Japanese Abroad

For the Weekend of May 22-23

Hello, friends. Did you enjoy your preview of the World Cup to come? I know I did.

Some of you may still have watery eyes from that scintillating display of football — and the rest of you probably watched Japan — but please take a moment to spare a thought for those wandering Japanese players who, like you, will spend the summer wondering how in Yahweh's name Takeshi Okada is still in a job.

ASIA

Former Roasso Kumamoto midfielder Tomoaki Komorida scored his first Super League goal for Persela Lamongan, opening the scoring after 19 minutes in a 4-3 home loss to Persija Jakarta. Persela still appears to be in good shape despite the loss, though it could do with a win in its final two matches to make absolutely sure it avoids the relegation playoff with the fourth-best team from the second division.

Kenji Adachihara and Kan Kikuchi both started in Bontang FC's 3-0 loss at Super League leader Arema Malang, with Adachihara going the distance and Kikuchi subbed out after 49 minutes. While Bontang currently occupies the relegation playoff place, it has its destiny in its own hands as it hosts the teams immediately next to it — 14th-place Persebaya Surabaya and 16th-place Persik Kediri — to close the season.

Calling Kazuki Yoshino's performance against Etoile FC in Singapore's S-League a bad day at the office would be a generous understatement. In his first match back for Woodlands Wellington after a one-game suspension for yellow-card accumulation, Yoshino conceded a penalty kick and was booked once again after 16 minute, with Matthias Verschave converting the spot kick.

His night only got worse in first-half stoppage time. The Rams stopper appeared to have a Frederic Mendy cross covered, only to slip and allow Verschave to push the loose ball into the path of Kevin Yann, who scored Etoile's second goal. The Rams continue to prop up the S-League with 10 points from 14 matches and a league-worst 25 goals conceded.

Taisuke Akiyoshi and Singapore Armed Forces also endured a frustrating evening. The Warriors took the lead after just two minutes against Balestier Khalsa and held out until late in the match despite playing the second half with 10 men. Anantha Rajan snuck a goal in the 88th minute, though, leaving defending champion SAF in sixth place with 19 points, 12 off the pace of league leader Tampines Rovers.

Pune FC signed off in front of its supporters in style, thrashing defending I-League champion Churchill Brothers 4-1 in its last home match. Pune rose to second place with one match remaining in its debut season in the top flight, a visit to runaway league champion Dempo SC.

Izumi Arata opened the scoring after 26 minutes, chesting down a long cross and beating a defender before scoring his ninth goal of the season with a right-footed shot. Pune needs to match Churchill Brothers' result in the final round to retain its lofty position. Also on the final day, Ryuji Sueoka and Mohun Bagan travel to Mumbai FC and last-place SC Goa and Kenji Arai travel to Chirag.

Elsewhere in Asia, Takashi Fujii started and played 90 minutes as Sun Hei won 4-2 at 10-man Wofoo Tai Po in Hong Kong. Kunihiko Takizawa played the first half of Bangkok Glass' 2-1 loss at Chonburi in the Thai Premier League, with Hironori Saruta coming off the bench and playing 12 minutes for the Glass Rabbits.

AMERICAS

In the latest clash between two clubs featuring Japanese Abroad, Crystal Palace Baltimore earned its first home victory of the season with a 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers. Takayuki Suzuki made his first league start for the Timbers after starting 14 of his 27 appearances last season, going 77 minutes. On the other side, Tsuyoshi Yoshitake started and played 45 minutes and Takuro Nishimura made a late substitute appearance.

Takuya Yamada and the Tampa Bay Rowdies completed an unbeaten, three-match road swing with a 3-0 win at AC St. Louis. Yamada played all 90 minutes and assisted on the second goal just three days after playing another 90 minutes in a 3-3 draw at the league leading Austin Aztex. The road trip also included a win against Jun Marques Davidson and the Carolina Railhawks.

Another veteran midfielder, Takashi Hirano, made a pair of substitute appearances. He came off the bench for 26 minutes as the Vancouver Whitecaps drew 0-0 with Toronto FC in the Canadian championship, and he played 12 minutes of a 2-0 win over the Rochester Raging Rhinos. One division further down, Shintaro Harada went the distance as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds lost 4-3 against the Charleston Battery.

