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 / SOCCER SCENE

May 12, 2009

New blood gives hype machine plenty to get its teeth into

The 2009 J. League season has so far been notable for the emergence of several excellent young players, but that in turn has raised questions over the way the Japanese press handles its teenage talent.

SOCCER / J. League

May 6, 2009

Escudero lifts Reds to hard-earned victory over Reysol

Urawa Reds dug deep to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and jumped back to the top of the J. League with a 3-2 win over Kashiwa Reysol on Tuesday.

SOCCER / J. League

May 3, 2009

Antlers' might too much for overmatched JEF

CHIBA — Kashima Antlers gave the rest of the J. League an ominous demonstration of their strength in depth with a 2-0 win at JEF United Chiba on Saturday.

SOCCER / World cup

May 3, 2009

Oliveira taps Osako for World Cup

Kashima Antlers manager Oswaldo Oliveira has tipped teenage striker Yuya Osako to play for Japan at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Apr 28, 2009

Finke plays cards right to give Reds substance over style

Urawa Reds' rise back to the top of the J. League may not have been achieved with the free-flowing style the club's supporters demand, but after last season's histrionics, no one in Saitama is likely to be complaining.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 26, 2009

Edmilson-led Reds edge JEF, ascend to top of J. League

CHIBA — Urawa Reds moved into first place in the J. League on Saturday as a second-half Edmilson goal led the Saitama side past JEF United Chiba for its fourth 1-0 win in a row.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Apr 23, 2009

Unorthodox Morimoto could be remedy for Japan's ills

On the face of it, Catania striker Takayuki Morimoto's recent comments that he has no interest in playing for Japan should give national team supporters cause for concern.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 22, 2009

Renatinho header lifts Frontale to ACL triumph

KAWASAKI — Kawasaki Frontale virtually guaranteed themselves a place in the Asian Champions League knockout phase with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Central Coast Mariners on Tuesday night.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 19, 2009

Davi delivers winner for Grampus against Reysol

KASHIWA, Chiba Pref. — Brazilian striker Davi halted Nagoya Grampus' losing slide in dramatic style with an injury-time goal to give his side a 2-1 win over Kashiwa Reysol on Saturday.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Apr 15, 2009

Hulk's meteoric rise to fame adds feather to J. League's cap

Anyone who saw Brazilian striker Hulk terrify defenses during his 3 1/2 years in the J. League knew he was destined for greater things, but the speed with which his star has risen since moving to Europe last summer is remarkable nonetheless.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Apr 7, 2009

Korean wave adds weight to J. League's Asian ambitions

When the J. League allowed clubs to add an extra Asian player to their foreigner quotas at the end of last season, fans were probably hoping for a little more diversity than the influx of Koreans that materialized.

SOCCER / J. League

Apr 5, 2009

Quick strikes lift Frontale to win

KAWASAKI — Kawasaki Frontale jolted their season into gear and halted Nagoya Grampus' unbeaten start on Saturday with a 3-1 win at Todoroki Stadium.

SOCCER / World cup

Mar 30, 2009

Okada unruffled by missed chances

SAITAMA — National team manager Takeshi Okada has defended his side's goalscoring record after watching Japan miss a slew of chances in Saturday's 1-0 win over Bahrain.

SOCCER / World cup

Mar 29, 2009

Nakamura-led Japan beats Bahrain

SAITAMA — Shunsuke Nakamura hauled Japan to within touching distance of a fourth successive World Cup with a trademark free kick to give his side a 1-0 win over Bahrain on Saturday.

Japan Times

SOCCER / World cup

Mar 28, 2009

Japan aims for another victory against Bahrain

SAITAMA — National team manager Takeshi Okada is determined to settle his side's rivalry with Bahrain once and for all in Saturday's World Cup qualifier at Saitama Stadium.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Mar 26, 2009

Okada reaps the benefits as Hasebe builds on potential

Shunsuke Nakamura and Yasuhito Endo will be expected to provide the artistry in Japan's World Cup qualifier at home to Bahrain on Saturday, but no player can build a cathedral without someone to carry the bricks.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Mar 19, 2009

Golden age becomes a distant memory for jaded Jubilo

While Kashima Antlers' start to the new J. League season has not been as imperious as it was shaping up to be, the Ibaraki club's troubles are nothing compared to those facing old rival Jubilo Iwata.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 15, 2009

Home support inspires Reds against FC Tokyo

SAITAMA — Urawa Reds manager Volker Finke warned he intends to turn Saitama Stadium into a fortress after his side beat FC Tokyo 3-1 on Saturday to collect its first points of the J. League season.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 8, 2009

Defending champion Antlers defeat Reds in intense opener

KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. — Kashima Antlers landed the first blow of the 2009 J. League season as the reigning champions beat Urawa Reds 2-0 in a ferocious opening-day battle of the big guns on Saturday.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 7, 2009

Antlers favored for third straight J. League crown

The following is the second of a two-part J.League preview for the upcoming season. Team-by-team previews of the nine top-ranked teams competing in the first division are listed.

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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