J. League 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 J. League Division 1 season was the 14th season since the establishment of the J. League. It began on March 4 and ended on December 2.
A draw would be conducted, if necessary. However, if two clubs are tied at the first place, both clubs will be declared as the champions. The bottom two clubs will be relegated to J2, while the 16th placed club plays a two-legged Promotion/Relegation Series
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Changes from Previous Year
none
* The number in brackets denotes the amount of times that the footballer has appeared in the Best 11.
Promotion/relegation
- At the end of the 2005 season2005 J. League Division 2The 2005 J. League Division 2 season is the 34th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 7th season since the establishment of J2 League....
, , ,and were promoted to J1. - At the end of the 2005 season, , , and were relegated to J2.
- At the end of the 2005 season, was promoted to J2 from JFLJapan Football LeagueThe is the 3rd tier of the Japanese association football league system, following J. League Division 1 and J. League Division 2. Also known as the JFL, it is generally considered as the top amateur league in Japan although in reality it is a semi-professional league as many full-time footballers...
Changes in competition format
- The Division 2 was expanded to 13 clubs.
- In games that require extra time in case of a tie (i.e. two-legged league cup games) away goals ruleAway goals ruleThe away goals rule is a method of breaking ties in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. By the away goals rule, the team that has scored more goals "away from home" will win if scores are otherwise equal...
is adopted.
Honours
| Competition | Champion | Runner-Up | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| J. League Division 1 | |||
| J. League Division 2 J. League Division 2 The or is the second division of and is the second-tier professional association football league in Japan. Currently, J. League Division 2 is the second level of the Japanese association football league system. The first tier is represented by J... |
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| Emperor's Cup Emperor's Cup , commonly known as or , is a Japanese association football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football tournament in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J. League, Japan Football League and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League... |
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| Nabisco Cup | |||
| XEROX Super Cup |
Clubs
Following eighteen clubs played in J. League Division 1 during 2006 season. Of these clubs, Kyoto Purple Sanga, Avispa Fukuoka, and Ventforet Kofu are newly promoted clubs.- Kashima Antlers
- Urawa Red Diamonds
- Omiya Ardija
- JEF United Chiba
- F.C. Tokyo
- Kawasaki Frontale
- Yokohama F. Marinos
- Ventforet Kofu
- Albirex Nigata
- Shimizu S-Pulse
- Jublio Iwata
- Nagayo Grampus Eight
- Kyoto Purple Sanga
- Gamba Osaka
- Cerezo Osaka
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima
- Avispa Fukuoka
- Oita Trinita
Format
Eighteen clubs will play in double round-robin (home and away) format, a total of 34 games each. A club receives 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss. The clubs are ranked by points, and tie breakers are, in the following order:- Goal differential
- Goals scored
- Head-to-head results
A draw would be conducted, if necessary. However, if two clubs are tied at the first place, both clubs will be declared as the champions. The bottom two clubs will be relegated to J2, while the 16th placed club plays a two-legged Promotion/Relegation Series
J. League Promotion/Relegation Series
In 2004, J. League introduced a series of two test matches called League between the sixteenth-place J. Division 1 club and third-place J.league Division 2 club...
.
