MEIJI YASUDA J1 League - japan

Goal fests ensue for Frontale and Vissel

Yu Kobayashi’s heroics in front of goal were the only reason Kawasaki Frontale did not slip to a shock home defeat to Shonan Bellmare in Saturday’s thrilling MEIJI YASUDA J1 League encounter that finished 4-4.

Yoshito Okubo got the ball rolling when he swept his effort into the top right corner following Kentaro Moriyama’s clever dummy

the veteran’s 157th goal was cancelled out when Jung Sung-rong diverted a routine cross into the back of his net as he came up to claim under pressure

Jung was culpable again as Shonan took the lead for the first time on the day, with the South Korean leaving acres of space to allow Daisuke Kikuchi’s daisy cutter to creep in to his right.

The advantage only lasted a minute before Yu Kobayashi got his first of the evening but the visitors were a goal up again right afterwards as an unmarked Paulinho met a corner with a spectacular first-time finish with his right boot.

It was end-to-end as Kobayashi combined beautifully with Ryota Oshima before unleashing a drive past Tomohiko Murayama, the custodian getting a hand to the effort but unable to keep it out.

The match could not sustain such a pace and the intensity dwindled after the break although the drama continued as Shonan took the lead once again, a deep cross from the left squirming all the way across Frontale’s goal before Takuya Okamoto appeared at the far post to bag an easy finish.

Desperate not to throw away a result because of a series of mix-ups at the back, Frontale pushed forward and were finally rewarded with a last-gasp equaliser. 

Shintaro Kurumaya sending a deep ball onto the head of Kobayashi who flicked on to substitute Takayuki Morimoto, who could not miss his header from point-blank range.

The result left the side unable to keep apace with Kashima Antlers – who had Mu Kanazaki’s 31st-minute header to thank for their 1-0 win over Sagan Tosu – or Omiya Ardija, who kept up their perfect record back in the top-flight by defeating Kashiwa Reysol 2-0 through Dragan Mrdja’s brace.

Vissel Kobe played out a nine-goal thriller that exploded into life in a frantic 25-minute stretch towards the end and finished 6-3 in their favour, with Brazilians Pedro Junior and Rafael Silva notching braces on opposing ends.

Yokohama F.Marinos and Avispa Fukuoka are still winless following the pair’s 1-1 draw at Level-5 Stadium.

Sanfrecce striker Sato breaks all-time J1 scoring record

TOYOTA, AICHI PREF. – Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Hisato Sato scored his 158th career goal on Sunday to become the all-time leading scorer in the J. League first division.

The 33-year-old Sato netted a 43rd-minute equalizer to give reigning champion Hiroshima a 1-1 draw at Nagoya Grampus, moving to the top of the all-time charts ahead of Kawasaki Frontale’s Yoshito Okubo and former Jubilo Iwata striker Masashi Nakayama.

Sato’s goal came when a shot from Kosei Shibasaki came off him and changed course to end up in the back of the net.

“I’d like my 158th goal to have been a bit prettier,” said Sato. “But I had got myself ready in front of goal and it went in so I guess it is a typical goal for me. I hope my 159th goal leads to a win.”

Okubo had just joined Nakayama and Sato in a tie with his 157th goal in Kawasaki’s 4-4 draw at home to Shonan Bellmare on Saturday.

Sato has helped Hiroshima win three league titles in the last four seasons and was the J. League Player of the Year and Golden Boot winner in 2012.

Sato started his career with JEF United Ichihara (now JEF United Chiba) and joined Hiroshima in 2005. He has been capped 31 times for Japan, scoring four goals.

Bothroyd strikes to lead Jubilo past Urawa

SAITAMA – Former Queens Park Rangers striker Jay Bothroyd scored the winner as J. League first-division returnees Jubilo Iwata claimed their first win after two seasons in the second tier with a 2-1 away victory at Urawa Reds on Sunday.

Reds midfielder Yosuke Kashiwagi canceled out Yoshiaki Ota’s 30th-minute opener in front of a crowd of 43,826 at Saitama Stadium, but Bothroyd bundled in to snatch the winner for the visitors with eight minutes left.

“I’m delighted to score my first goal of the season against a top team,” Bothroyd said. “We frustrated the home team by defending very well, everyone worked hard. We played on the break, it was our game plan and it worked really well.

