How on earth were Sanfrecce Hiroshima relegated? How did a team that contains two current Japan internationals, three current Japan under-22 internationals, a host of former Japan internationals, former Korean and Bulgarian internationals and the highest scoring foreign player in J-League history... end up in J2?

Big teams have been relegated in the J-League before. In 2006 Cerezo Osaka went from losing out on the J-League title in stoppage time the previous season, to the indignation of relegation just twelve months later. Tokyo Verdy went down the season before. But in both cases Cerezo and Verdy struggled throughout the entire season. Yet Sanfrecce Hiroshima never really looked in danger of going down in 2007, until the penultimate round of the season.

It was only at the end of Round 33 that it became obvious Sanfrecce Hiroshima would have to fight their way out of trouble in a promotion/relegation playoff. That's because Leandro's wonder-goal in stoppage time at Ajinomoto Stadium propelled Omiya Ardija to a 2-1 win over FC Tokyo and subsequent safety. At the same time Hiroshima were thumped 3-0 by Kawasaki Frontale at Todoroki Stadium, practically condemning them to the playoff against the third-placed finisher in J2.

Even so, few expected Hiroshima to have too many problems in seeing off a Kyoto Sanga FC side that had finished dead last in the First Division a season earlier. Kyoto had mustered a late season surge to finish in third place in J2, and their good form continued in a 2-1 win over Hiroshima at Nishikyogoku Stadium in the first leg of the playoff. Despite copping an absolute battering at Big Arch Stadium, Kyoto somehow hung on to record a 0-0 draw, with Sanfrecce substitute Ryuichi Hirashige incredibly hitting the post with a bicycle kick in stoppage time that would have kept Hiroshima in the top flight!

Predictably, most have pointed the finger at Hiroshima's Austrian coach Mihailo Petrovic for the team's failure. Yet perhaps Hiroshima have also learned the value of vocal supporters. While JEF United struggled throughout 2007, they always looked capable of retaining their top flight status when playing in front of their vociferous fans at the Fukuda Denshi Arena. Hiroshima, meanwhile, played out of the eternally-maligned Big Arch Stadium - a concrete colosseum on the outskirts of town that holds over 50,000, but which often struggles to attack even five figure crowds in J1.

Hiroshima will have no such worries next season. They'll be plying their trade against the likes of Tokushima Vortis and Mito Hollyhock - hardly giants of world football, no disrespect intended. Star striker Hisato Sato has already declared his intentions to try and fire Hiroshima to their second promotion in five years, after the Mazda-backed club were also relegated at the end of the 2003 season. Whether new Japan coach Takeshi Okada looks favourably on Sato's decision remains to be seen - Sato was overlooked for Okada's first 33-man training squad.

Hiroshima have been in this position before. But like Tokyo Verdy and Cerezo Osaka before them, they might find promotion from J2 as difficult a prospect as maintaining their place in the top flight.

With referee Yuichi Nishimura's whistle bringing an end to Kashima Antlers 3-0 demolition of Shimizu S-Pulse, Kashima players streamed on to the pitch, while coach Oswaldo de Oliveira pumped his fists in celebration. Suddenly the players stopped on the half-way line, transfixed by the video screen beaming images from Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. The match between bottom club Yokohama FC and defending champions Urawa Reds was still in progress. Score? Yokohama FC 1, Urawa 0.

For three agonising minutes the Kashima fans watched as Yokohama FC hoofed long balls forward, mimicking Rugby players as they attempted to find touch at every opportunity. Suddenly Toshimitsu Yoshida blew full-time at Nissan Stadium, and as the Urawa players dropped to their knees, pandemonium erupted inside Kashima Stadium.

Kashima Antlers are the 2007 J-League champions, after a day of sheer drama across Japan. The Ibaraki giants moved to the top of the table for the first time on the only day that matters, as they claimed their fifth J-League title, and reiterated that for all the misplaced media hype, they truly are the most successful team in Japanese football.

