This Year's Emperor's Cup

Full details and schedule will be released later, but the number of teams for the Emperor's Cup and round entrance have been announced. There are more teams now than ever and small teams will face big competition very early.

J. League teams and JFL seeded teams enter in the 2nd round of a 7 round tournament. The first round reduces 48 prefectural and college teams to 24, and adding the other 40 makes 64 for an additional 6 rounds.

The following is pure speculation. Round 2 should have the following, with home advantage on the left:

-18 J1 vs. 18 pref./college

-Top 6 J2 vs. 6 pref./college

-7-10 J2 vs. 4 top JFL

-11-14 J2 vs. 15-18 J2

If Oita loses their first match against someone like Hitachi Tochigi UVA, you'll know where their focus was. That is one one positive point; teams should put a little bit of effort to at least not lose their first match to Wakayama #4 High School & Vocational Academy and then perhaps take the tournament more seriously. It also really encourages local teams to win that first match to have a game that matters against an honest-to-goodness big name pro team. The format also makes it much more likely for J2 teams to make it far into the tournament. All the better chance for Mito to win, enter the ACL, and end up as world champions in 2010! If seedings took place in J2 at the same time or after JFL's seeding, it means Mito would play a JFL seeded team. Could be worse, but could be better. Right about now Mito would rather like last year face Fukuoka in the first match.

Assuming the above is true, Mito's match would be against one of the following teams depending on if the team was seeded while 7th or 8th place in the J2 standings:

Yokogawa Musashino FC (with former Mito top team and youth squad players)

JEF United Reserves (which theoretically could take on JEF United top squad players at will, although the reverse is not true and so quick swaps to win against J. League teams is unlikely)

Mito 5 - 0 Fukuoka (Team Record for Margin of Victory)

Mito completely outclassed an unmotivated Fukuoka side on Wednesday, and the team now has its first season with two hat tricks in the books.

From the start Fukuoka were slow, sluggish, and challenged very little, and Mito took advantage of an opponent seemingly uninterested in the match result. The first goal came in the 12th minute from Keisuke Endo, playing energetically as he did in the last match to seal the win. He sprinted ahead of the defensive line to take a pass, created a full second of unchallengable time to set up a shot, and fired it through the goalkeeper's open glove to take the lead. Soon afterward he'd have another shot when firing in a dangerously close loose ball. It was deflected, but right into defender Hosaki who popped it in to double the lead. Just before the half ended leading team scorer Takasaki would take a pass and get his 11th goal of the year.

After the break, it wouldn't be very long before Takasaki would have another chance, but chose to send a hard low pass in front of the goal that Endo completed to make it 4-0. A few minutes later defender Ozawa would take the ball in on a fast break and almost certain goal. The keeper ran out and intercepted in the penalty area, and Ozawa's fall brought about a foul and a penalty kick. It was a tough call that could have gone either way. Contact to Ozawa was minimal, but the sliding block clearly was made not at the ball but as an attempt to stop the forward momentum. The crowd started yelling Endo's name to give him the chance to have a hat trick, and although he had never taken a kick like this before the team gave him the chance. He converted, and the 5-0 score would hold until the final whistle.

Endo has shown remarkable improvement this year, and especially recently. After two years of regular league play as a forward (although rarely as a starter), participation in satellite league matches, and even perticipating for the U-19 national team, he finally scored his first goal this yearin league play. Previously he'd made many glaring mistakes in passing or having the ball stripped away, but his incredible speed and effort kept him in the squad. Now skills are catching up with desire and he's becoming a strong talent. It remains to be seen if he will become a starting forward, as he only started against Fukuoka as Yoshihara had a slight leg strain and sat on the bench. And honestly against Wednesday's Fukuoka team, Yoshihara or anyone else may have been able to score 3 goals. Still, it's good to see him mature and he seems to still have a lot of possibility for improvement.

The next game is against Yokohama FC, then Tokushima, then Ehime, Tosu, and Tochigi. It isn't reasonable to expect the winning streak to continue and to take at least 12 points from these matches. Only 9 points seperates Mito from the promotion spots and the match against current leaders Shonan on August 5 may be the most important one to both teams during that part of the season.

Mito 1 - 0 Sapporo

It was a match that would have definitely resulted in a loss of position should Mito have lost but with all other nearby teams winning or drawing, a win still keeps 8th place and only one point separates 5th- 8th. The top 4 had trouble as well with draws for all but Shonan, and those positions seem a bit more reachable. Should teams below or teams in the top 4 falter on Wednesday, the second half of the season could start with the top 8 breaking away for promotion spots and the bottom 10 struggling to catch up. The opposite would bring all the teams right back to where they were on Friday.

The game itself was heavily defensive on Mito's side. Early in the game a foul in the Sapporo penalty box on forward Takasaki also brought that defender's second yellow card for the send off. Takasaki himself converted for his tenth of the year and he now leads the team's scoring list, exactly on pace to reach his predicted 20 goals for the year. While not quite on a healthy Arata's goal scoring level, he's made enough of an impact to be surely recalled by Urawa at the end of the year as Akahoshi was in 2008. Other great effort was shown by Yoshihara, who used a few great techniques to keep possession when pressed hard, and especially attacking midfielder/forward Endo. The second half went an astonishing eight and a half minutes of penalty time and Endo sprinted after balls to the very end, clearing them out and keeping Sapporo from easily linking anything. The defense did their job well, but it was the efforts of these three especially that sent more than 22,000 Sapporo fans home very dissatisfied.

Tomorow Mito hosts Fukuoka and looking at the schedule from now, there are a string of matches that Mito should be able to win. Just as the 4 game win streak that brought Mito to the top 3 early in the season, these matches could do the same depending on other team results. Even doing that, though, the problem would be to then beat Shonan and hope that Arata comes back healthy and as strong as he was in the match that injured him. If that's the case, and Mito is within striking position of the promotion zone, Mito fans will again dare to dream that the poorest kids on the block can be allowed a taste of the big time.

Mito 2 - 3 Osaka

Couldn't catch the game at all...

Mito is now back in 8th place.

The team was making a big deal about who would score the 400th goal... It was an own goal put in by Cerezo, which really took the wind out of that sail.

Spy Report for Tonight's Game

Like the Okayama team previously, Cerezo Osaka had planned to stay in Mito's Daiichi Hotel, as the team flags were in the window. Very inexpensive but notoriously poor quality, and probably not offering the best rest. Probably after seeing the conditions, I saw that the team bus pulled into a nearby slightly less expensive yet much better hotel lot at about 7:30 PM. Could the 8 hour daylight ride plus whatever stress and frustration cause a negative impact on tonight's match?

Mito 1 - 0 Okayama

Although weaker teams on the table and accomplished narrowly, Mito has a winning streak again for the first time in months. Mito is now edged out as 5th and leader of the group of chasers, still 4 full wins and immense numbers of goals behind the top four teams which are also neck and neck in the promotion race.

Okayama, like in the first meeting of the year, played very strongly and the match was close to the very end. They were forced to play with 10 on the field after a second yellow card in the second half, and their sole forward Nishino (who played with Mito for three years through 2008) was slightly injured in the face in a fall which seemed to nag at him for the rest of the game. Despite this, if Mito's keeper Honma hadn't been on the ball in the final minutes, it would have ended up a draw.

Mito's goal was early on from Kota Yoshihara, his fourth of the year, who now has a two-game scoring streak. Takasaki fired a shot that should have gone in but Okayama's keeper defended well... right into a Mito cross toward Yoshihara. It was a blazing fast sequence and he instinctually swung his weak foot to toe-kick the ball through a line of defenders and into the center of the net. It's the kind of shot that most players tend to overthink and send wide or high, but whether experience came in or he was just lucky, it was perfectly played and won the game.

Despite the loss of Arata and several other players for so long now Mito is still in the upper range of teams. With almost half the season over it's hard to think of anyone making the top three outside of Shonan, Osaka, Sendai, or Kofu. But if at least two of those teams slip up, Mito is just as likely as any other candidate to take that third spot, especially if Arata heals up and plays like the beginning of the season. That's how it happened in Kofu in 2005, Kobe in 2006, Tokyo in 2007, and Yamagata in 2008. A sudden charge from September could be Mito's ticket to being the weakest, poorest, and most devastated team in J1 history this time next year.

Mito 2 - 1 Kusatsu

After taking only one goal in four winless matches, the team is on better footing after the first win since the last North Kanto Derby game against Tochigi.

Mito scored early on with a great play by new goal co-leader Takasaki. Just past the center line, he noticed Kusatsu's keeper poking out further than he should, and let a fast lob fly over his head and into the net. This was his ninth goal of the season but was actually his first scored at home. Yoshihara Kota would get his third for the year after the Kusatsu keeper cleared it right to him. He shot it past two defenders to put Mito up by two.

Kusatsu would score one just before the break thanks to a bobble in front of the goal, but Mito's defense shut down any further chances for the rest of the match. While not converting, the majority of the dangerous chances in the second half came from the home side and the evenly divided stadium's oohs and ahs came mostly from the north half.

The win brings Mito back up to the top third of the table and can take 5th next round with a win. Just as importantly, if both Mito and Kusatsu can defeat their next matches against Tochigi, Mito will be a point away from securing the Kita Kanto trophy. It's an actual trophy! I touched it!

Matches for Free in June, Cheaply for 2009

Mito's next home game on Sunday against Thespa Kusatsu will provide free admission to residents of Hitachinaka City. Showing an official ID will grant free entry into the backstand area.

One week later, the home game against Cerezo Osaka will provide the same for Mito City residents.

Those expecting to be attending at least 7 of the remaining home games in 2009 should purchase a half season ticket which will be available from the next match. For as little as 10000 yen, you can attend each match and be enrolled in the supporters program for gifts and discounts. The first 50 to sign up will receive a Holly-kun stuffed mascot doll.

