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The J-Talk Podcast

Ben Maxwelljtalkpod.podbean.com
A weekly Japanese football podcast focusing on the J.League.
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Episodes

Episode 582 - J1 Matchday 26

With Ben back in Australia, Alan Gibson joined Jonny to run through all the major talking points from Round 26 of the J1 season. Time Stamps: Start - 01:50 Intro / Emperor’s Cup 01:50 - 1:36.24 Round 26 Review 1:36.25 - End Round 30/27 Preview Thanks again for listening!

Aug 18, 20251 hr 43 minEp. 682

JTET - J2 Round 25 Review

Embarrassingly late this week, JTET is back with all of the latest news from a J2 standpoint. This time, Jon kicks off Part 1 with a review of the recent Emperor's Cup Round of 16 ties (from a J2 perspective), and rounds up all of last weekend's J2 action (Round 25 of the season). After that, Jon was joined by Big Pod regular (but JTET debutant) Ryo Nakagawara to talk in detail about Imabari's home win over Kumamoto. The boys also chatted about some Most Bravo Players from the round, along with ...

Aug 16, 20251 hr 27 minEp. 681

JTSC - J3 Special (August 2025)

With J3 taking a short summer break at the moment, it seemed like the ideal time to record our latest J-Talk: Short Corner J3 Special for 2025! In this August edition, Jon Steele was joined by long-suffering Gifu supporter, groundhopper extraordinaire, and J3 expert Richy Palmer for a look at the current state of the third tier. In Part 1, Jon quizzes Richy on his trip to Nagasaki's beautiful Peace Stadium to catch their J2 game against Sendai. The conversation then moves on to cover the J3 prom...

Aug 13, 202552 minEp. 680

Episode 581 - J1 Matchday 25

With Ben enjoying a well earned break back in Australia, Sam Robson made a welcome return to the pod. Together, Sam and Jonny took an in-depth look at all the drama and talking points from Round 25 of the 2025 J1 season. Time stamps as follows: Start - 03:03 Emperor’s Cup wrap / Kunishige Kumamoto tribute 03:03 - 1:34.15 Round 25 Review 1:34.15 - End Round 26 Preview Thanks again for all your support!

Aug 12, 20251 hr 39 minEp. 679

JTET - J2 Round 24 Review

After a long break between drinks, it's time for another JTET 'Two Jonnies' takeover! In Part 1 of this episode, Jon Steele runs though all of the key talking points from Round 24 of the J2 season. After that, Jon is joined by Jonny Nicol (on loan from Big Pod) for a deep dive on Kumamoto's home win over Mito, plus a chat about the state of J2 with 14 rounds left to go in 2025. Jonny also weighed in on all of the usual segments, and helped Jon to preview this weekend's Round 25 slate. Hope every...

Aug 08, 20251 hr 6 minEp. 678

JTET - 2025 Summer Special

In a 35-minute JTET bonus episode, Jon Steele borrowed Jonny Nicol from Big Pod for a long-overdue 'Two Jonnies' reunion chat! The focus this time is on the summer friendly matches that have taken place across Japan during late July and early August. First of all, Jon runs through the results from the games that involved Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Sociedad, and State Reims. After that, the Two Jonnies compare notes on their experiences (at Yokohama FC v Sociedad and Gamba Osaka v Reims respectiv...

Aug 07, 202534 minEp. 677

JTET - Emperor's Cup Round 3 Review

After a summer break, the JTET boys are back with a 15-minute mini-pod to clean deck before J2 returns! This time, James and Jon look back at Round 3 of the Emperor's Cup (held on 16th July) from a J2 perspective. Recording solo, James covers 5 of the pertinent matchups, with Jon (also in isolation this time) talking you though the other 5 (including Hiroshima's high-scoring win at Fujieda). Before time is up, Jon also briefs you on the forthcoming Round 24 fixtures in J2 this weekend, and casts...

