The J-Talk Podcast

Episode 286 - J1 Matchday 25

On this week's episode we welcome Sam Robson and Sean Carroll back to the pod for a full review of J1 Matchday 25 and a look ahead to Japan's two upcoming fixtures, while also addressing questions from listeners via twitter.

Part 1 begins with away wins for the top two FC Tokyo and Kashima, while we also discuss Yokohama keeping pace with a win of their own before taking a slight detour in answering a question from Andrew, one of our Patreon supporters (to 40:20).

Part 2 kicks off with a look at Ryotaro Meshino's loan move from Manchester City to Hearts of the Scottish Premier League (to 49:45), then covers Hiroshima moving above Kawasaki into fourth, and segues on to Sanfrecce's latest victims, Iwata and the rest of the relegation dogfight (to a hit of music at 1:10:16), with our J1 roundup running to 1:27:45 before we finish with a look at the Japan squad ahead of games against Paraguay and Myanmar.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Sean - @seankyaroru

Sam - @FRsoccerSam

Enjoying J-Talk, and our spin-off, Extra Time? Please consider supporting the pod(s) on Patreon at patreon.com/jtalkpod

Episode 285 - J1 Catch-Up & Matchday 24

And we're back! After a month away, J-Talk returns with Scott McIntyre rounding up all of the major storylines from J1, along with a full review of the weekend's Matchday 24, with guest contributions from Stuart Woodward and Neil Debnam.

In Part 1 we touch on some of the big news stories while the pod was away, and move on to Matchday 24 draws for the top two - FC Tokyo having to setlle for a point in the first game of their eight game road trip up in Sapporo, and Kashima also pegged back, at home against Gamba Osaka (to 25:22).

Then Stuart joins us to chat about Yokohama's ordinary stretch, that was snapped in style with a thumping win away at Nagoya on Saturday (to 47:47), and Neil searches for answers after two-time defending champions Kawasaki's run of five games without a win (to 1:10:48), before Scott and I round up the other five games, ending with Kobe's demolition job on Tosu in Fernando Torres's final match.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Scott - @mcintinhos

Stuart - @stuartcw

Neil - @frontalerabbit

J-Talk Extra Time: Episode 9 - V-Varen Nagasaki

In a special podcast, Stuart is joined by Daniel Hartmann (aka @LakerByNature and/or @V_Varen_en) to discuss the somewhat confusing season that V-Varen Nagasaki are having. Also, he talks about how he came to be a J.League / Nagasaki supporter. A really interesting talk, and one I'm sure that will resonate with a lot of foreign (as in outside of Japan) listeners. 

 

Big thanks to Daniel, and you can follow him via:

@LakerByNature

@V_Varen_en

J-Talk Extra Time: Episode 8 - Transfer Talk

After a brief hiatus (sorry....) J-Talk Extra Time is back with Jon Steele & Stuart Smith going over the key ins and outs in J2. We talk Shunsuke Nakamura, Koji Suzuki, Michael James, Shinji Ono, Machida's struggles, Kashiwa's J2 rampage and much more in between. Enjoy!!

J-Talk Extra Time: Episode 7 - J2 Wrap

No time wasting controversy here (sorry Koki Kiyotake...) because this J-Talk Extra Time is full to the brim of the latest happenings in J2.

Stuart Smith & Jon Steele take you through the previous weekend's action which included classic hits such as "JEF goalkeeper has a bad game", "Lee Yong-jae scores again" and "Leandro Domingues scores direct from a free kick" alongside new entries like "Sent off for time wasting in the first half".

Download. Listen. Enjoy! 

J-Talk Extra Time: Episode 6 - Kyoto Calling

Live (almost) from the cultural capital of Japan, Nick Bolton joins Stuart Smith to chat about the renaissance of Kansai's purple team and along the way discuss the key players, key ideas and prospects for the remainder of the season. Grab yourself an Uji Matcha green tea, a plateful of Yatsuhashi and enjoy!

Episode 284 - J1 Matchday 20 & Kubo's Real Madrid Debut

This week's episode features a full review of the eight games from J1 Matchday 20 played on Saturday with Sam Robson, and a check on Takefusa Kubo's promising start to life at Real Madrid with Adrian Serna.

In Part 1 Sam and I begin with the current top three, after all claimed victories over bottom half opposition - FC Tokyo and Yokohama away at Shimizu and Kobe respectively, and Kashima riding their luck to down Tosu at home (to 28:48).

Then Adrian shares his thoughts on Kubo's early impact at the Spanish giants, with the 18 year old turning heads with his strong performances in training, and in his first appearance for Real in a friendly against Bayern Munich over the weekend, while we also touch on Hiroki Abe's transfer to Barcelona (to 45:19).

Then Sam and I round up the other five Matchday 20 games, including Sapporo thumping five past Shonan, and dramatic finishes at both Matsumoto and Nagoya, while throughout we touch on the performances of players who have moved during the transfer window.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Sam - @FRsoccerSam

Adrian - @758Bruns

#J-Talk will now take a short hiatus, as I take my kids back to Australia for a month, but Extra Time with Stuart and Jon will continue throughout the summer. I'll be back to review J1 Matchday 24 at the end of August.#

Episode 283 - J1 Matchday 19

It's another bumper episode of the pod this week, featuring guests Neil Debnam, Alex Bishop, Stuart Woodward and Alan Gibson.

In Part 1 Neil and Alex review Kawasaki's demolition job on FC Tokyo in Sunday night's Tamagawa Classico, and what lies ahead for both teams in the coming months (to 33:04).

Then in Part 2 Stuart and Alan run through all of the controversial incidents both on and off the pitch when Yokohama hosted Urawa at Nissan Stadium on Saturday night, with most discussion obviously centering around Teruhito Nakagawa's goal that was, then wasn't, then was, but shouldn't have been (to 1:12:20).

And finally in Part 3 Alan sticks with me to round up the other seven games, including an impressive flex from Kashima, Oita keeping the good times rolling, and important wins for both Osaka clubs.

Follow my guests on twitter (and elsewhere):

Neil - @frontalerabbit

Neil's Frontale Rabbit blog

Alex - @Abishop32

For news & notes on FC Tokyo in English @FCTokyo_EN

Stuart - @stuartcw

Alan - @JSoccerMagazine

Alan's website - JSoccer.com

Enjoying J-Talk? Please consider supporting the podcast via Patreon patreon.com/jtalkpod

J-Talk: Extra Time - Episode 5: Up For The Cup?

Upsets, drama and unpredictability? Or broadcast blackouts, empty stadia and frustrating scheduling? On this episode of J-Talk: Extra Time, with the competition in full swing, Stuart Smith and Chris Hough go deep into the complexities of Japan's Emperor's Cup.

Follow us on twitter:

Stuart - @sushi_football

Chris - @LiFJapan

And check out Chris's groundhopping adventures on his Lost in Football blog.

Extra Time is powered by our supporters on Patreon. Please consider supporting the podcast by contributing at patreon.com/jtalkpod.

Episode 282 - J1 Matchday 18

Another lengthy belter this week, as Sam Robson and Scott McIntyre guest to round up all of the games from J1 Matchday 18.

We begin with an extended look at the top three after their contrasting results and performances over the weekend (up to a hit of music at 1:01:37), then move on to the other games and talking points, including Yuta Koike's Goal of the Century in Kashima's win over Iwata, another moment of Shinzo Koroki magic in Urawa's win over Sendai, and Douglas' tour de force which led Shimizu to a win over Kobe.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Sam - @FRsoccerSam

Scott - @mcintinhos

Enjoying the podcast? Please consider supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/jtalkpod