Offseason Review
Going in to the offseason Hyogo was looking to make a move or two in an attempt to regain the top spot in the league while their aging core of forwards is still intact and productive. They struck out in the free agent market, but scored one big transfer that opens up a whole slew of tactical options for the Kobe Beef. The huge transfer was none other than Ronaldo Mendez, who famously spurned the Beef for Kagoshima at the very last moment last season, but was made available by the Spurs due to his not meeting expectations n the pitch, and for causing chemistry issues that proved to be too big to ignore. Fetching a J-League record transfer fee totaling nearly 2 million yen after salary, bonus money, and fees, Mendez is expected to get his head on straight to help the Beef attain their 4th J-League championship.
Other moves made by Hyogo include the signing of journeymen defensemen Choni Sindler and Shigeru Miyamoto. Neither will be expected to contribute much other than to sub occasionally for the starting back line. To fill out the roster minimum Hyogo also bought the contracts of three bench riders from new J-League entrant FC Hiroshima. Kaoru Masashi, and brothers Osamu Motohashi and Morihiro Motohashi will be expected to carry the starters luggage, make sure there is always Gatorade in the cooler, and be the butt of locker room practical jokes.
Season Preview
Tactically speaking, Hyogo will once again employ the 4-3-3 this season as their formation of choice. The signing of Mendez allows for the established Portuguese star on the club, Zé, to move from the midfield to the forward position, where he has some experience and can put his exceptional receiving abilities and eye for the goal to good use. Scoring 22 goals as a midfielder last season, big things are expected from Zé on the front lines, and if he shows promise at that position the move could be permanent as star forward Malachy Krautstok is starting to show some age, although he still plays at an elite level. Rounding out the front three will be veteran Togai Katsumoto, who led the team in goals last season. Zuriel Linie and Davi Gellbart are probably two of the most talented substitutes in the league, both of whom having proved very capable of scoring lots of goals.
In the midfield team co-captain and center midfielder Shinsaku Shinji will once again act as the holding midfielder and anchor the teams defense, while still being responsible for distribution to the more offensively minded wingers Mendez and Sancho Ferriera. The midfield is a definite position of strength for the Beef, as Zé is more than capable of moving back to the position if need be due to the depth up front, and Ilias Mohliwer is a very good defensive sub and would start for most teams in the league. There is a lot of flexibility, and prospects are bright. The only potential issue is whether the ubertalented Mendez can keep his temper in check and not hurt the team through bad fouls and red cards.
The starting back line remains unchanged from last season, which in this case is a very good thing as the Beef only allowed 37 goals last season while starting 18 year old rookie Habib Mündig for the majority of their games. With a year under his belt and his improvement showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, Mündig is rapidly reaching the level of fellow elite defenders Masami Chiba and Takeichi Miyagi. Co-Captain Chiba owns the air, and is as good a man marker as there is in the league, and anchors the defense with flair. Miyagi is nearly as good on the back line, and has been quite effective in offensive set pieces. Veteran Michinaga Matsuoka is entering the twilight of his career, and would like one more league championship before he retires. What truly makes the Hyogo back line special is that their top three defensemen have the fitness to play nearly every game on the schedule, maximizing their talents.
Goalie Barnaby Lichteneger is again one of the best in the league, and should be in the net for nearly every game, only being subbed out against the bottom feeders for the occasional break by backup GK Josh Boswell.
With the Giant Robots taking a small step back due to free agency losses, and the free agent market proving very volatile this year, the Kobe Beef are in excellent shape, having brought back their entire starting 11 from last seasons 2nd place squad. If Mendez can bring use his immense talents in a productive manner, Hyogo has to be considered a favorite for the J-League title.
Projected starting lineup:
GK: Barnaby Lichteneger (75 OV)
LD: Michinaga Matsuoka (60 OV)
LCD: Takeichi Miyagi (68 OV)
RCD: Masami Chiba (69OV)
RD: Habib Mündig (60 OV)
LM: Sancho Ferreira (64OV)
CM: Shinsaku Shinji (68OV)
RM: Ronaldo Mendez (76OV)
LF: Togai Katsumoto (61 OV)
CF: Zé Marceneiro (70OV)
RF: Malachy Krautstok (69 OV)
Top Subs:
GK, Josh Boswell, D Shigeru Miyamoto, M Ilias Mohliwer, F Davi Gellbart F Zuriel Linie
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Season 8 Recap
It was a bittersweet season for Hyōgo Tajima-ushi FC, as the defending champions posted team highs in goals scored and +/-, but finished with a worse record than last year and a runner up finish behind the resurgent Giant Robots. There is no shame in losing out to a storied club such as the Robots, but the players know that but for a few key goals in a few select games, they could have posted the three-peat. Still, all is not lost as the Beef had some revelations on the pitch that will surely help them next season in their quest to regain the top spot in the J-League.
