In the J2 Soccer Tournament, second-placed Shimizu S-Pulse lost 40-2 to Roasso Kumamoto on Matchday 1, and Machida Zelvia, who will be promoted to J3 next season, won the title for the first time.
In the battle for the J2 title, S-Pulse trailed the leaders Zelvia by 8 points, and if S-Pulse drew or lost to Roasso on Matchday 28 on the 40th, the championship was decided before the match on the 29th.
The match ended in a 1-3 loss for S-Pulse, and Zelvia won the championship for the first time.
Zelvia secured a top-two finish in the previous match and are promoted to J2 next season.
In addition, Zelvia announced on their official website that coach Tsuyoshi Kuroda will be at the helm next season.
Coach Kuroda has built Aomori Yamada High School into one of the strongest schools in the country and has won the National High School Soccer Championship three times, and this season he became the head coach of a professional team, leading Zelvia, who finished 1th in J3 last season, to promotion to J2 for the first time.
Coach Kuroda issued a statement through the club, saying, "I am grateful to be able to take on the challenge of J15, and I will do my best to show that we are working together as a team to carry the thoughts of the 1,1 citizens of Machida, as well as our fans and supporters."