In Paraguay, Riki Kitawaki and Tacuary continue to languish in last place after a 3-0 loss at 3 de Febrero, and Yu Hoshide went 67 minutes as defending Trinidad and Tobago league champion Joe Public drew 1-1 at Caledonia AIA.

EUROPE

The Japanese Abroad situation in Europe is all but settled for the season. One week of matches remains for the few autumn leagues still playing, and Hiroyuki Mitsuyama has yet to make his first appearance for Estonian side Nomme Kalju.

Takayuki Seto and Astra Ploestri finished the Romanian season in 13th place, staying in the top flight by two points. A 0-0 home draw with Gaz Metan Medias made sure of safety. Seto finished with three goals, leading the team with 34 appearances and second in minutes played (2,855). Kazuo Homma was not so fortunate in Hungary as Nyiregyhaza Spartacus was relegated after finishing 15th, drawing 3-3 with Szombathalyi and losing 4-3 at Zalaegerszegi when it needed all six points from its final two matches. Homma led the side in goals (10) and appearances (29) and was second in minutes played (2,396).

Kozo Yuki and Fortuna Dusseldorf II climbed out of the Regionalliga West relegation zone after beating Bayer Leverkusen II 1-0, but they must match Bayer's result when it travels to 10th-place Bonner to be sure of safety. Ken Asaeda and Wuppertaler are bound for the Regionalliga after finishing last in the 3. Bundesliga, and Yoshimi Masushima scored his seventh goal of the season to help Idar-Oberstein draw 2-2 with Mayen and finish fourth in the amateur Oberliga.

Japanese Abroad

For the Weekend of May 15-16

Summer is almost upon us, dear readers, and with it comes a host of treats. On top of the usual fare — summer vacations, a series of brain-melting blockbuster movies and a farewell to long sleeves and layers — this summer brings with it the added joy of FIFA's month-long festival of football, the World Cup.

While not technically against the Laws of the Game, counter-programming the World Cup with more football is generally frowned upon. As such, most leagues that play through the Northern Hemisphere summer take a break during all or most of the tournament, and this year even chronically non-conformist Major League Soccer plans to go with the flow.

Combined with leagues outside of Northern Europe calling it a season, that makes for a dearth of football news. Thankfully, even as the Europe-based Japanese Abroad plan their vacations, there is still news to warm the hearts of those who support Japan's wandering footballers. This past week featured a number of clashes between clubs employing Japanese players, most of which took place in Southeast Asia.

ASIA

Indonesian football faces a sprint to squeeze in its remaining Super League and Indonesian Cup matches before June 11, and this week league officials admitted the cup final may well take place during the World Cup. Takatoshi Uchida and Persebaya Surabaya are in the thick of both races, reaching the Indonesian Cup quarterfinals while attempting to pull away from the relegation zone. Uchida played 90 minutes in a 2-1 loss at Persipura Jayapura and a 1-0 cup win over Bontang FC. The Green Force needs at least one win in matches at Persiwa Wamena, Persisam Samarinda and Bontang to make sure of a second season in the Super League.

Kenji Adachihara and Bontang endured a busy week. The East Kalimantan side played three times in five days, following the cup loss to Persebaya with a 2-1 loss to Persibo Bojonegoro in the cup and a 1-0 league loss at Persema Malang. Adachihara scored against Persibo, giving him two cup goals to go with 14 in the league, while playing 90 minutes in each match. Kan Kikuchi went the distance against Persebaya and played 72 minutes at Persema. Bontang sits one point above the drop zone and one point behind Persebaya, with matches at league leader Arema Malang and home to fellow struggler Persik Kediri before the Persebaya showdown on the last day.

Bontang finished last in Group 10 with no points, while Persib Bandung joined Persebaya in the quarterfinals. Satoshi Otomo did not see action in the cup but did play 33 minutes of Persib's 1-0 league win over Sriwijaya FC. Tomoaki Komorida twice played 90 minutes, in a 1-0 cup loss at Arema and a 3-1 league win over PSPS Pekanbaru, while Yusuke Sasa played 60 minutes of Persikabo Bogor's 4-1 cup loss at Persipura and all of a 2-2 draw with PSM Makassar.

While Indonesia enters the home stretch, neighboring Singapore is just hitting its stride. Tampines Rovers have established themselves as an early title favorite, pulling seven points clear of French import Etoile by winning nine of their first 14 matches and losing just once. The squad faced a testing week with three matches in the space of seven days, and Akihiro Nakamura and Seiji Kaneko helped the league leaders emerge in good shape.

