James Taylor, Jon Steele and Mike Innes joined forces for another full and frank review of all the latest J2 and J3 football. First, James and Jon discussed Okayama v Shimizu (start to 07:20), Akita v Yokohama FC (to 17:35), Mito v Fujieda (to 24:55), and Tokushima v Yamagata (to 34:20). Then, they chose their Most Bravo Players of the weekend (to …

In this week's episode Alan Gibson slid into the co-hosts chair with Jonny away, as we reviewed a huge week in Japanese football, joined by special guest Stuart Woodward. In a brief Part 1 Alan and Ben chatted about Japan's Under 23s making it through to the semi finals of their Asian Cup with a very eventful win over Qatar (Update: Japan beat Iraq…

Fashionably late this week, James and Jon have you covered with another review of the latest events in the second tier of the J.League. Pesky scheduling conflicts in the real world meant that the boys couldn't record together this time, so in Part 1 of this episode (Start to 10:30), James covers all of the weekend's J2 action (Round 11) in solo mod…

Our new episode features a full breakdown of all nine J1 Matchday 9 games played over the weekend, beginning with Machida returning to the top of the table after a controversy-tinged Tokyo Derby victory over FC Tokyo, and Cerezo Osaka slipping off the summit after their first loss of the season, away at Nagoya. We then move on to a trio of 1-0 away…

In this standalone episode of JTSC, Mike Innes guides you through all the latest action involving J3 teams in the Levain Cup, prefectural qualifiers for the Emperor’s Cup, and rescheduled J3 league matches. First, Mike runs through the Levain Cup 2nd round matches from Wednesday 17th(start to 04:30). Then, there’s a recap of the games that took pla…

James Taylor and Jon Steele cast their analytical gaze over another round of J2 football. In this episode, they focus on 4 games from matchday 10: Iwaki v Shimizu (start to 08:35), Nagasaki v Tokushima (to 20:15), Kumamoto v Kofu (to 26:50) and Yamaguchi v Gunma (to 34:40) and crown their Most Bravo Player (to 39:55). Then there’s a preview of the …

With perfect timing, another 'J-Talk: Short Corner' special is now ready for mass consumption! Scheduling conflicts mean that James and Jon's J2 chat is being recorded later than usual this week, so we've once again decided to give Mike 'The Magic' Innes some richly-deserved limelight by putting out JTSC in advance (so that listeners can hear Mike'…

After another terrific round of J1 action, Jonny and Ben were joined by Lewis White and Tom Pennington to get their thoughts on a Tokyo Derby that was worth the 16 year wait (to 36:55). Then in Part 2 your co-hosts run through the other nine games from Matchday 8, beginning with Kobe knocking Machida off the summit, and Cerezo Osaka taking over at …

After a packed week of J2 action, Jon and James are back to have their say on the big talking points from two full rounds of second-tier thrills and spills. In Part 1, the focus is on last Wednesday's midweek fixtures. The boys discuss a tight (ahem) home victory for JEF Chiba against a hapless Tochigi (Start to 07:00), then move on to cover Nagasa…

Due to some scheduling conflicts for Jon and James, the J2 segment of JTSC is coming slightly later than usual this week - but not to worry, as Mike 'The Magic' Innes is here to bring you up to speed on all the latest news from J3. In this episode, Mike looks back at a weekend slate of J3 matches that produced stacks of goals (not least at the Go G…

Sean Carroll made a very welcome return to the pod to discuss the last two rounds of J1 action, as well as his recent trip down to Kyushu, and his book: Between the Lines. We began our top flight round-up with the three teams that won twice in Matchdays 6 & 7 - Hiroshima, Iwata and FC Tokyo - before moving on to the two that notched first wins in t…

Jon Steele, James Taylor and Mike Innes are back with another action packed JTET. In part 1, Jon and James run through J2 round 7 fixtures, stopping to talk in detail about Yokohama FC v Sendai (start to 09:10), Kofu v Yamaguchi (to 15:30), and Tokushima v Gunma, along with all the off-field news from the latter two clubs (to 30:35). Then the guys …

