Wednesday 17 December 2008

S-Pulse 2nd Stage Champions 2008

Hot on the heels of transfer rumours and possible stadium expansion excitement comes another snippet of close-season semi-news!

It's only been four years since the J. League adopted a single season format. Before that, all seasons except 1996 had consisted of two stages. It's a point well worth noting, and worth noting loudly and repeatedly, that had this year been a two stage system, your very own Shimizu S-Pulse would have won the second stage by two clear points:

J. League 2008 (Hypothetical) 2nd Stage Standings

P   Team   Pts  W D L
01 S-Pulse 36  11 3  3
02 Kawasaki 34   10 4  3
03 Kashima 32    9  5  3
04 Oita   31   9  4  4
05 FC Tokyo  30   9  3  5
06 Yokohama 30   8  6  3
07 Nagoya 30   8  6  3
08 Chiba    28   8  4  5
09 Kobe   22   6  4  7
10 G. Osaka  21   6  3  8
11 Urawa    21   5  6  6
12 Omiya 21   6  3  8
13 Kyoto   17   4  5  8
14 Verdy   17   4  5  8
15 Kashiwa  17   4  5  8
16 Niigata 16   4  4  9
17 Jubilo  14   3  5  9
18 Sapporo  3   0  3 14

Proof, if further proof be needed, that S-Pulse are the best team in the country! Urawa, who won the (hypothetical) first stage, would be our opponents in the play off for the championship. Given current form, (Urawa got destroyed 6-1 at home on the final Saturday) we would probably be lifting our first J. League title right about now. :)

Championes, championes! Ole ole ole!

3 comments:

Fuz said...

Shizza, a touch too much time on your hands at the moment? How about a review of the season? Best player award? most disappointing signing? Players we used to love but now hate etc?

Barry said...

Never too busy to report on the 'Pulse! Don't know about a season review just yet though - that'd take a while to write and I have Christmas to contend with first! Maybe over the winters hols, but feel free to beat me to it! ;-D

Just to throw out a couple of random awards seeing as you mention it (purely my own opinion):

Most improved player: Paulo. Mainly because he seemed so woefully out of shape back in May, but he pulled it round.

Most disappointing singing: Hint: it starts in AU and ends in RELIO.

Best breakthrough player: Hara

Best innovation in the stands: Loco Loco after each win!

OK, I have some work to do, believe it or not!

Fuz said...

Funnily enough, my views on most disappointing were similar... miss a penalty on your first game, first touch more or less, that would take a miracle to forgive... a miracle that never came...