Vissel Kobe, the leader in the Japan J1 Football League (J1), won the match 2-1 against Nagoya Grampus, which is in the 5th place on the points table, and declared its first championship in J1. In the match played at Misaki Park Stadium in Kobe province, Vissel Kobe took the lead 2-0 with the goals scored by midfielder Ide Haruya in the 12th minute and experienced center forward Muto Yoshinori in the 14th minute.
The guest team reduced the difference to 1 with the goal of Danish forward Kasper Junker in the 30th minute: 2-1. While there were no other goals in the remaining part of the match, Vissel Kobe left the field victorious 2-1. With this result, Vissel Kobe increased its score to 68 and declared its first championship in J1 league history, one week before the end of the season. Vissel Kobe, under the management of 46-year-old Takayuki Yoshida, had 20 wins, 8 draws and 5 losses in 33 matches. Yokohama F. Marinos, which is in second place in the league, was able to increase its points to 64 by drawing 0-0 with Niigata at home yesterday.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima, coached by Michael Skibbe, who once coached Galatasaray, is in the third place of J1 with 55 points.