Changes from Previous Year
none
Table
Results
Top scorers
| Pos | Scorer | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Washington |
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| Magno Alves Magno Alves Magno Alves de Araújo is a Brazilian football player, currently associated with Atlético Mineiro.- Career :... |
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| 3 | Juninho Carlos Alberto Carvalho dos Anjos Junior Carlos Alberto Carvalho dos Anjos Junior "Juninho" is a Brazilian professional football striker who currently plays for Japan's J. League club Kawasaki Frontale. He played as an offensive midfielder in Brazil. But after moving to Japan from Palmeiras, he was converted to a striker. In the 2007... |
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| 4 |  Kazuki GanahaKazuki Ganaha Kazuki Ganaha is an Japanese football player who currently plays for F.C. Ryūkyū. He is a right-footed forward.-Playing career:... |
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| Lucas Lucas Severino Lucas Severino is a former Brazilian U-23 international football striker. He played for the Brazilian national team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Australia. In 2000, he moved to French side Stade Rennais FC with the transfer fee of 21 million euros. In 2004, after an unsuccessful period in... |
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| Hisato Satō Hisato Sato is a Japanese football player who currently plays for Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the J. League. He is a left-footed forward.-Playing career:Sato is a product of JEF United Ichiahra's youth system. He was promoted to JEF's top team in 2000. His first league appearance came on April 15, 2000 against... |
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| 7 | Ryūji Bando Ryuji Bando is a Japanese football player. He is a forward and currently plays for Cerezo Osaka.-Career:After the graduation from Kotogaoka High School, he joined J. League side Gamba Osaka in 1998. He was transferred to Consadole Sapporo in 2000 and helped them to promote to J. League Division 1. He moved to... |
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 Cho Jae-JinCho Jae-Jin Cho Jae-Jin is a retired South Korean football player. He was a member of national team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.-Career:... |
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| Ueslei Ueslei Raimundo Pereira da Silva Ueslei Raimundo Pereira da Silva or better known as Ueslei is a Brazilian former football player.Ueslei played for Bahia, Vitória and Atlético Mineiro in the Campeonato Brasileiro.- Club career statistics :... |
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| 10 | Ryoichi Maeda Ryoichi Maeda is a Japanese football player who currently plays for Jubilo Iwata of the J. League Division 1.-Club career:Maeda was born in Kobe, Japan but spent his childhood in the United States. He was educated at and played for Gyosei Junior High and Ghosei High School in Tokyo. While he was a high school... |
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Attendance Figures
Individual
| Award | Recipient | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Marcus Tulio Tanaka Marcus Tulio Tanaka , formerly name ; Marcus Túlio Lyuji Murzani Tanaka is a Brazilian-born Japanese footballer who plays for the J. League Division 1 club Nagoya Grampus.-Career:... |
Urawa Red Diamonds Urawa Red Diamonds are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history... |
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| Young Player of the Year | Jungo Fujimoto Jungo Fujimoto is a Japanese football player, who currently plays for Nagoya Grampus.He is a left-footed play-making midfielder.-Early years:Fujimoto was educated at and played for Toko Gakuen High School, during which time he was also a member of the U-17 Japanese National Team for the 2001 FIFA U-17 World... |
Shimizu S-Pulse Shimizu S-Pulse is a professional Japanese association football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 . Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only five to have competed in... |
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| Manager of the Year |  Guido BuchwaldGuido Buchwald Guido Ulrich Buchwald is a German former football defender and manager.The best game of Buchwald's career was probably the final of the 1990 FIFA World Cup when he effectively marked the skilled footballer, Diego Maradona, earning him the nickname "Diego"... |
Urawa Red Diamonds Urawa Red Diamonds are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history... |
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| Top Scorer J. League Top Scorer The J. League Top Scorer is awarded by the J.League to the top scoring player of the season.-Wins By Club:-See also:*Japanese football champions, for Japan Soccer League predecessors.... |
Washington |
Urawa Red Diamonds Urawa Red Diamonds are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history... |
|26 goals. |
| Magno Alves Magno Alves Magno Alves de Araújo is a Brazilian football player, currently associated with Atlético Mineiro.- Career :... |
Gamba Osaka Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70... |
|26 goals. | |
| Fair Play Player Award | Satoru Yamagishi Satoru Yamagishi is a Japanese football player. He is a right-footed midfielder and currently plays for Sanfrecce Hiroshima on loan from Kawasaki Frontale.-Career:... |
JEF United Ichihara Chiba JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-... |
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| Yuichi Nemoto |
Oita Trinita Oita Trinita is a J. League Division 2 team. The team name Trinita can be considered either a combination of the English word trinity and Ōita, or the Italian word trinità. The dual meaning expresses the will of the citizens, companies, and local governments to support the team.The team's home town is Ōita... |
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| Referee of the Year | Toru Kamikawa Toru Kamikawa is a former Japanese football referee, debuting in Japan's professional J. League in 1996.Kamikawa was born in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture... |
