Season 2012 Dates 10 Mar 2012 – 1 Dec 2012 Goals scored 855 | Top goalscorer Hisato Satō (22 goals) Location Japan Matches played 306 | |
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Champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima !Sanfrecce Hiroshima
1st J. League title
6th Japanese title Champions League Sanfrecce Hiroshima !Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Vegalta Sendai !Vegalta Sendai
Urawa Red Diamonds !Urawa Red Diamonds
Kashiwa Reysol !Kashiwa Reysol Biggest home win Kashima Antlers !Kashima Antlers 7–0 Consadole Sapporo !Consadole Sapporo Biggest away win Gamba Osaka !Gamba Osaka 2–6 Kashiwa Reysol !Kashiwa Reysol
Shimizu S-Pulse !Shimizu S-Pulse 3–5 Kashiwa Reysol !Kashiwa Reysol Relegated Vissel Kobe, Gamba Osaka, Consadole Sapporo Similar 2014 JLeague Division 1, 2015 J1 League, 2016 J1 League | ||
The 2012 J. League Division 1 season was the 47th season of Japanese top-flight football and 20th since the establishment of the J. League. The season started on March 10 and finished on December 1.
Contents
Sanfrecce Hiroshima won the 2012 J. League Division 1 championship on 24 November and advanced to the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup as the host team, entering the qualifying play-off round. This was their first title in the J. League era and first league title since 1970, marking their sixth title overall. Additionally, this was the first time since 1966 that clubs from the traditional regions of Kantō, Tōkai or Kansai - the corridor from Tokyo to Osaka - did not make the top two, and this time it was a team from Tōhoku, Vegalta Sendai, who finished in second place despite leading the table most of the season.
Clubs
Ventforet Kofu, Avispa Fukuoka and Montedio Yamagata were relegated at the end of the 2011 season after finishing in the bottom three places of the table. Avispa Fukuoka and Ventforet Kofu returned to J2 after only one season in the top flight, while Montedio Yamagata were relegated after three seasons in J1.
The three relegated teams were replaced by 2011 J. League Division 2 champions F.C. Tokyo, runners-up Sagan Tosu and third-placed team Consadole Sapporo. F.C. Tokyo made an immediate return to the top division, while Consadole Sapporo ended a three-year absence. In the end, Sagan Tosu reached J1 after thirteen seasons in the second division.
League table
Updated to games played on 1 December 2012.
Source: J.League Division 1
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
1The winners of the 2012 Emperor's Cup qualified for the group stage of the 2013 AFC Champions League.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Results
Updated to games played on 1 December 2012.
Source: J. League Division 1
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Top scorers
Source: J. League Division 1
Attendances
Updated to games played on 1 December 2012
Source: J. League Division 1
Notes:
† Team played previous season in J2.