# 2018 Kashima Antlers season

The 2018 season was Kashima Antlers's 26th consecutive season in the J1 League since professional football was established in Japan in 1993. In addition to the domestic league, the club also competed in the Emperor's Cup, J.League Cup, and AFC Champions League. They won the latter trophy securing their first ever Champions League trophy in their first appearance in the final.

## Squad

The Kashima Antlers squad for the 2018 season.
    As of 10 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 | KOR | Kwoun Sun-tae |
| 2 | DF | JPN | Atsuto Uchida |
| 3 | DF | JPN | Gen Shoji |
| 4 | MF | BRA | Léo Silva |
| 5 | DF | JPN | Naomichi Ueda |
| 6 | MF | JPN | Ryota Nagaki |
| 7 | FW | BRA | Pedro Junior |
| 8 | MF | JPN | Shoma Doi |
| 9 | FW | JPN | Yuma Suzuki |
| 10 | FW | JPN | Mu Kanazaki |
| 11 | MF | BRA | Leandro Moura |
| 13 | MF | JPN | Atsutaka Nakamura |
| 14 | FW | JPN | Takeshi Kanamori |
| 15 | DF | JPN | Yuto Misao |
| 16 | DF | JPN | Shuto Yamamoto |
| 19 | FW | JPN | Kazuma Yamaguchi |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 20 | MF | JPN | Kento Misao |
| 21 | GK | JPN | Hitoshi Sogahata |
| 22 | DF | JPN | Daigo Nishi |
| 23 | DF | JPN | Itsuki Oda |
| 24 | DF | JPN | Yukitoshi Ito |
| 25 | MF | JPN | Yasushi Endo |
| 26 | MF | JPN | Kazune Kubota |
| 28 | DF | JPN | Koki Machida |
| 29 | GK | JPN | Shinichiro Kawamata |
| 30 | FW | JPN | Hiroki Abe |
| 31 | GK | JPN | Yuya Oki |
| 32 | DF | JPN | Koki Anzai |
| 36 | MF | JPN | Toshiya Tanaka |
| 39 | DF | JPN | Tomoya Inukai |
| 40 | MF | JPN | Mitsuo Ogasawara (captain) |

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 17 | DF | BRA | Bueno (at Tokushima Vortis) |
| — | MF | JPN | Taiki Hirato (at Machida Zelvia) |
| — | MF | JPN | Taro Sugimoto (at Tokushima Vortis) |
| — | FW | JPN | Yuki Kakita (at Zweigen Kanazawa) |

## Competitions
### J1 League
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Kawasaki Frontale (C) | 34 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 57 | 27 | +30 | 69 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 34 | 17 | 6 | 11 | 47 | 35 | +12 | 57 | Qualification for the Champions League play-off round |
| 3 | Kashima Antlers | 34 | 16 | 8 | 10 | 50 | 39 | +11 | 56 | Qualification for the Champions League play-off round |
| 4 | Consadole Sapporo | 34 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 55 | |
| 5 | Urawa Red Diamonds | 34 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 51 | 39 | +12 | 51 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
* ↑ Urawa Red Diamonds qualified for the 2019 AFC Champions League group stage as 2018 Emperor's Cup winners.

