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