Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s 5-1 demolition of already-relegated Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo on Sunday ensures that the 2024 J.League 1 title race would go down to the final day of the season.
League leaders and defending champions Vissel Kobe and 3rd placed Machida Zelvia gained contrasting results on Saturday, with Vissel playing out a 1-1 draw away at Kashiwa Reysol and Machida edging out Kyoto Sanga 1-0. And while the solitary point might be sub-optimal for Vissel, the fact that the Ushi avoided defeat in Chiba Prefecture meant that they retained their stranglehold over the J1 table for the final day of the season.
As Machida booked themselves a debut appearance in Asian competitions next season – whether they will play in the AFC Champions League Elite or the AFC Champions League Two depends on how would they do in the final day – the onus was on Sanfrecce to beat Consadole to ensure that they would bring the title race to the wire.
And bring the title race to the final day was what Sanfrecce did. Mutsuki Kato gave the home side the lead after just eight minutes, before Musashi Suzuki restored parity for Consadole in the 42nd minute.
A sublime free-kick from Shunki Higashi in the second minute of stoppage time ensured that Sanfrecce would have the slender advantage coming into half-time.
The floodgates then truly burst open in the second half for Sanfrecce, with a penalty from Tolgay Arslan and a brace from Pieros Sotiriou ensured that the home side would finish the match as 5-1 victors.
The three additional points meant that Sanfrecce would secure their spot in next season’s AFC Champions League Elite, joining Vissel who had earned their place through their 2024 Emperor’s Cup win.
As for Consadole, head coach Mihailo Petrovic, who had guided the only professional club in Hokkaido to the dizzying heights of 4th place during his six years at the club, announced his resignation at the end of the season, ensuring a tough rebuild job for whoever will inherit the reins.