The J-Talk Podcast

James Taylor and Jon Steele gathered their remaining energy to discuss the final set of J2 Golden Week fixtures. James reviews 9 games from matchday 14 in part 1 (start to 06:55), then chats to Jon about Sapporo v Iwata (06:55 to 25:10), Most Bravo Player (25:10 to 30:25), and the matchday 15 fixtures (30:25 to end).   Thank you for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Jonny and Ben wrap up Golden Week with a look back at the midweek action from J1 Matchday 15. We begin with 1-0 wins for Kashima and Kashiwa on Tuesday, then move on to Wednesday night's action - Kyoto's dramatic late victory at Machida, and Hiroshima squeaking past Shonan - before reviewing the other games from Tuesday, including excellent wins for both Osaka clubs.

With the Golden Week holidays in full swing, Jon Steele takes control of a solo JTET mini-pod to run through all of the J2 action from Saturday 3rd May (Round 13 of the season). Over a 15-minute pod, you'll hear about all of the goals and talking points from the Round 13 matches, along with Jon's pick for a Most Bravo Player and a quick look ahead to Tuesday afternoon's full slate of fixtures (Round 14). Thanks for all the support as always, and enjoy the pod! *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Jonny and Ben begin by commiserating with Kawasaki after their ACL Elite final defeat, then review all eight games played on Saturday in J1 Matchday 14.

Regular JTET co-hosts Jon Steele and James Taylor get together for another monthly update of the topsy-turvy world of J3. The episode begins with a discussion of recent goalfests involving Kochi United (start to 08:50), then takes in the standout attacking performances of Paulo Junichi Tanaka (08:50 to 17:30), Giravanz Kitakyushu's impressive defence (17:30 to 20:25), a checkup of James' beloved Zweigen Kanazawa (20:25 to 32:10), and a look at the bottom of J3, with a brief focus on the struggles of Thespa Gunma and Azul Claro Numazu (32:10 to end).   Thanks for your support of the J-Talk Podcast, J-Talk: Extra Time, and J-Talk: Short Corner. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

In this brief episode, James Taylor rounds up all the action from J2 matchday 12 (start to 04:05), selects a Most Bravo Player (04:05 to 05:40), and previews the upcoming fixtures on Saturday and Tuesday (05:40 to end). Apologies for the variable sound quality this time - there were some technical issues. Thank you for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Jonny and Ben return with a midweek special, to round up the eight games played from J1 Matchday 13 on Tuesday. After beginning the episode with a quick look back at Kawasaki's ACL Elite quarter final win (Spoiler Alert: They won their semi final, too!), we begin our J1 wrap with the game Jonny was at: Gamba Osaka's win over incumbent leaders Kyoto (to 14:45). Then we move on to Kashima going top, and Kashiwa second, with away wins (to 23:10), Shimizu and Machida both moving up after also winning on the road (to 30:50), Tokyo Verdy's second straight win, and Hiroshima Crisis Watch after their home defeat at the hands of Niigata, plus the only draw between Shonan and Fukuoka.

With a rush of Golden Week matches hoving into view, the JTET team looks back on the most recent slate of J2 fixtures (played across Friday and Saturday last week). In Part 1 (Start to 04:15) James gives us a whistle-stop tour of the action from 9 of the Round 11 games. Then in Part 2, Jon was joined by familiar voice (but first-time guest) Leslie Mabon for a deep dive into Iwaki's stunning 4-3 win at Nagasaki. In a wide-ranging chat, the boys talked about Leslie's impressions of the Peace Stadium, the match itself, & the season so far for both clubs (04:15 to 44:40). There's also time for Most Bravo Player chat (44:40 to 47:00), and a look ahead to Tuesday afternoon's J2 action in Round 12 (47:00 to Finish)! Big thanks for Leslie for taking the time to pod with us, and we hope everyone enjoys the show! *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

With Golden Week upon us, the stars aligned and former co-host Sam Robson was able to join Jonny and Ben for a full review of all eight games played from J1 Matchday 12 over the weekend (the large majority of them on Friday night). Sam also shares his thoughts on the state of the league - with goals down across the division - while we were keen to discuss teams like surprise leaders Kyoto and promoted high-fliers Okayama with him.

