The slump became a crisis for J1 leaders Kashima Antlers on Saturday as woeful defending allowed Nagoya Grampus to cruise to a 4-1 victory at Kashima Stadium.
After Joshua Kennedy opened the scoring for Grampus on just five minutes, an air kick from ‘keeper Hitoshi Sogahata moments later gifted a first ever J. League goal to Montenegrin striker Igor Burzanović, before Kenta Sugimoto’s strike at the beginning of the second half took the visitors’ lead to three. Although Marquinhos was able to head home a consolation goal for the home side, yet more defensive errors allowed Burzanović to steal in and double his personal tally with seven minutes remaining.
Kashima have now lost three league games on the bounce for the first time in three years, and having seemed near certainties for a third straight title after 13 wins in the first half of the season, Oswaldo de Oliveira’s men have only mustered eight points in the ten league games since. A cushion that was once ten points is now down to just one, as Shimizu S-Pulse - who were fully 17 points off the pace at the halfway mark - scraped a 1-0 win over 10-man Vissel Kobe thanks to a late strike from defender Daisuke Ichikawa.
Gamba Osaka are now up to third, with a brace from Japan midfielder Yasuhito Endo enough to secure a 2-1 success at home to Kawasaki Frontale. The win means that, in ten league matches, Gamba have reduced their deficit to Kashima from 19 points to just four. Kawasaki, however, fall to sixth after Albirex Niigata brought Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s nine-game unbeaten run to an end with a 2-1 victory at the Big Arch.
At the other end, 15th-placed Montedio Yamagata gave themselves a little breathing space with a hard-fought 2-1 win away to second-from-bottom JEF United Chiba. Kashiwa Reysol are now three points back in the final relegation position after failing to break a 0-0 stalemate away to bottom club Oita Trinita.
Elsewhere, Urawa Reds fell to ninth after a 2-1 loss at home to Yokohama F Marinos. Omiya Ardija earned a fine 3-1 win away to Kyoto Sanga, while FC Tokyo beat Jubilo Iwata by the odd goal in five - all of which were scored after half time.
J1 results (matchday 27)
Oita Trinita 0-0 Kashiwa Reysol
FC Tokyo 3-2 Jubilo Iwata
Gamba Osaka 2-1 Kawasaki Frontale
Kashima Antlers 1-4 Nagoya Grampus
Kyoto Sanga 1-3 Omiya Ardija
JEF United Chiba 1-2 Montedio Yamagata
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-2 Albirex Niigata
Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 Vissel Kobe
Urawa Reds 1-2 Yokohama F Marinos
![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}