FC Machida Zelvia

FC Machida Zelvia

Football Club Machida Zelvia (フットボールクラブ町田ゼルビア, Futtobōru Kurabu Machida Zerubia) commonly known as Machida Zelvia (町田ゼルビア, Efu Shi Machida Zerubia) is a Japanese professional football club based in Machida, Tokyo. They currently play in the J1 League, following promotion as J2 League champions in (/wiki/2023J2League).

History

Formation and election to the Prefectural League (1989–2002)

FC Machida is known as the "Brazil of Tokyo" due to the popularity of football in the city; in fact, it has produced the second-largest number of J. League players through its football school. Originally formed in 1977, this school is well known for its development of young talents into professional players. In 1989, in order to retain talent, Machida founded its own top team, which at that time played in the Tokyo Prefectural League.

From non-League to Japan Football League (2002–2011)

In 2003, they became a multi-sport club under the name Athletic Club Machida, and in 2005 were promoted to the Kanto League, having won the Tokyo Prefectural League (First Division). They came first in the Kanto league (Second Division) the following year and were promoted to First Division, where they stayed until promotion to the Japan Football League as champions of the Regional Promotion Playoff Series in 2008.

In 2009, they adopted the current nickname "Zelvia", a portmanteau of the Portuguese words zelkova (Machida city's official tree) and salvia (Machida city's official flower) thus renaming themselves as Machida Zelvia.

The same year, the club declared its intent to be promoted to J. League's 2nd division, and its status of semi-affiliate was officially approved by the J. League. However, its home stadium capacity and light specifications did not meet the J. League's requirements, average attendance did not reach 3,000, and the team's final position of 6th place did not allow for Zelvia's promotion to the J. League.

In 2010, Machida appointed Naoki Soma, a former star player who played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as its new head coach. The stadium's lighting was renewed, and the club added several J. League players to its roster. Machida also announced its partnership with Major League Soccer's D.C. United, which became the first historic partnership between a Japanese and American club. The reborn team beat Tokyo Verdy, its arch-rival from the J. League, in the 2010 Emperor's Cup, but was knocked out by Albirex Niigata in the third round. Soma left at the end of the season and was replaced by Serbian Ranko Popović, former coach of Oita Trinita.

Yo-yo years (2012–2022)

The stadium's capacity and conditions were still short of fulfilling J. League criteria, so the club completed another renovation between the end of the 2010 and the start of the 2011 seasons. Machida finished the 2011 season in third place after beating Kamatamare Sanuki in the final match of that season, thereby granting them promotion to J. League (Second Division), but were relegated after a bottom-placed finish. They became one of the original J3 clubs after finishing in 4th place in the 2014 JFL season and returned to J2 as 2015 runners-up by beating Oita Trinita in the promotion/relegation play-off. In the first return to J2 in the 2016 season, Machida were able to finish in 7th position, only four points short of the play-offs spot.

In 2017, Machida fell off more than a half place down to 15th with fifty points, twelve points up of relegation zone. In the 2018 season, while Machida culminated a great campaign by finishing inside the promotion play-offs zone of 4th place, Machida were unable to participate in the phase because they did not have a J1 League-level license. The 2019 season also saw the club fell down far on the table as they finished in 18th position, three points up from relegation places occupied by Kagoshima United and FC Gifu. At the end of this season the club acquired a J1 license.

In 2020, Machida finished in 19th. While they were able to conclude their 2021 campaign by finishing in 5th position, no promotion play-offs were held in this season, mainly because no relegation in the previous season due to COVID-19 pandemic, so Machida remain in J2. In (/wiki/2022J2League) season, Machida once again fell far below their position of the previous campaign by finishing in the 15th position.

Go Kuroda's era, First silverware of professional era and J1 League debut (2023–present)

Machida Zelvia victory parade on 18 November 2023 after winning the J2 League title

On 22 October 2023, after a seven-year run in J2 League, Machida eventually achieved promotion to the J1 League for the first time in the club history with manager Go Kuroda guiding Machida to the 2023 J2 League title with 87 points following their 3–0 away win against Roasso Kumamoto in matchweek 39. The club also confirmed their status as champions of second division on 28 October 2023 after Kumamoto defeated Shimizu S-Pulse 3–1.

