2021 Japan Football League
{{Infobox football league season
| competition = Japan Football League
| season = 2021
| dates = 14 March – 5 December
| winners = Iwaki FC
| promoted = Iwaki FC
| relegated = FC Kariya
| league topscorer =
| matches = 272
| total goals = 694
| highest attendance =
| lowest attendance =
| average attendance =
| prevseason = 2020
| nextseason = 2022
}}
The {{Nihongo|2021 Japan Football League|第23回日本フットボールリーグ[第23回 JFL 2021]|Dai Nijūsankai Nihon Futtobōru Rīgu [Dai Nijūsankai JFL 2021]|lead=yes}} was the eighth season of the nationwide fourth tier of Japanese football, and the 23rd season since the establishment of Japan Football League.
Clubs
For the first time since 2012, 17 clubs have taken part in the JFL season. Last year no relegations were in place in J3, the league had the intent of seeing two more teams joining from the start, but only Tegevajaro Miyazaki got promoted with one game to play and joined J3 for the 2021 season.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jleague.jp/release/post-65253/|title=Ｊリーグ入会（Ｊ３）について：Ｊリーグ.jp}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.jfl.or.jp/jfl-pc/view/s.php?a=1678|title=【ＪＦＬオフィシャルサイト】お知らせ「第２３回日本フットボールリーグ新入会チームについて」|website=www.jfl.or.jp}} That’s because Verspah Oita, who won the JFL for the first time in their history,{{Cite web|url=https://www.footballchannel.jp/2020/11/21/post398687/|title=ヴェルスパ大分がJFL初優勝。テゲバジャーロ宮崎はJ3昇格に王手|website=フットボールチャンネル}} were not promoted as they did not hold a J3 license, while Sony Sendai and Honda FC, who finished 3rd and 4th respectively, also didn’t hold a J3 license.
FC Tiamo Hirakata and FC Kariya won promotion to the JFL by qualifying in the top two spots of the 44th Regional Pro Series. For the Hirataka-based side it was the first time in JFL, but Kariya are back after a twelve-year long hiatus.
There are six teams eligible for promotion with J3 licenses; these are highlighted in green in the following table.
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Club Name !!Home town !Stadium !Capacity!!Position !!Notes | |||
| Honda FC | Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
|Honda Miyakoda Soccer Stadium |2,506 | JFL (4th) | |
| {{sort|Honda Lock|Honda Lock}} | Miyazaki, Miyazaki
|20,000 | JFL (12th) | |
| bgcolor="98FB98"
| Iwaki FC | Iwaki, Fukushima
|5,600 | JFL (7th) | 100 Year Plan status and J3 license holders |
| FC Kariya | Kariya, Aichi
|Wave Stadium Kariya |4,002 | Image:Arrowupgreen.png RPS 2nd | Winners of TASL and runners-up in 44th RPS |
| Kochi United SC | Kōchi, Kōchi
|Kōchi Haruno Athletic Stadium |25,000 | JFL (14th) | |
| Maruyasu Okazaki | Okazaki, Aichi
|Okazaki Ryūhoku Stadium |5,000 | JFL (16th) | |
| Matsue City FC | Matsue, Shimane
|Matsue Municipal Athletic Stadium |24,000 | JFL (10th) | |
| bgcolor="D1E5E9" | Kusatsu, Shiga
|Higashiōmi Nunobiki Green Stadium |5,060 | JFL (9th) | Applied for 100 Year Plan status |
| bgcolor="98FB98" | All cities/towns in Nara{{efn|centering on Nara}}
|30,600 | JFL (13th) | 100 Year Plan status and J3 license holders |
| bgcolor="98FB98"
| {{sort|FC Osaka|F.C. Osaka }} | Higashiōsaka, Osaka
|Hanazono Rugby Stadium 2nd Ground |1,722 | JFL (8th) | 100 Year Plan status and J3 license holders |
| bgcolor="98FB98"
| {{sort|ReinMeer|ReinMeer Aomori}} | Aomori, Aomori
|Kakuhiro Group Athletic Stadium |20,809 | JFL (15th) | 100 Year Plan status and J3 license holders |
| Sony Sendai | Tagajō, Miyagi
|Miyagi Seikyō Megumino Soccer Stadium |10,000 | JFL (3rd) | |
| bgcolor="98FB98" | Suzuka, Mie
|AGF Suzuka Athletic Stadium |1,450 | JFL (5th) | 100 Year Plan status and J3 license holders |
| FC Tiamo Hirakata | Hirakata, Osaka
