TOYAMA, Japan (Interstat) — Kataller Toyama and Ehime played to a 1-1 draw on Sunday in a J2 League match at Toyama Athletic Recreation Park Stadium, a result that saw both clubs earn their first point of the domestic season.

The match, which played out largely as projected by statistical models, was decided by goals at the very beginning and very end of the contest. Ehime’s Ryoga Ishio opened the scoring in the 37th minute, and Toyama defender Sota Fukazawa secured the equalizer with a dramatic goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

The draw leaves both teams with identical J2 League records of zero wins, zero losses and one draw to start the 2025 campaign. Across all competitions, Ehime’s record now stands at one win, zero losses and two draws, while Kataller Toyama sits at zero wins, one loss and two draws.

The result defied the pre-match probabilities from Interstat’s ELO system, which had given the home side a 70.2 percent chance of victory. However, the final score did match the projection from the same firm’s game simulator, which had forecast a 1-1 outcome.

Ehime broke the deadlock late in the first half when Ishio found the back of the net. The visitors then looked poised to see out the match and secure a road victory, successfully defending their narrow lead as the clock ticked into added time.

The decisive moment for Kataller Toyama came from an unlikely source. Defender Sota Fukazawa pushed forward and scored the leveling goal in the 93rd minute, salvaging a point for the home side. The assist on the critical play was credited to substitute Ryōsuke Maeda, who had entered the match in the second half.

The contest was a physical affair, with four yellow cards issued by the officiating crew. Ehime’s Yūtaka Soneda was booked in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, and teammate Yosuke Kawai received a caution in the 54th minute. For Kataller Toyama, defender Yuki Kagawa was shown a yellow card in the 72nd minute. Maeda, who provided the late assist, was also booked in the 86th minute. Kagawa was also credited with an assist on the day.

The draw continues a pattern of tight, unbeaten results for Ehime to start the season. Their previous match was a 1-1 draw on the road against Fukushima United on Oct. 5. Kataller Toyama, meanwhile, was looking to rebound from a 2-0 loss at Vanraure Hachinohe on Sept. 12 in their last competitive outing.

The shared points see both clubs off the mark in the J2 League table as they continue their campaigns next weekend.