Kawasaki Frontale 3-2 Vegalta Sendai

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Sunday, 1st August 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 16,326

Scoresheet:

JUNINHO 40' KUROTSU 60' TANIGUCHI 84'

SEKIGUCHI 24' FERNANDINHO 27'

Teamsheet:

GK AIZAWA
DF ITO
DF IGAWA
DF KIKUCHI
DF KOMIYAMA (yellow card 74')
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA 64' (yellow card 86'))
MF NAKAMURA
MF KUSUKAMI (replaced by RENATINHO 80')
MF VITOR JUNIOR
FW KUROTSU (replaced by TANIGUCHI 82' (yellow card 84'))
FW JUNINHO

Comment:

Now, that's more like the Frontale we all know and love - shambolic and inspired in almost equal measure.

Two goals down at the half-hour mark, only the most die-hard amongst the Frontale faithful would have envisaged a 3-2 final score. Which is strange, because it seems like only yesterday (and I suppose it is only really last season) when the boys in blue were renowned for this sort of comeback.

As it stands, the team is still clinging onto the title race by the skin of its teeth. However, with the wins against Sendai and Kyoto feeling more like points gained than the draws against Omiya and Yamagata have felt like points dropped, something's going to have to change if we're to keep pace with the likes of Kashima, Shimizu and Nagoya - all currently looking much more convincing as would-be champions.

Highlights:

To follow...

Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 Kyoto Sanga FC

Competition: J.League Division 1
Date: Sunday, 25th July 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 17,862

Scoresheet:

JUNINHO 89'

Teamsheet:

GK AIZAWA
DF ITO (yellow card 69')
DF IGAWA
DF KIKUCHI
DF KOMIYAMA
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by JUNINHO 62')
MF NAKAMURA
MF TASAKA (replaced by KUSUKAMI 77')
MF VITOR JUNIOR
FW KUROTSU
FW RENATINHO (yellow card 66', replaced by YOKOYAMA 71')

Comment:

Bland game. Great three points. Super Juninho!

Nice assist from Kusukami, too. Maybe time to give him a start in place of Tasaka on Wednesday?

Highlights:

To follow...

Juninho Suffers Further Setback

More bad tidings from the medics this week as Juninho's rehabilitation is said to have taken a setback.

The veteran Brazilian had made a return to training but suffered a recurrence of his calf injury last Sunday (21st March) which is set to rule him out for a further four weeks.

Isn't it about time those doctors had some good news?

Juninho Joins Vitor on the Sidelines

Juninho is likely to be out for two weeks with a calf injury sustained in training on the 25th January.

Yokohama F Marinos v Kawasaki Frontale

Emperor's Cup: 4th Round: Sun, 15th November 2009

	1 - 2
YAMASE 57'		JUNINHO 32' YAJIMA 85'

Venue: Nissan Stadium
Attendance: 10,120

Kawasaki Frontale v Sanfrecce Hiroshima

J.League - Divison 1: Sun, 25th October 2009

	7 - 0
JUNINHO 18', 89' CHONG 61' TASAKA 70' RENATINHO 74' NAKAMURA 85' NOBORIZATO 86'		(MORIWAKI sent off 25')

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 18,946

Frontale maintained their one-point advantage at the top of the table and racked up their biggest ever J.League victory against 10-man Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Sunday.

This was always going to be an open game between two attack-minded sides. But the dismissal of Sanfrecce defender Ryota Moriwaki after just 25 minutes was at the root of the grotesquely one-sided scoreline.

Moriwaki's first booking came after only 4 minutes and was a real softie. With Kengo raiding down the left, the full-back put up a hand which caught his opponent in the throat. There was no malice whatsoever, but the referee went straight to his pocket for a yellow.

The second was from a similar situation. This time Tasaka tried to cut in behind the defender and had his shirt tugged as he got the better of his man. However, the referee ignored the fact that the initial foul looked to have been Tasaka holding Moriwaki back as he struggled to get past him.

Even ignoring Tasaka's foul, the referee would have been forgiven for cutting Moriwaki a bit of slack given the nature of his initial booking. But common sense didn't prevail and Sanfrecce found themselves down to 10 men with three quarters of the game still to play.

Frontale were already a goal to the good by the time of the sending off. Mori had slipped a finely-weighted pass into the box for Juninho to run onto and clip inside the far post. Both teams had been creating chances from the first whistle, although the home team's efforts had all been a bit more clear-cut than the visitors'.

Obviously, Sanfrecce were rattled by the loss of Moriwaki. And for a 10-minute spell immediately afterwards the flood gates looked fit to burst. But after a catalogue of lucky escapes, they managed to re-establish a foothold in the game, making a fairly even contest of the rest of the half, albeit without ever really calling Kawashima into action.

