igawa axis keeps coughing up cheap goals.

Highlights:

To follow...

Beijing Guoan 2-0 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:51:00 +0000

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Wednesday, 28th April 2010 (19:30 kick off)
Venue: Workers Stadium
Attendance: 40,000

Scoresheet:

GRIFFITHS 26'
ERIVALDO 47'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA (yellow card 38')
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA
MF NAKAMURA
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by KIMURA 59')
MF TASAKA
MF VITOR JUNIOR(replaced by KUSUKAMI 71')
FW KUROTSU
FW RENATINHO (replaced by NOBORIZATO 39')

Comment:

It's official - the 2010 ACL campaign has died a death. And sadly it went with a whimper rather than a bang.

Frontale actually started quite brightly. The hosts looked nervy and Taniguchi, Ito and Tasaka all spurned good chances to take the lead.

But it was Beijing who went ahead midway through the first half, countering quickly after a poorly delivered Vitor free-kick. There were echoes of Saturday's match against Kobe as Frontale found themselves badly under-staffed at the back, allowing Australian striker Joel Griffiths too much time and space to pull down a cross-field pass and prod a cool finish past Eiji.

As usual, conceding against the run of play left Frontale rattled. All of a sudden, they were struggling to string two passes together and the Chinese were evidently growing in confidence.

Things soon got even worse for the visitors when Renatinho had to leave the field with what is hopefully nothing too serious.

The half-time break gave coach Takahata a chance to rally his troops. But the malaise that had seeped into their game before the interval continued into the second half.

Within minutes of the restart Beijing had doubled their lead. The big, bald Brazilian, Erivaldo, managed to steal in behind a disorganised defensive line. He then calmly took the ball round Eiji and slotted into an empty net, leaving Frontale with a mountain to climb.

The home team sat back for the remaining 40 minutes, content to defend their lead. It's a sad indictment on Frontale that, despite dominating possession, they failed to trouble the Beijing keeper with anything but speculative long-range efforts until the dying minutes of the game.

Make no mistake, Beijing are not a great side. But they took their chances and defended their lead stubbornly.

As for Frontale, their passing was simply atrocious for a good hour in the middle of the game. Nor were they greatly assisted by Kurotsu, who struggled to hold up the ball in what increasingly became a lone striker role. How different might things have been had Chong Tese not picked up that silly red card against Melbourne?

All things considered, it's better to go out of a competition on (lack of) merit rather than through controversy. And let's be honest, given the results in previous games, it was a surprise to most that we were still in contention at this stage of the tournament.

Anyway, onwards and upwards. Just three more games til the World Cup break, during which the team really needs to consolidate its position near the top of the table. Who knows...might even have a fully-fit Juninho back by the time action resumes in July.

Group E - Final standings:

Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Seongnam Ilhwa FC (Q)	6	5	0	1	11	6	15
Beijing Guoan (Q)	6	3	1	2	7	5	10
Kawasaki Frontale	6	2	0	4	8	8	6
Melbourne Victory	6	1	2	4	3	10	4

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWSPjuuUiRc

Inamoto To Miss Beijing Clash

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:44:00 +0000

Junichi Inamoto will miss Wednesday's must-win game against Beijing Guoan with a groin strain picked up against Vissel Kobe.

The injury is also likely to keep him out of the home game against Shonan Bellmare at the weekend.

In other news, Frontale have snapped up defender Yuki Saneto from Kochi University. The 21-year-old, who has represented Japan at university level, will join the squad next season.

Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 Vissel Kobe

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 18:04:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Saturday, 24th April 2010 (14:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 17,669

Scoresheet:

RENATINHO 05' (pen.)
KUROTSU 49'
CHONG 78' (pen.)

KOMOTO sent off 78'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI (yellow card 13')
DF IGAWA
DF TERADA (yellow card 22')
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (replaced by TANIGUCHI 80')
MF NAKAMURA (replaced by YOKOYAMA 90')
MF TASAKA
FW KUROTSU (replaced by VITOR JUNIOR 80')
FW CHONG (yellow card 73')
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

They say that Luck is a fickle mistress. On the evidence of the last two games, you'd be hard pressed to argue with them.

Much as last week's 3-0 defeat could have turned out differently, were it not for some failings in judgement from the men in black, so could Vissel's fortunes have fared better on Saturday had the referee's decisions been slightly more orthodox in the opening 20 minutes.

