Late drama decided the winner of the 2024 YBC Levain Cup, aka the J.League Cup.
Nagoya Grampus displayed poise in crunch time during a penalty shootout, winning it 5-4 against Albirex Niigata on Saturday, November 2.
The soccer match was tied 2-2 after the end of the second half and 3-3 after extra time at Tokyo's National Stadium.
Grampus players Sho Inagaki, Mitch Langerak, Ryosuke Yamanaka, Kasper Junker and Yuya Yamagishi notched goals in the penalty shootout.
Albirex forward Motoki Nagakura missed the team's second attempt in the shootout. Teammates Hiroki Akiyama, Thomas Jok Deng, Yuji Hoshi and Yota Komi had successful attempts.
On a rainy day in the nation's capital, after the match was decided, Nagoya manager Kenta Hasegawa expressed pride in goalkeeper Langerak's ability and the team's spirited fans.
"We have Mitch in our goal and I backed our chance if it were to go to penalties," Hasegawa said, according to Kyodo News. "The Nagoya fans kept cheering us on till the end in the rain and it was great to see their smiles."
In the ongoing J.League season, which will wrap up in early December, Grampus sit in ninth place and Albirex are 16th among 20 teams entering the 35th round of matches on Sunday, November 3.
Back-and-Forth Drama in the Levain Cup
Kensuke Nagai gave Grampus 1-0 and 2-0 leads on first-half goals in the 31st and 42nd minutes.
Kaito Taniguchi pulled Albirex within 2-1 in the 71st minute and teammate Komi scored the equalizer on a penalty kick in second-half injury time, sending the match into extra time.
In the 93rd minute, Grampus regained the lead when Katsuhiro Nakayama scored on a deflection.
Albirex forward Nagakura, who had a tournament-best six goals, threaded the ball to Komi with a well-placed pass in the 111th minute. Komi capitalized on the scoring opportunity, booting the ball past Langerak.
A 36-year-old Australian, Langerak was named YBC Levain Cup MVP. He has played for Grampus since 2018. But Langerak will join Melbourne Victory, for whom he began his pro career in 2007, in the 2025 campaign.
On the official J.League X account, Langerak's accomplishments in the tournament were summed up: "A wall in goal and a true leader on the field. Mitchell Langerak delivered a stunning performance with crucial saves throughout the journey, leading Nagoya Grampus to glory. A well-deserved MVP for an unforgettable run!"
Levain Cup Facts and Figures
In the 2023 Levain Cup final, Avispa Fukuoka earned a 2-1 victory over the Urawa Reds at National Stadium.
The Kashima Antlers have won the most tournament titles (six), most recently lifting the championship trophy in 2015.
Grampus won its first title in this event in 2021, topping Cerezo Osaka 2-0 at Saitama Stadium.
The J.League Cup was first held in 1992 and has been contested annually ever since, except for 1995 due to scheduling issues.
In its recent history, from 2018-23, the tournament was open to J.League first- and second-division clubs. This year's competition, which began in March, featured all 60 J.League clubs ― from J1, J2 and J3 (the third division).
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Baseball
Historic Ohtani Home-Run Ball Sells for Nearly $4.4 Million
The ball that Shohei Ohtani hit for his 50th home run of the 2024 MLB season on September 19 against the Miami Marlins was purchased for $4,392,000 USD (more than ¥672 million JPY) by a Taiwanese company, it was announced by Goldin Auctions LLC on October 24.
No ball has ever been sold for a higher price, according to published reports.
Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to reach 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in the same season.
In related news, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their World Series title with fans by holding a downtown parade in Los Angeles on Friday, November 1, followed by a party at Dodger Stadium.
A crowd of 42,458 attended the event at the ballpark, where Ohtani addressed the team's fans.
"This is so special," Ohtani told the crowd in English. "I'm so honored to be here. Congratulations, Los Angeles. Thank you, guys."
His dog Decoy, aka Dekopin, joined him on a double-decker bus during the parade.
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Kikuchi Becomes a Free Agent
Yusei Kikuchi made a big impact for the Houston Astros after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays in late July. Now he enters the MLB offseason as a free agent.
Sports Illustrated reported that four teams (Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves) will pursue signing the left-handed starter.
Kikuchi went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts for the Astros. Before the trade, he was 4-9 with a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts for the Blue Jays.
The 33-year-old struck out 76 batters in 60 innings for Houston, which went 9-1 in games that Kikuchi started. What's more, he reduced his hits per nine innings from 9.7 with the Blue Jays to an impressive 6.3 with the Astros.
In his ranking of the MLB's top 10 free agent starting pitchers, Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston listed Kikuchi at No 10.
Basketball
Hovasse to Continue as Japan Head Coach
Japan men's national team head coach Tom Hovasse, who has guided the squad since the fall of 2021, has signed a new contract to remain in his leadership post.
Under Hovasse's leadership, Japan qualified for the 12-team tournament at the Paris Olympics. It marked the first time Japan men had qualified for the Olympics since the 1976 Montreal Games. (As the Olympic host, it received an automatic berth in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.)
Japan went 0-3 at the Paris Olympics.
Now the national team is making preparations for upcoming 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers starting with a Group C match against Mongolia on November 21 in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. A November 24 match at Guam follows.
"Over the past three years, we have grown as a team and created many great memories," Hovasse said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we did not reach our goal in Paris, but we gained respect from all the teams we played.
"We are on the right path and I am honored and proud to be a part of this team again moving forward. Our work and journey is not over. I look forward to facing the many challenges ahead."
Grizzlies' Kawamura Scoreless in His Opening Quintet of NBA Games
NBA rookie Yuki Kawamura has briefly played in five regular-season games (on October 25, 26, 30 and 31 and November 2) for the Memphis Grizzlies.
