Football Japan Minutecast

Shinzo Koroki was the hero for Kashima Antlers yesterday evening as the reigning champions fought back from a goal and a man down to save a point at the home of one of their closest challengers, Kawasaki Frontale. Fresh off the back of a 1-0 win over Gamba Osaka in midweek that had lifted them to second, Frontale were given the perfect opportunity to throw a spanner in the works of their visitors�f charge towards a third straight title when Kashima right-back Atsuto Uchida was sent off for deliberate handball just after the half hour mark. With Juninho successfully converting the resultant penalty, the away team looked odds on to suffer their first league defeat since losing at Albirex Niigata back on 15 March.

But Kawasaki were unable to turn their numerical advantage into a greater lead on the scoreboard, and Takashi Sekizuka�fs side were punished midway through the second period when Marquinhos intercepted a poor back pass from Shuhei Terada and set up Koroki to level the scoring. After a thumping 3-0 win at Nagoya Grampus last Wednesday, Kashima�fs lead at the top is now up to eight points.

Frontale�fs failure to hold on means that Albirex Niigata remain second on goal difference after a decisive 4-0 victory away to second-from-bottom Kashiwa Reysol. Two goals after the interval from Naohiro Takahara helped Urawa Reds join Frontale and Albirex on 31 points after a 3-2 win at Montedio Yamagata, who fall to 16th place after six defeats in the last seven.

Elsewhere, a horrendous error by experienced stand-in goalkeeper Naoki Matsuyo in second half stoppage time cost Gamba Osaka a point away to Nagoya Grampus, who move back into the top half having fallen as low as 13th during a recent run of poor form. Gamba, who have lost four out of the last five league games themselves, fall to sixth behind FC Tokyo, who won 2-0 at struggling Vissel Kobe, but remain ahead of Sanfrecce Hiroshima after their shock 1-0 loss at home to Jubilo Iwata.

Shimizu S-Pulse drew 3-3 with Kyoto Sanga, Omiya Ardija played out a goalless draw with Yokohama F Marinos, while under-fire Oita Trinita boss Pericles Chamusca is expected to learn his fate later on today after suffering a league record 13th straight loss at the hands of JEF United Chiba.


J1 results (matchday 16)
Omiya Ardija 0-0 Yokohama F Marinos
Montedio Yamagata 2-3 Urawa Reds
Kashiwa Reysol 0-4 Albirex Niigata
Shimizu S-Pulse 3-3 Kyoto Sanga
Vissel Kobe 0-2 FC Tokyo
Oita Trinita 1-2 JEF United Chiba
Nagoya Grampus 2-1 Gamba Osaka
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-1 Jubilo Iwata
Kawasaki Frontale 1-1 Kashima Antlers


J1 results (matchday 10 - fixtures postponed to 1 July)
Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 Gamba Osaka
Nagoya Grampus 0-3 Kashima Antlers