|Hirakata Municipal Athletic Stadium |2,500 | Image:Arrowupgreen.png RPS 1st | Winners of KSL and 44th RPS |
| Tokyo Musashino United FC | Musashino, Tokyo
|Musashino Municipal Athletic Stadium |5,188 | JFL (11th) | Renamed from "Tokyo Musashino City FC" |
| bgcolor="98FB98" | All cities/towns in Mie{{efn|centering on Kuwana & Yokkaichi}}
|Asahi Gas Energy Tōin Stadium |5,142 | JFL (6th) | 100 Year Plan status and J3 license holders |
| bgcolor="D1E5E9" | Yufu & Beppu, Ōita
|Shōwa Denkō Soccer/Rugby Field |4,700 | JFL (1st) | 2020 champions, 100 Year Plan status |
=Personnel and kits=
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Club | Manager | Kit manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| Honda FC
|{{flagicon|JPN}} Hiroyuki Abe | {{flagicon|ENG}} Umbro | |
| {{sort|Honda Lock|Honda Lock SC}}
|{{flagicon|JPN}} Yosuke Miyaji{{cite web |title=Honda Lock SC Manager |url=https://www.hondalock-sc.info/player/ |website=hondalock-sc.info |access-date=11 March 2021}} | {{flagicon|ITA}} Kappa | |
| Iwaki FC
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Yuzo Tamura | {{flagicon|USA}} Under Armour | |
| FC Kariya
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Kazuhiro Murata | {{flagicon|JPN}} bonera | |
| Kochi United SC
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Akihiro Nishimura | {{flagicon|JPN}} bonera | |
| Maruyasu Okazaki
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Hiroyasu Ibata | {{flagicon|BRA}} ATHLETA | |
| Matsue City FC
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Noriaki Sanenobu | {{flagicon|JPN}} soccer junky | |
| MIO Biwako Shiga
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Hiroshi Otsuki | {{flagicon|JPN}} JOGARBOLA | |
| Nara Club
| {{flagicon|ESP}} Julián Marín Bazalo | {{flagicon|JPN}} SQUADRA | |
| {{sort|FC Osaka|F.C. Osaka }}
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Shinya Tsukahara | {{flagicon|JPN}} bonera | |
| {{sort|ReinMeer|ReinMeer Aomori}}
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Ryo Adachi | {{flagicon|ENG}} Umbro | |
| Sony Sendai FC
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Gen Nakamura | {{flagicon|ENG}} Umbro | |
| Suzuka Point Getters
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Yasutoshi Miura | {{flagicon|BRA}} ATHLETA | |
| FC Tiamo Hirakata
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Yoshizumi Ogawa | {{flagicon|JPN}} JOGARBOLA | |
| Tokyo Musashino United FC
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Hisayuki Ikegami | {{flagicon|JPN}} Yonex | |
| Veertien Mie
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Yoshihiko Yamamoto | {{flagicon|JPN}} Lwond | |
| Verspah Oita
| {{flagicon|JPN}} Takashi Yamahashi | {{flagicon|JPN}} YASUDA |
{{notelist}}
=Managerial changes=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||||
| rowspan="2"| Team | rowspan="2"| Outgoing | rowspan="2"| {{Abbr|Manner|Manner of departure}}
!colspan="2"| Exit date | rowspan="2"| Position in table | rowspan="2"| Incoming | colspan="2"| Incoming date
!rowspan="2"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}} |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced on | Departed on | Announced on | Arrived on | ||
| align="left" |Veertien Mie
|align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Nobuhiro Ueno |Sacked |21 June 2021 |21 June 2021 |12th |align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Yoshihiko Yamamoto |22 June 2021 |22 June 2021 | |||||
| align="left" |Suzuka Point Getters
|align="left" |{{fbaicon|ESP}} Mila Martínez |Mutual consent |5 July 2021 |5 July 2021 |14th |align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Tsukasa Ozawa (interim) |5 July 2021 |5 July 2021 | |||||
| align="left" |Suzuka Point Getters
