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November 23, 2024
 

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Andrew MCKIRDY

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Andrew MCKIRDY
Andrew McKirdy is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His main beat is soccer, but he has also covered rugby, tennis, volleyball, golf and even tug-of-war. A native of the Scottish Borders, he has written for The Scotsman newspaper and organized filming for a program on Japanese soccer for ITV television.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Dec 20, 2012
Departure of Club World Cup strips Japan of valuable asset
The Club World Cup undoubtedly has its flaws, but as the competition ends its long association with Japan to set up home in Morocco for the next two years, the Japanese game would do well to consider what it is losing.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 18, 2012
Jubilant Corinthians on cloud nine after CWC victory
Corinthians defender Paulo Andre paid tribute to his team's formidable supporters after beating Chelsea to win the Club World Cup on Sunday night, framing it as a victory for the Brazilian people over the aristocrats of European soccer.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 17, 2012
Guerrero carries Corinthians to CWC title against Chelsea
Paolo Guerrero headed home a 69th-minute winner to crown Corinthians world champions for the second time with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 16, 2012
Corinthians face major challenge against Chelsea
Corinthians manager Tite is aiming to channel the passion of his club's fanatical supporters in Sunday's Club World Cup final, but warns that Chelsea will need no second invitation to exploit any lapse in his players' resolve.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 15, 2012
Chelsea takes aim at Corinthians after reaching CWC final
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is determined to prove the superiority of European soccer in Sunday's Club World Cup final, but warns that Brazilian opponents Corinthians have the samba magic to jeopardize his side's plans for global domination.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 14, 2012
Chelsea punches ticket to Club World Cup final
European champions Chelsea cruised into a Club World Cup final showdown against Corinthians after beating Mexico's Monterrey 3-1 in their semifinal on Thursday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 13, 2012
Chelsea ready to rise to challenge at Club World Cup
Chelsea defender Gary Cahill admits he is only now beginning to realize how badly rival teams want to win the Club World Cup this week, and is taking nothing for granted in Thursday's semifinal against Monterrey.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Dec 11, 2012
Benitez plays down pressure as Chelsea arrives for Club World Cup
Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez insists his side is under no extra pressure to win the Club World Cup this week after making an early exit from the Champions League, shrugging off speculation he may lose his job less than three weeks after taking over on an interim basis.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 7, 2012
Aoyama strike carries Sanfrecce into Club World Cup quarterfinals
J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima secured safe passage into the Club World Cup quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over New Zealand's Auckland City in the tournament opener on Thursday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Dec 6, 2012
Rudderless Gamba pay heavy toll for strategic mistakes
Gamba Osaka's relegation to the second division feels no less shocking now that the dust has settled, but after spending only five weeks of the season outside the bottom three, perhaps the writing was on the wall all along.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 2, 2012
Yokohama slips past Sagan in finale
Yokohama F. Marinos missed out on a place in next season's Asian Champions League despite beating Sagan Tosu 1-0 on Saturday, as Urawa Reds claimed the qualification spot by finishing third on the final day of the J. League season.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Dec 1, 2012
Leandro hopes Reysol can still claim Asian Champions League berth
Outgoing J. League title-holders Kashiwa Reysol may have seen their crown handed to a new champion last weekend, but midfielder Leandro Domingues is determined to salvage something from the season as it reaches its conclusion on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 29, 2012
Debut title fitting reward for Sanfrecce's consistent campaign
Sanfrecce Hiroshima may have had to wait until the J. League's 20th season before winning their first piece of silverware, but after clinching the championship with a resounding win in front of a home crowd on Saturday, the achievement will taste all the sweeter.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 24, 2012
Trinita slip past JEF United to earn promotion to first division
Substitute Takenori Hayashi struck with four minutes left on the clock to send Oita Trinita back to the J. League first division with a 1-0 win over JEF United Chiba in the promotion playoffs final on Friday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 18, 2012
Sanfrecce retain lead despite defeat
Sanfrecce Hiroshima maintained a wafer-thin advantage in the J. League title race despite losing 2-0 to Urawa Reds on Saturday, as Vegalta Sendai closed the gap at the top to one point with two games of the season left to play.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 17, 2012
Ardija striker Ljubijankic focused on avoiding relegation
Omiya Ardija striker Zlatan Ljubijankic sees no reason why his summer move to the J. League should call an end to his international career, but for the time being the Slovenian is more concerned with keeping his struggling club in the first division.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Nov 15, 2012
Sanfrecce, Vegalta prepare for final charge toward title
The 2012 title race has been one of the most open in J. League history, but with only three games of the season left to play, the championship contenders have finally been whittled down to two.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Nov 8, 2012
Oman qualifier brings Japan back to reality after European tour
Japan may have enjoyed dining at soccer's top table in prestige friendlies against France and Brazil last month, but with World Cup-qualifying points at stake in next Wednesday's away trip to Oman, Alberto Zaccheroni's side will have to quickly readjust to the realities of Asian competition.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 8, 2012
Gamba still in danger of relegation despite draw with Reysol
Former J. League champions Gamba Osaka remained deep in relegation trouble despite salvaging a late 2-2 draw with Kashiwa Reysol on Wednesday, while Sanfrecce Hiroshima edged closer to their first-ever title after opening up a two-point gap at the top of the table with three games left to play.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Nov 4, 2012
Shibasaki scores twice as Antlers beat S-Pulse in Nabisco Cup final
Gaku Shibasaki struck twice to help defending champions Kashima Antlers capture the Nabisco Cup for a record fifth time with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Shimizu S-Pulse on Saturday afternoon.
Tokyo Metro’s overseas efforts begin in earnest with London deal
Tokyo Metro will soon have a role in the running of London's Elizabeth Line, a major train route serving the U.K.’s capital city and environs.
U.S. aircraft carrier returns to Japan carrying navy’s ‘most capable fighter’
U.S. 7th Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Fred Kacher speaks to reporters shortly after the arrival of aircraft carrier USS George Washington at Yokosuka naval base in Kanagawa Prefecture on Friday.
Man charged with murder allegedly made victim date other men for money
A car carrying suspect Ryotaro Masuda, who was indicted for allegedly beating his 25-year-old girlfriend to death, leaves the Shibuya Police Station in Tokyo on Thursday.
Russia fired experimental ballistic missile at Ukraine, Putin says
Ukrainian firefighters work on a spot following an airstrike in Dnipro on Thursday.
Ex-yokozuna Kitanofuji dies at 82
Yokozuna Kitanofuji enters the ring during the May 1970 grand sumo tournament in Tokyo.
Shohei Ohtani wins National League MVP award
Shohei Ohtani celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Padres during the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles last month.
The slow-burn success of ‘A Samurai in Time’
A 19th-century warrior gets struck by lightning and wakes to find himself in 21st-century Kyoto in Junichi Yasuda’s surprise hit “A Samurai in Time.”
Around a quarter of Japan married couples in their 20s met through dating apps
A survey released by an organization promoting “Good Couples Day” shows that 24% of couples in their 20s met their marriage partner through a dating app.
'Tokyo Swindlers': Get deep into the minds of real estate con artists
In Ko Shinjo's "Tokyo Swindlers," a group of con artists manipulates real estate giants into falsified deals within the highly competitive, quick market.
Japan, U.K. and Italy discuss inviting more countries to joint fighter project
A new concept model of a next-generation fighter jet to be jointly developed by Japan, Britain and Italy is on display in Farnborough, Hampshire, in July.

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