# 2015 J.League Cup

The 2015 J.League Cup, also known as the 2015 J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup for sponsoring purposes, was the 40th edition of the most prestigious Japanese soccer league cup tournament and the 23rd edition under the current J.League Cup format.

## Format

Teams from the J.League Division 1 took part in the tournament. Gamba Osaka, Kashima Antlers, Kashiwa Reysol and Urawa Red Diamonds were given a bye to the quarter-finals due to qualification in the 2015 AFC Champions League. The remaining 14 teams started from the group stage, where they were divided into two groups of seven. The group winners and the runners-up of each group qualified for the quarter-final along with the four teams which qualified for the AFC Champions League.

## Group stage
### Group A
#### Standings

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| FC Tokyo | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 12 |
| Albirex Niigata | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 11 |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 9 |
| Shonan Bellmare | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 9 |
| Sagan Tosu | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 8 |
| Matsumoto Yamaga | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 13 | −5 | 4 |
| Ventforet Kofu | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 2 |

#### Results

| Home \ Away | TOK | SHO | VEN | YAM | ALB | SFR | SAG |
| FC Tokyo | | | 2–1 | | 2–1 | | 2–0 |
| Shonan Bellmare | 0–0 | | 1–0 | 2–1 | | | |
| Ventforet Kofu | | | | 1–3 | 2–2 | | 0–0 |
| Matsumoto Yamaga | 1–1 | | | | 0–3 | 2–4 | |
| Albirex Niigata | | 2–0 | | | | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | | | | |
| Sagan Tosu | | 0–0 | | 2–1 | | 1–0 | |

### Group B
#### Standings

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Nagoya Grampus | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 13 |
| Vissel Kobe | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 11 |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 9 |
| Montedio Yamagata | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 11 | −1 | 8 |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 11 | −5 | 6 |
| Vegalta Sendai | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 5 |

#### Results

| Home \ Away | VEG | MON | FRO | YMA | SSP | GRA | VIS |
| Vegalta Sendai | | 1–2 | | 1–0 | | | 0–0 |
| Montedio Yamagata | | | | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–3 | |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 1–1 | 1–1 | | | | 1–3 | |
| Yokohama F. Marinos | | | 1–2 | | 2–0 | | 2–3 |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | 2–1 | | 0–2 | | | 1–2 | |
| Nagoya Grampus | 3–2 | | | 1–0 | | | 0–4 |
| Vissel Kobe | | 3–1 | 0–0 | | 1–2 | | |

## Knock-out stage

All times are Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Kashima Antlers | Kashima Antlers | 2 | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| FC Tokyo | FC Tokyo | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| FC Tokyo | FC Tokyo | 2 | 0 | 2 | Kashima Antlers | Kashima Antlers | 2 | 4 | 6 | | | |
| | | | | | Vissel Kobe | Vissel Kobe | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |
| Vissel Kobe | Vissel Kobe | 2 | 2 | 4 | Vissel Kobe | Vissel Kobe | 1 | 1 | 2 | | | |
| Kashiwa Reysol | Kashiwa Reysol | 0 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Kashiwa Reysol | Kashiwa Reysol | 0 | 3 | 3 | | | | | | Kashima Antlers | Kashima Antlers | 3 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Gamba Osaka | Gamba Osaka | 0 |
| Nagoya Grampus | Nagoya Grampus | 1 | 2 | 3 (9) | | | | | | | | | Gamba Osaka | Gamba Osaka | 0 |
| Gamba Osaka (a.e.t.) (p) | Gamba Osaka (a.e.t.) (p) | 1 | 2 | 3 (10) | | | | | | | | |
| Gamba Osaka (a.e.t.) (p) | Gamba Osaka (a.e.t.) (p) | 1 | 2 | 3 (10) | Gamba Osaka | Gamba Osaka | 1 | 2 | 3 | | | |
| | | | | | Albirex Niigata | Albirex Niigata | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | |
| Urawa Red Diamonds | Urawa Red Diamonds | 0 | 3 | 3 | Albirex Niigata | Albirex Niigata | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | |
| Albirex Niigata | Albirex Niigata | 5 | 0 | 5 | | | | | | | | |

### Quarterfinals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| FC Tokyo | 2–5 | Kashima Antlers | 2–2 | 0–3 |
| Kashiwa Reysol | 3–4 | Vissel Kobe | 0–2 | 3–2 |
| Gamba Osaka | 3–3 (10-9 p) | Nagoya Grampus | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Albirex Niigata | 5–3 | Urawa Reds | 5–0 | 0–3 |

### Semi-finals
#### Second leg

Antlers won 6–2 on aggregate.
Gamba Osaka won 3-2 on aggregate.

## Top scorers

| Rank | Scorer | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Kazuma Watanabe | Vissel Kobe | 7 |
| 2 | Takuma Asano | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 4 |
| 2 | Ryohei Yamazaki | Albirex Niigata | 4 |
| 2 | Hiroshi Ibusuki | Albirex Niigata | 4 |
| 2 | Mu Kanazaki | Kashima Antlers | 4 |
| 3 | Elsinho | Kawasaki Frontale | 3 |
| 3 | Kosuke Yamamoto | Albirex Niigata | 3 |
Updated to games played on 12 October 2015 Source: J.League Data