Gambare! J-League 2010

It's finally time for the 2010 J-League season! Asian football has finally kicked up again and I couldn't be happier. While the major European leagues are winding down and closing in on the final stages, Japanese football... err soccer, is just getting going. I love this schedule as it means that my entire attention can be given to the J-League over the summer (excepting of course the World Cup). It's not the easiest league in the world to follow as it's somewhat obscure and new. A determined devotee will have no trouble keeping up with this exciting soccer group. In particular the show Gambare! J-League on Fox Soccer provides weekly coverage of the J-League and the Emperor's Cup. It's not full matches but it's more than one would expect.

Let me say a few words on why this young soccer league is one of my absolute favorite. Forgetting for a moment the entire Japanese angle and my obsession with that country and culture, the J-League is one of the most interesting out there. Since it's newer it has been able to tailor it's entire image to be publicly appeaing. From logos to uniforms to team names everything has a cool edge to it. The logos are sleek, modern and colorful. They catch the eye, unlike many of the 80-100 year old logos in European leagues. Here's a couple of my favorite examples.


Now let me say a word about the uniforms. They are awesome. Anything but bland, each team manages to put out great new design every two years or so. With a combination of color and design these J-League teams present a very visually appealing experience on field. While it's not the most important part of the game it certainly helps the experience. These uniforms are a stark contrast to the standard fare in Europe. Red shirts, blue shirts, and white shirts. Maybe some red and white stripes, or red and black stripes. A few cool jerseys stand out, like Celtics green hoops or the bright yellow of Villareal. The bright green of Bellmare, the orange of S-Pulse, the blue/black of Frontale, and the purple of Kyoto Sanga are a few of my favorites.

Team names in the J-League are like none other in the world of sports. Using a combination of city names and borrowed words these teams demand attention and turn heads at their spectacular names. Many of the teams form their names using a combination of borrowed words from other languages. Some just use seeming nonsense words. Shimizu S-Pulse is one of the greatest team names in soccer. Sanfrecce Hiroshima combines the Italian words for 'three' and 'arrows'. Cerezo Osaka is named after the Spanish word for cherry tree. Albirex Niigata is named after the constellation Albireo and the Spanish word for king, 'rex'. Shonan Bellmare takes it's name from the latin words for war and sea (bellum and mare). These names don't even seem out of place. They roll off the tongue. Pleasant and natural would describe many of the names of these teams. Go take a look at a list of J-League 1 and J-League 2 teams and tell me you don't love their names. Not that there aren't a few uninspired names (FC Tokyo, FC Gifu, Tochigi SC, Ehime FC, Yokohama FC), but for the most part they are great names embraced by the fans.

The fans are absolutely rabid. For the major teams these fans go all out. It seems like when the Japanese support their teams, they like to really support their team. The entire crowd seems to come decked out in team colors, like any other sport, but these fans bring massive banners and have huge sections of flag waving maniacs behind each goal. I'm not talking piddling little flags, I'm talking multiple flag giant flags furiously waving throughout the entire match. And since it's Japan you never have to deal with the threat of riot, like in South America or Europe (occasionally). I would love to experience a J-League game second only to a Premier League game. The fans just seem to make the entire thing a fun atmosphere.

Basically from everything I've seen this league seems to be one of the most attractive on the planet. It has originality and spectacle going for it certainly. J-League players aren't always the best in the world and the league doesn't attract many top names. However it can be the breeding ground for future greatness. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger coached at Nagoya Grampus before getting the Gunners seat. Shunsuke Nakamura started off in his home league before jumping to Celtic. Michael Laudrup played for Vissel Kobe. It's not drawing the caliber of foreign stars that appear in MLS. There's no David Beckham to put the league on the map. They had to depend on strong performances by league players on the international scene to up the ante in their home country. Once the J-League started getting popular in Japan, thanks to three AFC Championships by the national side, it began getting international recognition. Still very much in a growing state, like the MLS and the Australian A-League, the J-League is an exciting bit of soccer to watch. I highly recommend the Japanese J-League to any true soccer fan.