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69-648: Given the club's youth when compared to many of their J1 peers, S-Pulse have had a relatively large impact on Japanese football. Since the game turned professional in 1992, they are one of the most prolific and consistent performers in cup competitions, having made no less than ten final appearances: five times in the Emperor's Cup and five times in the League Cup . Only Japan's most successful professional team, Kashima Antlers , have made more final appearances. They have won both of these competitions once and have also won

138-482: A central area behind the goal which has been dubbed The Dragon Zone. Often physical, it is not uncommon for the area to descend into a mosh pit after important goals, and signs posted around the stand inform and caution general supporters of the area's lively nature. The club's official fan club has several branches around the country, and S-Pulse supporters are officially listed as the team's twelfth player . Although Suzuyo & Co., Ltd.  [ ja ] , which

207-406: A colourful and noisy collection of supporters who follow the team around the country. A supporter band is present at games home and away to help galvanise support and raise the decibel levels. The band models itself to a large degree after its Brazilian counterparts, and Latin rhythms and samba sounds predominate. For home games, S-Pulse's more vocal supporters gather in the second tier of The Kop ;

276-632: A date which is celebrated as the club's memorial birthday. The match took place at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka. The club's first competitive game was in the 1992 League Cup against Nagoya Grampus on September 5 at the Mizuho Athletic Stadium , and ended in a 3–2 defeat. Their competitive home début was held at Nihondaira Stadium shortly after on September 9 against Yokohama Marinos , which S-Pulse won 2–1. S-Pulse's first league game

345-545: A fiercely contested derby, much of the home advantage is lost; a factor which contributed in part to the staging of the 2007 derby at Nihondaira despite demand for tickets far outstripping supply. The decision paid off with a home victory. 2007 saw all home games staged at Nihondaira for the first time since 1999. This was repeated in 2008 , although between 2009 and 2015 Ecopa was used for at least one home league game. S-Pulse have chosen not to use Ecopa since 2015, playing all home league games at Nihondaira. In October 2008 it

414-520: A higher-tier or higher ranked team. From 1965 to 1971, the top 4 JSL clubs at the end of the season qualified for the Cup and the other four spaces allotted were taken by finalists from universities. From 1972 to 1995, as the League increased in size, the entire top division teams were entered automatically, while the second tier's member clubs participated in regional stages with other clubs. Beginning in 1996,

483-587: A level below J.League , to one-off cup pairings. Despite always performing well, Honda FC have resisted professionalisation and so are unable to join the J.League. The forerunners to Avispa Fukuoka and Sagan Tosu were originally also based in Shizuoka Prefecture, but had to move to Kyushu because of the dominance and fan saturation of S-Pulse and Iwata. Since the team's inception, the same colour combination for home shirts have been used each year. The colour scheme of orange shirts, shorts and socks

552-422: A near-miss in the league, avoiding a relegation play-off by only goal difference, manager Kenta Hasegawa 's work started to pay off the following year. In both 2006 and 2007 S-Pulse performed strongly in the league and finished in 4th place, followed by a fifth place standing in 2008 . However, early exits in both cup competitions in 2006 and 2007, means they are currently without a trophy for five years. This

621-399: A new, larger home. In recent years various locations have been cited as a potential location for a new stadium, including next to Higashi-Shizuoka Station , and next to Shimizu Station . Located near the famous Miho no Matsubara are S-Pulse's main training facilities. Named Miho Ground, training session are sometimes open to the public for autograph hunters. The Miho Ground has also housed

690-454: A prefecture, Shizuoka had historically been a strong footballing area of Japan; in particular being noted for its nationally successful high school teams and the numerous national team players which had emerged from the prefecture over the years. The prefectural police force of Shizuoka actually has an anthropomorphic football as a mascot. The west of the prefecture was already home to the company team of Yamaha Motor Corporation who played in