After a start to the season so poor that coach Oswaldo de Oliveira was under intense pressure, Kashima turned things around thanks in no part to the return of mercurial midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara from a failed spell at Italian club Messina. Ogasawara was immense against Shimizu, leading his team around the park in a manner that suggests that new Japan coach Takeshi Okada can ill-afford to overlook him for national team duty.

Yet Kashima's win was a triumph of attacking football over the dour style favoured by Urawa coach Holger Osieck. The two sides could hardly have experienced a more contrasting change of fortunes, with Kashima embarking on a club-record nine match winning run to claim the title at the death, whilst Urawa picked up just three points from the fifteen on offer in their last five J-League matches. The defending Emperor's Cup champions were also knocked out of that competition by J2 strugglers Ehime FC last Wednesday, and their loss to Yokohama FC capped an utterly miserable week for the Saitama side.

Urawa must now regroup for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, where they could face Iranian side Sepahan in a re-match of the recent AFC Champions League final, in which Urawa lifted their first ever continental crown. All the plaudits belong to Kashima Antlers, however. In a season in which the J-League proved once again that it is surely one of the most exhilarating competitions in world football, Kashima proved that perhaps, after all, slow and steady truly does win the race.

Half of Japan's football fans may have been sporting a wry smile on Saturday night. The other half are Urawa fans, and they were no doubt bemoaning Urawa's most recent 1-0 loss to Kashima Antlers in front of 62,123 fans at Saitama Stadium; a result that once again throws the title race wide open.

Cynical keyboard warriors like myself could perhaps be forgiven a bout of Schadenfreude after Urawa's German coach Holger Osieck was quick to point out how many players he was missing through injury in the wake of the defeat. Far be it for Urawa to ever admit being outplayed - they've been one of the most boring teams in Japanese football all season, preferring to wear down their opponents and grind out results instead.

Last season Urawa played a swashbuckling style under popular coach Guido Buchwald. The former German international tipped his hat and bid adieu to take over at 2.Bundesliga club Alemannia Aachen last January, and the red half of Saitama has seen their previous attacking style replaced with clinical (i.e. boring) efficiency under ex-Canada coach Osieck.

At any rate, perhaps the J-League was hoping that Urawa would wrap up the title at Saitama Stadium after all? Referee Kenji Ogiya had apparently already ordered his "Urawa - 2007 Champions" commemorative t-shirt - he sent off both Toru Araiba and Yuji Funayama for no apparent reason other than that they play for Kashima. It wasn't enough, as the nine-men Antlers held on for a famous 1-0 win.

If Kashima beat Shimizu S-Pulse at Kashima Stadium next weekend and Urawa fail to beat Yokohama FC at Nissan Stadium, then it is Kashima - and not Urawa, who will be crowned 2007 J-League champions. Of course, with 50,000 Urawa fans likely to outnumber the "home" fans by about ten thousand to one, there's more chance of me being picked for The Socceroos then there is of Yokohama FC beating Urawa. Still, stranger things have happened... like Urawa failing to win the league title at Saitama Stadium, for example.

Kashima Stadium will be packed next weekend as well, but one thing is for sure - there's no way they'll be outdancing the Yajima Fan Club! Shimizu experienced a bizarre afternoon at Nihondaira Stadium last Saturday. They went behind to an absolute peach of a goal from striker Seiichiro Maki, who if memory serves me correctly, last scored around the time that the Ice Age ended.

Jungo Fujimoto took it upon himself to level up proceedings, dancing passed two defenders before smashing an unstoppable drive that Tomonori Tateishi barely saw as it flashed into the net. Referee Hajime Matsuo then took centre stage, sending off United defender Daisuke Saito for a bookable offence after just eighteen minutes. Saito was the last man when he clipped Korean star Cho Jae-Jin's heel, but the decision to hand Saito a straight red card may have been slightly harsh - his collision with Jae-Jin looked accidental. Nevertheless Matsuo should be applauded for applying the letter of the law, when too often J-League referees have turned a blind eye to goalscoring opportunities being blatantly denied.

