Yoshito Okubo scored twice as Kawasaki Frontale came through a wild, swinging encounter with Shimizu S-Pulse with a 3-2 win on Saturday night.
World Cup striker Okubo got Frontale off to a flying start at Todoroki Stadium with a goal in the 11th minute, before a double from Nigerian forward Peter Utaka turned the game on its head and gave bottom-of-the-table S-Pulse a halftime lead.
But Frontale, who began the day fifth in the overall table, came roaring back in the second half, equalizing through Yuto Takeoka before Okubo notched his 13th goal of the season to claim all three points for the home side.
“Of course I wanted to score a third goal tonight but there are other players who can score goals for us too,” said Okubo. “What counts is that the team wins.”
North Korean international Chong Tese made his first appearance for S-Pulse, having joined from South Korea’s Suwon Samsung earlier this month, but the 31-year-old was unable to make an impact against the team with whom he starred for 4 1/2 years before leaving the J. League for Germany.
“It did feel like I was at home tonight,” said Chong, who played 112 times and scored 46 goals for Frontale before joining Bochum in 2010.
“There are a lot of things we need to improve on as a team. We have to be able to do better than during the time that we ran out of gas tonight. If you can’t do that, it doesn’t matter how many goals you are leading by.
“We have to figure out what we are all meant to be doing on the pitch, and if we can do that then we can start getting results.”
The game was just over 10 minutes old when Okubo gave Frontale the lead. The striker broke forward before exchanging passes with Kentaro Moriya, then took advantage of Shimizu’s non-existent defense to pick his spot and blast the ball past goalkeeper Rikihiro Sugiyama.
Chong almost equalized in spectacular fashion 10 minutes later with a long-range lob attempt while simultaneously turning and falling. But S-Pulse did not have to wait much longer before Utaka hit the target, powering home a bullet header in the 22nd minute from Mitchell Duke’s cross.
Utaka’s threat in the air apparently went unheeded as the Nigerian proceeded to score again on the half-hour mark. Genki Omae swung in a corner, and Utaka rose to thump an unchallenged header into the back of the net.
Utaka almost completed his hat trick before the halftime whistle sounded, and Okubo still had time to hit the crossbar before referee Kenji Ogiya brought an eventful opening 45 minutes to a close.
The action continued thick and fast after the restart, and the home side got itself back on level terms in the 57th minute. Sugiyama managed to parry Yusuke Tasaka’s header after Kengo Nakamura had chipped in a free kick, but Takeoka was on hand to sweep home the rebound.
Sugiyama redeemed himself with a stunning save from Tasaka minutes later, but there was nothing the ‘keeper could do when Okubo put Frontale back in front in the 70th minute, finishing off a brilliant flowing counterattack with a crisp right-foot shot.
“If you don’t hold your ground when you are in front, you won’t win the game,” said S-Pulse manager Katsumi Oenoki. “If you don’t make any chances, then you can’t score. We are in a difficult situation but we just have to keep looking forward.”
Elsewhere in the J. League, Sanfrecce Hiroshima took over at the top of the overall table with a 2-0 win over Yokohama F. Marinos, as previous leaders Urawa Reds slumped to their second defeat of the season — one week after their first — losing 2-1 to Nagoya Grampus.
Takashi Usami scored the winner to give champions Gamba Osaka a 2-1 victory over in-form Vissel Kobe in the Kansai derby, while Kashiwa Reysol climbed into second in the second-stage table with a 1-0 win over Vegalta Sendai.
Kashima Antlers won their first game following the departure of manager Toninho Cerezo, 2-1 over FC Tokyo, Matsumoto Yamaga beat Ventforet Kofu 1-0, and Sagan Tosu and Shonan Bellmare drew 1-1.
In the day’s other game, Albirex Niigata beat Montedio Yamagata 3-1.
Shibasaki, Shoji give Ishii 1st win
KASHIMA, Ibaraki — Kashima Antlers won their first game after changing their manager, beating FC Tokyo 2-1 on Saturday at Kashima Stadium.
Kashima midfielder Gaku Shibasaki scored a goal and set up another by defender Gen Shoji to give new manager Masatada Ishii his first win after replacing former manager Toninho Cerezo on Tuesday.
“I was under huge pressure. Not that I wanted to run away from it, but the thought briefly came across my mind,” said Ishii. “That’s the only reason I felt relieved when the game ended.”
With the win, Antlers rose to seventh in the second stage of the J.League after four games.
Sanfrecce Hiroshima solidified their lead on top of the standings, beating visitors Yokohama F Marinos 2-0 to stretch their winning streak to four. Kashiwa Reysol moved up to second after beating hosts Vegalta Sendai 1-0.
Urawa Reds suffered their second straight loss after posting a 19-game unbeaten streak, allowing hosts Nagoya Grampus to notch a 2-1 comeback victory. The first-stage winner dropped to 13th in the second stage.
In Kashima, Antlers took control in the early going, led by Shibasaki, who had been sidelined after a June 20 game because of an injury. In the 30th minute, the midfielder fired a low-lying shot that deflected off a defender, changing its direction on the way into the net.
FC Tokyo leveled the score in the 70th minute, but Shoji scored the winner with a header off a corner kick from Shibasaki 11 minutes later.