759-407: A redeveloped part of Shimizu Port near the appropriately named S-Pulse Street. This is a road running into the city from the port area of Shimizu and is lined with various statues, monuments and art works related to and inspired by the city's strong association with football. This includes foot and hand prints cast into metal of former notable players, and several S-Pulse-related statues. S-Pulse Street

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828-493: Is a Japanese annual football competition. It has the longest tradition of any football match in Japan, dating back to 1921, before the formation of the J.League , current JFL (not former JFL) and their predecessor, Japan Soccer League . Before World War II , teams could qualify not only from Japan proper but also from Empire of Japan 's colonies such as Korea , Taiwan , and sometimes Manchukuo . The winning club qualifies for

897-536: Is a local major logistics company, had become a parent company just at the present, since the Shimizu S-Pulse was born as a citizen club from the start, vulnerable time suited it in the past in terms of a fund. As well as originally gathering its playing staff almost exclusively from Shizuoka prefecture, local corporation S-Lap Communications ran and financed the club. This was a company funded in part from Shimizu citizens, but in main by Shizuoka Television. After

966-623: Is a shopping and entertainment complex in Shimizu, housing various attractions including restaurants, a ferris wheel , cinema and a football museum. From the nearby Shimizu Port, the S-Pulse Dream Ferry service runs daily to Izu . The team also lends its name to a series of futsal courts named, perhaps predictably, S-Pulse Dream Fields. These facilities are located in Fujieda, Fuji, Sunto and in Shimizu. Dream Plaza can be found in

1035-871: Is also home to the Shimizu Branch of the S-Pulse Dream House. The S-Pulse brand also extends into motorcycle racing, with the S-Pulse Dream Racing Team bearing the football team's name, logo and mascot. The team competes in the All Japan Road Race ST600 class. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Players who have been named Player of

1104-409: Is awarded to the top division yūshō winner of a sumo tournament. 1993 J.League The J.League 1993 season was the inaugural season of the J.League . The league fixtures began on 15 May 1993 and ended on 15 December 1993. The first ever Suntory Championship took place in the following year, 9 and 16 January 1994. Ten clubs participated in J.League during 1993 season: In the first year,

1173-408: Is currently no third kit. Goalkeeping colours have changed more over the seasons, with the current first choice kit all black, and all green being the second choice. Kit manufacturers have been exclusively Puma since 1997, and prior to this was shared with Mizuno . Shirt sponsors have been fairly consistent over the team's sixteen-year history (see table below). The team's current main shirt sponsor

1242-508: Is taken from the English pal and the pul of S-Pulse. The suffix chan is an affectionate title commonly used in Japan. Sporting team number zero , Palchan goods are a consistent best seller with various merchandise available. S-Pulse also have a cheer leading team named Orange Wave. The team perform routines prior to kick off and half time as well as making various appearances at S-Pulse themed events in and around Shizuoka. In and around

1311-403: Is the local Suzuyo Group, with additional sponsorship panels on the lower neck and arms from confectionery company Glico , and Japan Airlines , respectively. From the club's formation up to 1996, the club used an earlier version of the team crest. while different, the previous design featured the same central lettering as the present badge. Unveiled for the 1997 season, the current team crest

1380-520: Is the longest barren spell in their history, although in 2008 they came close, being defeated in the final of the League Cup by Oita Trinita . In 2011, S-Pulse made the "Signing of the Century" by making a move to complete the signing of Swedish and Arsenal F.C. legend Freddie Ljungberg . It is considered by many Japanese to be one of the greatest signings in league history. Many also believed that

1449-553: Is the restrictively low capacity of Nihondaira. This has often led the club to stage fixtures against neighbouring Júbilo Iwata and other high-profile clashes, at Shizuoka "Ecopa" Stadium . This stadium was built in 2001 for the following year's World Cup and has a capacity of 51,349. Despite still being in Shizuoka Prefecture , Ecopa is over an hour's travel from Shimizu, deep within the Jubilo catchment area. For such

