Matsumoto Yamaga FC

Matsumoto Yamaga Football Club (松本山雅フットボールクラブ, Matsumoto Yamaga Futtobōru Kurabu) is the Japanese football (soccer) club based in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. The club currently plays in the J2 League. It was previously promoted to the J. League Division 1 in 2015 and 2019, but was each time relegated after one season in the first tier of Japanese football.

Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.
松本山雅FC
Full nameMatsumoto Yamaga Football Club
Nickname(s)Ptarmigans, Gans
Founded1965 (1965)
GroundMatsumoto Stadium
(Alwin)
Matsumoto, Nagano
Capacity20,396
ManagerKeiichiro Nuno
LeagueJ2 League
2019J1 League, 17th
(relegated)
WebsiteClub website

The mascot of the club is called "GANS KUN" (ガンズくん), which is related to the Ptarmigans (ターミガンズ, Tāmiganzu), symbol birds of Nagano Prefecture.[1]

History

The club was founded in 1965 by the players who represented Nagano Prefecture. The players frequented a cafe called Yamaga in front of Matsumoto railway station and initially they were simply called Yamaga Club. In 2004, they were renamed as Matsumoto Yamaga FC when nonprofit organisation Alwin Sports Project were set up to support the club with the intention of promotion to J. League.

In the 2007 and 2008 season they finished respectively 1st and 4th in the Hokushin'etsu First Division, but failed to gain the promotion to the Japan Football League as they exited at the group stage of the Regional League promotion series against other regional champions. 2008 also brought a crucial Emperor's Cup run, where they defeated former Japanese champions Shonan Bellmare in the third round by penalty kicks, only to be eliminated 8–0 by Vissel Kobe.

The 2009 season brought inconsistency, as they took 4th place in the regional league but knocked Urawa Red Diamonds out of the Emperor's Cup in the second round, their biggest giant-killing ever.

By virtue of winning the Shakaijin Cup, they earned a berth in the Regional League promotion series, and won the series at home to earn promotion to the Japan Football League for 2010. They earned 7th place on their first season in the third tier.

In 2011, despite a season thrown off by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and the resulting inability of Sony Sendai to play a full schedule, Yamaga earned 4th place and were promoted to J. League Division 2. After three seasons they earned their first ever promotion to J1 League, only to be relegated after one season.

After failing to secure promotion in 2016 and 2017, Yamaga finished their 2018 season at the top of the J2 table, winning their first ever league title and securing automatic promotion to J1 in the process.

Rivalry

The biggest rival of Matsumoto Yamaga are the prefectural neighbors and former Hokushin'etsu League fellows Nagano Parceiro. Matches between those teams are labelled "Shinshū derby" and generate a lot of interest in both cities.[2] For 2011 season, Parceiro joined their rivals in JFL bringing the derby to the national level.

Stadium
Matsumoto Stadium (Alwin)

Matsumoto Yamaga's home ground is Matsumoto Stadium (popularly known as Alwin) located in the Kambayashi area of Matsumoto city. The stadium has a capacity of 20,000 (16,000 seats and 4,000 standings).[3] It is the third largest Sport venue in Nagano Prefecture.

Record

Honours

Current squad

As of 16 February 2020.[4]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 GK Kentaro Kakoi
2 DF Nobuhisa Urata
3 DF Hayuma Tanaka (captain)
6 MF Ibuki Fujita
7 FW Isma
8 MF Taro Sugimoto
9 FW Jael Ferreira
10 MF Serginho
11 FW Toyofumi Sakano
14 MF Keiya Nakami
15 DF Reiya Morishita
16 GK Tomohiko Murayama
17 MF Koki Tsukagawa
19 DF Ryuhei Yamamoto
20 MF Alvaro Rodrigues
21 MF Augusto
No. Position Player
22 MF Shusuke Yonehara
23 GK Kengo Tanaka
24 MF Masaya Yoshida
25 FW Itsuki Enomoto
26 MF Masaki Yamamoto
27 MF Yuto Suzuki
28 DF Haruki Mitsuda
29 MF Kaiga Murakoshi
30 MF Manato Yamada
31 DF Yuya Hashiuchi
33 DF Yuya Ohno
36 DF Daichi Inui
39 DF Toshiya Takagi
42 MF Ryo Takahashi
44 DF Kohei Hattori

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
GK Kengo Nagai (to Kitakyushu)
GK Goh Dong-min (to Hachinohe)
DF Daiki Morimoto (to Maruyasu Okazaki)
DF Yota Shimokawa (to Kanazawa)
MF Akira Ando (to Mito)
No. Position Player
FW Ren Komatsu (to Yamaguchi)
FW Daizen Maeda (to Marítimo)
FW Han Yong-thae (to Tochigi SC)
FW Leandro Pereira (to Hiroshima)

Managers

References
  1. Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. - Club Profile
  2. Senta, Houji. 信州ダービー (in Japanese). JAPAN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  3. 【松本平広域公園】 信州スカイパーク アルウィン (in Japanese). TOYBOX. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
  4. "選手・スタッフ". yamaga-fc.com. 16 February 2020.
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