The away team started the second half with a more defensive shape and succeeded in keeping Frontale at bay for a further 15 minutes. The match-killing goal eventually came from Chong Tese, muscling past his marker at the edge of the box before pulling the trigger.

With all hope of a consolatory point now gone, the Sanfrecce defence collapsed, shipping 5 goals in the final 20 minutes.

Renatinho was a little fortunate that his was allowed to stand, given the NFL-style block Chong Tese put in on the last defender. Tasaka's shot from the edge of the box looked to take a deflection before finding the back of the net. Kengo had an easy finish after Noborizato (on as a late sub) found him unmarked around the penalty spot. Noborizato himself then calmly steered one just inside the far post after Juninho had left the visiting defence in disarray.

And in fine symmetrical fashion, it was Juninho who completed the rout, cutting inside the last defender before curling a low right-footed effort past the disconsolate Sanfrecce keeper.

Of course, the scoreline bears no reflection on the actual difference in quality between these two sides. It would have been a much more interesting contest had the referee not interfered so over-enthusiastically. But at this stage of the season, it's difficult to worry about anything other than the result.

And what does this result mean? Well, basically, Frontale now have no-one to blame but themselves if they don't end the 2009 season as J1 champions. They have a pretty-much unassailable goal difference. 3 of their last 4 games are against teams who will be plying their trade in J2 next year. And should an over-zealous referee sway any results against them...well, swings and roundabouts, innit.

But before any of that, another chance of silverware presents itself in the Nabisco Cup final. FC Tokyo have had some rotten luck in recent weeks and it looks like star players Naohiro Ishikawa (who suffered cruciate ligament damage against Kashiwa two weeks ago) and possibly also Yuto Nagatomo (who had to come off after only 25 minutes against S-Pulse on Sunday) will miss the clash. But Frontale are still going to have to be at their best at Kokuritsu next Tuesday if they are to banish the memories of 2007's loss to Gamba and lay hands on their first ever trophy.

Omiya Ardija v Kawasaki Frontale

J.League Division 1: Sat, 17th October 2009

	2 - 3
MATO 44'(pen), 89'(pen)		JUNINHO 21' CHONG 44', 64'

Venue: Saitama Stadium
Attendance: 42,346

A valuable away win over Omiya Ardija on Saturday afternoon saw Frontale climb to the dizzying heights of top spot in the J.League table.

It was a crucial victory over a club that proved to be a thorn in the team's side last year. 2008 saw the Saitama Squirrels win at Todoroki, with what must be one of the longest-range goals in J.League history, and at Omiya Park, with a piece of Klemen Lavric brilliance which no doubt surprised the home fans as much as the away section.

A fine Juninho lob plus a brace from last week's hat-trick hero, Chong Tese, ensured Omiya took nothing from our two meetings this season and put Frontale in pole position in a title race now entering the finishing straight.

With the venue switched to Saitama Stadium to take advantage of its greater capacity, the Omiya and Frontale faithful didn't disappoint, turning up in droves. Their reward was a pulsating game that featured five goals and four penalties (two of them missed by Frontale).

The visitors fielded their strongest line-up and should have gone ahead after 10 minutes when Omiya keeper, Koji Ezumi, brought down Chong Tese in the box. However, from the resulting penalty, Juninho hit the inside of post and could only look on as the ball rebounded across the face of the goal and away to safety.

10 minutes later Ezumi gave Juninho the opportunity to redeem himself. The Brazilian escaped down the right channel and finished smartly with a lob from a narrow angle. But the keeper's premature dash off his line certainly made things less complicated for the veteran striker.

Ezumi did however find his own path to redemption. With the referee awarding Frontale yet another spot kick - this time for a rather dubious trip on Chong Tese - the Korean decided that he would take over penalty duties from his Brazilian colleague. Maybe Renatinho would have been the better option, as Ezumi got a strong hand to Chong's attempt, keeping the visitors' advantage to a single goal.

Encouraged by Frontale's inability to extend their lead, Omiya pressed forward and mounted their first spell of extended pressure. As the clock ticked over into first-half injury time, Taniguchi brought down striker Naoki Ishihara at the edge of the penalty area and the referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot. There were staunch protests that the challenge happened outside the box, but the referee's decision was certainly no more suspect than with his previous penalty call.

Up stepped Omiya's towering Croat, Mato Neretljak, to show Frontale's foreign contingent exactly how a penalty should be taken. But within seconds of the restart Chong made amends for his botched spot-kick with a blistering 20-yard drive to restore Frontale's advantage on the stroke of half time.

