13 Aug 2007(Mon)

August 11, 2007: Watch out for Kashima Antlers!

This must be going through the minds of Gamba Osaka and Urawa Reds as J1 prepares to resume after the lengthy break.

Even though Antlers are 11 points behind Gamba, the return of Ogasawara from Messina should make them a different team.

And with Yanagisawa back from injury, they certainly look good enough in all departments to mount a title challenge over the last 16 games of the season.

They can’t afford to lose more than a couple of those games, though, as they have already lost four times compared to just once for Gamba and Reds – and draws won’t be much good either if they are to close the gap.

No, Oswaldo Oliveira knows there is only one way to make up this lost ground, and that is to attack and win. All of which should make for some exciting but also tense matches involving Antlers from now on.

The presence and influence of Ogasawara will make the players around him better, and there is plenty of depth in the squad, too.

One of my favourites at Kashima is Iwamasa, the successor to Akita as the defensive rock. I was chatting with Reds forward Washington recently and asked him which Japanese defenders were the most difficult to play against.

He said Nakazawa first, followed by Iwamasa, as he was big and strong and played like a defender should do – rugged and uncompromising. If Washington rates him that highly, his opinion must be respected.

Apart from Antlers, I also think Kawasaki Frontale cannot be ruled out just yet.

They went off the boil in the league after qualifying for the Asian Champions League quarter-finals, but anyone who saw their incredible Nabisco Cup victory over Kofu at Kokuritsu will know that the hunger and spirit is back.

Frontale have 28 points, 13 behind Gamba, and, like Antlers, must go for broke and hope the top two slip up.

As a Newcastle United fan, teams have been known to throw away big leads…

ends