Postecoglou has taken Yokohama F. Marinos a point clear at the top of the table ahead of FC Tokyo - opponents on what could be an explosive final day.
That is a slender lead anywhere in the world but in Japan it is nothing.
Osieck must still rue the 2011 Asian Cup final loss to Japan but the 2007 J.League campaign has entered the realms of legend.
As boss of a talented Urawa Reds team, the German was sitting pretty at the J.League’s summit, with a ten-point lead with five games to go.
Yet Urawa ended up second behind Kashima Antlers. It simply wasn’t contemplated that Kashima would win all the five remaining games while Urawa would collect just three points.
Becoming continental champions in mid-November provoked the most massive of hangovers.
As Osieck said. “I think the victory in the AFC Champions League made the players lose their high level of concentration they maintained all season.”
When the Asian trophy was lifted into the Saitama sky, it was assumed that the league trophy would soon follow.
The first of the infamous five was a 0-0 draw against mid-table Nagoya Grampus. That was followed by a 1-1 draw with Kawasaki Frontale and then a goalless statemate with Shimizu S-Pulse.
It was clear that Urawa had taken their eye of the ball and were desperately trying to rediscover their mojo. They never did.
Ten clear with five to go had become four with two. A nation was suddenly interested and the pressure was suddenly on because the next game was a trip to Kashima, their only rivals.
A draw would have been enough. Yet despite the fact that Kashima played over half the game with ten men and ended the 90 minutes with nine, Urawa still lost.
“Today wasn’t meant to be and we can’t look back,” said Osieck, insisting that nerves were not getting to his players.
“The pressure is permanently on,” he said. “We have been under pressure all season.”
There was still the fail safe, the final game at the already-relegated Yokohama FC. The Asian champions would surely see off a team that had not won for over six months.
“Now it is do or die,” Osieck said. “I wouldn’t say we have the easiest game next week, because if you follow the last couple of games they (Yokohama) are more solid in defence. I think they are going to be compact at the back.”
Yokohama won 1-0, Kashima won 3-0 and arguably the greatest choke in football history was complete. “We’ve experienced a huge disappointment today,” Osieck said.
“This past month has been extremely tiring physically and mentally. I’ve kept on saying it was not tiring, but it was.”
There are lessons closer to home for Postecoglou.
In 2013, Yokohama F Marinos were five points clear of Sanfrecce Hiroshima with two to go. Over 62,000, a J.League record that is going to be broken the week after next when FC Tokyo come to town in a potential decider, flocked to the Nissan Stadium to see a first title since 2004.
They left disappointed as Albirex Niigata won 2-0.
The subsequent loss at the home of bitter rivals Kawasaki Frontale (this weekend’s opponents) will never be forgotten by fans of the Marinos. Hiroshima won the title.
For sheer drama however, it is probable that 2005 will never be beaten.
Five teams entered the final day just a point apart. Cerezo Osaka were on top and stayed that way until the final seconds when FC Tokyo scored.
When the ball hit the net, the leaders dropped from first to fifth and have never really recovered from that blow.
The fact that it allowed city rivals Gamba Osaka to lift the trophy was just an added heartbreak.
It wouldn’t be the J.League without some very late and unexpected twists and turns. Ange should be ready.