“I’m very happy, the fans here are tremendous and obviously our Jubilo fans are always very good. It’s a great atmosphere and Iwata are a top team, they have been throughout their history. We’re very happy to get the win today and hopefully we can continue.”

Reds, 2-1 winners at Kashiwa Reysol last weekend, wasted a chance to go ahead before the half hour as Zlatan Ljubijankic failed to capitalize on a communication breakdown in the Jubilo defense and his shot was easily gathered by goalkeeper Krzysztof Kaminski.

The home side then fell behind moments later with calamitous defending of its own, Ota blocking Tomoaki Makino’s pass and wrong-footing keeper Shusaku Nishikawa into an unguarded net with a left-foot strike from 18 meters out.

Urawa reacted quickly as Shinzo Koroki met a cross from six meters out but his effort was saved by keeper Kaminski, before strike partner Ljubijankic missed a volley from 10 meters out.

Nishikawa kept Urawa in the game with a double save in the 56th minute, blocking a close-range effort with his foot from Adailton after the Brazilian had skipped past a defender in the box and then from Kazuki Saito on the rebound before Reds drew level with 12 minutes to go.

Kashiwagi set off three direct passes and received the ball from Ljubijankic outside the box before sweeping home with his favored left foot. But the lead lasted only four minutes.

Bothroyd, who topped the J2 scoring chart last season with 20 goals, held off Makino to scramble in the winner at the far post after a low cross from Takuya Matsuura, who had just come on as a substitute a minute earlier.

Iwata rebounded from an opening 1-0 defeat to Nagoya Grampus and manager Hiroshi Nanami applauded his team for its tenacity.

“We’d have got beaten had we lost our patience and attacked carelessly. It wasn’t the type of football we aim to play through the season but the players did well,” Nanami said. “I said to them before the game we’re aiming for the three points and the substitutions reflected that.”

Elsewhere in the J. League, Gamba Osaka won their first game of the season away to Ventforet Kofu 1-0 thanks to a 36th-minute goal from Shun Nagasawa. FC Tokyo also won its first away to Vegalta Sendai after an own goal and Ryoichi Maeda’s effort turned the game around following Hirofumi Watabe’s opener for Vegalta.

Jay Bothroyd delivered an early blow to Urawa Reds’ MEIJI YASUDA J1 League title ambitions when he struck the winner for Jubilo Iwata in a 2-1 win on Sunday.

Mihailo Petrovic’s men attempted to capitalise on a number of slip-ups from their title rivals but were left to rue a comedy of defensive errors at the back when they conceded the opener to the visitors in the 30th minute.

Ryota Moriwaki, Shusaku Nishikawa and Tomoaki Makino attempted to pass the ball out of danger at the back but the latter scuffed his pass directly into the path of Yoshiaki Ota, who kept his cool to finish high into the net from close range.

Yosuke Kashiwagi temporarily levelled the scores with a left-footed effort on the edge of the area after an excellent give-and-go with Zlatan Ljubijankic, but disaster struck four minutes later when Bothroyd netted the decisive goal.

The Reds’ failure to clear their lines proved costly as the ball found its way to the former England international, who held off the attentions of Makino to slot home and deliver Jubilo’s first win of the season since returning to the top flight.

Gamba Osaka took full advantage of the result as Shun Nagasawa sealed a 1-0 victory at Ventforet Kofu in a wide-open encounter, although champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s early season woes continued as they were held 1-1 at Nagoya Grampus.

The hosts took the lead when Shota Kobayashi’s cross found its way to the far post where Robin Simovic was on hand to thump in, forcing Hisato Sato to reply with a typical predatory finish inside the box with two minutes before the break.

The draw means Hajime Moriyasu’s troops are still without a domestic win this season – something FC Tokyo attained for the first time with their 2-1 triumph at Vegalta Sendai.

Hirofumi Watanabe put his side up in the seventh minute at Yurtec Stadium from a corner, but the capital outfit were level not two minutes later when Yasuhiro Hiraoka put the ball into his own net.

With the score finely poised, it came down to Ryoichi Maeda to strike in a fine first-time finish in the 51st minute to give his team their first points of the campaign.