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1518-720: The AFC Champions League (ACL) since the 2001 tournament , where Shimizu S-Pulse qualified for the ACL 2002–03 . Before the establishment of ACL, the cup winner qualified for the Asian Cup Winners' Cup . From 2012, as a part of the requirement of AFC, the champion team must also hold a J1 Club License, later the ACL Club License in order to enter the ACL (but not necessary to be a Division 1/J1 team). From

1587-764: The AFC Champions League and the Japanese Super Cup . The women's equivalent to this tournament is the Empress's Cup . The current winners are Kawasaki Frontale , having won their second cup in the 2023 edition , having previously won their first in 2020 . As it is a competition to decide the "best soccer club in Japan", the cup is now open to every member club of the Japan Football Association , from J1 and J2 (J.League Divisions 1 and 2) down to teams from J3 (J3 League), JFL, regional leagues, and top college and high school teams from around

1656-537: The Japan Soccer League and who would later go on to form Júbilo Iwata, but it was believed there was room for another team for the football-hungry population. An earlier attempt had been made in the 1970s with the local club belonging to Nippon Light Metal Corp., which briefly competed in the JSL Division 2 under the name Hagoromo Club . With the advent of the professional league at the start of

1725-451: The Japanese Super Cup twice and the Asian Cup Winners' Cup once. The club's most recent cup final was in the 2012 J.League Cup which ended in defeat to Kashima. Despite the club's cup competition prowess, the J.League Division 1 title has so far eluded them. The closest S-Pulse came was in 1999 when, after winning the league's second stage, they lost out on the title in a penalty shootout . When scores remained level after both legs of

1794-435: The Japanese Super Cup , replacing Yokohama Flügels after their merger with Yokohama Marinos . However, S-Pulse lost the match 2–1. After performing well in both league stages, S-Pulse were up against local rivals Júbilo Iwata in the title decider, and after a 3–3 aggregate draw, lost the tie 4–2 on penalties. The new millennium brought better results for S-Pulse. Victory in the Asian Cup Winners' Cup in 2000 and victory in

1863-613: The National Stadium in Tokyo. The most frequently used other venue was Kusanagi Athletic Stadium . Utilised almost equally with Nihondaira over S-Pulse's earliest years, this included six home games in 1993. Kusanagi was called home while Nihondairs was enlarged in 1994, and again while the pitch relaid in 2003. With a fully functioning Nihondaira, Kusanagi was used less commonly, with the most recent first team match being held there in 2003 . The most common reason for moving games

1932-399: The 1990s, the concept of creating a team to both sign and represent the local footballing talent was fomented. Shimizu S-Pulse was formed in early 1991 as Shimizu FC from the backing of local businesses and people. This was a beginning which made them unique among the founding clubs of the J.League, with all others ex-company teams turned professional. Two months after formation, the club name

2001-544: The 2002–03 to 2008 ACL editions, the cup winner participated in the ACL that began one year later; for example, the Emperor's Cup winner for the 2005 season (crowned on 1 January 2006) participated in the 2007 tournament . In November 2007, the JFA announced that the 2009 ACL spot would be given to the 2008 season's winner (crowned on 1 January 2009), not the 2007 winner. As a result, the 2007 winner, Kashima Antlers , did not earn

2070-436: The 2003/04 competition, when Funabashi Municipal High School took the 2003 J.League champion Yokohama F. Marinos to a penalty shootout . Waseda University was the last non-league winner in 1966, and the previous non-top tier winner was in 2011 (contested by two second-tier teams, FC Tokyo and Kyoto Sanga , with FC Tokyo winning 4–2). Since 1969, the Emperor's Cup final had traditionally been played on New Year's Day of

