News

Vissel Kobe on Wednesday announced a set of injuries to defenders Wataru Hashimoto and Shunki Takahashi, with both players set to miss most of the summer as a result. Hashimoto will miss eight weeks of action after tearing his left adductor muscle, while Takahashi will require the same amount of recovery time after tearing his right hamstring. Both in…

Japan’s national team drew 1-1 with Syria on Wednesday night in the Kirin Challenge Cup 2017 at Tokyo Stadium. The international friendly was a key test for both sides ahead of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying next week, with Japan scheduled to face Iraq in Tehran and Syria set for a showdown with China. With Kashima Antlers star Gen Shoji and Cer…

The draw for the 2017 AFC Champions League quarter-final took place on Tuesday afternoon in Kuala Lumpur, with Kawasaki Frontale and Urawa Reds paired with each other in the two-legged contest. After defeating Muangthong United in the Round of 16, Frontale will return to the quarter-final for the first time since 2009 when they were knocked out by Nagoya…

Argentine tactician Carlos Alberto Mayor has been appointed as the new manager of MEIJI YASUDA J2 League side Renofa Yamaguchi, the club announced on Monday. The 51-year-old, who represented Argentina at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, was a part of Avispa Fukuoka’s first-ever J.League squad in 1996.  He has managed a number of local clubs since h…

Kashima Antlers surged to the first win under new manager Go Oiwa’s regime in style, with Leandro’s brace sealing a 3-1 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League victory at Sanfrecce Hiroshima.  The 2016 Japanese champions had fallen off the pace in recent weeks in the chase for first place, a situation compounded by their AFC Champions League exit last we…

Gamba Osaka late last week announced that veteran striker Patric’s contract will not be renewed after its conclusion on June 30. The 29-year-old, who first arrived in Japan in 2013 when he played for Kawasaki Frontale and Ventforet Kofu, joined Gamba in 2014 and was an important contributor to their J.League MEIJI YASUDA J1 League title that year. …

The unpredictable MEIJI YASUDA J2 League continued to demonstrate its twists and turns on Saturday, with the league lead changing hands yet again after the day’s eight matches concluded. At Toyota Stadium, Nagoya Grampus took the lead early through Robin Simovic’s goal but went on to lose 3-2 to visiting Zweigen Kanazawa, who found the winner…

Jubilo Iwata this week revealed details of striker Koki Ogawa’s injury, which occurred during the recent 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The 19-year-old suffered from a torn left anterior cruciate ligament as well as a torn meniscus in the same knee early in Japan’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay in the second match of the group stage.  The news is a …

Kagoshima United striker Sittichok Paso has been selected for the upcoming Thailand Under-23 training camp, the club announced on Thursday. The J.League’s first Thai player will participate in the week-long camp beginning on June 3, which will conclude in a friendly match with the Iraq U-23s on June 10 in Chonburi. “I’m happy to have…

The AFC Champions League Round of 16 concluded on Wednesday night with Urawa Reds advancing to the quarter-finals after a dramatic 3-0 extra time win over Jeju United. The J.League representatives, who came into the match trailing 0-2 after last week’s first leg, started strongly with a pair of first-half goals by Shinzo Koroki and Tadanari Lee to …

The final matchday of the 2017 J.League YBC Levain Cup Group Stage took place on Wednesday night, with several of the participating teams still vying for a place in the Knockout Stage. FC Tokyo came into their finale at last-place Shimizu S-Pulse needing a win to top the group, taking a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute when Ryoya Ogawa scored his first goal o…

The Japan Under-20 national team were eliminated from the FIFA Under-20 World Cup after a 1-0 Round of 16 loss to Venezuela in extra-time. Atsushi Uchiyama’s side defended strongly in the first half, with tournament star Ritsu Doan narrowly missing his fourth goal of the tournament in the 29th minute when his free-kick struck the cross bar. Japa…

Kawasaki Frontale emphatically clinched their spot in the 2017 AFC Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-1 win over Muangthong United on Tuesday night, finishing the Round of 16 with a 7-2 aggregate victory. Yu Kobayashi, Tatsuya Hasegawa, Eduardo Neto, and Rhayner all found the back of the net at Todoroki Stadium, with the visitors registering on the…

Omiya Ardija on Sunday announced the dismissal of manager Hiroki Shibuya following the team’s poor start to the 2017 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League season. Shibuya, who joined Ardija midway through the 2014 season, led the team to the 2015 MEIJI YASUDA J2 League title before astonishingly finishing the 2016 J1 campaign in fifth place. But the 50-year-ol…

Nagoya Grampus are the new leaders of the 2017 MEIJI YASUDA J2 League after the weekend’s thrilling 16th round. The J.League co-founders fell behind early when Ibba scored for hosts Yokohama FC on Saturday, but managed to fight back in the second half through Robin Simovic’s double in the 55th and 77th minutes for a 2-1 victory. Shonan Bel…

Vissel Kobe continue stuttering this season after a brilliant start, as Cerezo Osaka secured a 2-1 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League victory over them on Sunday. Kazuya Yamamura and Kota Mizunuma struck either side of Kazuma Watanabe’s temporary equaliser for the hosts at Noevir Stadium, with Nelsinho’s men dropping down to eighth after two winless game…

Kosuke Taketomi scored a brace as Kashiwa Reysol surged to the top of the MEIJI YASUDA J1 League table with a 4-2 win over Omiya Ardija. The striker scored in a devastating five-minute spell during the second half as Reysol wiped out Ardija’s opener, with the visitors remaining rooted to the bottom of the table after the result. Sanfrecce Hirosh…

Japan clinched their place in the 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup Round of 16 on Saturday night with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Italy in their third and final Group Stage match. The team faced an uphill battle after allowing two goals in the first seven minutes at Cheonan Stadium.  But Japan were rescued by an inspired performance by Gamba Osaka st…

Jubilo Iwata midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura will miss the next three weeks after tearing his left hamstring, the club announced on Thursday. The veteran suffered the injury during training on May 23. Nakamura, who joined Jubilo from Yokohama F. Marinos this winter, has two goals in 11 appearances thus far in the 2017 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League season. Hi…

The Japan Football Association on Thursday announced the Samurai Blue squad for their upcoming Kirin Challenge Cup match against Syria as well as their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Iraq. 11 J.League players were selected by head coach Vahid Halilhodzic, including Kashiwa Reyso goalkeeper Kosuke Nakamura, Urawa Reds defender Tomoya Ugajin, Gamba …