The 2006 J.League Division 1 season was the 14th season since the establishment of the J.League Division 1. It began on March 4 and ended on December 2.

General

Promotion/relegation

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 rule is adopted.

Changes in clubs

none

Honours

CompetitionChampionRunner-up3rd place
J.League Division 1Urawa Red DiamondsKawasaki FrontaleGamba Osaka
J.League Division 2Yokohama FCKashiwa ReysolVissel Kobe
Emperor's CupUrawa Red DiamondsGamba OsakaKashima Antlers Consadole Sapporo
Nabisco CupJEF United Ichihara ChibaKashima AntlersKawasaki Frontale Yokohama F. Marinos
XEROX Super CupUrawa Red DiamondsGamba Osaka

Clubs

2006 J.League Division 1 is located in Japan
Location of the clubs in Japan

The following eighteen clubs participated in J.League Division 1 during 2006 season. Of these clubs, Kyoto Purple Sanga, Avispa Fukuoka, and Ventforet Kofu were newly promoted clubs.

Personnel

ClubHead coach
Albirex NiigataJapan Jun Suzuki
Avispa FukuokaJapan Ryoichi Kawakatsu
Cerezo OsakaJapan Yuji Tsukada
FC TokyoJapan Hisao Kuramata
Gamba OsakaJapan Akira Nishino
JEF United Ichihara ChibaBosnia and Herzegovina Amar Osim
Júbilo IwataBrazil Adilson Batista
Kashima AntlersBrazil Paulo Autuori
Kawasaki FrontaleJapan Takashi Sekizuka
Kyoto Purple SangaJapan Naohiko Minobe
Nagoya Grampus EightNetherlands Sef Vergoossen
Oita TrinitaBrazil Péricles Chamusca
Omiya ArdijaJapan Toshiya Miura
Sanfrecce HiroshimaSerbia Mihailo Petrović
Shimizu S-PulseJapan Kenta Hasegawa
Urawa Red DiamondsGermany Guido Buchwald
Ventforet KofuJapan Takeshi Oki
Yokohama F. MarinosJapan Takashi Mizunuma

Foreign players

ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Non-visa foreignType-C contractFormer players
Albirex NiigataBrazil EdmílsonBrazil Fabinho SantosBrazil Silvinho
Avispa FukuokaBrazil AlexBrazil BaronBrazil RobertoBrazil AlexandreBrazil Gláucio
Cerezo OsakaBrazil Bruno QuadrosBrazil PingoBrazil Zé CarlosBrazil JapaBrazil André Neitzke
FC TokyoBrazil JeanBrazil Lucas SeverinoBrazil WashingtonBrazil RychelyParaguay Santiago Salcedo
Gamba OsakaBrazil FernandinhoBrazil Magno AlvesBrazil SidicleiBrazil Lucas Chiaretti
JEF United Ichihara ChibaAustria Mario HaasBulgaria Ilian StoyanovSerbia Nebojša KrupnikovićSouth Korea Kim Dong-soo
Júbilo IwataBrazil FabrícioSouth Korea Kim Jin-kyu
Kashima AntlersBrazil Alex MineiroBrazil Fábio SantosBrazil FernandoBrazil Chumbinho
Kawasaki FrontaleBrazil JuninhoBrazil MagnumBrazil MarcãoNorth Korea Jong Tae-seBrazil Marcus Vinícius
Kyoto Purple SangaBrazil André PintoBrazil PaulinhoBrazil PinheiroBrazil DiegoBrazil Alemão Brazil Ricardo
Nagoya Grampus EightNorway Frode JohnsenSlovakia Marek ŠpilárSouth Korea Kim Jung-woo
Oita TrinitaBrazil Edmilson AlvesBrazil RafaelBrazil TúlioBrazil PlatiniBrazil Osmar
Omiya ArdijaBrazil AlisonBrazil ToninhoBrazil Rodrigo Gral Honduras Saúl Martínez
Sanfrecce HiroshimaBrazil BetoBrazil UesleiCroatia Dario DabacNorth Korea Ri Han-jaeSouth Korea Jo Woo-jinBrazil Dininho
Shimizu S-PulseBrazil Alexandre GoulartBrazil MarquinhosSouth Korea Cho Jae-jin
Urawa Red DiamondsBrazil NenêBrazil Robson PonteBrazil WashingtonSpain Sergio Escudero
Ventforet KofuBrazil AlairBrazil BaréBrazil BijuBrazil Josimar Brazil Neto
Yokohama F. MarinosBrazil DutraBrazil MarquesBrazil Magrão

