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2014 J.League Division 2
The 2014 J.League Division 2 season was the 43rd season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 16th season since the establishment of J2 League. The season commenced on 2 March and ended on 23 November. Post-season promotion and relegation playoffs were played until 7 December. Clubs Gamba Osaka and Vissel Kobe have stayed in the second division for just a year, winning a promotion as champions and runners-up respectively. Fourth-placed Tokushima Vortis won the promotion playoffs and become the very first Shikoku club to play in the top flight since the establishment of Japan Soccer League, the first amateur nationwide football league in Japan. Shonan Bellmare and Oita Trinita were relegated from the first division immediately after promotion, and Júbilo Iwata have suffered their debut relegation after 20 years in the first division. On the other end of the table, Kamatamare Sanuki have been promoted from 2013 Japan Football League, replacing Gainare Tottori whom they ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shonan Bellmare
is a Japanese professional football club based in Hiratsuka, in the west of Kanagawa Prefecture, part of the Greater Tokyo Area. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Their home stadium is Hiratsuka Athletics Stadium. '' Shonan'' refers to a coastal area along Sagami Bay that includes Hiratsuka. ''Bellmare'' is a portmanteau of the Italian words ''bello'' and ''mare'', meaning "beautiful sea". History Early years as corporate team (1968–1992) The club was founded in 1968 as "Towa Real Estate SC" in Nasu, Tochigi. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League (JSL) Division 1 in 1972. They changed their name to "Fujita Kogyo SC" when Towa Estate Development gave up the ownership to their parent company Fujita Industries, which moved the club to Hiratsuka. They won the JSL three times (including two doubles with the Emperor's Cup) between 1977 and 1981. They were nevertheless relegated to the JSL's Division 2 in 1990. Altho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Júbilo Iwata
is a Japanese professional association football, football team based in Iwata, Shizuoka, Iwata, located in Shizuoka Prefecture. The club competes in J2 League following relegation from J1 League in 2024 J1 League, 2024. Etymology The team's name ''Júbilo'' means 'joy' in Spanish and Portuguese. History Origins and rise to the top (1972–1996) The team started out as the company team for Yamaha Motor Corporation in April 1972. After making its way through the Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka and Tōkai region, Tōkai football leagues, it played in the Japan Soccer League until it reorganized as the J.League at the end of 1992. Their first glory happened when they won both the Emperor's Cup and promotion as List of winners of J2 and predecessors, champions of the JSL Division 2 in 1982. They won their first Japanese league title in the 1987/88 season. Due to problems in the upcoming professionalization, Yamaha decided to relegate themselves and not be one of the J.League ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
JEF United Ichihara Chiba
, full name and also known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chiba, capital of Chiba Prefecture. They currently play in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football. History Furukawa Electric SC (1946–1991) The club began as the company team, in 1946. As the company team, it won the Japan Soccer League twice, the Emperor's Cup four times and the JSL League Cup three times. Furukawa also won the 1986–87 Asian Club Championship, the top club honour in Asia; they were the first Japanese club to do so. The club was a founding member (''"Original Eight"'') of the Japan Soccer League (JSL) in 1965. Since the league's inception, the club had always played in the top flight in Japan and was the only Japanese club to never be relegated from the JSL Division 1, a record they kept into the J1 years. They did finish the 1978 season in a relegation position (last of 10) but stayed up after beating Honda FC 1–0 on aggregate in a two-leg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
V-Varen Nagasaki
is a Japanese association football, football club based in Nagasaki, Capital of Nagasaki Prefecture. They currently play in J2 League, the Japanese second tier professional in football league. History The club was established in 1985 as Ariake SC until the club decided to merge with Kunimi FC in 2004. The merger led the club to adopt the new name V-Varen Nagasaki in 2005, which has been used ever since. V-Varen Nagasaki, since 2006, had been contending for the Japanese Regional Leagues#Ky.C5.ABsh.C5.AB Soccer League, Kyūshū Soccer League championship and thus a place in the Japan Football League, but they only won it in November 2008, as second place in the 2008 All Japan Regional Football Promotion League Series, Regional League promotion series. In January 2009, they applied for J. League Associate Membership and their application was accepted at the J. League board meeting in February. In 2012 Japan Football League, 2012, they won the Japan Football League title and th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thespakusatsu Gunma
, formerly is a professional Association football, football (soccer) club based in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture in Japan. The club currently play in the J3 League, the third tier of Japanese professional football. History The club was founded in 1995 in Kusatsu, Gunma, Kusatsu, one of the most well-known spa resorts in Japan, as Liaison Kusatsu Football Club. The players were students of the specialized training college Higashi Nihon Soccer Academy. When the school closed in 1999 due to financial difficulties, the players decided to stay in Kusatsu and keep the club alive. In 2002, the club was incorporated as K.K. Kusatsu Onsen Football Club with a future promotion to the J. League in mind and adopted the new team name , meaning "The Spa, Kusatsu". Because of J. League restrictions on stadiums, they play at Shoda Shoyu Stadium Gunma (Shikishima Athletics Stadium) in nearby Maebashi, the prefectural capital since the club were promoted to J. League Division 2 in the 2005 J. Leagu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kyoto Sanga FC
