# 2023 J.League Cup

The 2023 J.League Cup, known as the 2023 J.League YBC Levain Cup (Japanese: 2023 JリーグYBCルヴァンカップ) for sponsorship reasons, was the 31st edition of J.League Cup, a Japanese association football cup competition. Unlike previous editions, the competition did not use the away goals rule. No byes awarded for the knockout stage and thus no knockout round playoffs.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima were the defending champions, having beaten Cerezo Osaka 2–1 in the 2022 final to win their first J.League Cup title. They were unable to defend their title after their elimination in the group stage.
Avispa Fukuoka won their first ever major trophy by defeating two-time winners Urawa Red Diamonds in the final. They became the third consecutive new winners of the tournament, following Nagoya Grampus in 2021 and Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 2022.

## Format

All 18 teams in the 2023 J1 League participated as well as the top two relegated teams from the 2022 season. Different from the previous editions, no teams were awarded bye or a direct qualification for the knockout stage. The change was made due to AFC Champions League's calendar shift, as it adopted the spring-autumn season format from 2023 and got rid of the year-round format, thus having the 2023–24 group stage played from September 2023.
Twenty teams played in the group stage, divided into five groups of four teams, allocated in each group by their finish on the 2022 J1 and J2 Leagues. Each group winners and the three best-placed runners-up qualified to the quarter-finals.
This was the last edition to feature a group stage like the Scottish League Cup and Taça da Liga. From 2024, it would be held as a single knockout competition like the EFL Cup and would see all clubs from the season's J1, J2, and J3 Leagues participate, thus including the clubs from all J.League divisions for the first time since 2001.

## Qualified teams

| League | Team | Final 2022 rank |
| 2022 J1 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 1st |
| 2022 J1 | Kawasaki Frontale | 2nd |
| 2022 J1 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 3rd |
| 2022 J1 | Kashima Antlers | 4th |
| 2022 J1 | Cerezo Osaka | 5th |
| 2022 J1 | FC Tokyo | 6th |
| 2022 J1 | Kashiwa Reysol | 7th |
| 2022 J1 | Nagoya Grampus | 8th |
| 2022 J1 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 9th |
| 2022 J1 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 10th |
| 2022 J1 | Sagan Tosu | 11th |
| 2022 J1 | Shonan Bellmare | 12nd |
| 2022 J1 | Vissel Kobe | 13rd |
| 2022 J1 | Avispa Fukuoka | 14th |
| 2022 J1 | Gamba Osaka | 15th |
| 2022 J1 | Kyoto Sanga | 16th |
| 2022 J1 | Shimizu S-Pulse (2023 J2) | 17th |
| 2022 J1 | Júbilo Iwata (2023 J2) | 18th |
| 2022 J2 | Albirex Niigata (2023 J1) | 1st |
| 2022 J2 | Yokohama FC (2023 J1) | 2nd |

## Schedule

The schedule was confirmed along with the holding method of the competition on 20 December 2022.
| Stage | Round | Date |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 8 March 2023 |
| Group stage | Matchday 2 | 25–26 March 2023 |
| Group stage | Matchday 3 | 5 April 2023 |
| Group stage | Matchday 4 | 19 April 2023 |
| Group stage | Matchday 5 | 24 May 2023 |
| Group stage | Matchday 6 | 18 June 2023 |
| Knockout stage |
| Knockout stage | Quarter-finals | 6 September 2023 (first leg) 10 September 2023 (second leg) |
| Knockout stage | Semi-finals | 11 October 2023 (first leg) 15 October 2023 (second leg) |
| Knockout stage | Final | 4 November 2023 |

## Group stage

Each group had its matches played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. Each match lasted 90 minutes. Each team played six times, twice against each opponent at home and away.

### Tiebreakers

In the group stage, teams in a group were ranked by points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If the points were tied, the following tiebreakers were applied accordingly:
* Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
* Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams;
If more than two teams were tied, and applying all head-to-head criteria above remains a part of teams still tied, reapply the criteria above only for the tied teams.
* Goal difference in all group matches;
* Goals scored in all group matches;
* Penalty shoot-out if only two teams were tied and they met in the sixth match of the group;
* Fewer disciplinary points;
* Drawing of lots.

### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 15 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Júbilo Iwata | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 6 | |
| 4 | Sagan Tosu | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 4 | |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 8 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 8 | |
| 3 | Kawasaki Frontale | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 8 | |
| 4 | Shonan Bellmare | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 6 | |
* 1 2 3 Head-to-head points: Urawa Red Diamonds 6, Shimizu S-Pulse 5, Kawasaki Frontale 4.

### Group C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Nagoya Grampus | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 15 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 9 | |
| 3 | Yokohama FC | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 6 | |
| 4 | Vissel Kobe | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 6 | |
* 1 2 Head-to-head points: Yokohama FC 3, Vissel Kobe 3. Head-to-head goal differences: Yokohama FC +1, Vissel Kobe –1.