The Rovers' week began at home against Albirex Niigata Singapore, and Nakamura started the proceedings in style. Even though he had not scored since a loss to Singapore Armed Forces last August, Nakamura rolled back the years with a 30-yard volley that arced just out of the reach of Swans goalkeeper Koto Kobayashi. Tampines went on to win 3-0, and Nakamura's goal had even Albirex coach Koichi Sugiyama singing his praises, telling the S-League Web site, "Nakamura-san's goal was very nice. All of us should appreciate it. Even as an opponent, I think he deserves appreciation for scoring this goal. It was not a defensive mistake from us, he just made a very good goal."

http://bit.ly/bQTokZ

There was still more to come, though, as the Stags faced Gombak United in midweek. Gombak took a quick 2-0 lead, only for Kaneko to spark a Tampines comeback with an acrobatic volley from a Shukor Zailan corner kick just before halftime. Rovers eventually pulled ahead on a stoppage-time own-goal, but Gombak salvaged a point with an Agu Casmir goal almost immediately after the ensuing kickoff. Monday brought the toughest test yet, facing defending champion Singapore Armed Forces, with Nakamura and Kaneko each playing 90 minutes in a crucial 1-0 victory for the league leader. Akiyoshi also went the distance for the Warriors.

India's I-League championship has long since been decided, with Dempo SC 14 points clear of the field with only a handful of matches left to play. There are still prizes to be won, though, including the 294th edition of the Kolkata derby between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Ryuji Sueoka played a crucial role in the Mohun Bagan midfield, setting up both goals in his team's 2-0 victory. He atoned for an early miss by teeing up Jose Barreto with a cross from the right wing, and his low cross in the 86th minute allowed Snehashish Chakrabarty to make sure of the points and give Mohun Bagan only its third double over its city rival in league history.

Not to be outdone by his countrymen, Kunihiko Takizawa also enjoyed a productive week. The Bangkok Glass midfielder set up the opener for the Glass Rabbits and scored the second as the capital side beat Sisaket FC 3-1. Takizawa received man of the match honors for his efforts as his club climbed to second place in the Thai Premier League, two points behind leader Chonburi.

AMERICAS

With Colorado Rapids defender Kosuke Kimura likely sidelined for an extended period with a stress fracture in his left ankle, the ranks of Japanese Abroad in North America still held steady. Former national team midfielder Takashi Hirano made his season debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps in a 0-0 draw against Canadian rival Montreal Impact. Hirano returned to the field almost two months to the day since he suffered a left MCL strain to play 18 minutes. He was also the subject of a brief feature in one of the local newspapers:

http://communities.canada.com/theprovince/blogs/backofthenet/archive/2010/05/12/hirano-an-example-to-follow.aspx

In another meeting of Japanese Abroad, Takuro Nishimura went the distance and Tsuyoshi Yoshitake played 62 minutes as Crystal Palace Baltimore handed the Portland Timbers their first loss of the season, a 1-0 defeat in the Pacific Northwest. Takayuki Suzuki came on at halftime for Portland.

Elsewhere, Takuya Yamada started and played 90 minutes as the Tampa Bay Rowdies won 2-1 at the Carolina Railhawks, for whom Jun Marques Davidson came off the bench in the last 12 minutes. Shintaro Harada and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds also had a rough week, with the midfielder putting in full shifts as his side lost 2-1 at Charlotte on Friday and 2-1 at Charleston the next day.

In Paraguay, Riki Kitawaki and Tacuary slipped back to the bottom of the Paraguayan top division after losing 1-0 at Sol de America and 3-0 at home to Nacional Asuncion.

EUROPE

As stated earlier, most of the European leagues outside of Scandinavia and Ireland have wrapped up their seasons. Takayuki Morimoto was in the matchday 18 but did not play in Catania's 1-0 win against Genoa, as did Sho Ito as Grenoble lost 2-0 at Marseille. World Cup call-up Keisuke Honda played all 90 minutes as CSKA Moscow won 1-0 at two-time defending Russian champion Rubin Kazan.

Takayuki Seto scored a valuable goal as Astra Ploestri drew 3-3 at Dinamo Bucharest, a result that could keep it in the Romanian top flight. It needs at least a point in its season finale, at home against Gaz Metan Medias, to make sure of safety. In Hungary, Kazuo Homma was substituted at halftime as Nyiregyhaza Spartacus drew 1-1 at Honved, leaving it two points from safety with two matches remaining.

