The J-Talk Podcast

Episode 400 - J1 Season Previews Part 1

While we did consider a 400 minute podcast for Episode 400, you'll have to settle for this 110 minute blockbuster, as we kick off our team-by-team previews of the 2022 J1 season and make a couple of huge announcements along the way.

Stuart Woodward is first cab off the rank and shares his thoughts on how last year's second-placed finishers Yokohama F.Marinos are shaping up for the new campaign (to 32:30), then Thomas Pennington makes his J-Talk debut to chat about brighter times ahead for FC Tokyo under new Spanish coach Albert Puig (to 1:04:50).

Next we run the rule over Shonan, who have reason for optimism after a decent winter in the transfer market (to 1:19:45), and then wrap up our first group of clubs with the defending champions, the juggernaut, Kawasaki (to 1:42:42). Finally we finish off the episode by looking at the Japan squad selected for the World Cup qualifiers against China and Saudi Arabia.

JTET - J3 Season Review (Part 3)

After a just-long-enough year-end break, Mike Innes and Jon Steele reconvened to finish off their comprehensive review of the J3 season by looking at the bottom 6 sides from the 2021 league table.

The gents discussed positives for Fujieda, Imabari, and Hachinohe... and did their best to do the same for Tottori, Numazu and Sanuki!

Hope everyone enjoys the show - many thanks for all of your support for JTET, and 'J-Talk: Short Corner', last season!

Episode 399 - Winter Window Roundup

Happy new season! In our first episode of the new year, we begin with some major transfers from the J.League to Europe - highlighted by Celtic's triple swoop - and elsewhere in Asia (to 18:30), before moving on to talk about a number of players who have left the four relegated teams and found new top flight homes (to 37:30). We finish with a check of the ACL group stage draw, and ponder Hajime Moriyasu's thoughts as he gets set to announce his next Japan squad.

JTET - J2 Season Review (Part 1)

With the dust now fully settled on the 2021 J2 season, James Taylor joined Jon Steele for the first installment of the JTET Season Review for Japan's second tier.

James and Jon covered the bottom 10 sides from the final standings, starting with the four relegated sides, and ending on a more positive note discussing mid-table safety for Akita, Tochigi and Yamaguchi.

Enjoy the show - Part 2 (covering the top 12 sides from the final table) is coming soon!

JTET - J3 Season Review (Part 2)

Typical, isn't it? You wait ages for a JTET episode, then two come along at once!

For Part 2 of our J3 Season Review (recorded on Christmas Day), Mike Innes & Jon Steele took a look at the teams finishing from 6th to 9th in the 2021 J3 table. 

There was a stellar performance from Yuki Stalph's YSCC, but disappointing campaigns for Gifu, Kagoshimaand Nagano.

Enjoy the show!

JTET - J3 Season Review (Part 1)

To get 2022 started with a bang, Jon Steele and Mike Innes look back over the 2021 J3 season in a 3-part special.

In this episode (Part 1), Jon quizzed Mike on the third-tier season's top 5 finishers, including promoted Kumamoto and Iwate, high-flying debutants Miyazaki, an ultimately disappointing Toyama, and much-improved Fukushima.

Enjoy the show, and Happy New Year!

Episode 398 - Makino Magic Wins Reds The Cup

Tomoaki Makino ended his Urawa career in sensational style on Sunday, scoring a stoppage time winner to win Reds the Emperor's Cup 2-1 over Oita, and in our final episode of 2021 we celebrate the talismanic defender, and wonder how he might fare at his next stop (Kobe?).

There's also props for friend of the podcast Ricardo Rodriguez on delivering a trophy, and ACL football, to the Saitama giants, while we sympathize with Trinita, who were so close to forcing extra time before Makino's dramatic intervention (to 21:20).

Then in Part 2 we run through some of the major transfer news and rumours from the past week.

JTET - J2 Round 42 / J3 Round 30 Review

A lot later than expected (sorry), here's the full JTET lowdown on an exciting climax to the J2 and J3 seasons.

With both promotion places in J3 still up for grabs going into the final round, we start with 'Magic' Mike Innes and his 'J-Talk: Short Corner' segment again this time.

After that, Jon was joined by James Taylor to review all of the relegation dogfight action in J2, as two more sides joined Matsumoto and Ehime in J3 for next season (and several other teams breathed a huge sigh of relief).

To wrap things up, Jon then goes solo to bring you up to date with all of the key moments from the rest of a busy final day in J2.

Enjoy the show, and apologies for the late delivery this time!

Episode 397 - Oita Stun Kawasaki, J1 Team of the Season

Jonny Nicol returns as we round up the Emperor's Cup semi finals and the latest transfer news and rumours, before we piece together our J1 Team of the Season.

We begin at Todoroki, where Oita stunned the J1 champions to make it through to their first ever Emperor's Cup final, then head to Saitama Stadium, where Urawa eased past Cerezo Osaka to set up a fascinating (take a sip every time Ben says that word on this episode) decider this Sunday. Then its news and notes time, covering all of the major player and managerial moves of the past week (to 1:02:10).

Then Part 2 is all about our top flight team of the year, with a couple of contentious decisions for our panel to ponder.

Episode 396 - J1 Matchday 38

The J1 season wrapped up on Saturday, and we begin this week's episode by commiserating with Tokushima, who became the fourth and final team relegated after their home defeat at the hands of Hiroshima. After moving on to discuss the final day results for Shonan and Shimizu, who ended up safe (to 28:15), we head up the table to the barnburner at the Nissan Stadium, where they top two slugged it out and honours - and the Golden Boot - were shared.

Then we work our way through the other results, and finish up by handing out our final six (well, seven) Player of the Season awards, and look ahead to the Emperor's Cup semi finals coming up on Sunday.