### Group D

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Avispa Fukuoka | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 13 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Kashima Antlers | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Albirex Niigata | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 6 | |
| 4 | Kashiwa Reysol | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 5 | |

### Group E

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Gamba Osaka | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | FC Tokyo | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 3 | Kyoto Sanga | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 9 | |
| 4 | Cerezo Osaka | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 5 | |
* 1 2 Head-to-head points: Gamba Osaka 3, FC Tokyo 3. Head-to-head goal differences: Gamba Osaka +2, FC Tokyo –2.

### Ranking of runners-up

The three best runners-up from the five groups advanced to the knockout stage along with the five group winners.
| Pos | Grp | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | E | FC Tokyo | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 10 | Knockout stage |
| 2 | A | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 10 | Knockout stage |
| 3 | D | Kashima Antlers | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 10 | Knockout stage |
| 4 | C | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 9 | |
| 5 | B | Shimizu S-Pulse | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 8 | |

## Knockout stage

In the knockout stage (also called the "Prime Stage" in Japan), which started with the quarter-finals, the matches were played in two legs, except for the final. The aggregate winners of each tie would qualify for the next round. Should in the second leg of either the quarter-final or semi-final the aggregate score was tied, extra-time would have been played. Should the draw stood, penalty shoot-outs would have been played to determine the tie winners. From this season on, the away goals rule would not be applied under any circumstances throughout the entire competition.
The draw to decide the match-ups was held on 3 July 2023 at 12:00 JST.

### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Kashima Antlers | Kashima Antlers | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Nagoya Grampus (a.e.t.) | Nagoya Grampus (a.e.t.) | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Nagoya Grampus (a.e.t.) | Nagoya Grampus (a.e.t.) | 1 | 2 | 3 | Nagoya Grampus | Nagoya Grampus | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | |
| | | | | | Avispa Fukuoka | Avispa Fukuoka | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |
| Avispa Fukuoka | Avispa Fukuoka | 0 | 2 | 2 | Avispa Fukuoka | Avispa Fukuoka | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |
| Avispa Fukuoka | Avispa Fukuoka | 0 | 2 | 2 | | 4 November – Tokyo | | | |
| FC Tokyo | FC Tokyo | 1 | 0 | 1 | | 4 November – Tokyo | | | |
| FC Tokyo | FC Tokyo | 1 | 0 | 1 | | Avispa Fukuoka | 2 | | |
| | | | | | | Avispa Fukuoka | 2 | | | Urawa Red Diamonds | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 | 3 | 4 | | | | | | Urawa Red Diamonds | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1 |
| Gamba Osaka | Gamba Osaka | 0 | 0 | 0 | | | | | |
| Gamba Osaka | Gamba Osaka | 0 | 0 | 0 | Urawa Red Diamonds | Urawa Red Diamonds | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | |
| | | | | | Yokohama F. Marinos | Yokohama F. Marinos | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | Yokohama F. Marinos | 2 | 3 | 5 | Yokohama F. Marinos | Yokohama F. Marinos | 1 | 0 | 1 | | | |
| Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 3 | 0 | 3 | | | | | |

### Quarter-finals
#### Summary

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Kashima Antlers | 2–3 | Nagoya Grampus | 1–1 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) |
| Avispa Fukuoka | 2–1 | FC Tokyo | 0–1 | 2–0 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 4–0 | Gamba Osaka | 1–0 | 3–0 |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 5–3 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 2–3 | 3–0 |

#### Matches

Nagoya Grampus won 3–2 on aggregate.
Avispa Fukuoka won 2–1 on aggregate.
Urawa Red Diamonds won 4–0 on aggregate.
Yokohama F. Marinos won 5–3 on aggregate.

### Semi-finals
#### Summary

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Nagoya Grampus | 0–2 | Avispa Fukuoka | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 2–1 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 0–1 | 2–0 |

#### Matches

Avispa Fukuoka won 2–0 on aggregate.
Urawa Red Diamonds won 2–1 on aggregate.

### Final

This was Avispa's first major tournament final, while for Urawa this was their seventh J.League Cup final, winning two from the previous six. Their most recent final was in 2016, which they won.

## Top scorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Noriyoshi Sakai | Nagoya Grampus | 4 |
| 1 | Asahi Uenaka | Yokohama F. Marinos | 4 |
| 3 | Bryan Linssen | Urawa Red Diamonds | 3 |
| 3 | Makoto Mitsuta | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 3 |
| 3 | Kota Mizunuma | Yokohama F. Marinos | 3 |
| 3 | Sho Sasaki | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 3 |
| 3 | Reiju Tsuruno | Avispa Fukuoka | 3 |
| 3 | Milan Tučić | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 3 |
| 3 | Wellington | Avispa Fukuoka | 3 |
| 3 | Naoki Yamada | Shonan Bellmare | 3 |