Chong seems to be hitting a rich vein of form at precisely the right moment. The campaign started brightly for him, but some arduous trips with the North Korean national team, plus a few fitness setbacks, saw the goals dry up mid-season. If the team are to cling onto top spot for the next few weeks and claim their first title, having Chong Tese firing on all cylinders will be a real confidence booster.

And it was the Korean who sealed victory for Frontale on Saturday. After a frantic back-and-forth start to the second half, Chong latched onto a through ball from Juninho, and out-muscled Mato before lashing a left-footed shot just inside the far post to seal the 3 points. The colossal Croat pulled another one back from the penalty spot in second-half injury time, but it was too little too late for the home side.

So, top of the league with five games to go - I'd say that's cause for some premature celebration...

Kashima Antlers v Kawasaki Frontale

J. League Division 1: Wed, 7th October 2009

	2 - 3
MARQUINHOS 30' IWAMASA 74'		CHONG 19', 32' JUNINHO 66'

(Abandoned game resumed from 74 minutes.)

Venue: Kashima Stadium
Attendance: 22,323

Last month's abandoned match between Frontale and Kashima Antlers resumed on Wednesday night at a much drier Kashima Stadium. And what a nerve-jangler it proved to be.

Starting where things left off, with 16 minutes of normal time remaining on the clock and Frontale leading 3-1, it looked a pretty safe bet that the visitors would come away with a win. But they were made to earn their 3 points, riding out a typhoon of Antlers pressure as well as a rather generous portion of injury time.

The home team came tearing out of the blocks with a crazed determination about their play. Within seconds, a free-kick from deep in Antlers territory was floated into the Frontale box. And the flick-on fell kindly for Daiki Iwamasa to stick out a boot and divert the ball past a helpless Kawashima.

Whatever pre-match game plan Frontale might have had, conceding within a minute of the restart probably wasn't part of it. And when, seconds later, another aerial assault saw Danilo thunder a header against the bar, it was clearly not only the woodwork that was left rattled.

Things did calm down a little after that, but Kashima had the bull by the horns and weren't about to let go. Frontale did little to help their cause by repeatedly hoofing the ball upfield and returning possession to their frenzied opponents. Chong Tese wasted a free header from a corner, but apart from that it was all Antlers. And, for an anxious-looking Sekizuka on the sidelines, the clock couldn't run down quickly enough.

Hearts were in mouths throughout the blue half of the stadium when the assistant's board showed that a minimum of 5 minutes would be added at the end. But, despite coming agonisingly close on a few occasions, and despite the final whistle not sounding til the 7th minute of stoppage time, Kashima couldn't find an equaliser.

So, all to play for in the title race. Now time for a lie down.

Kawasaki Frontale v Nagoya Grampus

ACL QF 1st leg: Wed, 23rd September 2009

	2 - 1
NAKAMURA 60' JUNINHO 63'		KENNEDY 28'

Venue: Kokuritsu Stadium
Attendance: 17,939

Short on time today, so it's just the top 5 pros and cons for this one.

The Good:

1. Fantastic support despite having to make do with the national stadium as a makeshift home venue. (Todoroki was playing host to Tyson Gay and friends. I knew that running track was there for a reason.)

2. A return to the unrestrained style of olden times. Haven't seen the team create so many good chances in a long time. Of course they had to go a goal down first...and Nagoya aren't exactly renowned for their defence.

3. Kikuchi repeatedly getting stuck into the ever-whinging Josh Kennedy. Not sure how he escaped without a booking, but he did a wonderful job.

4. Magnum not scoring against us. (He says, tempting fate).

5. Yokoyama's distribution skills. Considering he was playing as a centre-back last year, this never ceases to impress me.

The Bad:

1. Renatinho's shooting of late. He's generally on target, but he either scuffs it or hits it into the ground. Hopefully, this is something he can remedy sooner rather than later.

2. Chong Tese's inability to keep possession. Nothing new here, but if you give him the ball you can be 90% sure he'll give it away.

3. Kawashima on Kennedy's goal. I know it just scraped inside the post, but it was hardly a rocket and you'd expect someone with Eiji's athleticism to cover the ground. He made up for it, mind, with the finger tip save on the goal line...and when deflecting Kennedy's second half shot with the end of his boot.

4. The prospect of Sekizuka reverting to the defensive approach in Nagoya. The priority has to be getting an away goal, not defending a precarious lead.

5. The diving is getting a bit embarrassing now. I generally don't mind when Juninho does it - can't teach an old dog new tricks, after all. And Renatinho is so blatant that it's actually quite funny. But to see even Kawashima getting involved now...someone needs to have a word. Actually this should have gone in a separate section called "The Ugly". Too late now!