Japanese Abroad

For the Weekend of May 8-9

After all that, Japan's World Cup roster ends up with the usual suspects. It's not surprising, of course, given Takeshi Okada's approach to the national team thus far. Still, what's a World Cup without a little romance?

The only Japanese Abroad to make the 23-man squad were exactly who you would expect -- Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble), Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow) and Takayuki Morimoto (Catania). No love for Izumi Arata, arguably the hottest Japanese player on Earth in terms of form, or wandering hitmen Yoshimi Masushima, Kenji Adachihara and Kazuo Homma. But hey, there's always Keiji Tamada.

Come on, Oka-chan. Cowboy up already! You've already admitted you're a lame duck after the World Cup, so have some fun with it. Is bringing in Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi -- one of Portsmouth's more inspired signings -- as the No. 3, emergency back-up goalkeeper your idea of a reach? What gives?

Oh ... the semifinals. Right. I must've forgotten.

EUROPE

Honda and CSKA appear to be hitting their stride in the Russian Premier League. The Army side boasts the league's top attack with 18 goals in 10 matches and trails only unbeaten Zenit St. Petersburg by four points. Honda started and played 79 minutes of his team's 4-1 defeat of Terek Grozny this week.

Hasebe went the distance as Wolfsburg, perhaps inspired by the prospect of having Shteve McLaren as its coach next season, closed out its Bundesliga campaign by beating Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 and finishing in eighth place. Lower down in Germany, Ken Asaeda scored Wuppertaller's second goal in a 3-2 loss a Dynamo Dresden, a defeat that saw it finish last in the 3. Bundesliga and drop into the Regionalliga.

Kozo Yuki returned to the field for Fortuna Dusseldorf II in a 4-0 loss against Verl, one that saw it relegated from the Regionalliga West. Masushima and Idar-Oberstein lost 1-0 to Borussia Neunkirchen in the Oberliga.

Like last week, Morimoto was an unused substitute as Catania drew 1-1 at Bologna. Takahito Soma went 90 minutes in a crucial win for Maritimo, with the three points from its 2-1 defeat of Guimaraes pulling it level with its opponent. Maritimo took fifth place in the Portuguese top flight on goal difference, -1 to -3, and with it the last Europa League place.

Homma played 89 minutes as Nyiregyhaza Spartacus continued its good run in Hungary, beating Papa 3-1, while Takayuki Seto twice went 90 minutes in losses for Astra Ploestri in Romania.

ASIA

Arata got on the scoresheet for the fourth time in five matches for Pune FC as it defeated Kenji Arai and SC Goa in the Indian I-League. Arata has eight goals on the season for Pune, which joined Mahindra United and Churchill Brothers in a three-way tie for second place on 38 points. Ryuji Sueoka and fifth-place Mohun Bagan lost 4-0 at Churchill Brothers.

Indonesia's season is in the home stretch, with clubs cramming in a second group phase in the Indonesian Cup to go with the home stretch of the Super League. Tomoaki Komorida was among the busier Japanese Abroad, playing 53 minutes as Persela Lamongan lost 3-2 to second-division Persidafon Dafonsoro and going the full 90 in a 1-1 draw with Pelita Jaya in the Cup.

Satoshi Otomo received an early hook for Persib Bandung, playing 53 minutes in a 3-0 league victory over Persiwa Wamena and lasting just 36 in a 4-1 Cup win over Bontang FC. Bontang did not field Adachihara or Kan Kikuchi, saving them and the rest of the first team for the fight against relegation. Yusuke Sasa went 90 minutes and picked up a booking as Persikabo Bogor lost 2-1 against Persik Kediri in Cup play.

Taisuke Akiyoshi went the distance as Singapore Armed Forces drew 1-1 with Home United in the S-League's Uniform Derby, while Kazuki Yoshino sat out Woodlands Wellington's 1-1 draw with Young Lions due to yellow-card accumulation. Seiji Kaneko and Akihiro Nakamura each played a full 90 as the first-place Tampines Rovers edged Balestier Khalsa 3-2.

