Toyama extend lead at top with victory at Yamagata
Cataller Toyama moved further clear at the summit of J-League 2 by beating Montedio Yamagata 2:0 at ND Soft Stadium on Saturday. The visitors took control in the second half with goals from T. Kim and M. Yunomae, extending their advantage over the hosts who remain mid-table after seven rounds.
To be fair, the match did not open with much urgency. Yamagata enjoyed the early spell but failed to test their visitors properly until the break. Kang Min-Woo picked up a caution in the thirteenth minute, a warning that came before any real threat materialised.
It was Kim who broke the deadlock in the fifty-seventh minute, capitalising on a moment of space in the box. Yamagata responded with a flurry of changes, bringing on five players by the seventy-second minute in an attempt to shift the momentum. By then, though, Toyama had grown into the game.
Yunomae doubled the advantage in the eighty-seventh minute, a late strike that effectively sealed the result. The visitors showed composure in the closing stages, weathering any pressure while maintaining their defensive shape. M. Yunomae also received a yellow card in the seventy-sixth minute before finding the net.
The victory moves Toyama to thirteen points from seven games, four wins and a draw, while Yamagata sit on nine points with three victories and four defeats. The hosts have not won since their opening day but remain in no danger of relegation this early.
What stands out is how Toyama managed the game after taking the lead. They did not park the bus or play defensively — instead they kept possession and punished Yamagata's disorganisation when it mattered most. A fourth straight win for the visitors, and they have one foot in the automatic promotion places.
