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’s 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’s 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’s 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
![subscribe_with_itunes[1].gif](http://minutecast.up.seesaa.net/image/itunes.jpg)
![fbj[1].gif](http://minutecast.up.seesaa.net/image/fbj5B15D-thumbnail2.gif)
![feed_button[1].gif](http://minutecast.up.seesaa.net/image/feed_button5B15D-thumbnail2.gif){kind=small}