Jubilo
Iwata
Overview
Jubilo
Iwata has established itself as one of the top
teams in the J.League, and in recent years the
team has developed a fierce rivalry with Kashima
Antlers for the top position in the league.
The two rivals are well matches, as Jubilo's
dangerous forwards and aggressive drives through
the middle contrast with the Antlers' strength
in midfield and their overlapping wing attacks.
Particularly in the stretch between 1996 and
1999, the two played some brilliant matches
for both league and cup titles.
The
original football club which gave birth to Jubilo
Iwata was a club team of Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.,
established in 1972. This makes Jubilo about
two decades younger than the other dominant
J.League clubs Yokohama Marinos, Antlers and
Verdy. Jubilo's climb to prominence was very
rapid. In 1978, Yamaha entered the JSL second
division, and opened its current home stadium
at Higashiyama, Shizuoka, in central Japan.
The very next year the team was promoted to
the first division. Between 1982 and 1989 the
club won several league or league cup titles,
yet a poor season in 1991 meant that Yamaha
failed to be included in the ten teams preparing
to form the new J.League. Despite this disappointment,
the team established itself as a separate organisation
-- Yamaha Football Club Ltd., and changed its
name to Jubilo Iwata, selecting a name which
means "delight" in Spanish. The team
logo and mascot feature the black paradise flycatcher,
a bird viewed in Japan as representing light,
and good luck.
In
1994, following a second-place finish in the
JFL, Jubilo was promoted to the J.League. Jubilo's
development as one of the most successful J.League
franchises owes a great deal to two individual
-- Dutchman Hans Ooft and Brazil midfielder
Carlos Dunga. Ooft, a former coach of the Japanese
national team, took over the reins at Jubilo
in 1994. The following year Ooft signed Dunga,
a former captain of Brazil, to act as his on-field
general and the core of the new team. Between
them, Ooft and Dunga were able to mold a group
of players into into one of the most well-coordinated
teams in the league. Even after the two left,
Jubilo has continued to perform at a very high
level despite the fact that some commentators
are less than impressed by the skills of individual
players. Jubilo's record in league and cup championships
pretty much speaks for itself. Jubilo has always
had a number of talented midfielders, including
not only Dunga but also such national team members
as Hiroshi Nanami, Daisuke Oku and Toshiya Fujita.
However, the team has always been most notable
for its deadly forwards. Masashi "Gon"
Nakayama has often been criticised for his poor
ball skills, and it is true that his first touch
of the ball is still rather suspect. However,
he has an uncanny ability to find open space
and get off a shot. This skill, and his excellent
control in the air, have won him the J.League
scoring title on two occasions. Following in
Nakayama's footsteps is Naohiro Takahara, who
scored six goals in Japan's Asian Cup campaign
and is viewed as one of the country's best strikers.
Although Takahara moved to Argentina during
the 2001 season, to play for Boca Juniors, the
move proved to be short-lived, and Takahara
rejoined Jubilo in 2002. This turned out to
be very propitious for the team, as Takahara
finished the season as the League's top scorer
and most valuable player, and led Jubilo to
victories in both the first and second stages.
This historic achievement made it unnecessary
for a playoff, and Jubilo were crowned uncontested
league champions in 2002.
Despite
their tremendous success in 2002, there are
many question marks for Jubilo in 2003. Coach
Masakazu Suzuki retired at the end of the season,
choosing to go out while he was on top, and
his spot will probably be filled by assistant
coach Masaaki Yanagimoto. More importantly,
the team's ace striker Takakara signed a three-year
contract with Hamburger SV, in the Bundesliga,
which will deprive the team of much of its scoring
punch. With many other players in their early
30s, the team may have passed its peak for the
time being, and will need to wait until some
of the youngsters who were brought in over the
last year or two can mature, before they return
to the ranks of the top contenders. Though Jubilo
cannot be written off as a possible champion
in 2003, it seems more likely that the next
year or two will be a transition phase, as the
team eases out some of its veterans and brings
in younger players.
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Jubilo
Iwata
Info
Stadium:
Jubilo Iwata Stadium
Honours:
J.League
Champions: 1997,1999,
2002
Nabisco Cup Champions:
1998
Super Cup Champions:
2000
Asian
Club Champions:
1998/99
Asian
Super Cup Champions:
1999
QUICK
FACT
Mizuho
Stadium is the oldest facility currently
used by a J.League team. It was built
in 1947.
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