Kashima Antlers v Kawasaki Frontale

J. League Division 1: Sat, 12th September 2009

	1 - 3
MARQUINHOS 30'		CHONG 19', 32' JUNINHO 66'

(Match abandoned after 74 minutes due to waterlogged pitch.)

Venue: Kashima Stadium
Attendance:

It's often said that the British like nothing more than to complain about the weather. Well, after the cruel role it played in Frontale's table-top clash with Kashima Antlers, I'd like to do a bit more than complain.

In fact, I'd like to ambush the weather on its way home, tie it to a bottomless chair in a darkened room and give it the soundest "Casino Royale"-style groin thrashing of its immemorial existence.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Frontale were robbed of 3 priceless points on Saturday by the miserable bloody weather.

After putting in a valiant performance and outscoring their rivals 3 goals to 1, the visiting team and their ample support were denied a result that would have left them just 4 points adrift of top spot.

Referee Okada called time on the contest with just 15 minutes remaining, amidst frantic appeals from the entire Frontale camp.

To be fair, the decision is hard to fault. Large areas of the playing surface were submerged, making it impossible for the ball to roll. The conditions had undeniably become dangerous and it's surely better to have a few (potentially recoupable) points slip out of the bag than to lose key players at the business end of the season.

The powers that be are meeting on Tuesday (Sept. 15th) to decide what happens next. However, as things stands, Saturday's contest has been classed a "no-game", suggesting that the match will be erased from the record books and the whole 90 minutes played again from 0-0.

Still, every storm cloud has a silver lining, and there were a lot of positives to take from the game before the rain intervened.

It's been mentioned in recent weeks that Frontale haven't really put on a display to be proud of in quite a while. Well, the waiting most certainly ended on Saturday and at the heart of an assured team perfomance was the often-maligned Chong Tese.

The Korean's opener was simply unstoppable. Kengo robbed Mitsuo Ogasawara deep in Antlers territory, leaving Chong to turn and crack a thunderous right-footed shot into the top corner from 20 yards.

Marquinos drew his team level, heading in Takuya Nozawa's inviting cross. But minutes later, Chong was at it again, burying Kengo's corner delivery to restore the lead.

20-year-old Jun Sonoda ably filled the gaping hole in Frontale's backline (left by Kikuchi's injury and Igawa's suspension). And the defence as a whole stood surprisingly firm for much of the game.

Ito was called upon to make a goal-line clearance and there were a couple of scares in the second half, where Shinzo Koroki in particular should really have done better. But it wasn't all one-way traffic and Renatinho was also guilty of passing up a gift-wrapped opportunity to stretch the lead.

What should have been the decider came after 66 minutes. Juninho made a fool of Antlers goalie Hitoshi Sogahata, steering a shot in at the near post with the keeper anticipating a cross. But with the deluge refusing to abate and the pitch becoming increasingly waterlogged, the referee was forced to call a premature finish to proceedings.

So, by all means feel disappointed. But don't dwell on it too long. Urawa come visiting at the weekend, and there's always drama when they're in town!

Yokohama F Marinos v Kawasaki Frontale

Nabisco Cup: SF 2nd leg: Sun, 6th September 2009

	1 - 1
JUNINHO 89' (IGAWA sent off 68')		YAMASE 68' (pen.) (IIKURA sent off 86')

Venue: Nissan Stadium
Attendance: 16,467

Frontale booked a place in the Nabisco Cup final courtesy of a tense 1-1 draw in their semi-final 2nd leg against Yokohama F Marinos on Sunday.

Looking ahead, FC Tokyo, Kokuritsu and November 3rd are the who, where and when for a final that pits 2007's runners-up against 2004's champions.

It was always going to take something shocking for Frontale to jeopardise their 2-goal advantage from the 1st leg. But they certainly made hard work of crossing the finishing line.

The match ultimately hinged on two 2nd-half acts of lunacy, one from either side.

Igawa (in for the injured Kikuchi) got the stupidity ball rolling when he hacked down Korean forward, Kim Kun Hoan, as he ran through on goal. It was a clear penalty and he can have no complaints about the resulting red card.

But with the home team pressing hard for a tie-leveller, their keeper, Hiroki Iikura, threw a spanner in the works.

With time running out and Yokohama's second goal still unforthcoming, Juninho opted to waste some time by claiming a Marinos free-kick as his own. Amidst the protests from the home team, Iikura came charging out of his area and barged the veteran striker in the back.

Obviously the Brazilian went down like a sack of potatoes, writhing around in a grotesquely over-the-top manner. But, to be fair, the referee had already gone to his pocket before witnessing the floor gymnastics.

