KASHIWA, Chiba Pref. -- Kashiwa forward Nozomu Kato struck the game's sole goal early in the second half as Reysol beat Avispa Fukuoka at Hitachi Kashiwa Soccer Stadium in J. League Division One second-stage action Saturday night.
After a scoreless first half, Reysol manager Akira Nishino instructed his players to "decide the game during the first 15 minutes of the second half." They did just that.
In the 56th minute, Kashiwa midfielder Harutaka Ohno quickly started a free kick by feeding the ball to defensive midfielder Takahiro Shimotaira, who then sent a cross in for Kato. The forward, who extended his streak to 124 consecutive games played, sneaked into the box behind Fukuoka defender Mitsuaki Kojima from the right and fired the ball into the net.