2 Mar 2009(Mon)

February 27, 2009: What constitutes a dark horse to win the league title at the start of a new season?

That's a tough one when it comes to the J.League this year, and I was not completely satisfied with the answer I gave in a recent questionnaire for Soccer Magazine.

I chose Kawasaki Frontale, simply because of the fact they have never won J1 and because nobody outside the leading group from last year, plus Reds and Gamba, stands out.

But would it be a surprise if Frontale won the league, or Nagoya Grampus for that matter, on the strength of their high positions last year?

Oita Trinita? Surely they played to their maximum potential -- if not beyond it -- in a terrific season in 2008, but Ueslei is a year older and their opponents a year wiser.

FC Tokyo? Maybe, if their superb fans can turn Ajinomoto Stadium into a fortress, but I don't think they are good enough to keep going the whole year.

S-Pulse? Their forward line and midfield are strong, but they will miss Takagi at the back, so not really a dark horse, either.

See what I mean?

It's very difficult picking a team from outside the top bracket with the potential to challenge for the title over the course of the campaign; which is why I went for Frontale, as Antlers, Reds and Gamba have dominated in recent seasons.

Looking back on last season, Frontale had a great chance to win the league with a kind run-in over the last four games, but blew it with a surprise defeat against Omiya Ardija at NACK5.

I was very disappointed with Frontale that day, as they played like a team who did not believe they could actually win the title when it was a very open race.

I thought they'd come out all guns blazing and really try to take control from the opening whistle, but they allowed their modest opponents to gain the upperhand and eventually win it 2-1 with a marvellous strike by Lavric, their tall Slovenian centre forward.

That was the day Frontale lost the title last season, yet they still received generous applause from their massive away following after the final whistle. That really puzzled me, as I thought they deserved a bit of stick for succumbing quite tamely on a day they could have roared ahead of the pack -- and stayed there.

ends