Matsumoto Yamaga announced the resignation of Under-15 manager Isaku Narita on Friday. The 37-year-old first joined the club in 2006, managing the U-15, U-14, and U-13 teams at various points. “I’m thankful for the support I’ve received from the Yamaga family over the last 10 years,” Narita said in a statement posted to the clu…

Albirex Niigata announced on Friday that defender Michael James Fitzgerald will need three to four weeks to recover from injury. The 26-year-old sustained the injury in his side’s opening day loss at Sagan Tosu on March 7. Fitzgerald, who made three appearances for New Zealand’s national team, acquired Japanese citizenship in 2013. He h…

A late equaliser by Daisuke Suzuki helped Kashiwa Reysol draw 1-1 with Vegalta Sendai and stave off a shock home defeat on Friday. Vegalta went into half time of the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League 2nd Sec tie in the lead thanks to a 31st-minute goal by Hirofumi Watanabe, who joined Vegalta this winter. But the Tohoku side were reduced to ten men after striker…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima have now announced a bus tour for fans wishing to attend their MEIJI YASUDA J1 League match at Nagoya Grampus on 12 April. The tour to Aichi Prefecture can accommodate a maximum of 40 fans, and will cost 21,800 yen for adults, or 19,200 yen for fans 18 years or younger. Participants who have already secured a ticket to the First St…

Cerezo Osaka striker Diego Forlan announced his retirement from international duty in a press conference on Thursday. The 35-year-old will end his career for Uruguay having appeared in three World Cups and won the 2011 Copa America, scoring 36 goals in 112 appearances in the process. Forlan, who represented Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Inter…

Albirex Niigata announced the opening of a charity booth to support 2011 earthquake victims for their match against Shimizu S-Pulse. Fans who visit the Ganbarou Tohoku SMILE PROJECT corner will be able to learn about the non-profit organisation’s efforts to support reconstruction in the northeastern region of Tohoku following the Great East Japan E…

Vegalta Sendai, Fukushima United and Grulla Morioka were amongst the clubs that remembered the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on Wednesday. The clubs published memorial messages on their website for the fourth anniversary of the 11th March disaster, which claimed the lives of more than 15,000 people and sparked the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant me…

Gamba Osaka have now published pictures and the story of golden boy Takashi Usami’s appearance at their official club store last Sunday. The 22-year-old graced an event that featured him and defender Daiki Niwa engaged in a talk show with supporters, followed by a signature and picture session. Usami is both Gamba’s youngest appearance hol…

Shonan Bellmare have announced that the 34th Bellmare Club Conference will be held next Sunday, 22nd March. These conferences, which supporters are invited to join for discussions with the club over how to improve affairs together, have been held three times every year since 2004. Bellmare won the MEIJI YASUDA J2 League in 2014 and finished the season…

Albirex Niigata’s soccer school has now started a new campaign aimed at recruiting prospective new players. New members will receive several privileges that include discounts and the chance for junior players to be child mascots at DENKA BIG SWAN STADIUM. Albirex Niigata are constantly involved in their community, and manage affiliate clubs in S…

Shimizu S-Pulse’s new signings starred as they trashed Tokai Gakuen University 8-0 in a friendly match played on Monday. Peter Utaka bagged a hat-trick on the day, while Australian Mitchell Duke joined him on the scoreboard with one of his own. The strike duo joined S-Pulse late in the transfer market and missed the majority of the club’s …

Vissel Kobe have announced the sale of 20 special tickets directed at club fans and gourmet lovers for their match against Ventforet Kofu on 12th April. Aside from granting access to the game, the tickets will allow holders to eat unlimitedly from a spread served by food stalls in the space of four hours, and went on sale at noon on Wednesday. Japanes…

Kashima Antlers announced that defender Gen Shoji underwent successful surgery for a fracture to his left wrist on Sunday. The 22-year-old was called up to Japan’s Asian Cup squad in January and suffered the injury in a Valentine’s Day friendly against Mito Hollyhock. Shoji did manage to feature in the AFC Champions League ties with Wester…

Montedio Yamagata announced that the March issue of their official fan magazine, Montedio Yamagata Fan Magazine Rush, will begin going on sale today. The issue features interviews with club newcomers Alceu, Toshiya Takagi and Hayato Settsu, as well as a feature on the team’s pre-season camp in Chiba Prefecture’s Tateyama. Nobuhiro Ishizaki…

FC Tokyo striker Yoshinori Muto will be featured in the latest edition of Japanese magazine Aera, his club announced on Monday. The growing Japan icon, who scored two goals in Tokyo’s 2-2 draw at Gamba Osaka on Saturday, has also been photographed for the publication’s cover. Muto’s league debut came against Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Ju…

Genki Omae struck twice as Shimizu S-Pulse beat Kashima Antlers 3-1 on Sunday, heaping yet more misery on the struggling J.League giants. Toninho Cerezo’s men were aiming to put the dampening defeats suffered in the AFC Champions League, as well as last year’s third place league finish, behind them with a result at IAI Stadium. But the vis…

Tokyo Verdy and Cerezo Osaka kicked off their J2 League campaigns when they played out a 1-1 draw against each other on Sunday. Both teams are determined to gain promotion this year, with Cerezo relegated at the end of 2014 after several years spent as a regular top flight member. The match finished a South American affair as Brazilian Alan Pinheiro g…

Yokohoma F.Marinos ran the most during their 3-1 home defeat to Kawasaki Frontale, according to data from the J.League. The top flight’s Live Tracking system has released a set of statistics from the first matchday of the new season. F.Marinos covered 120.16km as a team at Nissan Stadium on Saturday but it proved all in vain, as they succumbed t…