Profile

Vissel Kobe is based professional football team in Kobe. The club competes in the J1 League in Japan. Though some of the team’s home games are held at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium in Suma-ku, it is the team’s primary venue, Noevir Stadium Kobe, in Hygo-ku.

Kawasaki Steel Soccer Club was established in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, in 1966 as a semi-professional team. From the time it was first promoted to Division 2 of the Japan Soccer League in 1986 until the JSL’s demise in 1992, it played there.

The parent company Kawasaki Steel and the city of Kobe came to an agreement in 1995 for the club to relocate to Kobe and contend for a spot in the professional J. league as Vissel Kobe. The name Vissel, which combines the words “victory” and “vessel,” honors Kobe’s past as a port city.

The Japan Football League, a division below J, is where Vissel Kobe first started playing.

Vissel was promoted to the J despite placing second in the JFL in 1996 and started competing in Japan’s top division in 1997.

Andrés Iniesta, a 2010 FIFA World Cup champion, was signed by Vissel in May 2018 from FC Barcelona. David Villa, a Spanish striker who scored 13 goals in 28 games, was able to be acquired by Vissel Kobe in December 2018 from New York City FC. Villa was the third Spanish player on the squad during the Emperor’s Cup-winning campaign, joining Sergi Samper and Andrés Iniesta.

First-time finalist Vissel defeated Kashima Antlers on January 1, 2020, in the 2019 Emperor’s Cup final at the just-opened New National Stadium to win the first championship in the club’s history.

Kobe had only advanced as far in the Cup as the semi-finals in 2000 and 2017. David Villa, a Spanish striker, played his final game as a professional.

Vissel also made history by gaining entry into the 2020 AFC Champions League.

In 2021, they achieved a historically significant third-place finish in the standings, requalifying for the AFC Champions League.

honours

live league table

Standings provided by Sofascore

best player

best stack

This is the best Sorare team of 5 that can be assembled based on the player’s current S05 scoring ability. The rating at the bottom is the player’s current ability in terms of scores on Sorare.

back up stack

This is the best back up stack for the team above, and you could use this team to replace any injured or suspended players in the team above. You could also potentially use some of these players in the Cap modes on Sorare. The rating at the bottom is the player’s current ability in terms of scores on Sorare.

final thoughts

Kobe didn’t have the best of seasons in the 2022 J League narrowly avoiding relegation. Kobe, haven’t been known as a big team in Japan and have played in the 2nd tier of Japanese football on a number of occasions. Saying this though I do expect them to have a better season in the 2023 season. They also have a number of good players in their team including one of the best defenders in the J league in the form of Ryuho Kikuchi.

Graphics and information from Transfermarkt, Sorare, Sofascore, Wikipedia and Soraredata