|align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Tsukasa Ozawa (interim) |Interim completed |15 July 2021 |15 July 2021 |11th |align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Yasutoshi Miura |15 July 2021 |15 July 2021 | |||||
| align="left" |FC Kariya
|align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Koji Kadota (interim) |Sacked |16 July 2021 |16 July 2021 |17th |align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Ryo Iizuka |16 July 2021 |16 July 2021 | |||||
| align="left" |Maruyasu Okazaki
|align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Ryuji Kitamura |Appointed technical director |20 July 2021 |31 July 2021 |11th |align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Hiroyasu Ibata |27 July 2021 |1 August 2021 | |||||
| align="left" |FC Kariya
|align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Ryo Iizuka (interim) |Interim completed |2 August 2021 |2 August 2021 |17th |align="left" |{{fbaicon|JPN}} Kazuhiro Murata |2 August 2021 |2 August 2021 |
League table
{{2021 Japan Football League table}}
Regional Leagues Relegation Playoffs
{{Nihongo|2021 JFL·Regional Leagues Playoffs|2021年度JFL·地域リーグ入れ替え戦||lead=yes}}
{{Football box
| date = {{Start date|2021|12|18|df=y}}
| event =
| time = 13:00
| team1 = Honda Lock
(2021 JFL 16th)
| score = 3 – 2
| report = [http://www.jfl.or.jp/jfl-pc/view/s.php?a=1892&f=2021A0020111_spc.html JFL Official]
| team2 = FC Ise-Shima
(2021 Japan Regional Football Champions League runners-up)
| goals1 = Arashi Tamaki (8 minutes); Tomoki Mera (11 minutes); Ken Takahashi (20 minutes)
| goals2 = Miki Uematsu (84 minutes); Elichi Nakata (87 minutes)
| stadium = Nobeoka Nishishina Athletic Stadium, Nobeoka, Miyazaki
| attendance = 400
| referee = Yoshihito Hori
}}
Honda Lock remains in the JFL; FC Ise-Shima remains in the Tōkai Adult Soccer League Division 1.
{{Football box
| date = {{Start date|2021|12|18|df=y}}
| event =
| time = 13:00
| team1 = FC Kariya
(2021 JFL 17th)
| score = 0 – 4
| report = [http://www.jfl.or.jp/jfl-pc/view/s.php?a=1892&f=2021A0020112_spc.html JFL Official]
| team2 = Criacao Shinjuku
(2021 Japan Regional Football Champions League winners)
| goals1 =
| goals2 =
| stadium = Nagoya Minato Stadium, Nagoya, Aichi
| attendance =
| referee =
}}
FC Kariya was relegated to the Tōkai Adult Soccer League Division 1; Criacao Shinjuku was promoted to the JFL.
Season statistics
=Top scorers=
{{updated|28 November 2021}}.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jfl.or.jp/jfl-pc/view/s.php?a=1697|title=日本フットボールリーグオフィシャルWebサイト【得点Ｒ】}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1
|align="left"|{{fbaicon|JPN}} Yuki Okazaki |align="left"|Honda FC |16 | |||
| rowspan="4"|2
|align="left"|{{fbaicon|JPN}} Motoki Fujiwara |align="left"|Sony Sendai FC |rowspan="4"|12 | |||
| align="left"|{{fbaicon|JPN}} Reon Kodama
|align="left"|Honda FC | |||
| align="left"|{{fbaicon|JPN}} Ryo Sato
|align="left"|FC Tiamo Hirakata | |||
| align="left"|{{fbaicon|JPN}} Kohei Matsumoto
|align="left"|FC Tiamo Hirakata | |||
| 6
|align="left"|{{fbaicon|JPN}} Daigo Furukawa |align="left"|Iwaki FC |11 |
See also
{{Portal|Asia|Japan|Sports|Association football}}
;League
- Japanese association football league system
- J.League
- 2021 J1 League (Tier 1)
- 2021 J2 League (Tier 2)
- 2021 J3 League (Tier 3)
- 2021 Regional Champions League (play-offs for promotion to JFL)
- 2021 Regional Leagues (Tier 5/6)
;Cup(s)
- 2021 Fuji Xerox Super Cup (Super Cup)
- 2021 Emperor's Cup (National Open Cup)
- 2021 J.League YBC Levain Cup (League Cup)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.jfl.or.jp/ Official website] {{in lang|ja}}
{{2021 in Japanese football}}
{{Japanese Club Football|group=fourth}}