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The final match of the 2021 Japanese professional season is upon us, and it pits Urawa Reds against Oita Trinita in the prestigious Emperor’s Cup final. The ultimate match of the year will not only see a team write their name into the history books as the winner of a trophy that dates back a century, but also book a spot in next season’s AFC Champions Leagu…

The J.LEAGUE and FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corporation are pleased to announce an extension of their Super Cup Partner Agreement. Beginning in 2022, the competition will be named the FUJIFILM SUPER CUP and it will be held in mid-February.FUJIFILM has been a name partner of the Super Cup since it was first held in 1994 and the 2022 edition will mark their…

Thai defender Theerathon Bunmathan has been transferred from Yokohama F･Marinos to Buriram United F.C. of the Thai League, putting an end to four successful seasons in the J.League.During Bunmathan’s time in Japan he became the first Southeast Asian player to win a J1 League title, helping Marinos to their 2019 success, and helped spur a remarkable surge in…

Kawasaki Frontale are back-to-back MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE champions and Emperor’s Cup holders. Oita Trinita were just relegated from the top flight and playing in their first-ever Emperor’s Cup semi-final. Their clash looked like a massive mismatch, but it proved to be a massive upset as Trinita toppled mighty Frontale to advance to the final.Trinita’s defe…

Leandro Damião has been named J1 Konami Monthly MVP for November and December, giving him the final award for the season. The Kawasaki Frontale frontman’s furious finish to the campaign powered him to joint Top Scorer for the year and that hot streak made him the league’s top player for the last month of the campaign as well.The Brazilian scored six goals i…

Nagoya Grampus have made a managerial change, parting ways with Massimo Ficcadenti and replacing him with F.C.Tokyo’s Kenta Hasegawa.Ficcadenti had been the boss at Nagoya since the fall of 2019, when he took over Grampus for the end of the season. He instilled a strong defensive mindset at the club and no club in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE allowed fewer go…

The J.LEAGUE season may be over, but there is still one giant competition left to finish - the Emperor’s Cup. Four teams remain in the tournament, with a pair of semi-finals this weekend set to further whittle the challengers down to two.Kawasaki Frontale vs. Oita TrinitaThere could not be two more different teams left in this competition than this pair. Fr…

Over 63,000 fans were packed into Nissan Stadium and millions around the world were glued to their screens for some final day J.League drama as the ball rolled enticingly into Theerathon Bunmathan’s path.The Thai superstar pulled back his wand of a left foot and let fly, the pace on the strike ferocious and cannoning off a defender before looping over the g…

Another thrilling J.League season concluded at the start of December, with Kawasaki Frontale creating more history in the Meiji Yasuda J1 League as they claimed their fourth league triumph in five years.Toru Oniki’s side successfully defended their 2020 title and added to those won in 2017 and 2018 in swashbuckling style, sweeping to a record 92 points at t…

Ryotaro Araki took the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE by storm this season, scoring 10 goals and adding seven assists. His outstanding play helped lead Kashima Antlers to fourth place, a jump up from 2020, and he was rewarded for it by being awarded the league’s Best Young Player Award.The 19-year-old’s 10 goals led all J1 midfielders and ranked him among the top 1…

Toru Oniki’s dazzling run as Kawasaki Frontale manager continued in 2021 as his club won the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE yet again.The championship for Oniki gives him two consecutive league titles and four in his five years as Frontale boss. Add the Emperor’s Cup crown in 2020, J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP in 2019 and two Super Cup wins and Oniki has won eight troph…

Urawa Reds continued their climb up the table under Ricardo Rodriguez in 2021 and their improvement earned the Spaniard MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE Best Manager honors for the year.When Rodríguez took over Urawa for the 2020 season, the Reds were coming off of one of their worst seasons ever. They had finished 14th and Rodriguez was charged with righting the shi…

Few awards are as anticipated as Goal of the Year. While most awards are about sustained greatness and excellent results, Goal of the Year is about a single moment, which fans will remember forever for the excitement and awe it brought to them.For 2021, your MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE Goal of the Year winner is Nagoya Grampus’ Yoichiro Kakitani for his breathtak…

Miki Yamane put together another terrific season this year, earning him a spot on the Best XI once again, and he did it without being booked even once. That excellent and disciplined play has landed him the 2021 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE Fair Play Award.Yamane has long been known for his cultured and clever play. It was no surprise to see him lead the league i…

The MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE Best XI has been chosen and, just like last season, it’s led by Kawasaki Frontale players. The back-to-back champions put seven players on the team of the season, while the legendary Andrés Iniesta’s excellent play for Vissel Kobe also landed him on the squad.Mitchell Langerak is the Best XI goalkeeper, having put together another…

Leandro Damião and Daizen Maeda have won the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE Top Scorer for 2021. The Kawasaki Frontale and Yokohama F·Marinos strikers each scored 23 goals to tie for the league lead and share the award given to the top goal scorer.Leandro Damião held the league lead for goals for much of the early part of the season, but he was passed by Vissel Kob…

Leandro Damião is the MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE MVP for 2021. The Brazilian striker scored 23 goals, tied for tops in the league, and added eight assists, third-best in J1, to take home co-Top Scorer as he led Kawasaki Frontale to the title.Consistency was the mark of Leandro Damião’s terrific season. He was kept off the scoresheet in the season opener, but he …

Roasso Kumamoto are headed to J2 next year after securing the J3 title on a dramatic final day of the 2021 MEIJI YASUDA J3 LEAGUE season.Deadlocked 0-0 at halftime with FC Gifu, Roasso struck twice in the second half, with Koki Sakamoto and Toshiki Takahashi both getting on the scoresheet and sending the home fans into dreamland. The Kumamoto side spent 11 …

Shimizu S-Pulse and Shonan Bellmare survived relegation scares on Matchweek 38 while Tokushima Vortis’ loss on the final day of the season condemned them to the MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE in 2022.Vortis entered the final weekend in the last remaining relegation spot, but held hopes of passing either Shonan Bellmare or Shimizu S-Pulse. Level on points with Bellm…

Leandro Damião spent the early part of the season leading the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE in goals, while Daizen Maeda took over the lead in the summer and has been holding onto it ever since.Now, as we head into the final week of the campaign, they are tied with 22 goals each, setting the stage for an ultimate match Top Scorer showdown as Leandro Damião’s Kawas…