YAMAGATA (Kyodo) -- Second-division outfit Fagiano Okayama are on the cusp of a maiden berth in Japanese football's top flight following a 3-0 victory over 10-man Montedio Yamagata in the J-League first-division promotion playoff semifinals on Sunday.

The western Japan side, who finished the J2 season in fifth place, will host next Saturday's playoff final at City Light Stadium in Okayama against Vegalta Sendai, 4-1 winners over V-Varen Nagasaki in the other semifinal.

With Shimizu S-Pulse and Yokohama FC having secured promotion by finishing first and second, respectively, the teams placed third through sixth entered the playoffs with one more J1 slot up for grabs.

Goals from Haruka Motoyama and Hiroto Iwabuchi gave Okayama a commanding 2-0 lead at NDsoft Stadium Yamagata before defender Ayumu Kawai's 54th-minute red card spelled disaster for fourth-place finishers Montedio.

As the higher-ranked finalists, Okayama can clinch promotion with a draw against sixth-place Sendai, who upset third-place V-Varen in their semi at Nagasaki's Peace Stadium. Sendai are bidding to return to the J1 for the first time in four seasons.