J-League wrap: Ventforet upset champions Nagoya, Gamba edge Avispa

Nagoya Grampus ‘ poor start to the J-League season has continued after a 3-1 loss to promoted Ventforet Kofu.

The reigning J-League champions went behind after 28 minutes when striker Yoshiro Abe gave Ventforet a deserved lead, only for midfielder Jungo Fujimoto to level the score some 11 minutes later.

But any hope Nagoya had of holding on for a point was extinguished when goals from Mike Havenaar and Masaru Matsuhashi in the final 20 minutes sealed the victory.

The loss sees Nagoya drop to 12th place on the table, with Ventforet leapfrogging them into 11th.

In other J-League action on Sunday, Gamba Osaka defeated bottom team Avispa Fukuoka 3-2 thanks to goals from Adriano, Takashi Usami and Takahiro Futagawa, while Kawasaki Frontale beat Kashima Antlers by the same scoreline.

Hiroshi Kiyotake scored in the 35th minute for Cerezo Osaka to cancel out Urawa Red Diamonds’ Genki Haraguchi’s eighth-minute goal in a 1-1 draw.