The J-Talk Podcast
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J1 returned with a bang after the international break, and in this episode we review all 10 top flight games, beginning with Kobe's rout of Sapporo, whose start to the season is bordering on a crisis. Next, Nagoya's horror start might be a thing of the past after they came from behind to beat Yokohama F.Marinos, before we discuss leaders Machida going about their winning ways at home against Tosu, and work our way through the other games. We finish off the episode with a look at the big fixtures to come in Wednesday's Matchday 6, and Matchday 7 next weekend.
After a rather hectic 7 days of fixtures in J2 and J3, the JTET team are back to round up all of the key points (and some minor ones) from the most recent games. First of all, James and Jon look back on some of the eye-catching games from last Wednesday in J2 (Round 5), chatting about Shimizu's late breakthrough at JEF Chiba (Start to 07:50), and early leaders Okayama's fairly comfortable home win over Gunma (07:50 to 13:40). After a quick break, the boys do similar for Sunday's Round 6 slate, focusing on Yokohama FC's victory at nine-man Kagoshima in pouring rain (13:40 to 23:45), and Tochigi's smash-and-grab home success against Oita (23:45 to 30:00). James and Jon then reveal their Most Bravo Players of the week, taking into account both rounds of action (30:00 to 35:30), and talk about some of the interesting transfer news of the week (35:30 to 42:20). The sad, tired, middle-aged men had just enough left in the tank to preview the upcoming Round 7 fixtures before slumping into a fitful, Pedro Manzi-haunted sleep (42:20 to 49:00). With J2 fully covered, Mike 'The Magic' Innes takes over for 'J-Talk: Short Corner' (49:00 to Finish), with all of the key Round 5 and Round 6 action from J3 forensically analyzed. Thanks for all the support for the pod, and we hope you enjoy the episode!
It was our great pleasure to welcome Scott McIntyre back for his long-awaited return to the pod, to chat about Japan's 1-0 win over North Korea last Thursday night and the ramifications of the cancelled rematch, scheduled for Tuesday night in Pyongyang (to 21:05). In Part 2 we discuss some of the teams that have disappointed and surprised through the first four rounds of the new J1 season, before we preview the weekend's Matchday 5.
With a full midweek round of J2 and J3 fixtures haring into view, the JTET team are back (just in time) with a look back at the latest games and talking points from the lower tiers of the J.League. In this episode, James and Jon begin by talking about the J2-centric Levain Cup results from last Wednesday (Start to 07:15), a chastening night for the second-tier sides. The boys then move on to discussing last weekend's J2 action (07:15 to 40:50), as well as making their regular 'Most Bravo Player (MBP)' selections (40:50 to 44:45). There's just time for James and Jon to preview a busy few days in J2, with Wednesday's midweek games (Round 5) being followed by a full slate of fixtures in Round 6 on Sunday (44:50 to 55:15). As ever, Mike 'The Magic' Innes brings up the rear with 'J-Talk: Short Corner' (55:15 to Finish), as he trains his forensic eye on Levain Cup (from a J3 perspective), and covers all the key action in J3. Hope everyone enjoys the show!
Alan Gibson from JSoccer Magazine and JSoccer.com http://jsoccer.com/ guests in the first part of this week's episode, as we review the fourth round of the season. We begin with surprise leaders Machida, who won for the third straight game, away at Sapporo (to 8:05), before moving on to the game of the round on paper, Hiroshima's trip to Kobe, which finished goalless but still provided levels of intrigue (to 18:40). Then we round up a positive weekend for both halves of Osaka, as Cerezo and Gamba notched comfortable wins (to 40:25), before wrapping up Part 1 with events at the Sanga Stadium on Sunday, where Yokohama F.Marinos claimed victory in a wild and woolly game against Kyoto, and Alan gives us a sneak peak at whats coming in the next issue of JSoccer Magazine (to 55:20). Then in Part 2 we celebrate first wins of the new season for Nagoya and FC Tokyo (to 1:11:30), and round up the other three games, including the absolutely mental 4-4 draw fought out between Shonan and Urawa (to 1:34:10), before finishing the episode with thoughts on the Japan National Team squad for the two qualifiers against North Korea.