The send off left United to battle on with ten men, but it failed to hinder one of the goals of the season. On sixty-four minutes, JEF United defender Nenad Djordevic spotted Shimizu goalkeeper Yohei Nishibe off his line. As the ball broke to him in midfield, the Serb simply hammered a shot in on goal, and the 18,577 fans in attendance watched breathlessly as Djordevic's strike from inside his own half sailed over Nishibe's head and into the net. The Yajima Fan Club was not impressed!

Elsewhere Omiya Ardija virtually guaranteed their top flight status with a 2-1 win away at neighbours FC Tokyo, with defender Leandro challenging Nenad Djordevic in the Goal Of The Season stakes with a stunning, solo stoppage time winner. Ventforet Kofu were relegated after losing 2-1 away at Kashiwa Reysol, and for all the obvious refereeing vendettas against them, sceptics will point to the fact that Kofu have scored only 33 goals in 33 games - despite employing more strikers than I do bad metaphors. Sanfrecce Hiroshima will almost certainly play J2 side Kyoto Sanga FC in the promotion/relegation playoff match, but all eyes will be on Yokohama and Kashima next weekend, where either the Reds or the Antlers will be crowned 2007 J-League champions.

There were plenty of highlights for Shimizu S-Pulse fans when the J-League draw was made last January. The derby with Jubilo always takes precedence, but the Round 32 clash with Urawa Reds at Saitama Stadium was also a stand-out fixture. As one of the lucky few to score a ticket in the away end at Saitama, I thought I'd share with you some of my experiences, in what was essentially a day in the life of a J-League fan.

The day starts early. For dedicated fans of clubs like Oita Trinita or Consadole Sapporo, an away match means a trip to Japan's main island of Honshu and often an entire weekend of travel. For me, this match meant an early Sunday morning rise - the official S-Pulse organised tour bus left Shimizu station just before 5am! Domestic rail travel in Japan is expensive, particularly on the Shinkansen, so for the money-conscious the choice often falls between driving or taking one of the club-organised tour buses to the stadium.

Normally bus travel is something I look upon as a necessary evil. I've travelled the length and breadth of England quite comfortably on National Express coaches, but then National Express coaches don't have a habit of arriving at their destination six hours early!

Japan is nothing if not a unique place, and one of the peculiarities of its upstanding citizens is their willingness - scratch that, desire, to line up! These guys would beat the English in a Olympics Queue-Off hands down, and in anticipation of a 2pm kick-off, it was with a heavy heart that I disembarked from the bus at the ungodly hour of 8am! Being a self-proclaimed man of the world there was little to do but whip out a newspaper and catch up on yesterday's news.

"Why do people line up so early to enter the stadium?" you might reasonably ask. It has to do with the fact that General Admission is a popular concept in Japan. That is to say that many fans buy non-numbered tickets - reserved seating in Japan is usually the last to sell-out, and will then arrive at the stadium hours in advance in the hope of scoring the best seats available. While most fans use the long wait as an excuse to put on an impromptu picnic, I can't help but feel that the method takes away from some of the more ritualistic elements of attending a match.

Saitama Stadium is one of those super modern arenas built on the outskirts of town that FIFA seem to prefer these days. There's no chance of a quick pre-match pint - the stadium lies in a middle of a field literally miles from the city centre, and any hopes I had of enjoying an early afternoon brew in the beer garden (okay, plastic tables and chairs put out on the stadium forecourt) were dashed by the fact that I didn't want to be the only fan whose view was obscured by an errant pillar. So I piled in with the rest of my early-morning bus-trippers and spent several hours watching the shadows creep slowly across the pitch.

Both sets of supporters set about creating an atmosphere, with Shimizu's away end packed by around 3,000 travelling fans. Yet the atmosphere from the Urawa fans was strangely lacklustre, not the least because most of those in the reserved seating seemed to take their seats only moments before kick-off. Even then, those fans remained quiet for most of the match - it was hardly the kind of welcome one would expect for a team that had just been crowned continental champions, with only the wall of Urawa fans behind the goal making concerted efforts to lift their team.