Pohang Steelers continued their diabolical start to the season, with Kazunari Okayama going the distance in a 5-2 home loss to Jeju United. The Steelers -- champions of Asia, remember -- are 12th in the 15-team K-League and have conceded a league-high 23 goals in 11 matches. Their slump is only surpassed by fellow Asian Champions League knockout participant Suwon Bluewings, who prop up the table with seven points from 11 matches, two worse than Pohang.

Asahi Yamamoto started Sun Hei's league match against TSW Pegasus in Hong Kong, with Takashi Fujii replacing him at halftime of the 3-2 loss. In Thailand, Hisanori Saruta came on for the final 32 minutes as Bangkok Glass drew 0-0 with Yasuhiro Kato and Osotspa.

AMERICAS

Yu Hoshide's return to action could not help Trinidad and Tobago powerhouse Joe Public in the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship. His side opened the final stage with a 1-0 win over fellow Trinidadian side San Juan Jabloteh, but it drew 1-1 with eventual winner Puerto Rico Islanders and lost 3-1 to Bayamon of Puerto Rico. Hoshide went 90 in the latter two matches after coming on at halftime against San Juan Jabloteh.

In Paraguay, Riki Kitawaki and Tacuary stayed off the foot of the first-division table despite a 2-1 loss to Luqueno.

Tsuyoshi Yoshitake and Takuro Nishimura both started for Crystal Palace Baltimore, with the former leaving after 63 minutes in a 0-0 draw at Vancouver. Takuya Yamada played 90 minutes as the Tampa Bay Rowdies drew 2-2 with the Austin Aztex in their home opener, and Jun Marques Davidson came on for the last seven minutes of the Carolina Railhawks' 1-1 draw at Miami.

Colorado Rapids defender Kosuke Kimura joined Vancouver's Takashi Hirano on the sidelines. An MRI on Thursday showed a stress fracture in his left tibia, which he aggravated during warm-ups prior to Colorado's 1-0 loss at the Los Angeles Galaxy. The club's Web site said no timetable had been set for his return.

Japanese Abroad

For the Weekend of May 1-2

Of all the refrains during Takeshi Okada's second spell in charge of the Japanese national team, one of the most familiar is, "We didn't have our European players."

This cry usually follows the team's latest underwhelming performance. While Okada's attempt to tamp down expectations is understandable, one must also wonder exactly what kind of cavalry he expects to ride to the rescue when Japan takes on Cameroon, Denmark and the Netherlands in South Africa. With the World Cup slightly more than a month away and most European seasons winding down, it would behoove national team supporters to pause for a moment and look at the players in whom Okada places such hopes.

At first glance, the pool of Japanese talent in Europe looks midfield-heavy, even with Shunsuke Nakamura returning to the J-League. Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow), Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg) and Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble) head the list of World Cup hopefuls, but they all perform similar roles and can only plug so many holes between them.

Honda appears to offer the most hope. He moved to Russia after a stellar showing at VVV Venlo, and his recent arrival did not stop him from contributing to CSKA's run through the UEFA Champions League and early success in the Russian Premier League, where it sits one point off top spot in third place after eight matches. His latest effort was a 90-minute performance in a 3-1 win against Tom Tomsk.

While Honda, 23, is a recent addition to the full national team, with four goals in 12 caps since 1998, Hasebe (26, 28 caps, 1 goal) and Matsui (28, 21 caps, 1 goal) are more established. Matsui comes into the summer in need of yet another club following Grenoble's relegation to Ligue 2, having scored five times in 33 appearances for his third French club. Neither he nor Sho Ito were in the 18 for Grenoble this weekend. Hasebe, with one goal in 32 appearances this season, went the distance as Wolfsburg drew 1-1 at Dortmund.

Other than them, it is difficult to see Okada improving his squad much with European call-ups. Koki Mizuno is a non-entity at Celtic, and Daigo Kobayashi (Iraklis) and Takahito Soma (Maritimo) have all of one cap between them. While Mizuno continues to languish in Glasgow and Kobayashi plans his summer after the completion of the Greek season, Soma went 90 minutes in his team's 2-0 win against Vitoria Setubal.

All those players operate in midfield, though, leaving plenty of other positions untouched. Forward Takayuki Morimoto has struggled to find consistency at Catania after Sinisa Mihaljovic took charge in December. The 21-year-old, who has six goals in all competitions this season, was an unused substitute at the weekend. Burly 19-year-old striker Hiroshi Ibusuki is on loan to third-division Real Zaragoza B, which is likely not great preparation for taking on the world's best.

