And here we go…
2009 J.League Division 1 (Home matches in bold)
3/7 HOME vs. Albirex Niigata
3/13 AWAY @ Urawa Reds
3/21 HOME vs. Montedio Yamagata
4/4 AWAY @ Jubilo Iwata
4/12 HOME vs. Kashima Antlers
4/18 HOME vs. JEF Chiba (Kokuritsu)
4/25 AWAY @ Oita Trinita
4/29 AWAY @ Gamba Osaka
5/2 HOME vs. Omiya Ardija
5/5 AWAY @ Sanfrecce Hiroshima
5/9 HOME vs. Kyoto Sanga
5/16 AWAY @ Yokohama F. Marinos
5/24 HOME vs. Kawasaki Frontale
6/20 AWAY @ Kashiwa Reysol
6/27 HOME vs. Shimizu S-Pulse (Kokuritsu)
7/4 AWAY @ Vissel Kobe
7/21 HOME vs. Nagoya Grampus
7/18 AWAY @ Omiya Ardija
7/25 HOME vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima
8/1 AWAY @ Kawasaki Frontale
8/16 HOME vs. Yokohama F. Marinos
8/19 AWAY @ Montedio Yamagata
8/22 AWAY @ Kashima Antlers
8/29 HOME vs. Oita Trinita
9/12 AWAY @ Kyoto Sanga
9/19 HOME vs. Gamba Osaka
9/26 HOME vs. Jubilo Iwata
10/4 AWAY @ Nagoya Grampus
10/17 HOME vs. Kashiwa Reysol
10/25 AWAY @ Shimizu S-Pulse
11/8 HOME vs. Urawa Reds
11/22 AWAY @ JEF Chiba
11/28 HOME vs. Vissel Kobe
12/5 AWAY @ Albirex Niigata
My thoughts:
-Our matches with the AFC teams are finished by early October, so we don’t get the benefit of catching any of them in November when any teams that have made the finals will be worn out from travelling.
-Bitch of a Golden Week Sprint. In 2 weeks the team will travel from Osaka -> Tokyo -> Hiroshima -> Tokyo. Through a stroke of luck I might be in Osaka the day before that match and if I can I’ll just stay an extra night and catch the game there.
-FCT’s away match at Urawa is actually the Reds’ home opener, which I’m kinda stoked about if I can get a ticket. Gotta figure any tifos they do will be damned impressive.
-I count several Spring matches where I’m either going from a game to a concert, or going to a game after an all-night DJ event, and possibly in one case both. If I attend Anime Boston as I do yearly, no Kawasaki home game for me.
-In terms of tough stretches, I would say May is pretty rough with Kyoto -> Yokohama -> Kawasaki. Shimizu -> Kobe -> Grampus in late June/early July could also be troubling. That said I don’t see any ridiculous stretches like we had last year with Osaka -> Kashima -> Urawa or anything like that.
-Stunningly, FC Tokyo has not ended the J.League season at home since joining the league. They have played the last game of the season in Tokyo once, as the away team in the 2001 Tokyo Derby (a 1-0 defeat). This “tradition” will continue with an away match in Niigata.
And for completeness here’s our Nabisco Cup draw.
2009 J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup (Home matches in bold)
3/25 AWAY @ Kashiwa Reysol
3/29 HOME vs. Vissel Kobe
5/20 AWAY @ JEF Chiba
5/30 AWAY @ Kyoto Sanga
6/3 HOME vs. Montedio Yamagata (Kokuritsu)
6/13 HOME vs. Shimizu S-Pulse (Komazawa)