Mito 0 - 0 Tokyo

Mito's negative streak continues as the team's 4th match at National stadium is the first not to result in a Mito victory over Tokyo Verdy. The atmosphere was dim and humid, but luckily no rain until the sudden deluge that made driving back to Ibaraki perilous.

Game play by both sides was very good, and it was testimony to the quality of both keepers that no goals were conceded. Also positive was the play of midfielder Kikuoka who came on as a second half sub, having been injured for two months. While heavily taped and not quite as fast as before his play led to the two best chances Mito had to score. Scoreless draws are seldom satisfying for all spectators but in this situation, with a good display and teams of perhaps equal quality, the time at the stadium was very enjoyable.

All the teams nearby on the table drew and so the standings remain unchanged in the middle. Mito is still in decent stabbing distance of 5th place, but anything higher will be difficult for any team. Kofu had a big win and is now in the hunt for a top 3 finish, while every other club needs at least 4 wins more than Kofu for even a chance. As the middle of the season approaches that order is getting taller.As far as Mito goes, despite the Arata-fueled excitement of the chance at being a top team, play continuing like yesterday should result in the optimistic prediction of a top 8 finish.

Mito 0 - 1 Kofu

Mito's winless streak continues and finally it has caught up in the standings with the team now in 8th, just barely in the top half of the current rankings.

Both teams played very defensively and cut into passes well. There were more turnovers split between the teams than I've seen in a long time. A combination of lax attack and strong defense on both sides would result in a scoreless game if it weren't for a Mito defensive lapse in the first half that would allow two Kofu players uncovered in the penalty area.

The stadium was about half and half as far as supporters go, and with away fans always the more hardcore of the group, the field must have felt pro-Kofu for the players.

Near the end of the game was a sudden instant of drama for the home team, as what would be the final corner kick in injury time brought keeper Honma to the opposite goal to add a man advantage. He wasn't involved in the two quick shots that couldn't go through, but he did pull off an awkward front kick to clear a ball as it sped beside him after the last attempt. If he hadn't, the waiting Kofu player could have taken it back casually to take goal number 2 in the final moments.

The next game is in Tokyo's National Stadium on Sunday, which is a very welcome change of scenery. Mito has four wins against Tokyo Verdy, and all away wins have been at that Olympic landmark. In previous meetings there Mito have defeated Tokyo 1-0, then 4-1, and in the last meeting there 5-1. If the good fortune there continues, Mito can get back in the hunt towards the top teams. A loss will mean sinking to the lower half of the rankings.

Mito 1 - 1 Gifu

Mito drew against Gifu for the second time this year, albeit without the stress of giving up a huge lead. Forward Takasaki scored in the 6th minute while Gifu scored the tying goal 30 minutes later. Otherwise, the match resembled a battle of attrition as Mito's back end seemed to bunker down and focus on preventing goals and give the forwards a chance to counter-attack. Gifu remained strong until the end, though, and both teams held until the final whistle. Mito seemed technically better in regards to individual player performance, but Gifu held possession much more often and played with a lot more drive.

Takasaki's goal brings him up to 8 for the year, making him tied for 6th in the league. Arata (still sole holder of 5th, behind 4 who have scored 10) had 9 goals in 12 games before his injury and Takasaki has had 6 goals in the 6 games since that injury. While both players are capable and work well together, this shows that the coaching style and the plays used might be more involved than individual performances of the forwards.

Mito still manages to stay in the top 6 on a very slim margin. There is a good chance to be pushed out of the top third of the table with a loss against Kofu on Sunday. However, a win against Kofu might not only pull Mito back into 5th, but also pull Kofu down far enough so that Osaka, Shonan, and Sendai can pull away from the pack. With the same squads that played to a 1-1 draw in Kofu only recently though, another one seems just as likely as predicting either side to win.

Mito 0 - 5 Sendai

Last year's matches vs. Sendai were all high scoring encounters, and I knew that especially this year, the last 3-goal match would be an anomaly and that the second match would have more goals. Unfortunately, Sendai took all of them.

It is difficult to be optimistic. The team is woefully injured and the two players brought in to help patch things up aren't meshing well yet. It is now to the point where the unthinkable happened as attacking midfielders are in such short supply. Naoto Ishikawa, who joined the team last year after being on the youth squad, needed to fill the gap on the bench. With 9 minutes left and the match clearly out of reach, coach Kiyama put him in for the experience, and he became the first product of Mito's youth team to play in a J. League match. His former teammate Yanagisawa is on Yokogawa's roster in the JFL but has never played. Until Saturday, the highest league play of any former Mito youth team member was in the Tohoku regional league's Fukushima United as midfielder Ohashi moved there earlier this year.

Luckily that was the only historical event that took place. Another close call was the chance to lose by 6 goals for the first time in league history... It took several nice saves from Honma to prevent that.

Until this point, the only matches to allow large amounts of goals and then lose have been against Shonan, Osaka, and now Sendai. Mito can remain competitive against other teams despite injury, I feel. Those three teams though are also a foresight into J1 promotion this year as I don't think other teams will be able to overtake them. Mito seems stuck on a second tier with Kofu and Sapporo (with whom Mito could draw even after Arata's injury). Despite the injuries Mito seems competitive and ready for its best finish ever, probably beating the prediction of 8th place Kiyama made before the season. But even if Mito ONLY loses to the three top teams, they can probably keep a better record to make it to J1. It will take a combination of close competitors drawing and a resurgent Arata in 2 months as well as a drop in form for the top three sides for Mito to have a chance, and that probably won't happen.

Still, it's much better than fighting to prevent being the bottom club. The ride continues tomorrow at Gifu, where a loss would rattle the team's confidence and more than likely dump Mito out of the top 6 for the first time since round 2.

Kohei Shimoda to Mito HollyHock

A week after Kohei Yamamoto arrives via rental from Shonan, Mito has acquired the services of another Kohei, this one midfielder Shimoda of FC Tokyo. He's contracted through January of next year.

He is a former multiple time youth national team member and high school standout. he went straight from high school to the FC Tokyo squad but has yet to appear in a league match.

He'll wear number 16 for Mito.

Mito 3 - 2 Tochigi

I understand rooting for the underdog but the referees yesterday were ridiculous... After Mito pulled off a nice 2 point cushion in the first half, the second half saw every major penalty go in Tochigi's favor. This included the PK that tied the game. It would take a well placed shot from Morimura in the closing moments of the game right in front of the visiting fans to send those who made the slightly longer drive happy.

Takasaki's two points have brought him close to Arata in the standings and put him on the J2 scoring leader board. Although taking less shots than Arata, he is more careful with them and his scoring since Arata's injury has matched Arata's average. Coach Kiyama's plan of having any player be able to take the role of any appropriate position. This will be important as yet ANOTHER starter, defender Hoshino, is injured. The squad is now fielding reserves and benching players who otherwise would likely not see action.

Despite such hardship, Mito rose back to 5th with this win and this is of course the highest position Mito has held after facing all opponents once... even when the league was 11 teams. Mito is in the top third of the league and a win against 3rd place Sendai on Saturday could place Mito right back in the promotion hunt... while a loss could push Mito down to the middle of the table.

Kohei Yamamoto to Mito HollyHock

With so many players injured, Mito has needed to pull in another forward to beef up the roster. In on a loan deal is Kohei Yamamoto, who just joined Shonan Bellmare out of college a couple of months ago. Mito had approached him as well before the season, and with Shonan not making use of him Mito got a second chance.

He'll wear number 20 and is on loan through January of next year.

Mito 0 - 0 Sapporo

Mito 3 - 5 Osaka

For the Next Home Game

Mito's next home game against Consadole Sapporo will be a rough one for attendance. Weekday crowds can be half of the already low weekend crowds, the opposing Sapporo fans (already taking flights to most away games) will likewise be much lower in that situation, and should the weather turn bad (long forecasts show cloudy or rainy conditions) the crowd might very well drop below 1,000 as it did last year at one point in similar conditions.

To counter that, the club has two plans to boost attendance.

The first is the continuation of the collaboration with New Japan Pro Wrestling by featuring an appearance by Hiroshi Tanahashi on that day. He was until recently the top champion of the promotion and was the top star during the group's cooperation with American promotion TNA. He's easily the third biggest name they have, behind head Antonio Inoki (who wouldn't make such an appearance) and Masahiro Chono, who came to a Mito home game last year and scored a PK goal against Holly-kun. Although to be fair, Omiya Ardija DID promote the appearance of a comedian impersonator of Inoki earlier this season. This promotion will advertise the NJPW event to take place in the Mito Citizen's Athletic Hall on the 31st, which is actually located in between the 1-minute walk between the player dormitory and Holly Pitch training ground. With such easy access, most Mito players will likely be there, and the cheerleading team and merchandise tent will be in action.

The other feature to entice attendance is the "one coin" campaign, where those arriving at least 30 minutes into the match can enter for 500 yen. It's aimed at workers and students in the area who might not be able to make it in time kickoff after work or school and be reticent about paying for a full priced ticket.

Mito 1 - 5 Shonan

Wow! This wasn't good!

Mito MIRACULOUSLY still 5th!

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Oh:

Mito scores 5 goals in one match against Tokyo Verdy early in 2007 while that team is out of promotion territory, Tokyo is promoted in 2nd
Gifu scores 5 goals in one match against Montedio Yamagata early in 2008 while that team is out of promotion territory, Yamagata is promoted in 2nd

Allowing Shonan to score 5 goals to assure 2nd place and promotion. What a brilliant tactic!

Mito 1 - 1 Kofu

Hey! Mito tied Kofu without Arata thanks to a goal from Takasaki that looked just like his goal against Sendai and close attempt against Tosu!

Surprisingly still 5th!

