Sunday 25 July Kawasaki Frontale 1 Kyoto Sanga 0 Shonan Bellmare 1 FC Tokyo 3 Vissel Kobe 3 Omiya Ardija 1 Saturday 24 July Urawa Reds 0 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1 Jubilo Iwata 2 Kashima Antlers 3 Cerezo Osaka 3 Montedio Yamagata 0 Vegalta Sendai 2 Albirex Niigata 3 Yokohama F Marinos 1 Gamba Osaka 0 Nagoya Grampus 3 Shimizu S-Pulse 3 J.League Table Kashima Antlers P 14 Pts 30 Shimizu S-Pulse P 14 Pts 27 Nagoya Grampus P 14 Pts 26 Kawasaki Frontale P 14 Pts 24 Cerezo Osaka P 14 Pts 23 Hiroshima P 14 Pts 22 Leading Scorers Josh Kennedy, Nagoya Grampus 9 Shoki Hirai, Gamba Osaka 8 Edmilson, Urawa Reds 7 Renatinho, Kawasaki Frontale 7 Kazuma Watanabe, Yokohama F Marinos 7 Ryoichi Maeda, Jubilo Iwata 7 Shinji Kagawa, Cerezo Osaka 7 Marcio Richardes, Albirex Niigata 7 Previous Results J.League News Tags J-League Results

Vegemite is a common sight on the shelves at Japanese speciality store Kaldi Coffee Farm, and there was another slice of Australia on display in downtown Nagoya overnight. Socceroos striker Josh Kennedy ran out against another lanky Australian in the form of Eddy Bosnar, but their was little to separate their respective sides as Nagoya Grampus drew 3-3 with Shimizu S-Pulse at Mizuho Stadium. The draw maintains the status quo in the J. League, with Shimizu remaining second and Nagoya third behind current league leaders Kashima Antlers. Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com Tags World Cup Pens World Cup Posters World Cup football

Sunday 18 July Kyoto Sanga 0 Shonan Bellmare 1 Gamba Osaka 3 Urawa Reds 2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3 Yokohama F Marinos 0 Saturday 17 July Omiya Ardija 0 Nagoya Grampus 1 FC Tokyo 2 Vissel Kobe 2 Shimizu S-Pulse 0 Jubilo Iwata 0 Montedio Yamagata 3 Vegalta Sendai 1 Kashima Antlers 2 Kawasaki Frontale 1 Albirex Niigata 1 Cerezo Osaka 1 J.League Table Kashima Antlers P 13 Pts 27 Shimizu S-Pulse P 13 Pts 26 Nagoya Grampus P 13 Pts 25 Kawasaki Frontale P 13 Pts 21 Cerezo Osaka P 13 Pts 20 Urawa Reds P 13 Pts 20 Leading Scorers Josh Kennedy, Nagoya Grampus 9 Shoki Hirai, Gamba Osaka 8 Edmilson, Urawa Reds 7 Renatinho, Kawasaki Frontale 7 Kazuma Watanabe, Yokohama F Marinos 7 Ryoichi Maeda, Jubilo Iwata 7 Shinji Kagawa, Cerezo Osaka 7 Previous Results J.League News Tags J-League Results

Sunday 10 May Montedio Yamagata 0 FC Tokyo 3 Vegalta Sendai 1 Nagoya Grampus 2 Saturday 9 May Urawa Reds 2 Yokohama F Marinos 3 Shimizu S-Pulse 0, Albirex Niigata 2 Vissel Kobe 3, Jubilo Iwata 0 J.League Table Shimizu S-Pulse P 11 Pts 24 Nagoya Grampus P 11 Pts 22 Kawasaki Frontale P 10 Pts 20 Urawa Reds P 11 Pts 19 Kashima Antlers P 10 Pts 18 Leading Scorers Josh Kennedy, Nagoya Grampus 7 Renatinho, Kawasaki Frontale 6 Kazuma Watanabe, Yokohama F Marinos 6 Ryoichi Maeda, Jubilo Iwata 6 Shinji Kagawa, Cerezo Osaka 6 Chong Tese, Kawasaki Frontale 5 Shinji Okazaki, Shimizu S-Pulse 5 Shoki Hirai, Gamba Osaka 5 Previous Results J.League News Tags J-League Results

