Tokyo Verdy 1969 avoided relegation to Division Two after beating FC Tokyo 1-0 on Hideki Nagai's first-half goal at Tokyo Stadium on Saturday, the final day of Division One second-stage J. League soccer action.
J-League 1st-division
GPW D L GFGAPts.Kashima 15 13 0 2 36 19 36Iwata 15 13 0 2 31 14 35Hiroshima 15 8 0 7 36 27 24Shimizu 15 9 0 6 34 27 23Ichihara 15 7 2 6 25 28 23Nagoya 15 7 1 7 27 25 22Kashiwa 15 6 3 6 29 23 21FC Tokyo 15 5 5 5 29 28 20Tokyo V 15 6 2 7 22 26 20Yokohama 15 6 3 6 19 20 19Osaka G 15 5 2 8 21 26 17Urawa 15 4 3 8 20 24 15Kobe 15 3 5 7 25 32 14Sapporo 15 4 2 9 23 29 13Fukuoka 15 4 2 9 22 31 13Osaka C 15 5 0 10 19 39 12
GPW D L GFGAPts.Kashima 15 13 0 2 36 19 36Iwata 15 13 0 2 31 14 35Hiroshima 15 8 0 7 36 27 24Shimizu 15 9 0 6 34 27 23Ichihara 15 7 2 6 25 28 23Nagoya 15 7 1 7 27 25 22Kashiwa 15 6 3 6 29 23 21FC Tokyo 15 5 5 5 29 28 20Tokyo V 15 6 2 7 22 26 20Yokohama 15 6 3 6 19 20 19Osaka G 15 5 2 8 21 26 17Urawa 15 4 3 8 20 24 15Kobe 15 3 5 7 25 32 14Sapporo 15 4 2 9 23 29 13Fukuoka 15 4 2 9 22 31 13Osaka C 15 5 0 10 19 39 12
Verdy, on 30 points, beat out its closest J1 survival race rival Avispa Fukuoka by three points in the division's overall standings. Going into the game, Verdy was tied with Avispa on points but had taken a slight lead thanks to more goals scored.