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Holy salkow, Batman, Miki’s back! Yes, Japan’s very own Babe on Ice, Miki Ando, roared back to form in the opening event of the Grand Prix figure skating series, not only winning October’s Skate America competition in Connecticut, but overshadowing younger teen star Mao Asada, everybody’s current tip for greatness. Ando, of course, was panned after finishing a disappointing 15th at the Turin Olympics, but she’s lost a bit of chunkiness and taken her skating to a higher level; maybe now she will start to fulfill her promise. Next up on the calendar is the NHK Trophy from November 30 to December 3 in Nagano. Japan’s women skaters are hot right now. Catch them while you can. FV See sports listings for details.
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By
FRED VARCOE
Xerox Super Cup
The J. League relives its former glory in Yokohama
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Tokyo Verdy 1969 Captain
Takuya Yamada
Photo by Masaki Kato |
When the J. League opened its doors on May
15, 1993, there was only one match-up possible: Yokohama Marinos
vs. Verdy Kawasaki. They were the giants of Japanese soccer
and the bitterest of rivals. The J. League could have sold
out the National Stadium in Tokyo 10 times over, such was
the demand for tickets. As it was, 59,626 squeezed in to watch
that historic match. On February 26, the same two teams will
be back on the big stage, this time to contest the Xerox Super
Cup at International Stadium Yokohama. No doubt the J. League
execs will be hoping to rekindle the enthusiasm—and the
turnout—of old.
But that’s not very likely. While Yokohama (now the F.
Marinos, after absorbing the defunct Yokohama Flugels) have
dominated the last two years, winning consecutive championships
in 2003 and 2004 with manager Takeshi Okada and defender Yuji
Nakazawa, Verdy (now Tokyo Verdy 1969 after moving from Todoroki
to Tobitakyu) are only slowly moving out of the doldrums under
the enigmatic Ossie Ardiles. Capturing last season’s
Emperor’s Cup was more symbolic of a revival than confirmation
of the real thing for Verdy, but this season could finally
see them challenging the league again.
Both managers have made changes since last season, including
some real surprises. Utility man Yoo Sang Chul has left the
Marinos to return to South Korea (Ulsan Tigers), while Ardiles
was happy to offload national team defender Atsuhiro Miura
to Vissel Kobe. Okada has also released midfielder Yukihito
Sato (a flop since his move from FC Tokyo), ex-Japan wing-back
Yasuhiro Hato and former S-Pulse striker Sotaro Yasunaga.
Ardiles has shown considerable mettle during his spell with
Verdy and has been ruthless in dropping anyone who didn’t
fit right in: The popular Patrick Mboma was shifted out, along
with Argentine defender Claudio Ubeda, forward Kazunori Iio
(who started in the Emperor’s Cup final on January 1)
and Brazilian midfielder Hugo.
Okada has been pretty quiet on the acquisition front, apart
from an audacious attempt to persuade Urawa Reds star midfielder
Koji Yamase to defect to Yokohama. Ardiles, on the other hand,
has made some astute purchases, most notably Kazuyuki Toda,
who he knows from their days at Shimizu S-Pulse. Toda will
make up a fearsome midfield alongside fellow bruisers Takuya
Yamada and Kentaro Hayashi, while up front, incoming Brazilian
Washington should more than fill the hole left by the departure
of Mboma.
While there is little left for the Marinos to prove domestically,
Verdy’s Emperor’s Cup title has provided the club
with a launching pad for greater things. Verdy’s life
in the slow lane has been painful to watch. Ten years ago,
every player was a household name and Ruy Ramos and Kazu Miura
were superstars. Verdy was Japan’s glam club. The team
finished first, first and second in the J. League’s first
three years. But in 1997, they ended the first stage at the
bottom—and the cheering fans just disappeared. Soccer’s
critics had a field day.
The current crop of players want to prove that Verdy’s
glory days are not over, and with Takayuki Morimoto, a 16-year-old
superstar in the making, they may just be in with a chance.
And one more man has a point to prove. Ossie Ardiles’s
previous club in Japan was the Yokohama F. Marinos. He won
the first stage and came in fifth in the second in 2000. Then
the team hit the skids, to a great degree because the club
dismantled the squad that Ardiles had led to glory.
Verdy have shown faith in the Argentine, and that faith is
beginning to yield results. Now, it’s payback time.
The Xerox Cup takes place February
26 at Yokohama’s International Stadium. See Sports listings
for details.
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to the editor at letters@metropolis.co.jp.
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with METROPOLIS readers at http://forum.japantoday.com
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