There was drama aplenty from the very first whistle. Frontale may perhaps be accused of under-estimating their opponents going into the game. They opted to rest Taniguchi ahead of the midweek trip to Beijing, instead relying solely on Inamoto for midfield ballast. And judging by the numbers committed forward for a corner in the first 60 seconds, caution was clearly not part of their gameplan.

However, this bullishness was almost immediately punished. Having cleared the danger from that opening-minute corner, Kobe latched onto Mori's poor defensive header and released the speedy Ken Tokura (not that long ago a Frontale bench-warmer) on a lightning raid into the box.

Only a brilliant covering run from Inamoto, muscling the youngster off the ball, prevented a clear scoring opportunity. And despite intial fears that the referee might point to the spot, the replays confirmed that Tokura went down too easily.

But having survived that immediate scare, Frontale continued to leave their pedestrian centre-back pairing exposed to the pace of Tokura and his similarly impish strike partner Keiji Ogawa.

On 3 minutes, Terada was caught on the wrong side of his man. The veteran defender appeared to have a little tug on Ogawa's shirt, allowing Igawa the extra time to cover in behind. The referee opted to play the advantage, but the striker was quickly closed down. A free-kick was the least Kobe deserved. And Terada was very lucky to avoid a yellow.

Even worse for the vistors was the drama that immediately unfolded at the other end. From a long clearance, Kurotsu did well to press Hiroyuki Komoto, rob him of possession and home in on goal. His touch was a little heavy as he went past the last defender, but Teruaki Kobayashi's lunge gave the striker the invitation he needed to go down.

When it goes against your team, you call it "cheating". When it goes for you, it's called "professionalism". Whichever way you look at it, the referee awarded the penalty and Renatinho made no repeat of last week's mistake.

Depite this early adversity, Kobe continued to look dangerous on the break. And after a few half-chances at either end, yet another rapier attack exposed Frontale's frail rearguard.

The ball was moved swiftly up to Tokura who nodded it past an isolated Terada before being cynically dragged down. It looked like a straight red - I can only guess the referee deemed that an outrushing Kawashima would have got to the ball before Tokura. Terada escaped with a yellow but, in light of his earlier transgression on Ogawa, he should really have been off.

The resulting free kick hit the wall and looked to rebound off Tasaka's hand (although it certainly wasn't intentional). Eiji made a good block on Edmilson's shot and as the ball looped up in the air Ryosuke Matsuoka was adjudged to have impeded the keeper before Park Kang-Jo's shot hit the back of the net.

It's hardly rare for goalkeepers to get the benefit of the doubt in such circumstances. But the look on Eiji's face afterwards suggests Vissel may once again have been more than a little hard done by.

Frontale had the upper hand for the remaining three quarters of the game. They gradually adapted to Kobe's counter-attacking style and were aided by Tokura's failure to re-emerge for the second half (having taken a knock just before the break). A bat-masked Okubo came on as his replacement but without the same kind of pace he made little impact on a more cohesive-looking home defence.

Kurotsu put daylight between the two teams early in the second half, lunging at a loose ball after some muscular play from Chong Tese. The Korean (who had wasted a hatful of opportunities from open play) then put the result beyond doubt 20 minutes later, wresting spot-kick duties from Renatinho after he'd been brought down from behind by Komoto.

Komoto received his marching orders (he was already on a yellow), Chong's penalty went in off the post and the rest of the game played out without major incident. However, Kobe fans will be wondering what might have been, had Frontale been forced to play three quarters of the game with only ten men.

Highlights:

To follow...

Urawa Reds 3-0 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:02:00 +0000

Competition: J.League - Division 1
Date: Sunday, 18th April 2010 (16:00 kick off)
Venue: Saitama Stadium
Attendance: 46,313

Scoresheet:

HOSOGAI 07'
TANAKA 08'
HORINOUCHI 72'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA
DF TERADA
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by NOBORIZATO 73')
MF TASAKA (replaced by NAKAMURA 46')
FW KUROTSU (replaced by VITOR JUNIOR 46')
FW CHONG
FW RENATINHO (yellow card 59')

Comment:

Bad result, but take heart - this performance was light years ahead of some other recent losses.