Time for your weekly dose of J2 and J3 analysis with James, Jon, and Mike! The boys begin this week with some birthday wishes for James, and a look back at the Levain Cup ties involving J2 sides from last Wednesday night (Start to 12:20). After that, discussion turns to last weekend's J2 action, including a cavalcade of teams picking up their first wins of the season (12:20 to 36:30). James and Jon also pick out a Most Bravo Player for the week (36:30 to 41:30), and look ahead to forthcoming games, with a preview of this week's Levain Cup card and the weekend's J2 fixtures (41:30 to 54:20). Bringing up the rear as ever is 'J-Talk: Short Corner', where Mike reviews the Levain Cup talking points from a J3 standpoint, along with the Round 3 games from the third tier last weekend. There's also a preview of the upcoming Levain Cup ties with J3 interest, and the weekend's J3 fixtures in Round 4 (54:20 to Finish). Hope everyone enjoys the show!
We're back with a full review of J1 Matchday 3. We begin in Hiroshima, where Sanfrecce went top on goal difference after putting Tosu to the sword (to 15:15), before moving on to the three teams who won for the first time this season over the weekend - Cerezo Osaka, Kyoto and Urawa (to 46:45). Then Machida and Kashiwa kept the good times rolling, and kept pace with Hiroshima (to 1:01:40), before finishing with wins for Kobe and Niigata, and the only draw of the matchday down in Fukuoka.
There was plenty to talk about in the second rounds of J2 and J3, and the JTET team is on the ball. In part 1, Jon Steele and James Taylor talk about Nagasaki v Sendai and Kumamoto v Gunma, name their Most Bravo Players of the weekend, then look ahead to Wednesday night’s Levain Cup matches and round 3 of J2. In part 2, Mike Innes has a comprehensive review of last weekend’s J3 games and a preview of Levain Cup and J3 round 3 in J-Talk: Short Corner. Start to 12:30 Nagasaki v Sendai 12:30 to 29:25 Kumamoto v Gunma 29:25 to 32:50 Most Bravo Player 32:50 to 47:00 Levain Cup and J2 round 3 preview 47:00 to 58:00 JTSC J3 Saturday games 58:00 to 1:02:45 JTSC J3 Sunday games 1:02:45 to end JTSC Levain Cup and J3 round 3 preview
We're back with a full run through of all the results and major talking points from Matchday 2 of the new J1 season. Timestamps: Friday night - Kawasaki v Iwata to 18:00 and Yokohama F.Marinos v Fukuoka to 25:55 Saturday's winners, from Machida through to Gamba Osaka to 1:03:50, and the three draws to 1:31:10, before a check of the Matchday 3 fixtures to end.
The JTET team is back in action with a full review of the opening weekend of J2 and J3. In part 1, James Taylor and Jon Steele discuss three games from J2, pick their Most Bravo Player, and preview the coming weekend’s fixtures. Part 2 is J-Talk: Short Corner with Mike Innes; he has all the action from last weekend in J3 and looks ahead to round 2. Start to 07:20 Yokohama FC v Yamaguchi 07:20 to 12:30 JEF United v Yamagata 12:30 to 19:05 Tokushima v Kofu 19:05 to 24:10 Most Bravo Player 24:10 to 30:15 Round 2 preview 30:15 to 39:10 JTSC J3 Saturday games 39:10 to 50:50 JTSC J3 Sunday games 50:50 to end JTSC J3 round 2 preview
History was made, and repeated, in J1 Matchday 1, and Dan Orlowitz joined us to chat about some of the biggest games, and storylines, from the opening weekend of the new campaign. Dan guests in Part 1, and we begin with the two games he was at, starting with Tokyo Verdy's return to the big time on Sunday, and the Greens were very impressive even though Yokohama F.Marinos spoilt their party late on (to 19:00), before we move on to Hiroshima's 2-0 win over Urawa, as they officially christened their brand new stadium in style, with Yuki Ohashi the two-goal hero (to 34:40). We then move on to Gamba Osaka getting a 1-1 draw away at promoted Machida, with a discussion on the transportation/access issues that threaten to tarnish Zelvia's name with away supporters (to 57:35), before we finish with FC Tokyo's 2-2 draw away at Cerezo Osaka, with Ryotaro Araki stealing the show with two goals in his Tokyo debut (to 1:09:35). Then in Part 2 we round up the other six games, including Kashima's cruise away at Nagoya, before we finish with a look ahead to the best games on the Matchday 2 slate. If you haven't already, please check out Dan's new(ish) newsletter, The Hachi https://danorlowitz.substack.com/.
With less than 24 hours until the new J2 campaign gets underway, JTET is back and banging for one final pre-season pod. In this mini-episode, James Taylor and Jon Steele begin by reviewing valiant Ventforet Kofu's ACL Round of 16 clash with Ulsan, which ended in defeat (but no disgrace) for Yoshiyuki Shinoda's men. We also talk a little bit about what kind of legacy Kofu's Asian adventure might leave for the side from Yamanashi, and J2 as a whole (Start to 17:20). After that, James and Jon take a look at the weekend's opening round of J2 fixtures, picking out a couple of key games to keep an eye on (17:25 to Finish). Enjoy your J-football this weekend!
