2024 J1 League: The Favorites to Win the Title in the Final Stretch

1. Sanfrecce Hiroshima: The League’s Unstoppable Tempest

Sanfrecce’s brand new stadium – Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, seems to fuel this club’s power this season as they sweep the league with a staggering ~50% win rate (as of this writing). The team finished 3rd last season, and they are now a serious contender for this year’s title.

Their 2-0 victory in the league season’s opening match against the impeccable Urawa Red Diamonds set their momentum this season. As of writing, Sanfrecce is in a 9-game unbeaten streak (8 wins and 1 draw for 25 points), enabling them to catch up with Machida Zelvia on the top of the standings.

This club is apparently in good shape this season under the supervision of the well-experienced German coach Michael Skibbe. The club’s versatile defenders, led by goalkeeper Keisuke Osako and team captain Sho Sasaki, effectively leverage their youth energy and experience to lock down opposing forwards.

Meanwhile, their key forwards Pieros Sotiriou and Tolgay Arslan will be crucial in the team’s fierce offensive attacks, especially after the departure of leading scorer Yuki Ohashi to join Blackburn Rovers.

2. Machida Zelvia: The Vigorous Newcomer

Fresh from their victory in the J2 League, Machida Zelvia has finally reached Japan’s top flight this season. The club has around 40 players, which might sound like overkill in terms of team dynamics, but Coach Go Kuroda’s helm seems to keep the players in tune, as shown in their impressive fairy-tale run so far.

The robust partnership of Machida’s forwards Shota Fujio (9 goals) and Oh Se-Hun (7 goals) humbled down their opponents throughout the year. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Kosei Tani, supported by an impressive group of defenders, only allowed 22 goals in 31 games (league best) and 15 clean sheets, enabling them to stay on top of the table for an extensive period.

However, Sanfrecce’s recent run, along with Zelvia’s 2 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses (10 points) in their last 8 games, made the fight for the title tighter. With 7 games left, including a big-time match against Sanfrecce on Sept 28, the club would need to lock in to continue possibly one of football’s great miracles.

3. Vissel Kobe: The Formidable Title Holder

Vissel Kobe’s 2023 J1 victory is their first-ever win in the premiere Japanese football league. Now, the club is under immense pressure to defend the throne, given the intense performance of the frontrunners.

Forward Yuya Osako’s recent performances are as marvelous as the previous season. Recall that this player scored Vissel Kobe’s winning goals in 2023. He might not be able to match last year’s goal production, but he seems to maintain the vigor, creativity, and force to help the team compete. Of course, forward Yoshinori Muto also complements Osako’s offensive through his aggressive strikes and finishes.

The team will play Urawa Red Diamonds on Sept. 28. Should the game against Sanfrecce and Zelvia end in a draw, the defending champs can retake the top spot if they win their match, making the title race more thrilling in weeks to come.  

4. Kashima Antlers: The Blazing Powerhouse

Antlers’ last top-three finish was almost five years ago, but it seems they’re fueled to regain their glorious reputation. After all, the club has the most top-flight titles in history.

The club is currently managed by Ranko Popovic, who’s not short of top-flight experience. Since 2010, Popovic has managed some of the league’s powerhouse – FC Tokyo and Cerezo Osaka. Striker Suzuki Yuma and Serbian center-forward Aleksandar Cavric prove to be precious assets for the club as they now have 12 and 7 goals, respectively.

So far, Kashima Antlers have performed well (on paper) with 14 wins and 8 draws. However, the team really struggled to get points since June, only winning 4 games and getting 6 draws for 18 points in 14 games.

The team is currently 8 points behind Vissel Kobe and has a game at hand, which means they still have 8 more games and 24 max points to play for. Should other top teams drop some games and Antlers get consistent wins, there’s still a chance that Kashima will win their 9^th J1 title this year.