Kataller Toyama Support News 2026 Vol. 21
On June 6, Kataller Toyama faced Vegalta Sendai (J2) in the second round of the J2/J3 100-Year Vision League playoff round, competing for the league title.
The match was held away in Sendai, and many supporters from Toyama rushed to the stadium to send their passionate cheers.
For Kataller Toyama, aiming for their first league title since the club's founding, this was a major match.
So, what was the result?
A fierce battle! Defeated in a penalty shootout, finishing as runners-up
Kataller Toyama, having won the semi-final against Tegevajaro Miyazaki, finally advanced to the final. Their opponent in the final was Vegalta Sendai. Over 16,000 supporters flocked to Sendai's Yurtec Stadium for the one-time J2/J3 100-Year Vision League match to decide the top team out of 40. However, Kataller's key attacker, Ayumu Kameda, was called up to the U-21 Japan national team and missed this big match. Kim Tae-won was selected to start in his place.
The match shifted in the 30th minute of the first half, when Sendai's Nakata scored with a header, putting Kataller in a difficult position after conceding the opening goal. Furthermore, in the 41st minute of the first half, Jeong Woo-yeong was sent off with a straight red card for retaliation. Kataller lost a key player on both offense and defense in the first half.
Trailing by one goal in the second half, Kataller bravely aimed for the Sendai goal despite being at a numerical disadvantage. However, time passed without them being able to break down Sendai's solid defense. 90 minutes had passed, and the additional time was displayed as "5 minutes." Against Sendai, who had shifted into a defensive posture to protect their one-goal lead, a relentless Toyama attacked. In the 48th minute of the second half, after Matsuoka fought hard on the right flank, Takenaka picked up a clearance error by Sendai and sent a cross into the center. Finally, Fukasawa dove into the center of the goal and scored a desperate equalizer! Kataller, who showed a miraculous survival story last season, caught up at the very last moment.
Neither team could score an additional goal in extra time, ending the 120-minute fierce battle. The fate of the championship plate was left to a penalty shootout. In the shootout, Hirao saved the second kick, giving Kataller a one-step lead, but the third kicker, Matsuoka, and the fourth, Satofuji, missed in succession, deciding the match.
Overcoming a situation that everyone saw as disadvantageous, their attitude of never giving up until the end gave us a moving experience. Although the result was a narrow defeat, I want them to return to Toyama with their heads held high. The title that was just one step away—this frustration will surely be cleared in the upcoming 2026/27 season.
Thank you for the excitement, Kataller Toyama!!
A message has been released by Kataller Toyama President Hidari-tomo after the conclusion of the 100-Year Vision League
~A proud 2nd place / Let's welcome the new season with our heads held high~
(Excerpt) To everyone supporting Kataller Toyama, our club finished in 2nd place. Unfortunately, we missed out on our first league title since the club's founding, but I am proud that we were able to advance to the playoff round. Achieving such good results was not just the power of the team, but a crystallization of the thoughts of the supporters who gave their all in cheering, the volunteers who supported the operations, the sponsors who supported us financially, and everyone who cheered for us. Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Let's welcome the start of the new season with our heads held high!
The full text is here.
Match Results
J2/J3 100-Year Vision League Playoff Round 1st-4th Place Decider
For highlight videos, click here.