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| Assistant Referee of the Year | Yoshikazu Hiroshima |
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| Meritoriousness Player Award | Nobuyuki Kojima Nobuyuki Kojima Nobuyuki Kojima is a retired Japanese football goalkeeper. He played for several J-League clubs, including Bellmare Hiratsuka, Avispa Fukuoka and Thespa Kusatsu... |
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| Naoki Soma Naoki Soma Naoki Soma is a former Japanese football defender .He was capped 58 times and scored 4 goals for the Japanese national team between 1995 and 1999, including three games at the 1998 FIFA World Cup... |
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| Masaaki Sawanobori Masaaki Sawanobori is a retired Japanese football player.He was capped 16 times and scored three goals for the Japanese national team. His first international appearance came on April 8, 1993, in a World Cup qualifier against Thailand at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium when he replaced Hajime Moriyasu... |
Best Eleven
| Position | Footballer | Club | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi , sometimes referred to as Yoshi Kawaguchi, is a Japanese footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. He is a former captain of the Japan national team.-Biography:... (1) |
Jubilo Iwata Júbilo Iwata is a professional Japanese association football team currently playing in the J. League Division 1 . The team name Júbilo means 'joy' in Portuguese and Spanish. The team's home town is Iwata, Shizuoka prefecture and they play at Yamaha Stadium... |
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| DF | Marcus Tulio Tanaka Marcus Tulio Tanaka , formerly name ; Marcus Túlio Lyuji Murzani Tanaka is a Brazilian-born Japanese footballer who plays for the J. League Division 1 club Nagoya Grampus.-Career:... (3) |
Urawa Red Diamonds Urawa Red Diamonds are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history... |
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| DF | Satoshi Yamaguchi Satoshi Yamaguchi is a Japanese footballer from Takaoka in Kōchi, Japan. He plays the defender position. Yamaguchi joined the J. League Division 1 in 1996, with JEF United Ichihara... (1) |
Gamba Osaka Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70... |
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| DF | Akira Kaji (1) | Gamba Osaka Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70... |
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| MF | Keita Suzuki Keita Suzuki is a Japanese football player. He is a defensive midfielder and currently plays for Urawa Red Diamonds.He is a cousin of Koki Mizuno.-Career:... (1) |
Urawa Red Diamonds Urawa Red Diamonds are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history... |
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| MF | Yuki Abe Yuki Abe is a Japanese footballer who plays for Leicester City and the Japanese national team as a midfielder.-JEF United Ichihara:Born in Ichikawa, Chiba, Abe, then a member of the JEF United Ichihara youth side, made his debut with the senior club at the age of 16 years and 333 days on 5 August 1998, at... (2) |
JEF United Ichihara Chiba JEF United Ichihara Chiba is a Japanese professional football club that plays in J. League Division 2. On February 1, 2005, the club changed its name from JEF United Ichihara to the current name after Chiba city had joined Ichihara, Chiba as its hometown in 2003. The club name, JEF -taken from JR East and Furukawa Electric-... |
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| MF | Kengo Nakamura Kengo Nakamura is a Japanese football midfielder who currently plays for Kawasaki Frontale of the J. League.-Playing style:K.Nakamura is a playmaking midfielder usually employed by Kawasaki Frontale on the central midfield. His view can supply pass very widely over the wide range.Besides passing, Nakamura is... (1) |
Kawasaki Frontale Kawasaki Frontale is a J. League Division 1 association football club. The team is located in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Their home stadium is Todoroki Athletics Stadium, in Nakahara Ward, in the central area of Kawasaki.-History:... |
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| MF | Hiroyuki Taniguchi Hiroyuki Taniguchi Hiroyuki Taniguchi 谷口博之 is a Japanese football player. He plays for J. League side Yokohama F. Marinos. He was a member of the Japan team at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career statistics:... (1) |
Kawasaki Frontale Kawasaki Frontale is a J. League Division 1 association football club. The team is located in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo. Their home stadium is Todoroki Athletics Stadium, in Nakahara Ward, in the central area of Kawasaki.-History:... |
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| MF | Yasuhito Endo Yasuhito Endo is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays for the J. League team Gamba Osaka. His older brother Akihiro, who retired in 2008, was also a professional footballer.-Career:... (4) |
Gamba Osaka Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70... |
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| FW | Washington (1) | Urawa Red Diamonds Urawa Red Diamonds are a professional association football club playing in Japan's football league, J. League Division 1. One of Japan and Asia's best supported teams, the club has been able to boast the highest average crowds for thirteen of the J-League's twenty season history... |
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| FW | Magno Alves Magno Alves Magno Alves de Araújo is a Brazilian football player, currently associated with Atlético Mineiro.- Career :... (1) |
Gamba Osaka Gamba Osaka is a Japanese professional association football club, currently playing in the J. League Division 1. The team's name comes from the Italian word "gamba" meaning "leg" and the Japanese , meaning "to do your best" or "to stand firm". Located in Suita, Osaka, the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70... |
* The number in brackets denotes the amount of times that the footballer has appeared in the Best 11.