James Taylor and Jon Steele return with another packed episode of JTET. In part 1, James reviews 9 games from J2 matchday 10 (start to 07:20), then he's joined by Jon to analyse Montedio Yamagata v Ehime FC (07:20 to 22:40) and elect a Most Bravo Player (22:40 to 27:20). To round out the episode, the boys take a deep breath before looking ahead to the upcoming bombardment of J2 fixtures (27:20 to end). Thank you for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

After the rest of the Levain Cup Round 2 games were played last Wednesday, Jon Steele covers all of the action from a J2 standpoint in an 8-minute mini-pod. All 5 of the J2 v J1 ties last midweek went into extra time, but in the end only one 2nd-tier side made it through to the next round! Jon also nominates a Most Bravo Player from the midweek madness. *You can support The J-Talk Podcast on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our dedicated Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky @jtalket.bsky.social

Alan Gibson returned to the podcast, to help Jonny and Ben review goings-on from last midweek, and how the four Kansai clubs are faring after 11 rounds. We chat about the three J1 games - including Steve Holland's ouster at Yokohama F.Marinos after their home loss to Shimizu - and the conclusion of the 2nd round of the 1st round of the Levain Cup last Wednesday (to 18:30), before moving on to Matchday 11, beginning with our new leaders Kyoto, Kobe's fruitful week, and draws for both Osaka sides (to 1:05:55). Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben round up the other six games, and look ahead to games coming up in Matchday 12.

Jon Steele and James Taylor were reunited after a week of solo pods for this episode of JTET. In part 1, James runs through 9 games from J2 matchday 9 (start to 09:20), before chatting with Jon about Kataller Toyama v Renofa Yamaguchi (09:20 to 26:35). There's also Most Bravo Player discussion and mention of the J.League's official awards for February and March (26:35 to 33:55), before a brief preview of matchday 10 (33:55 to end).   Thanks for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

In a fashionably late mini-pod, Jon Steele looks back at last Wednesday's Levain Cup action from a J2 perspective. There were derby wins for Imabari (in their rescheduled Round 1 game) and Iwata, as well as a night to remember for Yamaguchi as they slayed a J1 giant in the form of Kashima Antlers. Jon also picks a Most Bravo Player, and previews the remaining Levain Cup fixtures in Round 2 (being played this Wednesday evening). Sorry about the slow upload this week - Jon has been working at full capacity!

Sean Carroll made a very welcome return to the podcast this week, as we round up J1 Matchday 10, and the surprises and disappointments of the season so far. We begin with the history makers in the top two, Fukuoka and Kyoto both flying higher than they ever have in the top flight, then move on to the incredible story that is Okayama, after their away win at Hiroshima. We also discuss Kashiwa's strong start, and Tokyo Verdy's early struggles (to 52:30). Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben chat about the other five games, and look ahead to upcoming midweek and weekend action.

A bit later than scheduled (sorry!), James Taylor gives us a solo review of all of last weekend's J2 action (Round 8 of the season). In a 10-minute pod, James also nominates a Most Bravo Player for the matchday, and previews the Round 9 matches coming up this weekend. *Jon Steele is working on a review of the midweek Levain Cup action from a J2 perspective - that will be posted as soon as it's ready (let him cook, etc.)! Hope everyone enjoys the pod!

Jonny and Ben round up two full rounds of J1 fixtures, with a focus on the weekend's Matchday 9, in our new episode. We begin with the new frontrunner for game of the season - Kyoto's remarkable away win over Kashima on Sunday - before discussing the hard fought draw between Machida and Kawasaki, and the rest of an eventful Sunday chock full of tremendous goals.

In this episode of JTET, James Taylor reviews 9 of the J2 matchday 7 games (start to 05:00) to start off, then chats to Jon Steele about Fujieda v Nagasaki (05:30 to 16:00), Most Bravo Players (16:00 to 19:55), and the league and Levain Cup matches coming up over the next week (19:55 to end).   Thanks for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Regular JTET co-hosts Jon Steele and James Taylor step up for an update of the goings-on in J3 during March. In part 1, Jon and James focus on the top half of the table (start to 14:25), and after the break they shift their gaze downwards to the bottom half (14:25 to end).   Thanks for your support of the J-Talk Podcast, J-Talk: Extra Time, and J-Talk: Short Corner. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

J1 returned after the international break over the weekend, and Daniel Hawkins joined Jonny and Ben to chat about goings-on at Avispa Fukuoka. After a brief review of Japan 0-0 Saudi Arabia, and our review of Kashima's hard-fought win over Kobe (to 9:07), Daniel hopped on board to discuss Avispa's draw with Machida on Saturday, how the club's new signings have settled in, and more (to 29:42). Then in Part 3 we round up the rest of the games, including Kawasaki having their way (again) against FC Tokyo in the Tamagawa Classico, and Nagoya notching a first league win of the season.

