J-League wrap: Kashiwa back on top, Sendai held

Kashiwa Reysol have regained top spot in the J-League after a 3-1 win over Urawa Red Diamonds on Saturday.

Forward Hideaki Kitajima opened the scoring for the home side in the first minute before Brazilian Jorge Wagner doubled the lead in the 21st.

Kitajima grabbed his second in the 83rd to seal the points before Genki Haraguchi fired a consolation for the 2006 champions in the final minute of normal time.

Kashiwa now have four wins and one loss for the season to lead the league by one points from Yokohama F Marinos and Vegalta Sendai.

Yokohama F Marinos climbed to second after fighting back from two goals down in the first half to beat Avispa Fukuoka 3-2.

Avispa raced to a 2-0 lead as Hisashi Jogo netted in the 31st and 42nd minutes, but Kazushi Kimura’s men managed to overturned the lead in the second half.

Kazuma Watanabe pulled a goal back almost immediately after the break before Yuji Ono’s brace snatched victory for Yokohama.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Ventforet Kofu played out a 1-1 draw as did champions Nagoya Grampus and Shimizu S-Pulse.

Japan international Ryoichi Maeda bagged a brace as Jubilo Iwata comprehensively defeated Montedio Yamagata 4-0 to move into seventh.

Vissel Kobe also climbed on the table after they edged out Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 courtesy of Kang-Jo Park’s 68th-minute strike.

Elsewhere, Omiya Ardija and Albirex Niigata had a scoreless stalemate while Cerezo Osaka held high-flying Vegalta Sendai to a 1-1 draw.