After a lot of confusion caused by remarks made on Sunday's Hong Kong-Inter Miami broadcast on MLS Season Pass, Apple has pulled the friendly between Inter Miami and Vissel Kobe off MLS Season Pass. Wednesday's contest is the last on the Florida club's trip to Asia, which has been full of issues and controversy. The […]

The confusion and concern surrounding Inter Miami and its tour in Asia is continuing after Apple removed the Vissel Kobe friendly. Originally, the league's streaming partner announced the friendly between Inter Miami and Japanese side Vissel Kobe would be on MLS Season Pass. A chunk of issues surrounding the friendly in Hong Kong have plunged […]

Some young players are already on top of the world, like Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Pedri and more, this column was designed to shine a light on the players inches away from breaking into the front stage of world soccer. It would be easy to pick from the numerous Brazilians close […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Andres Iniesta's floundering J-League side Vissel Kobe fired manager Miguel Angel Lotina after less than three months in charge Wednesday, with reports blaming his treatment of the former Barcelona legend. Iniesta is in danger of being relegated for the first time in his glittering career, with big-spending Vissel rooted to the bottom […]

Tokyo (AFP) – He is known as the "Thai Messi" and grew up idolising Diego Maradona — now Chanathip Songkrasin is making his own name after joining one of Asia's top clubs. The 159-centimetre (five foot two) attacking midfielder is a hero in Thailand, where he captains the national team and advertises everything from credit […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Andres Iniesta won pretty much everything with Barcelona and Spain but the legendary midfielder risks seeing out the tail end of his glittering career in the mire of a relegation dogfight. The 37-year-old joined big-spending Vissel Kobe in Japan in 2018 after making more than 600 appearances for Barcelona, where he won […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Andres Iniesta's Japanese team Vissel Kobe have fired manager Atsuhiro Miura after a seven-game winless start to the new J-League season. Vissel announced Sunday that Miura, who had been in charge since September 2020 and was previously the club's director of sport, would step down with the team third from bottom of […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Twinkle-toed Japanese footballer Kazuyoshi Miura has racked up another astonishing landmark by eclipsing former England great Stanley Matthews in the record books with his second professional appearance since turning 50. Miura, who last week became the first fiftysomething to grace the J-League, played in Yokohama FC's 1-1 draw against V-Varen Nagasaki on […]

Tokyo (AFP) – German World Cup winner Lukas Podolski has formally joined Japan's Vissel Kobe, the J-League club said Thursday, bucking a trend of big-name players moving to cash-rich China. The 31-year-old forward, who has played for Turkey's Galatasaray since 2015, is expected to arrive in Japan in June. Kobe did not give immediate details […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura, who turns 50 next month, has renewed his contract with Yokohama FC, stretching his record as the oldest Japanese to play professional football. The forward, dubbed "King Kazu" by Japanese media and fans, will take his career into a remarkable 32nd season after agreeing a one-year deal, […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Kashima Antlers completed Japan's double on Sunday by beating Kawasaki Frontale 2-1 in the Emperor's Cup final. Kashima, who won their eighth J-League title last month, crushed Kawasaki as midfielder Fabricio dos Santos Messias struck a goal in the fourth minute into extra time. "All I was thinking was to help the […]

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Asian title-holders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors could be banned from next year's AFC Champions League over a match-fixing scandal after a new eligibility body was unveiled on Friday. Jeonbuk, who lifted the Asian trophy in November, two months after they were punished for match-fixing in South Korea's K-League, face a possible one-year […]

Saitama (Japan) (AFP) – Kashima Antlers stunned perennial chokers Urawa Reds 2-1 away Saturday to win their eighth Japanese title on away goals after an absorbing two-legged championship final. A Mu Kanazaki double crushed Urawa's dreams of a first J-League title in 2006, the striker smashing home a late penalty to complete an improbable turnaround […]

Tokyo (AFP) – Urawa Reds secured top spot in the J-League overall standings after a 1-1 home draw with Yokohama F-Marinos on Thursday, keeping alive their hopes of a domestic treble. The former Asian champions finished with 74 points over the season's two stages, two more than Kawasaki Frontale, who blew a two-goal advantage in […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal have agreed a deal to bring 21-year-old Japanese international striker Takuma Asano to North London from J-League side Sanfrecce Hiroshima, the Premier League club said on Sunday. Capped five times by Japan, Asano is in line for the Japanese squad at the Rio Games, was rookie of the year in Japan […]