KAWASAKI — A lot of things have changed at Kawasaki Frontale over the past six months, but Brazilian striker Juninho's desire to help the club win its first J. League title is not one of them.
With goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima and striker Chong Tese departing for Europe after the World Cup, Frontale's bid to improve on successive runnerup finishes fizzled out into fifth place last season, with manager Tsutomu Takahata making way for former player Naoki Soma after a frustratingly inconsistent campaign.
But Juninho has been at the club far too long to dwell on such disappointment. The 33-year-old has been a mainstay since arriving in 2003, sharing in heartbreak after heartbreak as a string of lost finals and silver medals firmly established Frontale as the J. League's perennial bridesmaid.