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

Mar 6, 2009

J. League also-rans looking to change gear

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

Japan Times

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 5, 2009

Miyamoto returns to pass on experience

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto's time at Red Bull Salzburg may not have been as successful as he would have liked, but the former national team captain is determined to use the experience to benefit his new Vissel Kobe teammates.

Japan Times

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 4, 2009

Stojkovic confident Grampus will be contender again this season

Nagoya Grampus' challenge for the J. League title last season may have come as a shock to most observers, but manager Dragan Stojkovic insists he saw it coming all along.

Japan Times

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 3, 2009

JEF United aiming to use last season's adversity as stepping stone

Alex Miller packed more emotion into his seven months in charge of JEF United Chiba last season than most coaches manage in their entire careers, but the Scotsman believes the experience may prove the making of his team.

Japan Times

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 2, 2009

Supporters driving force behind Finke's Reds reclamation project

New Urawa Reds manager Volker Finke might not have been smitten with the team he saw play twice last season, but the German admits his first taste of the Saitama Stadium crowd was love at first sight.

SOCCER / J. League

Mar 1, 2009

Antlers trounce Gamba Osaka in curtain-raiser

Kashima Antlers sent out a warning to those who covet their J. League crown with a 3-0 thrashing of Gamba Osaka in the Fuji Xerox Super Cup on Saturday.

Japan Times

SOCCER / J. League

Feb 28, 2009

Antlers begin quest to defend J. League title

Kashima Antlers manager Oswaldo Oliveira is hoping his team can lay down a marker for the rest of the J. League season in Saturday's curtain-raising Fuji Xerox Super Cup clash against Gamba Osaka.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Feb 14, 2009

Japan showed promise in draw

Japan's 0-0 draw with Australia on Wednesday night was far from being the disastrous result that Socceroos manager Pim Verbeek warned it would be during his pre-match mind games.

SOCCER / World cup

Feb 12, 2009

Socceroos frustrate Japan in draw

YOKOHAMA — A disciplined defensive performance from Australia frustrated Japan's attempts to jump to the top of Asian World Cup qualifying Group A on Wednesday night as the Socceroos held Takeshi Okada's men to a 0-0 draw.

SOCCER / World cup

Feb 11, 2009

Verbeek believes pressure is on Japan in Group A qualifier

YOKOHAMA — Australia manager Pim Verbeek has shrugged off suggestions his players won't be ready in time for Wednesday's crunch World Cup qualifier against Japan, insisting the pressure is all on Takeshi Okada's side.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Feb 8, 2009

Victory over Australia would give Japan boost

Takeshi Okada faces the biggest test of his second coming as national team manager against Australia on Wednesday night, but there is evidence to suggest the optimistic noises he has been making recently have some justification.

SOCCER / World cup

Feb 5, 2009

Japan crush Finland ahead of qualifier

Japan gave national team manager Takeshi Okada a welcome tonic ahead of next week's World Cup-qualifying match against Australia with a resounding 5-1 win over Finland on Wednesday night.

SOCCER / World cup

Feb 4, 2009

Japan faces quality tuneup match against Finland

National team manager Takeshi Okada is confident his side will be in fighting shape for next week's World Cup-qualifying showdown with Australia, starting with a sparring match against Finland on Wednesday night.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Feb 1, 2009

Japan's best shot is 2022 World Cup

Japan resumes its campaign for a place at the 2010 World Cup this month against Australia, but the nation's power brokers are already setting their sights on a more distant — and potentially more rewarding — edition of the tournament.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Jan 22, 2009

Win over Yemen gives Okada's plans vital breathing space

Japan's 2-1 win over Yemen on Tuesday night may not have been pretty, but the result could prove invaluable for manager Takeshi Okada's strategy for 2009.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Jan 15, 2009

No time to lose for Urawa as Finke gets down to business

Urawa Reds were quick off the mark to begin training for the 2009 season this week, but then the Saitama club has good reason to be impatient for a fresh start.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Jan 6, 2009

Okubo equipped to make the most of his second chance

Yoshito Okubo's career may not have followed the course it seemed destined for when he burst onto the scene at the start of the decade, but a move to Wolfsburg gives the striker the perfect opportunity to make his belated mark on European soccer.

SOCCER / World cup

Jan 1, 2009

'Not everything goes right'

On Nov. 19 in Doha, in its final match of the year, the Japan national team turned in one of its best performances of 2008 to beat Qatar 3-0 and consolidate second place in World Cup final Asian qualifying Group 1.

SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE

Jan 1, 2009

Gamba overcomes Marinos, fatigue, schedule for one more tilt at glory

When Gamba Osaka takes to the field for the Emperor's Cup final on New Year's Day, fatigue could prove to be just as deadly an opponent as Kashiwa Reysol.

SOCCER

Dec 23, 2008

Ferguson eyes further titles after CWC glory

YOKOHAMA — Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson believes his side can use its Club World Cup victory as a launchpad to success for the rest of the season.

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

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Challenging spirit and teamwork keep ANA flying high

Challenging spirit and teamwork keep ANA flying high

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