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Japan Times
SOCCER / From the Spot
Sep 25, 2019

Rugby World Cup scores try with Japanese soccer media

Last weekend saw packed crowds take over Ajinomoto Stadium and Nissan Stadium, two of the J. League's biggest venues, for pageantry-filled days of sport.
JAPAN
Jul 5, 2015

Win or lose, World Cup no game changer for women

Win or lose, the enthusiasm Japan is showing for its women's soccer team will probably fizzle soon, leaving aspiring pro players in a rut once again, experts say.
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jul 3, 2008

Bold Kobe bares its teeth to show Olympic soccer is just not worth it

Clubs grumbling over international callups is nothing new, but Vissel Kobe's decision last week to deny Japan the services of striker Yoshito Okubo for the Beijing Olympics may prove to be a watershed moment.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 30, 2022

Brazilian soccer legend Pele dies at 82

Pele transcended soccer — like no player before or since — and became one of the first global icons of the 20th century.
SOCCER / From the Spot
Dec 6, 2020

Play hard, work hard: Nadecare founder Ami Otaki wants to help players build careers in WE League era

Nadecare, an organization intended to support women's soccer players in achieving their career goals and raise the sport's profile in the country, was launched in 2019.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 1, 2010

Why is it OK to cheat in professional soccer?

MELBOURNE — Shortly before half-time in the World Cup elimination match between England and Germany on Sunday, English midfielder Frank Lampard had a shot at goal that struck the crossbar and bounced down onto the ground, clearly over the goal line. German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer grabbed the ball and...
SPORTS / SPORTS SCOPE
Jun 15, 2004

Coach Baxter making a name for himself in world soccer

"Stuart who?"
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 4, 2022

Tear gas and locked gates led to Indonesian soccer stampede, spectators say

The use of tear gas, a crowd-control measure prohibited by world soccer governing body FIFA, has come under scrutiny.
Japan Times
OLYMPICS
Jul 29, 2021

Men's Olympic soccer and the struggle for legitimacy

Poor performances by some of the sport's powerhouses, including France — who were beaten by Japan 4-0 on Wednesday — are a reminder that the Olympic tourney is a different beast.
SOCCER
Jul 28, 2020

WE League chair plots ambitious, progressive path for women's game

After spearheading the growth of Japanese women's soccer in the 80s, Kikuko Okajima hopes to make the new league a force for social change.
SOCCER / Women's World Cup / From the Spot
Jun 23, 2020

Japan must build foundation for women's game after withdrawing bid

The Japan Football Association has lost its easy route to building momentum for the sport after dropping out of contention for the 2023 World Cup.
SOCCER / From the Spot
Jun 5, 2020

JFA's vision for new pro women's league ambitious, but Women's World Cup bid remains pragmatic

The WE League has the right message, but delivering on its promises for the sport will take more than a slogan.
Japan Times
SOCCER / From the Spot
Feb 4, 2019

Restrictions on Japan's soccer media lead to frayed relations with players

In the days since Japan's 3-1 defeat to Qatar in the 2019 Asian Cup final, Japan's soccer media has had plenty of time to unload its takes, whether first, second or simply hot.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?
Jan 5, 2019

Takehiko Nakamura: Kicking around the U.S. for a career in soccer

A U.S. education, says sports fan Nakamura, helped him score a goal in life.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 15, 2015

Soccer still a refuge for BOJ staff

The Bank of Japan officials huddle: they're planning a counterattack.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / JAPAN LITE
Jul 10, 2010

Why I like Japanese soccer fans

The rainy season is my favorite time of the year. I just love to walk out the door and see the flowers in my garden wearing those big huge grins. But that's not the only reason I like the rainy season — it's a great excuse to stay inside and watch sports. The fact that the World Cup always falls during...
EDITORIALS
Aug 20, 2004

Iraq's soccer magic

On the evening of Thursday, Aug. 12, Baghdad's Sadr City, a Shiite Muslim slum that has been the scene of pitched battles between supporters of rebellious cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and U.S. and Iraqi troops, lay strangely quiet and still. Where were the armed militiamen of al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, usually...
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHEN EAST MARRIES WEST
May 12, 2002

Chewing the cud with cheap shots at soccer

Here's a confession for you -- a self-insight I discovered just the other night:
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jul 9, 2023

U.S. women's star Megan Rapinoe to retire at end of season

The winger currently has 199 caps over a span of 17 years playing for her country and also won an Olympic gold medal in London in 2012.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 10, 2022

U.S. soccer journalist dies in Qatar after collapsing during World Cup game

In recent days, longtime soccer writer Grant Wahl wrote about struggles with his health during a run of coverage that, he said, typically left room for about five hours of sleep a night.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Nov 23, 2022

A Saudi soccer victory rings out across the Arab world

Few had given the Saudis a chance of winning a game at the tournament, much less overcoming the might of Argentina and Lionel Messi, arguably the finest player the sport has ever seen.
SOCCER / From the Spot
Aug 16, 2022

WE League aims to build on first-season challenges

After a challenging debut season, Japan's professional women's soccer competition will return to action on Saturday with the first edition of the WE League Cup.
JAPAN / New Normal 2.0
Jun 24, 2022

Japan begins return to business-as-usual at big events — but slowly

Recent trials of allowing cheering at soccer games are indicative of the approach toward large events in the coming months: a slow, highly cautious return to some aspects of normalcy.
Japan Times
PARALYMPICS
Aug 28, 2021

American Nick Mayhugh goes from soccer to track to the top of Paralympic podium

Mayhugh was a soccer player a little over a year ago and admits he's still learning how to be a track and field athlete. Luckily, he's a fast learner.
Japan forward Mina Tanaka dribbles during a SheBelieves Cup match against Australia in Houston on Feb. 20.
SOCCER
Mar 20, 2025

How Mina Tanaka evolved into a prolific striker for Nadeshiko Japan

Mina Tanaka is having a moment. The Nadeshiko Japan and Utah Royals striker dominated the SheBelieves Cup, winning both MVP and top scorer as Japan defeated the U.S.
Urawa Reds Ladies celebrate with their fans after winning the league championship at Urawa Komaba Stadium on June 3, 2023.
SOCCER
May 9, 2024

Urawa Reds Ladies to vie for Asian supremacy amid controversy over AFC's actions

Final to go ahead after backlash forced AFC to reverse earlier decision to cancel match.
New Nadeshiko Japan coach Nils Nielsen (center) poses for photos with JFA President Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (left) and Norio Sasaki, the JFA’s women’s soccer chair, during a news conference on Dec. 18.
SOCCER
Dec 26, 2024

JFA hopes Nils Nielsen's international focus leads Nadeshiko Japan back to glory

Nils Nielsen was officially unveiled as the new Nadeshiko boss at a packed news conference in Tokyo on Dec. 18. 

Longform

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