Conceding two goals in as many minutes at the very start of an away fixture is hardly a recipe for success. But, apart from this (albeit fairly major) blip, Frontale honestly weren't too bad.

I'm not going to attempt to excuse the two-goal head-start presented to the hosts. Hajime Hosogai's opener had some welly behind it, but it was straight at Eiji. Unfortunately the big fella botched his punch and the ball ended up skewing off his gloves into the top corner. Unlucky or careless? Probably a bit of both...okay, probably slightly more the latter.

Then within seconds, perhaps still in shock at Eiji's rare blunder, the Frontale midfield was carved open by a simple give-and-go. Tatsuya Tanaka bore down on a back-tracking defence and unleashed a 20-yarder into the very same corner. It was a good strike (Eiji had no chance this time) but the defending was positively vaporous.

To their credit Frontale responded strongly, mounting a spell of concerted pressure. Kurotsu hit the woodwork (although Kashiwagi did the same at the other end moments later) and the Urawa keeper made a couple of decent saves.

It was vital for the visitors to claw something back before the break, and sadly it took an erroneous offside flag to prevent them from doing so.

Renatinho won a free-kick at the corner of the penalty box. He then sent in a dangerous delivery that found Igawa at the back-post via an Urawa head. The centre-back made no mistake with his finish, but his celebrations were curtailed by a raised flag on the far side. The referee's assistant must have deemed the flick-on to have come off a Frontale player, rendering Igawa offside. Bad decision.

Had Igawa's goal been allowed to stand, there could have been a very different outcome to this match. But when the game resumed after the interval the longer the two-goal margin remained, the more open Frontale were forced to leave themselves at the back.

Now, is it just me, or do you hate it when football officials choose to atone for their mistakes by giving an equally bad call the other way? Well, there was another example of this on Sunday.

In the second half, the referee almost gifted Frontale a way back into the game when he pointed to the penalty spot for a dubious foul on Chong Tese. The challenge wasn't inside the area, and in any case I'm not entirely sure the defender did anything wrong.

However, Renatinho's spot-kick was a tame one. And, to add insult to injury, he somehow managed to slice the rebound over the crossbar. It was at this stage that I think most fans accepted it was just going to be one of those days.

As the clock ticked on, with Frontale's all-out attack mode beginning to wane (and the referee deciding that Renatinho's tumbling no longer deserved the benefit of the doubt), Urawa were finding all kinds of space on the break. It was the unlikely Satoshi Horinouchi - brought on to shore up the home defence - who drove home the final nail, arriving late in the box to convert the rebound after Eiji had made another good stop. 3-0. Game over.

Unlike the recent embarrassment in Yokohama, coach Takahata was blameless on this occasion. He did the sensible thing by bringing on the big guns of Kengo and Vitor at half time (earlier than he was probably planning). He even had Noborizato on the touchline stripped and ready to bolster his tiring strikeforce at the precise moment Urawa's third went in. Again, just one of those days.

Important that the team bounces back against Vissel Kobe on Saturday. And then it's crunch time in the ACL on Wednesday with a must-win game in Beijing. Never a dull moment!

Highlights:

To follow...

Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 Seongnam Ilhwa FC

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:37:00 +0000

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Wednesday, 14th April 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 10,403

Scoresheet:

TANIGUCHI 04'
TASAKA 21'
RENATINHO 69' (pen.)

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF TERADA (yellow card 46')
DF ITO (yellow card 26')
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA '82)
MF TANIGUCHI
MF TASAKA (replaced by NAKAMURA 66')
FW KUROTSU
FW NOBORIZATO (replaced by VITOR JUNIOR 66')
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Too busy (lazy) to give a full report on this game, which is something I regret because this was classic Frontale. A scoreline of 10-4 would have been a better representation of just how exciting it was.

I don't even want to get started because there are too many layers to unwrap - a veritable Russian doll of a football match. But let it suffice to say a) The ACL campaign is (somehow) very much alive and well and now rests upon a victory in Beijing in two weeks time. And b) Kengo's back! (Check out the news feature linked to below. Match highlights are at the end).

Roll on Urawa!