Arata Injured

Mito's star forward Arata broke his foot in the last match.

He'll be out for about 3 months.

Exactly 3 months would mean missing 20 matches.

That isn't good.

Mito 2-0 Tosu

Mito got back into the winning spirit Saturday with a very convincing victory over Sagan Tosu. The team fired 20 mostly very good shots and dominated Tosu just as the shot count would suggest, and more than the scoreline would suggest.

The first half saw Mito press continuously and end up in Tosu's penalty area for an extended period of time, and would draw two penalty kicks for the effort. It was the same Tosu player both times and so that player would be removed from the second half. The first kick was taken and converted for the first goal by midfielder Kikuoka. The second was taken by Arata, and was blocked to end the half. Arata actually isn't the best at penalty kicks but the team has a policy of the person drawing the foul to take the shot.

Arata would make up for it in the second half by racing through the defense and placing a low Takasaki pass directly in the net. The two pointed at each other in agreement before the ball even crossed the line... They have great chemistry and perhaps work better together than Arata did with Akahoshi last year. Urawa Reds rentals have proven themselves recently. Arata's goal put him even further ahead in the goal rankings, with nine goals so far this season. The closest rivals only have six. Mito will absolutely have to be promoted to J1 to be able to afford to keep him again next year... Keeping him in 2009 was already very difficult and almost couldn't happen.

Tomorrow's match at Kofu is a big one, like last week's Sendai match... A win puts Mito ahead of Kofu and has a chance of passing Sendai to be 3rd... and a very small chance of out-goaling Osaka to go 2nd. A draw or loss means, at best, staying in 5th, and a Tokushima win would then put that team ahead.

Arata isn't just J2's goal leader at the moment, but the team is as well. Mito's 21 goals lead the league, just ahead of Shonan's 20 and Cerezo's 19.

Mito 1 - 2 Sendai

Mito made a few mistakes too many Wednesday and let two get past keeper Honma and Takasaki's second of the season turned out to be a mere consolation ten minutes before time. Not much to say; it was the kind of match Mito could have won with a little luck but that the opponent deserved to win with their skill and effort.

The loss brings Mito to 5th, and for the first time in a while is more than a game outside the promotion spots. A win against Tosu tomorrow and Kofu on the 5th would get that done, but if not, ending the first third of the season in the top three would be incredibly difficult seeing the matches coming up.

Economic Report and Test

Mito released its financial report regarding the previous year's economics.

The club posted its first loss in recent years, despite already having the lowest budget among pro teams. The operating loss came to 9,000,000 yen, or about US$90,000. While of course a very small loss for a pro sports team, it is still a loss. There are two ways that the same figures could turn into a profit this season: 1) get an average of 250 more paying fans to home games, or 2) get a shorts uniform sponsor. Given the tepid crowd even at a successful run as we have seen during the first part of this season, either may be a tall order.

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This entry is the first being sent by e-mail, with a picture attachment. Will I pass the test?

Mito 4 - 3 Okayama

As the score indicates, yesterday's match was very exciting but much of the credit can go to weakness on both teams. Passes were sloppy while both keepers were a step slower than usual. Both teams relied on crosses to be finished off for goals and all but one goal per team was scored in this way. A strong attacking midfield on Okayama's side and Mito's consistent links to forward Arata were the only quality play to be seen in the game.

I worked assisting the away fans (80 strong) who came to Hitachinaka for the game. They were very concerned when in the middle of clear skies, a 30-minute pocket of severe storm came through. Strong winds blew away the tent and promotional materials, torrential rains soaked everything and everyone down to underwear and socks (which would remain uncomfortable all day), and thunder brought fear that those making the 20-hour round trip would leave with a postponed game as their memory of Ibaraki. As suddenly as it came, the storm would subside, and mild wind and sunshine would only bring fears of sunburn. For anyone wondering why the ball occasionally stopped in an invisible puddle on TV, only 3 hours before the match began, the play surface was almost entirely underwater. This is par for the course when on the beach so it will be nice when Kasamatsu becomes the secondary ground upon Mito's new stadium being completed.

Memories of the potential disaster faded as the match started, especially for the very vocal Okayama fans who are still excited about their team's success and progress in recent years. They continued yelling and chanting even when Mito opened the game with the first two goals. Forward Arata took a good pass and made a good goal, and only a few minutes later defender Ozawa made his first professional goal being open in front of the goal. As what has become unfortunately customary for Mito lately Okayama would pull it back to a draw before the half was out, and the second half would begin tied at 2. The second goal was especially painful, being an attempted sliding clear from captain Owada right into the Mito net. His missed pass against Kusatsu had cost Mito that win and tied the score at 2 apiece, and now this own goal did the same thing. He usually does well of course but in a tight standings race these mistakes are especially disappointing.

Mito would quickly bring it back with two more goals from Arata in a four minute span and continued pressure, but defensive lapses continued and Okayama scored their 3rd with twenty minutes to go. Mito still fired away and didn't try to waste time until the very end and Okayama kept trying to make it a very harrowing final fight. After a failed Okayama free kick, the final whistle blew and Mito actually held the lead for a win for the first time in a while.

Mito retains 4th place in the standings with the win of course, but a surging Sendai and surprisingly strong Tokushima are just below. The only other high-schoring encounter of the day was Tochigi's surprise 3-all draw against 3rd place Kofu, who are now just one point above Mito. There is a small cushion between the top six teams and the bottom two thirds and any of these teams could be in the top three after the next match. Even more unpredictable in that on Wednesday, Mito plays at Sendai and Shonan plays at Kofu. Given the right results, any in the top five could lead the league this time next week. As far as long term hopes go, Mito has only played (and beaten) Tokushima so far this year, and in addition to Sendai has yet to face Shonan, Osaka, and Kofu. Only if remaining in striking distance of third place after all those matches will Mito fans breathe easily and believe in promotion chances. In addition to goals, Mito also happened to lead the weekend's teams in number of shots taken, and is currently second in the league in number of goals scored and are the only team to have an average of more than 3 goals per game (for both sides) in all matches played. If you like games with shots taken and goals scored and don't care about who fires them, Mito is your team to follow.

Arata's 3-goal game made a big impact in his personal rating and he will surely end up statistical player of the round. His hat trick brings the tally of goals up to 8 for the year, two more than 2nd place Kagawa of Osaka. He had a promise of 20 goals scored for 2009 and the current pace is enough to double that. He has scored more goals this year so far than the entire squads of Yokohama, Toyama, and Tochigi. His number of goals tied Okayama not only yesterday but all year, and he's also on par with Gifu through match 10.

A clue to tomorrow's game?

I just drove by the cheapest hotel in town, and saw Fagiano Okayama flags flying there. Surely the players stay there tonight, as I did at one point in the past. It's good for what it is, but rooms are cramped, beds are hard, and even double rooms have no private bathroom as all must use the public bath at a reserved, limited time. Nearby only a convenience store and fast food are able to be eaten. Plus, it's still a 30-45 minute bus ride to the stadium.

I expect the Okayama players to be less rested and more annoyed than other away teams that arrive the night before. Okayama forward Nishino, their most prolific scorer and only dangerous player, played for Mito the past 3 years. He would probably be meeting people and visiting places in his short time back and for that reason as well Okayama may be weaker than usual.

Mito 0 - 1 Yokohama

Mito lost in the last minute to Yokohama in a reversal of the reeling feeling of winning last minute against Toyama and a return to the disappointment of the last minute draw against Gifu.

Nothing much to say other than that both teams fought hard the whole time. I guess Mito's 7 game streak of no losses and Yokohama's winless streak of 8 had to cancel each other out.

Mito remains in 4th place with teams below chomping up and the reach for promotion a little bit further. A loss against Okayama on Sunday would mean the start of a need to fight back up, but a big win could pull Mito back into 3rd.

Mito 2 - 1 Toyama

Mito's first match against newly promoted Toyama turned out to be a nailbiter. It seemed that the streak of draws would continue as the game came to a close, but the last offensive play of the game saved it.

While Toyama was outclassed offensively it was tenacious defensively, and both teams shared only 7 shots in the first half. Fortunately for Mito fans one of those resulted in a goal from Arata. A long ball was successively headed forward and landed in front of a speeding Arata who toe-kicked it into the cross bar, bouncing down and inward for the goal. The second half showed a more intense Toyama that played more aggressively to tie it up. They would eventually do so, with Mito's defense bundled together too much and a free Toyama forward made contact to knock it in. Both teams successfully shut down the other and very close to the final whistle, a Toyama player collected a second yellow to be sent off. Unlike the Gifu match, though, that team would not overcome the odds to score in the final minute. Instead, mito's free kick as a result of the foul bounced off a Toyama player, fell sloppily in the middle of four unguarded Mito players directly in front of the goal, and Arata just kicked it directly past the keeper as if it were target practice; the shot looked like a penalty kick with the keeper not knowing it was coming. Less than a minute later the final whistle would blow and Mito had the win.

Unfortunately, Kofu would top Yokohama by one more goal, and now holds third place over Mito via goal difference. Fortunately for Mito the streak of quality play continues: 8 straight matches scoring goals, 8 straight matches of taking the lead at some point (with 7 of 8 matches scoring first), and now unbeaten in 7 straight matches. While spectacular for the club this is standard practice for the strongest teams in the division and it will have to continue for the entire 51 match season for Mito to remain a top club. This will become more difficult as traditionally strong clubs are coming up and as many other teams splurge to get their perfunctory mid season foreign striker.

Mito 3 - 3 Gifu

Certainly this result is better than losing 1-4 as had happened in the two team's previous meeting, but the allowance of the draw on Saturday was the biggest disappointment since Mito's last minute draw at Hiroshima last year.