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.

Changes from previous year

none

Table

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification or relegation
1Urawa Red Diamonds (C)3422666728+3972Qualification for 2007 AFC Champions League Group stage
2Kawasaki Frontale3420778455+2967
3Gamba Osaka3420688048+3266
4Shimizu S-Pulse34186106041+1960
5Júbilo Iwata34177106851+1758
6Kashima Antlers34184126253+958
7Nagoya Grampus Eight34139125149+248
8Oita Trinita34138134745+247
9Yokohama F. Marinos34136154943+645
10Sanfrecce Hiroshima34136155056−645
11JEF United Ichihara Chiba34135165758−144
12Omiya Ardija34135164355−1244
13FC Tokyo34134175665−943
14Albirex Niigata34126164665−1942
15Ventforet Kofu34126164264−2242
16Avispa Fukuoka (R)34512173256−24272006 promotion/relegation Series
17Cerezo Osaka (R)3469194470−2627Relegation to 2007 J.League Division 2
18Kyoto Purple Sanga (R)34410203874−3622

Results

Home \ AwayALBANTARDAVICERFROGAMGRAJEFJÚBSANSFRSSPTOKTRIREDVENFMA
Albirex Niigata0–11–20–12–22–11–02–11–20–21–11–14–22–03–32–13–01–0
Kashima Antlers5–12–14–12–02–43–12–10–43–01–00–23–13–20–12–23–10–3
Omiya Ardija1–20–32–22–01–50–21–44–22–11–00–11–00–12–20–23–12–1
Avispa Fukuoka2–02–11–11–01–21–10–11–32–14–50–21–20–00–20–11–11–3
Cerezo Osaka3–12–20–10–01–31–61–13–22–32–24–21–11–50–21–22–32–0
Kawasaki Frontale6–03–23–12–11–03–24–22–23–42–03–32–22–22–10–22–01–1
Gamba Osaka3–01–03–12–23–14–05–11–02–23–23–23–01–01–31–12–01–1
Nagoya Grampus Eight3–10–02–02–03–20–23–32–13–11–12–31–11–20–31–05–11–1
JEF United Ichihara Chiba1–30–11–32–22–11–21–22–30–02–00–11–33–42–12–02–20–2
Júbilo Iwata7–03–32–11–13–11–23–22–23–11–13–01–04–12–33–22–03–1
Kyoto Purple Sanga1–11–21–12–14–42–71–40–11–21–32–22–11–01–11–51–10–4
Sanfrecce Hiroshima2–13–41–01–01–11–31–30–02–42–11–01–25–20–11–41–33–0
Shimizu S-Pulse1–11–21–14–01–04–32–32–01–22–01–03–02–04–12–14–01–0
FC Tokyo1–42–41–25–12–35–43–22–12–33–12–10–20–12–00–01–31–2
Oita Trinita4–02–01–20–01–11–10–20–10–31–22–11–13–30–12–13–21–2
Urawa Red Diamonds3–14–02–02–13–02–23–20–02–03–13–02–11–04–01–03–01–0
Ventforet Kofu0–42–13–21–10–11–03–22–12–31–13–11–00–21–32–01–11–0
Yokohama F. Marinos2–02–11–20–03–11–23–42–11–10–14–12–12–31–10–11–33–0

