24 Jun 2004(Thu)

With a two-point lead and a home game to come, Yokohama F Marinos must surely be the favourites to win the first stage.

That's the logical thought process going into Saturday's 15th and final round of games.

But last season's dramatic finish to the second stage proved once again that anything can happen in the football world.

Personally, I think the first stage is far from finished.

Marinos have 33 points and are at home to Kashima Antlers.

Jubilo have 31 and are at home to Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

With all respect to Takeshi Ono and his "Three Arrows," which team would you prefer to face?

If Marinos win, they will be untouchable on 36 points.

If they draw to move on to 34 points, a Jubilo victory would also give them 34 points...and the first-stage title because of their better goal difference.

It should be a tense day, because both Marinos and Jubilo know they must win.

Last Saturday I went to Kashima, and there was an air of gloom and despair outside the Jubilo dressing room after their injury-time defeat.

In the evening, things got worse for Jubilo when Marinos won 2-1 at Kashiwanoha to take over pole position.

But now the Jubilo players have had a few days to refocus, I am sure they will be fully motivated to beat Sanfrecce on Saturday.

They discovered last weekend that Antlers will yield to nobody, even though they are not in the race themselves.

Antlers are a proud and determined club. They did not want to see Jubilo celebrating a victory at Kashima Stadium on Saturday, and they won't want to lose to Marinos and then have to witness title celebrations which are not theirs.

Marinos manager Takeshi Okada said this week: "It will not be an easy game because Antlers is a very good team with good motivation.

"But also our team has good motivation, good condition and good combination. Maybe we will play well."

They will have to play well, as there could still be one final twist to the tale.

end