Kawasaki Frontale’s players walked onto the Todoroki Stadium pitch on Wednesday under a clear blue sky almost perfectly matching their uniforms.
By the time they stepped off, the sun was already low in the sky in Kawasaki — as if to make way for yet another gold star as the team secured its fourth J. League first-division title in five years.
Brazilian defender Jesiel’s 34th-minute goal — toed in from inside the six-meter box following a corner kick — wasn’t enough for a win after Urawa Reds salvaged a 1-1 draw through Hiroki Sakai’s last-minute equalizer.