J. League Championship
Encyclopedia
The J. League Championship was a two-legged championship series which determined the season champion for the first 12 J. League
seasons (1993-2004) excluding the 1996 season. In the early years, the J.League seasons were divided into two halves, the first and second stages, and the champions of each stage participated in the series. The competition did not take place in 1996, since the single season format was used in that year. A well-know Japanese beer company Suntory
sponsored the championship, thus the name Suntory Championship was used in the media and among the general public.
As mentioned, the winners of this competition became the champions of the respective season, while the finalist became the runners-up. As for the rest of the table, points from both stages were summed up to rank the clubs from 3rd place down. In 2000, this format created an unusual situation where the 3rd place club, Kashiwa Reysol
, had more points than both the season champion and runners-up in the final standing.
The series usually took place at the beginning of December, with the exception of the 1993 season, when it was held, due to the 1993 World Cup Qualifiers, in January.
This series has been defunct since 2004, as the league adopted the single season format starting with the 2005 season.
. The following table shows the clubs that won the most points through a season.
In the 2000 season, although Kashiwa Reysol
won the most points through the season, they could not take part in the J. League Championship because they failed to win either stage. In fact, Jubilo Iwata
also won more points through the season than Yokohama F. Marinos
and Kashima Antlers
who qualified for the Championship. According to the regulation, the official league rankings of Kashiwa and Iwata of that season are third and fourth respectively.
took part. Nagoya Grampus Eight won and qualified for the 1997 Sanwa Bank Cup
.
Participating clubs
Results
J. League
The or is the top division of and is the top professional association football league in Japan. It is one of the most successful leagues in Asian club football and the only league given top class 'A' ranking by the AFC. Currently, J. League Division 1 is the first level of the Japanese...
seasons (1993-2004) excluding the 1996 season. In the early years, the J.League seasons were divided into two halves, the first and second stages, and the champions of each stage participated in the series. The competition did not take place in 1996, since the single season format was used in that year. A well-know Japanese beer company Suntory
Suntory
is a Japanese brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now offers everything from soft drinks to sandwich chains...
sponsored the championship, thus the name Suntory Championship was used in the media and among the general public.
As mentioned, the winners of this competition became the champions of the respective season, while the finalist became the runners-up. As for the rest of the table, points from both stages were summed up to rank the clubs from 3rd place down. In 2000, this format created an unusual situation where the 3rd place club, Kashiwa Reysol
Kashiwa Reysol
is a J. League Division 1 team. Its home town is Kashiwa, Chiba, about an hour northeast of Tokyo.-History:Founded in 1940 as Hitachi, Ltd. Soccer Club in Koganei, Tokyo, the team was a founding member of the Japan Soccer League...
, had more points than both the season champion and runners-up in the final standing.
The series usually took place at the beginning of December, with the exception of the 1993 season, when it was held, due to the 1993 World Cup Qualifiers, in January.
This series has been defunct since 2004, as the league adopted the single season format starting with the 2005 season.
Results
- The winners are in bold.
- Venues are indicated in brackets after the score line.
- "v" indicates that a golden goalGolden goalThe golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
decided the match.Season 1st stage
winnersAggregate
(Extra time & PK)1st leg
score2nd leg
score2nd stage
winnersNote 1993 Kashima Antlers Kashima Antlersare a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....1-3 0-2
(NationalOlympic Stadium (Tokyo)or National Stadium is a stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan that served as the main stadium for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It currently serves as the stadium where the Japan national football teams home matches and major football club cup finals are held.-History:The stadium was...
