Japan Prepares For Rugby World Cup

The Rugby World Cup is coming to Japan and will be played in the cities of Tokyo, Yokohama, Sapporo, Toyota, Osaka, Kobe, Fukuoka, and Oita.

The opening ceremony and match will be held in Tokyo on  September 20, and the final match will be November 2 in Yokohama.

To view the schedule click the link below.  It is a printable and downloadable pdf.

2019 Rugby World Cup Schedule

Brazil Downs Japan For Title

 

Reigning Olympic champions Brazil swept the previously unbeaten Japanese team 3-0 in a title showdown Sunday evening to win the trophy of the FIVB World Grand Prix for a record tenth time. 

Going into the last match as the leaders on the standings with 12 points, Japan needed to win only two sets to secure their first World Grand Prix title. However, the defending champions prevailed in three sets 25-15, 25-18, 27-25. The Brazilian women have now won one more title in the World Grand Prix than the Brazilian men have won in the World League.

Following an opening upset 3-2 loss to Turkey on Wednesday, Brazil bounced back with four consecutive straight set wins to be crowned again in the premier annual FIVB women’s volleyball tournament. The United States, the second most successful team in the World Grand Prix, have won the championships five times.

The Japanese women, who have played in all 22 editions of the tournament along with China, could be satisfied with the silver, their first podium finish in the World Grand Prix. Before the loss against Brazil, Japan have won eight matches in a row connecting the preliminary rounds and the Finals and it was their longest winning streak in the World Grand Prix.

Earlier on Sunday, Russia came from two sets down to beat China 3-2 (21-25, 14-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-13) for the bronze. It was their first World Grand Prix medal since a silver in 2009.

Turkey beat World Grand Prix Finals debutants Belgium 3-1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-23, 25-20) in the other match of the last round to finish fourth ahead of China with seven points from five games. China settled for the fifth place on six points while the winless Belgians were at the bottom.

Sport International

Hakuho Wins 30th Career Title In Nagoya

Grand champion Hakuho defeated his Mongolian compatriot, Harumafuji, on Sunday to win his 30th career title at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, edging closer to the all-time championship record in Japan's ancient sport.

Hakuho was pushed back to the edge by fellow grand champion Harumafuji in the final bout of the 15-day tournament, but finally got a grip on Harumafuji's belt and hauled his opponent down to improve to 13-2 for the event.

The 29-year-old Hakuho is now just two behind the record of 32 championships held by former grand champion Taiho. Chiyonofuji is second on the list with 31.

Harumafuji gave Hakuho a serious challenge but couldn't finish off his opponent and closed out the tournament with a 10-5 record.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3, Western Sydney 1

Sanfrecce Hiroshima beat Western Sydney Wanderers 3-1 in the knockout stage of the Asian Champions League on Wednesday, and FC Seoul edged Kawasaki Frontale 3-2.

Naoki Ishihara scored two second-half goals as the J-League champions took a two-goal cushion heading into the return match in Sydney next week, with a spot in the quarterfinals at stake.

Ishihara opened the scoring in the 51st minute when he converted a cross from Yoshifumi Kashiwa and doubled the advantage with a right-footed shot that beat Sydney goalkeeper Ante Covic in the 65th.

Wanderers cut the deficit to 2-1 on a penalty kick by Tomi Juric in the 78th minute but Kosei Shibasaki’s free kick in the first minute of stoppage time sealed the win for Hiroshima, playing in the round of 16 for the first time.

In Kawasaki, Yun Il-lok scored in the third minute of stoppage time to give the 2013 finalists a win over Kawasaki. The return leg is at Seoul’s World Cup Stadium on May 14.

Kawasaki twice led through goals from Yu Kobayashi and Renato, but Sergio Escudero and Kim Chi-woo equalized for the visitors before Yun capitalized on poor defending from Jeci to slot home the winner.

In Tashkent, Salem Al Dawsari scored late to give Saudi club Al Hilal an important 1-0 win against Uzbekistan champion Bunyodkor.

