The 2012 title race has been one of the most open in J. League history, but with only three games of the season left to play, the championship contenders have finally been whittled down to two.
Urawa Reds and Nagoya Grampus still maintain a mathematical interest in carrying off the silverware, but in reality the winner will come from Sanfrecce Hiroshima or Vegalta Sendai — two teams chasing their first-ever title with little to separate them heading into the final stretch.
Sanfrecce lead Vegalta by two points and a superior goal difference of six, but with numerous pitfalls still to be avoided before the season ends on Dec. 1, nothing has been decided yet.