Did Juninho over-react? Of course - what red-blooded Brazilian male wouldn't in that kind of situation? Was there sufficient violent contact from Iikura to merit a red card? Definitely.

You have to have some sypathy for Iikura. Twice (once in each leg) he denied Chong Tese in on-on-one situations, either of which would have put Frontale out of sight. And there's no denying his moment of brain freeze was provoked. But there's no excusing his actions.

Juninho did nothing to endear himself to the Yokohama faithful, rubbing salt in their wounds with an equaliser deep into injury time. And with that the contest was over.

Progressing to a cup final is, of course, cause for celebration. But, in light of the tricky schedule ahead, it's hard to ignore the disturbing lack of quality in Frontale's recent performances. Kengo's return should provide a much-needed boost, assuming he's not completely burnt out by the amount of running he's being asked to do for the NT. Oh, and Vitor Junior was back on the bench on Sunday. Here's hoping!

Kawasaki Frontale v Yokohama F Marinos

Nabisco Cup: SF 1st leg: Wed, 2nd September 2009

	2 - 0
CHONG 15' JUNINHO 57'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 11,850

Frontale head to the Nissan Stadium on Sunday buoyed by a 2-0 victory over Yokohama F Marinos in the 1st leg of their Nabisco Cup semi-final.

Goals in each half from Chong Tese and Juninho put the home team in the driving seat. Renatinho made an all-too-rare start in a three-pronged attack, but failed to add his name to the scoresheet.

The team coped admirably in the absence of their Japan internationals. Yabu stood in for Kengo, as expected. But it was a surprise to see Riki Sugiyama make his debut between the sticks in place of big Eiji.

The more experienced Takashi Aizawa (who was first choice for much of Cerezo Osaka's J2 campaign last year) would have been the obvious replacement. But an impressive performance from young Riki fully justified his selection. His tears of joy at the final whistle, having kept the Marinos attack at bay, were testament to his overall contribution to the game.

After the mixed emotions of Sunday's draw with S-Pulse, it was important to get off to a good start. And Chong Tese, looking much livelier than he did at the weekend, delivered the goods after just 15 minutes.

A passage of quick passing in midfield gave Mori some space down the right. The full-back cut inside his opposite number and sent a low cross-cum-shot towards the far post. Marinos keeper Hiroki Iikura looked to have it covered, but Chong came bursting in late, directing the ball into the opposite corner with the tip of his fluorescent boot. Encouraging signs from a player whose predatory powers have been called into question recently.

Juninho made things more comfortable shortly after the break, converting Murakami's cross with a well-placed header. That the Brazilian marksman was afforded so much room perhaps owes something to the absence of Marinos captain and marshall of defence, Yuji Nakazawa.

Chong later had a glorious chance to secure Frontale's progress to the final, but shot straight at Iikura after bullying his way past the last defender. Still, a combination of disciplined defending and confident goal-keeping from the hosts, as well as the odd wayward finish from the visitors, leaves our Kanagawa cousins with it all to do in the 2nd leg.

Jubilo Iwata v Kawasaki Frontale

J.League Division 1: Wed, 19th August 2009

	2 - 1
MAEDA 29', 40'		JUNINHO 45' (MORI sent off '87)

Venue: Yamaha Stadium
Attendance: 10,545

Frontale once again missed an opportunity to narrow the gap at the top of the table, going down 2-1 away to Jubilo Iwata.

League-leaders Kashima Antlers suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Vissel Kobe, but it was almost inevitable that Frontale would fail to take advantage.

Jubilo dominated the first half, racing into a 2-goal lead before the break. Both goals came courtesy of Ryoichi Maeda, a player who's now notched up 6 goals against Frontale in the last 3 seasons. The first was a fine turn and strike that beat Eiji at his near post. The second was a simple tap in after an inviting cross from the newly re-signed Lee Keun-Ho.

There was something rather lackadaisical about Frontale's performance, with Chong in particular looking out of sorts. But, even 2-0 down, there was an air of expectation that the J.League's comeback kings would turn things around in the second half.

That expectation grew when Juninho pulled one back within a minute of the restart. Frontale's man of the moment played a neat give-and-go with Kengo at the edge of the box before slotting past Yoshi Kawaguchi.

The replacement of Yamagishi with Renatinho at half time was proving effective and Jubilo spent the next 15 minutes on the rocks as Frontale found their attacking groove. There's a terrible, momentum-killing negativity about Yamagishi's play, always favouring the safe backward pass. Renatinho is the chalk to Yamagishi's cheese, occasionally wasting possession or taking the wrong option, but always a threat.

Chong Tese missed two great chances to make things level before Jubilo were able to regroup. But regroup they did, after which it was pretty much a free-for-all with chances coming thick and fast at both ends.

