The 1997 J.League season was the fifth season of the J.League. The league began in April 12 and ended in December 13. For this year, the league was contested by 17 teams. Kashima Antlers won the first stage and Júbilo Iwata won the second stage. Júbilo Iwata won the J.League title after winning both matches in the Suntory Championship.
Clubs
The following 17 clubs participated in J.League during the 1997 season. Of these clubs, Vissel Kobe was the only newly promoted team from Japan Football League.
Avispa Fukuoka Bellmare Hiratsuka Cerezo Osaka Gamba Osaka JEF United Ichihara Júbilo Iwata Kashima Antlers Kashiwa Reysol Kyoto Purple Sanga Nagoya Grampus Eight Sanfrecce Hiroshima Shimizu S-Pulse Urawa Red Diamonds Verdy Kawasaki Vissel Kobe Yokohama Flügels Yokohama Marinos
Personnel Club Head coachAvispa Fukuoka Carlos PachaméBellmare Hiratsuka Shigeharu UekiCerezo Osaka Levir CulpiGamba Osaka Josip KužeJEF United Ichihara Jan VersleijenJúbilo Iwata Takashi KuwaharaKashima Antlers João CarlosKashiwa Reysol Nicanor de CarvalhoKyoto Purple Sanga Pedro RochaNagoya Grampus Eight Carlos QueirozSanfrecce Hiroshima Eddie ThomsonShimizu S-Pulse Osvaldo ArdilesUrawa Red Diamonds Horst KöppelVerdy Kawasaki Valdir EspinosaVissel Kobe Stuart BaxterYokohama Flügels Otacílio GonçalvesYokohama Marinos Xabier Azkargorta
Foreign players Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Non-visa foreign Former players Avispa Fukuoka Marcelo Carracedo Sergio Vázquez Michael Obiku Pablo Maqueda Julio Hernán Rossi Rodrigo Riep Bellmare Hiratsuka Cláudio Simão Hong Myung-bo Wagner Lopes Cerezo Osaka Alex Lopes Claudinho Jean Elias Ko Jeong-woon Gilmar Sérgio Manoel Gamba Osaka Patrick Mboma Nebojša Krupniković Boban Babunski Amir Karić Mladen Mladenović JEF United Ichihara Nenad Maslovar Arnold Scholten Peter Bosz Rade Bogdanović Júbilo Iwata Adilson Batista Alessandro Cambalhota Dunga Marcelo Mabilia Salvatore Schillaci Kashima Antlers Bismarck Jorginho Mazinho Rodrigo Mendes Kashiwa Reysol Edílson Elpídio Silva Paulo Jamelli Valdir Antônio Carlos Zago Kyoto Purple Sanga Capone Daniel Luiz Carlos Mineiro Cléber Arado Edmílson Matias Nagoya Grampus Eight Alexandre Torres Ricardinho Valdo Dragan Stojković Sanfrecce Hiroshima Graham Arnold Tony Popovic Ian Crook Noh Jung-yoon Antônio Carlos Shimizu S-Pulse Fernando Oliva Santos Alex Mark Bowen Urawa Red Diamonds Željko Petrović Guido Buchwald Alfred Nijhuis Txiki Begiristain Michael Baur Basile Boli Verdy Kawasaki Alcindo Argel Fuchs Dias Magrão Ko Ishikawa Vissel Kobe Matthew Bingley Budimir Vujačić Lee Baxter Michael Yano Cho Kwi-jae Michael Laudrup Thomas Bickel Ziad Tlemçani Yokohama Flügels César Sampaio Fernando Rech Válber Cyrille Ndongo-Keller Anderson Gils Marcelo Zinho Yokohama Marinos Julio César Baldivieso Dušan Petković Julio Salinas
Standings First stage
Second stage
Key PLD = Games Played W = Games Won - 3 points for a win OTW = Games won in overtime - 2 points for overtime win PKW = Games won by penalty kicks after overtime played - 1 point for a win OTL = Games lost in overtime - zero points for overtime loss PKL = Games lost by penalty kicks after overtime played - zero points for a penalty loss GF = Goals scored for GA = Goals conceded GD = Goal difference - GF - GA = GD
Suntory Championship
Top scorers Rank Scorer Club Goals1 Patrick MbomaGamba Osaka252 EdílsonKashiwa Reysol233 MazinhoKashima Antlers22 Akihiro NagashimaVissel Kobe5 Masahiro FukudaUrawa Red Diamonds21 Julio SalinasYokohama Marinos7 VálberYokohama Flügels208 Masashi NakayamaJúbilo Iwata18 Wagner LopesBellmare Hiratsuka10 Paulo JamelliKashiwa Reysol14
Awards
Individual awards Award Recipient ClubMost Valuable Player DungaJúbilo IwataRookie of the Year Atsushi YanagisawaKashima AntlersManager of the Year João CarlosKashima AntlersTop Scorer Patrick MbomaGamba Osaka
Best Eleven Pos Footballer Club NationalityGKTomoaki OgamiJúbilo IwataDFMasami IharaYokohama MarinosDFNaoki SomaKashima AntlersDFYutaka AkitaKashima AntlersMFBismarckKashima AntlersMFDungaJúbilo IwataMFHidetoshi NakataBellmare HiratsukaMFHiroshi NanamiJúbilo IwataMFMotohiro YamaguchiYokohama FlügelsFWPatrick MbomaGamba OsakaFWMasashi NakayamaJúbilo Iwata
References