Japan J2-League 04/27 05:55 12 Ehime FC v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 05/03 05:00 13 Ventforet Kofu v Oita - View
Japan J2-League 05/06 05:00 14 Blaublitz Akita v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 05/12 07:00 15 Ventforet Kofu v JEF Utd Chiba - View
Japan J2-League 05/19 05:00 16 Fagiano Okayama v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 05/25 07:00 17 Ventforet Kofu v Yokohama FC - View
Japan J2-League 06/01 05:00 18 Fujieda MYFC v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 06/08 09:00 19 Ventforet Kofu v Vegalta Sendai - View
Japan J2-League 06/16 07:00 20 Iwaki SC v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 06/22 09:00 21 Ventforet Kofu v Ehime FC - View
Japan J2-League 06/29 10:00 22 Oita v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 07/06 09:00 23 Ventforet Kofu v Tokushima Vortis - View
Japan J2-League 07/14 09:00 24 Ventforet Kofu v V-Varen Nagasaki - View
Japan J2-League 08/03 10:00 25 Thespa Gunma v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 08/10 09:00 26 Ventforet Kofu v Fujieda MYFC - View
Japan J2-League 08/17 09:30 27 Shimizu S-Pulse v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 08/25 10:00 28 Tochigi SC v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 08/31 09:00 29 Ventforet Kofu v Kagoshima United - View
Japan J2-League 09/07 10:00 30 Ventforet Kofu v Roasso Kumamoto - View
Japan J2-League 09/14 10:00 31 Yokohama FC v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 09/21 10:00 32 Vegalta Sendai v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 09/28 10:00 33 Ventforet Kofu v Montedio Yamagata - View
Japan J2-League 10/05 10:00 34 Ventforet Kofu v Fagiano Okayama - View
Japan J2-League 10/19 10:00 35 JEF Utd Chiba v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 10/27 10:00 36 Renofa Yamaguchi v Ventforet Kofu - View
Japan J2-League 11/03 10:00 37 Ventforet Kofu v Blaublitz Akita - View
Japan J2-League 11/10 10:00 38 Ventforet Kofu v Mito Hollyhock - View

Wikipedia - Ventforet Kofu

Ventforet Kofu (ヴァンフォーレ甲府, Vanfōre Kōfu) is a Japanese professional football club from Kōfu in Yamanashi Prefecture. The team currently competes in the J2 League, Japanese second tier of professional football, hosting their home matches in the JIT Recycle Ink Stadium, located in Kōfu.

History

Kofu Club (1965–1994)

The club was founded in 1965 when the old boys' club of Kofu Dai-ichi High School, the Kakujo Club, started to recruit graduates of other high schools with the intention of promotion to the Japan Soccer League.

The club joined the newly formed JSL Division 2 in 1972. They stayed there until the conclusion of the league in 1992 when it became a founding member of the former Japan Football League.

Kofu Club was formed by volunteers, unlike other mainstream football clubs at that time in Japan, whose players were mostly the employees of their sponsoring companies.

Ventforet Kofu (1995–present)

The club was renamed Ventforet Kofu in 1995 and joined J.League Division 2 in 1999 when it was formed. The club survived a difficult period between 1999 and 2001, when it suffered from financial troubles as well as miserable results on the pitch, including a streak of twenty-five consecutive losses. Ventforet finished bottom for three seasons in succession and was dubbed as "Excess baggage of J2".

Ventforet improved in 2002, and in 2005 finished third, gaining promotion to the Japanese first division by winning the promotion/relegation play-offs against Kashiwa Reysol. However, the team was relegated with a week remaining in the 2007 season.

At the end of 2010 season, the team was promoted a second time. Despite having striker Mike Havenaar contend for the Top Scorer award in division one the following year, the club was relegated again at the end of 2011. However, it returned after only one year's absence as champions of division two, Ventforet's first championship in its thirty-six-year history. Ventforet remained in J.League 1 until 2017, consistently staying as a top tier J.League 2 team after relegation

Emperor's Cup win (2022)

Ventforet participated in the 2022 Emperor's Cup, earning a direct second round entry alongside all J1 and J2 League teams. Following a 5–1 win over Okayama-based International Pacific University, they then only faced J1 League opponents the rest of the tournament. They would beat Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo and Sagan Tosu away from home by 2–1 and 3–1 respectively to advance to the quarter finals, in a stage which they had been on 4 times without ever getting past it. In another match away from home, now against Avispa Fukuoka, the game would be tied up 1–1 and head into extra time, with Yoshiki Torikai scoring in the 97th minute to bring Kofu to their first Emperor's Cup Semi-final, where they would beat Kashima Antlers thanks to Jumma Miyazaki's goal in the 37th minute to reach their first Emperor's Cup Final.

In the final, Kofu were up against Sanfrecce Hiroshima, a J1 team who hadn't won an Emperor's Cup since 1969 (including amateur era). Kazushi Mitsuhira scored in the 26th minute to give Kofu the lead, before Sanfrecce midfielder Takumu Kawamura tied the match in the 84th minute. After a scoreless extra time, the final was decided in a penalty shootout. After Sanfrecce missed their fourth penalty, 42-year-old Hideomi Yamamoto scored Kofu's fifth and final penalty to win the Emperor's Cup champions for the first time. Their win marked the first time that a J2 League team had won the Emperor's Cup since FC Tokyo in 2011, the fourth J2 champion overall, and the first occasion in which the winner was not the second division champions. Thus, they will play the AFC Champions League while playing in their domestic second-tier league.

AFC Champions League debut (2023)

On 20 September 2023, Ventforet played their first AFC Champions League official match against Australian side Melbourne City for the competition's group stage. Playing away at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium with few of their usual starting players, the match ended in a 0–0 draw, earning them their first point and clean sheet in this competition. On 4 October 2023, Ventforet picked up their first Champions League win against Thai champions Buriram United. Motoki Hasegawa scored in stoppage time as Ventforet won 1–0 at home, On 12 December 2023, Ventforet clinched their spots in the round of 16 after a 2–3 away win against Buriram United. This marks the first time a team qualified for the knockout phase of the AFC Champions League though not playing in their nation's top division.

2023–24 AFC Champions League - Group H

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification VEN MCY ZHP BUR
1 Ventforet Kofu 6 3 2 1 11 8 +3 11 Advance to round of 16 3–3 4–1 1–0
2 Melbourne City 6 2 3 1 8 6 +2 9 0–0 1–1 0–1
3 Zhejiang 6 2 1 3 9 13 −4 7 2–0 1–2 3–2
4 Buriram United 6 2 0 4 9 10 −1 6 2–3 0–2 4–1
Source: AFC
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
Ventforet Kofu is a professional soccer team based in Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan. The team was founded in 1965 and currently competes in the J2 League, the second tier of Japanese soccer. The team's colors are blue and white, and they play their home matches at the Kose Sports Park Stadium.

Ventforet Kofu has a passionate fan base and is known for their attacking style of play. The team has a strong youth development program and has produced several talented players who have gone on to represent Japan at the international level.

Ventforet Kofu has a rich history in Japanese soccer and has had success in various domestic competitions. The team has a strong sense of community and pride in representing the city of Kofu. With a dedicated fan base and a commitment to developing young talent, Ventforet Kofu continues to be a competitive force in Japanese soccer.