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6sGYzF4pO0

Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-3 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 08:13:00 +0000

Competition: J.League - Division 1
Date: Saturday, 10th April 2010 (14:00 kick off)
Venue: Hiroshima Big Arch
Attendance: 14,094

Scoresheet:

RENATINHO 06'
KUROTSU 50'
VITOR JUNIOR 79'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA
DF TERADA
DF KOMIYAMA (yellow card 35')
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA 76')
MF TANIGUCHI
MF TASAKA (replaced by NOBORIZATO 82')
FW KUROTSU (replaced by VITOR JUNIOR 76')
FW CHONG
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Early goals in each half from Renatinho and Kurotsu paved the way for a comfortable three-point haul in Hiroshima. Vitor Junior, on again as a second-half sub, dribbled the length of the pitch before slotting in a third to add some polish to the final scoreline.

Just 6 minutes in, Sanfrecce were the architects of their own downfall, coughing up possession in a dangerous area and allowing Chong Tese the space to weigh up his options. In the end it was a bread-and-butter finish for Renatinho. But it's further evidence of Chong's improvement that he had the wherewithal to pick out his Brazilian colleague rather than take a pop at goal himself.

Neither keeper was unduly troubled for the rest of the half. Frontale played tidily enough without ever really hitting top gear. The main worry from Hiroshima's perspective was the lack of pressure they were able to exert on an eerily cool, calm and collected Igawa-Terada partnership.

Then, five minutes after the interval, Kurotsu put the game to bed with a fine strike from the corner of the penalty area. From Mori's quickly-taken free-kick, the striker cut back inside his marker before angling a fizzer just inside the near post. Could the keeper have got a stronger hand on it? Was there a slight deflection on the way? Who knows? Who cares?

As the second half wore on, Sanfrecce pushed forward creating more opportunities for Frontale to threaten on the counter. Chong and Renatinho both might have done better against a stretched Sanfrecce defence. Both later managed to force decent stops from Nishikawa in goal.

At the other end, the introduction of Tadanari Lee and Toshihiro Aoyama gave a bit more bite to the Hiroshima attack. But then, just as the home team was beginning to assert itself, came the timely arrival of Vitor Junior.

The pint-sized midfielder sealed the deal almost immediately after coming on for Kurotsu. Picking up possession deep inside his own half, he rolled away from one challenge, brushed off another, raced down the middle and struck from the edge of the box. Impressive stuff from a player who looks like he's finally put his injury woes behind him. Mind you, not the most committed defending from Sanfrecce.

A fun-filled week now lies ahead. First a chance to claw back some self respect in the ACL on Wednesday against runaway group leaders Seongnam Ilhwa. Then the ever-eventful annual trip to Urawa at the weekend.

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wI1NP7zZMU

Kawasaki Frontale 2-1 FC Tokyo

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 08:30:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Sunday, 4th April 2010 (16:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 22,199

Scoresheet:

CHONG 21', 61'

KONNO 90'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA
DF TERADA
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by YOKOYAMA 90')
MF TASAKA (replaced by KIMURA 73')
FW KUROTSU (replaced by VITOR JUNIOR 85')
FW CHONG (yellow card 45')
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Hmm... Nice big crowd. But not your average Tamagawa Classico. In fact, I'm still not 100% sure that was actually FC Tokyo playing in white.

Not wanting to be too respectful, but the Tokyo side I remember from last season was all about passion and commitment. They held onto possession well and pressed their opponents quickly and as a team.

Well, I'm not sure what's happened, but on Sunday they looked a shadow of their former selves (perhaps epitomised by the subdued performance of last year's standout player Naohiro Ishikawa). Their control and passing was loose and there was little urgency of any kind.

That's not to say Frontale were great. They started off still looking a little jaded from their midweek travels/travails. And for much of the first half they were as guilty as Tokyo of squandering possession.

HOWEVER, the second half was as one-sided a display as I've seen this year and only Chong Tese knows how he didn't bag at least a barrelful. A one-goal margin really doesn't reveal the true disparity between these two teams on the day.

Chong actually played very well. Having sat out Wednesday's ACL encounter he was certainly a bit fresher and his all-round link-up play was much improved. He had a decent chance to open the scoring after good work from Mori down the right. But his header was all wrong and the ball ended up bouncing tamely into the arms of Tokyo keeper Shuichi Gonda.

Still, it didn't take long for the Korean to atone for his earlier misdemeanor. Kurotsu sent in a cross from near the left corner flag which the Tokyo defence could only clear to the edge of the penalty area. From here an unmarked Chong controlled it off his chest before spanking a blistering volley into the top right corner. Punished!