I missed the first part of the match at the while at the main gate for the first 15 minutes. Gifu scored very quickly while forward Endo would tie it up soon afterward. From my new position of caring for people in the VIP seats, I could watch the rest.

The first half saw Mito dominate with high pressure and taking advantage of Gifu mistakes. However, there were very few serious chances that resulted. Two of those few would be converted, with Arata taking a keeper's missed pass and placing it in as he will tend to do, and the third goal came from Kota Yoshihara who effectively drove in the ball off a rebound. Coming from behind to lead 3-1 made Mito seem unstoppable at halftime.

Gifu's coaching staff must have been very inspiring at halftime though as that team came out much more aggressively. It seemed that Mito would be holding its own through all of it though, when with very little time to go a Gifu player tripped/was pulled down in the penalty area. The converted PK meant that Mito would be up by one and go from attacking to killing time. That didn't go very well and despite having one player sent off, Gifu seemed able to always get the ball away and push forward. With less than a minute to go a Gifu corner kick bumbled around until it could be headed in, and the game ended in a draw.

Despite the heartbreaking draw, Mito stays in third place on the standings. However, the cushion is gone, and the top two teams have pulled ahead even further. The next few games seem winnable until tougher opponents linger on the horizon. Those matches will need to be won and good showings are needed against tougher opponents for Mito to continue its surprising fight at the top of the division. If Mito is still in striking range after round 17, hope for J1 promotion can sprout. As the past two draws have shown, Mito makes enough tactical mistakes to cause concern.

Practice Match: Mito 2 - 0 RKU

Mito played top university side and JFL member Ryutsu Keizai University at Twin Field yesterday afternoon, winning the match two goals to none. RKU played a full power side while Mito played a sub side mixed with some starters.

The matchup was held partly because one of the RKU forwards, 3rd year student Ryota Nakahama, switched over to a Mito uniform and joined the squad. It was his tryout to see if he might fit with the team under JFA summer play analysis, as several have done under Mito in recent years. He played well and submitted the assist for both goals.

Mito scored one goal in each half through forward Takasaki. It will be all that he can do until the Yokohama match on the 19th as his yellow card at Kusatsu will keep him out of the Gifu match on Saturday.

Mito 2 - 2 Kusatsu

Mito remains in 3rd place after a hard fought match in a crisp and cloudy Maebashi on Saturday. Two Mito players on loan recorded first-ever pro goals and as always, Mito brought out one of the most exciting matches of the day.

The North Kanto derby has been getting more press than usual thanks to the introduction of Tochigi to the mix, and the addition of an official trophy with league backing has made the matches more important than the usual fare. While the lowest standing title possible in the country, probably less prestigious than even a JFL league title, it would mean the first trophy any of the three sides would win in their respective histories. Both teams clearly wanted to win to gain in standing and before the match, Mito players had suggested that this was the most important match of the first half of the season for many reasons.

While both teams have better records than expected in the young season, Mito was on a four game win streak and in great form, so it was surprising to see them allow the first goal for the first time this season. It was a tap-in that keeper Honma had no chance to answer. Before the first half ended, though, midfielder Morimura received a pass and fired from beyond the penalty box into the upper left corner. Kusatsu's keeper could only get his fingertips on it and the score was tied at one-all going into halftime.

The new half saw striker Takasaki brought in and he made his presence felt, looking very much like Arata in style. He received a quality through-pass from Morimura and kept slightly ahead in a foot race with a Kusatsu defender. Going half the field length, he always stayed a pace ahead until one-on-one with the keeper and he popped the ball into the far post, which then bounced into the net. Mito's lead would be short-lived though as captain Owada would make a rare mistake with 20 minutes to go. About to pass the ball back to keeper Honma, he was unaware of the Kusatsu forward racing towards him. The resulting collision had all three players make contact with the ball as it started rolling slowly towards the Mito goal. The Kusatsu player ran hard to make sure it would go in, but it would be unnecessary as nobody else would be able to reach it.

While conceding a goal (and joint 2nd place in the standings) through an error like this was painful, in the end the draw was probably the fairest result. Mito outshot Kusatsu and created more convincing chances but Kusatsu's defense was strong and the midfield showed a lot of quality, mistake-free play. Those watching the match were not only treated to a great show but also a preview of what could be North Kanto's year to shine in Japanese soccer. Kashima always has strength in J1, and now Mito and Kusatsu are showing new power in J2. Below the pro levels, Arte Takasaki are showing the most surprising rebound in quality and are a team to fear in the JFL and Ibaraki's Ryutsu Keizai University continue to be the most respected university team in the country. Only one month down but if this continues, the U-shaped contiguous area composing Tokyo, Saitama, Gunma, and Ibaraki will be the heart of Japanese soccer in 2009.

Mito 1 - 0 Kumamoto

Mito played to yet another spirited win yesterday with four wins in a row. This results in being 3rd in the standings and perhaps 1st among teams showing talent and hard work.

I was working security at the main gate and only saw glimpses, but later with the highlights I saw that my glimpses happened to be the best of them. Arata scored for the second game in a row to be tied for 4th on goals early in the season. The lone goal of the game was typical of his style. After taking a great through pass from Kim Tae-Young, he pushed pass the chasing defenders and popped the ball past the keeper to place the ball perfectly. It's come to the point where Arata can have the ball, and seeing the situation, you can know 5 seconds ahead of time that the goal will be scored. He wasn't the only one, though, as many players made great chances, especially Takasaki. The defense also held together very well despite Nakamura's injury, making it an easy day for keeper Honma.

Still, the score was too close considering the adversary has never beaten Mito. And the team has to work on finishing off all those close chances. The team, taking an always-positive win at any cost attitude, also spent the last five minutes keeping the ball and running out the clock. Necessary, of course, but not exciting. Being ahead by two points would have added to the only 85 minutes of great display.

This marks Mito's first 4-game win streak since the team's inaugural J. League season in 2000. A win at Kusatsu on Saturday would be the same (as the last 5-game streak was the same streak as the 4-game). After Kusatsu comes Gifu, then Toyama, then Yokohama, Okayama, and assuming a strong showing on Saturday the first real challenge may be Sendai in late April. If Mito could win all of these, the team would surely place first ahead of Osaka and Shonan with plenty of cushion. Fanciful dreaming, but this year it seems possible... and for the first time more likely than to lose them. Indeed, when promotion contention is looked at a month from now, is it unreasonable to think that the current top three teams will be the three favorites to join J1 for 2010? Even considering the possibility speaks immensely for the heart of the players... Currently operating at the smallest budget of the 36 pro teams. 80,000,000 yen... The only pro team running at under US$1,000,000 a year. Hopefully 2009 will show that money isn't everything, but also hopefully this year's performance will result in more money coming in for 2010. :)

Mito 2 - 0 Tokyo

Mito's winning streak increases to three with the team's first home win against Tokyo Verdy last night. While only 1000 home fans and about 200 away fans would come in the wet cold weather, those who did or watched on TV were treated to one of the more exciting matches of the round, as has become customary for Mito.

The first half featured hard and aggressive play from both sides, pressuring the opposing team and stealing the ball in a display that rarely left the midfield area. The teams would combine for only 7 shots in the first half and the most eventful thing to happen would be a leg injury via foul to defender Nakamura, who then would be replaced by Hosaki.

In the second half, Mito would dominate with little from Tokyo to concern keeper Honma. Veteran Kota Yoshihara proved his worth with more of the tenacious play he has shown since joining the squad. This culminated in an incredible sprint to overtake a defender and strip the ball away, and single-footedly take it to the goal. In taking his shot for what seemed to be a sure goal he would trip up, but as the defender was making contact the official called the foul and award the penalty kick. Yoshihara would take it himself for his first goal of the year, and his show of appreciation for the fans afterward as well as the the expression of appreciative joy as he ran back to the field was inspiring. Ten minutes later, he would ask to be taken out due to a nagging left ankle and be replaced by Arata. Arata was in a drought for goals until that point and it only took ten minutes for him to show why he was last year's top rookie. Running toward a keeper pass to the defense, he'd strip the ball and push forward for a one-on-one with the keeper. He rarely misses those and chipped it over the keeper to double the lead. With that padding in place, there was no effort to waste time or try and hold the ball as was necessary in the last two games. For the last twenty minutes Mito would keep pushing against Verdy and make more chances on goal.

Coach Kiyama is clearly a skilled leader and has developed the team to be strong on both sides. Unless something unexpected happens this combination of players will be hard to beat. Perhaps the hopeful estimate of a top eight finish was too conservative.

Mito 2 - 1 Fukuoka

It's been more than 5 years since Mito beat Fukuoka, and it was a great relief for Mito fans to finally win against that team in an away setting.

The match itself was one of the harshest in recent memory and shows the newer aggressive nature of Mito's club doing anything to win: six yellow cards taken by six different players and plenty more fouls to go around too. Mito scored early on with a header by midfielder Tae-Yeon Kim coming off a corner kick, which was his first pro goal in Japan since joining Kobe in 2006. Fukuoka would tie it up and the first half would close as a furious even encounter. The second half saw Mito in much more control, and midfielder Kikuoka took the winning goal via free kick just outside the penalty box. He shot it toward the top left corner, but striking the wall of defenders it veered to the right, past the Fukuoka keeper who had no chance. Mito's defense tenaciously kept the ball safe, cleared, and the offense took turns stalling for time and taking shots where reasonable.

Coach Kiyama's aggressive techniques appear to be paying off. In 3 matches, Mito has scored 4 goals, and under the policy of all players preparing to score at any time, no goals have resulted from the usual suspects. Two have been first time scorers and the other from players not expected to score more than 2 or 3 a year at most. Mito currently lies in 7th place, safely in the top half of the rankings, and even briefly lay in the top third before the Kofu result came in. Last year, it took the team 14 matches to get two wins. This year, three matches. If this progress continues against struggling Tokyo and Kumamoto, both at home, Mito may find itself in the top three teams in the standings this time next week. If it can continue against stronger teams, Mito may find itself challenging for promotion long before anyone expected.

