Defending champions Kashima Antlers 鹿島アントラーズ beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima サンフレッチェ広島 2-1 with a last minute goal by Blue Samurai Shinzo Koroki 興梠 慎三. Oswaldo de Oliveira's men opened the scoring quarter of the hour as Masashi Motoyama 本山 雅志 found the back of the net however the visitors squared the match sixteen minutes into the new half as Bulgarian international Ilian Stoyanov converted from the spot. Looking to be headed for a draw Shinzo Koroki scored from the spot in added time.
Albirex Niigata アルビレックス新潟 maintained its first place status with a scoreless draw to Ōita Trinita 大分トリニータ. Niigata 新潟市 came close to winning the match as Marcio Richardes free-kick in the opening half stung the post but otherwise both sides played tough defending and limited chances.
Niigata manager Jun Suzuki noted his pleasure with the draw following the match:
"I think a point away to Oita is as good as it gets. Both teams had chances from set pieces and the wings in the first half but I thought we controlled more of the game in the second half and defended well when they countered."
JEF United Ichihara-Chiba ジェフユナイテッド千葉 stubbornly denied Kawasaki Frontale 川崎フロンターレ a victory in route to a 1-1 draw. Tatsuya Yazawa 谷澤 達也 scored only a minute into the match as he latched onto the a deflected Koki Yonekura 米倉 恒貴 and sent it into the net. Shimpei Takeda side swarmed Chiba's end with Kazuhiro Murakami 村上 和弘 and Juninho both hitting the bar but at the fifty-eighth minute Juninho found the back of the net as he struck from the edge of the area.
Hisashi Kato's Kyoto Purple Sanga 京都サンガF.C. defeated Gamba Osaka ガンバ大阪 2-1. Korean international Lee Jung-Soo headed-in Diego's corner just before the break gave Kyoto 京都 the 1-0 lead. Diego doubled the margin ten minutes into the half from the spot on a very debatable penalty judgement. Gamba showed little fight coming back in what was definitely an "off-match" however they drew within one with fourteen minutes left as Shinichi Terada 寺田 紳 opportunistically sent a rebound in. Energized by the goal Gamba poured forward and came close to leveling with Yasuhito Endō 遠藤 保仁 header but could not find the much needed goal.
Following the match Kyoto manager Hisashi Kato expressed his pleasure with the victory:
"I am honestly delighted to take three points off Gamba Osaka, the Asian champions and top of the table team. Our own way of playing is emerging little by little."
Omiya Ardija 大宮アルディージャ and Vissel Kobe ヴィッセル神戸 left it late to score in route to a 1-1 draw. Veteran Takayuki Yoshida 吉田 孝行found the mark for Kobe on the hour before Naoki Ishihara 石原 直樹 opened his scoring account for Omiya as he dove to head-in a corner.
Urawa Red Diamonds 浦和レッズ disappointing start continued with a 1-1 draw to Jubilo Iwata ジュビロ磐田, who were run off the pitch in their opening two matches. Red Diamond manager Volker Finke went in the match with an aggressive stance but it was Iwata that took the lead thirty three minutes in with Gilsinho's goal. Urawa was able to level with Edmilson's goal with twenty-two minutes left but it was Iwata that nearly stole the match as Gilsinho sent a shot off the post late.
FC Tokyo ＦＣ東京 defeated Montedio Yamagata モンテディオ山形 1-0 with Japan international Naotake Hanyu 羽生 直剛 scoring the lone goal four minutes before the hour from Cabore's provision.
In the highest scoring match of the weekend Yokohama F Marinos 横浜Ｆ・マリノス and Kashiwa Reysol 柏レイソル fought to a 3-3 draw. After Yokohama Kenta Kano 狩野 健太 and long-term Japan international Yuji Nakazawa 中澤 佑二 opened the scoring within the first twenty minutes, Reysol's Kóta Sugiyama 杉山 浩太 brought one back two minutes before the break. However Kazuma Watanabe 渡邉 千真 restored the two goal margin quickly thereafter. After the break França scored six minutes past the hour before Popo leveled the match with four minutes remaining
Nagoya Grampus 名古屋グランパス defeated Shimizu S-Pulse 清水エスパルス 3-1. Dragan Stojković's side took the lead just before the half-hour when play-maker Yoshizumi Ogawa 小川 佳純 provided Davi's to close out and doing the same with thirteen minute left for Keiji Yoshimura 吉村 圭司 goal. S-Pa got back into the match four minutes later as Japan international Shinji Okazaki 岡崎 慎司 headed the ball in. However Davi added his second of the night and fourth of the young season as he scored from the spot in added time.
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