We wrap up our top flight season previews with FC Tokyo and Nagoya, before looking ahead to Matchday 1 of the 2024 season. In Part 1 Tom Pennington from the FC Tokyo Kai-Guys guests to chat about how The Gasmen can turn things around after last year's mediocre campaign, with some exciting attacking talent signed in the winter. And its an early win for FC Tokyo vs city/stadium rivals Verdy, as Tom's segment clocks in a fraction longer than Lewis' in our previous episode (to 57:58)! Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben discuss Nagoya's interesting winter in the transfer market, and whether they can push for the top four (to 1:28:45), before we finish the episode with Jonny's league-wide Ones To Watch, and a full preview of J1 Matchday 1.
The opening round of J2 fixtures is just a few days away, so James Taylor and Jon Steele, with special guests, have the final batch of J2 previews: Start to 09:50 Renofa Yamaguchi (Jon and James) 09:50 to 18:25 Oita Trinita (Jon and James) 18:25 to 26:00 Kagoshima United (Jon and James) 26:00 to 34:20 Roasso Kumamoto (Garry) 34:20 to end V-Varen Nagasaki (Daniel and Chikashi) Thank you to Garry, Daniel and Chikashi, and for contributing, to Mike for his help with the Kagoshima section, and to Patreon subscribers for the ongoing support. Enjoy the football!
Mike Innes returns with previews of the remaining 10 J3 clubs, a whistle-stop tour of the Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa regions, as well as a look ahead to the opening round of fixtures. Start to 03:20 Azul Claro Numazu 03:20 to 05:22 FC Gifu 05:22 to 07:30 FC Osaka 07:30 to 09:30 Nara Club 09:30 to 11:40 Gainare Tottori 11:40 to 13:37 Kamatamare Sanuki 13:37 to 15:45 FC Imabari 15:45 to 17:45 Giravanz Kitakyushu 17:45 to 19:55 Tegevajaro Miyazaki 19:55 to 22:00 FC Ryukyu Okinawa 22:00 to end round 1 preview Thanks for listening, and thank you to everyone who supports the pod on Patreon. Patreon subscribers should look out for Mike’s exclusive J3 predicted table later this week!
Well, we've finally done it! At the seventh time of asking we've finally eclipsed the two-hour mark in our previews as we run the rule over the three promoted clubs. First cab off the rank is Tokyo Verdy, and it was our great pleasure to welcome Lewis White on for his big pod debut to chat about Verdy's return to the top division after a 15-year absence, their offseason wheeling and dealing and their prospects for survival (to 55:05). Up next is ambitious newcomers Machida Zelvia, up in the big time for the first time (to 1:32:25), before we wrap up with fallen giants Iwata, who have yo-yo'd between the top two divisions in the past ten years.
James Taylor and Jon Steele return with another special guest and previews of 5 more J2 teams ahead of the 2024 season: Start to 09:25 Shimizu S-Pulse (Jon and James) 09:25 to 16:35 Fujieda MYFC (Jon and James) 16:35 to 22:35 Tokushima Vortis (Jon and James) 22:35 to 29:40 Ehime FC (Jon and James) 29:40 to end Fagiano Okayama (@Fagi_INTL_Fans) Thank you to Fagi_international for contributing, to Mike for his help with the Ehime section, and to Patreon subscribers for the ongoing support. Stay tuned for part 4 later this week!
With the ACL back and banging this midweek, Jon and James got together to preview Ventforet Kofu's Round of 16 clash with K-League giants Ulsan. Over the course of a 15-minute chat, the boys take a Wikipedia-informed look at the Ulsan side, and offer their thoughts on our J2 representative's chances of progressing to the Quarter-Finals. We hope everyone enjoys the mini-pod!
James Taylor and Jon Steele plus special guest are back with another set of J2 teams to preview ahead of the 2024 season: Start to 07:15 Mito Hollyhock (Jon and James) 07:15 to 13:00 Tochigi SC (Jon and James) 13:00 to 21:10 Yokohama FC (Jon and James) 21:10 to 27:30 Ventforet Kofu (Jon and James) 27:30 to end JEF United (Chris) Thank you to Chris for contributing, and to Patreon subscribers for the ongoing support. Stay tuned for part 3!