Australian defender Eddy Bosnar continues to impress with his whole-hearted displays at the centre of the Shimizu S-Pulse defence, with the lanky Australian one of the star signings of the new J. League season. Bosnar has also earned plenty of plaudits for his thunderous free-kicks, and many are now calling for Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek to call up the tall stopper for Australia's World Cup campaign in South Africa. With dead-ball delivery like this, Bosnar may just be a bolter for selection in Australia's preliminary 27-man squad. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags World Cup Pens World Cup football

Sunday 25 April Shonan Bellmare 1 Vegalta Sendai 0 Cerezo Osaka 0 Nagoya Grampus 1 Urawa Reds 3 Kawasaki Frontale 0 Saturday 24 April Albirex Niigata 2 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2 Gamba Osaka 2 FC Tokyo 0 Kawasaki Frontale 3 Vissel Kobe 0 Kyoto Sanga 1 Montedio Yamagata 2 Shimizu S-Pulse 2 Omiya Ardija 1 Urawa Reds 0 Jubilo Iwata 1 Yokohama F Marinos 1 Kashima Antlers 3 J.League Table Shimizu S-Pulse P 8 Pts 18 Nagoya Grampus P 8 Pts 16 Urawa Reds P 8 Pts 16 Kawasaki Frontale P 8 Pts 16 Kashima Antlers P 8 Pts 15 Leading Scorers Shoki Hirai, Gamba Osaka 5 Chong Tese, Kawasaki Frontale 5 Shinji Kagawa, Cerezo Osaka 5 Hisato Sato, Sanfrecce Hiroshima 5 Previous Results J.League News Tags J-League Results

It's been almost a year in coming, but Urawa Reds finally took possession of the top of the J. League standings following one of their best performances under German coach Volker Finke. The J. League giants brushed aside Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 in front of 46,313 supporters at Saitama Stadium, with early goals from midfielder Hajime Hosogai and diminutive striker Tatsuya Tanaka setting the home team on their way. Hosogai took advantage of some poor Kawasaki defending to chest a loose ball down on the edge of the penalty area, and while he directed his half-volley straight at Eiji Kawashima, the Japan no. 2 could only manage to deflect the ball into the top corner on its way in. Things went from bad to worse for the visitors soon after, as Tatsuya Tanaka embarked on a mazy run from midfield before unleashing a piledriver that flashed into the top corner of the goal, with the superb strike no doubt putting Japan coach Takeshi Okada on notice. With talisman Kengo Nakamura on the bench as he continued his recovery from a broken jaw, Kawasaki almost cut the deficit as Masaru Kurotsu's long-range strike looped off a defender and clattered against the post. The Kanagawa side went even closer just minutes later as defender Yusuke Igawa bundled home, only to have his effort incorrectly ruled out for offside. In what was the most highly-charged of encounters, Kawasaki though they had found a way back into the game shortly after the restart, as they were awarded a penalty following Wilfried Sanou's clumsy foul on North Korean international Chong Tese. However Urawa goalkeeper Norihiro Yamagishi proved tough to beat from twelve yards, as he guessed correctly to fling himself to his right and keep out Renatinho's low spot-kick. The stage was set for a final Urawa goal and it came from the unlikeliest of sources, as substitute Satoshi Horinouchi tapped home after Kawashima could only parry Edmilson's curling right-foot strike. "I think we're on the right track, regardless of what anyone thinks and today's result and performance back that up," Urawa coach Finke told The Daily Yomiuri after the match. "The two early goals certainly helped and I think given the way we were playing, the third goal was just a matter of time." Urawa leapfrogged Shimizu S-Pulse into top spot in the standings, although the Shizuoka side remain the only unbeaten team left following their 1-1 draw away at Gamba Osaka on Saturday. Veteran Gamba midfielder Tomokazu Myojin opened the scoring for the Kansai side at a packed Expo '70 Stadium in Osaka, however Japan striker Shinji Okazaki equalised with a deflected effort midway through the second half. J2 Relegated sides Kashiwa Reysol, Oita Trinita and JEF United have all made bright starts to life in the second tier, with Kashiwa looking the team to beat after seven rounds of action. Brazilian coach Nelsinho's team are the only unbeaten side left in the division, after the Sun Kings comfortably dispatched of Sagan Tosu 2-0 at Kashiwa Hitachi Stadium in Chiba. Oita Trinita thumped Thespa Kusatsu 3-1 away from home, however JEF United slumped to a disappointing 2-1 loss in front of more than 7,500 fans at Momotaro Stadium in the west of Japan, as the visitors went down 2-1 away at Fagiano Okayama. The Shikoku derby finished scoreless - to the disappointment of the 11,115 fans who turned out at Pocari Sweat Stadium - with local rivals Tokushima Vortis and Ehime FC forced to share the spoils in a hard-fought encounter. Kashiwa Reysol lead the nascent standings from Oita Trinita, with surprise package Roasso Kumamoto currently lying in third place in the table. Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com J.League News Tags World Cup Pens World Cup football

