There may have been precious few surprises in the leading championships outside Europe this weekend, but that did not stop several teams striding towards glory. Leading that charge were Pohang Steelers, who wrote their name in the history books by being crowned champions in Korea Republic.

Elsewhere, the suspense continues, with the leagues in Argentina, China PR, Brazil and Japan all moving a little closer to their conclusions. FIFA.com takes a look back at two days full of ups and downs for the teams at the top.

Chinese Super League: Changchun take control
As expected, the favourites came out on top in the Super League this weekend, which meant Changchun Yatai moved on to 52 points, one clear of Beijing Guo'an, thanks to their 4-0 home success over Wuhan Guanggu and a day off for the capital club. Further back, third-placed Shandong Luneng dropped out of the title race after only being able to manage a 1-1 draw with Zhejiang Lucheng.

The final round of action takes place this Wednesday and the sense of anticipation is immense. Beijing host Shandong while Changchun will be desperate to stay out in front away to second-from-bottom Shenzhen Shangqingyin.

For the record: If they hope to take maximum points at Shenzhen, the frontrunners will need to convert their chances. Bearing the brunt of the goalscoring responsibility will be Zha Ji Da, who returned to form with a brace on Saturday.

Japanese J-League: Osaka narrow the gap
Gamba Osaka kept their title dreams alive this weekend thanks to a straightforward 2-0 win over JEF United Chiba. They now have 64 points, leaving them five behind leaders Urawa Red Diamonds, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Kawasaki. In a round marked by two-goal heroes, Gamba owed their victory to in-form Jader Volnei Spindler, while Kashima Antlers had Brazilian Marquinhos to thank for their 3-2 success over Yokohama F Marinos.

The last three instalments promise to serve up some hotly-contested football between now and the final whistle on 1 December.

For the record: Kashima's weekend win leaves them with championship hopes of their own. They currently lie third on 63 points and can close the gap when they visit Uruwa two games from now.

Korean K-League: Pohang take title
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma fans probably thought differently, but Pohang already had one hand on the trophy going into their championship playoff second leg. The Steelers had triumphed 3-1 in the opening game and they never trembled in the return fixture, completing a stylish victory thanks to a 42nd-minute strike from Brazilian player Schwenck. Seongnam were never able to get going and the 4-1 aggregate scoreline was as heavy as their disappointment was intense.

For the record: Pohang became the first side to ever lift the trophy after finishing as low as fifth in the regular season. They now boast four national titles, this being their first since 1992.

Argentinian Apertura: No change at the top
With a decisive trip to face Boca Juniors scheduled for 2 December, leaders Lanus held their grip on first place by triumphing 4-1 at Rosario Central. It was precisely what they needed too, as the Xeneizes recorded a 4-0 win over Velez Sarsfield at La Bombonera on Sunday.

Martin Palermo was the star of the show for Boca with two goals, while Rodrigo Palacio and Alvaro R. Gonzalez grabbed the others to help keep Miguel Russo's side within three points of top spot with three matches remaining.

For the record: In Sunday's other games, Tigre saw off San Martin 3-0 and Estudiantes overcame Independiente 2-1. Those results catapulted Tigre up to third place with 28 points, ahead of Independiente and Banfield on 26 points apiece.

Brazilian Championship: Flamengo on the up
Given that there are just two rounds left on the calendar, Flamengo did themselves a huge favour this Sunday by seeing off Santos 1-0 at the Maracana. The 87,000-plus fans were made to wait until Souza broke the deadlock on 76 minutes, but the victory takes them within one point of second-placed Santos and ahead of Cruzeiro, who lost 1-0 to Internacional. The competition for Copa Libertadores places looks destined to go down to the wire, with the top four finishers earning a place in the South American extravaganza.

For the record: Corinthians slid a little closer towards relegation this weekend after drawing 1-1 at Goias. Should the Paulista giants go down, it would be a massive shock for Brazilian football.