But, as so often, Frontale immediately went off the boil, allowing their guests a 20-minute purple patch. Tokyo undoubtedly raised their game after going behind, but the hosts just seemed intent on hoofing long balls upfield, committing needless fouls and inviting the next wave of Tokyo pressure.

Naotake Hanyu and the fleetingly-impressive Sota Hirayama both bruised Eiji's woodwork. Hokuto Nakamura snatched at a couple of half chances. But that was as good as it got for the visitors.

After the break it was pretty much one-way traffic. Chong saw a header come back off the crossbar and Gonda made a clutch of fine saves. However, the young keeper (one of the heroes of the 2009 Nabisco Cup final) was at fault for Frontale's second.

Chong took his turn at a free-kick from just outside the box, aiming to send a "daisy cutter" below Tokyo's wall. It kind of went according to plan, bouncing its way underneath the leaping defenders, but there was no real venom in the shot. Still, Gonda must have seen it very late as he could only get a weak hand to the ball before it crossed the goal line.

Tokyo got their consolation goal deep into injury time. It's not often an Igawa/Terada centre-back pairing manages an entire game without a frantic goal-mouth scramble of some description, so it's fitting that this was how the goal came - Konno eventually driving the ball into the roof of the net. The final whistle went shortly after, leaving a rueful Igawa thumping the ground.

The important thing is the three points, though. Especially with Kashima (as ever, the team to beat) losing their first game of the season. Who'd have thought only 5 points would be dropped from the first 5 games (with or without Kengo and Juninho)? Not me!

Back on the road next week. Is this when the wheels fall off?

Highlights:

To follow...

Melbourne Victory 1-0 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:17:00 +0000

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Wednesday, 31st March 2010 (19:30 kick off)
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Attendance: 6,011

Scoresheet:

MUSCAT 60' (pen.)

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA (yellow card 89')
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by KUSUKAMI 62')
MF TASAKA (replaced by KIMURA 90')
FW KUROTSU
FW NOBORIZATO (replace by VITOR JUNIOR '69)
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Well, I certainly didn't see that one coming. A combination of poor shooting, some outstanding saves from Mitch Langerak in the Melbourne goal and a decidedly pungent penalty call conspired to drive what must be a final nail in Frontale's ACL coffin.

It was always going to be a tougher proposition than the rout at Todoroki. A fresh Melbourne side showed much more hunger in midfield and their defence wasn't quite so porous with the experienced Kevin Muscat back in the fold.

Frontale for their part didn't look as sharp - unsurprisingly after the long journey. But despite a decent start by the home team, the visitors were back running the show by the middle of the first half.

Kyohei Noborizato was given a rare start in place of the suspended Chong Tese. The youngster certainly wasn't overawed by the occasion, but Chong's are big boots to fill and he was clearly missed.

Kurotsu played through the middle and had the best of the first-half chances. Breaking clear down the right, he cut inside Muscat who did just enough to unbalance the striker and take the fizz out of his shot. From the resulting corner it was Kurotsu again who rose highest, but his header was acrobatically tipped away by the keeper.

Frontale were getting a lot of possession around the edge of the Melbourne penalty area, but showed a lack of accuracy from mid-range as shot after mis-hit shot went ballooning over the crossbar.

In the second half, the visitors continued to work hard and press forward, but on 60 minutes the referee decided to throw a spanner in the works. Komiyama came across to get goal side of lone Melbourne striker Robbie Kruse and as the two went shoulder to shoulder Kruse collapsed in a heap. (To be fair to the player he looked as surprised as anyone that the penalty had been awarded.) Muscat stepped up and sent Eiji the wrong way and Melbourne into the lead.

Despite playing most of the remaining 30 minutes in the Melbourne half, Frontale were unable to find the back of the net. Langerak made a stunning save from Tasaka, palming his shot onto the woodwork. Then in the dying seconds he somehow managed to tip Renatinho's point-blank effort over the bar.

The young keeper certainly deserves his moment in the limelight, but Frontale's shooting was as much to blame, with a barrage of shots from around the edge of the area continuing to sail high and wide.

