2018 Albirex Niigata Singapore FC season explained

Club:	Albirex Niigata (S)
Season:	2018
Mgrtitle:	Head coach
Stadium:	Jurong East Stadium
League:	S.League
Cup1:	Singapore Cup
Cup1 Result:	TBA
Cup3:	Charity Shield
Cup3 Result:	Winners
Prevseason:	2017
Nextseason:	2019

The 2018 season was Albirex Niigata Singapore FC's 15th consecutive season in the top flight of Singapore football ^[1] and in the S.League, having joined the S.League in 2004. Along with the S.League, the club also competed in the Singapore Cup and the Singapore League Cup. They were the defending champions in 2018. ^[2]

Key Events

Pre-season

1. On 28/11/2017, the team announced that they had renewed Head Coach Kazuaki Yoshinaga's contract for the S.League 2018 season. ^[3]
2. On 15/12/2017, the team announced that age restrictions had been imposed by the FAS for the new season. Depending on the squad size (minimum of 19 players), they will have to make do with eight U-21 players, eight U-23 players and one player of any age. This is excluding 2 Singapore U-23 players which they can sign. ^[4]

Squad

S.League squad

Squad No.	Name	Nationality	Date of Birth (Age)	Previous Club
Goalkeepers
1	Shahul Rayyan		1995 2, df=yes	SAFSA (NFL D1)
21	Yosuke Nozawa		1979 11, df=yes	Matsumoto Yamaga FC
22	Taiki Itsukaichi		1998 4, df=yes	Japan Soccer College
Defenders
2	Kazuki Sumiishi		1997 5, df=yes	SG Eintracht Mendig-Bell
3	Shuhei Sasahara		1996 11, df=yes	Tokai University
4	Shun Kumagai		1996 8, df=yes	Ventforet Kofu
5	Kaishu Yamazaki		1997 7, df=yes	Iwaki FC
7	Riku Moriyasu		1995 6, df=yes	Kyoto Sangyo University
15	Kodai Sumikawa		1999 4, df=yes	Teikyo Nagaoka High School
17	Ryujiro Yamanaka		1995 9, df=yes	Osaka Sangyo University
Midfielders
6	Daiki Asaoka		1995 4, df=yes	University of Tsukuba
8	Wataru Murofushi (Captain)		1995 6, df=yes	Juntendo University
10	Adam Swandi		12 January 1996	Home United
16	Ryuji Yamauchi		1995 5, df=yes	Japan Soccer College
19	Kazuya Kojima		1997 7, df=yes	Japan Soccer College
20	Ryutaro Shibanoki		1998 10, df=yes	Japan Soccer College
Strikers
9	Shuhei Hoshino		1995 12, df=yes
11	Kenya Takahashi		1995 8, df=yes	Yamanashi Gakuin University
13	Hiroyoshi Kamata		1997 4, df=yes	Albirex Niigata U18
14	Taku Morinaga		1995 5, df=yes
18	Ibuki Inoue		1999 6, df=yes	Daisho Gakuen High School

Coaching staff

Position	Name
Head Coach	Kazuaki Yoshinaga
Coach	Keiji Shigetomi
Coach	Yuto Inabe
Coach	Kouichi Morinaga
Team Manager
Physiotherapist
Kitman

^[5]

Transfer

Pre-season transfer

In

Position	Player	Transferred From	Ref
		SAFSA (NFL D1)	^[6]
		University of Tsukuba	^[7]
		Kyoto Sangyo University	^[8]
		Tokai University	^[9]
		Teikyo Nagaoka High School	^[10]
		Iwaki FC	^[11]
		SG Eintracht Mendig-Bell	^[12]
		Juntendo University	^[13]
		Osaka Sangyo University	^[14]
		Home United	^[15]
		Ventforet Kofu (J2)	^[16]
			^[17]
			^[18]
			^[19]
		Daisho Gakuen High School	^[20]

Out

Position	Player	Transferred To	Ref
		Briobecca Urayasu (J4)	Free Transfer
		Retired	Free Transfer
			Free Transfer
		Ventforet Kofu (J2)	Free Transfer ^[21]
		Retired	Free Transfer
			Free Transfer
		Albirex Niigata (J2)	Free Transfer ^[22]
		Khon Kaen United (T4)	Free Transfer
			Free Transfer
		Kataller Toyama (J3)	Free Transfer ^[23]
		Mito Hollyhock (J2)	Loan return ^[24]
		Thai Honda Ladkrabang F.C. (T2)	Free Transfer ^[25]
		Roasso Kumamoto (J2)	Free Transfer ^[26]

Extension

Position	Player	Ref
		^[27] 1 Year Extension
		^[28] 1 Year Extension

Mid-season transfers

^[29]

Trial

Position	Player	Trial At	Ref
		Albirex Niigata	^[30]
		Albirex Niigata	^[31]

