# 2018 Vegalta Sendai season

In 2018, Vegalta Sendai competed in the J1 League, the top tier of Japanese football. It was the club's eighth consecutive season in this competition. They also competed in the J.League Cup and reached the semi-finals of the Emperor's Cup.

## Squad

As of 14 January 2018.
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 | Daniel Schmidt |
| 2 | DF | JPN | Katsuya Nagato |
| 4 | DF | JPN | Koji Hachisuka |
| 6 | DF | JPN | Ko Itakura (on loan from Kawasaki Frontale) |
| 7 | MF | JPN | Hiroaki Okuno |
| 8 | MF | JPN | Yoshihiro Shoji |
| 9 | FW | JPN | Sota Hirayama |
| 10 | MF | PRK | Ryang Yong-gi |
| 11 | FW | JPN | Naoki Ishihara |
| 13 | DF | JPN | Yasuhiro Hiraoka |
| 14 | MF | JPN | Jun Kanakubo |
| 16 | MF | JPN | Gakuto Notsuda (on loan from Sanfrecce Hiroshima) |
| 17 | MF | JPN | Shingo Tomita |
| 19 | FW | JPN | Ryo Germain |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 20 | FW | JPN | Takuma Abe |
| 21 | GK | JPN | Kentaro Seki |
| 22 | GK | JPN | Goro Kawanami |
| 23 | MF | JPN | Yoshihiro Nakano |
| 25 | MF | JPN | Naoki Sugai |
| 27 | DF | JPN | Kazuki Oiwa |
| 29 | MF | JPN | Shota Kobayashi |
| 30 | FW | JPN | Takuma Nishimura |
| 31 | MF | JPN | Shunsuke Motegi |
| 33 | DF | JPN | Masato Tokida |
| 34 | MF | JPN | Keiya Shiihashi |
| 35 | GK | KOR | Lee Yu-noh |
| 39 | DF | KOR | Kim Jung-ya |
| 40 | MF | JPN | Kunimitsu Sekiguchi |

## J1 League
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 9 | Gamba Osaka | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 41 | 46 | −5 | 48 |
| 10 | Vissel Kobe | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 45 | 52 | −7 | 45 |
| 11 | Vegalta Sendai | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 45 |
| 12 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 34 | 12 | 5 | 17 | 56 | 56 | 0 | 41 |
| 13 | Shonan Bellmare | 34 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 38 | 43 | −5 | 41 |

