He Vissel Kobe completed a successful defense of his title J-League on Sunday by beating Shonan Bellmare 3-0 in front of their own fans on the last day of the season. Kobe, who won the national crown for the first time last season, lead the standings by four points ahead of second-placed Sanfrecce Hiroshima, while Machida Zelvia, last year’s second division winner, finished third.
Goals from Taisei Miyashiro and Yoshinori Muto gave Kobe a two-goal lead at halftime and Takahiro Ohgihara scored a third after the break to take them to 72 points from 38 games. The victory also ensured Kobe completed the domestic double for the first time since lifting the Emperor’s Cup last month.
Kobe took the lead in the 26th minute after Shonan goalkeeper Naoto Kamifukumoto saved a header from Muto, but Miyashiro took advantage of the rebound to score from close range. Muto added the second three minutes before the break when Daiju Sasaki put Yuya Osako’s header into the path of the former Newcastle United player. Ohgihara added the third 20 minutes from time with a long-range shot that gave Kamifukumoto no chance.
Hiroshima went into the final round a point behind and their hopes were dashed by a 3-1 defeat at Gamba Osaka.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
