Archive for the 'F.C. Tokyo Player News' Category

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Catching Up: Osaka, Iwata, Nagoya, NT, Emperor’s, yadda yadda

Published on October 11, 2009 in Emperor's Cup 2009, F.C. Tokyo Match Reports, F.C. Tokyo Player News and Japan National Team News by dokool. 0 Comments

Why no, I haven’t disappeared into a black hole, but September was an unusually busy month for me and October isn’t shaping up to be much freer.  Here’s what I’ve missed posting about:

-The Gamba Osaka match was pretty much exactly as you’d expect from an 0-0 draw; the team fought valiantly without Hirayama but it was pretty much a deadlock.  Not even going to bother posting highlights, nothing to see here.

-The first half of the Jubilo Iwata match was pretty much as lifeless as the Gamba match… then it got interesting in the second half, turning into a back-and-forth shootout that culminated in a come-from-behind 3-2 Tokyo victory.  Ishikawa, Nagatomo, and Akamine all contributed goals in the win.

-The Nagoya match was a much more fiercely contested match than expected.  Tokyo went up 2-1 in the first half on goals by Ishikawa and Suzuki but faced a resurgent Nagoya in the second half.  The team hit a roadblock when Teriyuki Moniwa sustained a severe cut under his eye after taking an inadvertent elbow from Aussie striker Kennedy.  Still, Tokyo prevailed and is currently in 7th place.

-Four FCT players were named to the National Team for October’s matches: Konno, Nagatomo, Ishikawa, and Tokunaga.  For some reason or another Ishikawa was left off the squad for the Hong Kong game, a 6-0 romping by Japan in which Nagatomo scored a goal and Tokunaga contributed an assist as a substitute.  Ishikawa finally found a starting role in last night’s exhibition game against Scotland, a largely meaningless affair that Japan finally won 2-0

And now I’m off to Ajinomoto Stadium to watch anyone Jofuku deems healthy enough to play take on Kamatamare Sanuki in the Emperor’s Cup Round 2.  I expect that both Sanuki fans making the trip will be very nice people.

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Rumor: Celtic FC shows interest in Nagatomo

Published on September 16, 2009 in F.C. Tokyo Player News and F.C. Tokyo Rumors by dokool. 0 Comments

Came across a tweet that lead me to a Sponichi Annex article that I was expecting to have to translate, then I found out that it quoted an article in the Scotland Evening Times that indicates that Celtic FC is possibly considering taking a shot at Nagatomo.  Here’s the juicy bit from an article headlined “First NAKA, now NAGA”:

CELTIC have been linked with another Japanese player – and he comes with a recommendation from Shunsuke Nakamura.

Yuto Nagatomo is currently making a big name for himself as a defender with FC Tokyo.

But it has been his performances while playing alongside Naka with the Japanese national team headed to next summer’s World Cup finals which are predicted to make him the next J-league player to move west.

Nakamura has been so impressed with the rising star, who just turned 23 at the weekend, he is telling anyone who might be in the market for a young defender that they would have no regrets if they took a punt on Nagatomo.

Reports in Japan claim Celtic are already looking closely at him, though no formal approach to his club has been made to date.

The article claims that FC Tokyo values Nagatomo at about 2 million pounds (roughly $3.3 million US), which in the face of Cabore’s $5 million sale to Qatar would seem to be a gruesomely low amount until one considers that the soccer sheiks tend to overpay for Brazillian strikers when they have their hearts set on it.  Still, Nagatomo’s gotta be worth more than Cabore and his value could only increase with a good showing in next year’s World Cup.

The question, of course, is whether or not an NT player would be wise to make such a move in a World Cup year.  Nagatomo certainly has the skills to play well in Europe, but how would the team fare next season without its treasured sideback?

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News Roundup: Cabore’s Departure, Nabisco Tickets, Kyot

Published on September 13, 2009 in F.C. Tokyo Match Reports, F.C. Tokyo News, F.C. Tokyo Player News and J.League Nabisco Cup 2009 by dokool. 1 Comment

I’m a little busy so I’ve fallen behind on postings, here’s the latest from Tokyo:

-Cabore has officially signed with Qatar club Al Arabi, with a reported transfer fee of 500 million yen (roughly $5.5 million at the current exchange rate).  The club has offered a formal apology to fans for not being able to set up a proper farewell from the star forward, and he expressed his heartfelt thanks to the fans and support for the club in a message published on the team website.

-Nabisco Cup tickets went on sale on Saturday morning at 10AM and were completely sold out less than an hour later.  The stage is set for a packed house at Kokuritsu on November 3rd

-Tokyo lost 1-2 to Kyoto.  In addition Hirayama recieved his 4th yellow, meaning he will be out for the Gamba match.  Let’s move on until I have time to compose all of my thoughts.

