Football Japan Minutecast

Kashima Antlers are J. League champions for the seventh time and an unprecedented third season in a row after battling to a 1-0 victory over Urawa Reds at Saitama Stadium.

With nearest rivals Kawasaki Frontale racing into a 3-0 first half lead in their game at relegated Kashiwa Reysol, the Antlers needed all three points to avoid being overtaken at the last, and finally went in front in the 67th minute when Shinzo Koroki headed home an early cross from Atsuto Uchida. Kawasaki survived a determined fightback from nine-man Kashiwa to eventually win 3-2, but the Kashima defence held firm against a late barrage of Urawa attacks to ensure that the championship trophy remains in their hands for another year.

The victory was a personal triumph for the clearly emotional Kashima coach Oswaldo de Oliveira, who celebrated his 59th birthday on the day of the game and has now led his side to the J1 crown in every season since arriving back in 2007. Five consecutive defeats in autumn had wiped out what had once been a ten-point advantage at the top, but it was five straight wins at the end of the year that ultimately proved decisive.

Elsewhere, Sanfrecce Hiroshima beat Kyoto Sanga 4-1 to secure a fourth-place finish in their first season back in the top flight, with FC Tokyo three points behind in fifth following a 1-1 draw at Albirex Niigata. Gamba Osaka were the final weekend�fs only other winners, with two Yasuhito Endo strikes accounting for bottom club JEF United Chiba, while second-from-bottom Oita Trinita drew 1-1 with Omiya Ardija to end the season unbeaten in ten league matches and all the more rueful of the 14 straight defeats earlier in the year that ultimately resulted in their demise.

In J2, Vegalta Sendai survived the concession of a last-minute equaliser to Ehime FC to clinch the title thanks to an even more dramatic conclusion in second-placed Cerezo Osaka�fs trip to Sagan Tosu. Leading 1-0 with ten men going into stoppage time, Cerezo were suddenly on course for glory until two goals from Tosu�fs Keiji Takachi denied them in a manner reminiscent of their final day misery in the J1 title race with city rivals Gamba four years ago.

Shonan Bellmare were, meanwhile, able to clinch the win they needed at Mito HollyHock to seal a first return to the top flight for 11 seasons.


J1 results (matchday 34)
Montedio Yamagata 0-0 Yokohama F Marinos
Urawa Reds 0-1 Kashima Antlers
Kashiwa Reysol 2-3 Kawasaki Frontale
Albirex Niigata 1-1 FC Tokyo
Shimizu S-Pulse 0-0 Nagoya Grampus
Gamba Osaka 2-0 JEF United Chiba
Vissel Kobe 1-1 Jubilo Iwata
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 4-1 Kyoto Sanga
Oita Trinita 1-1 Omiya Ardija


Selected J2 results (matchday 51)
Vegalta Sendai 1-1 Ehime FC
Sagan Tosu 2-1 Cerezo Osaka
Mito HollyHock 2-3 Shonan Bellmare
Ventforet Kofu 2-1 Roasso Kumamoto