2139-400: The 2009 ACL spot through the championship. (Nevertheless, Antlers eventually earned the 2009 ACL spot by winning the 2008 J.League Division 1 .) With the reform of AFC Club Competitions starting from the 2024–25 season, the champions will be qualified for the brand-new top tier tournament named AFC Champions League Elite , and they will be seeded into the League stage of that tournament. If

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2208-456: The 47 prefectural championships (consist of professional and amateur teams, ranging from J3 League and below), and 1 specially-designated team among all amateur teams (this was assigned to the collegiate champion until 2011, and nowadays it's commonly assigned to the JFL champions). The latter 48 starts the competition on the first round. On 2024 , an exception for the specially-designated team from

2277-419: The Emperor's Cup begin anywhere from April to August of that year, and varies year to year. For the 104th Emperor's Cup (2024), the matches were played from 25 May 2024 to 23 November 2024. The knockout phase of the competition begins towards the end of the year. The Emperor's Cup is composed of all teams from J1 League (J1) and J2 (who are granted direct entry to the Cup's second round), the winners from each of

2346-605: The J.League bubble burst in the late 1990s, Shizuoka Television withdrew backing, and in 1998 only a drastic restructuring kept the club afloat. Ownership of S-Pulse was reorganized between local companies under the leadership of Shimizu-based Suzuyo. It is now run under the company title of S-Pulse, Inc. Despite their relatively short history, S-Pulse have had some impact on popular culture beyond football. Current manager and former player of some eight years and over 200 appearances, Kenta Hasegawa , makes occasional appearances in popular manga and anime series Chibi Maruko-chan . In

2415-692: The J1 League on the final matchweek of the 2016 J2 League . After six years at J1 League, in which they spent five of the six years on the lower half of the table, S-Pulse returned to J2 League after being confirmed relegation from the J1 on the last matchweek, having finished in 17th place, just above their rivals Júbilo Iwata . On 27 October 2024, S-Pulse secure promotion to J1 League after defeat Tochigi SC narrowly 1-0 with goal Jelani Reshaun Sumiyoshi in 50th minute and return to top tier after two years absence. In common with other J.League teams, S-Pulse have

2484-554: The JFL had to be made, as Urawa Red Diamonds was banned from participating this year. Two teams were granted this automatic qualification (champions from the JFL and the University Championship), with the lower-ranked between the two assigned to the first round and the higher-ranked assigned to the second round, to replace the aforementioned excluded Urawa Reds. J1 teams, and sometimes J2 team(s) also receive bye(s) in

2553-540: The Júbilo team which won three J.League championships between 1997 and 2002 . Alongside off-field factors, S-Pulse and Júbilo are locked in a perpetual struggle for supremacy on the field. During the J.League's infancy, it was S-Pulse who experienced the greater success and support, but they found themselves in Iwata's shadow for long periods either side of the turn of the century. Recently, S-Pulse have once again emerged as

2622-635: The Year or Young Player of the Year in the J.League : World Cup 1994 World Cup 1998 World Cup 2002 World Cup 2006 World Cup 2010 For the 2024 season. Emperor%27s Cup The Emperor's Cup JFA All-Japan Football Championship Tournament ( Japanese : 天皇杯 JFA 全日本サッカー選手権大会 , Hepburn : Tennōhai Jēefuē Zen-Nihon Sakkā Senshuken Taikai ) , commonly known as The Emperor's Cup ( Japanese : 天皇杯, サッカー天皇杯 , Hepburn : Tennōhai, Sakkā Tennōhai ) or Japan FA Cup , and rebranded as The JFA Emperor's Cup from 2024 onwards,

2691-814: The area's premier club, finishing above Júbilo in the league every season since 2006 , and often enjoying further cup runs. 2008 was also the first year since 1995 that S-Pulse succeeded in drawing more supporters through the gates than their rivals. Also based in Shizuoka are Fujieda MYFC , Azul Claro Numazu and Honda FC . Among those 3 clubs, only Fujieda that currently play at the same level as S-Pulse in J2 League , limiting any potential rivalry development with Azul Claro, who play in J3 League and Honda FC, which compete in Japan Football League ,

