Kashiwa Reysol secured a 2:1 victory over Nagoya Grampus in the J-League 1 regular season opener at the Kashiwa Soccer Stadium on Friday. The result keeps the hosts in third place with 12 points from two matches, while Nagoya drop to 14th with six points after two defeats.
Leo Ceara gave the hosts the lead in the 22nd minute, a moment that set the tone for what followed. Nagoya levelled through an own goal by Kashiwa's N. Ueda in the 54th minute, and then T. Uchida's double own goal in stoppage time handed the match to Kashiwa. By then the game had slipped from Nagoya's grasp.
The visitors dominated possession at 51 per cent and created more chances, but their finishing was poor. They registered seven shots on target with an accuracy of eight per cent, while Kashiwa converted 38 per cent of their six shots on target. Nagoya created two big chances against one for the hosts, yet couldn't find the net.
Substitutions came thick and fast in the second half. Nagoya made three changes on the hour mark, bringing on Y. Nogami, M. Yoshida and Y. Yamagishi, while Kashiwa responded with Matheus Bueno and Ceara's replacement in the 69th minute. The visitors added another trio in the 88th minute, but it was too little, too late.
Kashiwa's recent form has been mixed, with a 4:3 win over Yokohama F. Marinos and a 5:0 demolition of Vegalta Sendai in their last two league games. Nagoya, meanwhile, have lost four of their six matches and sit in the relegation zone. This result extends their winless run to two games and leaves them with a point to make up on the teams above them.