Jul 31, 202515 minEp. 676

Episode 580 - Ralf's Reds Review

Live and direct from Germany, Ralf Seidl joined Jonny and Ben to chat about Urawa's two games in the past week, his thoughts on Reds' prospects for the rest of the season, and his experience following the club in the Club World Cup in the US. Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben round up some other business from around the league. Thanks to all of our patrons who submitted questions for both parts of the episode.

Jul 29, 20251 hr 10 minEp. 580

JTET - J2 Round 23 Review

After a longer than expected (and accidental!) summer break, James and Jon return to catch up on the last round of J2 fixtures played before the holiday interval (Round 23 of the season). With work and family pressures weighing heavy on the guys in July, it's a mini-pod this time. In Part 1, James covers the bulk of the Round 23 action, including yet another impressive win for runaway leaders Mito (I still can't get used to typing this combination of words). Then in Part 2, Jon wraps things up w...

Jul 28, 202513 minEp. 675

Episode 579 - J1 Matchday 24 with Alan Gibson

J1 returned with a bang after the EAFF Cup break, and Alan Gibson joined Jonny and Ben to chat about our new leaders, Kobe, and which of the top six might be their most likely challengers (to 59:15). Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben celebrate wins for Gamba and FC Tokyo, and round up the situation at the foot of the table. Thanks, as always, to Alan, the pleasure was all ours. Check out Alan on Bluesky and X/Twitter , and consider supporting his Patreon ....

Jul 22, 20251 hr 33 minEp. 579

Episode 578 - Japan Win the EAFF Cup, and more with Ryo Nakagawara

After the Samurai Blue won the EAFF Cup for the second straight time on Tuesday night, Ryo Nakagawara joined Jonny and Ben to chat about: The standout performers for Japan in South Korea; three players who might be destined for a move to Europe in the future; and the state of the top and bottom of J1. Check out Ryo's terrific work on his Shogun Soccer site , and follow him on Bluesky and X ....

Jul 17, 20251 hr 15 minEp. 578

JTET - J2 Round 22 Review

After a busy 7 days in the real world (gulp), James and Jon look back on last weekend's J2 action. In Part 1, James casts a glance over 5 of the J2 matches from Round 22, and talks about his Most Bravo Players for this matchday. Then in Part 2, Jon does similar for the rest of the Round 22 games. There's also a preview of this weekend's Round 23 fixtures, and a look ahead to the midweek Emperor's Cup Round 3 games with a J2 participant! Hope everyone enjoys the show, and thank you for being pati...

Jul 12, 202517 minEp. 674

Episode 577 - J1 Matchday 23

After another terrific J1 matchday, Stuart Woodward joined Jonny and Ben in Part 1 to chat about Yokohama F.Marinos' away win in the Yokohama derby on Saturday night, as well as the pre-match kerfuffle that led to the away supporters missing most of the first half at Mitsuzawa, and other goings-on at F.Marinos, including Anderson Lopes' departure, and new coach Hideo Oshima (to 28:15). Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben review the other eight games from Saturday night, including Kashima's third straig...

Jul 08, 20251 hr 31 minEp. 577

J-Talk: Extra Time – J2 Matchday 21

James Taylor and Jon Steele return with another action-packed JTET. In part 1, James rounds up 9 games from J2 matchday 21. In part 2, James and Jon discuss the recent managerial changes at Yamaguchi and Yamagata, analyse Sapporo v Kumamoto, offer a tribute to Hitoshi Morishita, select their Most Bravo Player, and preview the coming weekend’s fixtures. Thank you for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Fin...

Jul 04, 202548 minEp. 673

Episode 576 - J1 Matchday 22

After a very eventful J1 matchday, and some housekeeping at the start of the episode (to 12:10), Jonny and Ben were joined by first time guest Seamus Johnston to chat about Kashiwa Reysol, who went joint top of the top flight with a character-building 2-0 away win over Shimizu on Saturday. Seamus chats about his expectations coming into the season under new manager Ricardo Rodriguez, some of the standout players thus far, and whether or not the club will be active in the summer transfer window (...