2760-403: The club offices since the club's foundation. S-Pulse share Shizuoka Prefecture with fierce local rivals, Júbilo Iwata . The rivalry dates back to the formation of the J.League when the newly formed S-Pulse were chosen ahead of Júbilo to take part in the first J.League season. Jubilo, who had existed as Yamaha FC in the Japan Soccer League since 1980, had to earn promotion via the 1992 season of

2829-464: The country. The Emperor's Cup is one of two well-known national football tournaments named after a monarch (the other is Spain's Copa del Rey ). The holder can wear a Yatagarasu emblem (the ordinary winner wears one, the E letter and the purple line above the bird, the league-cup double winner can wear the gold star and line above the Yatagarasu) and obtains an AFC Champions League spot for

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2898-699: The cup winner has already earned an AFC Champions League spot through finishing above third in J1 League , the last spot will be given to J1's fourth-placed team. Teams in bold indicate doubles with the league title , while teams in italics indicate non-top flight clubs (both after 1965). The Emperor's Cup term is used for many national championships in other sports, including judo (the All-Japan Judo Championships ) and volleyball ( Emperor's Cup and Empress's Cup All Japan Volleyball Championship ). The Emperor's Cup (天皇賜杯, Tennō shihai)

2967-482: The final of the Emperor's Cup in 2001 meant that the S-Pulse trophy cabinet was beginning to fill up, and victories in the 2001 and 2002 Japanese Super Cups meant that the club had won four cups in three years. In 2005, S-Pulse closed the year with a run to the Emperor's Cup final in which they did not concede a single goal. However, this changed in the final against Urawa Red Diamonds , which they lost 2–1. After

3036-481: The first stage until they collapsed later, falling into the bottom three. Home fans were disappointed at the way their club was playing. S-Pulse failed to improve in the second stage, being at the relegation positions. After 23 seasons in the top flight, they were relegated to J2 (and the second tier) for the first time in their history after a 1–0 home loss to Vegalta Sendai on October 17, 2015. S-Pulse bounced back to top flight football immediately, securing promotion to

3105-511: The following year at the National Stadium in Tokyo and is regarded as the traditional closing match of the season. Since 2014, the venue has varied due to the stadium's renovation for the 2020 Summer Olympics . The 2014 Emperor's Cup Final was not held on New Year's Day, but 13 December 2014, due to the Japan 's qualification to the 2015 AFC Asian Cup . The 2018 final was held on 9 December 2018. Although an official reason has not been given, it

3174-417: The knockout phase. In 2016, all J1 teams and the previous year's J2 champions received a bye, and AFC Champions League participants received 3 byes. As of 2024, all J1 and J2 teams receives a bye from the first round, and are automatically assigned to the second round, with the higher ranked teams earning home advantage. However, they lose this home advantage from the third round onwards, unless they are facing

3243-448: The league followed split-season format, and each halves (or stages) were known as Suntory Series and NICOS Series for sponsorship purposes. In each series, ten clubs played in double round-robin format, a total of 18 games per club (per series). The games went to golden-goal extra time and penalties if needed after regulation. The clubs were ranked by number of wins, and tie breakers are, in the following order: The club that finished at

3312-431: The new Japan Football League . This has remained a bone of contention between long standing fans. With Shizuoka long recognised as the homeland of football in Japan, the two teams have a history of fighting over the best players produced by the region's high schools and universities. Good examples being Naohiro Takahara and Takahiro Yamanishi , who, after graduating from Shimizu Higashi High School , went on to sign for

3381-462: The next season. Since the creation of the J.League in 1992, the professional teams have dominated the competition, although doubles , once common in the JSL, have become very rare. However, because the Emperor's Cup is contested in a knockout tournament format, "giant-killers" from the amateur ranks upsetting a top J.League squad is a very real possibility. For example, a major upset almost occurred in

