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Tokyo. J-League leader Kashima Antlers drew 1-1 with Kashiwa Reysol to bring its excellent run to 17 games without a defeat and stretch its lead to 10 points in the standings.

The Antlers went 1-0 down in the 44th minute on Saturday, but Brazilian striker Marquinhos nodded home an equalizer for the defending champion in the 56th minute.

“It is honorable that we don’t have a defeat in 17 games. We will do our best to rewrite the J-League record as far as possible,” said Kashima’s Brazilian coach, Oswaldo Oliveira.

“We kept the initiative in today’s game. Although we lost a goal, we had several chances to take the lead. However, it ended in a draw. I’m disappointed with the result, but I think my players performed very well.”

Urawa suffered a 3-0 defeat to Nagoya Grampus as Japan international striker Keiji Tamada scored twice and Australian international Josh Kennedy found the net once.

In other games on Saturday, former Asian club champion Gamba Osaka edged past last-place Oita Trinita 1-0 thanks to Hayato Sasaki’s goal from a Yasuhito Endo pass in the 61st minute.

Defender Naoaki Aoyama scored the deciding goal in the 80th minute to give Shimizu S-Pulse a 2-1 win over JEF United Chiba, while Omiya Ardija defeated Vissel Kobe 2-1. FC Tokyo drew with Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-0.

On Sunday, Korean international Lee Keun-Ho scored for Jubilo Iwata, but his side was held to a 1-1 draw by Yokohama Marinos.

Midfielder Shuto Yamamoto intercepted a Yokohama pass and sent the ball to Lee to score in the sixth minute. Lee recently rejoined the club after his expected move to French side Paris Saint-Germain fell through.

Yokohama’s Korean defender Kim Kun-Hoan leveled after Yukihiro Yamase beat two defenders to cross from the left. Kim headed the ball into the net in the 50th minute.

“I got on the end of so many headers during the first half, but I was able to score only one goal … I was disappointed. It was a tough game, but we never gave up and managed to draw,” Kim said after scoring his first goal of the season.

In other games on Sunday, Brazilian striker Diego scored twice to give Kyoto Purple Sanga a 3-1 win over Kawasaki Frontale, while Albirex Niigata drew 1-1 with Montedio Yamagata to move up to second in the standings.

Kashima remained top on 44 points, followed by Niigata and Urawa on 34 points, Kawasaki on 33 points and FC Tokyo with 32 points.

Also on Sunday, the J-League announced it would take no punitive measures against Tokyo Verdy’s Brazilian striker Leandro’s claim that an opponent had called him a “chimpanzee.”

The league’s disciplinary committee investigated accusations of racist taunts after Verdy’s midweek second-division game with Ventforet Kofu.

Verdy expressed disappointment after J-League officials said they were unable to verify Leandro’s claims Kofu defender Arata Sugiyama had called him a “chimpanzee.”

The Brazilian was booked at the final whistle after protesting too little injury time had been played and complained Sugiyama had racially abused him in the subsequent melee.

Kofu president Kazuyuki Umino said he believed Leandro had misheard Sugiyama.

“Sugiyama probably said the world ‘shinpan’ [‘referee’] and it may have sounded like [chimpanzee],” Umino told the Sports Nippon daily. “He had no logical reason to call him that.”

J-League

AFP, Reuters