By the end the visitors were playing with 4 up front, but even the kitchen sink couldn't bring about an equaliser. Mori was unlucky to have a goal-bound effort blocked on the line by Kentaro Ohi. And the excellent Kawaguchi saved bravely at the feet of Kurotsu when the substitute was clean through.

Mori stupidly got himself sent off late in the game, lunging in with 2 bookable tackles in the space of 2 minutes. His frustration at Jubilo's keep-ball tactics is understandable, but he should know better by now (although, it must be said, the second one did look a bit soft).

So Kashima's 8-point lead at the top of the table remains intact. One gets the feeling that if Frontale are to claw those points back, it's the reckless, attacking style of the second half rather than the cagey, defensive approach of the first that's going to get them there.

Nagoya Grampus v Kawasaki Frontale

J.League Division 1: Sat, 15th August 2009

	0 - 2
		JUNINHO 11', 73'

Venue: Mizuho Stadium
Attendance: 18,025

On a hot and humid Saturday night, Frontale secured a deserved 2-0 victory over a talented but disjointed Nagoya Grampus.

Juninho got both goals as he continued his impressive mid-season form. The Brazilian has now scored 6 in his last 8 outings (league and cup) and joins Gamba's Leandro and Naohiro Ishikawa of FC Tokyo as the J.League's joint-top scorer.

The first goal was vintage Juni, but owed a great deal to the determined defending of Kosuke Kikuchi. The pulchritudinously-challenged centre-back single-handedly pressed the Nagoya midfield back to the halfway line. His interception then broke to the veteran Brazilian who skipped inside one challenge before racing past a flat-footed Milos Bajalica, rounding Seigo Narazaki and slotting in from a tight(-ish) angle.

The goal sparked a bit of life into the Nagoya attack as they aimed to utilise the aerial threat of recent signing, Josh Kennedy. The towering Australian looks a handful, but was ably marshalled (for the most part) by Kikuchi and Ito.

Terada got back well to block a shot from Keiji Tamada, sent through by Magnum after some quick thinking from Kennedy. But Frontale continued to make chances of their own.

Taniguchi had the best of them when released on a one-on-one by the quick-thinking Kengo. The energetic midfielder had time to look up and pick his spot, but Narazaki stood strong.

Just before the interval, Magnum almost notched up yet another goal against his former club. However, a strange bounce, caused either by the spin on the ball or the dreadful playing surface, bamboozled the former Frontale favourite and, with the goal at his mercy, his shot rocketed high and wide.

After the break, Nagoya continued to look for Kennedy in the air, but the quality of their final ball was mostly poor. Alex Santos, newly-signed from Urawa Reds, was particularly wayward with his delivery from the left.

As the game wore on, the visitors were inevitably finding more space to launch their trademark counters. Kengo skewed a half-volley over the bar from 8 yards after a pin-point cross from Yamagishi. And Juninho pulled a strike narrowly wide.

However, Kengo was soon back in more familiar territory, providing the clinical pass for Frontale's second. On the receiving end, Juninho raced away from his marker (the wretched Bajalica once again) and unleashed a rasping drive. Narazaki did well to block the initial shot but was helpless as the striker followed up to head in the rebound.

Shortly afterwards, Nagoya thought they'd pulled one back when a goalmouth scramble culminated in Maya Yoshida sticking the ball in the net. But, to the evident disbelief of manager Dragan Stojkovic, the linesman ruled that the defender had come back from an offside position.

There were late chances for both sides. Nagoya substitute Yuki Maki headed wide the kind of cross Josh Kennedy surely wishes had come his way a bit more often. And Renatinho, on for the last 5 minutes, narrowly missed when under pressure from the ever-impressive Narazaki.

As well as providing a valuable 3 points, this was an interesting insight into how Nagoya shape up ahead of next month's ACL clash. With their spate of recent signings, there's clearly a lack of cohesion in the side. However, the talent looks to be there and I'd be very surprised if they're not playing more like a team by the end of September.

Kawasaki Frontale v FC Tokyo

J.League Division 1: Sat, 1st August 2009

	2 - 1
JUNINHO 55' TANIGUCHI 89'		ISHIKAWA 37'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 21,379

Kawasaki Frontale v Kashima Antlers

Nabisco Cup: QF 2nd leg: Wed, 29th July 2009

	3 - 0 aet (3 - 1)
JUNINHO 89' RENATINHO 94' CHONG 102' KIKUCHI sent off 108'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 13,581

Albirex Niigata v Kawasaki Frontale

J.League Division 1: Sat, 11th July 2009

	2 - 2
MARCIO RICHARDES 36' MATSUSHITA 63'		TANIGUCHI 50' JUNINHO 89' MORI sent off 66'

Venue: Tohoku Denryoku "Big Swan" Stadium
Attendance: 36,810

On holiday in the UK at the moment, so missed this one. Looks like a get-out-of-jail affair based on the stats.

