Sendai keeps J2 lead with third straight win; Sapporo ends wait, Kofu last
In short
Vegalta Sendai beat Jubilo Iwata 2-1 at home on Oct 4 for a third straight win that kept it top of Japan's J2 League after nine rounds. Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo won for the first time since the opening round, beating Iwaki FC 2-1 in Hakodate. Ventforet Kofu lost a fourth consecutive match and dropped to last place.
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Vegalta Sendai beat Jubilo Iwata 2-1 at home on Oct 4, a third straight win that kept it top of the Meiji Yasuda J2 League after nine rounds, Mynavi News reported. The teams traded goals early before Ryunosuke Sagara scored the winner late in the match. Nippon TV News described it as a dramatic victory that kept Sendai in first place. [ 1 , 2 ]
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo beat Iwaki FC 2-1 in a match staged in Hakodate, its first win since the opening round. Mynavi News said the game was Sapporo's first in Hakodate in 10 years, and Nippon TV News reported the result ended an eight-match wait for a win. [ 1 , 2 ]
Ventforet Kofu fell to last place after losing 1-2 to Kataller Toyama, a fourth consecutive defeat, both outlets reported. Mynavi News noted that FC Imabari's second win of the season, on Oct 3, had pushed Kofu to the bottom. Kofu has 7 points and a goal difference of minus 10 in the table Mynavi News published. [ 1 , 2 ]
Albirex Niigata stayed second with 19 points, one behind Sendai, after beating Tokushima Vortis 2-1; Nippon TV News reported that Niigata has won all five of its home matches. Toyama, RB Omiya Ardija and Yokohama FC follow on 17 points each, according to the table Mynavi News published. Omiya drew 1-1 with Tegevajaro Miyazaki and remains unbeaten since the opening round. [ 1 , 2 ]
In the rest of the Oct 4 matches, Yokohama FC beat Vanraure Hachinohe 2-0 and Blaublitz Akita beat Sagan Tosu 1-0, giving Tosu a fourth straight league defeat and leaving it on 8 points, level with Sapporo. On Oct 3, Niigata beat Tokushima 2-1, Fujieda MYFC drew 1-1 with Shonan Bellmare, Kofu lost 1-2 to Toyama, Tochigi City lost 1-2 to Imabari and Oita Trinita beat Montedio Yamagata 2-1, Mynavi News reported. [ 1 ]
The next round is scheduled for Oct 10 and 11, with Iwata hosting Sapporo and Yamagata hosting Sendai among the fixtures listed by Mynavi News. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The results set the shape of the J2 promotion race after nine rounds: Sendai leads on 20 points with Niigata one point behind, while Kofu is bottom on 7 points. As a round in Japan's second division, the event is mainly of interest to followers of domestic football.
Key facts
- Vegalta Sendai beat Jubilo Iwata 2-1 at home on Oct 4, a third straight win that kept it first with 20 points. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Albirex Niigata is second with 19 points, one behind Sendai, after a 2-1 home win over Tokushima Vortis; Nippon TV News reported it has won all five home matches. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo beat Iwaki FC 2-1 in Hakodate for its first win since the opening round, ending an eight-match wait. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Ventforet Kofu lost 1-2 to Kataller Toyama, a fourth straight defeat, and fell to last place on 7 points. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Sagan Tosu lost 0-1 to Blaublitz Akita, a fourth straight league defeat, leaving it on 8 points, level with Sapporo. [ 1 ]
- Yokohama FC beat Vanraure Hachinohe 2-0, while RB Omiya Ardija drew 1-1 with Tegevajaro Miyazaki and remains unbeaten since the opening round. [ 1 ]
- The next round is scheduled for Oct 10 and 11. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Vegalta Sendai won and stayed top of the J2 table. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo won for the first time since the opening round, after eight matches. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Ventforet Kofu fell to last place after a fourth consecutive defeat. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Albirex Niigata is second, one point behind Sendai. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Details of the round beyond the standings headline, including Nippon TV News's own match accounts and figures. Nippon TV News carried only a headline, with no article text or summary, so its supporting details cannot be checked.
- Whether Sapporo's match in Hakodate was its first there in 10 years. Stated only by Mynavi News; no second outlet in the documents reports it.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Mynavi News publishes its round-up of the J2 round nine matches played on Oct 3 and 4, including Sendai's 2-1 win over Iwata. [ 1 ]
- Nippon TV News publishes an updated standings item headlined on Sendai keeping first place, Niigata a point behind, Sapporo's first win in eight matches and Kofu falling to last. [ 2 ]