# 1998 Japan Football League

Statistics of Japan Football League in the 1998 season.

## Overview

The 1998 season was the seventh and the last of the former Japan Football League. It was contested by 16 teams, and Tokyo Gas won the championship. After the season, nine teams together with J. League Promotion and Relegation series' losers Consadole Sapporo formed the second division of J.League. Other seven clubs together with Regional Leagues promotion series winners Yokogawa Electric and newly created Yokohama FC have formed the new Japan Football League.

## Clubs

The following sixteen clubs participated in Japan Football League Division 1 during the 1998 season.
* Albirex Niigata
* Brummell Sendai
* Denso
* Honda Motors
* Jatco
* Kawasaki Frontale
* Kokushikan University
* Mito HollyHock
* Montedio Yamagata
* Oita Trinity
* Omiya Ardija
* Otsuka FC Vortis Tokushima
* Sagan Tosu
* Sony Sendai
* Tokyo Gas
* Ventforet Kofu

### Personnel

| Club | Head coach |
| Albirex Niigata | Yoshikazu Nagai |
| Brummell Sendai | Takekazu Suzuki |
| Denso | |
| Honda Motors | Mitsunaga Shitara |
| Jatco | |
| Kawasaki Frontale | Beto Almeida |
| Kokushikan University | Hideo Osawa |
| Mito HollyHock | Toshiya Miura |
| Montedio Yamagata | Nobuhiro Ishizaki |
| Oita Trinity | |
| Omiya Ardija | Norio Sasaki |
| Otsuka FC Vortis Tokushima | |
| Sagan Tosu | Hiroshi Sowa |
| Sony Sendai | |
| Tokyo Gas | Kiyoshi Okuma |
| Ventforet Kofu | |

### Foreign players

| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Player 5 | Non-visa foreign | Former players |
| Albirex Niigata | | | | | | | Neathan Gibson |
| Brummell Sendai | Slobodan Dubajić | | | | | | |
| Denso | | | | | | | |
| Honda Motors | Marcus Vinícius | | | | | | |
| Jatco | | | | | | | |
| Kawasaki Frontale | Altemir Pessali | José Barreto | Tuto | Valdney | Momodu Mutairu | | Betinho |
| Kokushikan University | | | | | | | |
| Mito HollyHock | | | | | | | |
| Montedio Yamagata | Marquinho | Sidiclei | | | | | |
| Oita Trinity | Will | | | | | | |
| Omiya Ardija | Jan Veenhof | Jeroen Boere | | | | | |
| Otsuka FC Vortis Tokushima | | | | | | | |
| Sagan Tosu | | | | | | Pak Yong-ho | |
| Sony Sendai | | | | | | | |
| Tokyo Gas | Amaral | Angelo | | | | Sandro | |
| Ventforet Kofu | Baron | | | | | | |

## Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | PKW | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Tokyo Gas (C) | 30 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 67 | 17 | +50 | 69 | Formed J.League Division 2 |
| 2 | Kawasaki Frontale | 30 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 72 | 24 | +48 | 68 | J.League Division 1 Pro/Rele Series |
| 3 | Montedio Yamagata | 30 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 69 | 38 | +31 | 64 | Formed J.League Division 2 |
| 4 | Ventforet Kofu | 30 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 74 | 40 | +34 | 59 | Formed J.League Division 2 |
| 5 | Honda Motors | 30 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 57 | 45 | +12 | 54 | Formed new Japan Football League |
| 6 | Oita Trinity | 30 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 51 | 51 | 0 | 45 | Formed J.League Division 2 |
| 7 | Brummell Sendai | 30 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 43 | Formed J.League Division 2 |
| 8 | Sagan Tosu | 30 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 40 | 55 | −15 | 39 | Formed J.League Division 2 |
| 9 | Otsuka FC Vortis Tokushima | 30 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 58 | 48 | +10 | 38 | Formed new Japan Football League |
| 10 | Denso | 30 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 48 | 59 | −11 | 38 | Formed new Japan Football League |
| 11 | Albirex Niigata | 30 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 39 | 47 | −8 | 34 | Formed J.League Division 2 |
| 12 | Omiya Ardija | 30 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 31 | Formed J.League Division 2 |
| 13 | Sony Sendai | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 42 | 71 | −29 | 23 | Formed new Japan Football League |
| 14 | Mito HollyHock | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 37 | 69 | −32 | 23 | Formed new Japan Football League |
| 15 | Kokushikan University | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 42 | 76 | −34 | 21 | Formed new Japan Football League |
| 16 | Jatco | 30 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 44 | 97 | −53 | 18 | Formed new Japan Football League |