In this episode of JTET, Jon Steele and James Taylor review the second part of the Levain Cup 1st round. Jon kicks things off with a roundup of 5 games (start to 05:55) and is then joined by James to talk about Fukushima v Sapporo (05:55 to 21:50) and Omiya v Iwaki (21:50 to31:00), and select a Most Bravo Player (31:00 to 34:10). James rounds out the episode with a quick review of the remaining 5 matches (34:10 to end). Thanks for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

This week, JEF Chiba supporter Alan makes a JTET debut to help us to make sense of his side's fantastic start to the 2025 campaign. To get things started, James round up most of the on-field action from Round 6 (Start to 03:30), then Alan joins Jon to chat about JEF's last-gasp win on the road at a blustery JIT Recycle Ink Stadium (03:30 to 18:50). Jon and Alan then talk about their picks for Most Bravo Player for the round (18:50 to 22:20), and wrap up with the standard preview of the big fixtures coming up this weekend (22:20 to Finish). We hope everyone enjoys the show, and thanks to Alan for his time! *You can follow Alan on Bluesky here: @mynameisjef.bsky.social *Find JTET on Bluesky too: @jtalket.bsky.social *Join The J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Join our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg

The Samurai Blue cruised into their eighth-straight World Cup with a 2-0 win over Bahrain last Thursday night, and Dan Orlowitz joined Jonny and Ben to review the game, and speculate on how Japan might prepare for the showpiece event, more than a year out (to 31:31). Then we review the Levain Cup results from last Thursday afternoon, and look ahead to J1 Matchday 7. Check out Dan's piece on The Guardian, and follow him on Bluesky.

In this week's streamlined JTET, James Taylor kicks things off with a roundup of the J2 matchday 5 games (start to 05:30) before being joined by Jon Steele for analysis of Iwata v Kofu (05:30 to 14:30), Most Bravo Player selection (14:30 to 19:30) and a look ahead to upcoming league and Levain Cup matches (19:30 to end).   Thanks for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Jonny and Ben kick off this new episode with a good news/bad news ACL review (to 14:56), then they're joined by Jon Steele to chat about Yokohama FC's victory over Cerezo Osaka on Saturday, and the season so far for the Mitsuzawa outfit (to 41:02). Then we run through all of the other games from J1 Matchday 6, including Yokohama F.Marinos and Kobe notching first league wins of the season, Kashima making top flight history with their late leveler against Urawa, and Machida and Fukuoka continuing their upward trajectory, before we finish the episode with a look at the first round of the Levain Cup, and Japan's games against Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as they look to seal qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

After another busy weekend of J2 action, JTET is back to run through all of the big talking points from Round 4 of the 2025 season. James starts things off with a quick round-up of the bulk of the fixtures (Start to 04:15). After that, you'll hear Jon in conversation with Akita supporter Martin Spivey as they discuss his trip to ND Soft Stadium in Yamagata for the big Tohoku Derby. After talking about Martin's pleasant bus trip to the ground, and the match itself (04:15 to 26:00), the boys pick out some Most Bravo Players from Round 4 (26:00 to 35:45), and finish the pod with a short preview of the big matches coming up in Round 5 this weekend (35:45 to Finish). We hope everyone enjoys the show - thanks to Martin for delaying his dinner to chat to us! *Join The J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Jonny and Ben are back to round up all eight games from J1 Matchday 5 played on the weekend, while they were also pleased to welcome Ralf Seidl back to the pod to discuss Urawa's first win of the season. After an ACL review dominated by Hiroshima's disastrous oversight in fielding an ineligible player in the first leg against Lion City of Singapore (to 12:00), Ralf returns to chat about Urawa 1-0 Okayama, and his thoughts on Reds' season so far (to 33:28), before your co-hosts review the rest of the games and look ahead to this weekend's Matchday 6.

