Football Season Guide

V-Varen Nagasaki were among the top 8 teams all season. For long their ability to score lots of goals, 70 in 42 matches, made them look like real contenders for direct promotion. Unfortunately, inexplicable selection and tactical choices for the games against the main rivals led to a series of bad defeats when it mattered most which resulted in a bad anticlimax finish to the season. Nagasaki ended up in 7th place, 2 points outside the play-offs. The questionable selection choices and tactics used saw coach Fabio Carille sacked at the end of the season. Oita’s head coach in 2023 Takahiro Shimotaira took his place and he will start the new season as the head coach. Several of the regulars from last season left this winter but the big stars stayed put and Nagasaki showed intent by signing some quality players. The midfield line should look much better with the arrivals of Okuda and Yamada. Also, improved defensive stability can be expected after the new manager invested heavily in bringing in 5 new defenders, with at least 3 of those having the potential to become regular starters. Juanma Delgado was by far the best striker in J2 last season. The Spaniard scored 26 league goals, no other player had more than 18, and he stayed put which should see Nagasaki once again dominating in attack. The hopes are high and now the main question is how high Nagasaki could get in 2024.