J1 returned with a bang after the international break, and in this episode we review all 10 top flight games, beginning with Kobe's rout of Sapporo, whose start to the season is bordering on a crisis. Next, Nagoya's horror start might be a thing of the past after they came from behind to beat Yokohama F.Marinos, before we discuss leaders Machida go…

After a rather hectic 7 days of fixtures in J2 and J3, the JTET team are back to round up all of the key points (and some minor ones) from the most recent games. First of all, James and Jon look back on some of the eye-catching games from last Wednesday in J2 (Round 5), chatting about Shimizu's late breakthrough at JEF Chiba (Start to 07:50), and e…

It was our great pleasure to welcome Scott McIntyre back for his long-awaited return to the pod, to chat about Japan's 1-0 win over North Korea last Thursday night and the ramifications of the cancelled rematch, scheduled for Tuesday night in Pyongyang (to 21:05). In Part 2 we discuss some of the teams that have disappointed and surprised through t…

With a full midweek round of J2 and J3 fixtures haring into view, the JTET team are back (just in time) with a look back at the latest games and talking points from the lower tiers of the J.League. In this episode, James and Jon begin by talking about the J2-centric Levain Cup results from last Wednesday (Start to 07:15), a chastening night for the…

Alan Gibson from JSoccer Magazine and JSoccer.com guests in the first part of this week's episode, as we review the fourth round of the season. We begin with surprise leaders Machida, who won for the third straight game, away at Sapporo (to 8:05), before moving on to the game of the round on paper, Hiroshima's trip to Kobe, which finished goalless …

Time for your weekly dose of J2 and J3 analysis with James, Jon, and Mike! The boys begin this week with some birthday wishes for James, and a look back at the Levain Cup ties involving J2 sides from last Wednesday night (Start to 12:20). After that, discussion turns to last weekend's J2 action, including a cavalcade of teams picking up their first…

We're back with a full review of J1 Matchday 3. We begin in Hiroshima, where Sanfrecce went top on goal difference after putting Tosu to the sword (to 15:15), before moving on to the three teams who won for the first time this season over the weekend - Cerezo Osaka, Kyoto and Urawa (to 46:45). Then Machida and Kashiwa kept the good times rolling, a…

There was plenty to talk about in the second rounds of J2 and J3, and the JTET team is on the ball. In part 1, Jon Steele and James Taylor talk about Nagasaki v Sendai and Kumamoto v Gunma, name their Most Bravo Players of the weekend, then look ahead to Wednesday night’s Levain Cup matches and round 3 of J2. In part 2, Mike Innes has a comprehensi…

We're back with a full run through of all the results and major talking points from Matchday 2 of the new J1 season. Timestamps: Friday night - Kawasaki v Iwata to 18:00 and Yokohama F.Marinos v Fukuoka to 25:55 Saturday's winners, from Machida through to Gamba Osaka to 1:03:50, and the three draws to 1:31:10, before a check of the Matchday 3 fixtu…

The JTET team is back in action with a full review of the opening weekend of J2 and J3. In part 1, James Taylor and Jon Steele discuss three games from J2, pick their Most Bravo Player, and preview the coming weekend’s fixtures. Part 2 is J-Talk: Short Corner with Mike Innes; he has all the action from last weekend in J3 and looks ahead to round 2.…

History was made, and repeated, in J1 Matchday 1, and Dan Orlowitz joined us to chat about some of the biggest games, and storylines, from the opening weekend of the new campaign. Dan guests in Part 1, and we begin with the two games he was at, starting with Tokyo Verdy's return to the big time on Sunday, and the Greens were very impressive even th…

With less than 24 hours until the new J2 campaign gets underway, JTET is back and banging for one final pre-season pod. In this mini-episode, James Taylor and Jon Steele begin by reviewing valiant Ventforet Kofu's ACL Round of 16 clash with Ulsan, which ended in defeat (but no disgrace) for Yoshiyuki Shinoda's men. We also talk a little bit about w…

We wrap up our top flight season previews with FC Tokyo and Nagoya, before looking ahead to Matchday 1 of the 2024 season. In Part 1 Tom Pennington from the FC Tokyo Kai-Guys guests to chat about how The Gasmen can turn things around after last year's mediocre campaign, with some exciting attacking talent signed in the winter. And its an early win …