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Cabore’s Last Stand? Transfer rumors surface again

Published on September 5, 2009 in F.C. Tokyo Player News and F.C. Tokyo Rumors by dokool. 0 Comments

Chunichi Sports revealed today that, according to several unnamed club officials, FC Tokyo is in talks with an unnamed Middle Eastern team regarding the transfer of Brazillian striker Cabore that would include a 500 million yen (nearly $5.4 million) fee for breaking his contract.  Rumors of Cabore being transferred were raised earlier this year but nothing materialized.  Since then, the team has revealed that it will have to seek a new shirt sponsor for the 2010 season as ENEOS is withdrawing its sponsorship.  This infusion of cash would at the very least alleviate any financial problems the team may be facing, and at most could provide an extra boost in the off-season acquisition period assuming Tokyo finds a new sponsor.

Because the start of league play in the Middle East is rapidly approaching, a deal could be made within the week and according to the article some have noted that there is a possibility Sunday’s match against Shimizu could be Cabore’s last game wearing the blue and red kit.

Tokyo would be the latest of many teams to be entranced by so-called “oil money”; following in the footsteps of Gamba Osaka (which recently sold Leandro for a cool billion yen) and Nagoya (who sold Davi to some club in Qatar earlier this summer).

More to follow, I’m sure.

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Crisis in Tokyo 2: Transfers and Uncertainty

Published on August 25, 2009 in F.C. Tokyo News, F.C. Tokyo Player News, F.C. Tokyo Reports and F.C. Tokyo Rumors by dokool. 1 Comment

I haven’t had time to write up proper reports for the last couple matches; anyone who’s followed on J’s Goal probably knows what’s happened.  For those who don’t, here are the last three scores:

8/16 FC Tokyo 0 – 0 Yokohama FM

8/19 Montedio Yamagata 1 – 0 FC Tokyo

8/23 Kashima Antlers 3 – 1 FC Tokyo

No, I’m not even going to bother explaining these scores yet.  It’s been a trying summer, to say the least, but given that most of J.League seems to be suffering we are, inexplicably, still not out of the ACL race.  Plus there’s the upcoming Nabisco Cup Semifinal next week.  Hopefully Oita will provide us with an opponent we can beat up, but a lot of that is certain to ride on whether or not Ishikawa makes it back to the lineup.

In other news, Tokyo is making some late-season player moves:

Veteran Jo Kanazawa is heading to Jubilo Iwata with a complete transfer.  Jo has only appeared as a substitute in a few games this season and started once or twice.  Kanazawa started his J.League career with Jubilo where he was a part of their ‘dynasty’ period from 1999 through 2002.

Rookie Kazunori Yoshimoto is off to FC Gifu on a 6-month loan.  He’s appeared a couple times for Tokyo over the last 3 years but hopefully this loan will give him a chance to get more playing time and improve his skills.

In news that could have an impact into next season, longtime shirt sponsor ENOS has decided to withdraw sponsorship after this season ends.  ENOS, which has long been considered the ‘face of Tokyo’ since it took over the front sponsorship from the AM/PM chain of convenience stores, paid 300,000,000 yen (roughly $3 million) for the privilege.

Crisis in Tokyo: 4 starters missing on Sunday

Published on August 16, 2009 in F.C. Tokyo Match Preview and F.C. Tokyo Player News by dokool. 0 Comments

Tomorrow’s match against Yokohama FM will be crucial for FC Tokyo as it begins the next phase of the Summer Counterattack.  Currently 4 points out of an ACL spot and 15 from the top, Tokyo needs to buckle down and put together another long chain of victories after its recent stumbles.

Unfortunately, tomorrow’s game will see a drastically altered lineup due to a variety of circumstances:

-Yuto Nagatomo underwent an appendectomy on August 3rd; although he’s recovering and participating in team practices he does not yet feel ready to start and the team is probably looking to have him return in time for Kashima next Sunday.

-Yohei Kajiyama recived his 4th yellow card of the season in the Kawasaki match and will sit Sunday out.

-Naohiro Ishikawa, in what is certainly the most upsetting news for the team injured his calf during practice earlier in the week and will sit the game out.

-Bruno Quadros flew back from Brazil on Friday, having returned there last week to be with his wife while she underwent surgery.  As a result of jet lag and not having practiced this week he will likely not be a part of the lineup.

How will Jofuku manage with this temporarily dire situation?  His lineup will surely be a test of Tokyo’s roster depth, and fortunately it appears that there are plenty of players to fill the various gaps.

On defense, Nagatomo’s role could be filled by Kenta Mukuhara, while Bruno’s position could be taken by Teriyuki Moniwa or Hideki Sahara, neither of whom have not played in several months.

The second line is somewhat more strained; El Golazo predicts that Ishikawa’s position will be covered by Soutan Tanabe, while Kajiyama will be relieved by veteran Jo Kanazawa.  Yet Jofuku has two more trump cards in the form of Yohei Otake and Hokuto Nakamura, both of whom have returned from injury and are regular participants in team practices.

