JEF United Chiba emerged victorious from the MEIJI YASUDA J1 Promotion Play-Offs 2025 Final on Saturday, sealing a return to the top flight after 17 years away by defeating Tokushima Vortis 1-0.
Carlinhos Junior was the hero for Yoshiyuki Kobayashi’s side, heading in the only goal of the game in the 69th minute at Fukuda Denshi Arena.
The Brazilian was actually the first to threaten in just the sixth minute, but after being played in by Naohiro Sugiyama he prodded an attempt narrowly wide with the outside of his left foot.
One minute later Thonny Anderson fired Tokushima’s first warning shot, an effort from distance that was easy enough for JEF goalkeeper Tomoya Wakahara to deal with.
The end-to-end start in front of 17,634 fans continued apace in the eighth minute, as Daichi Ishikawa sent another sighter just off target for Chiba, and Carlinhos Junior then drew a save from Tokushima keeper Hayate Tanaka in the 20th minute after turning sharply just outside the area.
The final chance of the first half also fell Chiba’s way, when Sugiyama curled an effort over the bar four minutes before half-time.
Tokushima started to press a little more in the opening exchanges of the second period, and Thonny Anderson came within a whisker of opening the scoring in the 59th minute, meeting Lucas Barcelos’ dink into him with a perfect volley but seeing his strike bounce back off the crossbar.
The decisive goal then came at the other end 10 minutes later, as Issei Takahashi surged into space down the right before floating a cross into the area for Carlinhos Junior to head triumphantly home
Things almost got even better for Chiba in the 86th minute when Zain Issaka carved a low ball into the area from the right-hand side, but while 17-year-old Makoto Himeno made a clean connection with his shot it whistled narrowly over the bar.
That wasn’t to matter though, and with Tokushima unable to find an equaliser Chiba were left to celebrate their long-awaited return to the first division.
