# 2016 Kashima Antlers season

The 2016 season was Kashima's 24th consecutive season in the J1 League, the top-division of professional football in Japan. In addition to the league campaign, the club also competed in the Emperor's Cup, League Cup, Super Cup, and Suruga Bank Championship.

## Squad

    As of 21 February 2016.
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 | Masatoshi Kushibiki |
| 3 | DF | JPN | Gen Shoji |
| 6 | MF | JPN | Ryota Nagaki |
| 8 | MF | JPN | Shoma Doi |
| 10 | MF | JPN | Gaku Shibasaki |
| 11 | MF | BRA | Fabrício |
| 13 | MF | JPN | Atsutaka Nakamura |
| 14 | DF | KOR | Hwang Seok-ho |
| 15 | FW | JPN | Hiroyuki Takasaki |
| 16 | DF | JPN | Shuto Yamamoto |
| 17 | DF | BRA | Bueno |
| 18 | FW | JPN | Shuhei Akasaki |
| 20 | MF | JPN | Kento Misao |
| 21 | GK | JPN | Hitoshi Sogahata |
| 22 | DF | JPN | Daigo Nishi |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 23 | DF | JPN | Naomichi Ueda |
| 24 | DF | JPN | Yukitoshi Ito |
| 25 | MF | JPN | Yasushi Endo |
| 26 | MF | JPN | Kazune Kubota |
| 28 | DF | JPN | Koki Machida |
| 29 | GK | JPN | Shinichiro Kawamata |
| 30 | MF | JPN | Hisashi Ohashi |
| 31 | GK | JPN | Yuto Koizumi |
| 32 | MF | JPN | Taro Sugimoto |
| 34 | FW | JPN | Yuma Suzuki |
| 35 | MF | JPN | Taiki Hirato |
| 36 | MF | JPN | Toshiya Tanaka |
| 37 | MF | JPN | Yuki Kakita |
| 40 | MF | JPN | Mitsuo Ogasawara (captain) |

## Competitions
### J1 League
#### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Kashima Antlers (Q) | 17 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 29 | 10 | +19 | 39 | Champions League group stage and J.League Championship 1st Round |
| 2 | Kawasaki Frontale | 17 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 33 | 15 | +18 | 38 | |
| 3 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 17 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 26 | 16 | +10 | 33 | |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 10 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 17 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 22 | +4 | 26 |
| 11 | Kashima Antlers | 17 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 20 |
| 12 | Vegalta Sendai | 17 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 19 | 23 | −4 | 20 |
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 2 | Kawasaki Frontale | 34 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 68 | 39 | +29 | 72 | Champions League group stage and J. League Championship 1st Round |
| 3 | Kashima Antlers (C) | 34 | 18 | 5 | 11 | 53 | 34 | +19 | 59 | Club World Cup, Champions League group stage and J. League Championship 1st Round |
| 4 | Gamba Osaka | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 53 | 42 | +11 | 58 | Champions League play-off round |
* ↑ The winner of the 2016 Emperor's Cup qualified for the Group Stage of the 2017 AFC Champions League. Since the Emperor's Cup winner Kashima Antlers had already qualified for the AFC Champions League, the play-off round spot was awarded to the fourth-placed team.

