Former footballcoach and one of the famous foreigners in Japan Dettmar Cramer visited Avispa Fukuoka yesterday. He visited the trainingground and the Headquater. In Japan, most of people said that Cramer is the "Father of japanese football".
Cramer coached the japanese olympic footballteam at Mexico in 1964 and won the bronze-medal with them. Kunishige Kamamoto scored the important goal for the japanese. Today, Kamamoto is the vice-president of the JFA.
Cramer coached Bayern Munich in the glory 70's and won the team-worldcup with them twice. He also coached the US nationalteam in the 70's.
A few years ago, Cramer became a member of the japanese football "Hall of Fame". He traveled to Japan very often for lectures.
Now he lives in Germany again and enjoy his retirement.
Second game, first lost. Avispa lost their away-game against Vegalta Sendai on thursday with 1:0. Both showed a good performance, but the referee gave a penalty to Vegalta in the 13. minute after a foul from Takanori Nakajima and so we lost the head-to-head-game in Sendai. Vegalta's forward Yuki Nakashima scored the penalty.
Joel Griffiths and Mark Rudan were still out because of their injurys and Kiyokazu Kudo missed the game too. youth international Jun Suzuki and defender Tatsunori Yamagata made their first minutes in 2008.
Tomorrow, we will play against top-contender Vegalta Sendai so its time for a little preview
After the 2:1-victory against Mito HollyHock last sunday, the team got alot of self-confidence and should be able to win in Sendai too. Vegalta are still waiting for their first season-goal, because they just won against FC Gifu by an own-goal. After the disappointed lose against Shonan Bellmare at Day 1 Vegalta still need to find themselfs and that's our big chance. We have to play with a good plan, because you never know what Vegalta do in their next games, they can be top or flop.
We won our season-opener yesterday afternoon against Mito Hollyhock with 2:1!
New forward Teruaki Kurobe scored Avispa's first goal of the season and his first for his new club with a header in the 50. minute after a freekick from defender Takanori Nakajima. 10 minutes later Mito's forward Kohei Nishino scored the 1:1 for the dragons. In the 74. minute new australian Ufuk Talay scored the winning goal by a penalty after a foul against Hokuto Nakamura.
In the 21. Minute our new signing Joel Griffiths was replaced by Tetsuya Okubo because of an ankle-injury. Okubo scored a goal in the second half but the referee decide that he was in a offside position. Lets hope Joel can play on thursday against Vegalta Sendai.
Just about tree days to our season-opener for 2008! so now its time for a little check about Mito HollyHock!
Mito empressed alot at their season-opener last sunday against top-contender Cerezo Osaka at home. They had many chances to score a goal but the ball didn't want to hit the net. After tryied all ways of atacking, they lost 0:2 by two goals of Cerezo's Shinji Kagawa but they were the the best loser of the first gameday in 2008.
Coach Littbarski said that Mito got a defensive style....where? i didn't see it last sunday. Mito outshoted Cerezo and also outplayed them sometimes. So maybe we are the ones who look at our "problem-zone" and stop Mito before they can run into the box and maybe we are the next ones who will outplayed by the dragons from Ibaraki. (more Infos at the Mito-Blog in the Blog-list)
It will be a hard game, but i'm optimistic and i think we will win our first game in 2008 2:1
After a long time of waiting, the J.League starts in new season 2008!
Gamba Osaka played a disappointed 0:0 against JEF United Chiba at Banpaku. Seems like JEF is not that weak like all said before or Gamba is still tired from Pan-Pacific Championships what normal couldn't be.
Promoter Kyoto stole a 1:1 from Nagoya, after a long fight and alot of pressure from Grampus.
Urawa are still waiting for a win in J.League after alot of draws and losses, today it was a 1-0 lost against the Marinos. Marino's new brazilian Roni get a red card in his first game for Yokohama
Oita Trinita won suprisely against the orange guys from Shimizu S-Pulse at Nihondaira with 1:2
FC Tokyotied against Vissel Kobe at home after a header from Yasuyuki Konno and a goal from Vissel's Kurihara.
Champion Kashima Antlers destroyed J2-Champion Consadole Sapporo with a stunning 4:0 home-victory.
Kashiwa Reysol landed a good 2:0-victory against Jubilo Iwata. Last Season, Kashiwa beated Jubilo with 4:0 on 1st gameday.
At their old home, Tokyo Verdy saved 1 point against Kawasaki Frontale by a last minute-goal from brazilian Diego. Fronatle's Yusuke Mori made the 1:0.
In orange vs. orange, Omiya Ardija won suprisely against Albirex Niigata with 2:0. Pedro Junior and japanese international Daigo Kobayashi scored for the squirrels.
In J2, Shonan Bellmare landed a suprising victory against potencial promoter Vegalta Sendai. Shonan won 1:0.
Ehime FC won against J2's new face Roasso Kumamoto2:1 and is leading the J2 for this day.
"Neighbour" Sagan Tosu beated Montedio Yamagata with 1:0.
Thespa Kusatsu met cup-winner and top-contender Sanfrecce Hiroshima at home and lost 0:2. Youth-nationalplayer Aoyama and Hirashige scored for Hiroshima.
Mito HollyHock showed a good performance, but lost 0:2 to top-contender Cerezo Osaka by 2 goals from youth-nationalplayer and one of the biggest talents in Japan Shinji Kagawa.
The green guys from FC Gifu stole 1 point from regalated Ventforet Kofu. The game ended 1:1. Congrats to Gifu for that great start.
Tokushima Vortis lost 0:2 to Yokohama FC at home.
thats all for now, few games are still running. I will just posting the all the results from J.League this time, because its season-opening. Next week i will just post the results from J2.
A few days ago, our new foward Joel Griffiths from australian champion Newcastle United Jets joined the team.
Griffiths is the third foreigner, so all foreigner-places are full for next season. He is the third australian after signing Rudan and Talay.
Griffiths became "Player of the Season" in australian A.Leauge and also get the arward for thebest goalgetter with 12 goals in season 07/08.
Joel played one game for Australia and scored a goal.
He can play as a right winger and a central forward.
I think it's a good signing and will help our attack. Let's hope he can integrate very quick and understands the way of J2-playing and will not disapear like other foreigner forwards especially from J.League
"SUPER Avispa!"got a new slogan for the coming season!
"MISSION PROMOTION"
A simple slogan for a hard season 2008 so support our team in every way you can! go to stadium, watch them on TV, cross your fingers in front of TV or computer or just stay with them on the pitch in your mind.
According the votes, you are not sure about Avispa will make it to J.League after this season. Most of you think that they will fail the promotion-places and will stay another year at J2 . But some people think that they can make it and will promote to J.League after two years in J2 again.
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