Mito 1 - 0 Tokushima

Mito's first home match of the year was a success, beating perennial bottom team Tokushima in the cold rain. I unfortunately couldn't make it due to rare Saturday work commitments, and I wasn't the only one to miss it as the harsh weather convinced all but the just over 2000 faithful to stay home.

The reports and highlights were more than glowing for Mito, however. The team constantly controlled the match and the win was never much in doubt once the goal was scored. Tokushima has improved a lot since finishing last three times running, but apparently only in the defense up until now. There was a lot of concern in that Mito lost to a weak Ehime team last week and Tokushima had held newly relegated Tokyo Verdy to a scoreless draw. It seems that the Tokushima defense is pulling its weight, but the offense may be incapable of scoring. If this continues expect that team to have a year of many losses and scoreless draws.

Mito's goal was taken by forward Endo in his last game as a teenager, and was his first goal in his 57th league match as a forward. He's made a lot of play mistakes and never been effective as a scorer but yet has been selected for the U-19 national team and given a lot of play time solely through his intense effort and stamina. Until now his specialty has been countering defenders and getting the ball further forward to a more established striker. On Saturday his shot was a juggle off the dominant right foot onto the weaker left, which popped it perfectly into an unreachable far corner. After the match his speech and comments were full of immense confidence, and hopefully he will be able to continue his scoring ways. It will be hard for him to take the striker position with the number of quality forwards at Mito's disposal, with Arata and Takasaki or Arata and Yoshihara as the standard two-top formation (and one of those on the bench ready to sub), but coach Kiyama has stated that Endo will now get more attention.

Mito's win has the team at tenth out of eighteen teams and the next two matches are against Fukuoka and Tokyo. Both of those teams are former J1 teams and promotion contenders, but they also happen to be lower on the standings at the moment. Wins or draws against them would mean not just more confidence and higher standing on the table, but a cushion over those teams as April starts up and positioning on the table starts making gaps between strong and weak.

Mito 1 - 3 Ehime

A great performance and a bad result came out of yesterday's opening match, away at Ehime. Mito had more shots, better shots, more possession, more pressing, and great cohesion. But while the team had little in the area of mistakes, there was also little in the area of luck.

Mito took strong charge from the beginning and controlled the flow of the match. In particular, the defense and offensive ends really pulled through for quality play as Ehime struggled to keep possession of the ball outside of the infield. In 15 minutes Mito would have the lead thanks to a diving header from defender Nakamura for the team's first goal of the season.

Ehime continued to struggle until minute 40 and even then remained marginally competitive at best. The first goal was well deserved for Ehime, as keeper Harada knocked a hard shot away only for it to land at Ehime forward Uchimura's feet. 1 on 1 was won by him on a quick flick that popped past the keeper and charging defender Hosaki. Other goal scenes were very disappointing though. Ehime scored in controversial fashion to take the game. One goal was scored after a handball in the goal area was missed by the referee... A ball was blocked by the chest of a Mito defender standing just inside the goal, at a camera and pitch angle impossible to know if the goal awarded was deserved... And on the other end, forward Yoshihara was fouled in what seemed to be inside the penalty box but was ruled to be a free kick just outside instead of a penalty kick inside. The Ehime keeper as well fragrantly clipped forward Arata as he was about to knock in a goal, but the penalty was not awarded. However, you can't win every call and games go like this too often for any team, unfortunately.

Mito's linking and teamwork were very nice but some players could stand out a bit more. Arata and Endo were both outhustling defenders and doing fantastically getting to shooting position, but Arata kept just missing while Endo didn't take the initiative to shoot on his own. The tall defenders Nakamura and captain Owada showed that they will be dangerous on corner kicks this year. And Yoshihara was getting accolades from the announcers, fans and after the game, coach Kiyama. It was remarked that he's rediscovered youthful energy and went hard and fast the whole match. At one point an Ehime player was breaking away to go 1 on 1 with the keeper. Yoshihara, at least 10 meters back and standing still when that player broke away, dashed after him and reached him just before making it to the penalty area. He knocked the ball away, only drawing a minor foul, and then happened to be the one clearing the ball after Ehime's free kick. If he can apply his experience and still keep the speed and drive of a rookie, he'll be a major contribution. All players were aggressive though, and perhaps too much. Mito drew 4 yellow cards and midfielder Kim came dangerously close to being sent off against his former team. Mito fans may not have liked the outcome but it was a fast-paced and exciting match played by two sides putting forth every effort to win.

In this match even a draw would have been disappointing yet understandable, and compared to that to drop goals and points in the standings feels unfair. It also marks the first loss at Ehime's stadium and the first loss for keeper Harada in his second league start. His first was two years ago against Ehime, in a game won by Mito in similar weather conditions and at a similarly small crowd in Ashikaga. Starting keeper Honma was injured and missing his first match since late 2007, but well enough to be on the bench just in case. Harada showed enough prowess to perhaps be considered the full-time second stringer over Doi, and then Shuto when he heals up at Doi's rental completion.

Mito now lies second from last on the table, only ahead of Sagan Tosu who lost 4-1 against Osaka. Of course, this is the longest season ever and there are 50 more games to help build momentum. The next game is home vs. Tokushima on Saturday.

Exhibition Match: Mito 3 - 2 Urawa

Yesterday Mito won a regulation length practice match against Urawa Reds in a tune-up for this weekend's league opener.

Mito's goals were scored by Yoshihara, Endo, and Arata.

Ibaraki Soccer Festival: Mito 0 - 4 Kashima

The drive back was a little brutal but I'd gladly take on 5 more minutes if it meant 5 fewer for the Mito side... Mito played fairly well but if not for the final 3 minutes of the first half and the final 2 minutes of the second, it would have been a much more respectable 0-1 score. Including Emperor's Cup matches, the two teams have faced each other 7 times and Kashima has won them all with a total score of 19-2. This marks the third Ibaraki Soccer Festival in a row in which Mito allowed 4 goals.

Mito played a mix of starters and backups and Kashima played either a starting squad or starters and backups (I'm not familiar enough with the players). I was looking forward to seeing two players specifically; former Mito standout Chu-Ho Park and newly acquired Kota Yoshihara. Both are clearly yet to fit into the club and performed below what I'd expected. Park was consistently stopped by former partner Kanazawa, and he didn't seem to have the same ball control that he did for Mito last year. Yoshihara showed considerable talent, but not in the goal-scoring area that he had in previous exhibitions. He was able to keep the ball and feed it very well on the right wing side. In the middle or when trying to drive towards the goal, the ball would soon find itself in enemy... hands. Hopefully he can mesh a bit better in the team and his tactics would fare better against the likes of Tokushima than the best defense in Asia.

A fun outing in any case and the first chance in 2 months to meet many of the fans again.

Practice Match Results

Today, Mito defeated J1 side Yokohama F. Marinos in a friendly preseason match. It was played in 3 40-minute periods.

Mito 0-0 Yokohama
Mito 1-0 Yokohama
Mito 1-0 Yokohama

The first goal was taken by Kota Yoshihara, and the second by Shunichi Nakajima.

Yoshihara has now scored 3 goals in the two preseason matches he has appeared, against "stronger" opponents. Hopefully this is a good sign that he'll be a bigger force than his2 goals in 19 games last year.

Kota Yoshihara to Mito HollyHock

It was just announced that for his twelfth year in the J. League, forward Kota Yoshihara joins Mito, after playing for Sapporo, Gamba Osaka, and most recently Omiya Ardija.

He'll be the second most veteran player on the squad, with even more years as a professional than Mito's stalwart keeper Honma, who exemplifies the feeling of "veteran" for the Mito fan. Only defender Suzuki, who has played in the J. League since 1995, has been around longer. He's played in 325 league and cup matches, scoring 74 goals. He also played for the national team in 1999. Including play in the JFL (with Sapporo), this will be his 15th year.

Although Mito players have gone on to become national team members (most notably Marcus Tulio Tanaka), Yoshihara is the first former national team member to join Mito. While his best years are behind him, he still has a bit left in him as could be seen with two goals scored against Shonan in the recent training match. He'll not play over J2's rookie of the year Arata or Urawa rental Takasaki, but would likely be in an offensive side midfield position as a feeder to those two and taking shots when appropriate.

His statement to Omiya supporters:
「大宮のファン・サポーターの皆さんにはご心配お掛けしましたが、水戸ホーリーホックに加入することになしました。ディビジョンは違いますが、大宮と対戦することを楽しみにしております。これからも応援よろしくお願いします。」("I caused a lot of worry for Omiya fans and supporters, but it's come to pass that I join Mito HollyHock. Even though a different division, I look forward to playing against Omiya.I still ask for your support from now, too.")

His statement to Mito supporters:
「本当にいろんな思いを持って加入を決めました。声を掛けてくれた水戸に恩返しが出来るよう頑張ります。応援よろしくお願いします。」 ("I really put a lot of thought into it and then made the decision to join. I want to work hard and return the favor of Mito, who called out for me. I ask for your support.")

Practice Match Results

Mito played against two other J2 teams in away practice matches this week.

February 11 vs. Shonan Bellmare, 4 periods of 45 minutes:

Mito 0 - 1 Shonan
Mito 0 - 0 Shonan
Mito 1 - 0 Shonan
Mito 1 - 2 Shonan

Both Mito goals taken by an unsigned player under examination.

February 14 vs. Tochigi SC, 2 halves of 45 minutes:

Mito 1 - 0 Tochigi
Mito 3 - 0 Tochigi

First half goal taken by Mansho. Second half goals taken by Tsuruno, Kikuoka, and Takasaki.