Feel free to bring me up to speed on the game's main events via the comments section below!

Kawasaki Frontale v Kashima Antlers

J. League Division 1: Sun, 5th July 2009

	1 - 1
JUNINHO 33' (pen.)		KOROKI 64' UCHIDA sent off 33'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 22,185

Frontale let slip a first-half lead and a golden opportunity to close the gap at the top of the table against 10-man Kashima Antlers on Sunday evening.

While it's heart-warming to know there's little danger of Frontale becoming predictable (after all, this could have been a third successive 1-0 win!), the uninspired nature of their performance in this crunch contest is slightly concerning.

The game hinged on the controversial dismissal of Kashima's, Atsuto Uchida, in the 34th minute. The young defender blocked a goal-bound Taniguchi header on the line and the referee adjudged that he had used his arm.

There was more than a little doubt as to whether or not the ball had actually come into contact with an illicit body part. But with the foul called and a penalty awarded, there was no other option but for Uchida to receive his marching orders.

Juninho dispatched the resulting penalty kick with some aplomb. However, a spirited reaction from the ten remaining Kashima players, and a disappointingly lacklustre second-half display from the home team, saw the game end with honours even.

In a break from recent tradition, rather than utilising the quietly effective Yabu in Vitor's absence, Sekizuka opted to start with Yamagishi, who gave a typically ghost-like performance. A crueller observer might suggest that the referee was only levelling things up by removing Uchida so early. But there was worse to come.

Early in the second half, Chong Tese - on the verge of becoming the second player to see red - was withdrawn from the game. Had Renatinho been around to take his place, Kashima would certainly have been harder pressed than they were by the hopelessly ineffectual Kurotsu. In essence, by this stage the Antlers were a man up, with Yamagishi and Kurotsu vying to see who could be more invisible.

There's no doubt the visitors were in the ascendancy after the loss of Chong. But, even then, it took a schoolboy error to gift them their way back into the game.

Terada, continuing in his defensive midfield role of recent games, inexplicably failed to look behind him before playing a backpass. Had he done so he would have noticed the menacing figure of Marquinos on the prowl. But he didn't, and the Brazilian was quick to exploit, releasing Shinzo Koroki who rounded Kawashima before finishing well from an acute angle.

Of course accidents do (and as we know with Frontale, frequently will) happen. What's disappointing is the lack of response after Koroki's equaliser. Even when Sekizuka went to the bench, the only impact players at his disposal were Tasaka and Yajima.

That's not to say the blame should be laid on the (admittedly disappointing) replacements. The overall quality of Frontale's final ball was frankly abysmal in the latter stages of the game. The number of decent crosses could be counted on the digits of a three-toed sloth...with toes to spare. And a last-gasp effort from Tasaka - well-saved by Kashima keeper, Hitoshi Sogahata - was much too little too late.

Before the game, the promise of a point would have been welcomed with open arms. But, as the despondent faces of the players coming off the pitch attested, this was a major body blow for the team. They now need to pick themsleves up quickly for next week's tough trip to Niigata.

FC Tokyo v Kawasaki Frontale

J.League Division 1: Sun, 24th May 2009

	2 - 3
KONNO 28' ISHIKAWA 54' BRUNO QUADROS(sent off 57')		JUNINHO 58' TANIGUCHI 65' RENATINHO 68'

Venue: Ajinomoto Stadium
Attendance: 27,851

Sunday afternoon's "Tamagawa Classico" didn't quite live up to its name. But what the match lacked in overall quality it certainly made up for in excitement, with Frontale turning round a two-goal deficit to steal victory from the jaws of defeat.

Three goals in the space of ten minutes from Juninho, Taniguchi and Renatinho left the FC Tokyo supporters stunned and no doubt slightly sickened. However, unlike Frontale's Lazarus-style comeback against Kashiwa Reysol last season, this one needed a hefty dollop of help from a member of the opposing team.

Bruno Quadros, the FC Tokyo centre-back, was undoubtedly the villain of the piece. With the hosts having just hammered a second nail into Frontale's coffin, the visitors put together their most penetrating move of the game. Chong Tese latched onto a through ball from Juninho and as he homed in on goal Senhor Quadros mindlessly tugged the Korean from behind.

This moment of lunacy not only gave Juninho the opportunity to pull one back from the penalty spot, but also gave the referee no alternative but to reach for his pocket and pull out a red card.

