Led by a former high school coach and playing in a picturesque stadium surrounded by trees, Machida Zelvia are taking the J. League by storm in their debut season in the Japanese top flight.
The team from the Tokyo suburbs top the table approaching the halfway point of the season, just over a decade after playing non-league – semi-professional – football.
At the helm is Go Kuroda, who was hired at the end of 2022 after nearly three decades coaching one of the best high school teams in a country where student football draws huge crowds.
Machida leads the league on goal difference alone after losing 3-1 to lowly Albirex Niigata at home on Saturday, but striker Mitch Duke believes they can go all the way.
“We just need to challenge ourselves in games like this, against teams at the bottom of the table,” the Australian international told AFP.
“That’s something we probably need to improve on, but other than that I think we have all the confidence and belief in the team that we can win the championship.”
Machida’s welcoming 15,000-capacity stadium is located in a densely wooded park, a long, winding bus ride from the nearest train station.
The club was founded in 1989 and played mainly non-league football before joining the newly created third tier of the J. League in 2014.
Their form fluctuated until Kuroda joined at the start of last season, taking them to the top flight the first time they were crowned second division champions.
– Fast and physical –
They have maintained the momentum this year, converting a stoppage-time penalty to defeat three-time Asian champions Urawa Reds last month and beat neighbors Tokyo Verdy 5-0.
Machida’s success was built on the power of 194cm (six feet three inches) striker Oh Se-hun – recently called up to the South Korean national team – and supported by quick, hard-working teammates.
Football writer Masafumi Mori says Machida has “a style that Japanese teams have traditionally not been comfortable playing against.”
“Japanese teams tend to be very technical, but Machida Zelvia is not like that, he has a lot of strength in attack and is very good on the counterattack,” he said.
“It’s not a style that Japanese fans like, but it gets results.”
Mori also credits Kuroda and his coaching staff for their attention to detail and extensive analysis of opposing teams.
Kuroda arrived after leading Aomori Yamada High School to three titles in the national high school tournament, a competition that shaped countless future Japanese national team stars.
Kuroda isn’t the first former high school coach to get a job in the J. League, but he is the first to make an impact.
– Bragging rights –
The 54-year-old is realistic about Machida’s chances of overcoming the odds and winning the title.
No team has ever won the J. League on its first division debut.
“I was worried that the players might let their guard down after defeating Urawa in the previous game and I was very strict to try to prevent them from falling into that trap,” Kuroda said after Saturday’s defeat.
“Strong teams win games like this, but we’re new at this and we don’t have players with experience of winning titles. I have the feeling we’re not there yet.”
Machida’s success means they will now have to deal with the demands of international football.
Oh, Duke and Japanese goalkeeper Kosei Tani were called up by their countries, and forward Shota Fujio and midfielder Yu Hirakawa are involved in Japan’s Olympic team.
Regardless of whether Machida wins the title or not, Duke says he wants to “make a statement” by finishing ahead of rivals Verdy and FC Tokyo.
“I’ve seen some comments where people claim we’re not in Tokyo, but we are,” he said.
“We want to establish ourselves as the best team in Tokyo and have bragging rights.”
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