| Season | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Tokyo Gas 1stJFL title 1stD2 title |
| Matches | 240 |
| Goals | 846 (3.53 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Valdney (33 goals) |
←1997 | |
Statistics ofJapan Football League in the 1998 season.
The 1998 season was the seventh and the last of theformer Japan Football League. It was contested by 16 teams, andTokyo Gas won the championship. After the season, nine teams together with J. League Promotion and Relegation series' losersConsadole Sapporo formed thesecond division of J.League. Other seven clubs together withRegional Leagues promotion series winnersYokogawa Electric and newly createdYokohama FC have formed thenew Japan Football League.
The following sixteen clubs participated in Japan Football League Division 1 during the 1998 season.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | PKW | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo Gas(C) | 30 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 67 | 17 | +50 | 69 | FormedJ.League Division 2 |
| 2 | Kawasaki Frontale | 30 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 72 | 24 | +48 | 68 | J.League Division 1 Pro/Rele Series |
| 3 | Montedio Yamagata | 30 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 69 | 38 | +31 | 64 | FormedJ.League Division 2 |
| 4 | Ventforet Kofu | 30 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 74 | 40 | +34 | 59 | |
| 5 | Honda Motors | 30 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 57 | 45 | +12 | 54 | Formednew Japan Football League |
| 6 | Oita Trinity | 30 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 51 | 51 | 0 | 45 | FormedJ.League Division 2 |
| 7 | Brummell Sendai | 30 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 43 | |
| 8 | Sagan Tosu | 30 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 40 | 55 | −15 | 39 | |
| 9 | Otsuka FC Vortis Tokushima | 30 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 58 | 48 | +10 | 38 | Formednew Japan Football League |
| 10 | Denso | 30 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 48 | 59 | −11 | 38 | |
| 11 | Albirex Niigata | 30 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 39 | 47 | −8 | 34 | FormedJ.League Division 2 |
| 12 | Omiya Ardija | 30 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 31 | |
| 13 | Sony Sendai | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 42 | 71 | −29 | 23 | Formednew Japan Football League |
| 14 | Mito HollyHock | 30 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 37 | 69 | −32 | 23 | |
| 15 | Kokushikan University | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 42 | 76 | −34 | 21 | |
| 16 | Jatco | 30 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 44 | 97 | −53 | 18 |
| Home \ Away | ALB | ARD | BRU | DEN | FRO | HOL | HON | JAT | KSU | MON | OVT | SAG | SON | TGA | TRI | VEN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albirex Niigata | 1–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–1OT | 5–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1OT | 1–2OT | 0–1OT | 3–1 | |
| Omiya Ardija | 2–0 | 1–2 | 3–4OT | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–2OT | 3–0 | 1–0OT | 0–2 | 4–1 | 0–2 | 2–1OT | 0–3 | 3–0 | 1–4 | |
| Brummell Sendai | 0–2 | 2–2PK 5–4 | 2–1OT | 2–3 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 6–1 | 2–1 | 2–1OT | 3–2OT | 5–1 | 2–1OT | 0–3 | 1–0OT | 0–1 | |
| Denso | 3–0 | 3–2OT | 2–4 | 1–3 | 3–4 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–5 | 2–3 | 1–2 | |
| Kawasaki Frontale | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 6–0 | 3–0 | 0–1OT | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 7–0 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–0OT | |
| Mito HollyHock | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–5 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 0–3 | 0–7 | 0–1 | 2–1OT | 0–1 | 1–3 | 1–6 | |
| Honda Motors | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–0OT | 2–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–4OT | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–2OT | |
| Jatco | 1–2 | 3–2OT | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–5 | 3–10 | 1–2OT | 3–6 | 2–1 | 3–2OT | 0–5 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–7 | |
| Kokushikan University | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–2PK 1–4 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 1–4 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 1–4 | 4–3 | 4–1 | 3–2OT | 1–6 | 2–3 | 1–3 | |
| Montedio Yamagata | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1PK 4–5 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–1OT | 6–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–2 | |
| Otsuka FC Vortis Tokushima | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1PK 4–5 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 5–3 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–2OT | 2–2PK 4–2 | 1–2 | |
| Sagan Tosu | 1–0 | 2–1OT | 5–0 | 1–2 | 2–5 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–2OT | 1–0OT | 2–3OT | 2–1OT | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | |
| Sony Sendai | 1–2 | 3–4 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 0–5 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–4OT | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | |
| Tokyo Gas | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0OT | 2–0 | 5–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–1OT | 2–0 | 3–0 | 5–0 | 2–1 | |
| Oita Trinity | 2–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–2PK 5–3 | 1–2 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 2–3OT | 0–4 | 2–0 | 1–3 | 3–2 | 0–1OT | |
| Ventforet Kofu | 4–1 | 3–2OT | 6–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 3–2OT | 1–0 | 2–2PK 4–3 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–1OT | 5–0 | 2–1 | 1–3 |
Kawasaki Frontale were awarded a spot in the first round of J.League Promotion and Relegation Series where they have played againstAvispa Fukuoka.
| Avispa Fukuoka | 3 – 2 (a.e.t.) | Kawasaki Frontale |
|---|---|---|
Kudo 24'Yamashita 89'Fernando 104' | Report | Ito 17' Tuto 61' |
Avispa proceeded to thenext round and Frontale entered thesecond division.
