So we have the final four teams in the East region of the Asian Champions League: Vissel Kobe (Japan) Machida Zelvia (Japan) Buriram United (Thaland) Johor Darul Ta'zim (Malaysia) The West region hasn't started the R16 because of the troubles in the Middle East.

For 77 minutes I thought this was going to be another Gwangju situation from last season. But when you need something big, turn to your best and most experienced players. Muto to Osako, Kobe end up winning 2-1 (3-1 AGG) and proceed to the next round of the Champions League! #VisselKobe

What a strike this is from Matsumoto Yamaga's Fujieda Kosuke. It was the third and final goal of their comprehensive win over Sapporo (who continued to struggle, 0 wins in 5). Kosuke is only 22, joined Yamaga from Momoyama Gakuin University in January. Absolute 💥💥 of a right foot.

FC Tokyo have been one of the more impressive teams in the vision league so far. Another win today, this time against Yokohama FM (3-0) and look at this assist from Kein Sato and finish by Motoki Nagakura. Scouts should be all over this young team, hope #NCFC are but I doubt it. #J1

Mito's Malick Fofana is shown a red card (deservedly so) for a foul in the box and instead of mouthing off with the referee, he comes back to shake his hand. Respect. Urawa missed the resulting penalty.

I'm not expecting to win away at Leeds on Sunday, especially with a depleted squad. But with Clement there is a chance, and that's all you want with an FA Cup 5th round tie away at a Premier League club. #NCFC

Here's today's TJW offering for 4/3/26 🟢 My thoughts on the Jets tagging Breece Hall. 🟢 Why he's smart to wait for his market to set. 🟢 Does Davis Mills make any sense for the Jets? 🟢 How about Malik Willis? 🟢 Loads of notes on mock drafts etc. #NYJ #NYJets jetsway.substack.com/p/jets-place...

Full list of final scores from the AFC Champions League R16 matches played today and yesterday. Melbourne City (AUS) 1:1 Buriram United (THA) Gangwon (ROK) 0:0 Machida Zelvia (JPN) FC Seoul (ROK) 0:1 Vissel Kobe (JPN) Johor Darul Ta'zim (MYS) 3:1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) #ACLElite

Vissel Kobe come back from South Korea with an important first-leg advantage. Brazilian CB Matheus Thuler with the only goal of the game although Maekawa did save a penalty in the second half after a harsh penalty for handball by 18-year-old CM Kento Hamasaki. Kobe not in J1 action this weekend.

I'm glad the Jets decided to use the franchise tag on Breece Hall, it offers extra layers of protection that a transition tag doesn't. He'll want to see what Walker gets in FA and what Gibbs/Robinson get in contract extensions before signing a long-term deal. Hope he's a Jet for life. #NYJ

Currently working the Eintracht Frankfurt vs SC Freiburg game and had to share this double save from 23-year old keeper Noah Atubolu in the away goal. He's an outstanding young keeper. #Bundesliga

This is a strong strike from Matheus Jesus who now has 2 goals and 2 assists in 4 games with Nagasaki recording back-to-back victories. But Kosuke Nakamura (中村 航輔) has to be getting a hand on that in goal. Kosuke is a capped international, this is very poor. #セレッソ大阪

I'm running our of superlatives for Phillipe Clement and what he's going at #NCFC. Injury ravaged squad and we've won 5 of our last 6 away games including a 2-0 win yesterday at Leicester and 9 wins from our last 11 including 2 clean sheet in a row. Absolutely mad when you think about it.

Phillipe Clement basically blaming Liam Manning for the injuries: "No comparison to any of my other clubs (amount of injuries). We are digging into that. I don't want to go too deep into it, and I don't want to point the finger at people who are not here anymore." - Players weren't ready.

