6 Mar 2006(Mon)

March 3, 2006: This weekend is a special one for the J.League.

Not just because it's the start of the new season, but because J2 is playing on Saturday and J1 on Sunday.

Apart from Gamba and Reds, of course, who clash in Suita City on Saturday afternoon.

This is just like the good old days, when J1 played on Saturday and J2 on Sunday, and it was easy for fans to take in two games over the weekend.

I enjoyed those times, when you had the pick of the Kanto games on Saturday and could then keep an eye on the second division the following day.

Personally, I'd like to see the J.League go back to that format.

They could still hold a couple of J1 games on a Sunday, especially one in the Kanto region due to the large number of clubs, but the second day of the weekend would be primarily for J2.

I think this would give J2 more exposure in the media and also produce bigger crowds, because neutral fans around Japan would, I am sure, always attend a J1 game over J2 if they had the choice.

If there were six J2 games on offer, alongside only a couple of J1 games, every Sunday then the chances of fans heading for the second division would be much greater.

So where's it to be for the Kanto fans this weekend?

Gamba and Reds is out of the question for financial reasons -- I will accept all donations to FC Japan in aid of a poor freelance football writer! -- so Saturday is down to two choices: Ehime or Tosu.

No, I'm joking, because those are near Okinawa, aren't they? Or Taipei?

It's either Reysol or Verdy.

The Yellow Monkeys are always worth watching behind the goal at Kashiwa (and occasionally so is the Reysol team), and their opponents on Saturday, Shonan Bellmare, play in one of the nicest strips in the J.League...that very attractive royal blue and lime green (maybe Miki Ando can try wearing a Bellmare strip the next time she skates...apart from the boots and shin pads, of course).

As for Verdy, well...it's going to be a circus isn't it at Kokuritsu, where the once mighty Greens take on Vortis.

Verdy look to be world-beaters again, with Ramos, Hashiratani, Tsunami and Kikuchi -- and that's just on the bench!

They have clearly splashed out a lot of money on the coaching staff, but have they got any players left after most of last season's bunch, including several Kobayashis, moved to Saitama Prefecture.

Well, readers, enjoy the weekend wherever you go...and don't forget those donations (no coins please, only notes above 5,000 yen)!

ends