Biggest underdog story ever? Meet J-League debutants going for the title

Eight years person passed since Leicester City shocked nan world by winning nan English Premier League - but location is an moreover much far-fetched and improbable communicative brewing successful nan Japanese apical flight.

Machida Zelvia, who only formed successful 1989 and were a non-league squad until 2009, are 5 points clear apical successful nan J-League pinch 14 games left.

They had ne'er moreover played astatine nan highest level earlier this season.

Nobody saw this coming. Leicester astatine slightest had an knowledgeable world head successful Claudio Ranieri, but Machida's leader Go Kuroda is successful conscionable his 2nd play arsenic coach of a master side. He was successful complaint of a precocious schoolhouse squad earlier that.

Just for illustration successful England backmost successful 2016, plentifulness person been waiting for nan bubble to burst - but nan squad from occidental Tokyo stay confident.

"We want to triumph nan title and we person that belief," Machida striker Mitch Duke told BBC Sport.

Duke, an imposing Australia world who scored nan only extremity successful nan Socceroos' triumph complete Tunisia successful nan 2022 World Cup, is only a twelvemonth aliases truthful younger than nan nine he joined astatine nan commencement of 2023.

"We person passed nan halfway people and played everyone. We tin lucifer it pinch anyone successful nan league, nary matter what nan history of nan different teams. They person to pursuit america and it is ours to lose," Duke said.

Early wins complete Japanese powerhouses Nagoya Grampus, Kashima Antlers and Kawasaki Frontale were impressive, but Machida would not beryllium nan first promoted squad to commencement good earlier fading. The quality truthful acold is that, while location person been losses, each clip nan Blues person reacted by going connected a bully run.

For 28 years, Kuroda was successful complaint of nan shot squad astatine Aomori Yamada High School, based successful nan metropolis of Aomori connected nan bluish extremity of nan country.

This is simply a bigger woody than it sounds arsenic precocious schoolhouse shot is an established portion of Japan’s sporting environment. National finals - Aomori won 3 nether Kuroda - are a monolithic yearly arena played successful beforehand of large crowds and watched by millions crossed nan country.

Even so, Machida took rather a gamble.

"I person nary acquisition arsenic a master subordinate and I don't cognize what nan master section is like,” Kuroda said upon his assignment by Machida. "But let's spot what I tin do."

After an awesome promotion successful his first play and a tilt astatine nan title this time, nan bet has paid disconnected - but this is much astir difficult activity than bully luck.

"All nan players cognize precisely what he wants from them," said Duke. "There is simply a ruthlessness successful our squad and nan coach is mounting a definite modular and is not acrophobic to change. Even if you don't train difficult capable you tin find yourself retired of nan team."

Former Japan world and Feyenoord prima Shinji Ono precocious observed Machida's training. "It was for illustration precocious school, aliases rather, nan benignant of training I was taught successful precocious school," Ono said.

"Each convention was really tough, and everyone was doing it seriously. The strength was truthful high. I deliberation that is showing successful their games."

While money has been spent, it helps that this is simply a squad without ego and without stars.

"After promotion, we did person a cleanout of players and brought successful 12 aliases 13 seasoned pros, but you wouldn't opportunity they were superstars,” said Duke.

Former Japan defender Gen Shoji was brought successful to adhd acquisition and activity astatine nan back.

"I americium enjoying nan play truthful acold and americium afloat of confidence," said Shoji successful July. "We want to amended upon what we did successful nan first half of nan season, and this is reflected successful our training arsenic good arsenic our games.

"We person been moving difficult since pre-season and we are now utilized to that intensity.”

There is nary uncertainty that players person progressed nether Kuroda.

Big South Korea guardant Oh Se-hun has impressed truthful overmuch this play that he earned his first world call-up successful June, while winger Yu Hirakawa joined Bristol City successful July.

After immoderate large results astatine caller World Cups and pinch a increasing number of players successful Europe, shot fans everyplace are alert that nan Japanese style of play tends to beryllium technical, possession-based and easy connected nan eye.

Machida are different.

Not only is this a caller sanction successful nan apical tier but nan style is besides caller - nonstop and aggressive, pinch nan shot going guardant quickly.

"It is clear to spot that we play successful a different measurement and nan statistic backmost that up," said Duke.

"We activity to our strengths arsenic immoderate squad should and person nan players to play a definite way. We activity hard; we are coagulated arsenic a team, very aggravated and we tally until we drop.

"We tin beryllium elemental and basal and we don't overplay and that has helped us. We unit mistakes precocious up nan transportation and we people disconnected those and we don't springiness inexpensive goals away."

It whitethorn good beryllium that nan accepted powers commencement to activity Machida out. If they are going to do so, however, it will person to beryllium soon.

"After a fewer games in, we changed our goals," said Duke. "We thought 'we tin do something, we tin spell and win, not conscionable nan apical 3 but we want to win'.

"It has been a bully astonishment package for everyone progressive and we are riding nan wave."