NERVOUS WAIT:
Kobe scored two goals in the first half knowing that a win would secure the title, but a goal by Nagoya Grampus’ Daiju Sasaki made it a tense finish

Vissel Kobe yesterday won the J1 League title for the first time in the club’s history, with two goals in three minutes in the first half earning Takayuki Yoshida’s side a 2-1 victory over Nagoya Grampus.

With one game remaining in the season, the win at Kobe Stadium moved Vissel four points clear of last year’s champions, Yokohama F. Marinos, who were held to a 0-0 draw by Albirex Niigata on Friday.

Haruya Ide and Yoshinori Muto struck in the 12th and 14th minutes respectively to give Kobe a two-goal lead before Kasper Junker pulled one back for Nagoya just after the half-hour mark.

Photo: AFP

Kobe knew victory would earn the club their first title in the J1 League’s 30-year history and Ide put his side in front when he clipped Yuya Osako’s through-ball past Mitch Langerak via the inside of the Australian goalkeeper’s left post.

Muto doubled the lead two minutes later when Osako again opened up the visiting defense, this time crossing from the left to the former Newcastle United forward, who scored when he side-footed home from 6m out.

Kobe should have added a third, but Daiju Sasaki fired wide before Junker reduced Nagoya’s deficit when he latched on to Haruya Fujii’s headed ball forward to flick his shot past Daiya Maekawa.

Photo: AFP

The hosts had to endure several nervous moments as Nagoya, who needed to win to keep alive their hopes of a top-three finish and a place in next year’s Asian Champions League, pushed for an equalizer.

Naoki Maeda went closest to leveling the scores when he hit the crossbar from close range with 14 minutes remaining.