The opening round of J2 fixtures is just a few days away, so James Taylor and Jon Steele, with special guests, have the final batch of J2 previews: Start to 09:50 Renofa Yamaguchi (Jon and James) 09:50 to 18:25 Oita Trinita (Jon and James) 18:25 to 26:00 Kagoshima United (Jon and James) 26:00 to 34:20 Roasso Kumamoto (Garry) 34:20 to end V-Varen Na…

Mike Innes returns with previews of the remaining 10 J3 clubs, a whistle-stop tour of the Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa regions, as well as a look ahead to the opening round of fixtures. Start to 03:20 Azul Claro Numazu 03:20 to 05:22 FC Gifu 05:22 to 07:30 FC Osaka 07:30 to 09:30 Nara Club 09:30 to 11:40 Gainare Tottori 11:40…

Well, we've finally done it! At the seventh time of asking we've finally eclipsed the two-hour mark in our previews as we run the rule over the three promoted clubs. First cab off the rank is Tokyo Verdy, and it was our great pleasure to welcome Lewis White on for his big pod debut to chat about Verdy's return to the top division after a 15-year ab…

James Taylor and Jon Steele return with another special guest and previews of 5 more J2 teams ahead of the 2024 season: Start to 09:25 Shimizu S-Pulse (Jon and James) 09:25 to 16:35 Fujieda MYFC (Jon and James) 16:35 to 22:35 Tokushima Vortis (Jon and James) 22:35 to 29:40 Ehime FC (Jon and James) 29:40 to end Fagiano Okayama (@Fagi_INTL_Fans) Than…

With the ACL back and banging this midweek, Jon and James got together to preview Ventforet Kofu's Round of 16 clash with K-League giants Ulsan. Over the course of a 15-minute chat, the boys take a Wikipedia-informed look at the Ulsan side, and offer their thoughts on our J2 representative's chances of progressing to the Quarter-Finals. We hope eve…

James Taylor and Jon Steele plus special guest are back with another set of J2 teams to preview ahead of the 2024 season: Start to 07:15 Mito Hollyhock (Jon and James) 07:15 to 13:00 Tochigi SC (Jon and James) 13:00 to 21:10 Yokohama FC (Jon and James) 21:10 to 27:30 Ventforet Kofu (Jon and James) 27:30 to end JEF United (Chris) Thank you to Chris …

We wrap up Week 3 of our J1 Season Previews with a tour of Kanagawa: Neil Debnam guests to chat about Kawasaki, and whether they can rebound up the table after last season's disappointing 8th place finish (to 39:40); then Jonny and Ben discuss Shonan, now on their longest run of consecutive seasons in J1, but is this the year their luck runs out (t…

Not wanting to miss out on all the preview pod action, Mike Innes is here with the first of two previews for the 2024 J3 season. In this episode, Mike covers teams in the Tohoku, Kanto, and Hokushinetsu regions. Start to 03:25 Vanruare Hachinohe 03:25 to 05:23 Iwate Grulla Morioka 05:23 to 07:17 Fukushima United 07:17 to 09:28 Omiya Ardija 09:28 to…

We kick off our third week of top flight season previews with a little jaunt down to Kyushu. In Daniel Hawkins' stead Jonny and Ben do their best to put last year's best-ever finish for Fukuoka into perspective, and wonder what Shigetoshi Hasebe's side can manage for an encore (to 32:35), before we move on to the little engine that could - Tosu. Is…

We're back with our next group of teams to wrap up our second week of previews. Ralf Seidl guests in Part 1 to chat about title contenders Urawa (to 37:05), before we shift our focus down the table and look at Kashiwa (to 56:00) and Niigata.By Ben Maxwell

Its week 2 of our J1 season previews, and in this episode Tom Dallyn (on his J-Talk debut!) chats with Jonny and Ben about Sapporo (to 35:30), before we run the rule over Kashima. Both clubs appear to have lost more than they gained in the transfer market, so Consadole's hopes of a first top half finish in six years look slim, and, while it would b…