Friendly

In-Season Friendly

Team statistics

Appearances and goals

		Player	Sleague	Singapore Cup	Total
		Apps.	Goals	Apps.	Goals	Apps.	Goals
1	GK	Shahul Rayyan	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	DF	Kazuki Sumiishi	1(9)	0	0	0	10	0
3	DF	Shuhei Sasahara	21(2)	1	5	0	28	1
4	DF	Shun Kumagai	11(1)	4	5	0	17	4
5	DF	Kaishu Yamazaki	15	0	3	0	18	0
6	MF	Daiki Asaoka	24	3	5	0	29	3
7	DF	Riku Moriyasu	24	1	5	0	29	1
8	MF	Wataru Murofushi	22	9	5	4	27	13
9	FW	Shuhei Hoshino	23	19	2(1)	0	26	19
10	MF	Adam Swandi	19(3)	2	4(1)	2	27	4
11	FW	Kenya Takahashi	24	6	4	2	28	8
13	FW	Hiroyoshi Kamata	24	5	5	1	29	6
14	FW	Taku Morinaga	24	11	3	2	27	13
15	DF	Kodai Sumikawa	0(7)	1	0	0	7	1
16	MF	Ryuji Yamauchi	0(1)	0	0	0	1	0
17	DF	Ryujiro Yamanaka	11(13)	4	4(1)	0	29	4
18	FW	Ibuki Inoue	0(2)	0	0	0	2	0
19	MF	Kazuya Kojima	0	0	0	0	0	0
20	MF	Ryutaro Shibanoki	0(4)	0	0(2)	0	6	0
21	GK	Yosuke Nozawa	24	0	5	0	29	0
22	GK	Taiki Itsukaichi	0	0	0	0	0	0

Competitions

Overview

Competition	Record
S.League
Singapore Cup
Total

Singapore Premier League

See main article: article and 2018 Singapore Premier League.

Singapore Cup

See main article: article and 2018 Singapore Cup.

Albirex Niigata won 3-0 on aggregate.

----

Albirex Niigata won 4-2 on aggregate.

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See also

• 2017 Albirex Niigata Singapore FC season
• List of unbeaten football club seasons

Notes and References

1. Web site: Albirex to play in 2018.
2. Web site: Albirex won 2nd title in a row.
3. Web site: Coach extend stay for 2018.
4. Web site: Albirex hit with age restrictions too but Koh's calm.
5. Web site: Players & Staff.
6. Web site: Spore keeper signed.
7. Web site: Daiki ASAOKA (University of Tsukuba) joins White Swans for 2018 season.
8. Web site: Riku join White swans.
9. Web site: Sasahara joins from Tokai University team.
10. Web site: Kodai SUMIKAWA (Teikyo Nagaoka High School) joins White Swans for 2018 season.
11. Web site: Kaishu Yamazaki joins from Iwaki FC.
12. Web site: Kazuki SUMIISHI (SG Eintracht Mendig Bell) joins White Swans for 2018 season.
13. Web site: Wataru MUROFUSHI (Juntendo University) joins White Swans for 2018 season.
14. Web site: Ryujiro Yamanaka joins White Swans for 2018 season.
15. Web site: Adams the new swan man.
16. Web site: Shun KUMAGAI (Ventforet Kofu) joins White Swans for 2018 season.
17. Web site: Taku MORINAGA (Ryutsu Keizai University) joins White Swans for 2018 season.
18. Web site: Shuhei Hoshino (Ryutsu Keizai University) joins White Swans for 2018 season.
19. Web site: Kenya Takahashi joins White Swans for 2018 season.
20. Web site: Ibuki Inoue joins White Swans for 2018 season.
21. Web site: Announcement of Takuya AKIYAMA's transfer to Ventforet Kofu (Japan)..
22. Web site: Yanagi go back to parent club.
23. Web site: Announcement of Shuto INABA's transfer to KATALLER TOYAMA (Japan)..
24. Web site: Motoda returns after loan.
25. Web site: The S.League's free-kick master to bid farewell. 2017-11-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20171123130549/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/sg/features/so-long-singapore-sleagues-free-kick-master-bid-farewell. 2017-11-23. dead.
26. Web site: Announcement of Tusbasa SANO's transfer to Roasso Kumamoto (Japan)..
27. Web site: Yosuke NOZAWA renews contract for 2018 season.
28. Web site: Hiroyoshi KAMATA renews contract for 2018 season.
29. Web site: Transfers. 2018-08-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20170218131233/http://www.fourfourtwo.com/sg/features/sleague-transfer-round-american-youngster-spotted-warriors-tampines-focus-afc-cup. 2017-02-18. dead.
30. Web site: trial for Adam Swandi.
31. Web site: trial for Hiroyoshi Kamata.