Individually, the offense was golden once again, and the attack was very balanced. But standing out was Hyōgo's top acquisition, Zé Marceneiro, the young and electrifying Portuguese midfielder, who tallied 22 goals in his rookie season with the club. His stellar play easily outmatched the production that Spurs midfielder Ronaldo Mendez brought to the pitch this season, which delighted the spurned fans at the Slaughterhouse this year. Marceneiro established himself as an all star, and managed to increase his skills quite a bit over the season as well, and is now rating a very impressive 70 on the FCD rating scale.
Malachy Krautstock was his usual outstanding self, along with fellow forwards Togai Katsumoto and Davi Gellbart formed a front three that posted 70 goals on the season. Rookie forward Zuriel Linie was impressive too, netting 8 goals as a 19 year old. Shinsaku Shinji did an excellent job as holding center midfielder, anchoring a surprisingly stingy Hyogo defense and coordinating the attack at the same time. Midfielder Sancho Ferreira didn't seem to gel with the team quite as well as the manager would have liked however, and may be a candidate for transfer in the upcoming season, as the less skilled Ilias Mohliwer was often far more effective when in the lineup instead.
There were no complaints in the back line as Masami Chiba and Takeichi Miyagi formed a very solid anchor, and along with veteran Michnaga Matsuoka did a great job of mentoring future superstar rookie Habib Mündig. Mündig's development was startling, raising from a 53 at the time of his signing to an astounding 60 by seasons end, all at the age of 18. His potential ceiling is much higher than originally anticipated, and could surpass the 70-75 marker by his 22nd birthday. The Kobe Beef are very happy to have him locked up for four more years, and should his stellar development continue have plans to make him a Beef for life. In goal GK Barnaby Lichteneger was his usual very dependable and talented self, and left no doubt about his play and place as a team leader.
Season 8 Preview
It was a rather frustrating offseason for the two time defending champion Kobe Beef, as there were high expectations from the fans that the squad would capitalize upon it's title and draw in some major talent from the deep season 8 free agent pool. But it was not to be, as the 2.5 million dollar payout Hyogo had at their disposal wasn't nearly enough to reel in the top tier talent, specifically superstar midfielder Ronaldo Mendez, who took a deal with the Spurs at the last minute leaving the Beef with seemingly nothing to show. But all was not lost, as the Beef were able to suprise late in the signing period and land a very talented young midfielder, and also inked 2 very promising teenagers who can benefit from the veteran leadership on the team. Here is a look at the three players signed by Hyogo Tajima-Ushi FC:
Free Agent Signings
Zé Marceneiro - M, 22 yrs old, 67 OV
--Marceneiro was suprisingly around after the initial flurry of signings on day four, and after being snubbed by Portuguese superstar midfielder Ronaldo Mendez after being #1 in the bidding for days, the Kobe Beef were left scrambling to find a replacement, and ended up throwing the entirety of their remaining budget after the nearly as talented and younger Marceneiro. Zé, as he likes to be called, landed the biggest signing bonus and contract in franchise history, with a 654K annual salary and a million dollar signing bonus. But Zé looks to be worth it as his vision on the pitch is nearly unequalled, he is solid in the air, and lethal around the net if he gets the chance to shoot. He is a bit slow, but his distribution skills are supreme, and he could still improve upon them being only 22 years old.
Zuriel Linie, F, 19 yrs old, 53 OV
--Linie is a very promising young striker, who at 19 years of age already has the core skills necessary to perform and start for many teams. But with the Kobe Beef having 5 top tier strikers, all over the age of 30, he will be a substitute for a few years while he hones his game, and then when the veterans retire he is almost assured of a starting position in the next 3-4 seasons should he grow into the player he is projected to be. His ceiling is very high, as his offensive instinct, shooting, heading, and ball striking skills are all in the 60-80 range already, and his dribbling and passing skills are in the mid 50's. With enough playing time he could conceivably reach the 65-70 range in his peak years.
Habib Mündig, D, 18 yrs old, 53 OV
--The real gem of the free agency period for the Kobe Beef may ultimately be the young D-man Habib Mündig, an 18 year old who is already improving despite having yet played a game for Hyogo. Mündig has the potential to grow into the ultimate lock down defender, as he already shows elite skills for the position with defensive instinct, player and zonal marking skills, and situational defense skills rated in the 50's to 70's, and he has great speed and agility. Strong in the air and able to clear the ball well, with any amount of playing time it is hard to see him not reaching a 60 overall rating in a season or two, and a mid to high 70's peak isn't out of the question, as he is one of the highest rated 18 year old prospects to hit the league in many seasons.
Season Preview
Prospects for the season are pretty good for Hyogo, and expectations are high after back to back championships. But it will be a tough task to three-peat, as the Kobe Beef only signed one impact free agent while watching nearly every other team in the J-League open their pocketbooks in a major way and rapidly improve their squads. But with a very talented core of experienced players returning there is no reason to think that Hyogo won't again compete for the league title. The Beef are expected to run the 4-3-3 again as their favored formation, and have the elite talent up front, especially season 7 golden boot runner up Malachy Krautstok, to take full advantage of it, and also have a deep and deadly midfield. In the back they sport two top tier D-men, but might be vulnerable on the flanks as Mündig develops. GK Barnaby Lichteneger is as good as it gets, but backup Josh Boswell is only average. While they may give up a few more goals than last seasons pretty solid defense, the midfields ability to move the ball and distribute coupled with the lethal capabilities of all 6 forwards means that the Kobe Beef could top last seasons 137 goals scored and +102 goal differential. The local media fully expects another top 4 finish for the Beef this season, and anything less will be a disappointment.