Great win for Kyoto Sanga today who scored twice after 80 minutes to come from behind and take 3 points against Hiroshima. That puts Kyoto top of the west, leapfrogging Sanfrecce. Winning goal was scored by Brazilian Henrique Trevisan who arrived from FC Tokyo in the transfer window. #KyotoSanga

Kobe made that much harder than it needed to be, conceding this goal in the 90th minute, a great strike by Yu Hashimoto. We had numerous chances to put this game away in the 2nd half after going 2-0 up, but we squandered some good positions. Regardless, it's another 3 points. That's the key.

Right now at Norwich we have 14 injuries to first-team players. 6-7 of those are starters or impact subs in a first-choice XI/squad. The fact we continue to pick up points is a minor miracle. I can't wait to see what Clement can do with a full squad next season. #NCFC

Got a busy work weekend with J1 starting with Kobe vs Avispa and Machida vs JEF United. Kobe looking to get back to winning ways after the defeat to Shimizu last week. Avispa been poor so far. Machida threw a 2-goal lead away to Verdy last week and will have eye on the Gangwon game Tuesday. #J1

A lot of talk is about the top tier free agents on the market. If you’re lucky, you get one of them. But the real building of a team comes through the draft and by finding free agent steals. Here are five free agents that barely anyone is talking about. #NYJ jetsway.substack.com/p/5-free-age...

Solomon Sakuragawa (櫻川 ソロモン) scored his 2nd goal in 3 games for Cerezo following his winter move from Yokohama FC after they were relegated, and what a goal it was. He's never been a prolific scorer, wasn't at JEF, Okayama or Yokohama FC, maybe in Osaka he will be. #セレッソ大阪

Here is that Tulio goal. I rate Yuma Obata, liked him when he was at Vegalta Sendai and he's done well at Avispa, but today wasn't his finest hour. Only 24 and keepers tend to get better with age. #アビスパ福岡 #京都サンガ #J1

I'm not sure how we lost to Birmingham yesterday. We fell asleep for 15 minutes and gave away two silly goals. Then dominated the rest of the match and should have scored 3-4. These things happen, we go again on Wednesday. Still believe we're heading in the right direction. #NCFC

Avispa have a few issues to try and sort through, but they're not being helped by individual errors like this one from Yuma Obata (小畑 裕馬). Obata's positioning for Sanga's second goal was very poor as well. #アビスパ福岡 #京都サンガ #J1

There are so many reasons why Kyler Murray to the Jets makes absolutely no sense. But that won't stop the rumours from circling as they continue to do. #NYJ jetsway.substack.com/p/kyler-murr...

What a great test for this revitalised Norwich team.

As soon as Aaron Glenn decided he wanted to call plays, he needed someone familiar for DC. Enter Brian Duker. The hire isn't the problem, Glenn calling plays isn't a problem, but the journey to Duker raises plenty of red flags about process. #NYJ open.substack.com/pub/jetsway/...

When things are going well you can't beat a win under the lights. Carrow Road was rocking last night as Norwich completed their 3rd win in a row and this one against the league leaders. We were sleep-walking to relegation, new manager has us dreaming of a late playoff push. #NCFC

Based on what the Jets need and some of the things Glenn has said about Anzalone in the past, I'm fully on board making the soon to be FA an off-season priority. #NYJ jetsway.substack.com/p/alex-anzal...

Kusini Yengi has left Aberdeen in Scotland and signed his contract with Cerezo Osaka. Looking forward to seeing him next season. Australian striker with plenty of talent.

Thought Japan were excellent today, moved the ball quicker and defended with more confidence. South Korea unfortunately were disappointing. Wasteful with their chances and kept slowing the ball down instead of looking to move it through the lines. Japan heavy favourites for the title now.

Josh Sargent who?

South Korea v Japan in the semi-final. South Korea got past Australia thanks to this outstanding first time finish from Baek Ga-on. That semi-final game should draw plenty of scouts, a lot of talent on show!

Bo Bichette to the Mets. Love it. No that's an understatement.

Destroyed his reputation with one ill-advised text. Norwich have never stood in the way of progress for their players which is why they sanctioned his exit to the Bundesliga in the summer. Josh is the one who pulled the plug on that. Now he refused to play because Toronto offered 50% his value?

