Kashima crowned champions, but plaudits belong to JEF United

The final day of the J-League season promised drama, but it was business as usual for Kashima Antlers as the Ibaraki outfit wrapped up back-to-back titles with a 1-0 win away at bottom club Consadole Sapporo.

Kashima’s title was just desserts for a club that led the way for much of the campaign, and coach Oswaldo de Oliveira will be delighted that his Antlers lifted a record sixth J-League crown despite the absence of mercurial captain Mitsuo Ogasawara, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Kashiwa Reysol back in September.

Ogasawara endured a failed stint in Serie A with Messina, but the talented midfielder was the driving force behind Kashima’s title win in 2007. Kashima shrugged off his absence, however, as well as injuries to former FC Basel defender Koji Nakata and ex-Sao Paulo man Danilo to wrap up a comfortable victory at the Sapporo Dome, with midfielder Takuya Nozawa sending the Antlers on their way with a precise finish ten minutes before the break.

The real drama took place at Fukuda Denshi Arena in Chiba, where former Liverpool first team coach Alex Miller knew that nothing less than victory over FC Tokyo would save his JEF United side from relegation. United are one of just six clubs to have played every season in the top flight of Japanese football, but their cause was hindered by a suspension to Australian defender Eddy Bosnar, who was briefly on the books at English club Everton.

Things looked bleak for United in front of a capacity crowd in Chiba, as FC Tokyo opened the scoring just before half-time through a bullet header from Brazilian striker Cabore. A second goal just after the break from FC Tokyo defender Yuto Nagamoto appeared to spell doom for Alex Miller and his team, but in a league that once carried the official slogan “Amazing,” JEF United lived up to it by launching the most improbable of comebacks.

With just over a quarter of an hour remaining substitute Tatsunori Arai gave United fans hope with a well-taken strike, and in the seventy-seventh minute Tatsuya Yazawa sent the home fans into raptures as his crisp volley flew passed a crowd of bodies to nestle in the bottom corner.

A point was not enough to save United, but with ten minutes remaining referee Kazuhiko Matsumura pointed to the spot after FC Tokyo captain Yasuyuki Konno brought down JEF United striker Reinaldo inside the box. Despite being a fringe first team player for most of the season, Reinaldo assumed penalty taking responsibilities himself, and his confidence proved well-founded as the big Brazilian smashed an unstoppable spot-kick high into the top corner.

Tatsuya Yazawa scored his second and United’s fourth late on, but the Chiba side’s win appeared to catch even Miller off guard. When questioned in the post-match interview as to how he felt about his side avoiding an end-of-season playoff to retain their place in the top flight, the former Rangers midfielder looked stunned, before confirming with his interpreter that United had indeed finished above the bottom three.

Miller’s confusion was understandable – it was a typically chaotic end to another unpredictable J-League campaign – and Tokyo Verdy were the unlucky team to replace JEF United in the drop zone as their derby day defeat to Kawasaki Frontale spelled a swift return to the Second Division. They will be joined by the hapless Consadole Sapporo, who like Verdy spent just a solitary season back in the top flight.

Fallen giants Jubilo Iwata dropped into the relegation/promotion playoff place after they lost 1-0 at home to Omiya Ardija in front of a sold-out Yamaha Stadium. The Shizuoka giants sacked coach Atsushi Uchiyama and replaced him with experienced Dutchman Hans Ooft back in August, but Ooft’s second spell in charge has failed to bring results, and the three-times J-League champions now face up to an uncomfortable two-legged  play-off against popular Second Division side Vegalta Sendai for a place in the top flight, with Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Montedio Yamagata already celebrating promotion. Sendai and Jubilo drew the first leg of that playoff 1-1 overnight in front of a capacity crowd of 18,974 at Yurtec Sendai Stadium.

Even allowing for JEF United’s incredible comeback, the result of the day arguably came in front of 53,583 fans at Saitama Stadium. On the eve of the final round of fixtures, Urawa Reds announced that coach Gert Engels would be forced to step down at the end of the season. Former SC Freiburg coach Volker Finke is widely tipped to replace the departing Engels, but Finke won’t be impressed by what he saw as the Saitama giants hosted bitter rivals Yokohama F. Marinos. With Urawa fans heckling their under-performing team from the kick-off, the Reds spectacularly imploded on the pitch, as the 2007 Asian champions crumbled to a humiliating 6-1 defeat. It was a fitting end to another incredible campaign, as the J-League once again lived up to its billing as one of the most exciting domestic leagues in the world.