Before 2007, J clubs were not doing good in ACL and that's when Japanese fans claimed that they didn't try enough. And Urawa finally took ACL title to Japan in 2007, and the next year Gamba Osaka succeeded it, then they started to say that it's the result when they actually try.
And since 2010, when they again started to dip, Japanese fans brought up the old excuse again that J League is more important to them.
This reminds me of Koreans making excuse as to why they haven't won Asian Cup for 50 years. They love to make similar excuses like they have long taken Asian Cup lightly, sending young players and only recently started to give importance blah blah...
So, it's about their pride. But honestly, ugly pride.
Asian Cup or Asian Champions League, you MUST do your best. Didn't try enough? I don't even believe so, but if it's true, F** that. Then they have no right to say that they are the Asian football leader.
Hiroshima may be better club than CCM, but you can't win every games anyway unless the gap between the two is as huge as Arsenal and some 5th tier club, especially when it's a far away game. And in fact, Japanese clubs usally have done well when they met Aussie clubs. Remember last year? Kashiwa killed CCM by 6-1 on aggregate. So forget about CCM match. Upsets can happen.
Korean clubs have been major problem who have blocked J clubs in ACL, and recently Chinese clubs are also doing good against J clubs. Most games among clubs from these 3 countries are full of tension, partly because of the rivalry among the countries. Japanese supporters, who travel to China and Korea when their club have ACL matches there, would kill them if they play loosely against K and C clubs.
Of course J clubs do their best. I say again, there is NO reason for them to underestimate ACL. J. League winning prize money is 100 million yen, roughly 1 million USD, and ACL winning money is 1.5 million USD plus you can participate in FIFA Club World Cup where you can get 1 mil USD guaranteed bonus + winning bonus, as well as "honor". Japan was even the consistent host of Club World Cup until recently, and they don't give a shit to the "ticket" for the competition they host ? No way.
Lets just put it like this... what is the attendance for the J. League matches... what is the attendance for the ACL games in Japan. How many young players got more game time in the ACL then they did in the J. League (the answer may surprise you). Again, you had 3 Japanese clubs knocked-out last season. 2 finished last in their group. Hell, Vegalta were beaten out by bloody Buriram United! Almost lost if not for a last minute goal. Sanfrecce did not even win a bloody game! And there was even a team from Uzbekistan in their group!!!! And they won the J. League!!!! Care to explain that! Are you really that thick that you believe that teams from Thailand or Uzbekistan can beat out top Japanese clubs and leave them at the bottem of their groups!?
Kashiwa actually gave their best in the ACL, it was their 2nd time in the tournament, and they finished 10th in the J. League. They took a risk, giving up the J. League for ACL and sadly that did not work for them as they were killed by Evergrande but again, this is the 10th place J. League team.
There is just to much evidence to say that they dont put their best foot forward in their competition and honestly, people who watch both the J. League and them in ACL can tell you that.
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Was getting tired of rants from a certain someone in all leagues/discussions!!!
He may play next I-league
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