2008 J.League Division 2

The 2008 J. League Division 2 season is the 37th season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 10th season since the establishment of J2 League. The season started on March 8 and ended on December 6.

J.League Division 2
Season2008
ChampionsSanfrecce Hiroshima
1st J2 title
1st D2 title
PromotedSanfrecce Hiroshima
Montedio Yamagata
Matches played315
Goals scored851 (2.7 per match)
Top goalscorerHisato Satō (28 goals total)
Highest attendance36,945 (Round 24,
Yokohama vs. Thespa)
Lowest attendance1,036 (Round 17,
HollyHock vs. Vortis)
Average attendance7,072
← 2007
2009 →

In this season, the number of participating clubs was increased by two, making the total number, fifteen. Unlike the first nine seasons, the clubs played in triple round-robin format, instead of quadruple round-robin format. At the end of the season, top two clubs were promoted and third-placed club advanced to the Pro/Rele Series. There were no relegation to third-tier Japan Football League.

General

Promotion and relegation

Changes in competition format
  • The Division 2 was expanded to 15 clubs.
  • The new J2 format will consist of triple round-robin instead of quadruple round-robin to reduce the games played by team to 42 games.

Changes in clubs

Clubs
Locations of the 2008 J.League 2 teams

Following fifteen clubs played in J. League Division 2 during 2008 season. Of these clubs, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Ventforet Kofu, and Yokohama F.C. relegated from Division 1 last year. Also, Roasso Kumamoto and F.C. Gifu newly joined from Japan Football League.

  • Vegalta Sendai
  • Montedio Yamagata
  • Mito HollyHock
  • Thespa Kusatsu
  • Yokohama F.C.
  • Shonan Bellmare
  • Ventforet Kofu
  • F.C. Gifu
  • Cerezo Osaka
  • Sanfrecce Hiroshima
  • Tokushima Vortis
  • Ehime F.C.
  • Avispa Fukuoka
  • Sagan Tosu
  • Roasso Kumamoto

League format

Fifteen clubs will play in triple round-robin format, a total of 42 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
  • Disciplinary points

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 top two clubs will be promoted to J1, while the 3rd placed club plays a two-legged Promotion/relegation series.

Changes from Previous Year
  • Thirteen participating clubs (2006–2007) to fifteen clubs (2008)
  • Quadruple round-robin format (1999–2007) to triple round-robin format (2008–2009)
  • Introduction of Disciplinary points for tie breaker (2008–)

Final league table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion
1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (C, P) 42 31 7 4 99 35 +64 100 Promotion to 2009 J. League Division 1
2 Montedio Yamagata (P) 42 23 9 10 66 40 +26 78
3 Vegalta Sendai 42 18 16 8 62 47 +15 70 2008 promotion/relegation Series
4 Cerezo Osaka 42 21 6 15 81 60 +21 69
5 Shonan Bellmare 42 19 8 15 68 48 +20 65
6 Sagan Tosu 42 19 7 16 50 51 −1 64
7 Ventforet Kofu 42 15 14 13 56 47 +9 59
8 Avispa Fukuoka 42 15 13 14 55 66 −11 58
9 Thespa Kusatsu 42 13 14 15 45 52 −7 53
10 Yokohama FC 42 11 17 14 51 56 −5 50
11 Mito HollyHock 42 13 8 21 52 70 −18 47
12 Roasso Kumamoto 42 10 13 19 46 72 −26 43
13 FC Gifu 42 10 12 20 41 69 −28 42
14 Ehime FC 42 9 10 23 39 66 −27 37
15 Tokushima Vortis 42 7 8 27 40 72 −32 29
Updated to match(es) played on December 6, 2008. Source: J. League Division 2
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted

Final results
Rounds 1 & 2
Home \ Away SFR MON VEG CER BEL SAG VEN AVI SPA YFC HOL ROS GIF EHI VOR
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1–0 0–1 4–1 5–2 1–0 1–2 1–1 1–0 1–0 2–2 2–2 4–0 3–0 2–1
Montedio Yamagata 2–1 3–0 0–2 1–0 3–0 0–0 0–0 1–0 1–0 3–1 3–1 3–5 3–0 2–0
Vegalta Sendai 1–1 3–2 0–0 2–2 3–0 2–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 3–3 0–0 1–1 0–1 1–1
Cerezo Osaka 1–2 1–3 2–1 2–0 0–1 3–3 2–1 1–2 1–2 1–2 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–0
Shonan Bellmare 0–2 1–1 1–0 3–0 2–1 1–0 4–0 2–3 4–1 0–1 4–1 4–2 4–1 2–3
Sagan Tosu 0–1 1–0 1–2 1–0 1–0 2–1 1–3 1–1 1–0 3–0 1–1 0–0 2–1 2–1
Ventforet Kofu 0–2 1–0 2–2 3–2 0–4 1–2 2–2 1–2 2–1 2–0 3–1 1–1 1–0 0–0
Avispa Fukuoka 0–3 0–3 2–0 0–1 2–2 2–0 0–2 1–1 3–2 2–1 2–4 1–5 2–0 2–1
Thespa Kusatsu 0–2 1–1 0–0 1–3 1–2 1–0 0–0 1–2 0–0 2–1 2–0 1–1 2–1 2–0
Yokohama FC 1–2 2–5 1–1 1–1 3–2 0–0 0–0 2–1 0–0 1–0 5–0 0–1 1–0 1–1
Mito HollyHock 1–2 2–1 3–4 0–2 0–2 2–1 1–0 2–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 1–3 1–0 1–0
Roasso Kumamoto 1–2 1–2 2–2 3–2 0–2 0–1 2–1 1–2 2–1 1–1 1–3 0–2 1–0 3–0
FC Gifu 1–1 2–1 0–1 0–5 0–0 0–1 1–1 0–1 0–1 2–3 0–1 0–0 0–3 2–1
Ehime FC 0–2 0–0 1–1 1–4 1–1 1–2 2–1 1–1 1–2 2–2 2–0 2–1 0–0 1–0
Tokushima Vortis 1–4 1–2 1–3 2–0 1–1 0–4 1–3 3–1 2–3 0–2 2–0 2–0 0–1 0–3
Updated to match(es) played on August 10, 2008. Source: J. League Division 2
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Round 3
Home \ Away SFR MON VEG CER BEL SAG VEN AVI SPA YFC HOL ROS GIF EHI VOR
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2–0 5–1 4–0 4–3 7–1 4–1 3–0
Montedio Yamagata 0–4 1–0 0–1 1–1 1–0 1–0 1–1
Vegalta Sendai 1–1 0–1 3–0 1–0 2–3 1–0 1–0
Cerezo Osaka 2–3 2–2 3–4 2–1 2–1 2–1 3–2
Shonan Bellmare 1–2 1–0 4–0 1–0 1–0 0–1 3–0
Sagan Tosu 4–1 1–4 0–1 1–1 3–2 3–2 1–2
Ventforet Kofu 2–0 1–1 2–3 0–1 2–2 5–1 4–0
Avispa Fukuoka 3–2 3–1 2–2 0–0 2–2 2–2 3–1
Thespa Kusatsu 0–0 0–4 1–1 0–1 0–0 3–1 1–0
Yokohama FC 1–1 1–4 2–2 2–2 0–0 1–1 2–2
Mito HollyHock 1–4 1–1 1–2 0–0 2–3 1–4 2–0
Roasso Kumamoto 1–2 0–4 2–2 1–0 0–2 1–1 2–2
FC Gifu 1–2 0–6 1–0 1–1 0–1 0–1 1–1
Ehime FC 2–3 2–2 0–2 0–1 1–0 2–2 0–1
Tokushima Vortis 0–3 1–1 0–0 2–0 0–2 1–2 5–0
Updated to match(es) played on December 6, 2008. Source: J. League Division 2
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top scorers
Rank Scorer Club Goals[1]
1 Japan Hisato Satō Sanfrecce Hiroshima 28
2 Japan Yutaka Takahashi Roasso Kumamoto 19
3 Japan Naoki Ishihara Shonan Bellmare 18
Japan Yoshihito Fujita Sagan Tosu 18
5 Japan Tomoyuki Arata Mito HollyHock 17
6 Brazil Anderson Yokohama FC 16
Japan Rui Komatsu Cerezo Osaka 16
Japan Shinji Kagawa Cerezo Osaka 16
9 Japan Kōji Morisaki Sanfrecce Hiroshima 14
Japan Yojiro Takahagi Sanfrecce Hiroshima 14
Japan Tetsuya Ōkubo Avispa Fukuoka 14

Attendance
Pos Team Total High Low Average Change
1 Vegalta Sendai 295,679 23,745 10,317 14,080 −4.1%†
2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 227,631 19,349 4,622 10,840 −5.1%†
3 Cerezo Osaka 221,629 21,200 5,554 10,554 +59.3%†
4 Ventforet Kofu 217,428 14,521 7,267 10,354 −24.6%†
5 Avispa Fukuoka 211,651 15,158 5,729 10,079 +5.8%†
6 Sagan Tosu 152,486 21,029 3,869 7,261 +18.8%†
7 Yokohama FC 142,655 36,945 2,536 6,793 −51.6%†
8 Montedio Yamagata 131,725 15,422 2,479 6,273 +47.8%†
9 Shonan Bellmare 125,865 11,660 3,543 5,994 +28.2%†
10 Roasso Kumamoto 110,860 20,635 2,026 5,279 +47.9%‡
11 Thespa Kusatsu 88,510 8,096 1,819 4,215 +10.7%†
12 Tokushima Vortis 81,093 11,897 2,146 3,862 +17.4%†
13 FC Gifu 78,650 8,374 2,028 3,745 +6.1%‡
14 Ehime FC 77,775 7,809 2,088 3,704 +11.7%†
15 Mito HollyHock 63,933 5,573 1,036 3,044 +26.0%†
League total 2,227,570 36,945 1,036 7,072 +8.4%†

Updated to games played on December 6, 2008
Source: J. League Division 2
Notes:
† Team played previous season in J1.
‡ Team played previous season in JFL.

References
  1. "2008 J2 Top Scorers". j-league.or.jp. J-League. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
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