SEASON’S BEST
PLAYER OF THE YEAR Leandro DAMIAO
(Kawasaki Frontale)
The former Internacional and Brazil striker was on fire all year, and ended as joint-top scorer with Yokohama F. Marinos’ Daizen Maeda on 23 goals.
MANAGER OF THE YEAR Toru ONIKI
(Kawasaki Frontale) Kawasaki’s fourth league title in five years makes 47-year-old coach Toru Oniki the J.League’s most crowned manager ever.
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR Ryotaro ARAKI
(Kashima Antlers) Acclaimed for his fine ball skills, positioning and timing, 19-yearold Araki scored ten goals this year in the No.13 shirt previously worn by Antlers legends Atsushi Yanagisawa and Shinzo Koroki.