The highlight of the match, for me, was the appearance of Vitor Junior as a second-half sub. The diminutive Brazilian trickster has missed the best part of a year through injury, but looks to have lost none of his nifty footwork. It'll take him a while to recover full match fitness, but it's good to have some positive news from the physio's bench.

In the group's other game, Seongnam secured their qualification with a hard-fought 1-0 victory in Beijing. There's still a mathematical possibility that Frontale could steal that all-important second spot, but the chances of Melbourne taking the necessary points off the Chinese in the next round are slim at best.

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byy1VW157cw

Kawasaki Frontale 0-0 Shimizu S-Pulse

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 07:57:00 +0000

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Saturday, 27th March 2010 (13:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 17,716

Scoresheet:

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA
DF TERADA
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (yellow card 67')
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by KIMURA 77')
MF TASAKA (replaced by KUSUKAMI 85')
FW KUROTSU
FW CHONG (replaced by NOBORIZATO 81')
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

To follow...

Highlights:

To follow...

Juninho Suffers Further Setback

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:20:00 +0000

More bad tidings from the medics this week as Juninho's rehabilitation is said to have taken a setback.

The veteran Brazilian had made a return to training but suffered a recurrence of his calf injury last Sunday (21st March) which is set to rule him out for a further four weeks.

Isn't it about time those doctors had some good news?

Kawasaki Frontale 4-0 Melbourne Victory

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Tuesday, 23rd March 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 9,728

Scoresheet:

CHONG 03',
KUROTSU 11',
RENATINHO 22',
TANIGUCHI 90'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA (yellow card 21')
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA '78)
MF TANIGUCHI (yellow card 30')
MF TASAKA (replaced by KUSUKAMI 86')
FW KUROTSU (replaced by NOBORIZATO 90')
FW CHONG (yellow card 34', red card 45')
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Bit of a delay getting this report up, but to be honest I wasn't sure what to make of the game.

Let's be frank - Melbourne were awful. They certainly have their excuses (and I'm sure next week's return fixture will be less one-sided). But for the first half of Tuesday night's encounter it was real amateur stuff from the Australians.

Renatinho is someone they'll need to deal with a lot better back in Oz. He was the star of the show, setting up Chong Tese for the first within minutes of kick-off and scoring the third with a fine solo effort.

Kurotsu's goal was a touch fortuitous as his flick-on from Tasaka's free kick looped just inside the top corner, giving the Melbourne keeper no chance. But the sheer ease with which Frontale were controlling possession and carving out opportunities was almost as embarrassing for the home fans as for the travelling support.

Had Chong not reacted so rashly to Grant Brebner's manhandling on the stroke of half time, it could (and should) have been a lot worse for the visitors. As it was, they were able to cope a little better against ten men in the second half. But it was only really after the arrival of substitutes Marvin Angulo and Matthew Foschini - who at least seemed less intent on giving the ball away - that Frontale were put under any pressure.

During their brief spell in the ascendancy, Nik Mrdja (who was on the end of a 5-0 Frontale thumping last season with Central Coast Mariners) missed two decent chances. But it would have been a travesty for the game to end with anything less than a four-goal margin. And it was captain Taniguchi who wrapped things up with a tap-in at the far post after a long ball from Kawashima to Renatinho had outwitted the beleaguered Melbourne defence.

Nice as it is to bounce back from a 4-0 defeat with a 4-0 victory, I'm not sure what Frontale can really take from this game. The important thing is that we finally have points on the board. And, with Seongnam beating Beijing 3-1 in the group's other game, that second qualification spot is suddenly looking a lot more attainable.

Huge game against S-Pulse on Saturday.

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PJayQyAQCc

Yokohama F Marinos 4-0 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 08:09:00 +0000

Competition: J.League - Division 1
Date: Saturday, 20th March 2010 (14:00 kick off)
Venue: Nissan Stadium
Attendance: 35,870

Scoresheet:

NAKAMURA 08'
YAMASE 12', 40'
KURIHARA 60'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF SONODA (replaced by IGAWA 88')
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (replaced by KUSUKAMI 80')
MF TANIGUCHI
MF TASAKA
FW KUROTSU (replaced by NOBORIZATO 72')
FW CHONG (yellow card 73')
FW RENATINHO (yellow card 43')

Comment:

After last week's narrow win in Nagoya, coach Takahata proclaimed that Frontale's 2010 title challenge will depend on their away results. So the embarrassment of a 4-0 drubbing at local rivals Yokohama F Marinos may just be enough to persuade him that attack is not always the best form of defence.