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Player News: Akamine Stays, Cabore gets offer, Ishikawa goes for 6

Published on July 14, 2009 in F.C. Tokyo Player News, F.C. Tokyo Rumors and Japan National Team News by dokool. 1 Comment

Some player notes as we get ready for tomorrow night’s match against Nagoya:

-Shingo Akamine has decided to reject Jubilo’s offer for a transfer and stay with Tokyo, prompting an enthusiastic response from fans and teammates alike at Monday’s practice. Akamine, the team’s leading scorer last season as well as one of the top Japanese scorers, has joined in most of the games this season as a late-game substitute due to Hirayama’s emergence as a starter.

-In this morning’s editions of Sponichi it was reported that the team has recieved offers from clubs in Saudi Arabia and UAE for striker Cabore. The team is said to be fending these offers off by establishing steep penalities for breaking a contract mid-season, but some fear that Middle East club teams can reach deep into their pockets and pull out all the oil money they need to complete any deal. This season has already seen Middle Eastern clubs pillage J.League, with former Kobe manager Caio Junior and Nagoya striker Davi already heading to the region.

-While most of the press on Monday night had their cameras trained on Naohiro Ishikawa, a few cameras stayed pointed at the press box where NT coach Takeshi Okada was watching the game. Okada gave no indication of his reaction to the score, however, and following the game he merely commented that Ishikawa “look good” and that he wasn’t going to make any rash decisions in terms of selecting members.

With Sunday’s goal, Ishikawa has scored in 5 games in a row and has tied club legend Amaral (who, incidentally, has come out of retirement to play with JFL side FC Kariya) for the team record. He can claim his own place in the record books if he scores tomorrow night.

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News from Kobe: ex-FCT star Norio Suzuki to France, Caio resigns

Published on July 1, 2009 in F.C. Tokyo Player News and J.League News by dokool. 1 Comment

Norio Suzuki, who wore blue and red from 2002 through 2007, has been transferred to French Ligue 2 side Angers SCO for a couple of baguettes, as far as anyone can tell.  Suzuki score 13 goals in league play for Tokyo during his tenure and continued to be a fan favorite, recieving hearty cheers whenever Kobe came to town (at least after the game; during the game he would be loudly booed by half the stadium whenever he came within about 15 feet of the ball).  Best of luck, Norio!

In other news from Vissel territory, manager Caio Jr. announced his sudden resignation from the team yesterday.  He will be replaced by interim manager Masahiro Wada for their match against Tokyo on Saturday night.

Will Vissel rally around their new coach or will the disappearance of one of their talented young players and unsteady leadership cause them to collapse like a house of cards?  We’ll find out in three days.

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Jubilo Iwata pursuing Akamine

Published on June 29, 2009 in F.C. Tokyo Player News and F.C. Tokyo Reports by dokool. 2 Comments

Several newspapers are reporting that Jubilo Iwata has made an offer to FC Tokyo forward Shingo Akamine.

Jubilo recently lost its star forward, South Korean national Lee Keun-Ho, when he was acquired by French Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain.  While Akamine scored a team-leading 18 goals for FC Tokyo last season, he has played a reduced role so far this year as Hirayama’s form has improved.

In an earlier game this season, Akamine scored the lone goal of a rain-soaked match to lead Tokyo to a 1-0 victory against Iwata.

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Several South American players line up for auditions w/ FCT

Published on June 24, 2009 in F.C. Tokyo News, F.C. Tokyo Player News and F.C. Tokyo Rumors by dokool. 4 Comments

Now that most of the domestic leagues across the world have wrapped up for the season, many J.League teams are taking advantage of expiring contracts to snap up foreign players who might provide a needed advantage.

FC Tokyo, which has gone nearly half a season without filling the 3rd “foreign player” spot in its roster, has invited several players to participate in team practices and may be close to signing one.

-Brazillian Rafael Bastos, believed to be playing for Vitoria in Brazil, has spent the last couople weeks with the team and participated in practice matches, but as of last Friday team officials had said they were “postponing judgement” as they did not feel that Rafael had been able to properly display his abilities.

-Argentinian Carlos Escudero, 19, has just finished a 2-year contract with Argentinian side Club Athletico Huracan and came to Japan after talking with cousin Sergio Escudero, a forward with Urawa.  According to Carlos, “I’ve heard that while Japanese players have speed and ability, the number of players who can dribble effectively and move the ball up the field are relatively small.  I’d like to see that sort of play.

-Brazillian David dos Santos, of the Brazillian club Juventus (which as far as I can tell is something like 5th or 6th division if that), will also be participating in team practices.

Escudero and dos Santos are supposed to have participated in a practice match this morning; however it’s raining quite heavily in Kanto at the moment so unless they’ve got an indoor stadium I’m not sure what’s going to happen.  If Escudero wants to demonstrate his ball control, a wet pitch may be the best place to do it.

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