Press Conference Report

Yesterday at 2PM, Mito's head management held a press conference regarding future plans for the club.

The schedule included:

-A screening of the J. League DVD regarding the 100 Year Plan, followed by the club's presentation on how it will fit into that plan.
-A presentation entitled "Mito's Restoration", with inflections on the club becoming a regional power as Mito city the eastern Japan power during the Tokugawa era.
-Announcement of a new strategy to strengthen the club by taking a nurturing attitude toward players and prospects. (It was this effort that helped star forward Arata to stay rather than go abroad or to a J1 club.)
-Announcement of a new 3 year plan to lead to the "Restoration": FC Mito SSS Plan

The "FC Mito Triple S Plan" is made up of three parts, of course:

STRONG
-Developing the top team into a J2 contender.
-Developing players who feel pride and dignity yet are disciplined.
-To spread the feeling of enjoying soccer through the players and community.

SATISFACTION
-Creation of a club ground (this summer) and having that ground and the club be the pride of the community.
-Create entertainment outside what ordinary soccer clubs fulfill.
-To become a self-reliant club through community openness and support.

SIDE BY SIDE
-To have all achievements be through the home community.
-To grow along with the city.
-To contribute to the community.

Through these pillars the team hopes to achieve the following in the 3 year span:

-To be basically profitable (that is, without the usual aid given by the League to J2 clubs).
-To have a total income of more than 360,000,000 yen (Approx. US$3.8 millon).
-To have an average of 5000 fans per home game.
-To finish 8th or above on the table.
-To have sellout matches.

Past Players and Future Rivals

On Sunday I took the drive to north Tochigi to see a practice match between Fukushima United FC and Arte Takasaki. Fukushima, in the Tohoku regional league, defeated JFL's Takasaki 2-0 on a high school's fairly nice artificial pitch over 3 35 minute periods.

I went for three reasons: to catch up with Fukushima player Koji Fukasawa, to see the former Mito players now playing for Fukushima, and to see if Takasaki has improved and if it could become a rival for Mito. With Tochigi's promotion, there are only three reasonable possibilities for the north Kanto derby to expand, all very unlikely... Takasaki could suddenly improve and join J2, Tonan SC Gunma could continue its progress and do the same, or champions Kashima could have a disastrous year and be relegated. Frankly, there is a much higher chance for Kusatsu, Tochigi, or Mito to be promoted before that.

Unfortunately it seems Takasaki still has fan problems. Two dozen Fukushima fans made the 2 hour drive, which is how long it took the 8 Mito fans who took the relatively nearby chance to see old players again. 5 Tochigi SC fans also took an hour drive to see Koji, and apparently they all knew me too and wanted a picture with both of us. Despite somewhat close and the first chance to see all the new players, only 3 Takasaki fans came to support. They are a BITTER group and would trash their team for the laugh. In a scene of great love of soccer and appreciation over hero worship, it was a disappointing sight.

On the toll road leaving Tochigi, I passed the Takasaki bus. The players looking out the window and made some small talk and pointed seeing me with all the Mito junk on my car.

About the match, all former Mito players did well, especially Ki-Su Kim and Naoya Ohashi. It was good to see Ohashi shine in a role that wasn't possible at Mito. Seeing a lower level of play was refreshing in some ways too, although all the players are still on pro contracts. However Fukushima players seemed attached to their former pro clubs... Players tended to wear the warm up gear of the highest level team they had played with. Only high school recruits warmed up in their own team's gear.


Ki-Su Kim goes over the last period's play


Naoya Ohashi hustles


Kim still has Mito on his mind 2 years later


Ohashi pulls a Mitre warm up OVER the pre-2006 Puma Mito gear. An impressive double!


Koji Fukasawa earns his keep

2009 Schedule

The schedule is listed in the right bar, and will be updated with results during the season.

Mito lost out on the home game front and will be one of half the teams to have one more away game than home game this year. However, most of the teams hosting Mito twice in the triple round robin are fairly close, and for the first time in a long time the season ends with a home game so the players just have to say one farewell. Traveling to the last game and seeing a second emotional sendoff is an odd feeling.

Exhibition Match: Mito 1 - 4 FC Tokyo

Mito traveled to western Tokyo for the first warm up with/against another team, playing 4 30 minute scrimmages and giving all the players a chance to see some time.

Tokyo won the first three scrimmages and Mito took the last one, with the goal coming from newly recruited midfielder Shimada.

Mito Cleanup

On Saturday morning I joined the club staff and we all met with the Mito Women's Forum, a group of retired women of the community who volunteer for various functions. It's a yearly cleaning event that takes place before tourists arrive for one of the city's festivals.



Usually the club makes an appeal for supporters to help and throws in a player or two, but not this year. Ironically (or as planned, perhaps), the results were a lot more productive without a couple of dozen fans following the players around.



After the event I was introduced by president Numata to the forum as the club's "translator", which would be generous considering I translated a grand total of one poster phrase and two stadium board phrases over the course of last year.

Holiday Event

On February 3, next Tuesday, midfielder Kikuoka and forward Arata will don traditional costumes and throw beans at people. The Setsubun festival starts at Hachimangu (Mito's shrine of the god of war) at 5:30PM.

New Captain, New Slogan, New Goal, New Uniform, Same Sponsors

With Hiramatsu going to FC Tokyo, the new captain will be defender Masashi Owada, in his 6th year at the club.

The slogan for 2009 is 「前へ」 ("Forward")

Coach Kiyama's goal for the year is a top 8 finish, which would be the first top half finish in the table for the team and mean finishing ahead of at least one former J1 club, which hasn't happened since 2006.

The uniform supplier remains Mitre, and the uniform sponsors remain K's Electronics and Mito Securities. Uniforms still appear to have the Ibaraki Airport logo on the sleeves as well.

The uniforms remain the same, which saves me a bit of money this year, but the goalkeeper uniform has undergone a style change. From either all green and all yellow to green/white and all black. I'm not sure about the purpose of adding a white section to the traditionally home green uniform, but the yellow would have to change due to new J2 arrivals Tochigi SC having exactly the same shade as their home color.

Ibaraki Soccer Festival 2009

The annual match between Mito and national champions Kashima Antlers will take place on Saturday, February 21. Kickoff will be at 2PM at Kashima Stadium. Tickets will be available for 1000, 2000, and 3000 yen, and parking at private lots is a 500-1000 yen charge depending on walking distance.

Mito has never won this exhibition match, losing the previous installments 2-0, 2-1, 4-0, and 4-1. This year Mito looks to have a strong team with a chance but no team looks strong compared to Japan's most successful club.

First Supporter Event of 2009

Over 40 of Mito's supporters gathered on Saturday for a few hours of slow pitch softball. Many familiar faces could be seen after almost a month apart... A long time in this community.

A mere 5 minutes from the future stadium site.

A good time was had by all who played as well as all who watched.

It seems I am a better player than heavy smoking middle aged and elderly soccer fans. Imagine that!

The next casual event is a free concert at Midorigaoka jazz studio on the 25th in North Mito with SHOTARO, a local singer who made Mito's first official song years ago.

Quick Staff Update, Arata's Future

Mito has hired a new general manager, Shoji Fujimura. Haven't met him yet.

The following world clubs have expressed interest in Mito's star forward Arata:

Millonarios (Columbia)
R.A.E.C. Mons (Belgium)
SK Dynamo České Budějovice (Czech Republic)
Chonburi (Thailand)
Foolad FC (Iran)

All teams are in their countries' top divisions of play. Millonarios is the most successful club in Colombian history and Chonburi is Thailand's current champion team.

And of course it seems every Japanese club would like to have him, and many are making bids of various quality.

While the club and fans want Arata to stay, the worst case scenario of a rental or buyout would mean some money available for the team to use. Arata signed a new contract in the middle of 2008 and likely is guaranteed through 2009 unless another team makes an offer Mito can't refuse.

Mito's New Rivals' Past

At the Japanese Soccer blog, my quick notes on the 2008 JFL season is available to read.

Here

The Selection Process

Tochigi midfielder Fukasawa Koji may be under contract through February, but he now is looking at other options as that club can not afford to keep him. As previously mentioned through my advice and invitation he stayed with me for a couple of nights as he would attempt to get noticed by this city's pro team. He wouldn't be alone though, of course.

The club had to deal with a field full of hopefuls from all ranges of Japanese soccer. Many uniforms were represented... Assume the pro teams were cut players:

-JEF United Chiba
-Jubilo Iwata
-Thespa Kusatsu
-FC Gifu
-Shonan Bellmare
-Yokohama FC
-Tochigi SC

And the others are hoping for a taste as a professional:

-Yokohama Sports and Culture Club
-(North) Korea University
-FC Korea
-Ryutsu Keizai University
-Mito First High School
-and a good 20 or so full amateurs with no affiliation

There were so many trialists that all were organized into 10 full squads and the tryout could only encompass exhibition matches between them. Each player's tryout would be a mere 25 minute match in which to try to impress. From these five short exhibition matches, the team staff would choose 2 keepers, 6 defenders, 4 defensive midfielders, 4 offensive midfielders, and 4 forwards to get a closer look the next day. Only 22 players... one-fifth of the total, and much tougher for underrepresented positions.

Fukasawa would play in the last trial of the morning and with the time until then, I drove him around the city to show him the lifestyle. While others were taking an early train and walking from the station, he could have a comfortable sleep and ride to the ground. While others sat in the grass or concrete in cold overcast for hours to play a quick match, he could see the sites and casually relax in a heated environment. Throughout the weekend, I'd like to think that this was somewhat of a help.

When it came time, we went back to the field and he would prepare to take his usual left side midfielder position. I reiterated my advice on what Mito was looking for... Hard pressing, intercepting passes, solid through passing, and taking smart shots when possible. He did just that, and stood out well in the group in all areas despite the understandably selfish play by all on the pitch. He came off the field dejected, sure that his chance went by and that he'd have to tour the country looking for a club to take him.

