The 98th Emperor's Cup (天皇杯 JFA 第98回全日本サッカー選手権大会) was the 2018 edition of the annual Japanese national football cup tournament, which began on 26 May 2018 and ended with the final on 9 December 2018 at the Saitama Stadium 2002.[1] The final was held earlier than the usual date of 1 January due to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

2018 Emperor's Cup
2018 Emperor's Cup Final at Saitama Stadium 2002
Tournament details
Country Japan
Dates26 May – 9 December
Teams88
Final positions
ChampionsUrawa Red Diamonds (7th title)
Runner-upVegalta Sendai
AFC Champions LeagueUrawa Red Diamonds
← 2017
2019 →

The draw for the first four rounds was held on 29 March 2018.[2]

As a result of its win, Urawa Red Diamonds automatically qualified to the group stage of the 2019 AFC Champions League.

Calendar

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Round Date Matches Clubs New entries this round
First round 26–27 May 24 47+1 → 24
Second round 6 June 32 24+40 → 32
  • 18 J1 clubs
  • 22 J2 clubs
Third round 11 July, 22 August 16 32 → 16
Fourth round 22 August, 26 September 8 16 → 8
Quarter-finals 24 October, 21 November 4 8 → 4
Semi-finals 5 December 2 4 → 2
Final 9 December 1 2 → 1

Participating clubs

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88 clubs competed in the tournament. Clubs playing in the 2018 J1 League and 2018 J2 League received a bye to the second round of the tournament. The remaining teams entered in the first round.

2018 J1 League
all clubs
2018 J2 League
all clubs
Amateur Best Team 47 prefectural tournament winners

Results

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First round

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The first round matches were held on 26 and 27 May 2018.

26 May 2018 Iwaki FC1–2 Sony Sendai Iwaki
13:00 Report Stadium: Iwaki Greenfield Stadium
Attendance: 2,298
26 May 2018 Tadotsu FC 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
Tokai University KumamotoTakamatsu
13:00 Report Stadium: Kagawa Sports Park Soccer/Rugby Field
Attendance: 233
26 May 2018 FC Osaka 3–0Tokuyama UniversityOsaka
14:00 Report Stadium: Kincho Stadium
Attendance: 369
26 May 2018 FC Ryukyu1–1 (a.e.t.)
(5–6 p)
FC Imabari Okinawa
19:00 Report Stadium: Okinawa City Stadium
Attendance: 1,064
27 May 2018 SRC Hiroshima0–4 Matsue City Fukuyama
13:00 Report Stadium: Fukuyama Stadium
Attendance: 454
27 May 2018 Suzuka Unlimited0–1 Kwansei Gakuin University Iga
13:00 Report Stadium: Ueno Sports Park Stadium
Attendance: 715
27 May 2018 Kataller Toyama 1–0Ococias KyotoTakaoka
13:00 Report Stadium: Takaoka Sports Core
Attendance: 1,129
27 May 2018 Saga Lixil0–3 Tegevajaro Miyazaki Saga
13:00 Report Stadium: Saga Stadium
Attendance: 364
27 May 2018 NK Kani0–3 MIO Biwako Shiga Gifu
13:00 Report Stadium: Gifu Memorial Center
Attendance: 631

Second round

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The second round matches were held on 6 June 2018.

6 June 2018 Mito HollyHock 2–0Ehime FCMito
19:00 Report Stadium: K's denki Stadium Mito
Attendance: 898
6 June 2018 Sagan Tosu 7–0Tadotsu FCTosu
19:00 Report Stadium: Best Amenity Stadium
Attendance: 2,314
6 June 2018 JEF United Chiba 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p)
ReinMeer AomoriChiba
19:00 Report Stadium: Fukuda Denshi Arena
Attendance: 2,064
6 June 2018 Montedio Yamagata 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
FC GifuTendō
19:00 Report Stadium: ND Soft Stadium Yamagata
Attendance: 1,863
6 June 2018 Albirex Niigata 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(5–3 p)
Kochi UnitedNiigata
19:00 Report Stadium: Denka Big Swan Stadium
Attendance: 2,241
6 June 2018 Kashima Antlers 6–1Honda FCKashima
19:00 Report Stadium: Kashima Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 3,172
Referee: Yudai Yamamoto
6 June 2018 Urawa Red Diamonds 3–0YSCC YokohamaSaitama
19:00 Own goal   34' (o.g.)
Koroki   45+2' (pen.)
Yamada   90'
Report Stadium: Urawa Komaba Stadium
Attendance: 4,276
Referee: N. Murakami
Notes
  • ^
    1: In this match, the original penalty shoot-out ended 4 – 5 as a win for Nara Club; however, on 11 June the JFA ruled that due to a mis-application of rules during the fourth shot taken by Nara Club, the penalty shoot-out would be replayed from the beginning.[3] The replayed penalty shoot-out was held on 28 June 2018.
  • Third round

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    The third round matches were held on 11 July and 22 August 2018.

    11 July 2018 Kawasaki Frontale 1–1 (a.e.t.)
    (4–2 p)
    Mito HollyHockMito
    19:00 Report Stadium: K's denki Stadium Mito
    Attendance: 3,058
    Referee: Jumpei Iida
    11 July 2018 Sagan Tosu 3–1Tokushima VortisNaruto
    19:00 Report Stadium: Pocarisweat Stadium
    Attendance: 1,559
    11 July 2018 Vissel Kobe 6–1JEF United ChibaChiba
    19:00 Report Stadium: Fukuda Denshi Arena
    Attendance: 3,540
    Referee: Masaaki Toma
    11 July 2018 FC Tokyo 3–1Albirex NiigataNiigata
    19:00 Report Stadium: Denka Big Swan Stadium
    Attendance: 2,315
    11 July 2018 Vegalta Sendai 1–0Omiya ArdijaSaitama
    19:00 Report Stadium: NACK5 Stadium Omiya
    Attendance: 3,752
    11 July 2018 Urawa Red Diamonds 2–1Matsumoto YamagaMatsumoto
    19:00 Maurício   42',   85' Report Nagai   10' Stadium: Matsumotodaira Park Stadium
    Attendance: 12,077
    Referee: T. Kakinuma
    Notes
  • ^
    2: Postponed to 22 August due to the 2018 Japan floods.[4]
  • Fourth round

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    The fourth round matches were held on 22 August and 26 September 2018.

