Matsumoto Yamaga FC

Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club (松本山雅フットボールクラブ, Matsumoto Yamaga Futtobōru Kurabu) is the Japanese football (soccer) club based in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. The club currently plays in the J2 League. It was previously promoted to the J. League Division 1 in 2015 and 2019, but was each time relegated after one season in the first tier of Japanese football.

Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.
松本山雅FC
Full nameMatsumoto Yamaga Football Club
Nickname(s)Ptarmigans, Gans
Founded1965 (1965)
GroundMatsumoto Stadium
(Alwin)
Matsumoto, Nagano
Capacity20,396
ManagerKei Shibata
LeagueJ2 League
2020J2 League, 13th
WebsiteClub website

The mascot of the club is called "GANS KUN" (ガンズくん), which is related to the Ptarmigans (ターミガンズ, Tāmiganzu), symbol birds of Nagano Prefecture.[1]

History

The club was founded in 1965 by the players who represented Nagano Prefecture. The players frequented a cafe called Yamaga in front of Matsumoto railway station and initially they were simply called Yamaga Club. In 2004, they were renamed as Matsumoto Yamaga FC when nonprofit organisation Alwin Sports Project were set up to support the club with the intention of promotion to J. League.

In the 2007 and 2008 season they finished respectively 1st and 4th in the Hokushin'etsu First Division, but failed to gain the promotion to the Japan Football League as they exited at the group stage of the Regional League promotion series against other regional champions. 2008 also brought a crucial Emperor's Cup run, where they defeated former Japanese champions Shonan Bellmare in the third round by penalty kicks, only to be eliminated 8–0 by Vissel Kobe.

The 2009 season brought inconsistency, as they took 4th place in the regional league but knocked Urawa Red Diamonds out of the Emperor's Cup in the second round, their biggest giant-killing ever.

By virtue of winning the Shakaijin Cup, they earned a berth in the Regional League promotion series, and won the series at home to earn promotion to the Japan Football League for 2010. They earned 7th place on their first season in the third tier.

In 2011, despite a season thrown off by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the resulting inability of Sony Sendai to play a full schedule, Yamaga earned 4th place and were promoted to J. League Division 2. After three seasons they earned their first ever promotion to J1 League, only to be relegated after one season.

After failing to secure promotion in 2016 and 2017, Yamaga finished their 2018 season at the top of the J2 table, winning their first ever league title and securing automatic promotion to J1 in the process.

Rivalry

The biggest rival of Matsumoto Yamaga are the prefectural neighbors and former Hokushin'etsu League fellows Nagano Parceiro. Matches between those teams are labelled "Shinshū derby" and generate a lot of interest in both cities.[2] For 2011 season, Parceiro joined their rivals in JFL bringing the derby to the national level.

Stadium
Matsumoto Stadium (Alwin)
Main article: Matsumoto Stadium

Matsumoto Yamaga's home ground is Matsumoto Stadium (popularly known as Alwin) located in the Kambayashi area of Matsumoto city. The stadium has a capacity of 20,000 (16,000 seats and 4,000 standings).[3] It is the third largest Sport venue in Nagano Prefecture.

Record

Honours

Current squad

As of 28 June 2020.[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  JPN Kentaro Kakoi
2 DF  JPN Nobuhisa Urata
3 DF  JPN Hayuma Tanaka (captain)
6 MF  JPN Ibuki Fujita
8 MF  JPN Taro Sugimoto
9 FW  BRA Jael Ferreira
10 MF  BRA Serginho
11 FW  JPN Toyofumi Sakano
14 MF  JPN Keiya Nakami
15 DF  JPN Reiya Morishita
16 GK  JPN Tomohiko Murayama
17 MF  JPN Koki Tsukagawa
18 FW  JPN Akito Takagi
19 MF  JPN Ryuhei Yamamoto
20 MF  BRA Alvaro Rodrigues
21 MF  BRA Augusto
22 MF  JPN Shusuke Yonehara
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 GK  JPN Kengo Tanaka
24 MF  JPN Masaya Yoshida
25 FW  JPN Itsuki Enomoto
26 MF  JPN Masaki Yamamoto
27 MF  JPN Yuto Suzuki
28 DF  JPN Haruki Mitsuda
29 MF  JPN Kaiga Murakoshi
30 MF  JPN Manato Yamada
31 DF  JPN Yuya Hashiuchi
33 DF  JPN Yuya Ono
34 MF  JPN Taku Inafuku
35 GK  JPN Shoma Kanda
36 DF  JPN Daichi Inui
39 DF  JPN Toshiya Takagi
41 MF  JPN Kazune Kubota
42 DF  JPN Ryo Takahashi
43 DF  JPN Masato Tokida
44 DF  JPN Kohei Hattori

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  JPN Kengo Nagai (to Kitakyushu)
— GK  KOR Goh Dong-min (to Hachinohe)
— DF  JPN Daiki Morimoto (to Maruyasu Okazaki)
— DF  JPN Yota Shimokawa (to Kanazawa)
— MF  JPN Akira Ando (to Mito)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW  JPN Ren Komatsu (to Yamaguchi)
— FW  JPN Daizen Maeda (to Marítimo)
— FW  PRK Han Yong-thae (to Tochigi SC)
— FW  BRA Leandro Pereira (to Hiroshima)

Managers

References
  1. Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. - Club Profile
  2. Senta, Houji. 信州ダービー (in Japanese). JAPAN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  3. 【松本平広域公園】 信州スカイパーク アルウィン (in Japanese). TOYBOX. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  4. "選手・スタッフ". yamaga-fc.com. 16 February 2020.
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