Jul 01, 20251 hr 35 minEp. 576

J-Talk: Extra Time - J2 Matchday 20

Scheduling conflicts meant James Taylor and Jon Steele were unable to record together this week, so James has a quick review of all the action from J2 machday 20, picks his Most Bravo Player, and previews the coming weekend's games. Thank you for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social...

Jun 27, 202512 minEp. 672

Episode 575 - J1 Matchday 21 with Sam Robson

Sam Robson made a triumphant return to the pod, to help Jonny and Ben run through all nine games played over the weekend in J1 Matchday 21. After a quick look back at the Emperor's Cup and Urawa's first two games at the Club World Cup, we kick off our top flight review with Machida's home win over leaders Kashima, and the instant classic between Kashiwa and Kyoto at Hitachidai that finished 3-3. From there we move on to Hiroshima and Kobe, who surged into the top four with away wins, and then wo...

Jun 24, 20251 hr 29 minEp. 575

J-Talk: Extra Time - Emperor's Cup 2nd Round

In this brief episode, James Taylor reviews the 11 games involving J2 teams in the Emperor's Cup 2nd round. Thank you for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkpod *Find our JLeague Chat Discord server here: https://discord.gg/UwN2ambAwg *Follow JTET on Bluesky here: @jtalket.bsky.social

Jun 23, 20256 minEp. 671

J-Talk: Extra Time – J2 Matchday 19

James Taylor and Jon Steele are back with a bumper episode of JTET reviewing another entertaining weekend of J2. First, James has a roundup of 7 games from matchday 19 (start to 05:35). Then he was joined by Jon to discuss three goalfests: Nagasaki v Omiya (05:35 to 20:20); Yamagata v Sendai (20:20 to 33:00); and Tokushima v JEF United (33:00 to 44:00). Next, the boys choose their Most Bravo Players and discuss the J.League’s monthly awards for May (44:00 to 51:40), and end the episode with a pr...

Jun 20, 202558 minEp. 670

Episode 574 - J1 Matchday 20

Jonny and Ben begin the episode by chatting about the fringe players who stood out in Japan's big win over Indonesia last week, and the cupsets from the 2nd round of the Emperor's Cup (to 15:10), before diving in to all the results and talking points from the nine J1 games played over the weekend.

Jun 17, 20251 hr 29 minEp. 574

JTET - Emperor's Cup, Levain Cup & J2 Round 17 Review

In a quick wrap-up pod, James and Jon cover recent games from a trio of competitions. In Part 1, James takes a look at how J2 sides fared in Round 1 of the Emperor's Cup at the end of May. Then in Part 2, Jon checks in on Iwata's two-legged Levain Cup Play-Off tie against Shonan, and reviews the three rearranged J2 games that took place last weekend (including yet another win for Mito). Thanks for all the support of the pod this season - we'll be back to review all of the weekend action next wee...

Jun 14, 202510 minEp. 669

J-Talk: Short Corner – J3 May Review

In this episode of JTSC, Jon Steele and James Taylor discussed recent events in J3. They begin with a quick mention of notable results from the first and second rounds of the Emperor’s Cup (start to 05:10), then discuss the recent managerial change at Zweigen Kanazawa (05:10 to 16:40), the general situation regarding the relegation battle (16:40 to 24:20), and a look at the teams at the top end of the table (24:10 to end). Thanks for your support of the J-Talk Podcast, J-Talk: Extra Time, and J-...

Jun 12, 202538 minEp. 668

Episode 573 - J1 Team of the (Half) Season with Alan Gibson

Alan Gibson joins Jonny and Ben to help us piece together the J-Talk Team of the (Half) Season. Before we get to the good stuff we chat about Alan's interview with Football Zone (Part 1 of 3 linked here), his overall thoughts on the first half of the season, and some of the major transfers in this mini window (to 27:30), before we discuss how Japan's newcomers fared in the 1-0 defeat to Australia last Thursday, and the Levain Cup playoff round (to 52:30). Then in Part 2, we go from back to front...