    22 August 2018 Kawasaki Frontale 3–1Shonan BellmareKawasaki
    19:00
    Report
    Stadium: Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium
    Attendance: 8,553
    Referee: Yoshiro Imamura
    22 August 2018 Sagan Tosu 3–0Vissel KobeTosu
    19:00
    Report Stadium: Best Amenity Stadium
    Attendance: 17,361
    Referee: Koichiro Fukushima
    22 August 2018 Montedio Yamagata 1–1 (a.e.t.)
    (7–6 p)
    FC TokyoTendō
    19:00
    Report
    Stadium: ND Soft Stadium Yamagata
    Attendance: 3,515
    Referee: Yukie Kobaya
    Penalties
    Alves  
    Lopes  
    Kobayashi  
    Yamada  
    Nakamura  
    Kumamoto  
    Anzai  
      Morishige
      Jang Hyun-soo
      Higashi
      Nagai
      Yonemoto
      Muroya
      Togashi
    22 August 2018 Yokohama F. Marinos2–3 Vegalta Sendai Yokohama
    19:00
    Report
    Stadium: NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium
    Attendance: 5,977
    Referee: Minoru Tōjō
    22 August 2018 Urawa Red Diamonds 1–0Tokyo VerdyKumagaya
    19:00
    Report Stadium: Kumagaya Athletic Stadium
    Attendance: 6,458
    Referee: Akihiko Ikeuchi
    22 August 2018 Cerezo Osaka0–1 (a.e.t.) Ventforet Kofu Kōfu
    19:00 Report
    Stadium: Yamanashi Chuo Bank Stadium
    Attendance: 2,957
    Referee: Yuichi Nishimura
    26 September 2018 Kashima Antlers 2–0 (a.e.t.)Sanfrecce HiroshimaKashima
    19:00 Silva   96'
    Misao   117'
    Report Stadium: Kashima Soccer Stadium
    Attendance: 3,832
    Referee: Toru Kakinuma
    26 September 2018 Júbilo Iwata 4–2Consadole SapporoIwata
    19:00
    Report
    Stadium: Yamaha Stadium
    Attendance: 2,855
    Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura

    Quarter finals

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    The quarter-finals were held on 24 October 2018 and 21 November 2018.

    24 October 2018 Urawa Red Diamonds 2–0Sagan TosuKumagaya
    19:03
    Report Stadium: Kumagaya Athletic Stadium
    Attendance: 7,867
    Referee: Nobutsugu Murakami
    24 October 2018 Júbilo Iwata1–1 (a.e.t.)
    (3–4 p)
    Vegalta Sendai Iwata
    19:03
    Report
    Stadium: Yamaha Stadium
    Attendance: 4,068
    Referee: Takuto Okabe
    Penalties
    Ogawa  
    Araki  
    Oi  
    Uehara  
    Miyazaki  
      Nagato
      Notsuda
      Ishihara
      Germain
      Havenaar
    24 October 2018 Kawasaki Frontale2–3 Montedio Yamagata Tendō
    19:03
    Report
    Stadium: ND Soft Stadium Yamagata
    Attendance: 5,356
    Referee: Yusuke Araki
    21 November 2018 Kashima Antlers 1–0Ventforet KofuKōfu
    19:03
    Report Stadium: Yamanashi Chuo Bank Stadium
    Attendance: 6,243
    Referee: Yuichi Nishimura

    Semi finals

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    The semi-finals were originally scheduled to be held on 16 December 2018. However, the semi-finals were rescheduled after Kashima Antlers won the 2018 AFC Champions League, which would have created a scheduling conflict with Kashima's participation in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup.[5]

    5 December 2018 Urawa Red Diamonds 1–0Kashima AntlersKashima
    19:04
    Report Stadium: Kashima Soccer Stadium
    Attendance: 13,949
    Referee: Koichiro Fukushima
    5 December 2018 Vegalta Sendai 3–2Montedio YamagataSendai
    19:04
    Report
    Stadium: Yurtec Stadium Sendai
    Attendance: 16,604
    Referee: Masaaki Toma

    Final

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    The final was originally scheduled to be held on 24 December 2018. However, as it was the case for the semi-finals, it had to be rescheduled due to possible conflict with Kashima Antlers participation on the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup.[5]

    References

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    1. ^ "天皇杯 JFA 第98回全日本サッカー選手権大会 マッチスケジュールおよび決勝会場について" (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. 19 December 2017.
    2. ^ "天皇杯 JFA 第98回全日本サッカー選手権大会 組合せ決定" (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. 29 March 2018.
    3. ^ "【お詫び】天皇杯 JFA 第98回全日本サッカー選手権大会において競技規則適用ミスがあり、PK方式のやり直しを決定". Japan Football Association. 11 June 2018.
    4. ^ "第98回天皇杯 3回戦 サンフレッチェ広島 vs 名古屋グランパス 試合開催延期のお知らせ". Japan Football Association. 9 July 2018.
    5. ^ a b "第98回天皇杯 準決勝・決勝 開催日変更の可能性について". Japan Football Association. 24 October 2018.
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