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Yoshifumi Kashiwa is delighted that Sanfrecce Hiroshima have been able to make an impact on the world stage, following their 2-0 win against Auckland City in the FIFA Club World Cup. Hajime Moriyasu’s men saw off their Australian opponents to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition in Japan, where they will face TP Mazembe on Sunday. A…

Nagoya Grampus on Thursday unveiled their newest signings, striker Robin Simovic and defender Ludvig Ohman. Simovic, 24, has spent the last three seasons with Swedish first division side Helsingborgs IF where he scored 20 goals in 55 appearances. Ohman, also 24, spent his entire career with Kalmar FF. The towering defender has represented Sweden at Un…

Vissel Kobe on Tuesday announced that midfielder Ryo Matsumura will return to the club after completing his season-long loan at Tochigi SC. The 21-year-old managed 23 appearances in the Meiji Yasuda J2 League for the last-place side. A graduate of Vissel’s youth academy, Matsumura made his J.League debut in 2012 - the same year he was the top sc…

Sanfrecce eased past Auckland City in their Club World Cup opener on Thursday, beating their rivals 2-0 to progress to the quarter-finals. Goals in either half from Yusuke Minagawa and Tsukasa Shiotani respectively ensured a straightforward win for the newly-crowned Japanese champions over the Oceania Champions League winners. The former pounced on a …

Matsumoto Yamaga FC on Tuesday announced three players have been released ahead of next season’s MEIJI YASUDA J2 League. The club opted against renewing the contracts of midfielders Eric, Kim Bo-kyung and Park Kwang-il. Former Cardiff player Kim, who joined on a free transfer this summer, made six appearances for Matsumoto, who finished their ma…

Avispa Fukuoka on Tuesday announced the renewal of striker Wellington’s contract for 2016. The Brazilian scored seven goals in 18 appearances for the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League promotion play-off winners this term. “I feel blessed that we were able to earn promotion this season,” Wellington said. “Next season I want to continue to …

Urawa Reds, Nagoya Grampus, AZ Alkmaar and Jeonnam Dragons will contest the 2015 J.League International Youth Cup which kick off on December 15 in Nagano. The aim of the tournament is to contribute to football development by giving youth players a chance to test themselves in a competitive setting against international competition. Urawa Reds and Nago…

Urawa Reds on Tuesday announced the arrival of winger Yoshiaki Komai on a transfer from Kyoto Sanga. The 23-year-old scored three goals in 35 appearances for the Kansai outfit, who finished 17th in the 2015 MEIJI YASUDA J2 League. “It’s an honour to join such a great club,” Komai commented.  “I look forward to joining m…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Sunday announced that the club’s allotment of tickets for their upcoming Club World Cup opener against Auckland City FC on December 10 have been sold out. Club-allotted tickets for future fixtures will be made available as Sanfrecce progresses through the tournament. Thursday’s fixture will be a rematch of the 2012 p…

Mito Hollyhock on Monday announced the tentative signing of Vietnam’s Messi, Nguyen Cong Phuong, on a one-year loan. The HAGL FC striker will officially join the club following a signing ceremony on December 23 in Vietnam. "I'm incredibly happy and excited to have become a member of Mito Hollyhock”, the player known as the Vietnam…

New Japanese champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima dominated the first individual awards for the season, with championship final hero Takuma Asano figuring. The J.League on Tuesday announced several post-season awards ahead of its gala ceremony scheduled for later this month. Striker Asano was named the league’s Best Young Player following his nine-goal…

Machida Zelvia were promoted to next season’s MEIJI YASUDA J2 League after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Oita Trinita at Oita Bank Dome. The 58th-minute penalty kick from Koji Suzuki gave the western Tokyo side a 3-1 aggregate win in the J2-J3 promotion-relegation play-off. Zelvia will now make their first appearance in the second division for the…

With an over-capacity crowd of 36,609 attending Saturday night’s 2015 J.League championship final second leg between Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Gamba Osaka, the league welcomed over 10 million attendees for the first time in its 23-year history. “The MEIJI YASUDA J1 League saw 68 matches fill to over 80 per cent of their capacity, an increase of…

New Nagoya Grampus sporting director and assistant coach Stanley Brard is looking to form an instant partnership with manager Takafumi Ogura to bring the club back to its former heights. The 57-year old Dutchman, who recently served as academy director at Feyenoord, was already the youth technical director and Under-18 coach for Grampus between 2002 and …

Avispa Fukuoka will return to Japan’s top flight for the first time in five years after winning the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League promotion play-off on Sunday. The Kyushu side - who finished third in this season’s MEIJI YASUDA J2 League - advanced past fourth-place Cerezo Osaka following a 1-1 draw on Sunday at Yanmar Stadium Nagai. Cerezo took t…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima will be joined by Gamba Osaka and the winners of the Emperor’s Cup in the group stage of the 2016 AFC Champions League. Hajime Moriyasu’s men were crowned winners of the 2015 J.League Championship on Saturday following a 4-3 aggregate win over Gamba. In accordance with these results, the seedings of Japan’s Champi…

J.League chairman Mitsuru Murai again hailed Sanfrecce Hiroshima for their journey capturing the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League title this season. The side were crowned champions for the third time following their 1-1 draw with Gamba Osaka in the second leg of the J.League championship final on Saturday, allowing them to pip the previous winners 4-3 on aggregate…

Goalkeeper Tatsuro Okuda will not be at Sagan Tosu in 2016, the club announced on Thursday. The 27-year-old played just once for the Kyushu outfit this season, earning a 4-3 win over Montedio Yamagata in the Emperor’s Cup round of 16. “I’m grateful for everything I’ve experienced in the last five years and want to thank all of …

Sanfrecce Hiroshima are the new Japanese champions, pipping Gamba Osaka to the title on Saturday. A 1-1 draw in the second leg of the J.League championship final, combined with their first-leg 3-2 away win on Wednesday, was enough for Hajime Moriyasu’s men to see off the previous winners. Desperate to defend their prize, Gamba tore out of the st…

Yokohama F. Marinos midfielder Kensei Nakashima will require five months to recover from surgery, the club confirmed on Thursday. The 19-year-old was diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in his leg and subsequently went under the knife at a hospital in Kyushu. Nakashima signed for F.Marinos in January and made three appearances for Erick …