AFC Champions League Elite debut

Machida started off their debut 2024 J1 League season on 24 February 2024 against Gamba Osaka in a 1–1 draw with Junya Suzuki scoring their historic first top-tier league goal for the club. Machida went on to have a magnificent run in the first few matches leading at the top of the J1 League table with three wins, one draw and zero lost with 10 points. Machida then went on to finished in third place in their debut season where they also qualified for the 2025–26 AFC Champions League Elite. On 16 September 2025, Machida played their first continental match in a 1–1 draw to Korean club FC Seoul and they secured their first away win by a score of 2–0 win against the Chinese club, Shanghai Port. Machida went on to top the league phase as group leaders with 17 points in their debut season which sees them qualified to the knockout stage. Machida then faced off against Korean club Gangwon FC in the round of 16 tie. Hotaka Nakamura scored the only goal in the tie in the 2nd leg which sees Machida qualifying to the quarter-finals on a 1–0 aggregate.

Emperor's Cup winner

On 22 November 2025, Machida secure champions of Emperor's Cup for the first time in their history after defeat Vissel Kobe 3–1 in Japan National Stadium with goal brace Shōta Fujio and Yūki Sōma.

Stadium

FC Machida Zelvia

Machida GION Stadium

Machida currently competes at Machida GION Stadium, also known as Nozuta Stadium. Until 2011, the stadium's capacity was 6,200, including grassy areas, and it has featured lighting for night games since 2009. The stadium underwent renovations between the 2010 and 2011 seasons and now offers all-seated accommodations. Although the J2 League requires a minimum seating capacity of 10,000, Nozuta initially did not meet this criterion. Nonetheless, an agreement with J-League officials allows for home games expecting large crowds to be held at alternative stadiums rented for such occasions. Meanwhile, Nozuta Stadium was upgraded to fulfill the 10,000-seat minimum. Its current capacity stands at 15,489. In the 2024 season, the club's inaugural season in the top division of Japanese football, they hosted four matches at the new Japan National Stadium.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Sponsors

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Kit Manufacturer</th><th>Main Sponsor</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2004–2006</td><td>Dell'erba</td><td>No main sponsor</td></tr><tr><td>2007–2008</td><td>Hummel</td><td>Pherrow's Sportswear</td></tr><tr><td>2009</td><td>In house production</td><td>No main sponsor</td></tr><tr><td>2010–2011</td><td>SVOLME</td><td>Odakyu</td></tr><tr><td>2012–2018</td><td>Eagle Kenso</td></tr><tr><td>2019–2022</td><td>Abema</td></tr><tr><td>2023–present</td><td>Adidas</td><td>CyberAgent</td></tr></tbody></table>

Kit evolution

Home kit - 1st
2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
2025	2026 -

Away kit - 2nd
2010	2011	2012	2013	2014
2015	2016	2017	2018	2019
2020	2021	2022	2023	2024
2025

Special kit - 3rd
2014 25th anniv.	2019 30th anniv.	2022 - 3rd	2024 35th anniv.	ACLE 2025/26 1st
ACLE 2025/26 2nd

Players

First-team squad

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

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	JPN	Kosei Tani
2	DF	JPN	Tomoki Imai
3	DF	JPN	Gen Shoji (captain)
4	DF	JPN	Ryuho Kikuchi
5	DF	KOS	Ibrahim Drešević
6	DF	JPN	Henry Heroki Mochizuki
7	FW	JPN	Yuki Soma
8	MF	JPN	Keiya Sento
9	FW	JPN	Shota Fujio
10	FW	KOR	Na Sang-ho
11	MF	JPN	Asahi Masuyama
13	GK	JPN	Tatsuya Morita
16	MF	JPN	Hiroyuki Mae
17	GK	MYA	Kaung Zan Mara
18	MF	JPN	Hokuto Shimoda (vice-captain)
19	DF	JPN	Yuta Nakayama (vice-captain)
No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
20	FW	JPN	Takuma Nishimura
22	FW	JPN	Takaya Numata
23	MF	JPN	Ryohei Shirasaki
24	DF	KOR	Kim Min-tae
26	DF	JPN	Kotaro Hayashi
27	FW	BRA	Erik
28	MF	KOR	Cha Je-hoon
31	MF	ISR	Neta Lavi
34	FW	JPN	Futa Tokumura
39	MF	CHI	Byron Vásquez
44	GK	JPN	Yoshiaki Arai
49	FW	JPN	Kanji Kuwayama
50	DF	JPN	Daihachi Okamura
60	MF	JPN	Chui Hiromu Mayaka
88	DF	JPN	Hotaka Nakamura
99	FW	AUS	Tete Yengi

Out on loan

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

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
21	GK	USA	Anton Burns (at Gainare Tottori)
29	DF	JPN	Takumi Narasaka (at Giravanz Kitakyushu)
32	MF	JPN	Atsushi Kurokawa (at FK Tukums 2000)
37	MF	JPN	Kosei Ashibe (at Fukushima United)

