1998 J.League
6th season of J1 League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1998 J.League season was the sixth season of the J.League. The league began in March 21 and ended in November 14. For this year, the division was contested by 18 teams. Júbilo Iwata won the first stage and Kashima Antlers won the second stage. Kashima Antlers won the J.League title after winning both matches in the Suntory Championship.
| Season | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Kashima Antlers 2nd J.League title |
| Relegated | Consadole Sapporo |
| Asian Club Championship | Kashima Antlers Júbilo Iwata |
| Matches | 306 |
| Goals | 1,074 (3.51 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Masashi Nakayama (36 goals) |
| Highest attendance | 53,598 - Flügels vs. Marinos (September 15) |
| Lowest attendance | 2,091 - Vissel vs. JEF Utd. (October 14) |
| Average attendance | 11,982 |
← 1997 1999 → | |
Clubs
The following 18 clubs participated in J.League during the 1998 season.[1] Of these clubs, Consadole Sapporo was the only newly promoted team from Japan Football League.[2]
- Avispa Fukuoka
- Bellmare Hiratsuka
- Cerezo Osaka
- Consadole Sapporo
- Gamba Osaka
- JEF United Ichihara
- Júbilo Iwata
- Kashima Antlers
- Kashiwa Reysol
- Kyoto Purple Sanga
- Nagoya Grampus Eight
- Sanfrecce Hiroshima
- Shimizu S-Pulse
- Urawa Red Diamonds
- Verdy Kawasaki
- Vissel Kobe
- Yokohama Flügels
- Yokohama Marinos
Personnel
Foreign players
Standings
First stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | PKW | OTL | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Júbilo Iwata |
17 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 52 | 18 | +34 | 39 |
| 2 | Shimizu S-Pulse |
17 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 14 | +18 | 39 |
| 3 |  Nagoya Grampus Eight |
17 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 37 | 21 | +16 | 33 |
| 4 |  Yokohama Marinos |
17 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 39 | 21 | +18 | 32 |
| 5 |  Kashima Antlers |
17 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 41 | 28 | +13 | 32 |
| 6 |  Verdy Kawasaki |
17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 34 | 25 | +9 | 30 |
| 7 |  Urawa Red Diamonds |
17 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 30 | 23 | +7 | 28 |
| 8 | Yokohama Flügels |
17 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 33 | 32 | +1 | 26 |
| 9 |  Cerezo Osaka |
17 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 36 | 47 | −11 | 23 |
| 10 |  Kashiwa Reysol |
17 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 32 | 35 | −3 | 22 |
| 11 | JEF United Ichihara |
17 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 21 |
| 12 | Bellmare Hiratsuka |
17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 27 | 34 | −7 | 20 |
| 13 |  Sanfrecce Hiroshima |
17 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 33 | −11 | 19 |
| 14 | Gamba Osaka |
17 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 27 | 29 | −2 | 17 |
| 15 |  Kyoto Purple Sanga |
17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 33 | −13 | 16 |
| 16 |  Consadole Sapporo |
17 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 28 | 44 | −16 | 11 |
| 17 |  Vissel Kobe |
17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 20 | 48 | −28 | 9 |
| 18 |  Avispa Fukuoka |
17 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 22 | 47 | −25 | 7 |
Second stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | PKW | OTL | PKL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kashima Antlers | 17 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 38 | 15 | +23 | 42 |
| 2 | Júbilo Iwata | 17 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 55 | 21 | +34 | 39 |
| 3 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 17 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 32 | 17 | +15 | 33 |
| 4 | Yokohama Marinos | 17 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 40 | 27 | +13 | 32 |
| 5 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 17 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 39 | 21 | +18 | 31 |
| 6 | Nagoya Grampus Eight | 17 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 30 |
| 7 | Yokohama Flügels | 17 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 37 | 32 | +5 | 25 |
| 8 | Kashiwa Reysol | 17 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 24 | 26 | −2 | 25 |
| 9 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 17 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 24 |
| 10 | Consadole Sapporo | 17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 29 | 30 | −1 | 24 |
| 11 | Kyoto Purple Sanga | 17 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 27 | 30 | −3 | 23 |
| 12 | Bellmare Hiratsuka | 17 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 26 | 32 | −6 | 22 |
| 13 | Cerezo Osaka | 17 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 20 | 32 | −12 | 21 |
| 14 | Vissel Kobe | 17 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 25 | 41 | −16 | 16 |
| 15 | Avispa Fukuoka | 17 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 38 | −27 | 14 |
| 16 | Gamba Osaka | 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 20 | 32 | −12 | 13 |
| 17 | Verdy Kawasaki | 17 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 28 | −15 | 9 |
| 18 | JEF United Ichihara | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 18 | 44 | −26 | 4 |
Playoffs
Suntory Championship
| Júbilo Iwata | 1 – 2 | Kashima Antlers |
|---|---|---|
Nakayama  7' |
Hasegawa 72' Muroi  110' |
| Kashima Antlers | 2 – 1 | Júbilo Iwata |
|---|---|---|
| Akita 39' Bismarck 41' |
Fujita 84' |
Relegation playoffs
On the aggregate table, JEF United Ichihara, Avispa Fukuoka, and Vissel Kobe had earned within the 15th-18th places in the tables for both 1997 and 1998, while Consadole Sapporo had achieved within the same span on its sole season on the J.League. (Gamba Osaka, who had finished between Sapporo and Kobe, was reprieved because of the collapse and resignation of Yokohama Flügels.) These clubs thus were entered in an elimination promotion/relegation tournament along with Japan Football League runners-up Kawasaki Frontale, who unlike champions Tokyo Gas had a base more qualifiable for the J.League.