Those efforts began to diminish as soon as Shimizu S-Pulse began to take the upper hand. Indeed, the Urawa fans seemed to spend more time jeering opposition players who happened to be in possession of the ball, than they did cheering on their own team. It didn't help that one of Urawa's best players, Keita Suzuki, had to be substituted after just seventeen minutes, nor did it help that Washington was suspended, while Nobuhisa Yamada, Tatsuya Tanaka and Shinji Ono were all injured. Yet for a club that is so quick to trumpet its depth, and one that so eagerly proclaims its fans to be the best in Japan - Urawa were being out-played both on and off the pitch, as every hoofed long ball forward from ex-Hertha Berlin defender Fabio Nene brought ironic cheers from the Shimizu fans.

The match ultimately ended in a 0-0 draw - the second time I've seen a scoreless draw at Saitama Stadium this season, after Urawa's cynical 0-0 draw with Sydney FC in the AFC Champions League. Both teams had chances; Marcus Tulio Tanaka going agonisingly wide with a header in the opening stages, while Ryota Tsuzuki pulled off a miraculous stop after Fernandinho found himself one-on-one with the Urawa shot-stopper in the last minute of play.

Urawa now go on to face second-placed Kashima Antlers in what is a clash of the titans at Saitama Stadium next weekend. For me, I went straight back on to the bus. Any notion that perhaps the vast majority of Urawa fans really do come from the city of Saitama were dispelled by the bumper-to-bumper traffic that clogged the highway all the way through the megalopolis that is Tokyo, and out on to the Tomei Expressway that winds down the Pacific coastline. The bright lights of the big city were blurred by my tired eyes - I had a headache, and I was hungry. But after one of the biggest days on the Shimizu S-Pulse fan calendar ended in somewhat of an anti-climax, there's no doubt that given the chance, I would do it all again.

Saturday afternoon was always going to be enjoyable. With the cold weather closing in, I was delighted by the knowledge that I would be spending the afternoon basking in the warm glow of the television.

With national broadcaster NHK screening the clash between Gamba Osaka and JEF United, I was further spoilt for choice by the fact that subscription network J-Sports was also offering a choice of Albirex Niigata vs FC Tokyo and Nagoya Grampus Eight vs Jubilo Iwata.

Since my NHK reception could hardly be described as "crystal clear," I decided my best bet was to stick with the match in either Niigata or Toyota, with the obligatory flicking for updates from around the grounds.

One look at the crowd that turned out at Toyota Stadium (17,529... for those of you playing along at home) for the fixture between Nagoya and Jubilo convinced me that Big Swan Stadium in Niigata was the venue of choice.

The Niigata - Tokyo clash turned out to be an entertaining affair, with Naohiro Ishikawa's excellent first half strike made redundant by Edmilson's brace in the second half - the latter a contentious winner scored from the penalty spot. What made the game such a spectacle, at least in part, was the cracking atmosphere raining down from the terraces.

Conversely, the match between Nagoya and Jubilo had all the atmosphere of a funeral procession, as TV viewers were greeted by the sight of row upon row of empty seats. Fitting then, that the two sides played out a dull 0-0 draw - at least as far as I could tell by flicking over between breaks in play, with Takayuki Chano's red card the only real talking point.

It's ironic then, that football seems more and more to be heading down the path of becoming a television sport. Live games in Japan are screened by a multitude of broadcasters - just as they are elsewhere in the world, and although broadcasts don't quite reach the same dizzying standards of your average Sky Sports telecast, the simple choice of watching one of several matches from the comfort of a living room was no doubt persuasive in convincing at least some fans to stay indoors this weekend.

The perennial debate between Aussie Rules and Rugby League fans in Australia over which is the more popular sport, is often settled in the minds of Aussie Rules fans by the fact that some Rugby League matches are played against the backdrop of near-empty stadia. What that argument overlooks, however, is that by sheer accident Rugby League functions almost perfectly as a TV sport.

Of the three times that I've watched an entire game of Aussie Rules, all three have been inside an Aussie Rules ground. On the other hand, of the hundreds of times I've watched a Rugby League game from inside a stadium, I can hardly recall a match that hasn't been enhanced by later watching a replay on television. That's because the minute details of Rugby League are better captured by a TV camera then they are at the ground, whereas the complexities of Aussie Rules - and its large playing field, are lost on a TV screen that can only display so much.