When the 22 names were announced, Fukasawa was shocked to hear that he was called. I wasn't.

The rest of the day, Fukasawa wanted to take it easy, so I took him to Mito's massive shopping center, where at a buffet I was amazed how someone almost half my size could eat almost twice as much. He also wanted to see some aquatic animals, so I took him to Pet Island Tomony which has Japan's largest variety of pet fish, and then to the lake just by my home where the swans and ducks happily mingle with the people.

That evening he went to the public baths while I, out of courtesy to those lucky enough to have proper vision, stayed home to watch a rerun of the Iwata-Sendai match.

After a good nine hours of sleep, I drove him back to the ground where this time the two newly formed trial teams would have 2 35 minute matches in cold drizzling rain. The first one had Fukasawa play as a defender, which he had never done before. He did well, but honestly kept midfielder form and didn't take on the defender responsibilities so well. The second had him in his typical place, and he played solidly. There were some flashier players who had more ball time but I'm confident that the coaches could see his worth.

From then, he came back to my home to pack up and drive back to an Utsunomiya meeting. On the way, a short distance from my home, a group of black and white swans crossed the road. I stopped the car and he took some pictures and said goodbye to them.

The team might take a few players from the tryout, or ten, or none. There's no way to know until each player is contacted individually. He promised to let me know as soon as he hears.

Apparently he felt compelled to write about the experience where he was far too kind in talking about me:

Koji Fukasawa in Mito

Holly-Kun Fundraising a Massive Success!

The three week drive to repair Mito's mascot brought in huge support, even from around the country as fans of distant clubs went as far as to request a place to make bank transfers. Here is what was brought in:

From the player goods auction at the fan festival:
￥305,794 (More than ￥10,000 per player!)

General donations:
￥694,469

Total:
￥1,000,263

That's right... Over US$10,000 to be used for Holly-kun in the new season!

Plus there is the warm and fuzzy feeling that anyone who even gave a little bit like myself can know that they were personally responsible for pushing it over the one million yen mark.

The club is VERY appreciative!

Hosting a HollyHock

And now a bit of story time for Mito followers. Bits of it were revealed over the past two years for those paying attention. It's a sad story that may turn happy by this time next week.

Koji Fukasawa was born December 29, 1984 in a town located in the present day Minami Alps City, Yamansahi prefecture. From a very young age he played soccer, as many in the Yamanashi-Shizuoka region have. (A quick glimpse of the full J. League roster will reveal a disproportionally large percentage of all players as coming from these two prefectures, as well as local support for the pro teams.) After playing well throughout his youth, he was chosen to play for the team of Kokushikan University. This university is most famous for creating soccer players and fielding successful teams, and was the first university team to play in a national league upon entering the JFL almost ten years ago. While Kokushikan fell out of grace with that league before he could play on the team, the school remains a source of great talent scouted by teams around the country.

Fukasawa was scouted by many and went to Tochigi SC in the JFL upon graduating in March of 2007. He felt he would be given many chances to show talent there that other clubs may not offer. He joined as a part time player (as almost all JFL players are, outside of the company teams) and was provided with a full time job that would allow him the time and resources to practice and be a part of the JFL schedule... He was made soccer coach at a junior high school in Utsunomiya. It was there that I met him, as on business I would spend a month in the city, mostly at that school, coordinating local English teaching activity. I happened to bring up being a Mito soccer supporter and word got around to him that someone actually cared about soccer in the school. We talked quite a bit and he started inviting me to games and practices, and Tochigi SC became my second team to enjoy on those days when there were no Mito activities on that day. While on the whole the team played fairly well, it wasn't up to J. League caliber. A few players were, though, and Fukasawa certainly was one of them, and I'd go so far to say that with enough luck he could fill a specific niche for a J1 team. He displayed dribbling and speed better than most players I've seen and has incredibly good through passing ability. At the end of the 2007 season, Tochigi announced a serious effort to be promoted to the J. League and let go almost all of the part time players to go fully professional. The only part time player announced to stay in Tochigi and given a pro contract was Koji Fukasawa. He left the school and started work full time as a pro player.

Around this time, and before he was offered the contract, I suggested that he try to join a J. League team for 2008 and he flatly refused the idea, saying that he wanted to become a J. Leaguer through Tochigi by helping his team be promoted.

For the second half of the 2007 season and the 2008 season he would appear in about half the games, remarkable considering that in April 2007 he didn't know if he would ever take the field, and that 2008 the team was made up mostly of players who had been in the J.League the year before. He became a fan favorite during this time and when I visited Tochigi games and sat with him in the player's area, I was surprised to see how many ladies came up to talk with him and pass him notes and support. They seemed the type to be happy to associate with any player, but he was the one to always give the time and care about the fans, and the fans would feel special and appreciated. I know that on the field, in practice, and in the stands, he put forth more effort than any other player to help the team succeed. And it paid off as Tochigi SC secured standing high enough to join J2 and that team will play against teams ranging from Tokushima to Mito to Tokyo Verdy in 2009. I mailed him congratulating him on his work, and on becoming a J. league player. His reply came stating that it was an incredible feeling and that he couldn't wait to come play against Mito in a league match as he had done in practice matches in the past.

Tochigi SC made it to J. League thanks in large part to Koji Fukasawa, but also in large part to spending itself into a hole. A few weeks ago, with promotion secure, the club cut over half the contracted roster to be replaced with cheaper college players and veterans past their prime. Fukasawa was one of those cut.

After being cut, I received a mail from him as he worried about what he would do, and for some reason I felt the responsibility to get him back into a uniform. It seems almost unfair to the sport that he's not a part of the pro scene. So, I gave him the information to the Mito tryouts this week and had him send in his name. Then during the past weekend, I made sure to talk to the coaches, club president, and manager Kiyama to take a close look at him as he would be a great fit for the team. (Which is the case... I certainly would do nothing to damage the Mito HollyHock club!) They largely thanked me for the advice, and told me that they would remember his name and give him extra focus as he played in the tryout practices this weekend. I then offered Fukasawa to stay at my home, as I have an extra bedroom and parking space and actually live very close to the tryout field. As the tryouts start at 8:30 AM, someone trying to come in that day would be at a huge disadvantage. He accepted the offer and will arrive Friday night, leaving either Saturday or Sunday depending on if he passes the first day of selection and is asked to come back on Sunday. I have high confidence that he will be on the field Sunday as well. Thinking about it, this seems like a lot to offer but he's done so much for the sport and the fans that he deserves any help and support to continue playing professionally.

As much confidence as I have that he will impress and even knowing that the Mito staff will be looking closely, there can't be any guarantees, of course. However, if he can pull this off and join the roster, and ends up one day becoming a player that the country follows and respects, please remember that Koji Fukasawa is one of the good ones who deserves all success and owes all of it to hard work and good efforts alone. Compared to most players you have seen, I don't think there is any success he DOESN'T deserve.

We'll see how this weekend goes. By the end of the year he could be preparing to play in blue.

The Next Day

On December 7, the day after Mito's last match of the season, The club hosted a couple of activities that were fairly eventful.

In the early afternoon was fan appreciation day, as the club hosted the fans on the Holly Pitch training ground. After a few speeches and cheerleader dances, there were several stations where fans and players could participate together. Setting up a cross for a striker to shoot in, dribbling around cones against a midfielder, etc. I only really had interest in the PK shot, and after scoring against him last time goalkeeper Honma stopped this year's shot. During this time the team trainers offered free massages, and a few of the players made hot soup and gave it out to the fans in attendance. It was a nice gesture that coincidentally looked more than a little like giving meals to the homeless.

After the fan participation stations, the team split into three and played a round robin tournament of comedy matches. What the Harlem Globetrotters are to basketball, Mito's fan appreciation game is to soccer. After some good natured fun, the losing team stood in a line to get hit in the face with cream pies by the winning team. That's the tradition, but in a surprising twist, star forward Arata, who played for the losing team, was held in place by everyone else on that team and he received a barrage of 12 cream pies to his face and head area from the winning team.

After this, I was in front as part of a group receiving a certificate of appreciation as one of the unsung heroes who donate countless hours helping the club on match day arranging all the things fans take for granted. Not that it isn't done by choice, of course. I can quit anytime I want, I swear!

After this I stayed in front, this as part of a fan group giving awards to certain players. There were eight awards and I made a small speech on the last one, handing over the MVP statuette and gift box to forward Arata.

After all was finished, the players and staff lined up and all the fans walked between them to be thanked for their support. Duringthis time I took the chance to thank outgoing midfielder Shingyoji. It was seeing his first goal that made me a fan of the team originally.

That evening I attended a separate reception only open to club staff, stadium staff, and cheerleaders. Food was provided by team sponsor Alto restaurant and it was a great low-key affair. I spoke for a long time with the club president, manager Kiyama, and met the club staff member in charge of finding and recommending players. I learned a lot more about organizing and running a pro club, and felt secure about Mito's own plans. The people running things now are very positive and the money is being handled very responsibly. Of course someone like Christiano Ronaldo or even just regular old Ronaldo won't get an offer from Mito anytime soon, but the team is in safe financial shape until the day that such support is there to allow big money offers to be made.

Mito 0 - 1 Yamagata

And the season ends on a bit of a whimper, losing to J1-promoted Yamagata to cap things off with a 4 game losing streak. This streak pushed Mito out of the middle of the table and into the bottom third for yet another year, 11th place, only ahead of the newcomers to J2 and the Shikoku sides.

