The J-Talk Podcast

In Part 2 of our J1 previews we begin with Sendai, who look set to struggle massively again even after the (re)arrival of Makoto Teguramori to the Yurtec Stadium dugout (to 11:30), then move to the south to chat about perennial powerhouse Kashima, who might just be poised to strike in a season free of ACL commitments (to 24:08).

Then Ryan Steele hops on board to discuss Urawa, one of the most fascinating teams to watch this season under the command of Ricardo Rodriguez (to 54:30).

Next cab off the rank is Kashiwa, who are yet to fill their Michael Olunga-shaped hole up front (to 1:06:35), before Ben ums and ahs his way through a discussion about FC Tokyo.

Stuart Smith & Jon Steele are back with gentle warm up for those of you who are looking forward to the return of the J.League. 

A new head injury protocol, the first female referee, fixture congestion and some notable transfers are all topics talked about. 

We hope you're looking forward to the new season!!! Enjoy the pod!

It's preview time! In Part 1 of our look ahead to the new top flight campaign, we go on a tour of the islands outside of Honshu, and SPOILER ALERT(!) things don't look particularly rosy.

First cab off the rank is Sapporo (to 17:43), then Jon Steele, from our smash hit spinoff Extra Time, hops on board to discuss the two promoted teams, Tokushima (to 36:40) and Fukuoka (to 54:40).

Then we continue with the other two Kyushu teams, Tosu (to 1:01:47) and Oita.

Happy New Season! Our first pod of the 2021 J1 season was intended to be a brief(ish) catch-up episode, but it's ended up stretching to just over an hour and a half - so we're in midseason form already!

In Part 1 Sam and Ben chat about some teams that have done some solid offseason business and looked primed for good years, then a couple of others that haven't moved the needle much at all in the winter break, with some of the more intriguing transfers in the close season also discussed (to 31:25).

Then in Part 2 Alan Gibson guests to talk about Issue 30 of JSoccer Magazine, including the terrific back story behind his interview with Daigo Nishi, and also how the three Kansai clubs are shaping up for the new campaign (to 1:03:32).

Finally in Part 3 Chris Hough joins Ben to discuss the two latest videos on his excellent Lost in Football Japan YouTube channel, and his fascinating football-going experiences in 2020.

Part two of Jon Steele & Mike Innes' epic 2020 J3 review. 

Enjoy!! 

Jon Steele and Mike Innes are here to give you a thorough review of the shenanigans that occurred in J3 last season - and how they might impact this season. 

It is split into two parts, due to the amount of knowledge put forth, and this is the first part - taking in Akita, Sagamihara, Nagano and the promotion race. 

Enjoy!! 

Jon Steele and Stuart Smith are here to rescue you from "Blue Monday" with a recap of what has happened since 2020 turned into 2021 in the Japanese football world. 

The gentlemen talk about VIP interviews, the Levain Cup Final, the transfer market and an opening set of fixtures for J2 & J3. 

A happy new year to all listeners, and we hope you enjoy listening!!

After two Cup finals in four days, we close the 2020 J.League season in celebratory mode with star turns from Neil Debnam and Dan Orlowitz.

Dan was at both finals, of the Emperor's Cup on New Years Day and the Levain Cup on Monday the 4th, so guests for the duration, with Part 1 featuring an extended chat with Neil on Kawasaki's 1-0 win over Gamba Osaka, Kaoru Mitoma doing the business again, interesting selection decisions by manager Toru Oniki, and how the Frontale squad might be shaping up for 2021 (to 26:20).

Then in Part 2 we discuss FC Tokyo's 2-1 victory over Kashiwa in the league cup final, a win secured by their two offseason Brazilian signings, Leandro and Adailton.

Stuart Smith was very lucky to be joined by Tokushima Vortis' J2 winning manager, and soon to be Urawa Reds manager, Ricardo Rodriguez to talk about the 2020 season and his coaching ideas.

Rodriguez discussed: 

- The reasons for Vortis' triumph

- Balancing the difficult Corona-impacted schedule

- Building relationships

- Why the crazy 4-3 defeat at Ehime was good

- Why he's excited about Urawa

A big thank you to Ricardo Rodriguez, who took time out of his busy schedule to talk to us. And a huge thank you to all of the listeners to this podcast for supporting us throughout the year. If you want to consider supporting us further in 2021, please consider becoming a patron of the podcast. You can find details here: patreon.com/jtalkpod 

Have a great new year!!!

The second part of the end of year discussion on J2 with Jon Steele, Stuart Smith and special guest Mike Innes. Disagreements flow in this part, as we touch on: 

- Matsumoto Yamaga

- Omiya Ardija

- Ehime 

- Renofa Yamaguchi 

As usual, we really appreciate your support, and we can't do it without your listenership and feedback. If you'd like to help us grow and do more good things in 2021, consider supporting us on Patreon: patreon.com/jtalkpod

Also, follow us on Twitter: 

Stuart - @sushi_football