J League kicks off!

...and shuts down!

The J Leagues 2011 season kicked off a couple of weeks ago, with new teams promoted, a new champion in Nagoya Grampus, and lots of teams losing Japanese players overseas on the back of a successful World Cup run, and the recent victory in the Asian Cup.

Kashima and Nagoya had to claw back to score draws in th opening weekend, whilst other top teams such as Kawazaki and Gamba scoring victories. Urawa is looking to make a comeback, but lost. In the meantime, the top two teams are a slight surprise, with Kashiwa Reysol topping the league on 3 points, and +3 goal difference. The newly promoted side top the league because of the alphabet! K coming before N.

That N standing for my own Albirex Niigata who match Kashiwa for points and goals after seeing off Fukuoka 3-0, in Fukuoka. Not an easy game. Fukuoka are newly promoted, but its a helluva long way to go from Niigata to the south of the country. Just to put it into context. A round trip for Newcastle to play Arsenal is about 1000km. That still falls some 150km short of the distance from Niigata to Fukuoka, one way!

Still, it all got exciting!

Then there was the massive m9.0 earthquake off the coast of Miyagi, and the resultant tsunami.

The damage that has inflicted has been immense. For example, Vegalta Sendai play out of the Yurtec Stadium...

Which has suffered extensive damage.

Kashima Antlers have the Kashima stadium...

Which too has seen damage to its structure. Whilst a lot of the damage seems superficial from what I have seen on the TV, they will still need to do a structural analysis to make sure the structure is sound.

Needless to say, the J-League has suspended operations until mid-April at the earliest. Players from other regions (not that of their club) are heading out, and overseas players are being given permission to head home for an extended break.

The Japan national team games look like they are in jeopardy too. Whilst the national stadium is fine, the nation is suffering rolling blackouts to keep as much power as possible flowing north. It would be obscene to play the Japan games at a fully lit stadium whilst people are having to survive with nothing.

Here is hoping that the nuclear plant can be sorted, and that life can return to normality soon. It sounds daft, but we need sports. It gives people something to hope for in amongst this mess. There is not a lot of grief right now. People are too busy surviving. But grief will come, and sports can play its part in comforting people in a time of darkness.