The new J2 season is fast approaching, so James Taylor and Jon Steele, plus special guests, swing back into action to preview five teams: Start to 05:05 Montedio Yamagata (James and Jon) 05:05 to 08:35 Thespa Gunma (James and Jon) 08:35 to 18:50 Vegalta Sendai (Fin) 18:50 to 51:05 Blaublitz Akita (Martin) 51:05 to end Iwaki FC (Leslie) Thank you to…

Japan bowed out of the Asian Cup after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Iran on Saturday night, and in this episode we round up the game, the sideshow(s) around the squad before and after, and pick out some players for praise or criticism.By Ben Maxwell

The Samurai Blue secured their spot in the quarter finals of the Asian Cup for a ninth straight time with a 3-1 win over Bahrain on Wednesday night, and in this episode we run through the major talking points from the game.By Ben Maxwell

We weren't planning on it (but should've known, knowing us!), but our lengthy recording session on Monday meant that our previews stretched over two episodes, and so we proudly present Episode 500 of J-Talk! Once again Alan Gibson was our guest (though Ben forgot to properly introduce him at the start of the pod) as we preview defending J1 Champion…

Its officially happy new season time as we kick off our J1 Season Previews! Alan Gibson, live and direct from Bangkok, joined us to chat about the first five clubs off the rank, but as our recording stretched over two hours we decided to separate into two episodes, so on this podcast we preview both Osaka clubs - Cerezo and Gamba. Both finished 202…

aka “Misery Loves Company” Zweigen Kanazawa supporters James Taylor and Victor Arroyo joined forces for a full and frank post mortem of their team’s terrible season, which ended in relegation to J3. The wide-ranging discussion takes in all aspects of the club (on and off the pitch) before finishing on a slightly more positive note ahead of the 2024…

The Samurai Blue sealed their spot in the Round of 16 of the Asian Cup with a comfortable victory over Indonesia on Wednesday night, with manager Hajime Moriyasu now faced with several selection dilemmas ahead of their next game against Bahrain after his raft of changes for this one paid off. We run through the game's major talking points, before a…

After a longer-than-expected break (sorry!), the JTET team are back to round off their in-depth review of the 2023 J2 season. To start things off in Part 3, James Taylor and Jon Steele take a look at Tokushima Vortis (01:20 to 06:00), Vegalta Sendai (06:00 to 12:20), and Mito Hollyhock (12:20 to 17:30). After that, special guest Leslie Mabon (@ljma…

Japan suffered a disappointing defeat to Iraq in their second group stage game at the Asian Cup, and Ryo Nakagawara joined Jonny and Ben to discuss the frustrating performance. If you're not already, please follow Ryo on Twitter/X, and subscribe to his newsletter.By Ben Maxwell

Japan's Asian Cup campaign got off to a shaky, but ultimately successful start on Sunday night, and in this episode we run through it all, from a slightly surprising selection decision from the manager Hajime Moriyasu, through that eventful first half in which the Samurai Blue took the lead, lost it, but then got themselves back on top before the b…

After a few days off for the New Year holidays, JTET is back with the second episode of our club-by-club J2 season review for 2023. This time, Jon Steele and James Taylor kick off (sorry) by discussing Ventforet Kofu (Start to 07:10), Oita Trinita (07:10 to 14:10), and Fagiano Okayama (14:10 to 20:50). After that, we welcomed a pair of guest corres…

Happy new year one and all. On our first episode of 2024, Dan Orlowitz guests to chat about Japan's Asian Cup squad, and the J.League's decision to switch to an autumn to spring calendar from the 2026/27 season. As mentioned on the podcast, here are some links if you'd like to donate to the earthquake relief efforts: Association for Aid and Relief,…

After a short break to recharge the batteries, the JTET team are back for some club-by-club reviews of the 2023 J2 season! In this episode, the focus is on the top seven teams from the final league table. Jon Steele and James Taylor begin by looking at the automatically-promoted sides: Machida Zelvia (Start to 06:50), and Jubilo Iwata (06:50 to 12:…

The J.League season might have ended, but the JTET machine cannot be stopped (believe us - we've tried). This week, Jon and James got started with some ACL chat (Start to 12:30), covering Kofu's superb result last midweek over in Thailand (and their frankly astonishing passage to the knockout stage as group winners). After that, the gents shared th…