Jubilo Iwata on Wednesday announced details regarding injuries to two of their players. Defender Daiki Ogawa is expected to miss the remainder of the season after injuring his right ACL and meniscus. He will only be able to return to training in approximately six months. Midfielder Takafumi Shimizu, who has one appearance for Jubilo this season, wi…

The Japan Football Association on Tuesday announced that Gamba Osaka defender Hiroki Fujiharu and Sanfrecce Hiroshima defender Tsukasa Shiotani will be named to Japan’s Rio 2016 Olympic squad as overage players. The tournament in Brazil will be the first Olympic games for both players, who each have two senior international caps. “This tou…

Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo striker Yoshihiro Uchimura has been named the 2016 MEIJI YASUDA J2 League Monthly MVP for May. The 31-year-old played in all four of Consadole’s matches, tying for the league lead with three goals and earning the monthly honour by unanimous vote.  He earned particular distinction for his headers in his team’…

Kashima Antlers striker Mu Kanazaki has been named the 2016 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League Monthly MVP for May. The 27-year-old had a fantastic month, scoring three goals and recording two assists in four full appearances for Antlers.  The selection committee praised his increased presence in defensive situations for Antlers, who are second place in the …

Albirex Niigata defender Fumiya Hayakawa has been diagnosed with acute leukemia, the club announced on Monday. The 22-year-old rookie was first examined in late April after noticing visible swelling in his lymph nodes and is already receiving treatment at a Niigata hospital. “I’ve dreamed of being cheered on by supporters since I was a lit…

Consadole Sapporo are back on top of the 2016 MEIJI YASUDA J2 League following a 2-1 come-from-behind win over V-Varen Nagasaki on Monday night at the Sapporo Dome. The visitors took the lead in the 19th minute thanks to Ryo Nagai, who scored in his third straight match.  But Ken Tokura equalised just seven minutes later and Brazilian striker Rei…

The 2016 MEIJI YASUDA J2 League has a new provisional leader following the campaign’s 18th round, 10 matches of which were played on Sunday, June 12. In a rain-soaked encounter at City Light Stadium, Fagiano Okayama won 2-1 over Matsumoto Yamaga thanks to goals by Shinya Yajima and Masahiko Sawaguchi, jumping to the top of a congested table for the…

Kashiwa Reysol on Saturday announced that striker Yuki Otsu will miss as many as four weeks of play due to injury. The 26-year-old injured his right ankle during the team’s June 5 draw against Sagan Tosu in the last group stage game  of the 2016 J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup. Otsu has one goal in 12 appearances for sixth-place Reysol, who w…

Following the 2016 MEIJI YASUDA J1 League Round 15 match between Urawa Reds and Kashima Antlers, racist comments directed at Kashima Antlers player Caio were discovered on Twitter. The J.League and its clubs have continued to invest their efforts toward a world without discrimination or violence through activities promoting the awareness of human rights.…

Hokuto Shimoda netted twice for Shonan Bellmare to hold Gamba Osaka to a 3-3 draw in Saturday’s thrilling MEIJI YASUDA J1 League match. The clash at Suita City Football Stadium could have gone either way, as it was the visitors who pulled into the lead in the 10th minute when Jin Hanato opened the scoring.  Yasuyuki Konno and then Keisuke I…

Cerezo Osaka on Thursday announced that captain Yoichiro Kakitani has suffered a right ankle injury that will see him miss the next four weeks of play. The injury was suffered in Wednesday’s 2-1 win at V-Varen Nagasaki in the 17th round of the MEIJI YASUDA J2 League. The former Basel midfielder leads Cerezo’s goalscoring charts with five g…

The J.League on Friday announced nominees for the 2016 MEIJI YASUDA J1 and J2 League Monthly MVPs for May. Kashima Antlers midfielder Mu Kanazaki, Kawasaki Frontale striker Yoshiko Okubo, and Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Peter Utaka all received nods for the J1 League. Meanwhile, Consadole Sapporo defender Takahiro Masukawa, striker Yoshihiro Uchimura …

Shimizu S-Pulse on Thursday released details of captain Genki Omae’s condition following his injuries during their 2-1 win at Machida Zelvia on Wednesday night in the MEIJI YASUDA J2 League. The striker, who scored the opening goal of the match in the 11th minute, was stretchered off in the 40th minute following a collision with a Zelvia player dur…

Yokohama FC manager Milos Rus has returned to his native Slovenia for a medical assessment, the club announced earlier this week. The 54-year-old will be checked for symptoms of an irregular pulse as well as coronary spastic angina. Until Rus returns on June 17, the team will be managed by head coach Kosaku Masuda.

Matsmoto Yamaga drew within one point of MEIJI YASUDA J2 League leaders Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo on Wednesday night after their 3-2 win at Alwin Stadium. After the visitors rallied from a 2-0 deficit on the back of Ken Tokura’s brace, Yudai Iwama scored for a second straight week in the 81st minute to seal the victory. Out west, Sagan Tosu&rsq…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Takuma Asano revealed disappointment in his own performance following Japan’s 1-2 loss to Bosnia & Herzegovina on Tuesday night in the Kirin Cup 2016 final. The 21-year-old, who started his first match for the senior national team, saw several opportunities in front of the goal wasted in the defeat. “I regre…

Sanfrecce Hiroshima midfielder Mihael Mikic will miss the next four weeks after injuring his right hamstring, the club announced on Wednesday. The injury occurred during training on June 3, according to the release. The 36-year-old has one goal in 13 appearances this season for the defending MEIJI YASUDA J1 League champions. Mikic’s lone stri…

Japan took the lead against Bosnia & Herzegovina through Hiroshi Kiyotake but eventually fell 2-1 in the final of the Kirin Cup on Tuesday. With star attackers Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa left off the starting XI due to injury, Gamba Osaka’s Takashi Usami and Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s Takuma Asano joined Leicester striker Shinji Okazaki l…

Consadole Sapporo midfielder Junichi Inamoto will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his right ACL, the club announced on Monday. The injury occurred in the team’s match 2-2 draw against JEF United Chiba on Sunday 4. Inamoto, a former Samurai Blue star who represented Japan in three FIFA World Cup tournaments, had netted one goal in …

The final round of the 2016 Yamazaki Nabisco Cup Group Stage took place on Sunday, with six Group B clubs starting the day still eligible to reach the quarterfinals. Yokohama F. Marinos left nothing to chance, with Shunsuke Nakamura and Manabu Saito both scoring in a 2-0 win at Vegalta Sendai to ensure a first place finish in the group. Kashiwa Reysol…