Football probably lies somewhere in between these two sports, with the aesthetics of the beautiful game obvious both inside the ground and on TV. It's perhaps the subtle differences that count for most. When I missed Bare's first goal for Gamba Osaka because I was watching Niigata's Edmilson score on another channel, I simply waited for an NHK replay to bring me up to speed. This season Shimizu S-Pulse installed a video screen at Nihondaira Stadium to replay goals for those caught in the beer queue at an inopportune moment, but seeing a goal replayed on a screen high up in the sky is not quite the same as watching it on TV.

It should be said that of the nine games played in Japan last weekend, four were played in front of what were practically full houses, with another hindered by the fact that only so many away fans can make a 1000 kilometre round trip on a Sunday. That is despite the fact that when the J-League switched from a two-stage system to a single stage format, it ensured that mid-table clubs have little to play for once the title-chasers and relegation-battlers have sorted themselves out.

Still, one can't help but wonder if screening live games on TV does more harm than good. The difference between me and some other J-League fans, perhaps, is that I still went to a game on the weekend. That's a luxury that many fans in England, for example, can't afford.

A few months ago When Saturday Comes made the startling revelation that the average age of an English Premier League fan actually inside the ground, is 43! That's hardly surprising when you consider the cost of attending an EPL game, with many younger fans having no choice but to settle in at home or at a pub to watch the match on TV.

What that means now is that the sight of empty seats at venues like the Riverside Stadium, the Reebok Stadium and even at Chelsea's UEFA Champions League fixtures, is common place. Good for the TV companies perhaps, but good for the game? If football is not careful, soon the only people left on the terraces will be camera crews.

Jungo Fujimoto shows how it's done in front of 16,508 fans at Nihondaira Stadium, who turned out to watch Shimizu S-Pulse come from behind to beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-1.

The match was notable for the fact that it marked Shimizu-born Teruyoshi Ito's 400th J-League game for the club.

Ito became the first player to achieve the milestone for the same club, after Toshiya Fujita reached the mark playing for both Jubilo Iwata and Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Sometimes it's just not your day. That's certainly what the students of Meiji University must have been thinking at around a quarter-to-four yesterday afternoon, after their football team had held Shimizu S-Pulse to an heroic 3-3 draw in the Fourth Round of the Emperor's Cup, only to lose on penalties.

How Shimizu managed to conjure a miraculous escape against the Kanto League part-timers will forever be a source of conjecture for the Nihondaira faithful, but the fact of the matter is that Shimizu are now in the hat for the Fifth Round of Japan's oldest sporting competition. For 120 minutes of a pulsating, thrill-a-minute clash, however, that never looked likely to be the case.

The two teams certainly looked mis-matched when they took to the pitch. For perhaps the first time in his career Shimizu's midget-like Brazilian Fernandinho was actually taller than someone, with Meiji University's left-midfielder seeming to stand around four foot tall! Appearances can be deceptive, however, and any doubts about Meiji University's talent were dispelled when the students bundled J2 side Kyoto Sanga FC out in the Third Round of the competition.

And after weathering an early onslaught, Meiji took the game to their illustrious rivals - taking a shock lead ten minutes before half-time, following a superb right-wing counter-attack. That prompted fury from Shimizu's hardcore fans, who responded with muted boos when their team left the pitch.

S-Pulse coach Kenta Hasegawa withdrew Korean star Cho Jae-Jin for the pacy Takuro Yajima at half-time, with most inside the stadium and watching on broadcaster NHK expecting Shimizu to make short shrift of Meiji's plucky resistance in the second half. Wishful thinking perhaps, as Meiji spurned several glorious chances to take a deserved two goal lead. It took until fifteen minutes from time for midfielder Akihiro Hyodo to thump home an emphatic equaliser, to the visible relief of those dressed in orange.

With eight minutes remaining, man-of-the-match Naoki Aoyama produced what could politely be described as a "defender's finish," simply bludgeoning the ball home from around ten yards out, after he had been thrown into the attack as a makeshift centre forward. Several locals began to head for the exits, but their confidence was misplaced. Deep into stoppage time Meiji received a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, and throwing everyone forward they managed to loop a header over the hapless Kaito Yamamoto to send the game into extra-time.