3450-642: The popular Captain Tsubasa manga , who, on becoming professional footballers, join S-Pulse. Main articles: Nihondaira Sports Stadium , Shizuoka "Ecopa" Stadium , Kusanagi Athletic Stadium S-Pulse's main home arena is the Nihondaira Sports Stadium located in Shimizu, with a capacity of 20,248. However, over their history home games have been staged at a number of grounds. The first decade of S-Pulse's existence sometimes saw 'home' games played outside of Shizuoka prefecture, including at

3519-403: The second-tier clubs (at the time, the old Japan Football League) began to be admitted automatically instead of having to play regional stages, which in turn became prefectural stages. Before 2008, 48 teams took part in the first two rounds – the winner from each of the 47 prefectural championships and the collegiate champion. The top team in the JFL standings and all thirteen J2 teams joined in

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3588-417: The show a boy with his name and referred to as Kenta -kun is sometimes seen. He loves football and is a classmate of title character Chibi Maruko. The author of the manga, Momoko Sakura , created this character after Hasegawa. Sakura and Hasegawa attended the same primary school during the same period. Unique S-Pulse related Chibi Maruko goods are also produced. In another example, two fictional characters from

3657-407: The signing would boost football in baseball-fanatic Japan, however Ljungberg departed, and subsequently retired, after 5 + 1 ⁄ 2 months with the club. Later managements would turn out to be a catalyst for S-Pulse's luck to run out in the next seasons. S-Pulse would play four more seasons in J1, until their first-tier stay was broken in the 2015 season. The club was in good standing early in

3726-478: The stand behind the west goal at Nihondaira Stadium. Also in this area can be found S-Pulse's various organised supporter groups. These groups include fan clubs dedicated to specific players and are often identifiable by unique uniforms. These fan clubs work to organise events which include mass choreographed displays and the supporter band. Also housed in The Kop are S-Pulse's band of ultras , who each game take over

3795-492: The team logo which is often used to represent the club. The logo uses the central lettering from the crest, an example of which being the club's shop sign. Named Palchan and sporting big, winglike ears, S-Pulse's mascot supports the team and entertains fans by performing choreographed, and often acrobatic, dance routines during the buildup to home games. He often performs with the help of his two younger siblings. Designed by professional cartoonist Guy Gilchrist , Palchan's name

3864-831: The team's native Shizuoka City there are eight official club shops. Six of these are known as S-Pulse Dream House and serve as both club merchandise stores and match ticket offices. These can be found in Shizuoka, Shimizu, Fujieda , Suntō and Parche shopping centre, part of Shizuoka Station . The Shimizu Dream House also includes a projection screen and viewing area for the broadcasting of away games. The sixth, and newest, Dream House opened in March 2008 in Fuji City . There are two further S-Pulse shops, with one located in Yaizu , and one in S-Pulse Dream Plaza. S-Pulse Dream Plaza

3933-420: The ten founder members of the new J.League, and finished third after the 1st and 2nd stages were combined. Their second venture into the J.League Cup was another near miss, again losing in the final to Verdy Kawasaki. Finally, in 1996 the team got their hands on the trophy and also gained revenge on Verdy, beating them 5–4 on penalties in the final. The year 1999 was marked with S-Pulse's first appearance in

4002-485: The third round. Finally, the eighteen J1 teams joined in the fourth round, making a total of 80 participating teams. The original All Japan Championship Tournament trophy was awarded to the JFA by the English Football Association in 1919. This trophy was used until January 1945, when the militarist government confiscated it and melted down to procure additional metal for the war effort. When

4071-404: The title deciding match , Júbilo Iwata , S-Pulse's local rivals , prevailed. Former S-Pulse and national team player Kenta Hasegawa , who made a substitute appearance in the second leg of this title decider, became club manager in 2005 . He was the longest serving manager in the club's history, in office until 2010. He resigned at the end of the season after failing to win any competitions and

