The J-Talk Podcast

Episode 551 - J1 Season Previews Part 1

Welcome to our previews of the 2025 J1 Season! In Part 1, after some housekeeping at the start of the episode, we chat with Lewis White about Tokyo Verdy (to 32:05), and to Ryo Nakagawara about Machida (to 1:01:00) and FC Tokyo (to 1:40:20), before Jonny and Ben discuss Niigata (to 1:56:23) and Kashima.

For each club, we follow the same format: A brief review of 2024; the club's major moves in the transfer market; thoughts on the manager; a player to watch and prospects for the new season.

You can read Ryo's terrific work in his Shogun Soccer newsletter, and follow each club's ins and out through Jonny's Google Doc.

Episode 550 - Happy New J.League Season!

Welcome back to a new year, and a new season of J-Talk! On our first episode of 2025, Dan Orlowitz joins Jonny and Ben to chat about how the J.League can build on their successful 2024, and what will be new or different this season, before we discuss the 2026 "0.5 Season", or as it will be known from this point on: The 2026 Chaos Energy J.League Cup (from 17:45 to 39:25), before we finish with some hot takes on the best and worst of the new season's top flight kits.

Thanks to you all for your ongoing support! Check out Dan on Bluesky, and remember you can keep up to date on offseason transfers on Jonny's Google Doc.

JTET Season Review 2024 - Part 4

The JTET team start 2025 by bringing down the curtain on last season in the final part of their big J2 season review.

Jon and James get things up and running by discussing Montedio Yamagata (Start to 11:15), before handing over to a trio of guest contributors to cover the rest of the Play-Off teams from 2024.

We welcome debutant Makoto to talk about Fagiano Okayama (11:15 to 19:20), before veteran co-host of the ViviCast, Daniel Kuroda, takes us through V-Varen Nagasaki's campaign (19:20 to 30:00).

Rounding things off is Fin Wilson (@VegaltaPotter on Twitter), who reviews an impressive season for resurgent Vegalta Sendai (30:00 to Finish).

1) How do you feel about the 2024 season for your team overall?

2) What was the high point of the season?

3) What was the low point of the season?

4) Which player from another club impressed you the most this season?

5) What is your biggest hope for your club in 2025?

Thanks to all of our listeners and contributors for a fantastic 2024 - see you all again for the new season very soon!

JTET - J2 Awards 2024 Review

In a holiday special, Jon and James talk about the recent (official) J2 Awards, and discuss their own personal picks for some of the more interesting categories.

In Part 1, the gentlemen share their views on Manager of the Season (Start to 07:05), and Player of the Season (07:05 to 12:45). Spoilers: Matheus Jesus was robbed!

In Part 2, attention turns to the Goal of the Season award (12:45 to 16:10), before things are rounded off with a detailed look at the J2 Team of the Season (16:10 to Finish).

Thank you to everyone who's supported the pod in 2024, whether by contributing, commenting, or downloading and listening each week.

Best wishes for the year ahead from everyone at JTET!

JTET - J2 Season Review 2024 (Part 3)

In Part 3 of the big JTET Season Review for J2, a whopping six teams from the second tier are covered.

Jon and James kick things off (sorry) by talking about champions Shimizu S-Pulse (Start to 06:50), and runners-up Yokohama FC (06:50 to 16:45). Jon refers to 'Joao Pedro' twice in the Yokohama FC segment, but of course means 'Joao PAOLO'. The regular co-hosts also discuss Tokushima Vortis (16:45 to 25:45).

After that, the mics are thrown open to a welcome trio of guest correspondents. Chris Hough gives us the lowdown on JEF Chiba (26:30 to 34:55), and we hear all about an impressive Iwaki FC season from Leslie Mabon (34:55 to 44:50). Rounding things off for this episode is Martin Spivey, who shares his thoughts on another steady season for Blaublitz Akita (44:50 to Finish).

We asked our intrepid contributors to respond to these (painfully generic) season review questions:

1) How do you feel about the 2024 season for your team overall?

2) What was the high point of the season?

3) What was the low point of the season?

4) Which player from another club impressed you the most this season?

5) What is your biggest hope for your club for 2025?

Thanks to all of our correspondents for sparing the time to get involved - Part 4 (covering the Play-Off quartet) is coming soon!

J-Talk: Short Corner J3 2024 Season Review

JTSC host Mike Innes signs off for 2024 with a comprehensive review of all 20 J3 teams, using his pre-season predictions as a guide and putting the teams into five groups of four. Mike starts with Toyama, Matsumoto, Gifu, and Nara (01:20 to 10:30), then Imabari, Osaka, Hachinohe, and Kanazawa (10:30 to 19:55). After that, the focus turns to champions Omiya, Kitakyushu, Sagamihara, and Nagano (19:55 to 29:00), followed by Ryukyu, Sanuki, and bottom two YSCC and Iwate (29:00 to 38:30). Mike rounds out the episode with Fukushima, Numazu, Tottori, and Miyazaki (38:30 to 47:30), and a special announcement at the end.

 

Thank you for your support of J-Talk: Short Corner over the last 4 years, and for your ongoing support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time.

Join the JLeague chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E

Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

Episode 549 - The J-Talk J1 Team of the Season with Sean Carroll

In the final episode of 'big pod' for 2024, Sean Carroll joins Jonny and Ben to piece together the J-Talk J1 Team of the Season, as voted on by our patrons. We didn't agree with all of the poll winners, but there is healthy debate and reasoning when necessary, and we think we've assembled one hell of a team. Towards the end of the episode, with the managerial merry-go-round in full swing, we round up some recent appointments.

Just a reminder, you can keep up to date with all the top flight transfer news, as its confirmed by the clubs, on Jonny's Google spreadsheet.

J-Talk: Extra Time – Zweigen Kanazawa Season Review

Long-suffering Zweigen Kanazawa supporters James Taylor and Victor Arroyo got together again for a freewheeling discussion of their team’s first season back in J3. They covered events on and off the pitch throughout the 2024 season, including Victor’s visit to the Go Go Curry Stadium in April, and each selected their Kanazawa MVP.

 

Thanks for your support of JTET, JTSC, and the J-Talk Podcast during the 2024 season!

Join the JLeague chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E

Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

J-Talk: Extra Time & J-Talk: Short Corner – Playoffs

In part one of this week’s JTET, James Taylor and Jon Steele discuss the J2 promotion playoff final between Fagiano Okayama and Vegalta Sendai (start to 24:00), including choosing their Most Bravo Player for the match (24:00 to 28:10). Part two is J-Talk: Short Corner, in which Mike Innes reviews the J3 promotion playoff final between Kataller Toyama and Matsumoto Yamaga (28:10 to 31:35) and the second leg of the promotion/relegation playoff between Kochi United and YSCC (31:35 to end).

 

Thanks for your support of JTET, JTSC, and the J-Talk Podcast during the 2024 season!

Join the JLeague chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E

Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

Episode 548 - Kobe are J1 Champions Again

Kobe claimed a second successive J1 title in Sunday's final round, and on this episode Jonny and Ben round up the final day.

We begin with the games involving the three title contenders, and after celebrating Kobe's success, we wonder how the champions, Hiroshima and Machida might approach the offseason (to 38:00).

Then in Part 2 we round up the relegation dogfight by discussing the games involving the three teams trying to avoid 18th and the drop, before chatting about the remaining four games from the Matchday 38 slate (to 1:14:55).

And finally in Part 3 we hand out Player of the Season awards for the top six.