The drama didn't stop there, and for the second time in the match, Japan's Olympic goalkeeper Yamamoto failed to cover himself in glory, as he was beaten just before the half-time interval in extra-time, with Meiji taking the lead for the first time in the match. It took Shimizu until five minutes from time to equalise, when the bullocking Aoyama powered a header home to send this breathless match to penalties.

As is so often in football's version of Russian Roulette, it was the woodwork that separated these two sides, with Meiji's second penalty thundering into the crossbar with Yamamoto well beaten. The Shizuoka side were flawless from the spot, but the response from both team and fans said it all after Akinori Nishizawa had converted his side's final kick. Shimizu fans gave their side the frostiest of after-match receptions - just one week after the team had been lauded as heroes for their outstanding 3-1 win over Gamba Osaka at the same venue. Instead the Shimizu fans reserved their applause for Meiji University, who were given a deserved standing ovation from all sections of Nihondaira Stadium.

Shimizu will now take on Kanagawa giants Yokohama F. Marinos in the Fifth Round, with the Tokyo-based Meiji University left to ponder what might have been. They came within an inch of producing undoubtedly the upset of the season, but as so often happens in knock-out Cup competitions, it was simply a case of so near, yet so far.

Gamba Osaka have won the 2007 Nabisco League Cup in Japan, beating Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 in front of 41,569 fans at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

Japan under-20 international Michihiro Yasuda scored the only goal of the game, sliding in at the far post to produce a scrappy finish to Bare's low cross.

Gamba had to withstand an early onslaught from Kawasaki - who were playing in only their second major final, but ultimately the Osakans deserved their win.

They were denied a seemingly cast-iron penalty by referee Toshimitsu Yoshida midway through the first half when Kawasaki shot-stopper Eiji Kawashima up-ended Gamba midfielder Takahiro Futagawa inside the box.

Gamba also hit the post through their elusive Brazilian marksman Magno Alves in the second half, as they eventually began to assert their superiority.

Gamba's next appointment is a Fourth Round Emperor's Cup clash with J2 strugglers Montedio Yamagata on November 7, but for the rest of the Japan, the Emperor's Cup action takes place this weekend.

With Urawa Reds hosting Shikoku side Ehime FC of J2 and Omiya Ardija taking on J1 cellar dwellars Yokohama FC, there's a potential Saitama derby looming on the horizon in the next round.

Elsewhere there's an all J1 clash between JEF United and Oita Trinita, while Yokohama F. Marinos take on Japan Football League high-fliers Sagawa Kyubin. There's an Ibaraki derby between neighbours Kashima Antlers and Mito Hollyhock, while Sagan Tosu travel to the crucible of Big Swan Stadium for their clash with Albirex Niigata.

The students of Juntendo University and Meiji University are also still involved. Juntendo knocked out J2 promotion hopefuls Vegalta Sendai in Round Three to book themselves a date with Jubilo Iwata, while Meiji University take on Jubilo's local rivals Shimizu S-Pulse, after Meiji University beat Kyoto Sanga FC in the last round.

The action wraps up on Wednesday night when Gamba clashes with Montedio Yamagata, while Kawasaki Frontale have a tough looking contest with J2 side Cerezo Osaka to contend with. 

Every so often, the fixture list throws up a round so full of grudge matches and potential flash points that it's hard to know where to look. Such a round takes place in the J-League this weekend.

It kicks off when Sanfrecce Hiroshima take on JEF United at Big Arch Stadium. Ordinarily fans have trouble trying to generate an atmosphere at Hiroshima's cavernous concrete home, but something tells me that the presence of one Ilian Stoyanov means that for once, that won't necessarily be the case.

Stoyanov, you might remember, is the Bulgarian defender who claimed that JEF United's Bosnian coach Amar Osim was "clueless" and would lead the Chiba side into the depths of J2. Many of us nodded in agreement at what appeared to be a perfectly reasonable statement. The problem for Stoyanov, of course, was that he too was employed by JEF United.