)1-1
(National)Verdy Kawasaki Tokyo Verdy 1969, is a Japanese professional football club, based in Tokyo, Japan, that plays in J. League Division 2.Founded as Yomiuri F.C. in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the most decorated teams in the J. League, with honours including 7 league titles , 5 Emperor's Cups, 6 JSL Cup / J...1994 Sanfrecce Hiroshima Sanfrecce Hiroshimais a Japanese association football club in the J. League Division 1.-Club name:The club name is a portmanteau of the Japanese numeral for three, San and an Italian word frecce or 'arrows'...0-2 0-1
(HiroshimaHiroshima Big Archis a multi-purpose stadium in Hiroshima, Japan. It is the home ground of J. League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima. It has a capacity of 50,000. It is an all-seater.-History:Hiroshima Big Arch was opened in 1992, as the venue of 1992 AFC Asian Cup...
)0-1
(National)Verdy Kawasaki 1995 Yokohama Marinos Yokohama F. Marinosis a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...2-0 1-0
(National)1-0
(National)Verdy Kawasaki 1997 Kashima Antlers 2-4 2-3v
(IwataYamaha Stadiumis a football stadium located in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, owned by Yamaha Motors, next to whose plant it is located, and was purpose-designed for use with soccer or rugby....
)0-1
(Kashima)Jubilo Iwata Júbilo Iwatais 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...A draw decided who would play the home game first. 1998 Jubilo Iwata 2-4 1-2v
(National)1-2
(Kashima)Kashima Antlers 1999 Jubilo Iwata 3-3
PK 4-22v-1
(Iwata)1-2v
(NihondairaNihondaira StadiumOutsourcing Stadium Nihondaira is a football stadium in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Japan. It is currently mostly used for football matches and has been the home stadium of the J-League's Shimizu S-Pulse since 1993. The stadium holds 20,339 people and was opened in 1991. In November 2008 a four-year...
)Shimizu S-Pulse Shimizu S-Pulseis 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...PK shoot-out was required to decide the winner.
(No extra time was played)2000 Yokohama F. Marinos Yokohama F. Marinosis a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...0-3 0-0
(Yokohama)0-3
(National)Kashima Antlers 2001 Jubilo Iwata 2-2
ET 0-1v2-2
(ShizuokaShizuoka Stadiumis a sports stadium used primarily for football. The stadium is in Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, although the stadium itself is merely the centrepiece of the larger Ogasayama Sports Park which extends into neighbouring Kakegawa...
)0-0
(Kashima)Kashima Antlers Extra time (with the golden goal rule) was required
to decide the winner.2002 No competition because Jubilo Iwata won both stages. 2003 No competition because Yokohama F. Marinos won both stages. 2004 Yokohama F. Marinos 1-1
ET 0-0
PK 4-21-0
(Yokohama)0-1
(Saitama)Urawa Red Diamonds Urawa Red Diamondsare 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...Extra time (with the golden goal rule) and
PK shoot-out were required to decide the winner.
Clubs who won the most points through a season
There are only two occurrences where the club that won the most points in the season also won the championship. They are the 1993 and 1994 seasons, both won by Verdy KawasakiTokyo Verdy 1969
, is a Japanese professional football club, based in Tokyo, Japan, that plays in J. League Division 2.Founded as Yomiuri F.C. in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the most decorated teams in the J. League, with honours including 7 league titles , 5 Emperor's Cups, 6 JSL Cup / J...
. The following table shows the clubs that won the most points through a season.
| Season | Club |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Verdy Kawasaki Tokyo Verdy 1969 , is a Japanese professional football club, based in Tokyo, Japan, that plays in J. League Division 2.Founded as Yomiuri F.C. in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the most decorated teams in the J. League, with honours including 7 league titles , 5 Emperor's Cups, 6 JSL Cup / J... |
| 1994 | Verdy Kawasaki |
| 1995 | Verdy Kawasaki |
| 1996 | Kashima Antlers Kashima Antlers are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island".... |
| 1997 | Kashima Antlers |
| 1998 | 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... |
| 1999 | 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... |
| 2000 | Kashiwa Reysol Kashiwa Reysol is a J. League Division 1 team. Its home town is Kashiwa, Chiba, about an hour northeast of Tokyo.-History:Founded in 1940 as Hitachi, Ltd. Soccer Club in Koganei, Tokyo, the team was a founding member of the Japan Soccer League... |
| 2001 | Jubilo Iwata |
| 2002 | Jubilo Iwata |
| 2003 | Yokohama F. Marinos Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in... |
| 2004 | 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... |
| 2005 | 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... |
In the 2000 season, although Kashiwa Reysol
Kashiwa Reysol
is a J. League Division 1 team. Its home town is Kashiwa, Chiba, about an hour northeast of Tokyo.-History:Founded in 1940 as Hitachi, Ltd. Soccer Club in Koganei, Tokyo, the team was a founding member of the Japan Soccer League...