Covered this game today and look at this penalty. This is why you don't celebrate too early 😂 Japan got a scare though, Jordan were the better team for long stretches and their directness and speed caused issues. They'll now face South Korea or Australia in the Semi-Final of the U23 Asian Cup.

Vissel Kobe revealed their 2026 home and away kits. I'm never a massive fan of vertical stripes personally and really don't like the colour of the away kit, but we've had worse. #VisselKobe

Yuto Ozeki is one of the most talented young footballers in Asia. Really can't wait to see him develop, scored today for Japan against the UAE in the U23 Asian Cup and after his loan spell at Fukushima United in 2024, and then playing 25 times in J1 last year, future is extremely bright.

I'm not sure if this a popular or unpopular opinion, but I actually loved the way they ended Stranger Things. You're never going to please 100% of the people, but the main arc was tidy in the ending. Looking forward to the animated series now. #StrangerThings

I saw a report linking Taisei Miyashiro with a transfer to Norwich City (my hometown team)...then I looked at the author of the report and it being someone with no credibility at all, and now I feel deflated. There is no move I'd love more than that one for him and for us. #NCFC

Great 4 nights in Copenhagen 🇩🇰 What did I miss? Need to get back into the transfer talk tomorrow.

According to Sponichi Annex, Spanish side Las Palmas have already made a formal offer for Kobe forward Taisei Miyashiro. As someone who works a lot of Spanish football, he'd clean up in the Segunda Division, but he's better than that. English Championship would be a good destination.

Kawasaki have a new defender in Reon Yamahara, signed on a permanent deal from Shimizu (Official). Was named in the J2 League Best XI during the promotion season of 2024, and it gives me a reason to re-post this free-kick against Cerezo in June. #Frontale #J1 #Shimizu

Koya Yuruki apparently leaving Kobe for Kashiwa. As a Kobe fan I can't say I'm that sad about it, wrong side of 30 now, played mostly as a substitute last year. We need plenty of change in the squad this year and plenty of fringe players will likely move on. #J1

Reports in Japan are suggesting that Hiroshima have beaten out 5 other clubs to the signing of Shonan captain Akito Suzuki. The 22-year-old wants to test himself before moving to Europe apparently. 9 goals, 4 assists last year, he's top class. Would have loved him at Kobe #J1

Fūki Yamada is heading back to Japan after a disappointing loan in Portugal with Nacional. According to reports in Japan, FC Tokyo are signing him on a permanent deal from Kyoto Sanga. Last time we saw him in J1 it was with FC's bitter rivals Tokyo Verdy. Not sure what Park Il-gyu is doing here 😂

Jets are rightfully linked to Mendoza. But what if the Raiders take Mendoza before the Jets get a chance and they don't love anyonre else at the top of the draft? Introducing Darian Mensah, an option the Jets should explore. #TJW #Jetup jetsway.substack.com/p/introducin...

Asahi Uenaka is leaving Yokohama FM for Gamba Osaka. 8 goals and 4 assists in J1 last season despite all the upheaval at YFM. Actually think this is an outstanding signing for Gamba and still only 24, he's probably going to get even better. Would have liked Uenaka at Kobe.

After a very short absence Mihailo Petrović is back in J1, this time as manager of Nagoya. Last seen getting Sapporo relegated at the end of the 2024 season. He does have plenty of J1 experience, not just with Sapporo but with Urawa and Sanfrecce, was J-League manager of the year back in 2018. #J1

JEF have a new signing in the form of Takushoku University forward Takumi Matsumura (younger brother of Kashima's Yuta) - Was the leading goal scorer and assister in Kanto University Soccer League Division 2 this year. Quite looking forward to seeing him next season. #J1

Riku Matsuda has made a permanent transfer away from Kobe to BG Pathum United F.C in Thailand. At 34 this is probably the right move for him, never got going at Kobe after his move from Gamba Osaka, only appeared in 2 games in J1 last season. He'll do a job in that league though. #J1 #ヴィッセル神戸