Japan and Korea look to continue domestic strength

With an ever-rising number of their top players heading to Europe, Japan and South Korea will open their domestic seasons this week keen to show that the J-League and the K-League are still Asia's top football competitions.

Japan especially has plenty to be excited about, despite the recent exodus of talent. Six players have left Japan for Germany since 2010 World Cup, with others heading to Italy and Spain.

Along with a national team that won the Asian Cup in January, the J-League is thriving with 18 teams playing mostly attractive football in front of a healthy average attendance of over 18,000 in 2010.

''It is the best league in Asia,'' Shimizu S-Pulse's newly appointed coach Afshin Ghotbi told The AP. ''There are many good teams in the competition. It is too early to predict which team will win the title but it is going to be another exciting season.''

The K-league could be in even better shape after four Korean teams reached the quarterfinals of the 2010 Asian Champions League and Seongnam Ilhwa won a record ninth title for the nation. Champions FC Seoul's stylish brand of football attracted an average attendance of over 30,000.

The J-League is known for dramatic title races with the fate of the championship often decided on the last day.

Last year however, Nagoya Grampus sealed its first ever win with time to spare. Led by the highly rated former Yugoslav international Dragan Stojkovic, the pressure is on to see if the club can retain the prize.

''I have passed my philosophy to the players for the last three years,'' said Stojkovic. ''I think that it is crucial for us to play beautiful, attacking and exciting football to attract spectators. I also think that we should have a strong mentality and confidence to fight until the end.

''I strongly believe that if you have faith, then anything is possible and I hope the players agree. Our goal this year is to win the J-League title again and to become champion of Asia.''

Nagoya ended Kashima Antlers' run of three successive titles, but the Ibaraki club is always dangerous. The club's Brazilian coach Oswaldo Oliveira has signed compatriot Carlao to get the goals to ensure that last season's fourth place finish was a one-off after three consecutive title wins.

''It really was a disappointment but we have to know how to deal with this situation,'' Oliveira said. ''It's important to keep our goal and to try one more time.''

Kawasaki Frontale is looking for a first title after coming close a number of times in recent years, while Gamba Osaka is hopeful of repeating its 2005 success.

The 2006 champion Urawa Reds are still the best-supported club in the league, with an average attendance close to 40,000 despite a poor finish in 10th. The club's last four coaches have been German, but the man charged with bringing back the glory days is Zelkjo Petrovic from Montenegro.

The likes of Cerezo Osaka and Shimizu S-Pulse are in with an outside chance but coach Ghotbi is ambitious.

''Our target is to qualify for the 2012 Asian Champions League by winning the J-League in 2011,'' he said.

''Winning the title is a challenge I welcome. We have lost striker Shinji Okazaki to Stuttgart and he is a fantastic player, but we have to find other solutions.''

With a record number of 16 teams participating in the 2011 K-League, all looks bright. But there are still a number of clubs that often play in front of small crowds in huge stadiums built for the 2002 World Cup.

Baseball remains the most popular sport in terms of stadium attendance and television viewing figures, but new K-League president Chong Mong-gyu aims to change that.

''Ever since I took the job, the most common thing I have heard is that the K-League is not exciting enough,'' Chong said. ''At the moment, the K-league is about 60 percent satisfactory. Our target is 85 percent in the next two to three years.''

Promotion and relegation will be implemented in the 2013 K-League, similar to the process already in place in Japan.

Seoul and Suwon should be in no danger of the drop and both have spent big over the winter. Seoul paid out over $1 million to Seongnam for ace Colombian Mauricio Molina and signed 2008 Asian Player of the Year Server Djeparov of Uzbekistan on a permanent deal.

Suwon also has a new Uzbek import in international striker Alexander Geynrikh. The Bluewings, two time Asian champion, also paid Seongnam over $1 million for South Korea international goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryung.

''Seoul and Suwon have spent some money since the end of last season and look strong, they have even taken some of our players,'' Seongnam's Australian star and 2010 Asian Player of the Year Sasa Ognenovski told The AP.

''Jeonbuk Motors is also a talented team that can challenge,'' Ognenovski added. ''For these clubs, much depends on how far they get in the Asian Champions League. We finished fourth in the league at the end of the season but by that time we had played lots of games all over Asia. At one point earlier in the season we had been higher.''

Three-time Asian champion Pohang Steelers and Ulsan Horangi do not have to concern themselves with Asia and will look to challenge for the title.

Gwangju FC is a new team in the South-Western city after the military club relocated to Sangju.