Sunrockers, Brave Thunders advance to Emperor's Cup final
The dynamic duo of Sebastian Saiz and Ryan Kelly guided the Sunrockers Shibuya to their first Emperor's Cup gold-medal game with a 96-69 win over the Shiga Lakestars in the All-Japan Basketball Championship semifinals at Saitama Super Arena on Saturday. Saiz, a 205-cm Spaniard, collected ...
National Stadium less than sum of its parts
The new National Stadium is open for business, having survived a December opening gala featuring J-pop icons Arashi and the 2019 Emperor's Cup final with a number of online grumbles but few out-and-out disasters. But is that enough to earn the $1.4 billion centerpiece of ...
Vissel rings in new year with first-ever Emperor's Cup title
A new year, a new decade, a new stadium and a new champion. Vissel Kobe christened Tokyo's rebuilt National Stadium with its first-ever Emperor's Cup title on Wednesday, taking advantage of a pair of defensive lapses to defeat Kashima Antlers 2-0 on New Year's Day. The ...
Andres Iniesta scored one goal and helped set up another as Vissel Kobe advanced to the Emperor's Cup final with a 3-1 win over Shimizu S-Pulse on Saturday. The star-studded J. League club will christen the new National Stadium in Tokyo on New Year's Day ...
Veteran Tochiozan clawing back to makuuchi in twilight of long career
After finishing five straight tournaments with a losing record, Tochiozan was demoted to the juryo division for the ongoing Fukuoka meet. The veteran is in a good position for instant repromotion to the top tier after securing a winning record on Day 12, but whether ...
Vissel Kobe's David Villa wants to end career on New Year's Day
In a Wednesday news conference occasionally interrupted by tears, Vissel Kobe striker David Villa announced his decision to retire after the end of the current J. League season. The 2010 World Cup winner has spent the twilight of his career globetrotting since establishing himself as ...
Hakuho's many accomplishments make him the greatest of all time
Sumo has been around in various forms for over 2,000 years. Even what we can call the modern form of the sport has existed since the 1600s. It's hardly surprising when dealing with a timeframe of centuries or millennia that the number of all-time-great rikishi is ...
Antlers reach Emperor's Cup semifinals after ending Honda FC's Cinderella run
Kashima Antlers eliminated Emperor's Cup surprise package Honda FC on Wednesday, reaching the semifinals of the tournament with a 1-0 win after Shoma Doi struck midway through the second half. Having already knocked out reigning champions Urawa Reds in a 2-0 upset on Sept. 25, ...
Hosei University stuns first-division side Gamba in Emperor's Cup
Gamba Osaka made a stunning exit from the Emperor's Cup on Wednesday, losing 2-0 to Hosei University in the third round of the competition. Ryotaro Onishi and Riku Morioka scored for Hosei in the 24th and 70th minutes, respectively, to secure the surprise win over ...
Nagoya Grampus suffer big upset in Emperor's Cup second round
Nagoya Grampus suffered an ignominious 3-0 defeat to the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya on Wednesday, perhaps the biggest upset of the evening's slate of Emperor's Cup second-round fixtures. Fielding a reserve-heavy squad, the J. League first-division side was unable to find ...
Jets cap comeback against Alvark in final second, book spot in Emperor's Cup final
The Chiba Jets Funabashi are returning to the Emperor's Cup final. To get there, it took an improbable chain of events ,but Chiba now has a shot at winning its third consecutive tournament crown. Michael Parker nailed a game-winning shot with 0.5 seconds remaining against the ...
Jets, Hannaryz, Brex, Alvark reach Emperor's Cup semifinals
Four B. League teams advanced to the Emperor's Cup semifinals after posting victories on Thursday at Saitama Super Arena. The two-time defending champion Chiba Jets Funabashi, Kyoto Hannaryz, Tochigi Brex and Alvark Tokyo remain in the hunt for the title. Jets 66, Brave Thunders 63 Yuki Togashi ...
