The Japanese professional soccer league came to an end at the end of the year, with the Yokohama Mariners winning the trophy after a 3-1 comeback against Kobe Victory in their road trip on Saturday (5). Meanwhile, Kawasaki Frontale narrowly missed out on the runner-up spot despite a 3-2 win over FC Tokyo, preventing them from defending their title. Shimizu S Pulse and Iwata Yamaha fell into the relegation zone, while Kyoto's Dead Birds finished in third place and had to play in the relegation playoffs.
The Mariners' road to the title was not an easy one. They took the lead in the 26th minute of the match thanks to a header from Elba, only to be leveled at 1-1 by Yoshinori Muto just before halftime.However, the Mariners quickly turned things around in the second half, taking the lead again in the 53rd minute when Takuma Nishimura scored in front of the goal, and then Kawakiri sealed the win in the 73rd minute, helping the Mariners to a 3-1 victory, their second Nippon Professionals title since 2019.
On the other hand, Kawasaki Strikers are not only looking for a win in their away match against FC Tokyo, but are also banking on the Mariners to lose in order to defend their title. Although they were the first to break through in the 19th minute with Taidou Wakizaka, goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong was sent off for a red card in the 29th minute, leading to the team's struggles. A fierce goal battle ensued, with Tokyo's Adderton and Dus Santos scoring twice in a row, while the strikers struggled to narrowly win 3-2 thanks to goals from Maseno and Lingma Watanabe.
