F.C. Kariya

FC Kariya
FC刈谷
Full nameFootball Club Kariya
Nickname(s)F.C. Kariya
Founded1949; 75 years ago (1949) (as Nippon Denso Soccer Club)
GroundWave Stadium Kariya
Kariya, Aichi
Capacity2,602[1]
ChairmanJin Hase
ManagerKoji Kadota (ja)
LeagueTōkai Adult Soccer League D1
20221st of 9 (champions);
Lost JRCL play-offs
WebsiteClub website

FC Kariya (FC刈谷, Efu Shī Kariya) are a Japanese football club based in Kariya, Aichi. They're aiming to gain professional status. Since the 2022 season, after being relegated from the Japan Football League, they are currently playing in the Tōkai Adult Soccer League, which part of Japanese Regional Leagues.

History

The club was founded in 1949 as Nippon Denso Soccer Club. They mainly played in the Tōkai Regional League; Kariya was already represented in the Japan Soccer League by the club belonging to Toyota Industries (not to be confused with nearby Toyota Motors, which is the club that became Nagoya Grampus).

Nippon Denso were finally promoted to the Japan Football League in 1996. They played their first JFL season under new name DENSO Soccer Club because of the change of their owner's name.

DENSO relinquished the ownership at the end of the 2005 season and non-profit organisation Kaeru Sports Club took over. Their name F.C. Kariya was chosen from entries from the public. Despite this change of ownership, F.C. Kariya did not show much ambition for J. League status in subsequent campaigns and finished in 17th place on the 2009 season of the Japan Football League, being relegated back to the Tokai Regional League after losing a promotion/relegation series to the more ambitious Zweigen Kanazawa.[2]

In 2015, Kariya became champions of the Tōkai Adult Soccer League and participated in the 2015 Regional League promotion play-offs, reaching the Top 4, but not the promotion back to JFL. They also featured three times in the Emperor's Cup, reaching 2nd round both in 2007 and in 2012.

In 2020 season, the Tōkai Adult Soccer League was held in an irregular knock-out format due to the covid-19 pandemic. Lead by a new manager Koji Kadota, FC Kariya won the tournament to qualify for the Regional Champions League, and finished on it as runners-up, resulting in their return to the Japan Football League comeback for the 2021 season, after 11 seasons of unsuccessful promotion attempts.

On the same season, they were relegated back to the Tōkai Adult Soccer League. On 2022, they already won the tournament, pushing themselves to another promotion race with other 11 teams highly ranked either at their Regional Leagues or at the 2022 Shakaijin Cup, at the 2022 Regional Champions League. On the first group stage round, FC Kariya did well, with a 3-match unbeaten streak to secure a place in the Final Round. The top 2 of the 4 teams at the group would qualify to the JFL. In the 2nd of the 3 matches to be played at it, FC Kariya lost their promotion hopes for the season, as they lost their first two matches and couldn't overcome a 4-point gap within just a game left.

Shirt and colours

FC Kariya's shirt features the red sash (or Aka Dasuki in Japanese). This design was originally adopted by Kariya High School's soccer club who introduced the sport to the area in the Taishō period. Because of this, the red sash is regarded as the symbolic design of Kariya's football.

Stadiums

They play their home games mainly at Kariya Municipal Athletic Park, but Toyohashi City Iwata General Ballgame Stadium and Nagoya City Port Soccer Stadium are also used a couple of times a year. They practice at Denso Ikeda Factory ground which is not open to the public because it is in Denso's factory site.

League and cup record

Here are listed only the seasons disputed as "FC Kariya"'.

Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated
League Emperor's
Cup		 Shakaijin
Cup
Season Division Tier Pos. GP W D L F A GD Pts
2006 Japan Football
League 		3 13th 34 8 8 18 46 63 -17 32 Did not qualify Not eligible
2007 16th 34 8 4 22 36 59 -23 28 2nd round
2008 8th 34 13 12 9 47 40 7 51 Did not qualify
2009 17th 34 7 10 17 26 51 -25 31 1st round
2010 Tōkai Adult Soccer
League (Div. 1)		 4 2nd 16 10 5 1 38 9 29 35 Did not qualify Did not play
2011 3rd 14 6 3 5 28 24 4 21 2nd round
2012 4th 14 5 3 6 23 17 6 18 2nd round Quarter final
2013 3rd 14 8 1 5 35 21 14 25 Did not qualify Did not play
2014 5 4th 14 6 2 6 19 19 0 20 1st round
2015 1st 14 10 3 1 34 13 21 33 Quarter-final
2016 1st 14 13 1 0 43 7 36 40 Did not play
2017 2nd 14 10 3 1 35 15 20 33
2018 1st 14 12 1 1 33 9 24 37 Runner-up
2019 1st 14 12 0 2 44 14 30 36 1st round Quarter-final
2020 1st - - - - - - - - Did not qualify Was not held
2021 Japan Football
League 		4 17th 32 4 6 22 26 55 -29 18 1st round Not eligible
2022 Tōkai Adult Soccer
League (Div. 1) 		5 1st 16 11 3 2 39 11 28 36 Did not qualify Did not play
2023 2nd 16 14 10 3 1 22 7 15 Champions
Key
  • Pos. = Position in league; GP = Games played; W = Games won; D = Games drawn; L = Games lost; F = Goals scored; A = Goals conceded; GD = Goals difference; Pts = Points gained

Honours

Nippon Denso SC (1949–2005) / FC Kariya (2006–present)

Current squad

As of 23 August 2023. [3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

References

  1. ^ https://www.aichi-nagoya2026.org/en/assets/file/tournament/plan1.pdf
  2. ^ "チーム紹介 ｜ Fc刈谷". Archived from the original on 20 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Player List". Retrieved 10 March 2022.

External links