won the most points through the season, they could not take part in the J. League Championship because they failed to win either stage. In fact, 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...
also won more points through the season than Yokohama F. Marinos
Yokohama F. Marinos
is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top Japanese professional football league. Having won the J-League title three times and finished second twice, they are one of the most successful J-League clubs. The team are based in...
and Kashima Antlers
Kashima Antlers
are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....
who qualified for the Championship. According to the regulation, the official league rankings of Kashiwa and Iwata of that season are third and fourth respectively.
Suntory Cup '96 J. League Champions' Finals
As the 1996 season wasn't divided into stages, the J. League Championship did not take place. Instead, the competition titled the Suntory Cup '96 J. League Champions' Finals was held. The champions and runners-up of the 1996 J. League regular season as well as the finalists of the J. League CupJ. League Cup
J. League Cup is a Japanese football competition organized by J. League. It is also known as Yamazaki Nabisco Cup or Nabisco Cup because confectionery/bakery company Yamazaki Nabisco have sponsored the competition since its inception in 1992.It is generally regarded as the Japanese equivalent to...
took part. Nagoya Grampus Eight won and qualified for the 1997 Sanwa Bank Cup
Sanwa Bank Cup
The Sanwa Bank Cup was a one-match friendly competition officially organised by J. League and sponsored by Sanwa Bank . The competition was held between 1994 and 1997 and played two weeks before the opening of J. League . The teams invited were the J...
.
Participating clubs
- Kashima AntlersKashima Antlersare a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J. League Division 1. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island"....
(J. League champions) - Nagoya Grampus EightNagoya Grampus Eightare a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp...
(J. League runners-up) - Shimizu S-PulseShimizu S-Pulseis 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...
(J. League Cup winners) - Verdy KawasakiTokyo Verdy 1969, is a Japanese professional football club, based in Tokyo, Japan, that plays in J. League Division 2.Founded as Yomiuri F.C. in 1969, Tokyo Verdy is one of the most decorated teams in the J. League, with honours including 7 league titles , 5 Emperor's Cups, 6 JSL Cup / J...
(J. League Cup runners-up)
Results
| Home | Score (Venue) | Away | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-finals | Kashima Antlers | 1-1 PK 4-2 (Kashima) |
Verdy Kawasaki |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | 0-0 PK 1-3 (Nihondaira Nihondaira Stadium Outsourcing Stadium Nihondaira is a football stadium in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Japan. It is currently mostly used for football matches and has been the home stadium of the J-League's Shimizu S-Pulse since 1993. The stadium holds 20,339 people and was opened in 1991. In November 2008 a four-year... ) |
Nagoya Grampus Eight | |
| Final | Kashima Antlers | 0-1v (National Olympic Stadium (Tokyo) or National Stadium is a stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan that served as the main stadium for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It currently serves as the stadium where the Japan national football teams home matches and major football club cup finals are held.-History:The stadium was... ) |
Nagoya Grampus Eight |
See also
- Japanese football championsJapanese football championsThe Japanese football champions are the winners of the top league in Japan, the Japan Soccer League from 1965 to 1992 and the J. League since then....
- Apertura and ClausuraApertura and ClausuraThe Apertura and Clausura tournaments are a relatively recent innovation for many Latin American football leagues in which the traditional European football season from August to May is divided in two sections per season, each with its own champion. Apertura and Clausura are the Spanish words for...
for a general explanation of the format