Kawasaki wins 2nd straight J-League title despite loss
Kawasaki Frontale won its second straight J-League title despite a 2-1 loss away to Cerezo Osaka
OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Kawasaki Frontale won its second straight J-League title on Saturday despite a 2-1 loss away to Cerezo Osaka.
Second-place Sanfrecce Hiroshima also lost by a score of 1-0 to Vegalta Sendai and remained seven points behind Kawasaki with two games remaining.
Kazuya Yamamura scored his first goal of the season in the final minute of stoppage time to secure the win for Cerezo.
Yamamura took a pass from Takaki Fukumitsu and beat Kawasaki goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong with right-foot shot from 13 meters.
Cerezo's Kenya Sugimoto scored early in the second half but Kawasaki's Akihiro Ienaga equalized with a penalty kick in the final minute of regulation.
Naoki Ishihara scored in the 67th minute to lift Vegalta to an upset win over Hiroshima.
In other matches, Urawa Reds beat Consadole Sapporo 2-1 and Gamba Osaka edged Shonan Bellmare 1-0.