NEWS

News of the Passing of Shonan Bellmare Defender Riuler de Oliveira Faustino.Riuler de Oliveira Faustino, Shonan Bellmare’s Brazilian defender, had passed away on Tuesday, November 23rd.I can hardly imagine the grief his family must be feeling, or the shock and sadness being felt by all members at Shonan Bellmare of the sudden news of his passing.On behalf o…

Vissel Kobe have clinched a top-four finish this season, ensuring their best league campaign in club history, but they have a chance to clinch AFC Champions League football next season with a result against second-place Yokohama F·Marinos.Early in the campaign, Vissel’s success came because of Kyogo Furuhashi and their deadly attack, but Furuhashi was sold …

Tokushima Vortis’ bid to avoid relegation may be decided this weekend when they visit Shonan Bellmare. Tokushima enter Saturday’s clash in the final relegation spot, but just three points back of Shonan and Shimizu S-Pulse with two matches to play. One of those three teams will spend next season in J2. Bellmare can guarantee they remain in the top flight wi…

Oita Trinita, Vegalta Sendai and Yokohama FC will all play next season in the MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE. The trio of teams all find themselves at least seven points adrift of safety with just two matches to play, confirming their relegation.Trinita managed an impressive draw against Kashima Antlers over the weekend, but one point was not enough to keep their d…

Andrés Iniesta’s spectacular second half of the season continued as the Spanish legend led Vissel Kobe to a 2-0 win over Yokohama FC. Iniesta delivered an assist on the Ushi’s opening goal, then scored the second as Vissel moved to the verge of a spot in next season’s AFC Champions League.Iniesta got Vissel going first with his great work rate. He won a fre…

F.C.Tokyo have been solidly mid-table all season, putting together a fine campaign, but one that doesn’t often get the spotlight. That includes Diego Oliveira, who is quietly putting together another terrific season with 13 goals and four assists as he continues to prove himself to be one of the top players in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE.Bagging goals for To…

Shonan Bellmare are currently above the relegation zone, but not by much. Their 33 points are only three clear of the drop. That’s a better position than Vegalta Sendai, who are on 27 points and scrambling to pick up enough points to stay in the top flight.This weekend will go a long way to determining which league both teams play in next season, as Shonan …

Japan entered the November window of FIFA World Cup qualifying in third place in Group B, a spot that would land them in the playoffs and not straight into the tournament in Qatar. But after wins in Vietnam and Oman, they are now into second place and in a good position to book their ticket to next year’s World Cup.The Samurai Blue opened the window in Viet…

Vietnam have made it to the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying, having progressed past the second round of AFC qualifiers for the first time ever.The latest challenge for Vietnam was a home match against Japan, which ended with Japan winning, 1-0, on Thursday, November 11th.Here we take a look at the match statistics, looking back from the perspective…

Júbilo Iwata became the first 2021 MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE team promoted to the top flight after rolling to a dominant 3-1 win at Mito Hollyhock.An early header from Kentaro Oi found the back of the net to put the club from the Shizuoka prefecture ahead in the 12th minute and the away team would double that advantage just moments later when Kotaro Omori calm…

Vissel Kobe had a great month of October, winning twice and earning a crucial draw in their other match to solidify their third place spot in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE. Atsuhiro Miura guided the Ushi to that splendid month, and for that he has been named Manager of the Month.Vissel started October with a 5-1 thrashing of Urawa Reds, then their defense shon…

Andrés Iniesta played spectacularly in October, helping lead Vissel Kobe to third place in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE, and the Spanish legend has been recognized for his terrific form with Konami Monthly MVP honors.Iniesta started the month with a scintillating performance in a 5-1 thrashing of Urawa Reds. The midfielder dictated the match, picking up two g…

Japan’s quest to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup continues this week with matches against Vietnam and Oman, and once again it’s a cadre of MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE stars past and present leading the way for the Samurai Blue.10 of the 28 players manager Hajime Moriyasu called in for the two qualifiers currently play in the league, with Yokohama F·Marinos’ s…

Bạn có thể đọc toàn bộ bài viết bằng tiếng Việt bên dưới. This article is available in Vietnamese below.Must-see Players in the New Golden Generation: You might see them in J.LEAGUE next season!Stellar progress made by Vietnam in recent yearsHaving progressed through the second round of the AFC qualifiers, Vietnam have made it to the final round for the fir…

Bạn có thể đọc toàn bộ bài viết bằng tiếng Việt bên dưới. This article is available in Vietnamese below.What are the characteristics of Vietnam’s team? We spoke to Toshiya Miura, former manager of the Vietnam national team.Stellar progress made by Vietnam in recent yearsHaving progressed through the second round of the AFC qualifiers, Vietnam have made it t…

Daizen Maeda has been the top goalscorer in the 2021 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE for months, and on Saturday he extended his lead with a sensational hat trick in Yokohama F·Marinos’ 8-0 win over F.C.Tokyo. Maeda has now scored 21 goals this season, three more than Kawasaki Frontale’s Leandro Damião, as the striker closes in on the Golden Boot.Maeda scored the fi…

Vissel Kobe are on the brink of clinching a spot in next season’s AFC Champions League after beating Tokushima Vortis, 1-0, over the weekend.Vissel were better than Vortis from the start and nearly scored on an early Andrés Iniesta free kick, but it went just wide. It took until the second half before the Ushi broke through, but they finally did through Yuy…

Captain Tsubasa has inspired the world for generations, captivating the globe through a tale of football born in Japan but extending far beyond.In celebration of this renowned manga and its capacity to connect cultures, J.LEAGUE has joined forces with legendary Captain Tsubasa creator Yōichi Takahashi to create a one-of-a-kind rehabilitated community pitch …

Kashima Antlers and Urawa Reds have played 34 matches this season and there’s nothing to separate them, with both sitting on 59 points. That’s good enough for fifth place in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE, but fifth place doesn’t give them much. Third place would put them in the AFC Champions league, though, and they are just five points off that coveted spot.T…

It’s been a difficult season for Yokohama FC, who started the season in the relegation zone and haven’t been able to pull themselves out of it since. But while they are still bottom of the table, they are only six points from safety thanks to a late-season surge that has seen them lose only once in their last four contests.At the heart of Yokohama’s turnaro…