This was the first time I'd taken a touring bus to a match though, as usually I drive myself. The distance to Yamagata made the bus much more cost effective this time. They put forth a great deal for the money as the driver was fast, the seats were comfortable, and the guide was polite. On the way, the TVs displayed Mito's last match against Yamagata, which was a Mito win. Also, the club showed appreciation for the fans who would support the team away by giving away small bags with things to take away, including postcards with personal messages of appreciation from a player. Mine was from captain Hiramatsu.

The game itself was great but bitterly cold and in thick snowfall. Lots of good effort on both sides and close chances despite the low shoot count (a combined 13 for both teams). The stadium is fantastic for an all-purpose, and the mountain environment has clean and crisp air. There is even a mini Mos Burger selling food for each gate. Near the end of the match, all items were sold off for 100 yen. In my excitement I got three chili dogs and three burgers, thinking I'd have one and save the rest later. Perhaps I should have saved them ALL for later and I saw why they were not popular after being in the Yamagata December for 3 hours... They were great after they had the chance to thaw out in my refrigerator at home. Plus the people at the stadium and the fans are great... as close to a Mito home experience as can be.

J1 fans looking for a good away game and a new environment to explore should definitely catch one in Yamagata... 2009 might be the only chance, too!

Confirmation of 18 Team J2, Premature Speculation of 2009's J2

Next year, Mito will play in its largest league in history as J2 expands to 18 teams. The J. League recently confirmed all tentative promotions on the table, and only one automatic J1 relegation and the Promotion/Relegation series teams are left to be known.

2009's J2 will consist of:

(1 or 2 from: Albirex Niigata, JEF United Chiba, Omiya Ardija, Tokyo Verdy, Jubilo Iwata)
(2 or 3 from: Vegalta Sendai, Shonan Bellmare, Cerezo Osaka)
Consadole Sapporo
Mito HollyHock
Tochigi SC
Thespa Kusatsu
Yokohama FC
Ventforet Kofu
FC Gifu
Kataller Toyama
Fagiano Okayama
Tokushima Vortis
Ehime FC
Avispa Fukuoka
Sagan Tosu
Roasso Kumamoto

Should Vegalta Sendai join Montedio Yamagata in 2009's J1 and Albirex Niigata not be relegated, as seems fairly possible, Sapporo would be the very lonely, with Mito being the nearest away team. To put that into perspective, Mito would have twelve closer rivals than the closest match for Sapporo away fans. A team in the geographic region of, say, Gifu or Toyama, would be closer to EVERY rival club other than Sapporo than Sapporo is to any team. Again, in that situation, the rabid fans of Niigata and Sendai would not be in play and Sapporo will easily see the lowest away fan attendance in the league.

Should Chiba or Iwata be relegated it would be their first time out of J1 since the founding of the league. As interesting as this would be, Mito fans would prefer Tokyo Verdy or Omiya relegation, as historically the team has been able to play well against them.

With 18 teams, the J. League will eliminate the Promotion/Relegation Series and the top 3 J2 teams will be promoted from then on. 2009's J2 could theoretically be the last with no relegation to a lower division. J. League officials have stated that they will look at creation of a third professional division when J2 reaches 22 teams. With seven teams aiming to turn pro in 2009's JFL, it doesn't seem too unlikely that a mixture of JFL teams could join teams pruned from the bottom of a newly formed 18 team J2 to form the long rumored J3 division. (All J. League divisions have been created initially with ten teams.) Look for discussions on these lines to heat up should 2009's JFL be dominated by teams looking to turn pro. Should things look to go down this road, expect Mito to revamp resources to prevent relegation. Mito is safely out of the bottom four this year, but there is no way to count any team out of this situation in the future if this takes place. If history repeats itself as it has the past two years, a team like Yokohama FC could be relegated from J1 and the next year come dangerously close to being relegated to play in J3 against the likes of "worst team in the world" Arte Takasaki.

Although Tokushima has finished last place in the league for an incredible third consecutive year, crashing especially hard in the standings this year, I don't think that will continue in 2009. Seeing the complete meltdown at Tochigi SC due to debts and scrambling for funds to play in the pro league, you may see the worst showing ever by a team in J2. Perhaps along the lines of Kofu and Tosu five or so years ago who faced similar financial problems. The loss of coach Hashiratani and half of their backbone in the roster tells me you probably won't see Tochigi represent Japan in the ACL Champions League in 2011. Not that Mito is exactly a sure thing, of course.

Player Transfers Between the Seasons

It's about that time when the comings and goings regarding the transition between seasons takes place. At this moment there are confirmations of five players who will not join the 2009 squad and three new players (all college students at the moment) have signed to join.

It's hard to guess who else might not stay, but of course the club and fans hope that forward Arata will above any other. He already had his contract rate upgraded well before the required time, and surely the club will do all in its limited means to keep him.

Any new player will likely not be a household name. The team had reasonable success with newly graduated college students this year and will likely continue to pursue that avenue.

Also, Defender Kuramoto who has suffered injury through much of the season is rumored to return to Oita Trinita following this year's rental. Nothing similar has been making the rounds about fellow Oita rental, forward Nishino.

A list will be continuously updated on the right menu through the end of the transfer period in 2009.

Sunao Hosaki to Mito HollyHock

Defender Sunao Hosaki has signed to join Mito for the 2009 season. He is currently playing in the JFL for Ryutsu Keizai University in south Ibaraki. He is playing as a forward in college but has signed to Mito to play as a defender.

Before entering university, he played for ten years in the Yokohama Marinos and then Yokohama F. Marinos youth system.

College Profile

His comment: 「1試合1試合気持ちのこもったプレーをしますので、熱い応援よろしくお願いします。」 ("I will play passionately in each and every match and so I ask for your strong support.")

Yuuki Shimada to Mito HollyHock

Midfielder Yuuki Shimada has signed to join Mito for the 2009 season. He is currently playing for Komazawa University in Tokyo. He plays as a forward in college but has signed to play in the midfield position for Mito.

His comment: 「名前を覚えてもらえるよう活躍したいと思うので応援よろしくお願いします。」 ("I'll try hard to be recognized through my actions and I ask for your support.")

Mito Stuck in the Middle of the Reserve League

In the J. League Satellite group, Mito's backup players have played respectably against the competition. There are still two games to play as Kashima and Urawa have yet to have their two matches against each other, but unless they split a win each and Urawa gets a HUGE boost in goal difference in its win, the final standings have Mito in 3rd for the year:

1) FC Tokyo
2) Kashima Antlers OR Urawa Reds
3) Mito HollyHock
4) Kashima Antlers OR Urawa Reds
5) Thespa Kusatsu

Mito's Competition in 2009 and Beyond...

With one game remaining, it is still hard to see who in J1 will join Sapporo in J2 next year. Prime candidates are JEF United who would form a new East Kanto derby with Mito, but other Kanto sides Tokyo Verdy and Jubilo Iwata just above on the table. It seems very likely that one of these teams will be directly relegated and one more will be in the very last J. League playoff before the series is scrapped next year. That team will likely face a fairly tough fight against the J2 third place squad. I can see Iwata or JEF holding their own in that situation, though.

Montedio Yamagata secured promotion and will join Hiroshima in 2009's J1, where they will be ruthlessly destroyed on a regular basis. Third place will go to Sendai, Shonan, or Osaka, although Sendai can secure 3rd with only a draw.

Tochigi SC and Kataller Toyama had already secured promotion to J2, and in the last JFL game yesterday Fagiano Okayama (the last team for Mito's Kento Tusurumaki) placed high enough to also come into J2 next year. J2 will be a full 18 teams and will either form a new cup competition, join the Nabisco Cup tournament, or remain at the current 3 against each team round robin season.

Replacing the 3 teams promoted to J2 will be Machida Zelvia, V-Varen Nagasaki, and Honda Lock. For those wondering which team will be the next to join J2 after the 2009 JFL season, Tokyo's Machida Zelvia is one of the strongest candidates and looks set to become the third J. League team in the prefecture sooner rather than later.

Mito's President on TV

Yesterday evening, in a story on corporate sponsorship of soccer teams in the current financial situation, Nippon TV (channel 4 in standard broadcast) ran a few minutes on Mito's president Numata as the head of "Japan's poorest team", which while true in pro terms seems unfair considering how well the relatively meager finances are managed.

A meeting was shown between Numata and the president of the major sponsor, K's Electronics. It seems likely that the company will continue to sponsor Mito, but perhaps at a lower amount than in previous years.

I often speak with president Numata at length, and had just discussed ways to market the team to English speakers as well as ideas for community programs the day before this aired. I've always encountered him as outgoing and aloof and to see the serious business side was interesting.

Mito 2 - 3 Yokohama

While a loss of similar margins to last week's Kofu tragedy, This match had much less tension as Yokohama FC led for most of the game, with brief equality when forward Nishino took a goal soon into the second half. However, after some less than inspiring play, Mito's 2006 star striker Anderson put the game out of reach in injury time to make it 3-1. Forward Arata converted a spot kick for the consolation point and he now remains in 5th place in J2 scoring for the year. A good outing on Saturday could make him tied for 2nd or 3rd.

All in all a poor outing. The midfielders and forwards did well enough but the defense and goalkeeper Honma had an uncommon off day, with Honma being directly responsible for the second Yokohama goal.

After the game, there was a short ceremony to mark the end of the year. Notably captain Hiramatsu became overcome with emotion and cried openly for nearly a minute, unable to speak. For a player usually more interested in making corny jokes and showing off his abs, it was a surprising sight, and most supporters were a bit stunned.

The last game of the season is away on Saturday against Montedio Yamagata. I'm making the journey, partly to see the home celebrations for that team's promotion to J1. Should goalkeeper Honma make it and appear as he should, he would become the only player in the league to appear in every minute of every game this year. Even for a keeper, to keep from being injured, to remain preferred over the other keepers, and to not accrue yellow cards for suspension over 42 games is admirable.