Andrew MCKIRDY - The Japan Times

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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.

SOCCER / J. League

May 7, 2010

Stojkovic criticizes players after loss to Reds

SAITAMA — Nagoya Grampus manager Dragan Stojkovic blasted his team's "lack of intelligence" after letting a halftime lead slip in Wednesday's 2-1 defeat to Urawa Reds, holding himself up as the model for his players to aspire to.

SOCCER / J. League

May 2, 2010

Nozawa spearheads Antlers to victory over rival Gamba

KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. — Takuya Nozawa scored with a picture-perfect free kick as Kashima Antlers maintained their stranglehold over J. League rival Gamba Osaka with a 2-1 win on Saturday.

SOCCER / World cup

May 1, 2010

Hirayama philosophical about World Cup chances

If Cameroon, the Netherlands and Denmark think they know what to expect from Japan at this summer's World Cup, one glance at Sota Hirayama should be enough to change their minds.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Apr 29, 2010

World Cup squad taking shape ahead of May 10 decision

With national team manager Takeshi Okada set to name his World Cup squad on May 10, Soccer Scene takes a look at the candidates. Names in bold are those predicted to make the final 23-man roster:

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 25, 2010

Antlers return to form in win over Marinos

YOKOHAMA — Kashima Antlers shook off an indifferent run of form and got back to winning ways with a stylish 3-1 victory over Yokohama F. Marinos on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK

Apr 22, 2010

Time will tell if Reds revival is strong enough to last

Urawa Reds manager Volker Finke declared his side was "moving in the right direction" after Sunday's 3-0 hammering of Kawasaki Frontale, and while evidence on the pitch certainly backed him up, after last season's astonishing summer collapse it might be wiser to reserve judgment.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 19, 2010

Urawa trounces rival Frontale, climbs into first place in J. League

SAITAMA — Urawa Reds thrashed championship rival Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 on Sunday to move into first place in the J. League.

Japan Times

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Apr 15, 2010

Old faces need new approach with World Cup looming

National team manager Takeshi Okada has run out of games to assess contenders for his World Cup squad, but the real question now is not so much who he takes to South Africa as how he uses them.

SOCCER / World cup

Apr 8, 2010

Japan outclassed by Serbia

OSAKA — Japan's World Cup preparations took another heavy blow after being outclassed by a second-string Serbia in a 3-0 defeat on Wednesday night.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 4, 2010

Nakamura, Kurihara hurt in loss to S-Pulse

Shinji Okazaki struck twice, Shunsuke Nakamura limped off midway through the first half and Shimizu S-Pulse held off a frantic late onslaught to beat Yokohama F. Marinos 2-1 on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK

Apr 1, 2010

Just business as usual for league-leading Antlers

If Kashima Antlers' rivals were hoping the champions' thirst for success had been quenched by three straight championships, the first month of the new campaign suggests otherwise.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 28, 2010

S-Pulse waste opportunity against fatigued Frontale

Shimizu S-Pulse failed to take advantage of Kawasaki Frontale's early-season fatigue in a flat 0-0 draw on Saturday.

Japan Times

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Mar 25, 2010

Honda breathes life into Japan's World Cup aspirations

When Keisuke Honda arrived at Narita airport late last month for Japan's Asian Cup qualifier against Bahrain, he insisted he was "no savior" for a national team that had seriously lost its way. But with every impressive performance he gives, the 23-year-old is finding it harder to get people to listen....

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 21, 2010

Osako's late heroics lift Antlers over Ardija

SAITAMA — Teenage substitute Yuya Osako scored with his first touch less than a minute after coming off the bench to give Kashima Antlers a 1-0 win over Omiya Ardija on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK

Mar 18, 2010

Flying start suggests Frontale finally mean business

Received wisdom dictates that a league table is not even worth looking at until two months of a new season have passed, but one glance after just two weeks of this year's J. League campaign says plenty about Kawasaki Frontale.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 14, 2010

Nakamura relishes win in long-awaited return to Marinos

YOKOHAMA — Shunsuke Nakamura enjoyed a winning return to the J. League as Yokohama F. Marinos cruised past Shonan Bellmare 3-0 on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 7, 2010

Antlers show class against Reds

KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. — Kashima Antlers gave yet another example of their pedigree as the defending champions opened the new J. League season with a masterful 2-0 win over Urawa Reds on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 4, 2010

Stojkovic hopeful newcomers will bolster Grampus

With every year that passes in his tenure as manager of Nagoya Grampus, the stakes Dragan Stojkovic has to play with just keep getting higher. But if the Serbian is feeling the pressure as he prepares to begin his third season at the helm against Gamba Osaka this weekend, his poker face is a good one....

Japan Times

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 3, 2010

Frontale placing hopes on Inamoto

If there was a certain inevitability about the way Kawasaki Frontale failed to win their first piece of major silverware last season, it did not go unnoticed by anyone at the Kanagawa club.

Japan Times

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 2, 2010

Finke's vision slowly taking root at Urawa

Volker Finke knew his job was not going to be easy when he took over as manager of Urawa Reds last season, and so it proved.

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Professional cleaner Hirofumi Sakurai takes a moment to appreciate some photographs in a Gotanda apartment whose occupant died alone.

The last cleanup: Life and death in a lonely Japan

By Johan Brooks

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