### Match details

J1 League match details :
| Match | Date | Team | Score | Team | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | 2018.02.25 | Vegalta Sendai | 1–0 | Kashiwa Reysol | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 15,655 |
| 2 | 2018.03.03 | FC Tokyo | 0–1 | Vegalta Sendai | Ajinomoto Stadium | 16,990 |
| 3 | 2018.03.10 | Vegalta Sendai | 1–1 | Vissel Kobe | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 14,270 |
| 4 | 2018.03.18 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 1–1 | Vegalta Sendai | IAI Stadium Nihondaira | 13,965 |
| 5 | 2018.03.31 | Vegalta Sendai | 1–0 | V-Varen Nagasaki | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 13,158 |
| 6 | 2018.04.07 | Urawa Reds | 1–0 | Vegalta Sendai | Saitama Stadium 2002 | 28,984 |
| 7 | 2018.04.11 | Nagoya Grampus | 2–3 | Vegalta Sendai | Paloma Mizuho Stadium | 9,297 |
| 8 | 2018.04.14 | Vegalta Sendai | 0–0 | Kawasaki Frontale | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 14,024 |
| 9 | 2018.04.21 | Vegalta Sendai | 0–3 | Júbilo Iwata | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 13,316 |
| 10 | 2018.04.25 | Cerezo Osaka | 2–1 | Vegalta Sendai | Kincho Stadium | 8,165 |
| 11 | 2018.04.28 | Vegalta Sendai | 2–2 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 13,812 |
| 12 | 2018.05.02 | Gamba Osaka | 1–0 | Vegalta Sendai | Panasonic Stadium Suita | 11,824 |
| 13 | 2018.05.06 | Shonan Bellmare | 1–3 | Vegalta Sendai | Shonan BMW Stadium Hiratsuka | 11,805 |
| 14 | 2018.05.12 | Vegalta Sendai | 1–3 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 15,115 |
| 15 | 2018.05.20 | Kashima Antlers | 1–2 | Vegalta Sendai | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 23,942 |
| 16 | 2018.07.18 | Vegalta Sendai | 2–8 | Yokohama F. Marinos | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 13,081 |
| 17 | 2018.07.22 | Sagan Tosu | 0–1 | Vegalta Sendai | Best Amenity Stadium | 17,537 |
| 18 | 2018.07.28 | Vegalta Sendai | 2–2 | Cerezo Osaka | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 14,911 |
| 19 | 2018.08.01 | Vegalta Sendai | 1–2 | Nagoya Grampus | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 13,968 |
| 20 | 2018.08.05 | Júbilo Iwata | 3–2 | Vegalta Sendai | Yamaha Stadium | 12,496 |
| 21 | 2018.08.11 | Kashiwa Reysol | 0–2 | Vegalta Sendai | Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium | 12,666 |
| 22 | 2018.08.15 | Vegalta Sendai | 4–1 | Shonan Bellmare | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 16,892 |
| 23 | 2018.08.19 | Vegalta Sendai | 2–1 | Gamba Osaka | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 16,110 |
| 24 | 2018.08.25 | Kawasaki Frontale | 1–0 | Vegalta Sendai | Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium | 23,816 |
| 25 | 2018.09.01 | Vegalta Sendai | 2–1 | Shimizu S-Pulse | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 14,293 |
| 26 | 2018.09.15 | Vegalta Sendai | 1–0 | FC Tokyo | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 17,887 |
| 27 | 2018.09.22 | V-Varen Nagasaki | 1–0 | Vegalta Sendai | Transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki | 9,990 |
| 28 | 2018.09.29 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 5–2 | Vegalta Sendai | NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium | 8,688 |
| 29 | 2018.10.07 | Vegalta Sendai | 1–1 | Urawa Reds | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 18,276 |
| 30 | 2018.10.20 | Vegalta Sendai | 2–3 | Sagan Tosu | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 18,023 |
| 31 | 2018.11.04 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 1–0 | Vegalta Sendai | Sapporo Dome | 24,065 |
| 32 | 2018.11.10 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 0–1 | Vegalta Sendai | Edion Stadium Hiroshima | 13,091 |
| 33 | 2018.11.24 | Vegalta Sendai | 0–3 | Kashima Antlers | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 19,152 |
| 34 | 2018.12.01 | Vissel Kobe | 3–2 | Vegalta Sendai | Noevir Stadium Kobe | 24,517 |

## Emperor's Cup

| Match | Date | Team | Score | Team | Venue | Attendance |
| 2nd round | 2018.06.06 | Vegalta Sendai | 4-0 | Thespakusatsu Gunma | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 2,685 |
| 3rd round | 2018.07.11 | Omiya Ardija | 0-1 | Vegalta Sendai | NACK5 Stadium Omiya | 3,752 |
| 4th round | 2018.08.22 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 2-3 | Vegalta Sendai | NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium | 5,977 |
| Quarterfinals | 2018.10.24 | Júbilo Iwata | 1-1 (a.e.t.) 0-0 Penalties 3-4 | Vegalta Sendai | Yamaha Stadium | 4,068 |
| Semi-finals | 2018.12.05 | Vegalta Sendai | 3-2 | Montedio Yamagata | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 16,604 |
| Final | 2018.12.09 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 1-0 | Vegalta Sendai | Saitama Stadium 2002 | 50,978 |

## J.League Cup

| Match | Date | Team | Score | Team | Venue | Attendance |
| Group A-1 | 2018.03.07 | Vegalta Sendai | 1-1 | Albirex Niigata | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 6,508 |
| Group A-2 | 2018.03.14 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 0-0 | Vegalta Sendai | NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium | 6,391 |
| Group A-3 | 2018.04.04 | Vegalta Sendai | 3-0 | FC Tokyo | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 7,068 |
| Group A-4 | 2018.04.18 | Albirex Niigata | 3-1 | Vegalta Sendai | Denka Big Swan Stadium | 2,681 |
| Group A-5 | 2018.05.09 | Vegalta Sendai | 4-2 | Yokohama F. Marinos | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 7,187 |
| Group A-6 | 2018.05.16 | FC Tokyo | 0-1 | Vegalta Sendai | Ajinomoto Stadium | 6,016 |
| Play-offs-1 | 2018.06.02 | Shonan Bellmare | 3-0 | Vegalta Sendai | Shonan BMW Stadium Hiratsuka | 8,374 |
| Play-offs-2 | 2018.06.09 | Vegalta Sendai | 3-1 | Shonan Bellmare | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 10,215 |

## Honours
### TAG Heuer YOUNG GUNS AWARD

* Ko Itakura