#### Matches

| Match | Date | Team | Score | Team | Venue | Attendance |
| 1 | 2018.02.25 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 0–0 | Kashima Antlers | IAI Stadium Nihondaira | 19,632 |
| 2 | 2018.03.03 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 | Gamba Osaka | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 24,545 |
| 3 | 2018.03.10 | Kashima Antlers | 0–1 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 16,799 |
| 4 | 2018.03.18 | Sagan Tosu | 0–1 | Kashima Antlers | Best Amenity Stadium | 17,757 |
| 5 | 2018.03.31 | Kashima Antlers | 0–0 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 19,629 |
| 6 | 2018.04.07 | Shonan Bellmare | 2–1 | Kashima Antlers | Shonan BMW Stadium Hiratsuka | 13,947 |
| 7 | 2018.04.11 | FC Tokyo | 2–1 | Kashima Antlers | Ajinomoto Stadium | 17,260 |
| 8 | 2018.04.14 | Kashima Antlers | 2–0 | Nagoya Grampus | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 17,921 |
| 9 | 2018.04.21 | Kawasaki Frontale | 4–1 | Kashima Antlers | Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium | 24,358 |
| 10 | 2018.04.25 | Kashima Antlers | 1–1 | Vissel Kobe | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 7,672 |
| 11 | 2018.04.28 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 3–0 | Kashima Antlers | Nissan Stadium | 27,348 |
| 12 | 2018.05.02 | Kashima Antlers | 2–1 | V-Varen Nagasaki | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 11,848 |
| 13 | 2018.05.05 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 | Urawa Reds | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 33,647 |
| 15 | 2018.05.20 | Kashima Antlers | 1–2 | Vegalta Sendai | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 23,942 |
| 16 | 2018.07.18 | Júbilo Iwata | 3–3 | Kashima Antlers | Yamaha Stadium | 13,577 |
| 17 | 2018.07.22 | Kashima Antlers | 6–2 | Kashiwa Reysol | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 24,480 |
| 14 | 2018.07.25 | Cerezo Osaka | 0–2 | Kashima Antlers | Yanmar Stadium Nagai | 16,631 |
| 18 | 2018.07.28 | Gamba Osaka | 1–1 | Kashima Antlers | Panasonic Stadium Suita | 28,534 |
| 19 | 2018.08.01 | Kashima Antlers | 1–2 | FC Tokyo | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 12,643 |
| 20 | 2018.08.05 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 | Shimizu S-Pulse | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 19,119 |
| 21 | 2018.08.11 | Nagoya Grampus | 4–2 | Kashima Antlers | Toyota Stadium | 43,579 |
| 22 | 2018.08.15 | V-Varen Nagasaki | 1–2 | Kashima Antlers | Transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki | 12,328 |
| 23 | 2018.08.19 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 | Yokohama F. Marinos | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 21,178 |
| 24 | 2018.08.24 | Kashima Antlers | 1–1 | Júbilo Iwata | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 13,575 |
| 25 | 2018.09.01 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 3–1 | Kashima Antlers | Edion Stadium Hiroshima | 13,107 |
| 26 | 2018.09.14 | Kashima Antlers | 2–1 | Shonan Bellmare | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 10,728 |
| 27 | 2018.09.23 | Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo | 0–2 | Kashima Antlers | Sapporo Dome | 21,074 |
| 28 | 2018.09.29 | Vissel Kobe | 0–5 | Kashima Antlers | Noevir Stadium Kobe | 23,774 |
| 29 | 2018.10.07 | Kashima Antlers | 0–0 | Kawasaki Frontale | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 31,798 |
| 30 | 2018.10.20 | Urawa Reds | 3–1 | Kashima Antlers | Saitama Stadium 2002 | 46,893 |
| 31 | 2018.10.31 | Kashima Antlers | 1–0 | Cerezo Osaka | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 9,233 |
| 32 | 2018.11.06 | Kashiwa Reysol | 2–3 | Kashima Antlers | Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium | 9,255 |
| 33 | 2018.11.24 | Vegalta Sendai | 0–3 | Kashima Antlers | Yurtec Stadium Sendai | 19,152 |
| 34 | 2018.12.01 | Kashima Antlers | 0–0 | Sagan Tosu | Kashima Soccer Stadium | 31,619 |

### J.League Cup
#### Quarter-final

Kashima Antlers won 4–2 on aggregate.

#### Semi-final

Yokohama F. Marinos won 4–3 on aggregate.

### AFC Champions League
#### Group stage

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 10 | Round of 16 |
| 2 | Kashima Antlers | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 9 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Sydney FC | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 6 | |
| 4 | Shanghai Shenhua | 6 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 5 | |

#### Round of 16

Kashima Antlers won 4–3 on aggregate.

#### Quarter-final

Kashima Antlers won 5–0 on aggregate.

#### Semi-final

Kashima Antlers won 6–5 on aggregate.

#### Final

In the final, the two semi-final winners played each other, with the order of legs (first leg hosted by team from the East Region, second leg hosted by team from the West Region) reversed from the previous season's final.
Kashima Antlers won 2–0 on aggregate.