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Tokyo. Defending champion Kashima Antlers saw their 18-match unbeaten run come to an end when they lost 1-0 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Saturday.

The game’s only goal came from former Japan international striker Hisato Sato, whose 15-meter drive found the back of the net after he was put through by Toshihiro Aoyama in the 35th minute.

“We lost to Kashima in the first game of their winning streak, so all we wanted to do today was bring it to an end,” Sato said after scoring his 10th goal of the season. “We believed we’d be able to stop it, and I’m really happy that we succeeded.”

The result left Kashima on 44 points, its lead over Kawasaki Frontale reduced to eight points.

Albirex Niigata is third with 35 points, followed by Urawa Red Diamonds on 34 points and FC Tokyo and Shimizu S-Pulse with 32 points.

Kawasaki clinched its match against FC Tokyo in injury time thanks to a late Hiroyuki Taniguchi strike to hand it a 2-1 victory, while Niigata and Omiya Ardija fought out a goalless draw.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Australian international striker Josh Kennedy scored his third goal in three games for his side, Nagoya Grampus, only for his team to concede two goals in injury time in a 2-1 defeat to Oita Trinita.

Jubilo Iwata defeated JEF United Chiba 3-2, while Yokohama Marinos beat Kyoto Purple Sanga 3-0.

On Sunday, Vissel Kobe moved a step away from relegation with its 1-0 victory over second-to-bottom Kashiwa Reysol. Defender Hiroyuki Komoto scored the only goal of the game with a header off a corner from Akihito Kusunose in the 64th minute.

Kobe now has 22 points, three ahead of JEF United Chiba, six more than Kashiwa and 12 points ahead of stragglers Oita.

In other games on Sunday, Gamba Osaka was held 1-1 by Montedio Yamagata as Tomokazu Myojin’s header in the 39th minute was canceled out by a strike from Yu Hasegawa in the 72nd minute.

Urawa Reds suffered yet another defeat when they lost 1-0 to Shimizu, with Takuma Edamura scoring the game’s only goal in the 70th minute.


Agence France-Presse