Top scorers

PosScorerClubGoals
1Brazil Magno AlvesGamba Osaka26
Brazil WashingtonUrawa Red Diamonds
3Brazil JuninhoKawasaki Frontale20
4Brazil Lucas SeverinoFC Tokyo18
Japan Hisato SatōSanfrecce Hiroshima
Japan Kazuki GanahaKawasaki Frontale
7Brazil UesleiSanfrecce Hiroshima16
Japan Ryūji BandoGamba Osaka
South Korea Cho Jae-jinShimizu S-Pulse
10Japan Ryoichi MaedaJúbilo Iwata15

Attendance

PosTeamTotalHighLowAverageChange
1Urawa Red Diamonds774,74962,24116,04045,573+15.8%†
2Albirex Niigata658,05042,05633,99338,709−3.5%†
3FC Tokyo409,63441,52817,03324,096−11.1%†
4Yokohama F. Marinos402,27050,57211,62323,663−8.0%†
5Oita Trinita345,95528,69012,84320,350−7.8%†
6Júbilo Iwata306,03337,71110,56018,002+4.1%†
7Gamba Osaka276,39520,9168,38816,259+1.8%†
8Kashima Antlers262,36534,2367,42715,433−17.2%†
9Nagoya Grampus Eight253,70232,1096,61814,924+12.3%†
10Kawasaki Frontale243,78023,0059,43014,340+5.0%†
11Shimizu S-Pulse243,13724,9209,07914,302+12.2%†
12Avispa Fukuoka234,25921,5458,58513,780+27.8%†
13JEF United Ichihara Chiba227,68017,4388,56713,393+40.5%†
14Cerezo Osaka221,43830,5616,28213,026−26.2%†
15Ventforet Kofu207,62917,0008,02512,213+76.2%†
16Sanfrecce Hiroshima190,06617,5645,54511,180−10.8%†
17Omiya Ardija173,98635,0594,87310,234+2.5%†
18Kyoto Purple Sanga166,28016,4923,6709,781+24.5%†
League total5,597,40862,2413,67018,292−2.5%†

Updated to games played on December 2, 2006 Source: Notes: † Team played previous season in J2.

Awards

Individual

AwardRecipientClub
Player of the YearJapan Marcus Tulio TanakaUrawa Red Diamonds
Young Player of the YearJapan Jungo FujimotoShimizu S-Pulse
Manager of the YearGermany Guido BuchwaldUrawa Red Diamonds
Top ScorerBrazil Magno AlvesGamba Osaka
Brazil WashingtonUrawa Red Diamonds
Fair Play Player AwardJapan Satoru YamagishiJEF United Ichihara Chiba
Japan Yuichi NemotoOita Trinita
Referee of the YearJapan Toru Kamikawa
Assistant Referee of the YearJapan Yoshikazu Hiroshima
Meritoriousness Player AwardJapan Masaaki Sawanobori
Japan Naoki Soma
Japan Nobuyuki Kojima

Best Eleven

PositionFootballerClubNationality
GKYoshikatsu Kawaguchi (1)Júbilo IwataJapan
DFSatoshi Yamaguchi (1)Gamba OsakaJapan
DFMarcus Tulio Tanaka (3)Urawa Red DiamondsJapan
DFHiroyuki Taniguchi (1)Kawasaki FrontaleJapan
MFKeita Suzuki (1)Urawa Red DiamondsJapan
MFYuki Abe (2)JEF United Ichihara ChibaJapan
MFAkira Kaji (1)Gamba OsakaJapan
MFKengo Nakamura (1)Kawasaki FrontaleJapan
MFYasuhito Endō (4)Gamba OsakaJapan
MFMagno Alves (1)Gamba OsakaBrazil
FWWashington (1)Urawa Red DiamondsBrazil

* The number in brackets denotes the number of times that the footballer has appeared in the Best 11.

External links