The J-Talk Podcast

Episode 280 - Japan National Teams & J1 Matchday 16

Dan Orlowitz and Sean Carroll return to the pod to run through a packed agenda of both international and domestic matters. Also sprinkled in are a fine collection of questions from some of the podcast's Patreon supporters.

In Part 1 we round up last week's ACL Round of 16 first legs and look ahead to the return fixtures this midweek, then move on to the Samurai Blue at the Copa America, whose campaign (as you now know but we didn't at the time of recording) ended with their draw against Ecuador in their final group stage game, before touching on Nadeshiko Japan at the Women's World Cup (to 33:00).

Then we move on to J1 Matchday 16, and begin with the game that Sean and Dan were both at, the Nissan Stadium clash between Yokohama and Matsumoto on Saturday night, with our initial focus on the visitors (to 1:02:45), then move on to another toothless display from leaders FC Tokyo away at Sendai, which, though it pained Dan and myself no end, set up the tantalising prospect for the neutral of a top of the table clash at Ajinomoto Stadium this Saturday night (to 1:17:05).

From there we run through the other five games from the matchday, including more heroics at the death from Shimizu, this week away at Nagoya, and a fruitful Saturday night for both Osaka clubs.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Sean - @seankyaroru

Dan - @aishiterutokyo

You too can support the podcast on Patreon - we've already launched a second podcast, J-Talk: Extra Time, thanks to the contributions of our patrons. Get involved at patreon.com/jtalkpod.

J-Talk: Extra Time - Episode 2: For The Poncho People

Rain. What is it good for? Well, fantastic goals for starters. Club branded ponchos for another. Balls stopping dead in their tracks to make defenders look stupid? Check.

Stuart Smith and Jon Steele don their anoraks and Wellington boots to guide you through the top and bottom of J2, and take a look at the J3 promotion race. Grab your waterproofs and join them!

Follow us on twitter:

Stuart - @sushi_football

Jon - @J2KantoBites

Episode 279 - J1 Matchday 15 & Kubo to Real Madrid

This bumper episode of the pod features star turns from Sam Robson, Adrian Serna and Stuart Woodward, as we cover all of the games from J1 Matchday 15, and also Takefusa Kubo's stunning move to Real Madrid.

Sam guests off the top to talk about Kubo's now former club, table toppers FC Tokyo, suffering their second loss in three games at the hands of an Andres Iniesta-inspired Kobe on Saturday night, then we round up the three games played on Friday night, with Kawasaki dropping more points at home, and Kashima and Hiroshima doing their business in the second half on their way to home wins (to 26:27).

Then Adrian joins me to talk about Kubo's fascinating transfer, and what it really means for his future, as well as the reaction in Spain to the news, and Barcelona missing out on the chance to sign their former youth star (to 45:17).

Stuart then hops on board to dissect Yokohama's loss at Shimizu in Matchday 15, in which they threw away a late lead, and all three points at the death, after Marcos Junior's red card saw them unravel (to 1:06:07), then Sam and I finish off the matchday with the final four games, including vital wins for Urawa and Sendai.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Sam - @FRsoccerSam

Adrian - @758Bruns

Stuart - @stuartcw

Episode 278 - Samurai Blue & Thorsten Fink In At Kobe

With J1 on a break due to international friendlies, Dan Orlowitz and Tobias Dreimann guest on this week's podcast to talk about the Samurai Blue, and Kobe's new manager, respectively.

In Part 1 Dan reviews Japan's Kirin Cup clashes against Trinidad & Tobago and El Salvador, the latter game notable for an impressive showing from pinch hitter Kensuke Nagai, and a stirring cameo on his international debut from 18 year old Takefusa Kubo. We then move on to discuss players to watch, and expectations for the tournament, for Japan's untested squad at the upcoming Copa America (to 25:17).