New JTSC host Victor Arroyo returns after an unexpected hiatus to review all 8 matches of an entertaining opening round of the J3 season and selects his goal of the week. .

Jon and James are together again to look back at an action-packed round of J2 action! First of all, Jon runs you through the scores from most of the Round 3 games (Start to 05:30), then sits down with James to talk about Tosu v Imabari, our Match of the Week, in detail (05:30 to 25:40). Then it's time to nominate our Most Bravo Players (25:40 to 29:40), and peruse the Round 4 fixture list to pick out some key games to focus on (29:40 to Finish). Thanks for all of the support, and we hope you enjoy the pod! *Join The J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Check out our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

We round up two full rounds of top flight fixtures (with a focus on the weekend's Matchday 4) in this week's episode, towards the end of which we're joined by Neil Debnam to chat about the early days of Shigetoshi Hasebe's reign at Kawasaki. We begin with the games involving the top three - new leaders Kashiwa, who climbed to the summit with a win away at Urawa, then Shonan's draw at Yokohama F.Marinos and Hiroshima's narrow win at home over Yokohama FC - before moving on to Kashima's win over FC Tokyo, and the battle between promoted sides Okayama and Shimizu, then away wins for Machida, Gamba Osaka and Fukuoka (their first of the season), before wrapping up Part 1 with the draw between Niigata and Cerezo Osaka (to 1:03:35). Then Neil joins us to discuss Kawasaki's 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Kyoto - Sanga's first win of the year - and Frontale's prospects in the ACL Elite Round of 16 against Shanghai Shenhua, before we wrap up the episode with a look at the fixtures in J1 Matchday 5. Please check out Neil's Frontale Rabbit blog.

James, Jon, and special guest Sean Carroll look back at another busy weekend of J2 action. James gets things started with a quick review of most of the Round 2 action (Start to 03:00), before Jon and Sean sat down to talk about Omiya's home win over Kofu in depth (03:00 to 15:00). The boys also discuss Omiya and Kofu's prospects for 2025 in more detail, and touch on the new era at Omiya under Red Bull (there are spoilers for classic 90s sports comedy 'Cool Runnings', so be warned). After that, Jon and Sean pick out some 'Most Bravo Players' from the weekend (15:00 to 19:50), and finish things off by looking ahead to the forthcoming Round 3 fixtures (19:50 to Finish). We hope everyone enjoys another streamlined JTET experience this week! *Support The J-Talk Podcast on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Join our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Jonny and Ben were pleased to welcome Stuart Woodward back to the pod, to chat about his trip to Hiroshima for Yokohama F.Marinos' visit to Sanfrecce on Sunday, a cagey affair settled by a correct, but unfortunate, penalty decision against visiting defender Jeisson Quinones that saw Hiroshima stay perfect after two rounds (to 27:20). Then in Part 2 we chat the other two sides with spotless records, Shimizu and Shonan, then move on to the four teams that won for the first time this season on Saturday, and finish with the three Matchday 2 draws.

The JTET boys are back to pick over the bones of the opening round in J2 2025! Kicking off a new, streamlined pod format, Jon runs through the scores on the doors from Round 1 in a whistle-stop roundup (Start to 03:15). Jon then sat down with James to discuss their 'Match of the Week', focusing in detail on Omiya's return to J2 life against Yamagata at a sold-out NACK-5 Stadium in Saitama (03:15 to 20:40). The gentlemen then move on to regular segments 'Most Bravo Player' (20:40 to 25:00), then bring up the rear with a look ahead to the key games on the upcoming Round 2 slate (25:00 to Finish). Stay tuned for J3 content in 'J-Talk: Short Corner', coming soon! Please consider joining The J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod You can also get involved with our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg If that's not enough, JTET is on Bluesky at @jtalket.bsky.social

J1 is back, and on this episode (after a brief ACL review at the start of the pod) Jonny and Ben review all of the top flight action, beginning with stirring wins for Okayama, Cerezo Osaka and Kawasaki, then moving on to clashes involving presumptive title challengers, before rounding up the final group of games.

