Football Japan Minutecast

The top three teams in J1 are separated by just two points after a week in which leaders Kashima Antlers were surprisingly held to a draw at home to mid-table Albirex Niigata, while closest rivals Shimizu S-Pulse hit a spectacular run of form that has now brought a total of 20 goals - both ends combined - in their last three league matches.

Oswaldo de Oliveira�fs reigning champions saw a run of four straight wins ended by Albirex midfielder Yuta Mikado�fs 80th-minute equaliser last Tuesday, but they were at least able to bounce back immediately with a 3-0 victory over struggling Vissel Kobe on Saturday night. Two first-half goals from Takuya Nozawa and a late third from Brazilian forward Marquinhos sealed a comfortable win to ensure that Kashima remain a point clear at the summit.

Shimizu followed their 3-3 draw against third-placed Nagoya Grampus with a 3-2 win over fifth-placed Cerezo Osaka on Tuesday, before an incredible 6-3 romp away to second-from-bottom Shonan Bellmare yesterday evening made it twelve goals scored and eight conceded in just eight days. Shinji Okazaki netted for the third game in a row to put his side 3-0 up in only the 12th minute, before 36-year-old former Norway international Frode Johnsen completed a well-taken hat-trick with a diving header early in the second half.

Grampus remain a point behind S-Pulse after a solid, if unspectacular, 2-0 win away to Yokohama F Marinos. Cerezo quickly recovered their form with an easy 3-0 victory at Jubilo Iwata to stay fifth and just two points behind Kawasaki Frontale, who needed an 84th-minute winner from Hiroyuki Taniguchi to seal a 3-2 success over reigning J2 champions Vegalta Sendai.

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The biggest shock of the weekend came in Saitama, where Omiya Ardija moved out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win at the home of local rivals Urawa Reds despite playing more than half the game with ten men. After Rafael had put the visitors in front on 27 minutes, left-back Kazuhiro Murakami was controversially sent off by English guest referee Stuart Attwell five minutes before the interval. Volker Finke�fs men were, however, unable to take advantage, and after a promising start to the campaign, have now managed just three wins in their last 13 competitive fixtures.

The defeat drops Urawa to ninth - behind Albirex Niigata, who beat FC Tokyo 2-1, and Gamba Osaka, who followed last Wednesday�fs impressive 3-1 win at Kansai rivals Vissel Kobe with a 1-0 victory over Montedio Yamagata in Kanazawa. Sanfrecce Hiroshima held onto sixth place with three second half goals against Kyoto Sanga, who remain rooted to the bottom on just ten points.


J1 results (matchday 16)
Urawa Reds 0-1 Omiya Ardija
Kashima Antlers 3-0 Vissel Kobe
Yokohama F Marinos 0-2 Nagoya Grampus
Albirex Niigata 2-1 FC Tokyo
Jubilo Iwata 0-3 Cerezo Osaka
Gamba Osaka 1-0 Montedio Yamagata
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-0 Kyoto Sanga
Kawasaki Frontale 3-2 Vegalta Sendai
Shonan Bellmare 3-6 Shimizu S-Pulse


J1 results (matchday 15)
Vegalta Sendai 1-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Kashima Antlers 2-2 Albirex Niigata
Shimizu S-Pulse 3-2 Cerezo Osaka
Montedio Yamagata 0-0 Kawasaki Frontale
Omiya Ardija 1-1 Yokohama F Marinos
FC Tokyo 1-1 Jubilo Iwata
Nagoya Grampus 2-1 Shonan Bellmare
Kyoto Sanga 0-4 Urawa Reds
Vissel Kobe 1-3 Gamba Osaka