We wrap up Week 3 of our J1 Season Previews with a tour of Kanagawa: Neil Debnam guests to chat about Kawasaki, and whether they can rebound up the table after last season's disappointing 8th place finish (to 39:40); then Jonny and Ben discuss Shonan, now on their longest run of consecutive seasons in J1, but is this the year their luck runs out (to 1:03:20)? Then in Part 3 Stuart Woodward hops on board to give his thoughts on Yokohama F.Marinos after a very intriguing offseason of comings and goings at the Nissan Stadium.
Not wanting to miss out on all the preview pod action, Mike Innes is here with the first of two previews for the 2024 J3 season. In this episode, Mike covers teams in the Tohoku, Kanto, and Hokushinetsu regions. Start to 03:25 Vanruare Hachinohe 03:25 to 05:23 Iwate Grulla Morioka 05:23 to 07:17 Fukushima United 07:17 to 09:28 Omiya Ardija 09:28 to 11:25 YSCC Yokohama 11:25 to 13:27 SC Sagamihara 13:27 to 15:35 Matsumoto Yamaga 15:35 to 17:42 AC Nagano Parceiro 17:42 to 19:35 Kataller Toyama 19:35 to end Zweigen Kanazawa Thanks for listening, and thank you to everyone who supports the pod on Patreon. Look out for part 2 next week!
We kick off our third week of top flight season previews with a little jaunt down to Kyushu. In Daniel Hawkins' stead Jonny and Ben do their best to put last year's best-ever finish for Fukuoka into perspective, and wonder what Shigetoshi Hasebe's side can manage for an encore (to 32:35), before we move on to the little engine that could - Tosu. Is this the year the pixie dust dries up, or can Kenta Kawai keep their heads above water for another season?
We're back with our next group of teams to wrap up our second week of previews. Ralf Seidl guests in Part 1 to chat about title contenders Urawa (to 37:05), before we shift our focus down the table and look at Kashiwa (to 56:00) and Niigata.
Its week 2 of our J1 season previews, and in this episode Tom Dallyn (on his J-Talk debut!) chats with Jonny and Ben about Sapporo (to 35:30), before we run the rule over Kashima. Both clubs appear to have lost more than they gained in the transfer market, so Consadole's hopes of a first top half finish in six years look slim, and, while it would be foolish to bet against them, Antlers will be hard-pressed to continue their remarkable run of consecutive top five finishes.
The new J2 season is fast approaching, so James Taylor and Jon Steele, plus special guests, swing back into action to preview five teams: Start to 05:05 Montedio Yamagata (James and Jon) 05:05 to 08:35 Thespa Gunma (James and Jon) 08:35 to 18:50 Vegalta Sendai (Fin) 18:50 to 51:05 Blaublitz Akita (Martin) 51:05 to end Iwaki FC (Leslie) Thank you to Fin, Martin, and Leslie for contributing, and to Patreon subscribers for the ongoing support. Stay tuned for part 2!
Japan bowed out of the Asian Cup after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Iran on Saturday night, and in this episode we round up the game, the sideshow(s) around the squad before and after, and pick out some players for praise or criticism.
The Samurai Blue secured their spot in the quarter finals of the Asian Cup for a ninth straight time with a 3-1 win over Bahrain on Wednesday night, and in this episode we run through the major talking points from the game.
We weren't planning on it (but should've known, knowing us!), but our lengthy recording session on Monday meant that our previews stretched over two episodes, and so we proudly present Episode 500 of J-Talk! Once again Alan Gibson was our guest (though Ben forgot to properly introduce him at the start of the pod) as we preview defending J1 Champions Kobe (to 27:35): What can they do for an encore?; Kyoto (to 49:15): How high can they climb under Cho Kwi Jae?; and Hiroshima: Will Michael Skibbe deliver success in their new stadium? Thanks to all who have contributed over the years, and to our listeners near and far.
Its officially happy new season time as we kick off our J1 Season Previews! Alan Gibson, live and direct from Bangkok, joined us to chat about the first five clubs off the rank, but as our recording stretched over two hours we decided to separate into two episodes, so on this podcast we preview both Osaka clubs - Cerezo and Gamba. Both finished 2023 in a funk, so what have they done in the offseason to turn things around? How much pressure is on both managers, and who are their players to watch in 2024? Those questions and more are answered here.
aka “Misery Loves Company” Zweigen Kanazawa supporters James Taylor and Victor Arroyo joined forces for a full and frank post mortem of their team’s terrible season, which ended in relegation to J3. The wide-ranging discussion takes in all aspects of the club (on and off the pitch) before finishing on a slightly more positive note ahead of the 2024 season. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the 2023 JTET season reviews, to Patreon subscribers for their continued financial support of J-Talk, and to everyone for listening. Jon and James will be back for season previews soon!
