he new J.League
season kicked off
in February with
Yokohama F-Marinos
defending their
first J.League title
in 15 years and FC Tokyo, the club they
pipped at the post last time out, drawing
ever closer to a long-awaited maiden
championship success.
Kawasaki Frontale, champions in
2018 and League Cup winners last
year, and Kashima Antlers, Japan’s
most-crowned club, were also both
itching for the restart after slipping
up by their own high standards in
the league last term.
The J.League’s biggest spenders,
Vissel Kobe, look as though they could
be back on course for their aim of
becoming “Asia’s Number One Club”
after beating Kashima 2-0 in the
Emperor’s Cup Final – a victory that
secured a first-ever bite at the Asian
Champions League this year.
J.League attendances were better
than ever last season with the aggregate
figure reaching a record 11,415,463 andthe top-flight average topping 20,000.
The money also continues to poor in
from the DAZN broadcasting contract,
while the transfer of international rights
to Dentsu should produce a wider
global access to J.League highlights.
This will also be the first season of
full VAR at all top-tier games. In spite
of the controversies elsewhere, the
Japanese – who like to get things right- have rushed it into place ahead of
the original schedule following some
high-profile refereeing errors last season
in matches where the test VAR system
Champions’ stiff challenge
Yokohama F-Marinos face fierce competition from big guns this season
Success...Vissel Kobe’s
Kyogo Furuhashi
(in red) in the
Emperor’s Cup FinalT
Japan: J1 League
MIKE PLASTOW