FC Tokyo crashed out of J. League title contention after a 0-0 home draw with Sagan Tosu on Sunday that put defending champions Gamba Osaka into the championship playoffs instead.
Tokyo went into the final day of the regular season third in the table with a two-point advantage over fourth-place Gamba, but with an inferior goal difference that made a win over Tosu imperative if Gamba were to beat relegated Montedio Yamagata elsewhere the same day.
A 4-0 win for Gamba — with all four goals coming in the space of five second-half minutes — turned the heat up on Tokyo, but the capital city side was unable to respond in an insipid performance in front of 30,753 at Ajinomoto Stadium.