4 Aug 2003(Mon)

There is no doubt that the first stage of the 2003 season has reached a gripping climax.

As we head into the 15th and final round of matches this weekend, three teams can still win the championship: Yokohama F Marinos, Jubilo Iwata and JEF United Ichihara.

A week ago, six teams were still in with a chance, with the above three being joined by Nagoya Grampus Eight, Kashima Antlers and FC Tokyo.

A tight race like this has resulted in some big crowds, which is great for the game in Japan.

But excitement is one thing; a fair championship is another.

I have never been a supporter of the two-stage system, followed by a two-leg playoff, because I feel the best and most consistent team is frequently not the champion at the end of the season. And a league championship should reward consistency.

Last Saturday I went to Nihondaira Stadium to watch Shimizu S-Pulse against JEF United. If JEF had won and both Marinos and Jubilo had lost on the same day, the Ichihara club would have been crowned champion of the first stage with one game to play.

I discussed this with a Japanese colleague before the game and we came up with the following scenario to use as evidence against the two-stage system.

Imagine JEF had won the first stage last weekend. They would have booked their place in the December playoff against the second-stage winner, and would be guaranteed to finish first or second in the league, with no threat of relegation.

So, in theory, JEF could lose their last first-stage game, then all 15 second-stage games, then the first leg of the playoff, before winning the second leg on Dec. 13 to win the championship.

This means JEF could lose 17 consecutive matches and still win the J.League championship as the best team in Japan!

Is this right?

Is this fair?

Could this happen anywhere else in the world?

I know this is an extreme case, and the above scenario would be very unlikely to happen.

But the point is that it could happen, and the J.League could end up with a champion team that had not won a game for four months (August to November), until the second leg of the playoff on Dec. 13.

So even though it is exciting at the moment, I still feel the two-stage system is fundamentally flawed.

The J.League took a big step forward in abolishing extra time, golden goals and a fourth substitute, as now we are getting matches that end in 90 minutes.

The next bold step would be to have a normal league championship.

The fans will still come, and there will still be lots of excitement.

Believe me!

ends