The most troublng aspect of Saturday's defeat (besides the scoreline...and the lack of efforts on goal) was the coach's refusal to respond to what was clearly a tactical mismatch in the middle of the park.

Perhaps the need to claw back a three-goal deficit persuaded him to keep his under-supplied, three-pronged frontline intact at half time. However, the fact that Inamoto, Taniguchi and Tasaka were being so completely outnumbered and outrun in midfield would surely have sparked a reaction from most other coaches.

Admittedly, on another day, Yokohama's midfield dominance might not have left their opponents with such a second-half mountain to climb. Shunsuke Nakamura's long-range, 8th-minute strike was certainly well hit, but spent a long time travelling towards the top corner. A keeper of Eiji's quality should really have done better.

And, while I may be clutching at straws to suggest that Koji Yamase was offside for his first of the afternoon, his second was undeniably set up via the hand of Shingo Hyodo.

Even when the Marinos chalked up their fourth after 60 minutes - a majestic leap from centre-back Yuzo Kurihara to convert Nakamura's deep corner-kick delivery - it took a further 12 minutes for Takahata to make a change. Does this suggest a lack of tactical awareness? Or is it a lack of faith in his supporting cast?

In truth, I very much doubt it's the former. And it would be a real shame if it was the latter, as both Noborizato and Kusukami showed, during their brief cameos, that they can certainly challenge the likes of Kurotsu and Tasaka for places in the starting eleven.

To put things into perspective, I'd say this was a blip rather than the beginning of the end (I actually thought Frontale were outplayed more in last year's version of this fixture, even though the result then was only 2-1).

But I do have a feeling this kind of result is the price Frontale fans will have to pay at times with Takahata back in charge. Let's just hope it remains the exception rather than the rule.

Highlights:

To follow...

Nagoya Grampus 2-3 Kawasaki Frontale

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 09:17:00 +0000

Competition: J.League - Division 1
Date: Saturday, 13th March 2010 (16:00 kick off)
Venue: Toyota Stadium
Attendance: 25,176

Scoresheet:

KANAZAKI 06'
MAGNUM 78'

RENATINHO 03'
CHONG 16', 90'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF KIKUCHI (yellow card 25' / replaced by SONODA 29')
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA (yellow card 49')
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA 46')
MF TANIGUCHI
MF TASAKA
FW KUROTSU
FW CHONG (yellow card 42')
FW RENATINHO (yellow card 20' / replaced by KIMURA 77')

Comment:

That's what it's all about! I'd like to distill that game, bottle it, and stick a label on the front saying "Vintage Frontale". Not that I think it was the best of performances, but it contained all the characteristics that make Frontale a great team to follow.

There were wonder strikes, glaring misses, goalkeeping acrobatics, lucky breaks, and wave after wave of skin-of-the-teeth defending. But most importantly there was drama from start to finish.

Frontale got off to a dream start courtesy of a Renatinho free kick. It was a decent hit from a central position just outside the area, but Nagoya keeper Seigo Narazaki must feel he could have done better.

Still, no sooner had Grampus won their first corner, the scores were level again. Kawashima did well at the far post to block a goal-bound header from former Frontale favourite Magnum. But the ever-agile Mu Kanazaki was quickest to react and lashed in the rebound.

Then, with 15 minutes barely on the clock, Chong Tese notched up his first of the season. It was another free-kick from the edge of the penalty box, but this time a massive deflection off the wall gave Narazaki no chance.

Nagoya came tearing back, giving the Frontale defence all sorts of problems. Josh Kennedy missed the target with a free header and Eiji got a strong hand to a well-struck Keiji Tamada free-kick.

Komiyama seemed solid enough on the left and Inamoto was quietly effective in the middle of the park. But Mori and the centre-backs spent much of the time looking uncomfortably stretched.

The defensive problems weren't helped by Kikuchi's injury, and subsequent departure, after 25 minutes. That said, Sonoda gave a steady performance in his place and continues to look a capable deputy.

Other than a fine mid-range effort from Taniguchi, Frontale did little to trouble Narazaki for the remainder of the half. But it was by no means a wholly one-sided affair. And it was no great surprise when the visitors resumed control of the game after the break.

