TOYAMA (Interstat) — Vini Peixoto scored in the 67th minute and Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo made the goal stand in a 1-0 victory over Toyama at Toyama Athletic Recreation Park Stadium. Peixoto, who logged 44 minutes, produced the only goal of the match when he finished after Ryota Aoki’s assist. Aoki played 30 minutes and recorded the helper. The visitors protected the narrow lead through the closing stages and denied Toyama an equalizer despite late pressure and a series of substitutions. Sapporo’s defense limited Toyama’s best late opportunities, and the final whistle confirmed the visitors’ win.

Toyama’s discipline was tested in a chippy first half. Yoshihira T. was booked in the 25th minute and Fuseya S. followed in the 36th. Okamoto S. received Toyama’s third yellow card in the 73rd minute, shortly after Sapporo had taken the lead. The bookings disrupted Toyama’s rhythm as it sought to push forward, and Sapporo’s back line held firm after the goal. Toyama pushed numbers forward after the hour, but it could not break through. Sapporo did not have a yellow card listed, and its lead held through the final 23 minutes of regulation.

Both teams made changes after halftime. Sapporo used Hasegawa T. at the break, then brought on Kido S. and Omori S. just before the hour. Toyama introduced Kim T. at halftime and later turned to Furukawa M., Matsuoka D. and Nishiya S. as it chased the game. Sapporo added Umetsu R. and Konomi K. to see out the result. The substitutions slowed the contest at times, but Toyama could not turn its territorial push into a clear scoring chance.

The substitution list reflected the game’s shifting shape. Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo’s Hasegawa T. entered at 46 minutes, Kido S. and Omori S. came on at 60, Umetsu R. entered at 69 and Konomi K. at 89. Toyama’s Kim T. entered at 46, Furukawa M. and Yoshihira T. came on at 53, Matsuoka D. at 60 and Nishiya S. at 74. Those changes gave both benches fresh legs, but neither side produced another goal.

The result moved Sapporo to 2-1 in this competition and 2-2 across all competitions. Toyama dropped to 1-1-2 in the competition and 1-2-2 overall. Sapporo entered the match after a road win over Montedio Yamagata and losses to Iwata and Okayama. Toyama arrived after a road win at Omiya Ardija, draws with Shonan Bellmare and Tegevajaro Miyazaki, and a home loss to Urawa Reds. The win gave Sapporo a second victory in the competition and left Toyama still searching for a second win in the same tournament.

Sapporo’s next ten scheduled matches are against Tochigi City, Vanraure, Omiya, Yokohama FC, Oita, Montedio, Bellmare, Ventforet, Sagan and Tokushima. Its schedule includes trips to Tochigi City, Omiya, Oita, Bellmare, Sagan and Tokushima and home matches against Vanraure, Yokohama FC, Montedio and Ventforet. Toyama will look to rebound from a match in which its three yellow cards and inability to convert late possession outweighed its stretches of pressure. Sapporo, meanwhile, will carry a two-win competition record into its next assignments after a victory built on Peixoto’s finish and Aoki’s assist.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Toyama 2, Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo 1. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Toyama with a 77.5 percent probability to win. Toyama had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -0.75. The total score of 1 went over the over/under line of 3.25.