J. League Promotion/Relegation Series

In 2004, J. League introduced a series of two test matches called League nihongo|Promotion/Relegation Series|入れ替え戦|irekae sen between the sixteenth-place J. Division 1 (J1) club and third-place J.league Division 2 (J2) club. The winner of this game receives the third and final ticket to J1 in the following season, with the first two going to the first- and second-place J2 teams at the end of the season.

History

Prior to 2004, promotions and relegations involved the two bottom J1 clubs (15th place & 16th place) and two top J2 club (1st & 2nd places). At the end of the 2004 season, J1 expanded from 16 clubs to 18 clubs. Due to the expansion, the league promoted the top two teams in J2 to J1 without any relegations. The league also instituted a new playoff game that allowed the 3rd-place J2 club to challenge the 16th (and at the time, last- ) placed J1 club for a berth in J1 in the 2005 season. This was the start of this Promotion/Relegation Series. After the expansion, the league went back to their standard promotion and relegation system (17th & 18th in J1 switching places with 1st & 2nd in J2), but the Promotion/Relegation Series continued.

The "irekae-sen" concept is not new; it was a feature of the original Japan Soccer League, when, until 1980, it was usual that the bottom two team(s) in the First Division played off against the winner and runner-up of the All Japan Senior Football Championship and, after 1972, the Second Division's top two. After 1980 only the second-from-bottom team played against the Second Division runner-up.

Participating clubs

J2 clubs are only allowed to be promoted if they fulfill the J1 promotion criteria.
*Therefore under usual circumstances, the 16th-placed J1 Club and the 3rd-placed J2 Club (both using standings at the end of the season) will play in the series.
*In the event that the 3rd J2 club does not meet other criteria for J1 promotion, no games are played.
*If either one of the J2 champion or runner-up does not meet the J1 promotion requirements, the series is between the 17th-placed J1 Club and the 3rd-placed J2 Club.
*Should both the J2 champion and runner-up fail to meet the requirements for promotion, the series involves the 18th-placed J1 club and the 3rd-placed J2 club.In practice, given the more stringent rules for promotion from JFL to J2, these rules can be considered a mere formality.

Competition Format

*Two 90-minute games must be played. The first game is held in the home stadium of the J2 club, and the second game takes place in the home stadium of the J1 club.
*If club are tied in aggregate score, extra time and penalty kicks will take place.
*In case of extra time, the golden goal rule was used in 2004; however, since 2005 clubs must play out whole the extra time.
*Starting in 2006, the away goals rule has been in effect.

Results

† Won with the away goals rule

2004

In the first year of this series, Kashiwa easily held their position in J1 by defeating Fukuoka in the series with aggregate score of 4-0.----footballbox
date = December 4, 2004
13:03
team1 = Avispa
score = 0 - 2
report = [http://www.j-league.or.jp/SS/eng/expands/200490300101101_W0201_E.html Official Report]
team2 = Reysol
goals1 =
goals2 = 47' Hurutaka Ōno
89' Tatsuya Yazawa
stadium = Hakata no Mori, Fukuoka
Attendance: 20,522
Referee: Toshimitsu Yoshida----footballbox
date = December 12, 2004
15:04
team1 = Reysol
score = 2 - 0
report = [http://www.j-league.or.jp/SS/eng/expands/200490300102101_W0201_E.html Official Report]
team2 = Avispa
goals1 = Yuji Unozawa 57'
Yasuhiro Hato 61'
goals2 =
stadium = Kashiwa Soccer Stadium, Kashiwa
Attendance: 13,149
Referee: Joji Kashihara----

2005

In the years prior to 2005, Ventforet Kofu were facing extinction due to losing money running into hundreds of million yen. Having finished bottom of J2 for three season in a row, in 2002 the club hired Kazuyuki Umino as the president who was able to turn the club around. The club started to make profit, attendance increased, and the club's performance improved each year. Finally, after defeating the J2 champions Kyoto Purple Sanga on the final matchday of 2005, they managed to finish in third place.

Kashiwa Reysol on the other hand, finished 16th and had to play this series for two season in a row. Many believe Kashiwa under-estimated this series as they easily defeated Avispa Fukuoka last year.

The irony was that on December 7 1969, exactly 36 years before, Venforet Kofu's forerunner the Kofu Club, played and lost in Promotion/Relegation Series (JSL, at the time a single division, against the two finalists of the Shakaijin Cup; Kofu had been runner-up) against the Hitachi Club (Kashiwa Reysol's previous affiliation), who had finished 7th of 8 in the old league. Before the 2005 series, and excepting the 1973 season when as JSL Division 2 runners-up they lost another series at the hands of now-defunct Nippon Kokan, this had been the closest Kofu came to competing in the top division.

