Football Season Guide

Imabari secured promotion to the J2 for the first time in their history. They had an excellent 2024 and achieved automatic promotion by finishing second. Stayed full 12 points behind the J3 champions but also finished with a decisive 9-point lead over the team in third place. Imabari’s home form was the main reason for this achievement. Went undefeated at home from May onward – 9 wins and 2 draws. Big part played the team’s captain and lethal striker Marcus Vinicius. He won the J3 Golden Boot last year with his 19 league goals. Wesley was also effective – 6 goals and 4 assists in 16 appearances – but he had health issues. Both Brazilians stayed put and Imabari will rely heavily on them in attack in 2025 too. There is a third prolific striker in the ranks now. Kosuke Fujioka also scored 19 goals for Gifu last season and his arrival is seen as a major move. The main goalie Jon Ander Serantes left the team though. Also, the team’s very important anchor-man from last season Tomás Moschión is no longer in the squad. Both were vital for the secured promotion. The departure of the latter will likely see the 38-year-old Yuta Mikado remain a regular starter in midfield. He is experienced player but his fitness is on a decline and this might be an issue as the season progresses. Imabari also changed managers in a surprising move this winter. Serious gamble was made with the appointment of Keiji Kuraishi. He has zero experience as a head coach at this level. He was V-Varen Nagasaki’s assistant coach last year and before that was an assistant for Yokohama FC. It is a bold move that will either pay off or backfire spectacularly.