Yokohama F Marinos: What's gone wrong?
- Henry Whiting
- Jun 28
- 2 min read
Yokohama have appointed Hideo Oshima as their new Head Coach and now hope their dreadful season can somehow have a turnaround of sorts, but how did they get here in the first place?
A Horrible Start
Yokohama F. Marinos started the season with a draw against Shonan Bellmare, followed by back-to-back convincing AFC Champions League victories against Shanghai Port and a neat 2-0 home win against Gamba Osaka. Then all hell seemed to break loose. Yokohama Marinos went on a soul-crushing winless run of 14 games in the J1 League, leading to manager Steve Holland being relieved of his duties as early as mid-April.
Even with new manager Patrick Kisnorbo, the losses and draws never seemed to stop, with star players such as Anderson Lopes only recording 1 goal and 1 assist, confirming that when it rains, it most definitely pours. Their top scorer in 21 games is Daiyo Tono, with a depressing 5 goals, which is simply not enough for the top scorer of a club as big as Yokohama F. Marinos. Winger Yan Mathues has probably been the only real standout player alongside top scorer Tono, but the overall standard of the squad has been streets away from where it should be.
Morbid Marinos
Fast forward to the present day, with another new manager at the helm in the shape of Hideo Oshima, you'd expect that, finally, Marinos would have that boost that they so desperately need? Unfortunately for Marinos fans, the answer is still no.
An easy 0-3 win for relegation rivals FC Tokyo at Yokohama F. Marinos' own stadium on the 25th of June put the nail in the coffin of what is already the undisputed worst season still with 17 league games to play. Yokohama Marinos are yet to be relegated in their 32-year stretch in the J1 League, Japan's top division; however, it seems almost inevitable that they will spend next season in the J2 League for the first time ever.
A Far From Relegation-Level Squad
When watching Marinos play, it's blatantly obvious that something major, whether it's a lack of cohesion or the result of multiple manager sackings, is very much wrong. The players are second to almost every ball, with a glaring lack of desire above all to turn things around.
Keep in mind, this is a squad featuring very established J League regulars. Jun Amano, Elber, the aforementioned Anderson Lopes, Yan Matheus, Thomas Deng, and Takuya Kida; these are players who, at this stage of their careers, should not be lacking effort and a desire to win. In no sane world should a squad this talented be dead last.
The bottom line is simple: more likely than not, Yokohama F. Marinos will be playing J2 League football next season. Whether it will be a chance to hit the reset button or the start of a tumultuous tumble down the Japanese football system remains to be seen, but what's for certain is that once again we are reminded that everything is possible in the crazy world of football.
Will Marinos somehow turn things around and survive?
Yes
No
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