Rather worryingly, Inamoto failed to re-emerge for the second half. Hopefully it was just a precautionary measure (certainly it wasn't a tactical switch). Adding Inamoto's name (or Kikuchi's for that matter) to the list of walking wounded would be yet another hammerblow to an already injury-stricken squad.

However, the introduction of Yokoyama in place of Inamoto brought about a period of midfield dominance during which Frontale had a handful of good chances to extend their lead. Renatinho and Chong both sent free headers wide of the mark. And Taniguchi struck a swerving drive almost too cleanly as it curled back just far enough to hit the post.

But the tide was set to change with the arrival of Nagoya's Montenegrin midfielder Igor Burzanovic. Suddenly, the home team were in total control and proceeded to pile on the pressure until a breakthrough was inevitable.

It came, all-too-predictably, from Magnum. (He always plays well against his old team and, on this evidence, he's back to his very best.) Burzanovic curled in a free kick from the left and the shaven-headed No. 8 easily escaped the attentions of Kurotsu to head home from 8 yards out.

At this stage, the three points no longer seemed an option and it was looking more like an exercise in damage limitation. But Takahata's decision to bring on Kimura for Renatinho started to give Frontale a bit more traction in midfield. And with a minute of normal time remaining Chong Tese delivered his first piece of magic of the season.

Kimura's cross into the box fell behind him, but running away from goal the Korean managed to swivel 180 degrees and crack one into the corner of the net. Now, if he could just do that a bit more often!

Two wins from two games equals Frontale's best ever start to a J1 season. In 2006 they went on to lose their third away to Ventforet Kofu. What odds a new club record in Yokohama next Saturday?

Highlights:

To follow...

Kawasaki Frontale 1-3 Beijing Guoan

noreply@blogger.com (manyar) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:24:00 +0000

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Tuesday, 9th March 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 6,606

Scoresheet:

KIKUCHI 40'

GRIFFITHS 36'
WANG CHANGQING 65', 86'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF KIKUCHI
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (yellow card 57')
MF TANIGUCHI
MF TASAKA (replaced by KIMURA 88')
FW KUROTSU (replaced by NOBORIZATO 88')
FW CHONG
FW RENATINHO (replaced by YAJIMA '70)

Comment:

Well that was a difficult game to watch. And not just because it's nigh-on impossible to see a white ball on a pitch that's 6 inches deep in snow.

On the whole, Frontale didn't actually play too badly (if you ignore the lack of composure in the final third and the tendency to leave themselves exposed at the back). You could always point to the injury list and the freak weather conditions as excuses. But in fairness, it was simply yet another example of what happens when you don't take your chances.

Beijing opened the scoring with what may well have been their first shot of the match. Frontale lost a couple of 50-50 midfield challenges in quick succession which suddenly left Ito exposed to a foot race against Australian striker Joel Griffiths. No prizes for guessing who won, and the former Socceroo calmly slotted his shot under big Eiji.

Frontale's response was almost immediate - Kikuchi getting some kind of touch on a Tasaka corner to settle the freezing home fans' nerves.

Frontale continued their dominance at the start of the second half. Renatinho came closest, hitting the outside of the post from a tight angle. But again, just when it looked like they might find a way through Beijing's stubborn defence, they were punished on the break.

This time Kikuchi got back well to prevent a shot from Brazilian speedster Otto. But Ito seemed to lose his bearings and left half-time substitute Wang Yongqing free at the edge of the box to send a low shot into the far corner.

This second goal seemed to knock the wind out of Frontale's sails and the visitors began to enjoy their first real spell of extended pressure. Renatinho made way for Yajima and the troops eventually managed to regroup with around ten minutes remaining.

But the result was put beyond doubt in the dying minutes when super-sub Wang Yongqing evaded an increasingly flimsy offside trap and chipped a deft lob over the stranded Kawashima. The snow played its part, taking the pace off the through-ball and practically teeing it up for the lob. But in reality the game was already lost.

It's still early days, but it's pretty difficult to be optimistic about the ACL at this stage. Frontale have a six-point gap to close in four games, the last of which is away to to Beijing. And while there's no suggestion that they've been outclassed in either of their Group E encounters so far, it's hard to see them showing the levels of consistency for what will need to be a near-100% record from their remaining fixtures.

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shqSrWL1i80