Sanfrecce Hiroshima defeated Cerezo Osaka 4-1 on Saturday to win its first J-League championship while putting an end to Vegalta Sendai's title hopes.
With one match left in the 2012 season, Sanfrecce has 61 points after the win and an insurmountable four-point lead over Vegalta.
Yojiro Takahagi, Toshihiro Aoyama and Hisato Sato scored first-half goals to send Hiroshima on its way to the one-sided win. Hironori Ishikawa added another after the break to widen the lead.
''I've been telling my players all week to just give everything they have for this game,'' Hiroshima's first-year manager, Hajime Moriyasu, said. ''We were able to win because we never backed down from a challenge and stayed positive.''
Sanfrecce had all but wrapped up the three points by the break, starting with Takahagi's left-footed strike in the 17th minute, the same point at which Kim Jin-su had given Albirex the lead over Vegalta.
Aoyama doubled Sanfrecce's lead three minutes later on a header and the momentum swung in Hiroshima's favor in the 40th minute when Cerezo went down a man after Hotaru Yamaguchi brought down Kohei Shimizu.
Sato converted from the penalty spot to net his league-leading 22nd goal and put the result beyond doubt. After the break, Ishikawa scored his first goal to make it 4-0 before Cerezo finally got a consolation goal in the 61st minute when Takuma Edamura nodded in from close range.
Sendai, a team that brought inspiration to a region still coping with the aftermath of last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami, needed a win against relegation-threatened Albirex Niigata to stay alive, but were beaten 1-0 at home before a capacity crowd at Yurtec Stadium.
Sendai controlled the flow of play early with Shingo Akamine hitting the post four minutes in. But South Korean defender Kim scored in the 17th minute to give Niigata the lead.
Sendai, which finished fourth last season, had numerous chances to score against Niigata but couldn't find an equalizer.
''They scored early so we just tried to stay calm,'' Akamine said. ''We had so many chances so it's disappointing not to take advantage. Our supporters really gave us a boost all season and it's too bad we couldn't come through for them.''