J-League chairman are nothing if not a fairly predictable bunch, and so after a curt "so long and thanks for all the memories," Stoyanov's contract was torn up by United Chairman Takahiro Yodogawa and the firebrand Bulgarian was duly sent packing.

He's now lobbed up at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and if you think that's the only reason for fans to get excited - think again. JEF United happen to be captained by a certain Yuto Sato, whose twin brother Hisato just so happens to be one of Japan's hottest strikers for... you guessed it, Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

If this colossal clash in the south is not enough to whet the appetit, then perhaps fourth placed Shimizu S-Pulse's tussle with second placed Gamba Osaka is. Around 17,000 tickets have already been sold for this one, with Shimizu locals likely to turn out in force to see if their heroes can't knock off one of the club's genuine bogey sides from the past few years.

There won't be quite the same turn out at Mitsuzawa Stadium, but the connotations of Yokohama FC's encounter with Omiya Ardija are perhaps just as important. Last weekend port city minnows Yokohama FC wracked up the fastest relegation in J-League history, as they booked their ticket back to J2 with an embarrassing 3-0 defeat at the hands of Vissel Kobe - a team who finished seven points behind Yokohama FC in J2 last season.

This time around it's Omiya Ardija who are looking to take advantage of the hapless Yokohama FC - whose new coach Julio Leal has picked up precisely zero points since taking over from the sacked Takuya Takagi, by the way. Omiya recorded a crucial 1-0 win over Hiroshima last weekend and the Saitama side are in a bullish mood, with their refurbished Omiya Park Stadium finally ready for action after work started on it some time around the Jurassic period. The Squirrels of Saitama can expect full houses for the final two home games of the season against Oita Trinita and Kawasaki Frontale.

Speaking of Kawasaki, they travel to Ajinomoto Stadium on Sunday for the always hotly anticipated Tama River Derby. Defence seems to be little more than an afterthought for these two sides, and last season they drew 2-2 at Todoroki Stadium, before taking their grievances across the Tama to Ajinomoto, where FC Tokyo prevailed in a tame 5-4 victory.

That clash is just a precursor for perhaps the biggest match of the round, as all-conquering Urawa Reds (last I heard they were just declared the greatest football team in the history of human existence) take on pseudo-giants Nagoya Grampus Eight.

Something about Urawa just rubs Nagoya the wrong way. Maybe it's the fact that, unlike Nagoya, Urawa actually win things, or maybe it's that after laying their $US3.5 million on the table, Nagoya were laughed at by Yuki Abe, who may or may not have snidely remarked "I wanna play for a club that wins trophies, and if that means that I look stupid playing out of position at left back, well so be it!" as he hopped on the train in the direction of Saitama Stadium.

Makoto Hasebe is rumoured to be on his way to Siena next season, so perhaps Yuki Abe can eventually play in midfield after all, but whichever way you look, there should be fascinating duels all over the park in this one.

Nagoya's Norwegian ace Frode Johnsen will likely try to take advantage of the fact that Urawa centre-back Marcus Tulio Tanaka spends most of his time trying to score goals in his opponent's penalty area. Meanwhile Urawa's token Brazilian striker Washington - who is reputedly Nagoya bound, had his nose plastered all over his face against JEF United last weekend. Ironically it was the first time in his J-League career that he didn't complain after being fouled - probably because he was concussed, and Washington and his pocket-rocket strike partner Tatsuya Tanaka come up against a Nagoya defence that has been decimated by injuries this season.

Elsewhere the combative Kim Jung-Woo and 400-game veteran Toshiya Fujita will size up a Urawa midfield that contains the outstanding Robson Ponte, while in the likes of Keisuke Honda, Keiji Tamada and Tomohiro Tsuda, Nagoya seem to have assembled a handy collection for any "Former Japan Internationals That Have Faded Into Obscurity" museum that might be opening in the near future.

Whatever you do, don't blink now, because the J-League is just starting to heat up.

Last Sunday's J-League clash between FC Tokyo and Shimizu S-Pulse revealed that, if nothing else, the J-League landscape is a diverse one.