After assuming the managerial role, Ishii demanded that his players raise their awareness in battles for possession, a topic that had been discussed by the players themselves at a players’ meeting.
In Saturday’s game, the Kashima players did not hesitate to be physical, launching hard tackles to take the ball. The efforts bore fruit, as Kashima succeeded a number of times to link defense to scoring opportunities.
Some of the team’s weaknesses — such as defending during set pieces — were yet to be corrected during the game. However, Shibasaki stressed the positive side of the game, saying: “We needed a win to change the bad mood surrounding us. Every one of the players’ morale was high, so I think it’s important to continue playing like we did today.
10-man Reds falter to Grampus
After beginning the season on a run of 19 matches unbeaten, Urawa Reds have now fallen to two consecutive defeats, succumbing 2-1 at Nagoya Grampus on Saturday.
The MEIJI YASUDA J1 League first stage winners were looking to bounce back from their unexpected home defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima last week, and seized the initiative in the 19th minute at Paloma Mizuho Stadium through a Yusuke Muta own-goal.
However, the hosts’ replied immediately, as Daisuke Nasu’s attempts to stop Kensuke Nagai’s run proved futile, allowing the Grampus forward to cross for Kengo Kawamata to head in an easy equaliser.
Nagai was proving to be a real livewire in the opening exchanges and was instrumental again barely two minutes later when Ryota Moriwaki got sent off for a professional foul on the 26-year-old, who was sent clear on goal only to be dragged down.
Nevertheless, Akira Nishino’s men were only able to make their numerical advantage count in the second half as Kisho Yano bagged the winner, the right-back unleashing a daisy-cutter from range that evaded Shusaku Nishikawa reach.
The result leaves the Reds floundering with four points from four games, in stark contrast to second stage leaders Sanfrecce who extended their perfect start with a straightforward 2-0 win over Yokohama F.Marinos.
A brace from Douglas was key for Hajime Moriyasu’s side to keep moving forward at maximum pace here, their fourth win out of four matches since the restart strengthening the 2013 winners grip at the top of the league.
2014 champions Gamba Osaka meanwhile returned to winning ways by beating Vissel Kobe 2-1, putting an end to a stretch of three games without victory.
Gamba captain Yasuhito Endo fired the visitors into the lead with a spectacular effort in the 12th minute that Kaito Yamamoto could only palm into his own net, before Takahito Soma saw a straight red card for a two-footed challenge which compounded Vissel’s misery.
Nelsinho’s team managed to equalise from a corner right before the half-time break however, and appeared to be on the verge of earning a point only for Takashi Usami to smash his own long-range effort past Yamamoto to put Gamba back on the front foot in the league.
Kashima Antlers managed to defeat FC Tokyo 2-1 during Masatada Ishii’s first match in charge thanks to goals from Gaku Shibasaki and Gen Shoji, rendering Australian Nathan Burns’ first-ever goal in Japan, a 70th-minute equaliser for Tokyo, inconsequential.
Kashiwa Reysol had spent the first stage floundering but appear to picked up some momentum now, Cristiano’s 87th-minute winner against Vegalta Sendai handing his team a 1-0 win to move them second in the table.
Shunsuke Iwanuma’s volley earned Matsumoto Yamaga a valuable three points in their 1-0 victory over Ventforet Kofu, while Albirex Niigata roared to a 3-1 win over Montedio Yamagata.
Kawasaki Frontale emerged the eventual victors over Shimizu S-Pulse with a 3-2 scoreline, Yoshito Okubo and Peter Utaka both recording braces.
At Best Amenity Stadium, Kota Mizunuma will rue that his excellent chipped finish was only able to earn Sagan Tosu a 1-1 draw against Shonan Bellmare.
Tokyo midfielder Kajiyama out with bruised fibula
Experienced midfielder Yohei Kajiyama could require up to six weeks to recover from injuries to his left leg, his club FC Tokyo announced on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old sprained his ankle and bruised his left fibula in Tokyo’s 0-0 draw against Montedio Yamagata last Sunday, and had to be replaced in the 35th minute.
Kajiyama, who represented Japan at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has also played for Greece’s Panathinaikos, has played 18 games in all competitions for Tokyo this season.
MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE(2nd)
| Standings | Club | Pts | Game | |
| 1 | Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 12 | 4 | |
| 2 | Kashiwa Reysol | 9 | 4 | |
| 3 | Gamba Osaka | 8 | 5 | |
| 4 | Vissel Kobe | 7 | 4 | |
| 5 | Kawasaki Frontale | 7 | 4 | |
| 6 | Nagoya Grampus | 7 | 4 | |
| 7 | Kashima Antlers | 7 | 4 | |
| 8 | Albirex Niigata | 6 | 4 | |
| 9 | Sagan Tosu | 6 | 5 | |
| 10 | Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. | 6 | 4 | |
| 11 | Shonan Bellmare | 5 | 4 | |
| 12 | Ventforet Kofu | 4 | 4 | |
| 13 | Urawa Reds | 4 | 4 | |
| 13 | F.C.Tokyo | 4 | 4 | |
| 15 | Montedio Yamagata | 3 | 4 | |
| 16 | Yokohama F･Marinos | 2 | 4 | |
| 17 | Shimizu S-Pulse | 2 | 4 | |
| 18 | Vegalta Sendai | 1 | 4 |
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