In the last match of the round of 16, Iran’s Foolad Khouzestan managed a goalless away draw against Al Saad of Qatar.

AP

Sagan Tosu Top J-League For First Time

Sagan Tosu beat Kashiwa Reysol 1-0 to move into first place in the J-league for the first time on Tuesday.

Ryota Hayasaka put the host on the scoresheet just four minutes in with a right-footed shot from close range, and Tosu held on to improve to one point ahead of Urawa Reds, who were held to 0-0 by Ventforet Kofu.

Tosu joined the top flight in 2012 and has never finished higher than fifth place.

In other matches, Yuki Muto scored the winner in the 76th as Vegalta Sendai edged Vissel Kobe 4-3, while third-place Kashima Antlers were beaten 2-1 at home by Nagoya Grampus. Keiji Tamada and Yoshizumi Ogawa scored for Nagoya, which handed Kashima its third straight loss.

Omiya Ardija beat FC Tokyo 1-0. Albirex Niigata defeated Shimizu S-Pulse 2-1 courtesy of an own goal five minutes into stoppage time.

Yasuhiro Hiraoka equalized for Shimizu in the second minute of stoppage time but Calvin Jong-a-Pin’s clearance attempt went into his own net three minutes later.

Hiroyuki Abe and Shu Kurata scored second-half goals to lead Gamba Osaka to a 3-0 win over last-place Tokushima Vortis, which has just one win in 12 matches.

AP

JFA President Daini Calls His Attempt To Undermine Qatar World Cup "Misunderstanding"

Japan has apologized for “creating a misunderstanding” after suggesting it could step in and hold the 2022 World Cup instead of Qatar, if the Gulf nation is stripped of hosting rights.

Japan Football Association (JFA) president Kuniya Daini made the initial comments in a taped interview with AFP in late March, but he later backtracked following a complaint from Qatar.

When questioned on the matter by AFP, the JFA said that “Daini’s intentions were not properly conveyed” and that he was not “actively” seeking to hold the World Cup.

“The article left Qatar officials with the bad impression that the Japan Football Association had expressed its intention to actively invite the 2022 World Cup,” the JFA communications department said in a statement.

“Therefore, the Japan Football Association, for its part, sent a letter in which it explained that Daini’s intentions were not properly conveyed and it apologized for creating a misunderstanding.”

Qatar has come under fire over alleged corruption in the bidding process, and also for the deaths of foreign workers at construction sites—although it is considered unlikely to lose hosting rights.

Daini, when asked what would happen if Qatar lost hosting rights, said at the time: “If FIFA looks for an alternative country, we already have the stadiums that would meet the criteria to host it.

“We have the Olympics in 2020. If there is a chance, we’d like to do it, although I don’t know how likely that would be.”

The JFA said: “He (Daini) was not expressing a willingness to host the 2022 World Cup in Japan.

“After we told Qatar that the president’s intentions had not been properly conveyed, the Qatari association said it fully understood.”

© 2014 AFP

Zaccheroni's Charm Could Be Fading

Alberto Zaccheroni has done his best over four years in charge of Japan to dismiss the stereotype of Italian football men being focused on defense.

The Italian coach has transformed the Blue Samurai into a high-tempo attacking unit full of flair and capable of cutting open and scoring against the toughest of oppositions.

That exciting play is thanks to the exploits of playmakers Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda and is ably supported by forward thinking full backs Yuto Nagatomo and Atsuto Uchida.

However, it comes at the cost of clean sheets.

Four goals were conceded against Uruguay and Italy last year, three against Brazil and China, and they also suffered upsets against Belarus, Serbia, Bulgaria and Jordan.

There were no shortage of goals in Japan’s 26 matches between August 1 2012 and their latest friendly against New Zealand in Tokyo at the beginning of March, with Japan scoring 39 goals - but conceding 39 too.

That has taken some of the shine off Zaccheroni’s early achievements in his first foray into international management, which was greeted by some skepticism in Japan.