In the final minutes in the first leg, the Kose Sports Stadium blacked outed and the game was stopped. The lights came back after 20-30 minutes. Also, In the second leg of this series, Bare had managed to score double-hat-trick (6 goals), which is a record for any J.League competitions.

Go to J. League - 2005

----footballbox
date = December 7, 2005
19:04
team1 = Ventforet
score = 2 - 1
report = [http://www.j-league.or.jp/SS/eng/expands/200590300101101_W0201_E.html Official Report]
team2 = Reysol
goals1 = Kazuki Kuranuki 25'
Bare 48'
goals2 = 11' Reinaldo da Cruz Oliveira
stadium = Kose Sports Stadium, Kofu
Attendance: 12,372
Referee: Joji Kashihara----footballbox
date = December 10, 2005
15:04
team1 = Reysol
score = 2 - 6
report = [http://www.j-league.or.jp/SS/eng/expands/200590300102101_W0201_E.html Official Report]
team2 = Ventforet
goals1 = Reinaldo da Cruz Oliveira 52'
Yuji Unozawa 86'
goals2 = 10' Bare
27' Bare
53' Bare
68' Bare
69' Bare
87' Bare
stadium = Kashiwa Soccer Stadium, Kashiwa
Attendance: 12,013
Referee: Masayoshi Okada----

2006

From matchday 28 it was clear that the relegation battle was limited to three clubs; Kyoto Purple Sanga, Cerezo Osaka, and Avispa Fukuoka. All other clubs officially passed the relegation line by matchday 32. Kyoto were relegated on the penultimate week of the season. Gpoing into the final week, Cerezo Osaka (16th) were one point head of Fukuoka (17th). Osaka lost as Fukuoka drew, meaning they finished level on points. However, Avispa clinched the 16th place on account of their superior goal difference of -24 as opposed to Cerezo's of -26.

The same situation was occurring in the J2 promotion race, with three clubs, Yokohama F.C., Kashiwa Reysol, and Vissel Kobe way ahead of other clubs, but only two automatic promotion sports available. In the penultimate week of the season, Yokohama clinched the championship and promotion. Heading into the final matchday, Kobe sat in 2nd, one point ahead of Kashiwa, and it appeared that Kashiwa would have to settle for the playoff series for the third year running. However on the final day of the season, Kashiwa won and clinched the runners-up spot after Kobe fell down to third place by losing the last match.

The Series finished 1-1 on aggregate following a 0-0 draw in the first leg but Kobe won on the away goals rule and replace Fukuoka in the first division.

Go to J. League - 2006

----footballbox
date = December 6, 2006
19:02
team1 = Vissel
score = 0 - 0
report = [http://www.j-league.or.jp/SS/eng/expands/200690300101101_W0201_E.html Official Report]
team2 = Avispa
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Kobe Wing Stadium, Kobe
Attendance: 12,009
Referee: Joji Kashihara----footballbox
date = December 9, 2006
16:04
team1 = Avispa
score = 1 - 1
report = [http://www.j-league.or.jp/SS/eng/expands/200690300102101_W0201_E.html Official Report]
team2 = Vissel
goals1 = Takanori Nunobe 84'
goals2 = 60' Yusuke Kondo
stadium = Hakata no Mori, Fukuoka
Attendance: 13,102
Referee: Yuichi Nishimura----

2007

In 2007, Kyoto Sanga FC　defeated Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-1 on aggregate to clinch a spot in J1 for the 2008 season. Hiroshima are relegated to J2 for the first since 2003.

Go to J. League - 2007

----footballbox
date = December 5, 2007
19:04
team1 = Sanga
score = 2 - 1
report = [http://www.j-league.or.jp/SS/eng/expands/200790300101101_W0201_E.html Report]
team2 = Sanfrecce
goals1 = Yutaka Tahara 28' Yutaka Tahara 39'
goals2 = 88' Ryuichi Hirashige
stadium = Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium, Kyoto
Attendance: 12,637
Referee: Masayoshi Okada----footballbox
date = December 8, 2007
16:04
team1 = Sanfrecce
score = 0 - 0
report = [http://www.j-league.or.jp/SS/eng/expands/200790300102101_W0201_E.html Report]
team2 = Sanga
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima
Attendance: 23,162
Referee: Yuichi Nishimura----

External links

* [http://www.j-league.or.jp/replace/ Official Site (Japanese)]

J. League