## Results

| Home \ Away | ALB | ARD | BRU | DEN | FRO | HOL | HON | JAT | KSU | MON | OVT | SAG | SON | TGA | TRI | VEN |
| Albirex Niigata | | 1–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 5–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 1–2$^{OT}$ | 0–1$^{OT}$ | 3–1 |
| Omiya Ardija | 2–0 | | 1–2 | 3–4$^{OT}$ | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–2$^{OT}$ | 3–0 | 1–0$^{OT}$ | 0–2 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 0–3 | 3–0 | 1–4 |
| Brummell Sendai | 0–2 | 2–2$^{PK5–4}$ | | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 2–3 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 6–1 | 2–1 | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 3–2$^{OT}$ | 5–1 | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 0–3 | 1–0$^{OT}$ | 0–1 |
| Denso | 3–0 | 3–2$^{OT}$ | 2–4 | | 1–3 | 3–4 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–2 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | | 3–0 | 0–1$^{OT}$ | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 7–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–0$^{OT}$ |
| Mito HollyHock | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–5 | | 0–3 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 0–3 | 0–7 | 0–1 | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–6 |
| Honda Motors | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–0$^{OT}$ | 2–0 | | 2–1 | 5–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–4$^{OT}$ | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2$^{OT}$ |
| Jatco | 1–2 | 3–2$^{OT}$ | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 3–10 | | 1–2$^{OT}$ | 3–6 | 2–1 | 3–2$^{OT}$ | 0–5 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–7 |
| Kokushikan University | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–2$^{PK1–4}$ | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 3–2 | | 1–4 | 4–3 | 4–1 | 3–2$^{OT}$ | 1–6 | 2–3 | 1–3 |
| Montedio Yamagata | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1$^{PK4–5}$ | 4–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 3–2 | | 1–0 | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 6–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–2 |
| Otsuka FC Vortis Tokushima | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1$^{PK4–5}$ | 1–3 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 0–1 | | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–2$^{OT}$ | 2–2$^{PK4–2}$ | 1–2 |
| Sagan Tosu | 1–0 | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 5–0 | 1–2 | 2–5 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2$^{OT}$ | 1–0$^{OT}$ | 2–3$^{OT}$ | | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Sony Sendai | 1–2 | 3–4 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 0–5 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–4$^{OT}$ | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–3 | | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 |
| Tokyo Gas | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0$^{OT}$ | 2–0 | 5–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–1$^{OT}$ | 2–0 | 3–0 | | 5–0 | 2–1 |
| Oita Trinity | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–2$^{PK5–3}$ | 1–2 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 2–3$^{OT}$ | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–2 | | 0–1$^{OT}$ |
| Ventforet Kofu | 4–1 | 3–2$^{OT}$ | 6–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 3–2$^{OT}$ | 1–0 | 2–2$^{PK4–3}$ | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–1$^{OT}$ | 5–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 | |

## Promotion and relegation

Kawasaki Frontale were awarded a spot in the first round of J.League Promotion and Relegation Series where they have played against Avispa Fukuoka.
Avispa proceeded to the next round and Frontale entered the second division.

## Successor seasons

* 1999 J.League Division 2
* 1999 Japan Football League
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