With the new J2 season hurtling into view at the weekend, the JTET crew finish off their 2025 season preview with five more teams covered in depth. James and Jon get things underway by running the rule over newly-relegated Tosu (Start to 09:20), followed by Yamaguchi (09:20 to 19:15), and then Oita (19:15 to 29:00). The boys then welcome special guest Chikashi Toyoshima (co-creator of the ViviCast) to give us the lowdown on hotly-tipped Nagasaki (29:00 to 39:20). After that, friend of the pod Garry Irwin brings up the rear with his thoughts on the campaign ahead for his beloved Kumamoto (39:20 to 50:30). Finally, Jon and James reconvene to take a quick look at the Round 1 fixtures coming up on Saturday and Sunday (50:30 to Finish). This segment also includes a big JTET welcome to Victor Arroyo, who has gallantly agreed to take over at host of the J3-centric 'Short Corner' mini-pod for 2025! We hope everyone enjoys the show, and the big kick-off this weekend! *We asked Chikashi and Garry to respond to these hard-hitting questions in their previews: 1)     Please tell us about your team's transfer activity over the winter break (major players coming in, major players going out). 2)     Who will be your team's key player in 2025? 3)     What do you think of your team's manager? 4)     Where do you think your team will finish in the 2025 table (head and heart)? 5)     Which team in J2 do you think is going to surprise people this season (could be your team or any other, could be a positive or negative surprise)? *Join The J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Join our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

We wrap up our top flight previews with the final five teams, and a heavy Kansai focus, as Alan Gibson guests in Part 1 to chat about his long weekend in the Tokyo area - including the Super Cup - and then help us preview defending champions Kobe (to 38:25) and Gamba Osaka (to 1:03:55). Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben discuss Cerezo Osaka (to 1:22:35), Kyoto (to 1:41:35) and Nagoya. Follow Alan on X/Twitter and Bluesky.

With the big J2 kick-off less than a week away, the JTET team continue with their team-by-team previews of the 2025 season. In this episode, Jon and James begin in Shikoku, discussing newly-promoted Imabari (Start to 09:15), and their rather-more-established prefectural neighbors Ehime (09:15 to 17:20). After that, Tokushima come under the microscope as well (17:20 to 26:40). The boys then hand over to regular contributor Chris Hough to hear all about JEF Chiba's preparations for 2025 (26:40 to 35:50). Staying in Kanto, Jon then sits down with friend-of-the-pod Steve Fryer for an in-depth chat about Omiya's return to the second tier (35:50 to 01:04:30). There's also a bonus discussion with Steve about one of the biggest J.League news stories of the last twelve months: multinational energy drink conglomerate Red Bull's controversial takeover of Omiya (01:04:30 to Finish). Thank you as always to our contributors and listeners, and we hope everyone enjoys the show! *These are the questions that we asked Chris and Steve to think about: 1)     Please tell us about your team's transfer activity over the winter break (major players coming in, major players going out). 2)     Who will be your team's key player in 2025? 3)     What do you think of your team's manager? 4)     Where do you think your team will finish in the 2025 table (head and heart)? 5)     Which team in J2 do you think is going to surprise people this season (could be your team or any other, could be a positive or negative surprise)? Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod Get involved with our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Hot on the heels of Part 1, JTET is back to preview another five teams who are getting ready for the 2025 J2 season. This time, Jon and James get things underway by talking about Consadole Sapporo (Start to 08:45), and Montedio Yamagata (08:45 to 16:45). After that, a trio of special guests are on hand to give us their thoughts on the year ahead. First up is Martin Spivey, who covers Blaublitz Akita (16:45 to 36:20). Following up is Fin Wilson, who has all the pre-season information about Vegalta Sendai (36:20 to 53:00). Rounding things off this time is Leslie Mabon, who waxes lyrical about Iwaki FC's prospects for the 2025 campaign (53:00 to Finish). *Here are the hard-hitting questions that we asked Martin, Fin, and Leslie to respond to: 1)     Please tell us about your team's transfer activity over the winter break (major players coming in, major players going out). 2)     Who will be your team's key player in 2025? 3)     What do you think of your team's manager? 4)     Where do you think your team will finish in the 2025 table (head and heart)? 5)     Which team in J2 do you think is going to surprise people this season (could be your team or any other, could be a positive or negative surprise)? Thank you for supporting JTET, and The J-Talk Podcast - we hope you enjoy the episode! Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod You are welcome to join the JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E You can also follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Victor Arroyo makes his debut as the new host of JTSC, previewing five teams ahead of the new 2025 J3 season:   0:00-3:05 Intro 3:05-5:30 Azul Claro Numazu 5:30-7:50 Fukushima United FC 7:50-10:05 Gainaire Tottori 10:05-12:20 FC Gifu 12:20-15:15 Giravanz Kitakyushu 15:15-End Outro   Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod Feel free to join us on the JLeague Chat Discord: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Follow Victor on Bluesky: @jfootballanalytics.bsky.social