Projected starting lineup:
GK: Barnaby Lichteneger (73 OV)
LD: Michinaga Matsuoka (61 OV)
LCD: Takeichi Miyagi (68 OV)
RCD: Masami Chiba (68OV)
RD: Habib Mündig (53 OV)
LM: Sancho Ferreira (64OV)
CM: Shinsaku Shinji (68OV)
RM: Zé Marceneiro (67OV)
LF: Togai Katsumoto (61 OV)
CF: Davi Gellbart (59 OV)
RF: Malachy Krautstok (69 OV)
Top Subs:
D Fujio Kobayashi, M Ilias Mohliwer, F Arata Takamine, F Zeshin Yoneda, F Zuriel Linie
Free Agent Signings
Zé Marceneiro - M, 22 yrs old, 67 OV
--Marceneiro was suprisingly around after the initial flurry of signings on day four, and after being snubbed by Portuguese superstar midfielder Ronaldo Mendez after being #1 in the bidding for days, the Kobe Beef were left scrambling to find a replacement, and ended up throwing the entirety of their remaining budget after the nearly as talented and younger Marceneiro. Zé, as he likes to be called, landed the biggest signing bonus and contract in franchise history, with a 654K annual salary and a million dollar signing bonus. But Zé looks to be worth it as his vision on the pitch is nearly unequalled, he is solid in the air, and lethal around the net if he gets the chance to shoot. He is a bit slow, but his distribution skills are supreme, and he could still improve upon them being only 22 years old.
Zuriel Linie, F, 19 yrs old, 53 OV
--Linie is a very promising young striker, who at 19 years of age already has the core skills necessary to perform and start for many teams. But with the Kobe Beef having 5 top tier strikers, all over the age of 30, he will be a substitute for a few years while he hones his game, and then when the veterans retire he is almost assured of a starting position in the next 3-4 seasons should he grow into the player he is projected to be. His ceiling is very high, as his offensive instinct, shooting, heading, and ball striking skills are all in the 60-80 range already, and his dribbling and passing skills are in the mid 50's. With enough playing time he could conceivably reach the 65-70 range in his peak years.
Habib Mündig, D, 18 yrs old, 53 OV
--The real gem of the free agency period for the Kobe Beef may ultimately be the young D-man Habib Mündig, an 18 year old who is already improving despite having yet played a game for Hyogo. Mündig has the potential to grow into the ultimate lock down defender, as he already shows elite skills for the position with defensive instinct, player and zonal marking skills, and situational defense skills rated in the 50's to 70's, and he has great speed and agility. Strong in the air and able to clear the ball well, with any amount of playing time it is hard to see him not reaching a 60 overall rating in a season or two, and a mid to high 70's peak isn't out of the question, as he is one of the highest rated 18 year old prospects to hit the league in many seasons.
Season Preview
Prospects for the season are pretty good for Hyogo, and expectations are high after back to back championships. But it will be a tough task to three-peat, as the Kobe Beef only signed one impact free agent while watching nearly every other team in the J-League open their pocketbooks in a major way and rapidly improve their squads. But with a very talented core of experienced players returning there is no reason to think that Hyogo won't again compete for the league title. The Beef are expected to run the 4-3-3 again as their favored formation, and have the elite talent up front, especially season 7 golden boot runner up Malachy Krautstok, to take full advantage of it, and also have a deep and deadly midfield. In the back they sport two top tier D-men, but might be vulnerable on the flanks as Mündig develops. GK Barnaby Lichteneger is as good as it gets, but backup Josh Boswell is only average. While they may give up a few more goals than last seasons pretty solid defense, the midfields ability to move the ball and distribute coupled with the lethal capabilities of all 6 forwards means that the Kobe Beef could top last seasons 137 goals scored and +102 goal differential. The local media fully expects another top 4 finish for the Beef this season, and anything less will be a disappointment.
Projected starting lineup:
GK: Barnaby Lichteneger (73 OV)
LD: Michinaga Matsuoka (61 OV)
LCD: Takeichi Miyagi (68 OV)
RCD: Masami Chiba (68OV)
RD: Habib Mündig (53 OV)
LM: Sancho Ferreira (64OV)
CM: Shinsaku Shinji (68OV)
RM: Zé Marceneiro (67OV)
LF: Togai Katsumoto (61 OV)
CF: Davi Gellbart (59 OV)
RF: Malachy Krautstok (69 OV)
Top Subs:
D Fujio Kobayashi, M Ilias Mohliwer, F Arata Takamine, F Zeshin Yoneda, F Zuriel Linie
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
