Norihiro Nishi scored a sudden-death winner Saturday as Jubilo Iwata defeated Avispa Fukuoka 2-1 to move within touching distance of the J. League's first-stage title.
| J-League 1st-division | |||||||
| GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts. | |
| Iwata | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 8 | 31 |
| Ichihara | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 19 | 22 |
| Shimizu | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 12 | 20 |
| Nagoya | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Sapporo | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 15 | 17 | 17 |
| Kashiwa | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 23 | 18 | 16 |
| Osaka G | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 21 | 16 |
| FC Tokyo | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 16 | 16 |
| Kashima | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
| Urawa | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 17 | 15 |
| Kobe | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 15 | 15 |
| Fukuoka | 12 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 14 |
| Hiroshima | 12 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 21 | 22 | 13 |
| Tokyo V | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 21 | 10 |
| Yokohama | 12 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 10 |
| Osaka C | 12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 8 |
The 1997 and 1999 champion, reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of captain Toshihiro Hattori in the dying seconds of normal time, battled back from a goal down before midfielder Nishi slotted home the golden goal in the 22nd minute of extra time.
Iwata now has 31 points with three games of the first stage remaining, 11 points clear of second-placed Shimizu S-Pulse.
Hattori had canceled out Japan teammate Yoshiteru Yamashita's 23rd-minute opener for the visitor by converting from the spot five minutes later, but then turned villain after missing a penalty in the 90th minute.
Hattori, booked for rough play on the stroke of half-time, ballooned his spot kick over the crossbar and then received his marching orders for a second bookable offense.