Jun 10, 20251 hr 36 minEp. 573

J-Talk: Extra Time – J2 Matchday 18

James Taylor and Jon Steele return with a review of a breathless weekend of J2 football. James kicks things off with a review of 9 games (start to 07:35), then Jon joined to discuss the game between two teams from Shikoku: FC Imabari v Tokushima Vortis (07:35 to 23:30). After that, there’s the usual Most Bravo Player coronation, transfer news, and previews of upcoming league and cup matches (23:30 to end). Thank you for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk ...

Jun 05, 202545 minEp. 667

Episode 572 - J1 Matchday 19

Stuart Woodward returned to the pod to chat about his appearance on the Jリーグと私 You Tube series (link is for the You Tube playlist, Stuart's episode isn't up yet), and Yokohama F.Marinos making it two straight wins in the wet at Machida on Saturday (to 34:10). Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben round up the other nine games, as Kashima kicked six points clear at the top of the table as we reached the halfway point of the season....

Jun 03, 20251 hr 42 minEp. 572

J-Talk: Extra Time – Levain Cup & J2 Matchday 17

In this week’s JTET, James Taylor and Jon Steele review the latest Levain Cup and J2 action. In part 1, James has a roundup of 2 Levain Cup games and 6 league matches from matchday 17 (start to 05:45). In part 2, James and Jon talked about Iwata’s cup win over Gamba Osaka (05:45 to 14:40) and Kofu’s dismantling of Yamagata in the league (14:40 to 27:55), selected their Most Bravo Player (27:55 to 32:05), discussed some managerial news (32:05 to 40:15), and previewed league and cup fixtures (40:1...

May 29, 202547 minEp. 666

Episode 571 - J1 Matchday 18

Dan Orlowitz joined Jonny and Ben in Part 1 of our new episode to chat about his new piece in The Guardian , Hajime Moriyasu's experimental national team squad, and Hiroshima's comfortable win over FC Tokyo at the National Stadium on Sunday. Then in an elongated Part 2 Jonny and Ben run through the other games from J1 Matchday 18, including Yokohama F.Marinos ripping up the form book with a fine home win over leaders Kashima, as the bottom three at the start of the matchday had a weekend to reme...

May 27, 20251 hr 41 minEp. 571

J-Talk: Extra Time – J2 Matchday 16

A jubilant James Taylor was joined by Jon Steele to talk about the latest events in J2. First, James reviews 9 games from matchday 16 (start to 08:25). Then, James and Jon discussed Mito’s win over Kumamoto (08:25 to 18:10), before chatting about high-flying Hollyhock in more detail (18:10 to 30:30). They round off the episode with Most Bravo Player (30:30 to 34:35), general news (34:35 to 40:, and a look ahead to league and cup fixtures (40:45 to end). Thank you for your support of the J-Talk P...

May 23, 202551 minEp. 665

Episode 570 - J1 Matchday 17

There were certainly many talking points from the weekend's top flight round, and we begin this episode with some positivity from Jon Steele after Yokohama FC moved out of the drop zone with an away win over Shonan on Saturday, as the sky blues continue to make a decent fist of their return to J1 (to 21:00). Then in Part 2 Jonny and Ben continue their roundup of Matchday 17, beginning with Kashima extending their advantage at the top of the table after they downed Shimizu, and Kashiwa lost at Ma...

May 20, 20251 hr 25 minEp. 570

J-Talk: Extra Time – J2 Matchday 15

James Taylor and Jon Steele got together again to review the latest round of J2 games. In part 1, James reviews 9 games from matchday 15 (start to 06:55), and in part 2 he and Jon analyse the big match: Omiya v Sendai (06:55 to 22:40). They also pick a Most Bravo Player (22:40 to 26:20) and look ahead to the matchday 16 and Levain Cup fixtures (26:20 to end). Thank you for your support of the J-Talk Podcast and J-Talk: Extra Time. *Join the J-Talk Podcast Patreon here: https://patreon.com/jtalkp...

May 16, 202534 minEp. 664
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