2011/3/5 – vs Sagan Tosu (Ajinomoto Stadium)
2011/3/12 – at Fagiano Okaya,a (kanko Stadium)
2011/3/19 – at Gifu (Gifu Memorial Center Stadium)
2011/3/27 – vs Tochigi SC (Ajinomoto)
2011/4/03 – vs Giravantz Kitakyuushuu (Ajinomoto)
2011/4/09 – at Yokohama FC (Mitzusawa)
2011/4/17 – vs Oita Trinita (Ajinomoto)
2011/4/24 – at JEF Chiba Ichihara United (Fukuda Denshi Arena)
2011/4/30 – vs Consadole Sapporo (Ajinomoto)
2011/5/4 – at Verdy (Ajinomoto – AWAY)
2011/5/8 – vs Kataller Toyama (Ajinomoto)
2011/5/14 – at Thespa Kusatsu (Shikishima)
2011/5/22 – vs Shonan Bellmare (Ajinomoto)
2011/5/28 – at Kyoto Sanga (Nishigoku)
2011/6/5 – vs Ehime FC (Komazawa Stadium)
2011/6/12 – at Roasso Kumamoto (KKWING)
2011/6/19 – vs Tokushima Vortis (Ajinomoto)
2011/6/25 – at Mito Hollyhock (K’s Denshi)
2011/7/2 – vs Gainare Tottori (Ajinomoto)
2011/7/9 – at Oita Trinita (Oita Bank Dome)
2011/7/17 – vs FC Gifu (Ajinomoto)
2011/7/24 – vs Roasso Kumamoto (Kokuritsu)
2011/7/30 – at Giravantz Kitakyuushuu (Kitakyuushuu)
2011/8/13 – vs Thespa Kusatsu (Ajinomoto Stadium)
2011/8/21 – at Tochigi SC (Tochigi Green Stadium)
2011/8/28 – at Kataller Toyama (Toyama Prefectural Stadium)
2011/9/10 – vs Kyoto Sanga (Ajinomoto)
2011/9/17 – at Ehime FC (Ninjineer)
2011/9/25 – vs Yokohama FC (Kokuritsu)
2011/10/2 – at Tokushima Vortis (Pocari Sweat Stadium)
2011/10/16 – vs Fagiano Okayama (Ajinomoto)
2011/10/23 – at Sagan Tosu (Best Amenity Stadium)
2011/10/30 – vs Verdy (Ajinomoto Stadium) [note: depending on AFC Champion's League could be moved to 10/29]
2011/11/6 – at Shonan Bellmare (Hiratsuka)
2011/11/12 – vs Mito Hollyhock (Ajinomoto)
2011/11/19 – at Gainare Tottori (Bird Stadium)
2011/11/26 – vs JEF Chiba (Ajinomoto)
2011/12/3 – at Consadole Sapporo (Sapporo Dome)

Some thoughts…

-That’s a lotta games. 19 will be on Sundays, 18 on Saturdays, and the first Tokyo Derbyw will be on a Wednesday (a national holiday – みどりの日. How droll.)

-Fuck you, J.League, for putting almost *all* of the away trips I was looking forward to at the VERY END OF THE SEASON. Tottiri in late November? Sapporo to end the year? And Tosu is even on Sunday! Goddammitsomuch. But at least we get Mitsuzawa for Yokohama FC, and Tochigi will make a great summer trip.

-As long as Tokyo’s away support stays up in the Kanto region, there should be a period of absolute dominance by Tokyo supporters between late March and late May. 10 matches in a row (including Kusatsu which is admittedly a bit of a hike even compared to Chiba or Shonan) that Tokyo supporters can reach easily by train.

-The J.League scheduling gods are known for stacking end-of-season matches that amplify title chases. Are these last two matches a sign from above that Chiba and Sapporo are fellow contenders for promotion?

-For Tokyo to secure promotion at the second Tokyo Derby, they would have to be at least 18 points clear of 4th place after the day’s matches were complete. This is far from impossible; last season Kashiwa Reysol ended Round 32 18 points up on 4th-place Chiba, who had 6 games remaining compared to Kashiwa’s 5.

In other news, the team held their opening press conference the other day and revealed a new slogan that is full of fail, so much so that I’m not going to bother discussing it. The team also announced yesterday that due to the volcanic happenings in Miyazaki prefecture, February’s training camp is being relocated to Kumamoto.

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)