Then Tobias hops aboard to chat about Kobe's new German coach, Thorsten Fink, discussing his somewhat chequered past at clubs in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Cyprus, and whether his footballing philosophy will see Vissel prosper, and end the seemingly interminable managerial merry-go-round at the Kansai club.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Dan - @aishiterutokyo

Tobias - @ConDrei

Information on Tobias' J.League podcast in German can also be found via @jleagueDE on twitter 

J-Talk: Extra Time - Episode 1: Say Hello, Wave Goodbye

A busy week in Fukuoka, goals aplenty for Nagasaki, blue and white at the summit and the best players in J2 - Stuart Smith and Jon Steele take you on a guided tour of J2 in the debut of J-Talk: Extra Time.

Follow us on twitter:

Stuart - @sushi_football

Jon - @J2KantoBites

Episode 277 - J1 Matchday 14

This week's episode features a full review of J1 Matchday 14 with Sam Robson and Ryan Steele.

We begin with FC Tokyo increasing their lead at the top of the table to six points after a 3-1 home win over Oita on Saturday, a performance lit up by Takefusa Kubo, who turned on the style in what may turn out to be his final Gasmen appearance, while we also ponder whether Oita's pixie dust might have finally started to run out (to 20:50). Ryan then discusses the managerial change at Urawa, with Oswaldo Oliveira shown the door last week, before moving on to Reds snatching a point at the death away at Kawasaki on Saturday night (to 38:00).

We then move on to Yokohama zipping up to third with a 2-1 away win in the Kanagawa Derby at Shonan on Friday night, and ponder whether Ange Postecoglou's side might finally be hitting a consistent vein of form a year and a half into his tenure (to 52:10), before we move on to the most shocking result of the week - then-bottom Sendai stunning suddenly wobbly Nagoya (to 58:30).

Next we cover the 1-0 wins for Sapporo (at home over Hiroshima) and Cerezo Osaka (away at a Torres-less Tosu), before wrapping up the matchday with the three 1-1 draws, and a discussion on the logjam at the foot of the table, with five teams 'joint-bottom' on 13 points.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Sam - @FRsoccerSam

Ryan - @Steelinho

And keep your eyes on your podcast feed for the first episode of J-Talk: Extra Time, our new J2-centred pod co-hosted by Stuart Smith and Jon Steele will be dropping on Wednesday.

Episode 276 - J1 Matchday 13

This week's episode features our original two guests, Sean Carroll and Alan Gibson, back together, as we run through all of the games from J1 Matchday 13, while Stuart Smith makes a special cameo at the end of the pod, with a very special announcement.

We begin our top flight wrap in Osaka, where leaders FC Tokyo suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of Cerezo (to 9:45), before we move on to Nagoya and Oita blowing their chances to make up ground on The Gasmen, with Kawasaki leap-frogging both of them into second with their away win over Trinita (to 28:00).

From there we run through the other games, including big home wins for Yokohama and Kobe, before finishing up with our first relegation six-pointer of the season, with Shimizu sending Sendai to the cellar after a rollicking 4-3 win (to 1:30:26).

Stuart follows with some terrific news, that I won't spoil here.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Sean - @seankyaroru

Alan - @JSoccerMagazine

Stuart - @sushi_football

Episode 275 - J1 Matchday 12

This week's episode features a full review of J1 Matchday 12, with Dan Orlowitz leading off, and Stuart Woodward and Lionel Piguet also guesting, both for the first time in 2019.

And we had to rip up the script in Part 1, because even though Dan went to two different games over the weekend, we simply had to begin with events at Saitama Stadium last Friday night, after one of the most egregious refereeing decisions in J.League history cost Shonan a goal at 2-0 down away at Urawa, but Bellmare showed remarkable spirit to fight back and win 3-2 with the last kick of the game. The moment itself, the aftermath and if Reds should have done 'the right thing', and a wider chat about DAZN's impact on the way the league is presented and discussed is all in there (to 27:40). We then move on to chat about the two games Dan attended, FC Tokyo winning again and going six points clear after Nagoya played out a 1-1 draw at Kawasaki, while third placed Oita also drew 1-1, at home against new cellar-dwellers Shimizu (to 44:55).

