Football: Leeds, Tanaka celebrate title with dramatic late win
KYODO NEWS - 7 hours ago - 14:38 | Sports, All
Having already secured promotion, a Leeds United side featuring Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka won English football's second-tier Championship with a late 2-1 comeback victory away to Plymouth Argyle as the regular season wrapped up Saturday.
Leeds clinched the title on goal difference after Manor Solomon's winner in stoppage time moved them level on 100 points with Burnley, who won 3-1 at home against Millwall.
Elsewhere in the Championship, winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto set up the opener as Coventry beat Middlesbrough 2-0 to finish the season fifth, sending them into the promotion playoff semifinals against fourth-placed Sunderland.
Bristol City, home to fellow Japanese winger Yu Hirakawa, finished sixth to also advance to the playoff semifinals, where they will face third-place Sheffield United.
A Japanese player featured in the midfield of each title-winning team in England's top three divisions this season -- Wataru Endo with Liverpool in the Premier League, Tanaka in the Championship, and Tomoki Iwata with Birmingham in League One.
In the Dutch Eredivisie, Kento Shiogai headed in a late leveler for his fourth goal of the season as NEC Nijmegen drew 1-1 at home with Willem II.
Related coverage:
Football: Ao Tanaka's Leeds earn promotion to Premier League
Football: World Cup-bound Japan held 0-0 at home by Saudi Arabia
Football: Moriyasu picks battle-tested squad as World Cup berth looms
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