Management and staff

FC Machida Zelvia

Position	Name
Manager	Go Kuroda
Assistant manager	Kenji Arima
First-team coach	Shin Yamanaka Hikaru Mita Daiki Ueda
Goalkeeping coach	Yukiya Hamano
Fitness coach	Shunsuke Otsuka
Interpreter and first-team coach	Leonardo Moreira
Analytics coach and Head of analysts	Yasuhiko Nishimura
Analytical coach	Yoshiro Akano
Technical staff	Sota Kinoshita Ryang Yoon-ho
Interpreter	Go Murakami Ken Takahashi Lee Seong-ang
Chief trainer	Yasuyuki Sasaki
Trainer	Yuta Hamada Shin Osawa Takashi Imai
Physiotherapist	Takuro Yoshitake
Medical coordinator	Akihisa Yamamoto
Chief manager	Naoya Watanabe
Sub manager	Ryota Kiyofuji
Kit manager	Hiroyuki Kawakita Yuto Suzuki
Nutrition management advisor	Jun Hamano
Chief doctor	Takahiro Fujisawa Keisuke Irako

Honours

FC Machida Zelvia

<table><thead><tr><th>Type</th><th>Honours</th><th>Titles</th><th>Season</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>League</td><td>J2 League</td><td>1</td><td>2023</td></tr><tr><td>Kantō Soccer League Division 1</td><td>1</td><td>2007, 2008</td></tr><tr><td>Kantō Soccer League Division 2</td><td>1</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Japanese Regional Football Champions League</td><td>1</td><td>2008</td></tr><tr><td>Cup</td><td>Emperor's Cup</td><td>1</td><td>2025</td></tr></tbody></table>

Bold is for those competition that are currently active or meant for professional leagues.

Records and statistics

FC Machida Zelvia

Rank	Player	Years	Club appearance
1	Kota Fukatsu	2009–2010, 2013–2023	379
2	Yuki Nakashima	2016–2026	287
3	Masayuki Okuyama	2017–2024	273
4	Taiki Hirato	2019–2022	208
5	Koji Suzuki	2012–2018	187
6	Takafumi Suzuki	2010–2012, 2014–2016	184
7	Kota Morimura	2015–2020	182
8	Ri Han-jae	2014–2020	148
9	Toshiyasu Takahara	2014–2018	147
10	Kai Miki	2021–2024	144

Rank	Player	Club appearance	Total goals
1	Koji Suzuki	187	69
2	Yoshinori Katsumata	103	54
3	Yuki Nakashima	287	51
4	Takafumi Suzuki	184	42
5	Taiki Hirato	208	40
6	Shōta Fujio	126	27
7	Erik	69	26
8	Shusuke Ota	79	20
Mitchell Duke	110
10	Yūki Sōma	66	19

• Biggest wins: 11–0 vs T.F.S.C. (20 May 2007) • Heaviest defeats: 1–7 vs Urawa Red Diamonds (11 November 2015) • Youngest goal scorers: Shota Saito ~ 18 years 11 months 25 days old (On 9 June 2013 vs Honda FC) • Oldest goal scorers: Yuki Nakashima ~ 40 years 3 months 19 days old (On 5 October 2024 vs Kawasaki Frontale) • Youngest ever debutant: Ryu Joseph Hashimura ~ 16 years 6 months 17 days old (On 12 March 2017 vs Fagiano Okayama) • Oldest ever player: Yuki Nakashima ~ 40 years 4 months 24 days old (On 9 November 2024 vs FC Tokyo)

Managerial history

FC Machida Zelvia

<table><thead><tr><th>Manager</th><th>Period</th><th>Honours</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Sadao Shigeta</td><td>1991–1995</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Shoji Komoda</td><td>1996–2002</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Minoru Moriya</td><td>2003–2007</td><td>– 2006 Kanto Soccer League Division 2 – 2007 Kanto Soccer League Division 1</td></tr><tr><td>Tetsuya Totsuka</td><td>1 February 2008–31 January 2010</td><td>– 2008 Japanese Regional Football Champions League</td></tr><tr><td>Naoki Soma</td><td>1 February 2010–31 January 2011</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ranko Popović</td><td>1 February 2011–31 January 2012</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Osvaldo Ardiles</td><td>1 February 2012–17 November 2012</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Yutaka Akita</td><td>26 November 2012–25 June 2013</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Naoki Kusunose</td><td>25 June 2013–31 January 2014</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Naoki Soma (2)</td><td>1 February 2014–31 January 2020</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ranko Popović (2)</td><td>1 February 2020–31 January 2023</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Go Kuroda</td><td>1 February 2023–present</td><td>– 2023 J2 League – 2025 Emperor's Cup</td></tr></tbody></table>

