The J. League’s birthday celebrations this year will be quieter than usual, even as the league begins plotting a July return.
Friday’s scheduled first-division fixture between Urawa Reds and Gamba Osaka would have marked the 27th anniversary of the league’s first-ever game between Verdy Kawasaki and Yokohama Marinos on May 15, 1993, at Tokyo’s National Stadium.
Instead, the league remains in limbo, with players at most clubs unable to train due to the national state of emergency caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.