Kashiwa earn J.League plaudits

Brazilian attacking midfielder Leandro Domingues, who powered Kashiwa Reysol's fairytale run to Japan's championship title, has been named J.League Player of the Year. The 28-year-old scored 15 goals in 30 league appearances as Kashiwa forged ahead in a tight three-way race to the wire and became the first team to win the J.League title a year after promotion to the top flight. "I'm glad that I could score when it mattered as we moved toward the title," he told Japanese media after a ceremony in Yokohama Monday night at which the J.League handed annual awards for outstanding performances. "This is one of the happiest moments of my life," he said. "I pray that Kashiwa won't rest on their laurels but will become a team which always stays in title contention." Kashiwa's Brazilian boss Nelsinho Baptista, 61, in charge since the middle of 2009, was named J.League coach of the Year.