4140-491: The top of the table is declared stage champion and qualifies for the Suntory Championship. The first stage winner, hosts the first leg in the championship series. If the same club win both stages, the runners-up of each stages plays against each other and the winners challenges the stage winner at the championship game. In its first year, the league averaged 17,976 fans and had over 3.2 million fans total over

4209-535: The tournament was reinstated, the present trophy, showing the Imperial chrysanthemum seal began to be awarded. In August 2011, the English FA presented its Japanese counterpart with a replica of the original trophy, made by London silversmiths Thomas Lyte . JFA President Junji Ogura expressed hope that the trophy, to be awarded at the 2011 final, would be "a symbol of peace". The cup winner qualifies for

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4278-427: Was announced that naming rights would be sold for Nihondaira Stadium. In late November 2008 a deal was announced which would rename the stadium Outsourcing Stadium Nihondaira. The contract will run for four years starting from the 2009 season, and would be worth 90 000 000 per year. A new 5-year deal sponsorship deal with IAI Corporation, a manufacturer of industrial robots , took effect on 1 March 2013. The stadium

4347-423: Was designed around a globe to reflect the club's ambitions as a world class professional team. The head of the badge takes the iconic shape of Mount Fuji 's perfect cone to symbolise the team's representation of Shizuoka; the home of Mount Fuji. The choice of blue to accompany the team's orange evokes Shimizu's history as an industrial port town and its proximity to the sea of Suruga Bay . The team crest differs from

4416-421: Was officially changed to Shimizu S-Pulse. S-Pulse is a combination of the S from Shizuoka, Shimizu, Supporter and Soccer, and Pulse from English to mean the spirit of all those who support the team. On February 4, 1991, S-Pulse were approved by the J.League to compete in the newly formed professional league to start the following year. The club played its first ever game against Gamba Osaka on July 4, 1992,

4485-499: Was played in May 1993 away to Yokohama Flügels at Mitsuzawa Stadium . Flügels won 3–2. The first home league game was a 2–1 victory against Sanfrecce Hiroshima on May 19 of the same year. After being approved for participation in the J.League S-Pulse competed in the inaugural 1992 J.League Cup and made it to their first final. However, the dream start ended with defeat at the hands of Verdy Kawasaki . In 1993, S-Pulse became one of

4554-463: Was renamed IAI Stadium Nihondaira, shortened by the club and supporters to I Sta. This sponsorship deal was extended a further five years in 2018. After filling Nihondaira on average over 81% for league games in 2008, in November of the same year the club expressed its desire for the ground, which is owned by Shizuoka City, to have its capacity expanded. In 2020 the club restated their hope to build

4623-508: Was replaced by Afshin Ghotbi . Ghotbi's tenure lasted over 3 years, keeping the club as a mid-table J1 team until his departure in early 2014. From that season onward the club have churned through managers & become a yo-yo club with relegation zone finishes in J1 while regularly winning promotion in J2. Headquarters are established in Shizuoka Prefecture called the football kingdom in Japan. As

4692-472: Was selected to reflect the famous local product of Shizuoka Prefecture; the mikan . The current bright orange hue, named S-Pulse Orange by the club, is the result of a gentle evolution from a more yellow/orange shade during the team's early years. At the advent of the J.League, S-Pulse were the only top division club in the country to wear orange, a distinction which is now shared with other top flight mainstays, such as Albirex Niigata and Omiya Ardija . There

4761-416: Was suspected due to the national team's involvement in 2019 AFC Asian Cup . On 1 January 2020, first time finalist Vissel Kobe beat Kashima Antlers in the 2019 Emperor's Cup Final at the recently built new National Stadium to win the first title in their 54-year club history. This was the first professional match in Japan video assistant referee (VAR) being used. The first matches to qualify for

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