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In the 2001 J.League Division 1 Championship finals, the two contenders were Júbilo Iwata, who had won the 1st Stage with only one defeat; and Kashima Antlers, who had won the 2nd Stage and were determined to defend the title won the previous season. Iwata were the dominant side in the 1st leg at home. After taking the lead from the spot, in the 1…

In 1999 when the J1 League season was divided into 2 Stages, the 1st Stage winners Júbilo Iwata and the 2nd Stage winners Shimizu S-Pulse met in the Championship final to decide the overall winners of the J1 League. Iwata took the lead in the first leg at home when Masashi Nakayama scored in the 30th minute. 4 minutes later, Shimizu equalized thro…

　J.LEAGUE announced to suspend matches below on account of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and to prevent cluster of the coronavirus from expanding further. 　The resume of matches scheduled from 30 May has not yet been determined and further announcement will be made as soon as the decision is made. ■Matches Suspended   …

Comment by J.LEAGUE Chairman Mitsuru Murai: “To our fans and supporters,  　Today, the government has declared a state of emergency for seven prefectures. I believe the tension among fans and supporters increased, but I hope everyone stay calm and take necessary measures to prevent infection. 　J.LEAGUE will need to hold profound discussio…

Comment by J.LEAGUE Chairman Mitsuru Murai :  　“Today, we received a report from Vissel Kobe that one of its players, Gotoku Sakai, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).  　It is reported that he is losing his sense of smell and taste but is in a stable condition. First and foremost, we convey our wishes for his speedy r…

After scoring several goals in European top leagues and for the German national team, the world-class striker Lukas Podolski joined Vissel Kobe in the summer of 2017. He made an immediate impact by scoring a brace in his J.League debut, against Omiya Ardija. Powerful yet accurate shots blasted from his left foot into the back of the net were a constant t…

World-famous striker Fernando Torres played for Sagan Tosu for a year. He arrived in Japan in the summer of 2018, after scoring an impressive number of goals that helped his teams to win two UEFA European Championships, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and a UEFA Champions League. In Europe, he often beat defenders with his quick movements, but the attribute tha…

Diego Forlan was the 2010 FIFA World Cup top scorer, and had played for top clubs in England, Spain and Italy before becoming one of the most prestigious strikers in the history of the J.League. The Uruguayan superstar joined Cerezo in 2014 and as a result the club’s home stadium in Osaka was immediately packed with many fans hoping to see Forlan&r…

Former English international striker Gary Lineker’s move to Nagoya Grampus was big news for Japanese football back in the day. The top scorer of the 1986 FIFA World Cup came to Japan in 1993, and the arrival of the international star made the opening of the J.League that year even more appealing. His yearly salary of 300 million yen was the high…

J.LEAGUE announced to postpone the eSports competition "EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series eJ.LEAGUE" which was initially scheduled on Friday, 8th May and Saturday, 9th May 2020, following to the Electronic Arts' decision to suspend all EA SPORTS FIFA 20 Global Series events due to the global pandemic of COVID-19. Future schedules will be deci…

It was 1995 when Arsène Wenger came to Japan. The then young French manager’s mission was to revive Nagoya Grampus Eight, who had been struggling since the opening of the J.League. Although his success didn’t come immediately, his management skills eventually allowed talents such as Dragan Stojković and Takafumi Ogura shine brightly. A…

J.LEAGUE held an extraordinary executive committee yesterday and J.LEAGUE Chairman Mitsuru Murai spoke to the media, about the further extending suspension of matches to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). 　““The decision was made unanimously among the committee members of 56 clubs, with premises of the statement recei…

J.LEAGUE announced to further extend suspension of matches below on account of the novel coronavirus outbreak and to prevent cluster of the coronavirus from expanding further. ■Matches Suspended   Sec. Date # of matches 2020 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE 7th sec. Friday, 3rd April Saturday, 4th April 9…

The “God of Football” came to Japan in 1991. Although Zico had once hang up his boots, he was back to join Sumitomo Metal Industries Factory Football Club (which later became Kashima Antlers), two years ahead of the creation of the J.League. Zico was already 40 on the opening of the J.League in 1993, but that day Kashima’s number 10 put…

J.LEAGUE decided to change format in the 2020 MEIJI YASUDA J.LEAGUE and apply exceptional rules for promotion/relegation in all categories after the board of directors held on 17 March and the extraordinary executive committee held today. Further announcements of when to resume and details on league format and match schedules will be made on 25 March. …

The new season of the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League kicked off on February 23. The defending champions Yokohama F.Marinos hosted Gamba Osaka. The home side was hoping for a good start to defend the title, but conceded in the 6th minute and again in the 34th. F.Marinos were dominant in the second half and Marcos Junior halved the deficit in the 74th, but could n…

A season opener away, facing the defending champions was a tough fixture for Gamba Osaka; however, they dealt very well with Yokohama F.Marinos and managed to snatch a 2-1 victory.  “We thought about how to beat F.Marinos both in defensive and offensive phases. I don’t need to go into details, I think we showed it during the game.”…

The third and last installment of this series about the Tokyo Olympics generation focuses on forwards. We start with Yuki Soma of Nagoya Grampus. He was a rookie fresh out of university last year, as he joined Kashima Antlers on loan in the middle of the season. After impressing fans with great dribbling, the 165 cm-tall attacker returned to Nagoya this …

This series looks at youngsters who could be stars of Tokyo Olympics this summer. This time, we look at midfielders. Kawasaki Frontale’s Ao Tanaka had a breakthrough season last year (his third after signing a professional contract) and was voted the Best Young Player in J.League. His passing ability is supported by his excellent skill and vision, …

Tokyo Summer Olympics is just around the corner. Let’s have a look at the Japanese players who could become the stars of the tournament. Goalkeeper Keisuke Osako is the most likely to be between the sticks for Japan. The youngster from Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s academy claimed a starting spot in the team last season, which was only his second as …