J-League wrap: Nagoya clinch first title

Nagoya Grampus claimed their first J-League championship on Saturday with a 1-0 win over bottom-placed side Shonan Bellmare.

Keiji Tamada powered home a header after a fantastic cross from Keita Sugimoto after 65 minutes to hand Nagoya – who are coached by Yugoslavian legend Dragan Stojkovic – the title.

Stojkovic’s side now have an unassailable 10-point lead over last year’s champions Kashima Antlers with three games to play.

Elsewhere on Saturday, a brace from Jungo Fujimoto and a last-minute strike from Genki Omae gave Shimizu S-Pulse a 3-1 win over Vegalta Sendai, and third-placed Gamba Osaka enjoyed a 2-0 win over the Urawa Reds at Saitama Stadium.

Fifth-placed Kawasaki Frontale had a strike from Juninho six minutes from full-time to thank for their 2-1 win over Tokyo, after Tokyo’s Masato Morishige cancelled out Takuro Yajima’s opener.

Tadanari Lee scored twice, and Issei Takayanagi and Junya Osaki added one apiece as Sanfrecce Hiroshima cruised to a 4-0 home win over Albirex Niigata and fourth-placed Cerezo Osaka were 2-0 winners over Yokohama F Marinos.

Omiya Ardiya scored a 2-0 win away from home against Kyoto Sanga, who will join Shonan Bellmare in being relegated from the J-League at the end of the season.

Vissel Kobe were held to a goalless draw at home by Kashima Antlers, while Jubilo Iwata and Montedio Yamagata also failed to find the back of the net in their encounter.