Season by season record

FC Machida Zelvia

<table><thead><tr><th>Season</th><th>Div.</th><th>Tier</th><th>Teams</th><th>Pos.</th><th>P</th><th>W</th><th>D</th><th>L</th><th>F</th><th>A</th><th>GD</th><th>Pts</th><th>Attendance/G</th><th>J. League Cup</th><th>Emperor's Cup</th><th>ACL Elite</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2009</td><td>JFL</td><td>3</td><td>18</td><td>6th</td><td>34</td><td>14</td><td>12</td><td>8</td><td>38</td><td>30</td><td>8</td><td>54</td><td>1,886</td><td>Not eligible</td><td>–</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>2010</td><td>18</td><td>3rd</td><td>34</td><td>19</td><td>4</td><td>11</td><td>71</td><td>44</td><td>27</td><td>61</td><td>3,503</td><td>3rd round</td></tr><tr><td>2011</td><td>18</td><td>3rd</td><td>33</td><td>18</td><td>7</td><td>8</td><td>61</td><td>28</td><td>33</td><td>61</td><td>3,515</td><td>2nd round</td></tr><tr><td>2012</td><td>J2</td><td>2</td><td>22</td><td>22nd</td><td>42</td><td>7</td><td>11</td><td>24</td><td>34</td><td>67</td><td>-33</td><td>32</td><td>3,627</td><td>4th round</td></tr><tr><td>2013</td><td>JFL</td><td>3</td><td>18</td><td>4th</td><td>34</td><td>18</td><td>7</td><td>9</td><td>51</td><td>44</td><td>7</td><td>61</td><td>3,174</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>2014</td><td>J3</td><td>12</td><td>3rd</td><td>33</td><td>20</td><td>8</td><td>5</td><td>59</td><td>23</td><td>37</td><td>68</td><td>3,134</td><td>–</td></tr><tr><td>2015</td><td>13</td><td>2nd</td><td>36</td><td>23</td><td>9</td><td>4</td><td>52</td><td>18</td><td>34</td><td>78</td><td>3,766</td><td>4th round</td></tr><tr><td>2016</td><td>J2</td><td>2</td><td>22</td><td>7th</td><td>42</td><td>18</td><td>11</td><td>13</td><td>53</td><td>44</td><td>9</td><td>65</td><td>5,123</td><td>1st round</td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>22</td><td>16th</td><td>42</td><td>11</td><td>17</td><td>14</td><td>53</td><td>53</td><td>0</td><td>50</td><td>4,056</td><td>2nd round</td></tr><tr><td>2018</td><td>22</td><td>4th</td><td>42</td><td>21</td><td>13</td><td>8</td><td>62</td><td>44</td><td>18</td><td>76</td><td>4,915</td><td>3rd round</td></tr><tr><td>2019</td><td>22</td><td>18th</td><td>42</td><td>9</td><td>16</td><td>17</td><td>36</td><td>59</td><td>-23</td><td>43</td><td>4,718</td><td>2nd round</td></tr><tr><td>2020 †</td><td>22</td><td>19th</td><td>42</td><td>12</td><td>13</td><td>17</td><td>41</td><td>52</td><td>-11</td><td>49</td><td>1,302</td><td>Did not qualify</td></tr><tr><td>2021 †</td><td>22</td><td>5th</td><td>42</td><td>20</td><td>12</td><td>10</td><td>64</td><td>38</td><td>26</td><td>72</td><td>2,577</td><td>2nd round</td></tr><tr><td>2022</td><td>22</td><td>15th</td><td>42</td><td>14</td><td>9</td><td>19</td><td>51</td><td>50</td><td>1</td><td>51</td><td>3,243</td><td>2nd round</td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td>22</td><td>1st</td><td>42</td><td>26</td><td>9</td><td>7</td><td>79</td><td>35</td><td>44</td><td>87</td><td>7,426</td><td>Round of 16</td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>J1</td><td>1</td><td>20</td><td>3rd</td><td>38</td><td>19</td><td>9</td><td>10</td><td>54</td><td>34</td><td>20</td><td>68</td><td>17,610</td><td>Quarter-finals</td><td>2nd round</td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>20</td><td>6th</td><td>38</td><td>17</td><td>9</td><td>12</td><td>52</td><td>38</td><td>14</td><td>60</td><td>14,018</td><td>3rd round</td><td>Winners</td><td>TBD</td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>10</td><td>TBD</td><td>18</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>N/A</td><td>N/A</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2026–27</td><td>20</td><td>TBD</td><td>38</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>TBD</td><td>TBD</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>