Football Season Guide

After 11 years in the top flight 2025 was a difficult season. The first season down in J2 after the relegation mounted to nothing. Mixed 16 wins with 17 defeats in the 38 rounds. This left them out of the top 10 and full 10 points behind the promotion play-offs. Made a slow start to the transition J2/J3 tournament too. However, rallied from late April onward and finished the Vision League with 7 wins in 8 to claim a top 8 finish in the 40-team league. Coach Kawai has to plan for the future without his hugely influential captain Takamine. Solid centre-back Iezumi also left. With Takamine often used as part of the back 3 this means 2 of the most important figures defensively are no longer in the team. Haven’t done any major moves to replace them so far. It seems after recovering from injuries Park and Urakami will be given chances. Also, Miya arrived during the Vision League and he is poised to play a lot when the manager uses a back 3. Talented young striker Toyama has arrived with the promise to feature often on the road. His speed and directness make him a perfect weapon for tactics on counterattack. Still, have their typical target-man Bakayoko. He can start at home and appear on the pitch when Consadole seek goals. Despite the feel that the squad is a bit weaker Sapporo still have enough talent and depth to be seen as potential promotion candidates.