The J-Talk Podcast

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.

JTET - J2 Round 41 / J3 Round 29 Review

Just in time for the climactic J2/J3 relegation/promotion showdowns this weekend, the JTET machine is back and banging once again.

In a welcome change of pace this week, the pod opens with 'Magic' Mike Innes running the rule over the latest action in J3 (including the promotion picture) in 'J-Talk: Short Corner'.

After that, Jon Steele was joined by Jonny Nicol to look back at a pivotal round in the J2 relegation dogfight, with two teams now doomed and a third almost certain to join them.

After a quick Jon-only interlude to round up the rest of the J2 games, Jonny rejoins the show to help Jon preview all of the upcoming 2nd-tier action in Round 42.

Hope everyone enjoys the episode!

Episode 395 - J1 Matchday 37

Alan Gibson guests on our new episode, which begins on a somber note following the tragic passing of Shonan midfielder Riuler last week.

We then discuss Bellmare's 1-0 defeat at home at the hands of Tokushima, which takes the relegation dogfight down to the final day, with Shimizu in the box seat to stay up after Keita Nakamura's stunning winner away at Urawa. Then Alan shares his thoughts on Kobe, who are now out of the running for second spot after Saturday's home loss to Yokohama F.Marinos. Part 1 runs to 1:08:40.

Then in Part 2 we round up all of the remaining fixtures from Matchday 37, look ahead to this Saturday's season finale, and hand out five more Player of the Season awards.

JTET - J2 Round 40 / J3 Round 28 Review

Fashionably late this week, the boys look back on another stinking weekend of lower-league J-action.

First off, Jon takes a solo look at the games at the top end of the J2 table, including an 8-goal cracker up in Yamagata.

For the second part of the show, Jon was joined by James Taylor to try and make sense of the battle at the bottom of the J2 table.

After that, 'Magic' Mike Innes has all the latest J3 news in 'J-Talk: Short Corner'.

Hope everyone enjoys the show, and sorry about the late upload this week!

Episode 394 - J1 Matchday 36

Sean Carroll makes a very welcome return to the podcast to chat about all the goings-on in the latest round of top flight action.

We begin at the foot of the table, where relegation was confirmed for Yokohama FC, Sendai and Oita, but Tokushima and Shimizu both notched vitally important wins, to keep some interest in the dogfight ahead of a huge clash between Shonan and Tokushima this weekend (to 51:35).

In Part 2 we move up the table and chat about wins for Nagoya, Urawa, Kawasaki and Tosu, before finishing with the draw at Hitachidai and some more player of the season awards.

Episode 393 - Ito Goes Ham, Saves Moriyasu‘s Bacon

It wasn't much to write home about, but Junya Ito's goals saw Japan win both of their November qualifiers 1-0 away, and in part 1 of this week's podcast, we talk about the Samurai Blue's ongoing struggles under Hajime Moriyasu, while also discussing the personnel at his disposal, and how they might be better deployed if the manager is kept on, or ultimately replaced (to 37:15).

Part 2 looks ahead to Saturday's J1 Matchday 36, with a huge relegation six-pointer on the slate up in Sendai as last chance saloon time looms for several of the drop zone occupants.