If it's European firepower Okada wants, perhaps Yoshimi Masushima of Idar-Oberstein is the answer. The 26-year-old has three goals in his last five matches and six for the season in the amateur Oberliga, the latest coming in a 1-1 draw at Elversberg II. Though he did not find the net in his side's 3-2 home loss to Kecskemeti, Kazuo Homma of Nyiregyhaza Spartacus is one of the Hungarian first division's leading scorers with 10 goals.

The pickings are even slimmer at the back. Maya Yoshida has yet to play for Venlo, and Kozo Yuki is struggling to break into the first team at Fortuna Dusseldorf. If Okada insists on a defender with experience abroad, he might consider Riki Kitawaki, who plays with Tacuary in the Paraguayan first division. He helped his side keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win at Trinidense over the weekend, a result that lifted it off the foot of the table.

ASIA

Japan's exports throughout Asia are likely not in Okada's reckoning. They have their own reasons to be proud, though, with some players making telling contributions as their sides chase a championship or fight against relegation.

Kenji Adachihara continued his revival, scoring his third goal in two matches as Bontang FC beat Persijap Jepara 4-1 in the Indonesian Super League. The win took Bontang up to 11th place, albeit still only three points above the drop zone. His strike increased his tally to 14 league goals this season, though teammate Aldo Barreto scored a hat-trick against Persijap to move one goal ahead of him in the league standings. Kan Kikuchi also started and played 90 minutes in the win.

Hisanori Takada, perhaps the only Japanese goalkeeper plying his trade abroad, looks to be done at Persitara North Jakarta. The much-traveled keeper only signed a one-year deal with the capital club, and team management said this week his injury will likely keep him out for the last three matches.

Persib Bandung midfielder Satoshi Otomo twice went 90 minutes as the Blue Princes' title hopes faded after a 0-0 draw with Persipura Jayapura and a 3-1 loss at Persitara. Tomoaki Komorida was booked in Persela Lamongan's 2-0 loss at Persiwa Wamena, and Yusuke Sasa and Persikabo Bogor are out of the Premier Division playoffs once again after the Indonesian FA reinstated FIFA's three-point deduction for failing to pay one of its players. However, the club's season continues in the Indonesian Cup as it faces Persik Kediri, PSM Makassar and Persipura in the second group stage.

Kazuki Yoshino had a busy week for Woodlands Wellington in the S-League. After going 90 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Beijing Guoan, the defender put in another full shift and scored on a penalty kick in a 3-1 loss at Singapore Armed Forces. The defeat could have been much worse, with winger Taisuke Akiyoshi setting up Uruguayan striker Federico Martinez with at least a half-dozen scoring chances on free kicks and crosses. Another Akiyoshi attempt forced a Woodlands own-goal.

Akihiro Nakamura and Seiji Kaneko each started and went the distance as Tampines Rovers won 3-0 at Sekang Punggol. Albirex Niigata Singapore endured a rough week, losing 1-0 at Home United and going down 2-1 against Geylang United, with Tatsuro Inui scoring the goal and Keisuke Matsui being sent off after 70 minutes.

Izumi Arata continued his hot streak, registering a point in his fourth successive match. He scored Pune FC's only goal in a 1-1 draw at second-place Mahindra United, and he also found the net for his seventh goal of the season in a 2-0 defeat of JCT. Defender Kenji Arai went 90 minutes as SC Goa won 3-2 against Mahindra, giving its hopes of avoiding relegation a large boost, while Ryuji Sueoka and Mohun Bagan slumped to a 4-1 loss against first-place Dempo.

Another Japanese defender, Kazunari Okayama, was in the thick of things as Asian Champions League title-holder Pohang Steelers' struggles continued. After going down 4-3 at Sanfrecce Hiroshima and seeing first place in Group H slip away, Pohang lost 3-0 at Seongnam Ilhwa to slip to 13th place in the 15-team K-League. Okayama went 90 minutes in both matches.

Takashi Fujii made the most of his brief appearance for Hong Kong's Sun Hei. Coming off the bench with 10 minutes to go, he scored his first league goal of the season in a 6-0 thrashing of Happy Valley. Teammate Asahi Yamamoto started and played 74 minutes before being substituted. In Thailand, Hisanori Saruta played 35 minutes of Bangkok Glass' 1-1 draw at Pattaya United, and Isao Kubota missed two good scoring chances as Samut Songkhram drew 0-0 at Chonburi.

