2013 J.League Division 2


The 2013 J.League Division 2 season was the 42nd season of the second-tier club football in Japan and the 15th season since the establishment of J2 League. The regular season began on 3 March and ended on 24 November, followed by the promotion play-offs among four clubs ranked between 3rd and 6th at the end of regular season. Gamba Osaka became champions, and Vissel Kobe became runners-up, both returned to J1 immediately after one season at J2. The other promoted team was third runners-up Tokushima Vortis, who won the promotion playoff final, defeating Kyoto Sanga FC. With the win, Vortis made their J1 debut, becoming the first professional Shikoku football club to compete in the top division of their national league.

Clubs

Ventforet Kofu and Shonan Bellmare, champions and runners-up in the previous season, and Oita Trinita, winners of the promotion play-offs for 2012, were promoted to J1, then Consadole Sapporo, Vissel Kobe, and Gamba Osaka were relegated to J2 instead. Sapporo returned to J2 only after one season in the top-flight, and Kobe returned to J2 second time after 2006 season, while Gamba suffered their very first relegation to the second-tier after J.League Division 2 was established in 1999, and the first relegation since their former organization, Matsushita Electric Soccer Club, were relegated after the 1986–87 season of JSL.
V-Varen Nagasaki, champions of the 2012 Japan Football League, were promoted to J2 while F.C. Machida Zelvia, promoted to J2 from the previous season and ranked 22nd, were relegated back to 2013 Japan Football League only after spending one season in J2.
In February, Thespa Kusatsu changed their name to Thespakusatsu Gunma.
The participant clubs were as follows:
Club nameHome townStadiumCapacityNote
Avispa FukuokaFukuokaBest Denki Stadium22,563
Consadole SapporoSapporo, HokkaidōSapporo Dome41,484Relegated from J1 League in 2012
Ehime FCAll cities/towns in EhimeNingineer Stadium20,000
Fagiano OkayamaAll cities/towns in OkayamaCity Light Stadium20,000
Gainare TottoriAll cities/towns in TottoriAxis Bird Stadium16,033
Gamba OsakaSuita, OsakaExpo '70 Commemorative Stadium21,000Relegated from J1 League in 2012
All cities/towns in GifuGifu Nagaragawa Stadium26,109
Giravanz KitakyushuKitakyushu, FukuokaHonjo Athletic Stadium10,000
Mito, IbarakiK's denki Stadium Mito12,000
JEF United ChibaChiba & Ichihara, ChibaFukuda Denshi Arena19,781
Kataller ToyamaAll cities/towns in ToyamaToyama Athletic Recreation Park Stadium28,494
Montedio YamagataAll cities/towns in YamagataND Soft Stadium20,315
Roasso KumamotoKumamotoUmakana-Yokana Stadium32,000
Southwestern cities/towns in KyotoKyoto Nishikyogoku Stadium20,242
Thespakusatsu GunmaAll cities/towns in GunmaShoda Shoyu Stadium15,253
Tochigi SCUtsunomiya, TochigiTochigi Green Stadium18,025
All cities/towns in TokyoAjinomoto Stadium49,970
Vissel KobeKobe, HyōgoHome's Stadium30,132Relegated from J1 League in 2012
All cities/towns in TokushimaPocarisweat Stadium17,924
V-Varen NagasakiAll cities/towns in NagasakiNagasaki Stadium20,246Champions of JFL in 2012
Matsumoto, NaganoMatsumotodaira Park Stadium20,396
Yokohama FCYokohama, KanagawaNHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium15,046

League table


Play-offs

Promotion Playoffs to Division 1

2013 J.League Road To J1 play-offs

Teams that finished 3rd to 6th participate in play-off series for the last J1 promotion berth.

Semifinals

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If the score was tied after 90 minutes, no extra time was played and the winner was the team with the best league ranking.

Final

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Tokushima Vortis were promoted to 2014 J.League Division 1

JFL Relegation Playoffs

2013 J2/JFL play-offs

The last-placed Gainare Tottori faced 2013 Japan Football League runners-up Kamatamare Sanuki in a two-legged playoff series.
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Gainare Tottori was relegated to 2014 J3 League

Kamatamare Sanuki was promoted to 2014 J.League Division 2

Top scorers

Updated to games played on 24 November 2013

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