Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Albirex Niigata 1st with 84 points, Roasso Kumamoto 4th with 67, 17 apart. Roasso Kumamoto had been under-performing their position — 14th on five-round form against 4th in the table. Per game in the league, Albirex Niigata were scoring 1.74 and conceding 0.83, Roasso Kumamoto 1.38 and 1.14, against a competition average of 1.23 goals per team per game.
Denka Big Swan Stadium in Niigata staged the fixture, a ground that holds 42,300. On the scoreboard, Albirex Niigata led 1-0 at the break, and no goals arrived after the restart: 1-0 the final score.