Association football in Japan
Football is in Japan to baseball the second most popular team sport. Though the sport came by British and Dutch traders quite early into the country and since 1921 a nationwide association Cup will be played, he played for many decades, only a relatively small role as student sports. This changed after the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. The first highlight of this development was the FIFA World Cup 2002, which took place in South Korea and Japan. In 2006, the country again at a World Cup finals, but retired in the first round of. 2010 drew the Japanese national team as early as 2002 a first knockout round, but failed on penalties to Paraguay. 2011 won the Japanese national soccer team of women as first Asian national a world title at senior level.
- 2.1 Asia Championships
- 2.2 World Championships
History of Japanese football
Before the war
It is unclear when the first football game was held on Japanese soil. Anyway, the sport enjoyed mainly in student circles great popularity, which is certainly also with the fact that Japan's students were very interested in European culture and Western traditions at that time.
Already on May 9, 1917 denied Japan the first unofficial international match, which they lost to China 5-0. The National Football Association JFA was founded in 1921 ( 1929 FIFA member ), and the same year the statewide Emperor's Cup will be played - he is one of the oldest football competitions in Asia.
First international successes achieved the Japanese team in 1930 with the split victory in the East Asian Games ( in the finals they parted from China 3:3 ) and 1936 with a 3-2 victory over Sweden during the 1936 Summer Olympic Games - the first victory over a European team, before he lost in the quarterfinals of the later Olympic champion Italy 0-8.
With Cramer to Olympia
The Second World War brought not only the Emperor's Cup to a standstill, but also isolated the JFA internationally: in 1950 she was readmitted to FIFA, but had to its international long missed.
The Olympics in Tokyo in 1964 marked a turning point in the Japanese Football: at the games in their own country to the Olympic Committee was also in football in the successful performance of the Japanese interested and dedicated in 1960 the German Dettmar Cramer, the first foreign football coach of Japan, the National in the Olympic tournament has led to a 3-2 victory over Argentina. In the quarterfinals, but came against Czechoslovakia by the For a 0:4. In contrast, four years later under coach Shun - Ichiro Okano managed to win the bronze medal in Mexico, this was the best placement with an intercontinental tournament. In 1965, the national semi-professional Japan Soccer League was founded, in the most part works teams of large corporations (such as Toyota, Hitachi and Mitsubishi ) and 1992 voted the Japanese master. Also in the Emperor's Cup, the hitherto University teams had dominated the factory teams won once the upper hand.
Asian champion and professional football
Over time, the sport grew in popularity among the people. Also manga, anime and video games took since the early 1980s, the topic of (about Captain Tsubasa or Ganbare! Kickers ). But it was not until the 1990s until Japan was also successful in professional football: 1992 found the Asian Championships of continental federation AFC in Japan for the first time instead. That the Dutch coach Hans Ooft ( the first foreign coach since Cramer ) led team had been previously only qualified once for a tournament - and won the tournament yet.
Another milestone in 1993 was the establishment of the national professional league J. League, the top ten in the JSL teams were transformed into professionally managed clubs (now the professional field includes 30 teams in two divisions). The J. League attracts more and more fans; in 2003, followed over the whole season already 6.8 million viewers watched the games ( average: about 17,000 per game).
Japan's national team for the first time to qualify for the 1998 World Cup. She was trained up to the 2006 World Cup in Germany by Brazilian Zico.
Success of the national
Asia Championships
In 1988, after several unsuccessful attempts, managed to Japan for the first time, to qualify for a final; Since then, it has already won the tournament four times, making it the most successful nation in the tournament.
World Championships
For the World Cup finals, Japan could qualify for the first time in 1998 after the already seemingly secure qualification for the World Cup in 1994 failed by a goal in injury time of the last game. 2002 it was set to host, for the tournaments in 2006, 2010 and 2014, Japan could each qualify as the world's first team on a sporty way. In the 2010 finals in South Africa was reached for the second time after 2002 the second round.
Club football
In 2010, the club football in Japan is organized as follows:
- J. League Division 1: 18 teams ( to determine the Japanese master )
- J. League Division 2: 19 teams
- Japan Football League ( JFL ): 18 teams
- 9 regional leagues
- 47 Präfekturalligen
The promotion and relegation between the leagues is mostly regulated by sports terms, but for the professional sector (J. League Division 1 and 2) must be complied with certain economic conditions. Unlike in most European leagues, the season runs within a year.
In addition to the Japanese championship of the Emperor's Cup -called cup competition and a League Cup under the name Yamazaki Nabisco Cup will continue to be held. Champion and cup winner will participate in the AFC Champions League, the highest Asian club competition.
Japanese clubs include not only Korean and Saudi among the strongest in Asia; Since 1986, they have already won eight trophies Asia. (South Korea: 8, Saudi Arabia: 9). The best known teams are the Kashima Antlers ( record master of the J. League), the Yokohama F. Marinos ( record cup winners ) and the Urawa Red Diamonds.