JUBILO IWATA

League: J. League Division 1

City: Iwata, Japan

Founded: 1970

League Champs: '97, '99, '02

Júbilo Iwata was formed in 1970 by Japanese company Yamaha Motors. While they are no longer a main sponsor of the club, Yamaha helped build Júbilo into one of the most powerful sides in Japan. While they may not have the most J. League titles, they have the distinction of having the most Asian Club Cup finals appearances, finishing runner-up twice and champion once in 1999.

They received soccer world notoriety when then Brazilian national team captain Dunga left European soccer and signed with Júbilo in 1995. Dunga, who is 11th all-time in 91 caps for Brazil, played for 4 seasons in Iwata, scoring 17 goals in 99 games.

With Dunga's arrival, Júbilo went from unimportant to dominant became one of Japan's most powerful teams, rivaled only by the Kashima Antlers. In a 6 year stretch from 1997 thru 2002, Júbilo won the J. League Championship 3 times and were runners up 3 times.

However, recent Júbilo Iwata teams have been unable to match the success of its predecessors. In 2007, the team posted its lowest finish in club history, positioned at 9th out of 18 teams. The current team is aging and a lack of talent in its youth system has Júbilo fans concerned.

The 2008 roster includes Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, who is second all-time in caps for the Japanese national team, most all-time by a goalie, and, at the age of 32, captain for the national squad. Júbilo Iwata also includes national team player Yūichi Komano who, at 27, brings new talent to the roster after leaving his old team Sanfrecce Hiroshima F.C. after they were regulated to J. League division 2 and Masashi Nakayama, team captain and leader who has spent his entire professional career with Júbilo. Nakayama, who has played with the team since 1990, has over 400 appearances and 206 goals and remains a fan favorite.