With not long until the big kickoff for 2025, Jon Steele and James Taylor got together for the first J2 season preview pod. After a brief word of thanks to departing JTSC host Mike Innes, Jon and James talked about five teams:   04:00 to 10:15 Jubilo Iwata 10:15 to 16:10 Fujieda MYFC 16:10 to 25:05 Mito Hollyhock 25:05 to 34:45 Ventforet Kofu 34:45 to end Kataller Toyama   Thank you for your ongoing support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. We hope you'll enjoy the 2025 season with us.    Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod Feel free to join us on the JLeague Chat Discord: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Follow JTET on Bluesky: @jtalket.bsky.social   Stay tuned for part two!

We have another bumper round of J1 previews for you this week, as we edge closer to the start of the new season. In Part 1 Jonny and Ben preview Hiroshima (to 21:20) and Kashiwa (to 48:25), before they're joined by three terrific guests. In Part 2 Daniel Hawkins chats about Fukuoka (to 1:13:17), then in Part 3 Ralf Seidl discusses Urawa (to 1:45:25), before James Taylor from J-Talk: Extra Time rounds out the pod in Part 4 looking ahead to Okayama's first-ever J1 campaign.

Now that we're up and running, our J1 season previews roll on galactically on this episode, with five more teams under the microscope. We begin with a J-Talk crossing of the streams, as Jon Steele guests to preview promoted clubs Yokohama FC (to 42:15) and Shimizu (to 1:09:00), before Jonny and Ben run the rule over Shonan (to 1:29:30) and Yokohama F.Marinos (to 1:52:35) in Part 2. Then in Part 3 we were delighted to welcome Kawasaki correspondent Neil Debnam back to the pod to preview the brave new dawn at Todoroki. You can keep track of all the goings on at Frontale on Neil's blog, and he's now on Bluesky, too.

Welcome to our previews of the 2025 J1 Season! In Part 1, after some housekeeping at the start of the episode, we chat with Lewis White about Tokyo Verdy (to 32:05), and to Ryo Nakagawara about Machida (to 1:01:00) and FC Tokyo (to 1:40:20), before Jonny and Ben discuss Niigata (to 1:56:23) and Kashima. For each club, we follow the same format: A brief review of 2024; the club's major moves in the transfer market; thoughts on the manager; a player to watch and prospects for the new season. You can read Ryo's terrific work in his Shogun Soccer newsletter, and follow each club's ins and out through Jonny's Google Doc.

Welcome back to a new year, and a new season of J-Talk! On our first episode of 2025, Dan Orlowitz joins Jonny and Ben to chat about how the J.League can build on their successful 2024, and what will be new or different this season, before we discuss the 2026 "0.5 Season", or as it will be known from this point on: The 2026 Chaos Energy J.League Cup (from 17:45 to 39:25), before we finish with some hot takes on the best and worst of the new season's top flight kits. Thanks to you all for your ongoing support! Check out Dan on Bluesky, and remember you can keep up to date on offseason transfers on Jonny's Google Doc.

The JTET team start 2025 by bringing down the curtain on last season in the final part of their big J2 season review. Jon and James get things up and running by discussing Montedio Yamagata (Start to 11:15), before handing over to a trio of guest contributors to cover the rest of the Play-Off teams from 2024. We welcome debutant Makoto to talk about Fagiano Okayama (11:15 to 19:20), before veteran co-host of the ViviCast, Daniel Kuroda, takes us through V-Varen Nagasaki's campaign (19:20 to 30:00). Rounding things off is Fin Wilson (@VegaltaPotter on Twitter), who reviews an impressive season for resurgent Vegalta Sendai (30:00 to Finish). 1) How do you feel about the 2024 season for your team overall? 2) What was the high point of the season? 3) What was the low point of the season? 4) Which player from another club impressed you the most this season? 5) What is your biggest hope for your club in 2025? Thanks to all of our listeners and contributors for a fantastic 2024 - see you all again for the new season very soon!

