Shigetoshi Hasebe has been awarded Manager of the Month honors for June after leading Avispa Fukuoka through five matches undefeated.Fukuoka had four wins and a draw in June as Hasebe organized a nearly impenetrable defense. They conceded just one goal in their five contests, leading from the back as they moved all the way up to sixth in the table.Hasebe ha…

FC Machida Zelvia are still top of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League, but they have Gamba Osaka hot on their heels as the Suita side established themselves as the primary challengers in the title fight.Let’s check in on that and the rest of the action from Matchweek 23:Tokyo Verdy 0, FC Machida Zelvia 1Shota Fujio's hard-fought finish gave leaders Zelvia the …

Tickets for the official training session of Tottenham Hotspur at the Meiji Yasuda J.League World Challenge 2024 powered by docomo are now available.Fans can purchase tickets at this link. 【Official Training Session of Tottenham Hotspur】* Schedule of the official training session will be subject to change.* Tickets purchased cannot be changed or cancelled a…

Cerezo Osaka are in phenomenal form, having gone eight in a row unbeaten. They’ll put that mark on the line Sunday at 19:00 JST when they travel to Kawasaki Frontale live on JLeague.co and broadcasters around the world.The Sakura’s outstanding run of results has been led by J1’s top scorer, Léo Ceará. The Brazilian has scored 14 times in Cerezo’s last 17 ma…

FC Tokyo and Albirex Niigata are set to face off in a big Kokuritsu Day at the Japan National Stadium, live on JLeague.co and broadcasters around the world on Saturday at 19:00 JST.Tickets are still available, so click here to secure your seats for what is sure to be an unforgettable evening of football.The capital club have been a fascinating watch this se…

What, when, and where is the Kokuritsu Day?The Kokuritsu Day is a series of 13 highly-anticipated football matches held at Tokyo's National Stadium throughout the 2024 J.League season.These events feature some of Japan’s most promising football talents, renowned clubs, and passionate fanbases, making it an unforgettable experience for football enthusia…

Ryo Germain returned to the scoresheet as he resumed his pursuit of Meiji Yasuda J1 League Top Scorer, but he made no headway in Matchweek 22 as the man atop the scoring chart, Léo Ceará, scored yet again.Cerezo's Brazilian sensation found the back of the net with a clever run and tidy finish to earn Cerezo Osaka a 1-1 draw at Tokyo Verdy to take him u…

A dramatic week unfolded in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League as four matches were decided by stoppage time goals. Let’s check in on all the exciting action.FC Machida Zelvia 1, Nagoya Grampus 0Hokuto Shimoda’s clever feint and composed finish was all Zelvia needed to pick up three points and maintain their five-point lead at the top. Kashima Antlers 2, Hokk…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima have the best attack in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League and Vissel Kobe have the best defense, making for quite the spectacle when they clash on Friday at 19:00 JST on JLeague.co and broadcasters around the world. Sanfrecce have been a scoring machine, with the electrifying Yuki Ohashi leading the club with nine goals. Ohashi's bee…

Gamba Osaka’s nine-match unbeaten streak is over, but they are still right in the thick of the title race and they’ll look to continue their push for the crown on Saturday at 19:00 JST when they take on Yokohama F·Marinos live on JLeague.co and broadcasters around the world.Gamba fell to first place FC Machida Zelvia last week, 3-1. They took an early lead …

Japan has their 18-man squad set to lead them into Paris for this summer’s Olympics after Go Oiwa combed through the extraordinary depth of talent to choose the best U-23 team for the Samurai Blue’s pursuit of gold.Oiwa, who played in the J.League for 15 years and previously managed Kashima Antlers, chose a team that includes 12 current J.League players. Fo…

Léo Ceará scored yet again in Matchweek 21, taking him up to 15 goals on the season and extending his lead in the race for Top Scorer.The Cerezo Osaka man scored the opening goal with a terrific individual effort that saw him pick up the ball near midfield, beat a defender and finish beautifully. The Brazilian’s goal proved crucial as the Sakura raced…

It was a big weekend in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League with a pair of top-four face-offs. Let’s see how it all went down:Gamba Osaka 1, FC Machida Zelvia 3Gamba scored first, but a red card in the 33rd minute changed the match and Zelvia raced to three goals against 10 men to stretch their lead atop the table to five points. Vissel Kobe 3, Kashima Antlers…

No club has won more J.League titles than Kashima Antlers, while Vissel Kobe are the reigning champions. Now, both find themselves in the thick of the fight for this season’s ultimate prize.That makes Sunday's meeting in Kobe at 19:00 JST a titanic clash that will be shown live on JLeague.co and broadcasters around the world.Kashima are chasing their f…

Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo are in a fight for their top-flight lives and that puts full pressure on the team on Saturday at 14:00 JST when they host Albirex Niigata in a match that will be shown live on JLeague.co and broadcasters around the world.Consadole are bottom of the table with just 11 points from 20 matches, but they are still only six points from …

It was a massive Matchweek 20 as the top four teams squared off, but there was no movement after both matches ended in draws. Let’s check in on that and the rest of the action from around the Meiji Yasuda J1 League:Vissel Kobe 0, FC Machida Zelvia 0Last year’s champions had the bulk of the chances, but they couldn’t find a way through as Zelvia held on for …

It's been an absolute dream start to life in the top flight for FC Machida Zelvia, who sit top of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League at the halfway mark of the season.To be champions, though, will require continuing their form into a strong summer, including in their upcoming midweek clash with reigning champions Vissel Kobe.It will be a gargantuan challenge f…

Nagoya Grampus and Urawa Reds are two of the J.League’s most storied clubs but both have struggled as of late and fallen into the middle of the table.A midweek clash on Wednesday at 19:00 JST, shown live on JLeague.co and broadcasters around the world, offers up a chance for both clubs to leap up the standings and change their fortunes this season. Na…

Léo Ceará is still top of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League scoring chart after scoring yet again, but he has a new man on his heels in Anderson Lopes after the Yokohama F·Marinos striker scored twice last week.Léo Ceará headed home from a corner kick to earn Cerezo Osaka a 1-1 draw in Matchweek 19, taking him to 14 goals on the season. Anderson Lopes had tw…

The top of the Meiji Yasuda J1 League is getting very tight, with three teams separated by a mere two points. How did we get here?Let’s check in on all the Matchweek 19 action, which gave us this close fight at the upper reaches of the table:FC Machida Zelvia 0, Avispa Fukuoka 0Kosei Tani and Masaaki Murakami kept clean sheets as top-of-the-table Zelvia and…