Kashiwa Reysol moved a step closer to progressing from the AFC Champions League group stages with their determined 2-1 victory over Shandong Luneng on Wednesday. Kosuke Taketomi fired Reysol into a deserved lead from a rebound in the 23rd minute as the hosts dominated, only for their Chinese opponents to reply through Walter Montillo in the second period…

J.League Female Manager Miki Sato will attend the MEIJI YASUDA J2 League match between Tochigi SC and JEF United Chiba on Sunday. Sato won the Grand Prize at the Horipro Talent Scout Caravan 2013, and has been actively promoting the 2015 J.League season after being appointed in her role this year. Tochigi head into matchday 3 ranked 16th, after taking…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Urawa Red Diamonds have announced a “talk battle” between past players of the two clubs in the build-up to their league game this Sunday. The first “battle” will pit Sanfrecce’s Koji Nakajima against Reds representative Takeshi Mizu’uchi, with Kazuya Nakano hosting. The second will see Mizu&r…

Albirex Niigata announced that they will continue to be a member in the J.League Ticket Alliance throughout the 2015 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League season on Sunday. The Alliance was formed to aid fans who travelled to support their team by allowing them to purchase tickets for away matches at their home stadium. Other 2015 Ticket Alliance members include Gam…

Vissel Kobe defeated Hannan University in a 2-0 result in a training match on Monday. The friendly test was played over two 30-minute halves at Ibukinomori Field, with Brazilian striker Marquinhos scoring in the 21st and 58th minutes. Marquinhos was Vissel’s top scorer last term with 14 goals, and climbed to third in the J.League scoring charts.…

Gamba Osaka have announced that sales of limited edition tickets for Wednesday’s AFC Champions League clash with Buriram United have begun. The unique tickets for matchday 3 of the ACL are available at Expo '70 Commemorative Stadium’s ticket booth in a number of original designs. Buyers are also entitled to enjoy “Weeknight Ticke…

Japan’s third division, the MEIJI YASUDA J3 League, kicked off its second season on Sunday. The league features 13 teams, one of which is the Japanese Under-22 national team selection. Amongst the teams playing the six fixtures was new club Renofa Yamaguchi FC, the only new club admitted to J.League in 2015. They played their first home game …

Shonan Bellmare ran the most during their 2-1 away victory over Kashima Antlers, 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. Bellmare covered 127.71km as a team at Kashima Soccer Stadium on Saturday and it paid off as the minnows outran and…

Yokohama FC’s Kazuyoshi Miura extended his record as oldest player to play in the J.League when he featured in the the MEIJI YASUDA J2 League game on Sunday. “King Kazu” started the game versus Tochigi SC remarkably aged 48 years and 17 days old, and lasted until the 64th minute before being substituted. Both teams went on to draw 1-…

Urawa Reds are threatening to build a significant lead over their J.League title rivals after they ground out a 1-0 win over Montedio Yamagata on Saturday, while a full-blown crisis is erupting at Kashima Antlers. Reds captain Yuki Abe’s ferociously struck winner in the 83rd minute left Montedio keeper and former Urawa veteran Norihiro Yamagishi wi…

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…