In a holiday special, Jon and James talk about the recent (official) J2 Awards, and discuss their own personal picks for some of the more interesting categories. In Part 1, the gentlemen share their views on Manager of the Season (Start to 07:05), and Player of the Season (07:05 to 12:45). Spoilers: Matheus Jesus was robbed! In Part 2, attention turns to the Goal of the Season award (12:45 to 16:10), before things are rounded off with a detailed look at the J2 Team of the Season (16:10 to Finish). Thank you to everyone who's supported the pod in 2024, whether by contributing, commenting, or downloading and listening each week. Best wishes for the year ahead from everyone at JTET!

In Part 3 of the big JTET Season Review for J2, a whopping six teams from the second tier are covered. Jon and James kick things off (sorry) by talking about champions Shimizu S-Pulse (Start to 06:50), and runners-up Yokohama FC (06:50 to 16:45). Jon refers to 'Joao Pedro' twice in the Yokohama FC segment, but of course means 'Joao PAOLO'. The regular co-hosts also discuss Tokushima Vortis (16:45 to 25:45). After that, the mics are thrown open to a welcome trio of guest correspondents. Chris Hough gives us the lowdown on JEF Chiba (26:30 to 34:55), and we hear all about an impressive Iwaki FC season from Leslie Mabon (34:55 to 44:50). Rounding things off for this episode is Martin Spivey, who shares his thoughts on another steady season for Blaublitz Akita (44:50 to Finish). We asked our intrepid contributors to respond to these (painfully generic) season review questions: 1) How do you feel about the 2024 season for your team overall? 2) What was the high point of the season? 3) What was the low point of the season? 4) Which player from another club impressed you the most this season? 5) What is your biggest hope for your club for 2025? Thanks to all of our correspondents for sparing the time to get involved - Part 4 (covering the Play-Off quartet) is coming soon!

JTSC host Mike Innes signs off for 2024 with a comprehensive review of all 20 J3 teams, using his pre-season predictions as a guide and putting the teams into five groups of four. Mike starts with Toyama, Matsumoto, Gifu, and Nara (01:20 to 10:30), then Imabari, Osaka, Hachinohe, and Kanazawa (10:30 to 19:55). After that, the focus turns to champions Omiya, Kitakyushu, Sagamihara, and Nagano (19:55 to 29:00), followed by Ryukyu, Sanuki, and bottom two YSCC and Iwate (29:00 to 38:30). Mike rounds out the episode with Fukushima, Numazu, Tottori, and Miyazaki (38:30 to 47:30), and a special announcement at the end.   Thank you for your support of J-Talk: Short Corner over the last 4 years, and for your ongoing support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. Join the JLeague chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

In the final episode of 'big pod' for 2024, Sean Carroll joins Jonny and Ben to piece together the J-Talk J1 Team of the Season, as voted on by our patrons. We didn't agree with all of the poll winners, but there is healthy debate and reasoning when necessary, and we think we've assembled one hell of a team. Towards the end of the episode, with the managerial merry-go-round in full swing, we round up some recent appointments. Just a reminder, you can keep up to date with all the top flight transfer news, as its confirmed by the clubs, on Jonny's Google spreadsheet.

Long-suffering Zweigen Kanazawa supporters James Taylor and Victor Arroyo got together again for a freewheeling discussion of their team's first season back in J3. They covered events on and off the pitch throughout the 2024 season, including Victor's visit to the Go Go Curry Stadium in April, and each selected their Kanazawa MVP.   Thanks for your support of JTET, JTSC, and the J-Talk Podcast during the 2024 season! Join the JLeague chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod

In part one of this week's JTET, James Taylor and Jon Steele discuss the J2 promotion playoff final between Fagiano Okayama and Vegalta Sendai (start to 24:00), including choosing their Most Bravo Player for the match (24:00 to 28:10). Part two is J-Talk: Short Corner, in which Mike Innes reviews the J3 promotion playoff final between Kataller Toyama and Matsumoto Yamaga (28:10 to 31:35) and the second leg of the promotion/relegation playoff between Kochi United and YSCC (31:35 to end).   Thanks for your support of JTET, JTSC, and the J-Talk Podcast during the 2024 season! Join the JLeague chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/p6PVbF9E Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/jtalkpod