Now there's a pretty good chance Chong would have scored had Quadros not intervened. However, there's an even better chance that FC Tokyo wouldn't have lost this game had they played the full 90 minutes with eleven men on the field. Still, very refreshing that the match-defining moment of defensive stupidity didn't come from a Frontale player.

The first half started with both teams playing some very loose football. But while FC Tokyo slowly grew into their game, Frontale seemed incapable of stringing together more than two passes.

Sekizuka sent out an attacking side, with Renatinho starting alongside Juninho and Chong Tese. But his decision to play Tasaka instead of Vitor Junior had an adverse effect on the team's cohesion. It's no coincidence that the penetrating move that brought about the penalty incident took place almost immediately after Vitor's introduction. (I don't want to give Vitor too much credit, cos he hasn't been brilliant of late. But there's much more balance to the midfield when he's in it.)

Kikuchi and Igawa fought bravely in the centre of defence once again. But their limitations were exposed by the strength of FC Tokyo centre-forward, Cabore.

Yasuyuki Konno's opening strike resulted from a succession of corners that Frontale failed to clear. However, the initial surge to this spell of pressure came when Igawa buckled under Cabore's close attention. And only a last-ditch lunge from Kikuchi prevented the Brazilian marksman from capitalising sooner.

The roles were reversed for FC Tokyo's second. This time Kikuchi was muscled off the ball and no-one was able to stop Naohiro Ishikawa from rifling Cabore's cut-back into the corner of the net.

The sending off was obviously the turning point of the game. And against ten men Frontale started to show the kind of passing and movement that had eluded them thus far.

The referee had been spot-on with the penalty and the dismissal of Quadros, but he was perhaps a little generous to Frontale in the lead up to the equaliser. First of all, he awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area after Chong appeared to have lost out in a challenge fair and square.

Then he allowed play to go on when Juninho took a quick one that found Taniguchi free on the right, and which young Tani duly thundered into the top right corner. Nothing wrong with this per se, although the "wait for the whistle" approach has been predominant amongst officials this season.

Three minutes later the turn-around was complete. Juninho was again instrumental in the winner - breaking down the left and sending in a deep cross which Renatinho leapt acrobatically to direct into an open net.

With his opponents well and truly on the ropes, Sekizuka decided to play it safe by removing Renatinho and bringing on Yokoyama for the last ten minutes. This almost proved to be a costly mistake as it allowed FC Tokyo to regroup and gave the game a rather nerve-jangling finish. But Frontale were able to see things out and scramble up to a lofty 4th place in the table.

Kawasaki Frontale v Jubilo Iwata

J.League Division 1: Sat, 16th May 2009

	2 - 0
JUNINHO 82' CHONG 89'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 16,329

Frontale maintained their impressive home form and kept their first clean sheet of the season in Saturday's victory over Jubilo Iwata.

Jubilo can count themselves a little unlucky. They defended manfully and kept the home side's three-man attack at bay for 80 minutes. But a momentary lapse in concentration allowed Juninho to break the deadlock and Chong Tese added a second at the very death.

Sekizuka's selection problems at the back were compounded by Yokoyama having to serve a ban for accumulating 4 yellow cards. Ito was rushed back from injury to fill in on the left, while Kikuchi and Igawa continued their partnership in the middle.

With Vitor Junior also serving a suspension, the out-of-favour Yamagishi was given a chance to impress in his preferred midfield role. He showed what he can do when afforded the luxury of time and space with an exquisite first-half cross that Chong Tese wastefully headed over. But otherwise, he did little to persuade Sekizuka or the fans that he has much to offer.

Yamagishi was eventually replaced by Yuji Kimura, making his first-team debut. Kimura, an attacking midfielder who impressed in the J.Satellite League last year, almost made the perfect start to his J1 career. Late in the game, he was first to react to a deflected shot and neatly tucked the ball into the corner of the net. Unfortunately, he was judged to have been offside, although going by the (albeit typically unhelpful) replays, it must have been tight.

By that stage Frontale were already a goal up. Poor defending at the back post had allowed Juninho to steal in and nod a Mori cross past a helpless Yoshi Kawaguchi. The overall quality of Frontale's balls into the box had been pretty horrendous, so one can only assume the Jubilo defence was as surprised as everyone else at the accuracy of Mori's delivery.

Chong Tese gave the scoreline a bit of gloss in the final second of time added onto injury time. Suggestions that the referee might have a cheeky wager on Chong to win this year's golden boot are of course scandalous and not to be taken seriously.

A win or a draw against Pohang on Tuesday followed by a result in the "Tamagawa Classico" next Sunday will leave Frontale heading into the international break with a healthy platform to build on when competition resumes towards the end of June.