is a Japanese professional football club based in Kyoto. The club plays in the J1 League, the top tier of football in the country. Its name "Sanga" comes from the Sanskrit word ''sangha'', a term meaning "group" or "club" and often used to denote the Buddhist priesthood, associating the club with Kyoto's many Buddhist temples. The club was formerly known as Kyoto Purple Sanga with "purple", the colour of the team uniforms, an imperial colour reflecting Kyoto's status as Japan's ancient imperial capital city. It was decided that, from 2007, the team will simply be known as "Kyoto Sanga". They are the oldest club competing in the J.League. Kyoto Sanga have won two J2 League titles and one Emperor's Cup. History The club was started as Kyoto Shiko Club, one of the few proper Japanese football clubs in the sense of being strictly dedicated to football and not being part of a company. Like Ventforet Kofu, it could not rise to a Japan Soccer League First Division dominated by com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fagiano Okayama
is a Japanese football club based in Okayama, the capital of Okayama Prefecture. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. Name origin ''Fagiano'' in Italian means "pheasant", and it is a reference to the pheasant that was a companion of local legend character Momotarō. Their mascot ''Fagimaru'' is based on the specific species native to Japan, the green pheasant. History They were formed in 1975 after the old Kawasaki Steel Mizushima F.C. moved to Kobe, who are now Vissel Kobe. The old boys of the club formed a new club which they called the "River Free Kickers" (RFK). For years thereafter the club played in the prefectural league. In 2003, they assumed the name Fagiano Okayama and began rising in the ranks. In 2005, Fagiano Okayama were promoted into the Chugoku Regional League. In July 2007, Fagiano became the first club ever to attain the J.League Associate Membership while still playing in a division below the JFL. On 2 De ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ehime FC
commonly known as Ehime FC (愛媛FC, ''Ehime Efu Shī'') is a professional Association football, football club based in Matsuyama, Ehime, Matsuyama, the capital city of Ehime Prefecture of Japan. The club currently compete in J2 League, the second tier of Japanese professional football. They returned to J2 League in 2024, following promotion as third-tier league champions of 2023. History The club was founded in 1970 as Matsuyama Soccer Club and renamed itself as Ehime Football Club in 1995. For many years it competed in the regional and prefectural league, as Matsuyama was represented in the Japan Soccer League by the Teijin S.C., local club belonging to the Teijin company. Ehime F.C. was promoted to the Japan Football League in 2003. After winning the Japan Football League, JFL in 2005 season, Ehime spent 16 seasons in the J2 League before being relegated to the J3 League at the end of the 2021 season. On 28 November 2007, Ehime pulled off a major shock by consigning the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Consadole Sapporo
is a Japanese professional football club based in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Sapporo, on the island of Hokkaido. They will play in the 2025 J2 League, the second tier league of Japanese football, after relegation from the J1 League at conclusion of the 2024 J1 League, 2024 season. Their main home ground is the indoor Sapporo Dome, which was shared with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball team until 2022. Some matches are also played at the outdoor Sapporo Atsubetsu Stadium. Name origin The club's name "Consadole" is a combination of ''consado'', a reverse of the Japanese word and the Spanish language, Spanish expression ''Olé''. History Toshiba S.C. (1935–1995) Consadole's club tradition dates back to 1935 when Toshiba Horikawa-cho Soccer Club was founded in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. They were promoted to the now-defunct Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1978. They adopted new name Toshiba Soccer Club in 1980 and were promoted to the JSL Division 1 in 1989. Their highest placeme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avispa Fukuoka
is a Japanese professional football club based in Hakata, Fukuoka. They currently compete in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the country. History Earlier years in Fujieda The club were originally based in Fujieda, Shizuoka and was founded as Chūō Bōhan SC in 1982 by the workers of security company Chuo Bohan in Fujieda, Shizuoka. They were promoted to the Japan Soccer League Division 2 in 1991. The club then participated in the newly founded former Japan Football League Division 2 in 1992 and were promoted to Division 1 in 1993. They changed their name to Fujieda Blux with intention to be a J.League member. However, with difficulties to have a stadium that met J.League requirements, and with local competition from Júbilo Iwata and Shimizu S-Pulse, the football fan base in Shizuoka prefecture was already considered saturated. Move to Fukuoka (1994) As a result, in 1994, the club decided to move to Fukuoka where the community was eager to have a J.L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giravanz Kitakyushu
is a Japanese football club based in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. They currently play in J3 League, Japanese third tier of professional league football. History Mitsubishi Chemical SC (1947 –2000) The club was formed in 1947 as part of Mitsubishi Chemical's Kurosaki factory. The club was a founding member of Kyushu regional league since 1973. Most of its career was spent in the regional and prefectural leagues, as Kitakyushu was represented in the Japan Soccer League by Yahata Steel F.C. Yahata was a founding member of the JSL in 1965, and finished as runner-up in its first two seasons in that league. Yahata was renamed New Nippon Steel F.C. in 1970, when Yahata Steel merged with Fuji Steel to form (New) Nippon Steel. It ultimately was relegated to the Second Division in 1982, then relegated from the Second Division to Kyushu regional league after 1990–91 season, and closed in 1999. New Wave Kitakyushu (2001 –2009) In 2001, the club became a community-oriented ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FC Gifu
Football Club Gifu (フットボールクラブ岐阜, ''Futtobōrukurabu Gifu''), abbreviated as is a Japanese football club based in Gifu, capital of Gifu Prefecture, Japan. They play in the J3 League, the third tier of Japanese professional football. History During the Japan Soccer League and former Japan Football League years, the city and prefecture of Gifu were represented by the Seino Transportation Co. (西濃運輸 ''Seinō Un'yu'') works team, which was relegated from the old JFL for the last time in 1997 and folded shortly thereafter in January 1998. The modern-day Gifu club was founded in 2001 (Seino's last manager Masayuki Katsuno was among the founders, and a former Seino player, Takashi Umeda, recently returned to town and joined the club following a decade-long stint with Oita Trinita). The club was promoted to the new Japan Football League in 2007 after beating Honda Lock S.C. in the promotion/relegation play-offs. The team earned third place at the end ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