Sunday 18 April Cerezo Osaka 2 Shonan Bellmare 1 Kashima Antlers 0 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0 Urawa Reds 3 Kawasaki Frontale 0 Saturday 17 April Gamba Osaka 1 Shimizu S-Pulse 1 FC Tokyo 1 Kyoto Sanga 1 Jubilo Iwata 1 Omiya Ardija 1 Montedio Yamagata 0 Yokohama F Marinos 1 Nagoya Grampus 1 Albirex Niigata 1 Vegalta Sendai 0 Vissel Kobe 1 J.League Table Urawa Reds P 7 Pts 16 Shimizu S-Pulse P 7 Pts 15 Nagoya Grampus P 6 Pts 13 Kawasaki Frontale P 7 Pts 13 Kashima Antlers P 7 Pts 12 Yokohama F Marinos P 7 Pts 11 Leading Scorers Shoki Hirai, Gamba Osaka 5 Shinji Kagawa, Cerezo Osaka 5 Ryang Yong Gi, Vegalta Sendai 4 Chong Tese, Kawasaki Frontale 4 Previous Results J.League News Tags J-League Results

Sunday 11 April Shimizu S-Pulse 5 Vegalta Sendai 1 Vissel Kobe 0 Montedio Yamagata 2 Saturday 10 April Albirex Niigata 0 Urawa Reds 2 FC Tokyo 1 Kashima Antlers 1 Kyoto Sanga 0, Nagoya Grampus 2 Omiya Ardija 1 Gamba Osaka 3 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0 Kawasaki Frontale 3 Shonan Bellmare 0 Jubilo Iwata 0 Yokohama F Marinos 0 Cerezo Osaka 0 J.League Table Shimizu S-Pulse P 6 Pts 14 Urawa Reds P 6 Pts 13 Kawasaki Frontale P 6 Pts 13 Nagoya Grampus P 5 Pts 12 Kashima Antlers P 6 Pts 11 Vegalta Sendai P 6 Pts 10 Leading Scorers Shoki Hirai, Gamba Osaka 5 Ryang Yong Gi, Vegalta Sendai 4 Chong Tese, Kawasaki Frontale 4 Previous Results J.League News Tags J-League Results

Sunday 4 April Jubilo Iwata 4 Gamba Osaka 3 Kawasaki Frontale 2 FC Tokyo 1 Vegalta Sendai 2 Kashima Antlers 1 Saturday 3 April Albirex Niigata 0 Omiya Ardija 0 Cerezo Osaka 3 Kyoto Sanga 1 Montedio Yamagata 1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0 Nagoya Grampus 2 Vissel Kobe 0 Urawa Reds 2 Shonan Bellmare 1 Yokohama F Marinos 1 Shimizu S-Pulse 2 J.League Table Shimizu S-Pulse P 5 Pts 11 Kashima Antlers P 5 Pts 10 Vegalta Sendai P 5 Pts 10 Urawa Reds P 5 Pts 10 Kawasaki Frontale P 5 Pts 10 Leading Scorers Ryang Yong Gi, Vegalta Sendai 4 Chong Tese, Kawasaki Frontale 4 Previous Results J.League News Tags J-League Results