12 May 2005(Thu)

TOKYO (May 11): As the J.League continues to develop, more and more importance is being placed on "Derby Day."

A good example of this is the Osaka derby on Saturday, when Cerezo host Gamba at Nagai Stadium.

It is promising to be an interesting match, because both teams are in good shape at the moment.

Cerezo are playing with a great deal of spirit and organisation, and have a dangerous attacking triangle of Morishima, Furuhashi and Nishizawa. They have a very well balanced team, playing a 3-4-3 formation, or maybe a 3-4-2-1, with Nishizawa as the focal point of the attack.

As for Gamba, as usual they have so many good players in all departments.

With Oguro in excellent form, as a creator and scorer, Gamba, too, have a potent attack, with the two exciting Brazilians Fernandinho and Araujo in support.

Now that Miyamoto has been restored to the centre of the three-man back line, the team is more robust and compact in midfield, with Sidiclei alongside Endo in the "engine room."

Sidiclei is a very consistent and effective performer, and knows the Japanese game well. He keeps things simple, and keeps the team ticking over, like a good "volante" should do. Nothing flash. No risks. Just playing the percentages.

Both clubs have been working hard to promote the Osaka Derby, and Weekly Soccer Magazine ran a handsome colour feature on the game in this week's edition.

In England, the local derby is one of the first matches fans look for when the new fixture list is produced for the coming season.

My hometown is Halifax (between Manchester and Leeds), and Halifax Town now play in the Conference, England's fifth division and one step down from the Football League.

I was brought up on derby after derby, as Bradford City and Huddersfield Town were both just four or five miles away.

In the week leading up to the derby match, school friends would become friendly enemies as the tension mounted.

On Derby Day itself, your friends may be going supporting the other team, but there was no way you could stand together.

If the enemy scored, the pain was too much to take. Seeing the ball in the back of your own net, seeing your players deflated, seeing (and having to listen to!) the opposition fans celebrating...it was not a pleasant experience.

But if your team won, especially away from home, life was wonderful, no matter where you were in the league table at the time.

You had won the local derby, and this gave you great power over your friends back at school, who suddenly became very humble and quiet.

The results of the derby match affected your life and your town.

This is what the J.League is trying to create, and it will take time to build up this tradition.

Hopefully there will be a big crowd at Nagai, and a fierce but friendly rivalry between the fans.

As for the result?

I have to be safe here, and say 2-2...at half-time!

I've no idea what will happen in the second half.

After all, it's Derby Day.

ends