Then in Part 2 Stuart chats about Yokohama clicking back into gear with a convincing 4-1 home win over Kobe, a quality performance after their disappointing display away at Cerezo Osaka last week. Stuart also shares his thoughts on Kobe, and briefly updates us on how ex-Marinos midfielder Kosuke Nakamachi is getting on over in Zambia (to 1:11:57).

And finally in Part 3, Lionel is a happy man after Gamba ended a run of seven games without a win with a 1-0 triumph over Cerezo in the Osaka Derby. We also chat about the next crop of youngsters rolling off the Gamba production line, before Lionel shares his thoughts on Kobe spiraling out of control, and we finish with the other three games from Matchday 12.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Dan - @aishiterutokyo

Stuart - @stuartcw

Lionel - @lionelpiguet

The J-Talk Podcast is now on Patreon - patreon.com/jtalkpod

Episode 274 - J1 Matchday 11

This week's episode features a full review of J1 Matchday 11 with Alex Bishop, Neil Debnam and Alan Gibson.

In Part 1 Alex chats about top flight table toppers FC Tokyo after their Takefusa Kubo-inspired 1-0 home win over Iwata on Sunday (to 19:00), while we also discuss Nagoya and Oita, who stayed four points behind The Gasmen with wins of their own - Grampus at home over Urawa, and Trinita away at Shonan (to 26:00).

Then Neil joins me after Kawasaki's strong recent run continued with a comprehensive 4-0 win at Shimizu, whose manager Jan Jonsson paid the price for his side's poor start to the season and was sacked after the game (to 45:45). Things aren't going all Frontale's way in the ACL though, and we move on to wrap up last midweek's group stage Matchday 5 results, with Hiroshima through to the last 16, and the other three Japanese clubs all still in with a chance of making it (to 53:22).

Finally Alan chats about the mixed fortunes for the three Kansai clubs in Matchday 11 - the good, the shocking, and the downright diabolical - Cerezo Osaka's excellent Kota Mizunuma-inspired 3-0 home win over Yokohama (to 1:00:00), Gamba's dismal loss at bottom club Tosu, and how much of a leash Tsuneyasu Miyamoto will be given in the Gamba hot seat (to 1:12:45), and Kobe managing just one shot over 90 minutes in their sixth straight loss, 1-0 at home against Kashima, along with all the drama behind the scenes at the Noevir Stadium club (to 1:27:50). We finish off the episode by wrapping up the other two games: Sendai leaving it late to beat Hiroshima 2-1 at home, and the goalless draw between Matsumoto and Sapporo.

Follow my guests on twitter:

Alex - @Abishop32

Neil - @frontalerabbit

Neil's Frontale Rabbit blog

Alan - @JSoccerMagazine

Alan's website - JSoccer.com

The J-Talk Podcast is now on Patreon - all support is greatly appreciated as we say goodbye to monthly upload limits, and take the podcast forward - patreon.com/jtalkpod

REPOST: Episode 267 - J1 Matchday 5

Chances are you have already listened to this episode, originally posted at the beginning of April, but if for whatever reason you haven't, and need to binge old episodes of the pod to catch up on the 2019 J1 season, I'm reposting it. This episode was the casualty of the five Tuesday April that meant I had to delete one pod in order to post our first April J2 Special pod at the end of the month. Upload limits and all that - the reason we are now on Patreon.

Ryan Steele guests to chat about Urawa 1-1 FC Tokyo from Matchday 5 (to 23:05), Alan Gibson reviews a brighter time for Vissel Kobe - their 4-3 away win over Gamba Osaka - and many of the other games from the round, as well as Japan's most recent friendlies (to 1:13:30), and Neil Debnam returns after Kawasaki had posted their first win of the new season away at Matsumoto.

#Also experimenting for the first time with ads on Podbean, this repost is a perfect opportunity to do so.#