First round
| November 19, 1998 | Avispa Fukuoka | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Kawasaki Frontale | Hakata no Mori Football Stadium, Fukuoka |
| Kudo 24' Yamashita 89' Fernando 104' |
Ito 17' Tuto 61' |
Attendance: 12,535 Referee: Alfredo Rodas |
Kawasaki forms J.League Division 2 the next season. Fukuoka advances to the next round.
Second round
The winners of this round stay in J.League Division 1 and the losers play a final elimination series to determine the club relegated to Division 2.
| November 22, 1998 | Vissel Kobe | 2–1 | Consadole Sapporo | Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium, Kobe |
| Nagashima 34' (pen.) Kaimoto 41' |
Tanada 50' | Attendance: 14,613 |
| November 26, 1998 Time | Consadole Sapporo | 0–2 | Vissel Kobe | Muroran Irie Stadium, Muroran |
| Tomàs 48' Watada 89' |
Attendance: 4,525 Referee: Alfredo Rodas |
| November 22, 1998 | Avispa Fukuoka | 0–2 | JEF United Ichihara | Hakata no Mori Football Stadium, Fukuoka |
| Takeda 65' Scholten 76' |
Attendance: 12,300 Referee: Leslie Mottram |
| November 26, 1998 | JEF United Ichihara | 2–1 | Avispa Fukuoka | Ichihara Stadium, Ichihara |
| Suzuki 49' Sakai 60' |
Mori 63' | Attendance: 10,703 |
Final round
| December 2, 1998 | Avispa Fukuoka | 1–0 | Consadole Sapporo | Hakata no Mori Football Stadium, Fukuoka |
| Ueno 61' | Attendance: 12,526 Referee: Alfredo Rodas |
| December 5, 1998 | Consadole Sapporo | 0–3 | Avispa Fukuoka | Muroran Irie Stadium, Muroran |
| Ueno 52' Fernando 84' Ishimaru 89' |
Attendance: 8,372 Referee: Leslie Mottram |
Fukuoka stays in J.League Division 1. Consadole is relegated to new J.League Division 2.
Awards
Individual awards
| Award | Recipient | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player |  Masashi Nakayama | Júbilo Iwata |
| Rookie of the Year | Shinji Ono | Urawa Red Diamonds |
| Manager of the Year |  Osvaldo Ardiles | Shimizu S-Pulse |
| Top Scorer | Masashi Nakayama | Júbilo Iwata |
Source: J.LEAGUE Digital Data Book
Best Eleven
| Pos | Footballer | Club | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Seigo Narazaki | Yokohama Flügels | Japan |
| DF | Makoto Tanaka | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| DF | Naoki Soma | Kashima Antlers | Japan |
| DF | Yutaka Akita | Kashima Antlers | Japan |
| MF | Dunga | Júbilo Iwata |  Brazil |
| MF | Daisuke Oku | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| MF | Hiroshi Nanami | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| MF | Shinji Ono | Urawa Red Diamonds | Japan |
| MF | Toshiya Fujita | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
| FW | Atsushi Yanagisawa | Kashima Antlers | Japan |
| FW | Masashi Nakayama | Júbilo Iwata | Japan |
Source: J.LEAGUE Digital Data Book