# 2012 Cerezo Osaka season

The 2012 Cerezo Osaka season was Cerezo Osaka's 3rd consecutive season, 14th season overall in J.League Division 1 and 40th overall in the Japanese top flight. It also includes the 2012 J.League Cup and the 2011 Emperor's Cup. 2012 is Sérgio Soares's first season at Cerezo after Levir Culpi left at the end of last season.

## Players
### Current squad

As of December 18, 2010
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | JPN | Kenya Matsui |
| 2 | DF | JPN | Takahiro Ogihara |
| 3 | DF | JPN | Teruyuki Moniwa |
| 4 | DF | JPN | Kota Fujimoto |
| 6 | MF | JPN | Hotaru Yamaguchi |
| 8 | FW | JPN | Hiroshi Kiyotake |
| 9 | FW | BRA | Kempes |
| 11 | FW | JPN | Ryūji Bando |
| 13 | MF | JPN | Yoichiro Kakitani |
| 14 | MF | JPN | Yusuke Maruhashi |
| 16 | MF | KOR | Kim Bo-Kyung |
| 17 | MF | JPN | Noriyuki Sakemoto |
| 19 | FW | JPN | Ryo Nagai |
| 20 | MF | JPN | Daisuke Takahashi |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 21 | GK | KOR | Kim Jin-Hyeon |
| 24 | DF | PRK | Kim Song-Gi |
| 25 | MF | JPN | Masato Kurogi |
| 26 | MF | JPN | Kazuya Murata |
| 27 | GK | JPN | Kazuki Abe |
| 30 | GK | JPN | Kenjiro Ogino |
| 31 | FW | JPN | Kenyu Sugimoto |
| - | DF | JPN | Tatsuya Yamashita |
| - | DF | JPN | Tomonobu Yokoyama |
| - | DF | JPN | Arata Komada |
| - | MF | JPN | Tetsuya Funatsu |
| - | MF | JPN | Takamitsu Yoshino |
| - | MF | JPN | Shota Inoue |

### 2011 season transfers

In Winter
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | DF | JPN | Tatsuya Yamashita (Transferred from Consadole Sapporo) |
| - | DF | JPN | Tomonobu Yokoyama (Transferred from Kawasaki Frontale) |
| - | DF | JPN | Arata Komada (Transferred from Shimizu S-Pulse) |
| - | MF | JPN | Tetsuya Funatsu (Loan from Kataller Toyoma) |
| - | MF | JPN | Yoichiro Kakitani (Loan Return from Tokushima Vortis) |
| - | MF | JPN | Takamitsu Yoshino (Drafted from Kokushikan University) |
| - | MF | JPN | Shota Inoue (Free agent) |
| 9 | FW | BRA | Kempes (Loan from Portuguesa) |
Out Winter
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 5 | MF | JPN | Masaki Chugo (Loan return to JEF United Ichihara Chiba) |
| 7 | MF | JPN | Yohei Otake (Loan return to FC Tokyo) |
| 9 | MF | BRA | Fabio Lopes (Loan return to Icasa) |
| 10 | MF | BRA | Martinez (Contract Not Renewed) |
| 15 | FW | JPN | Rui Komatsu (Transferred to Kawasaki Frontale) |
| 22 | DF | JPN | Taikai Uemoto (Transferred to Vegalta Sendei) |
| 23 | MF | JPN | Shu Kurata (Loan return to Gamba Osaka) |
| 28 | MF | JPN | Naoto Noguchi (Loan to Oita Trinita) |
| 29 | DF | JPN | Ryosuke Tada (Loan to Oita Trinita) |
| 32 | DF | JPN | Hiroyuki Omata (Transferred to Avispa Fukuoka) |
| 33 | DF | JPN | Yutaro Takahashi (Transferred to Roassa Kumamoto) |

## Competitions
### J.League
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima (C) | 34 | 19 | 7 | 8 | 63 | 34 | +29 | 64 | Qualification to 2012 Club World Cup and 2013 Champions League |
| 2 | Vegalta Sendai | 34 | 15 | 12 | 7 | 59 | 43 | +16 | 57 | Qualification to 2013 Champions League |
| 3 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 34 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 47 | 42 | +5 | 55 | Qualification to 2013 Champions League |
| 4 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 34 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 44 | 33 | +11 | 53 | |
| 5 | Sagan Tosu | 34 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 48 | 39 | +9 | 53 | |
| 6 | Kashiwa Reysol | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 57 | 52 | +5 | 52 | Qualification to 2013 Champions League |
| 7 | Nagoya Grampus | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 46 | 47 | −1 | 52 | |
| 8 | Kawasaki Frontale | 34 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 51 | 50 | +1 | 50 | |
| 9 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 34 | 14 | 7 | 13 | 39 | 40 | −1 | 49 | |
| 10 | FC Tokyo | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 47 | 44 | +3 | 48 | |
| 11 | Kashima Antlers | 34 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 50 | 43 | +7 | 46 | |
| 12 | Júbilo Iwata | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 57 | 53 | +4 | 46 | |
| 13 | Omiya Ardija | 34 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 38 | 45 | −7 | 44 | |
| 14 | Cerezo Osaka | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 47 | 53 | −6 | 42 | |
| 15 | Albirex Niigata | 34 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 29 | 34 | −5 | 40 | |
| 16 | Vissel Kobe (R) | 34 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 41 | 50 | −9 | 39 | Relegation to 2013 J.League Division 2 |
| 17 | Gamba Osaka (R) | 34 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 67 | 65 | +2 | 38 | Relegation to 2013 J.League Division 2 |
| 18 | Consadole Sapporo (R) | 34 | 4 | 2 | 28 | 25 | 88 | −63 | 14 | Relegation to 2013 J.League Division 2 |
* 1 2 The winners of the 2012 Emperor's Cup qualified for the group stage of the 2013 AFC Champions League.

#### Matches
### J.League Cup

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Cerezo Osaka | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 12 |
| Vegalta Sendai | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 5 | +4 | 12 |
| Júbilo Iwata | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 12 |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 10 | +2 | 9 |
| Sagan Tosu | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 16 | −8 | 9 |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 4 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 11 | −4 | 4 |