#### Matches

| Match | Date | Team | Score | Team | Venue | Attendance |
| 1-1 | 2016.02.28 | Gamba Osaka | 0–1 | Kashima Antlers | Suita City Football Stadium | 32,463 |
| 1-2 | 2016.03.05 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 | Sagan Tosu | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 19,696 |
| 1-3 | 2016.03.12 | Vegalta Sendai | 1–0 | Kashima Antlers | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 15,826 |
| 1-4 | 2016.03.19 | Kashima Antlers | 2–0 | FC Tokyo | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 15,996 |
| 1-5 | 2016.04.02 | Kawasaki Frontale | 1–1 | Kashima Antlers | Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium | 23,955 |
| 1-6 | 2016.04.10 | Kashima Antlers | 4–1 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 19,764 |
| 1-7 | 2016.04.16 | Shonan Bellmare | 0–3 | Kashima Antlers | Shonan BMW Stadium Hiratsuka | 13,039 |
| 1-8 | 2016.04.24 | Kashima Antlers | 0–2 | Kashiwa Reysol | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 15,914 |
| 1-9 | 2016.04.30 | Omiya Ardija | 0–0 | Kashima Antlers | NACK5 Stadium Omiya | 12,594 |
| 1-10 | 2016.05.04 | Kashima Antlers | 2–1 | Albirex Niigata | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 24,805 |
| 1-11 | 2016.05.08 | Júbilo Iwata | 1–1 | Kashima Antlers | Yamaha Stadium | 14,155 |
| 1-12 | 2016.05.14 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 | Yokohama F. Marinos | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 20,177 |
| 1-13 | 2016.05.21 | Nagoya Grampus | 2–3 | Kashima Antlers | Toyota Stadium | 17,499 |
| 1-14 | 2016.05.29 | Kashima Antlers | 4–0 | Ventforet Kofu | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 14,289 |
| 1-15 | 2016.06.11 | Urawa Reds | 0–2 | Kashima Antlers | Saitama Stadium 2002 | 51,674 |
| 1-16 | 2016.06.18 | Vissel Kobe | 1–2 | Kashima Antlers | Noevir Stadium Kobe | 18,875 |
| 1-17 | 2016.06.25 | Kashima Antlers | 2–0 | Avispa Fukuoka | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 31,636 |
| 2-1 | 2016.07.02 | Kashima Antlers | 1–3 | Gamba Osaka | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 21,524 |
| 2-2 | 2016.07.09 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 2–4 | Kashima Antlers | Edion Stadium Hiroshima | 16,551 |
| 2-3 | 2016.07.13 | Kashima Antlers | 3–0 | Nagoya Grampus | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 6,696 |
| 2-4 | 2016.07.17 | Ventforet Kofu | 3–3 | Kashima Antlers | Yamanashi Chuo Bank Stadium | 14,095 |
| 2-5 | 2016.07.23 | Kashima Antlers | 1–2 | Urawa Reds | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 30,249 |
| 2-6 | 2016.07.30 | Sagan Tosu | 1–0 | Kashima Antlers | Best Amenity Stadium | 12,803 |
| 2-7 | 2016.08.06 | Kashima Antlers | 0–1 | Vegalta Sendai | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 13,982 |
| 2-8 | 2016.08.14 | Avispa Fukuoka | 1–2 | Kashima Antlers | Level5 Stadium | 16,530 |
| 2-9 | 2016.08.20 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 | Shonan Bellmare | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 14,233 |
| 2-10 | 2016.08.27 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 2–2 | Kashima Antlers | Nissan Stadium | 29,123 |
| 2-11 | 2016.09.10 | Kashiwa Reysol | 2–0 | Kashima Antlers | Hitachi Kashiwa Stadium | 12,815 |
| 2-12 | 2016.09.17 | Kashima Antlers | 3–0 | Júbilo Iwata | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 15,787 |
| 2-13 | 2016.09.25 | Albirex Niigata | 0–2 | Kashima Antlers | Denka Big Swan Stadium | 26,202 |
| 2-14 | 2016.10.01 | Kashima Antlers | 1–3 | Omiya Ardija | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 20,086 |
| 2-15 | 2016.10.22 | FC Tokyo | 2–1 | Kashima Antlers | Ajinomoto Stadium | 37,317 |
| 2-16 | 2016.10.29 | Kashima Antlers | 0–1 | Kawasaki Frontale | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 24,000 |
| 2-17 | 2016.11.03 | Kashima Antlers | 0–1 | Vissel Kobe | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 15,925 |

#### Championship stage

The Championship stage consisted of a knockout tournament involving the champions of the First and Second stages, and any team that finishes in the top 3 of the overall table. The team with the best aggregate record earned a bye to the final. The remaining teams playoff for the other spot in the final.
| Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| | | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 0 | Kashima Antlers | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Kashima Antlers | 1 | | | | |

### J.League Cup
#### Group stage

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | VIS | ARD | VEN | BEL | JÚB | ANT | GRA |
| 1 | Vissel Kobe | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 3 | +12 | 16 | Knock-out stage | | 1–1 | | | | 4–1 | 4–0 |
| 2 | Omiya Ardija | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 14 | Knock-out stage | | | | | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| 3 | Ventforet Kofu | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 8 | | 0–2 | 0–0 | | 1–0 | | | |
| 4 | Shonan Bellmare | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 7 | | 0–2 | 0–1 | | | 0–0 | | |
| 5 | Júbilo Iwata | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 5 | | 1–2 | | 1–0 | | | | 1–3 |
| 6 | Kashima Antlers | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 4 | | | | 1–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | | |
| 7 | Nagoya Grampus | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 4 | | | | 0–0 | 0–1 | | 1–3 | |