AMERICAS

Holding midfielder Takyua Yamada was part of history on Saturday as he took part in the revival of the South Florida Derby. Yamada played 61 minutes and hit the post at the Tampa Bay Rowdies drew 1-1 against Miami FC. Elsewhere, Takayuki Suzuki started and played 60 minutes as the Portland Timbers lost 3-1 in a friendly against Costa Rican side Puntarenas, and he made a one-minute cameo in a 2-1 win against Pacific Northwest rival Vancouver.

Jun Marques Davidson made his second successive start for the Carolina Railhawks, going 67 minutes in a 1-1 draw at Rochester, and Tsuyoshi Yoshitake was subbed out after 74 minutes as Crystal Palace Baltimore lost 1-0 at St. Louis. Shintaro Harada went the distance as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds drew 1-1 at Richmond, and in the top-flight MLS, Kosuke Kimura went 90 minutes as the Colorado Rapids lost 1-0 at San Jose.

Yu Hoshide and Trinidad & Tobago powerhouse Joe Public remained winless two matches into their league season, drawing 1-1 at San Juan Jabloteh. The sides will square off again this week as they join two Puerto Rican clubs in the final round of the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship.

Japanese Abroad

For the Weekend of April 24-25

It's the commentator's curse ... in reverse!

Last week, this column called out Bontang FC striker Kenji Adachihara and his sudden lack of goals. No sooner had he been chided for needing to do more to aid his club's fight against relegation than the goals started flowing once again. Whether that speaks to the influence this column wields or how slow its author is to catch up to the times is left to you, gentle reader.

ASIA

Adachihara scored his first goal in eight matches as Bontang drew 2-2 with Persiba Balikpapan in the Indonesian Cup. Back in the goals, the former Albirex Niigata Singapore hitman struck twice as Bontang beat Tomoaki Komorida and Persela Lamongan 4-1 in Indonesian Super League play. Adachihara moved into a tie for sixth in the league's goal-scoring chart with 13, keeping 14th-place Bontang above the relegation zone on goal difference. The East Kalimantan side is part of a logjam of six bottom-half clubs within six points of each other, with 15th place going into a relegation playoff and 16th joining Pelita Jaya and Persitara North Jakarta on the way out of the top division.

Bontang teammate Kan Kikuchi was an unused substitute in the cup win and went 90 minutes against Persela, for whom Komorida played 48 minutes. Four days earlier, Komorida scored an 88th-minute winner as Persela beat Persiba Bantul 2-1 in the Indonesian Cup. Persib Bandung's Satoshi Otomo went the distance in a 4-0 cup defeat of Persipasi Bekasi, as did Takatoshi Uchida as Persebaya Surabaya won 1-0 against Persema Malang in the cup. Persitara goalkeeper Hisanori Takada missed the capital club's two matches this week after being injured during cup play. He returned to Japan for treatment, and his return date is unknown.

As for Yusuke Sasa and Persikabo Bogor ... well, it's complicated. The Premier Division playoffs were originally scheduled to begin on Wednesday. However, the three-point penalty that FIFA assessed Persikabo for failing to pay a former player and was subsequently overturned by the Indonesian FA is back in the news, with FIFA demanding the penalty be reinstated. Persikabo's place in the playoffs rests on those three points -- otherwise it would slip behind PS Mojokerto Putra and out of the playoffs.

The sordid details are here:

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/football/fifa-lays-down-the-law-in-club-row/371476
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/football/pssi-ptli-struggle-to-reach-a-decision-on-persikabo/371611

The S-League's Japanese contingent suffered a rough week. Kazuki Yoshino and Woodlands Wellington looked to be in good shape against Albirex Niigata Singapore on Monday, leading 1-0 with less than 10 minutes to go. However, Shota Matsuoka scored following an 81st-minute goalmouth scramble and Tatsuro Inui struck from distance two minutes later as the Southern Swans beat a profligate Woodlands 2-1.

Singapore Armed Forces and winger Taisuke Akiyoshi also lost, going down 3-0 to French import Etoile. The French side is one point behind league leader Tampines Rovers, which suffered its first defeat after a 1-0 loss to Geylang United. Akihiro Nakamura, who hit the post in stoppage time, and Seiji Kaneko went 90 minutes for the Rovers.

