News

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…

It’s the season’s final week and three teams are already set for relegation, but there’s one more drop spot to be determined. One of Shimizu S-Pulse, Shonan Bellmare or Tokushima Vortis will spend next season in the MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE, and which of the three go down will be decided this weekend.S-Pulse are in the best position on 39 points, while Shonan…

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 22 Global Series eJ.LEAGUE The J. League is again hosting an esports competition starting from 25th December 2021 which will award 2 valuable places in the EA SPORTS™ FIFA 22 Global Series Playoffs on the Road to the FIFAe World Cup™ 2022.EA SPORTS™ FIFA 22 Global Series eJ.LEAGUE will be played at 2 stages; “Club Champions Cup” on J. League…

Kyoto Sanga F.C. have clinched the second promotion place to the 2022 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE and will play in the top flight for the first time since 2010. Sanga booked their spot in next season’s first division with a scoreless draw against JEF United Chiba on Sunday, clinching second place in J2 with one match to spare. With the best defense in the …

Júbilo Iwata are the champions of the 2021 MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE after a 0-0 draw against Thespakusatsu Gunma on Matchweek 41. Júbilo were the top team in J2 for nearly the entire season, thanks in large part to a spectacular attack which amassed 73 goals and was powered by Lukian. The Brazilian forward led the way with a league-leading 22 goals, whi…

Though Kawasaki Frontale had already clinched a second consecutive MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE title and a fourth championship in five seasons, they still had something left to play for on Saturday - an unbeaten home season.Frontale delivered that, thrashing Gamba Osaka, 4-1. Leandro Damião scored two, moving him into a tie atop the league’s goalscoring charts, …

Vissel Kobe’s best-ever season will see them finish third place in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE and play in next season’s AFC Champions League.With a Nagoya Grampus loss at Cerezo Osaka, the Ushi clinched third place on Saturday despite losing to Yokohama F·Marinos, 2-0. Before this season, Vissel had never finished higher than seventh place, which they did i…

Tokushima Vortis could have been relegated on Matchday 37, with a loss to Shonan Bellmare and any point by Shimizu S-Pulse clinching their spot in the second division next season, but they ensured the battle would go to the final day of the campaign by beating Bellmare, 1-0.The result sends the three teams down to the wire, all fighting to avoid one relegat…

News of the Passing of Shonan Bellmare Defender Riuler de Oliveira Faustino.Riuler de Oliveira Faustino, Shonan Bellmare’s Brazilian defender, had passed away on Tuesday, November 23rd.I can hardly imagine the grief his family must be feeling, or the shock and sadness being felt by all members at Shonan Bellmare of the sudden news of his passing.On behalf o…

Vissel Kobe have clinched a top-four finish this season, ensuring their best league campaign in club history, but they have a chance to clinch AFC Champions League football next season with a result against second-place Yokohama F·Marinos.Early in the campaign, Vissel’s success came because of Kyogo Furuhashi and their deadly attack, but Furuhashi was sold …