Football Japan Minutecast

The stuttering summer form of J1 leaders Kashima Antlers continued at the NACK5 Stadium on Saturday evening, as the double reigning champions were humbled by a 3-1 defeat to lowly Omiya Ardija.

Tomoya Uchida fired the hosts into a shock lead with a left-footed half-volley after just five minutes, and despite controlling much of the possession thereafter, the Antlers were unable to create many real chances in the face of strong pressing from the Omiya defence. In the end, it was Ardija who managed to break away themselves, with strikes in the last ten minutes from Kohei Tokita and Mato Neretljak adding gloss to the scoreline before a consolation goal in stoppage time by Takuya Nozawa.

The win takes Omiya eight points clear of the drop zone, while Kashima�fs lead at the top was only reduced by one point to seven as nearest rivals Kawasaki Frontale and Shimizu S-Pulse played out a 1-1 draw on Sunday. Keisuke Iwashita�fs headed goal on 77 minutes looked to have given S-Pulse a priceless away win, but Kawasaki defender Hiroki Ito rose to head home an injury time equaliser that keeps Frontale in second.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima are now up to third on goal difference after labouring to a 2-1 win at Montedio Yamagata, while Gamba Osaka shrugged off the departure of leading scorer Leandro to clinch a comfortable 3-1 victory at Jubilo Iwata. Gamba are now up to fifth following a 1-0 defeat at Nagoya Grampus for Albirex Niigata, whose run of seven games without a win has been compounded by the transfer to Osaka of ten-goal striker Pedro Junior.

Results are even worse for Urawa Reds, after a 3-2 loss to Vissel Kobe completed their first run of seven successive league defeats for 14 years, leaving them down in ninth and just four points ahead of local rivals Omiya in 14th. FC Tokyo rise to seventh with a 2-0 win over Oita Trinita, who are still 17 points from safety and could be relegated as early as next month.

JEF United Chiba and Kashiwa Reysol are both five points below the survival line after draws away to Yokohama F Marinos and at home to Kyoto Sanga, respectively.


J1 results (matchday 24)
Omiya Ardija 3-1 Kashima Antlers
FC Tokyo 2-0 Oita Trinita
Yokohama F Marinos 1-1 JEF United Chiba
Jubilo Iwata 1-3 Gamba Osaka
Nagoya Grampus 1-0 Albirex Niigata
Vissel Kobe 3-2 Urawa Reds
Montedio Yamagata 1-2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Kashiwa Reysol 0-0 Kyoto Sanga
Kawasaki Frontale 1-1 Shimizu S-Pulse


J1 results (matchday 23 - Monday night game)
Oita Trinita 0-2 Vissel Kobe

First-half goals from Tomoaki Makino and Yosuke Kashiwagi were enough to give Sanfrecce Hiroshima a first victory over Urawa Reds in ten years and condemn their opponents to a sixth league defeat in as many games. Though hopes were raised briefly by a headed goal from half-time substitute Marcus Tulio Tanaka midway through the second period, Urawa�fs failure to find an equaliser means that they have now suffered their worst run of losses since 2002.

Their conquerors, on the other hand, move up to fourth after six games without defeat - a record bettered only by Shimizu S-Pulse, who are now third after a 5-1 thrashing of Shizuoka rivals Jubilo Iwata extended their unbeaten run to eight. Long-time challengers Albirex Niigata fall out of the Asian Champions League places to fifth after a second 2-1 home reverse in four days - this time against Kyoto Sanga - which makes it now no wins in six for Jun Suzuki�fs side.

Elsewhere, Gamba Osaka appeared to be cruising into the top three themselves on Sunday as goals from Yasuhito Endo and Lucas gave them a 2-0 half time lead against Nagoya Grampus, but all their hard work was then undone in a crazy last 20 minutes. After Grampus had somehow found their way level thanks to Yuki Maki and a Keiji Tamada penalty, Gamba �ekeeper Naoki Matsuyo suffered yet more torment against these opponents when he hopelessly misjudged Magnum�fs lofted free kick, and looked back in horror to see the Brazilian celebrate an unlikely winner seven minutes into stoppage time.

Straightforward home victories later that evening for Kashima Antlers over FC Tokyo and for Kawasaki Frontale against Montedio Yamagata maintained the status quo at the top, with Kashima enjoying an eight-point lead and Kawasaki still with a three-point cushion in second.

At the other end, a late own goal from Yuji Nakazawa gave Kashiwa Reysol a 1-1 draw with 10-man Yokohama F Marinos, while JEF United Chiba held on for a similar scoreline away to Omiya Ardija. Bottom club Oita Trinita will look to boost their survival prospects when they host 15th-placed Vissel Kobe tonight.


J1 results (matchday 23)
Omiya Ardija 1-1 JEF United Chiba
Albirex Niigata 1-2 Kyoto Sanga
Shimizu S-Pulse 5-1 Jubilo Iwata
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-1 Urawa Reds
Kashiwa Reysol 1-1 Yokohama F Marinos
Gamba Osaka 2-3 Nagoya Grampus
Kashima Antlers 3-1 FC Tokyo
Kawasaki Frontale 2-0 Montedio Yamagata

There were shocks aplenty in a full programme of J. League fixtures on Wednesday night, with none of the clubs occupying the top four positions in J1 following last weekend�fs matches able to pick up even a single point.

Gamba Osaka were once again the major beneficiaries, with a 2-1 win at third-placed Albirex Niigata moving them up to fourth, but the big story came in Saitama, where Urawa Reds suffered a 4-1 mauling at home to second-from-bottom Kashiwa Reysol. A Yuki Otsu brace either side of a goal each from Brazilians Popo and Franca completed a miserable night for Urawa coach Volker Finke, whose side fall to seventh after five successive losses in the league.

Leaders Kashima Antlers are hardly firing on all cylinders either, with a 1-0 defeat at struggling Vissel Kobe meaning Oswaldo de Oliveira�fs men have picked up just five points in as many games, but second-placed Kawasaki Frontale have once again failed to take advantage following a 2-1 loss at Jubilo Iwata. The gap at the top remains eight points, with Albirex a further three behind after no wins in six, and now joined on 36 points by both Gamba and Shimizu S-Pulse, who won 1-0 at Kyoto Sanga.

It was not all good news for the Osaka club, however, as top scorer Leandro issued a transfer request on Thursday following interest from Qatari club Al-Sadd, who are reportedly willing to offer him almost five times his current weekly wage.

Elsewhere, a first league win in exactly a month for Montedio Yamagata denied FC Tokyo the chance to move up to sixth, a position now occupied by Sanfrecce Hiroshima after their 1-0 win over bottom club Oita Trinita. JEF United Chiba are now six points from safety following a 2-0 loss at home to Nagoya Grampus, while Kazuma Watanabe�fs eighth league goal of the season gave Yokohama F Marinos a 1-0 win over Omiya Ardija.


J1 results (matchday 22)
Montedio Yamagata 1-0 FC Tokyo
JEF United Chiba 0-2 Nagoya Grampus
Albirex Niigata 1-2 Gamba Osaka
Jubilo Iwata 2-1 Kawasaki Frontale
Kyoto Sanga 0-1 Shimizu S-Pulse
Vissel Kobe 1-0 Kashima Antlers
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 Oita Trinita
Urawa Reds 1-4 Kashiwa Reysol
Yokohama F Marinos 1-0 Omiya Ardija