Ryuji Sueoka continued his good form for Mohun Bagan, scoring the opening goal as his side beat Mahindra United 3-1 in a midweek clash between the I-League's second- and third-place teams. Sueoka, who switched between right midfield, central midfield and forward in his 90 minutes, scored his 10th goal of the season after a penetrating run by Chidi Edeh. Mohun Bagan could not keep up the momentum over the weekend, though, with Sueoka playing 90 minutes of a 0-0 draw against lowly East Bengal. The clubs needs all three points when it faces league-leading Dempo SC this week to have any shot at the title.

Elsewhere, Izumi Arata set up Pune FC's first goal as it beat Viva Kerala 3-1 and stayed in fifth place, just a point off of third.

Asian Champions League title-holder Pohang Steelers' domestic woes continued with a 1-0 home loss against Daegu. While the season is just eight matches old, Pohang sits 10th in the 15-team K-League and is already 12 points off the pace of league leader Gyeongnam. Kazunari Okayama started for the Steelers and picked up a yellow card while going 90 minutes.

Hironori Saruta and Bangkok Glass halted Muangthong United's unbeaten run in the Thai Premier League, with the Glass Rabbits winning 1-0 on Saturday. Saruta started and went 58 minutes for the victor. Joining United in second place was Samut Songkhram, which beat Rajnavy Rayong 1-0, with Isao Kubota going the distance for Samut.



Asahi Yamamoto started for Sun Hei, picking up a booking in 90 minutes as his side slipped to a 1-1 draw at Shatin in the Hong Kong First Division.

AMERICAS

With the United Soccer League season hitting its stride, Takayuki Suzuki is starting to make inroads in Portland. The well traveled forward, who only started training with the team two weeks ago, saw his first action for the Timbers on April 22, coming off the bench to play 19 minutes in a 3-0 win over St. Louis. He also made a one-minute cameo in Portland's 1-1 draw at Montreal on Sunday.

Carolina Railhawks midfielder Jun Marques Davidson also saw his first significant action, going the distance in a 1-1 draw against the Mexican Olympic team. Elsewhere, Shintaro Harada played all 90 minutes of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds' 0-0 draw at Charleston, and Takuya Yamada put in a full shift as the Tampa Bay Rowdies lost 1-0 at Minnesota. Tsuyoshi Yoshitake and Takuro Nishimura each started as Crystal Palace Baltimore lost 3-1 at home against the Puerto Rico Islanders.

In Major League Soccer, Kosuke Kimura started and played 78 minutes as the Colorado Rapids kept up their hot start to the season with a 2-1 win at New England. Kimura has played every match so far for the second-place Rapids.

In Paraguay, Riki Kitawaki started and went the distance twice for Tacuary, drawing 0-0 at Libertad and losing 3-1 at Rubio Nu. Yu Hoshide saw his first action in this season's Trinidad and Tobago ProLeague, going 50 minutes in Joe Public's 1-1 draw at Ma Pau.

EUROPE

Daisuke Matsui and relegated Grenoble fell 2-1 at Nice, with Sho Ito once again making the matchday 18 but missing out on his first Ligue 1 appearance of the season. For those with a statistical bent, Matsui has played the fifth-most minutes this season for Grenoble (2,160) and made 29 appearances, and he has been substituted out in 14 of those, the highest on the team.

Elsewhere, Takayuki Morimoto came off the bench and played 25 minutes as Catania lost 3-1 at Livorno, though the winner was still condemned to Serie B next season. Keisuke Honda went the full 90 as second-place CSKA Moscow won 4-1 at Sibir, as did Takahito Soma in Maritimo's 0-0 draw at Rio Ave.

Makoto Hasebe was in the 18 but did not play in Wolfsburg's 1-0 loss at Freiburg. Lower down in Germany, Kozo Yuki played 90 minutes in defense as Fortuna Dusseldorf II lost 4-0 against Schalke II, Ken Asaeda went the distance in Wuppertaler's 1-0 loss at Unterhaching and Yoshimi Masushima and Idar-Oberstein beat Zweibrucken 2-0. Kazuo Homma went 90 and picked up a yellow in Hungary as Nyiregyhaza Spartacus lost 2-1 at Gyor, as did Takayuki Seto in Astra Ploestri's 0-0 draw at Ceahlaul.