hen theJ.League resumed on
July 4, Kawasaki Frontale hit the
ground running. Six straight wins
inJuly saw them top the table
with19 points and a healthy
goal difference of +14. Frontale,
champions in 2017 and 2018, were always going
to be challengers this season after losing their title
to Yokohama F-Marinos last year. Their results so
far include a 4-0 win at last year’s runners-up,
FC Tokyo, and a 5-1 thrashing of Yokohama FC.
The toothless 0-0 draw at home to perennial
strugglers Sagan Tosu in their February opener
already seems a world away.
J.League campaign in doubt
Surprises at both ends of the table, but problems off
the pitch could be just around the corner in Japan
Empty...the league
returned to empty
stadiumsW
Defending champions F-Marinos are looking
surprisingly brittle at the back and have also failed
so far to rediscover the fluid passing movement that
swept them to last year’s title. The champions won
two and lost three after the restart and have also
picked up worrying injuries to last year’s joint-top
scorers, MarcosJunior and Teruhito Nakagawa.
The summer transfer of wide midfielder Keita
Endo to Union Berlin will not help their cause.
Kashima Antlers, third last year, have fared even
worse with only one win in seven and they ended
July joint-bottom. Conversely, unfancied Gamba
Osaka, Nagoya Grampus and newly-promoted
Kashiwa Reysol, where Kenyan striker MichaelJapan
MIKE PLASTOW