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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 / Women's World Cup / SOCCER SCENE
Jul 1, 2015
Gritty Japan gathering steam ahead of semifinal against England
Japan is still waiting to ignite at the Women's World Cup, but the slow burn that has carried the team all the way to the semifinals may yet be enough to take it further.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jun 27, 2015
Reds wrap up unbeaten first stage
J. League first-stage champions Urawa Reds beat Albirex Niigata 5-2 on Saturday night to complete the opening campaign with an unbeaten record.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 26, 2015
Zushi opens with eye on reviving summer buzz
Zushi Beach in Kanagawa Prefecture opened for the summer on Friday as it battles to attract visitors following a clampdown on rowdy partygoers that saw numbers drop by more than half last year.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jun 24, 2015
Urawa responds to 2014 heartbreak in rampant style
After throwing away the J. League championship last season, few could have expected Urawa Reds to respond so emphatically.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jun 20, 2015
Antlers click on offense in rout of Marinos
Caio and Shoma Doi scored in the first half and Shuhei Akasaki added a late third as Kashima Antlers put Yokohama F. Marinos to the sword 3-0 in the J. League on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 17, 2015
Japan takes booing on chin after Singapore stalemate
Keisuke Honda believes fans were right to boo him and his Japan teammates after Tuesday's shock World Cup qualifying 0-0 draw with Singapore, and insists he would have had no complaints had they voiced their displeasure louder.
Japan Times
SOCCER / World cup
Jun 16, 2015
Japan held to scoreless draw by 154th-ranked Singapore
Japan got its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign off to an embarrassing start after being held to a 0-0 home draw by Singapore on Tuesday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / Women's World Cup / SOCCER SCENE
Jun 15, 2015
Japan has room for improvement at Women's World Cup
Japan has made it through to the knockout phase of the Women's World Cup with the minimum of fuss, but the reigning champions will have to move up a gear if they are serious about defending their title.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 12, 2015
Cronut master is concocting new pastries for Tokyo store
Cronut fans in Japan can swap local imitations for the real thing when the creator of the croissant-doughnut hybrid, pastry chef Dominique Ansel, opens his new bakery in Tokyo on June 20.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jun 12, 2015
Win over Iraq helps Samurai Blue rebuild confidence
Keisuke Honda admits Japan is still suffering mental "damage" from last year's World Cup and needs more wins like Thursday's 4-0 thrashing of Iraq to exorcize the demons.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Jun 11, 2015
Japan trounces Iraq in friendly
Japan warmed up for the start of its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with a ruthless 4-0 win over Iraq in a friendly on Thursday night.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Jun 10, 2015
Halilhodzic looking to build on strong start as qualifiers begin
It would be unthinkable for Japan to begin its 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign with anything other than a win at home to Singapore next Tuesday, but manager Vahid Halilhodzic will be looking for more from his team than just three points.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2015
National Stadium architects reject reports they may be fired
The architects behind Tokyo's new National Stadium deny reports that they may be fired from the project as criticism mounts over the building's cost and appearance.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Jun 7, 2015
Reds close in on first-stage title
Urawa Reds as good as wrapped up the J. League first-stage title but were forced to leave the champagne on ice after beating Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 on Sunday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 30, 2015
Patric's late goal gives Gamba a draw with Marinos
Gamba Osaka substitute Patric scored in the 95th minute to claim a 1-1 draw and deny Yokohama F. Marinos a fifth straight J. League win on Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
May 28, 2015
Early summer shifts have merit but experts see overtime, family disruption risks
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is hoping to kick-start a summer of love by shifting work hours forward in order to free up time in the evenings for families to spend together.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 23, 2015
Urawa shows mettle in victory over Kashima
Urawa Reds took a significant step toward the J. League first stage title after coming from behind to beat Kashima Antlers 2-1 on Saturday.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
May 15, 2015
Astroscale opens lab in Tokyo in bid to clean up space junk
A Singapore-based company that aims to sweep junk from space has expanded to Tokyo and has handed its biggest broom to 32-year-old female President Miki Ito.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 6, 2015
Streaking Sanfrecce beat Frontale for fifth straight win
Sanfrecce Hiroshima picked up their fifth straight win with a smash-and-grab 1-0 victory over Kawasaki Frontale on Wednesday to move one point off the top of the J. League table.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
May 2, 2015
Reds beat Gamba in showdown between J. League's top two teams
Zlatan Ljubijankic scored with six minutes remaining to keep Urawa Reds on top of the J. League with a 1-0 win over closest rival Gamba Osaka on Saturday.

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