For those experiencing a J-League match for the first time, the sound of "DJ Stephen" breathlessly announcing the team line-up's in slow, calculated English may have left newcomers feeling slightly confused.

For Shimizu fans, the match was no doubt celebrated as a chance to knock off a team from the big smoke and avenge the 3-1 drubbing that Tokyo handed out to Shimizu at Nihondaira Stadium earlier in the season.

Tokyo fans will have rejoiced as a crowd of over 30,000 piled into Ajinomoto Stadium on grey autumn afternoon, yet the casual observer may have noted the sight of around 20,000 empty seats staring back at them.

Certainly one of the matches of the round produced a carnival atmosphere, with former Tokyo legend Amaral presented to the capital city faithful before the match. His presence seemed to fire up the hosts, who ended Shimizu's six match winning streak with a 2-0 win, courtesy of an own goal from S-Pulse captain Kazumichi Takagi and a volley seconds later from Tokyo striker Shingo Akamine.

What may have stuck in the mind of Shimizu fans, however, is just how different the experience of watching their team play in front of hosts FC Tokyo was, compared to their usual J-League fare.

The cavernous Ajinomoto Stadium was built with the 2002 FIFA World Cup in mind. Sadly for the city of Tokyo, it was finished before FIFA decided that the tournament should be co-hosted by Korea Republic and Japan. With nearby Saitama Stadium hosting a semi-final and neighbouring Nissan Stadium in Yokohama selected as the venue for the World Cup final, Tokyo was axed as a World Cup city - leaving FC Tokyo to try and find ways of filling a 50,000 capacity ground.

Conventional wisdom suggests that actually winning a few games on the pitch would help, but never a team to back away from some on-field mediocrity, FC Tokyo have come up with some other novel ways of attracting fans. Noted for their so-called "English style" of support, earlier this season FC Tokyo promoted an "English Day" - blasting out Britpop tunes and offering traditional British match-day food at their clash with JEF United. They even rounded up as many English-speaking volunteers as they could find, to guide confused gaijin to their seats after offering free entry to British fans (tough luck for this correspondent!).

All of this stands in glaring contrast to Shimizu S-Pulse - a community club that relies on the support of local fans both to fill Nihondaira Stadium and to keep the team afloat. With the "S-Pulse Club Shop" located on "S-Pulse Street" opposite the "S-Pulse Dream Plaza" shopping centre, the locals here are proud that their football team is one of the focal points of the community.

Shimizu, unlike FC Tokyo - are not fighting in a market that also contains fellow J-League club Tokyo Verdy, as well as two popular baseball teams and the myriad other attractions that a cosmopolitan city like Tokyo offers. As such, it's not surprising to see Tokyo reaching out to new markets - in this case English speakers, although one can't help but think that if Shimizu S-Pulse were also willing to think outside the square, they too might attract new fans who, if nothing else, were willing to pump some money into the club.

Repeated requests on my part for Shimizu to produce an English-language version of their website finally yielded a stock-standard Babelfish translation (http://www.s-pulse.co.jp/english/) that overlooks all of the most crucial details - where to buy tickets, how to access the ground and what the fixture list looks like. Contrast this with local rivals Jubilo Iwata (http://www.jubilo-iwata.co.jp/eng/index.php) and one gets the feeling that Shimizu are happier to turn a blind eye to the sprinkling of English-speakers and Brazilians that dot Nihondaira Stadium on a weekly basis.

Yet, grumblings aside, perhaps what makes the J-League such an intriguing competition is its diversity. The J-League could never be accused of being homogeneous, with most away trips likely to be rewarded with an experience unlike any other. Thus while the warblings of "DJ Stephen" might be a novel treat in the capital (except, perhaps, for non-English speaking FC Tokyo fans!), it would be a shame if this experience was recreated throughout the land.

And while FC Tokyo officials might like to see a couple more of those 20,000 empty seats filled - and they would be if Tokyo Verdy got their act together and achieved promotion from J2, they only need to look outside to see what it might be like to be on the periphery in this country - which is where fans of "American Football" seem to be.