In 11 total minutes of court time, the former Yokohama B-Corsairs standout has dished out one assist. Kawamura is 0-for-4 from the floor, missing all of his shots from 3-point range.
He had his first NBA assist in the season opener against the Houston Rockets on October 25.
East Asia Super League Update
The reigning B.League champion Hiroshima Dragonflies and the Ryukyu Golden Kings both improved to 2-0 with road wins in the East Asia Super League on Wednesday, October 30.
At Southorn Stadium, the Dragonflies outplayed Hong Kong Eastern in the second half and recorded an 88-75 win.
The Dragonflies outscored the hosts 51-31 after the intermission.
Kerry Blackshear Jr led Hiroshima with 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Teammate Ryo Yamazaki scored 13 points, Ira Brown and Nick Mayo had 11 apiece and Keijiro Mitani had nine.
"We just had to be ourselves, lock in, be a little bit more aggressive on both ends of the ball, handle those 50-50 balls. Those [plays] win games," Blackshear told reporters. "And we were able to do them a lot better in the second half."
Christopher McLaughlin led Hong Kong with 24 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
Up next: The Dragonflies travel to play Group A opponent Suwon KT Sonicboom on December 4.
Golden Kings newcomer Keve Aluma, a power forward/center, had a game-best 29 points in the perennial B.League powerhouse squad's 96-93 victory over the Macau Black Bears at Studio City Event Center.
Ryukyu big man Jack Cooley finished with 24 points and 19 rebounds, including nine offensive boards, and longtime teammate Ryuichi Kishimoto poured in 19 points.
For Macau, Damian Chong Qui had a 24-point effort.
Up next: The Golden Kings are back in action in the EASL against Group B opponent Busan KCC Egis on December 4 at Okinawa Arena.
Former NBA Player Williams Signs with B2's Veltex
Forward/center Johnathan Williams, who suited up for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, respectively, has joined B.League second-division club Veltex Shizuoka.
In a team-issued news release, the 206-cm big man said, "I'm Johnathan Williams, I'm happy to be here. Very blessed to be a part of the organization. And I look forward to bringing this team more wins."
Williams made his Veltex debut in an 87-63 home loss to the Fukui Blowinds on Saturday, November 2. He had 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting and three rebounds in nearly 17 minutes of court time.
The Blowinds improved to 6-3 and the Veltex fell to 6-3.
In the 2023-24 season, Williams played in 18 games for the Toyama Grouses, averaging 12.9 points and 8.7 rebounds. He suited up for the Philippine Basketball Association's Phoenix Fuel Masters in the 2022-23 campaign.
Rugby
All Blacks Hammer Brave Blossoms
New Zealand defeated Japan 64-19 in a rugby test match on October 26 at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama.
The All Blacks scored 10 tries in the rout, including seven in the first half.
Japan, which trailed 43-12 at halftime, grabbed the first lead of the match in the fifth minute on a Jone Naikabula try. And with both teams vying to seize control, the Brave Blossoms pulled within 14-12 in the 20th minute.
The All Blacks quickly put their stamp on the match, with a trio of tries (Billy Proctor, Sam Cane and Samipeni Finau) in a nine-minute stretch, putting them ahead 29-12 in the 32nd minute.
A third try for Japan, which would've put them in front in the 21st minute was called off due to a knock-on violation.
The Brave Blossoms didn't respond well to the disappointment, according to head coach Eddie Jones.
"When we had that try disallowed you could visibly see our energy drop," Jones said, according to The Associated Press. "Our attention to detail dropped and New Zealand scored 29 points in that period and the game was lost. But I thought in the second half we showed plenty of spirit, plenty of character and played some good rugby."
New Zealand defeated England 24-22 on November 2 in London. Japan returns to action on November 9 against France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis as its autumn tour resumes in Europe.
After that, the Brave Blossoms are scheduled to face Uruguay on November 16 in Chambery, France, and England on November 23 in London.
Look for upcoming analysis of Japan's autumn schedule, including European matches, by sports reporter Colin Morrison later in November on SportsLook.
Speed Skating
Takagi Continues Rein as 1,000-Meter Champ at National Meet
Speed skater Miho Takagi captured her eighth consecutive title in the women's 1,000 meters at the All Japan Distance Championships in Nagano on October 27. She was clocked in 1 minute, 14.20 seconds.
"I can't be too happy with my time, but on the last day of this event, I finally felt like I had a good response, or at least a reasonably good race," Takagi said, according to NHK. "So that's one thing that I gained."
Takagi also triumphed in the 1,500 and the 3,000 during the three-day meet.
Track and Field
Race walker Ikeda Suspended for Suspected Blood Doping
Koki Ikeda, a silver medalist in the men's 20-kilometer race walk at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was provisionally suspended by World Athletics for what has been labeled "suspected blood doping," it was announced on Friday, November 1.
What are the allegations?
In announcing the provisional suspension, the Athletics Integrity Unit of track and field's global governing body, informed Ikeda the charge was "based on suspect readings in his biological passport," The Associated Press reported, summarizing the announcement.
"The passport can indicate markers of doping over time without an athlete testing positive for a banned drug," the news agency added.
Ikeda, 26, also represented Japan at the 2024 Paris Olympics and placed seventh in the 20-km race.
Quote of the Week
"It's frustrating to think they can't concentrate on judo freely. This is a valuable exchange."
―Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Aaron Wolf said after participating in an All Japan Judo Federation-organized clinic for Ukrainian judoka in Tokyo on October 30, Kyodo News reported. Approximately 30 athletes from the war-ravaged nation attended the event two days before their scheduled departure from Japan.
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
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