While fans had hoped that Marcelo Bielsa or Manuel Pellegrini would succeed Takeshi Okada, who had stepped down after a last-16 exit at the 2010 World Cup, they offered guarded optimism at the unveiling of Zaccheroni.

The Italian had ended a three-year spell out of the game by taking charge of Juventus for an unsuccessful four-month period which ended in May 2010.

He had made his name at Udinese with some innovative tactics before joining AC Milan and leading them to the Serie A title in 1999 with a 3-4-3 formation that he has experimented with in Japan.

The Italian reverted to a 4-2-3-1 formation when he led Japan to the Asian Cup title in January 2011 but has attempted modifications amid its failings against tougher opposition arranged at his request by the JFA.

Grumbles have come from the stands at his persistence with perceived favorites, with Yasuyuki Konno continuing in central defense despite the problems of the back line and his club side Gamba Osaka being relegated to the second division.

With the recent struggles of South Korea and Australia prior to the firing and hiring of coaches, tests have been few and far between in Asia with Zaccheroni able to brush off a shock loss in Jordan to easily qualify.

As with most of the 32 coaches in Brazil, though, the acid test will be results at the finals, with Japan eyeing a first World Cup quarterfinal in their fifth consecutive appearance.

Japan have been given a favorable draw in Group C alongside Colombia, Greece and Ivory Coast, with Zaccheroni talking confidently of progression.

His contract status is a mystery and he has been linked with numerous jobs in Italy, which he has continued to downplay.

A first last-eight appearance could help return his reputation to its previous heady heights in Italy and leave the Blue Samurai looking for his replacement for their Asian Cup defense in Australia in January.

From Zengoku Sports Report

Okazaki Prediction: Samurai Blue In Quarterfinals

Striker Shinji Okazaki is hoping to cap his record-breaking season by helping Japan reach the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in their history at Brazil 2014.

Okazaki has enjoyed a stellar first season at Mainz having become the highest-scoring Japanese in a single Bundesliga season when he scored his 14th goal last Saturday to break Shinji Kagawa’s previous record.

Kagawa, now with Manchester United, scored 13 goals in his final season for Borussia Dortmund in the 2011/12 season before moving to Old Trafford.

Okazaki has scored more goals this season than he managed in three years at previous club VfB Stuttgart.

The 28-year-old’s goal-scoring exploits are set to win him a World Cup berth having scored twice for Japan in their 4-1 win over New Zealand in Tokyo last month.

“Our will to survive the World Cup group phase is huge and the fans expect that of us,” said Okazaki, with Japan having been drawn in Group C alongside Ivory Coast, Greece and Colombia.

“We have the chance to get out of the last 16 for the first time. Many of our players are active abroad, some at top clubs, so the expectations in Japan have grown.”

Having lost all their matches at last year’s Confederations Cup against hosts and eventual winners Brazil, Italy and Mexico, Okazaki says Japan are determined to give a better account of themselves at the World Cup under Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said. “We used the Confederations Cup to test things out and wanted to play nice football, but we lacked the winning mentality, so we need to work on a few things.

“Zaccheroni works very meticulously and he gives very precise instructions.  I play wherever the coach tells me to. Recently it was mostly on the right side, but it does not matter where I play - I have to do my job. I am one of the more experienced players and I have to take responsibility.”

Okazaki said the humid conditions on Brazil’s northeast coast will be a factor when they play Ivory Coast in Recife on June 14 and Greece in Natal on June 19 despite their evening kick-off times.

“It’s going to be very hot, which will make it very difficult,” said Okazaki. “You don’t have to change your game, but you have to get used to the climate. We’ll be meeting up in Japan, then probably going to camp in Miami—and from there to Brazil.”

Having started the season with zero expectations of making the World Cup after lengthy spells on the bench at Stuttgart, Okazaki has got his career back on track under Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel.

“In Stuttgart, I often played on the wing and it got to the point where I didn’t know anymore if I was a winger or a striker,” he admitted with Mainz amongst the Bundesliga’s European places with two league games left.

“Thomas Tuchel must take a lot of credit, he didn’t give up on me and told me that I am a striker.”

© 2014 AFP