J1 League Match Week 38 Recap: Kashima celebrate ninth title after victory over Yokohama F･M | Tin tức

Kashima Antlers were crowned 2025 MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE champions on Saturday, beating Yokohama F･Marinos 2-1 to extend their record as the most successful club in the top flight by claiming a ninth J1 League crown.

A goal in each half from Leo Ceara was enough to make sure of victory for Kashima in front of 37,079 fans at Mercari Stadium, with Jun Amano pulling one back for Yokohama F･M in injury time.

Kashima knew a win would guarantee the title irrespective of how second-placed Kashiwa Reysol got on in their game against FC Machida Zelvia, and Leo Ceara set them on their way in the 20th minute, rifling home after Ryotaro Araki had hooked the ball across goal.

The Brazilian added his second of the game - and 21st of the season, confirming him as the first division’s top scorer - 12 minutes after the restart, heading in a cross from Yuta Matsumura.

Amano halved the deficit for Yokohama F･M in the 91st minute, guiding a delicate chip over Kashima goalkeeper Tomoki Hayakawa to make for a nervy finish, but the hosts hung on for the three points, sparking jubilant scenes at the final whistle.

Kashiwa did all they could to push the title race to the wire, but despite beating FC Machida 1-0 courtesy of Daihachi Okamura’s 63rd-minute own goal, they ultimately ended up one point adrift of the champions.

Kyoto Sanga F.C. made sure of third place after a 2-0 home win against Vissel Kobe - Marco Tulio and Rafael Elias both on target - with Sanfrecce Hiroshima coming fourth after recovering from a goal down to beat relegated Shonan Bellmare 2-1.

Shonan took the lead after Hayao Kawabe's own goal in the 78th minute, but late efforts from Valere Germain, in the 86th minute, and Kosuke Kinoshita, four minutes later, secured the spoils for Hiroshima.

Elsewhere, there were goals aplenty as Urawa Reds cruised past Kawasaki Frontale 4-0, Gamba Osaka beat Tokyo Verdy 4-1, and Yokohama FC defeated Cerezo Osaka 3-1.

Samuel Gustafson, Thiago Santana, Kenta Nemoto, and Isaac Kiese Thelin all registered for Urawa; Makoto Mitsuta and Harumi Minamino followed up on an Issam Jebali brace for G-Osaka, with Itsuki Someno striking back for Tokyo-V; and each of Joao Paulo, Hinata Ogura, and Ryo Kubota notched for Yokohama FC, with Dion Cools replying for C-Osaka.

Meanwhile, the day’s other games were tighter affairs as Fagiano Okayama beat Shimizu S-Pulse 2-1 - Lucao and Ataru Esaka scoring for Okayama before Toshiki Takahashi’s 90th-minute consolation for Shimizu - A 96th-minute Sho Inagaki penalty earned Nagoya Grampus a 1-0 win over Avispa Fukuoka, and FC TOKYO and Albirex Niigata drew 1-1, Keita Endo equalising for FC TOKYO after Matheus Moraes had given Niigata the lead.