Gamba Osaka went on top of the J. League first division Saturday with a 3-2 win at Sanfrecce Hiroshima as the Kashima Antlers drew their third straight game and slipped two points back in the second-stage title race.
Croatian Nino Bule, Brazilian Vital and Japan midfielder Junichi Inamoto all got on the scoresheet as Gamba edged a seesaw match at Hiroshima's Big Arch stadium to move onto 23 points from 10 games on the last day of fixtures before the Olympic break.
Kashiwa Reysol leapfrogged Jubilo Iwata to go third after a 2-1 victory at Kyoto Purple Sanga on goals from Takeshi Watanabe and Harutaka Ono, while Iwata went down 2-1 at Avispa Fukuoka, where Argentine duo David Bisconti and Eduardo Montoya, via the penalty spot, both scored.
Kashiwa finished the day on 20 points, two ahead of Iwata and Fukuoka, but with Nagoya Grampus Eight hot in pursuit after a 2-1 away victory over Shimizu S-Pulse lifted the J. League glamour team into fourth place on 19 points.
Summer signing Ueslei repeated last Saturday's double against FC Tokyo, the Brazilian scoring once in each half.
Meanwhile, the Kashima Antlers were held to a 1-1 draw after extra time by tenacious FC Tokyo, falling out of the top of the table with their third straight draw.