Kawasaki take first J-League title

TOKYO: Captain Yu Kobayashi scored a hat-trick as Kawasaki Frontale crushed Omiya Ardija 5-0 on Saturday to capture the J-League championship, their first major Japanese title.
A lopsided home win over the ‘Squirrels’ saw Kawasaki pip Kashima Antlers on goal difference after the defending champions were held to a scoreless draw at Jubilo Iwata.
Kobayashi smashed in a treble after Hiroyuki Abe’s early goal, before Tatsuya Hasegawa added a fifth with the last kick of the game.
The final whistle sparked jubilant scenes from the Kawasaki players and home fans as Frontale completed a remarkable late charge to their first ever J-League title.
Kawasaki, an industrial city sandwiched between Tokyo and Yokohama to the south, suffered more heartbreak in September when they were dumped out of the Asian Champions League in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Urawa Reds.