Brazilian striker Baron sent Kashima Antlers to their second straight defeat with a powerful header deep into extra-time Saturday as Shimizu S-Pulse beat last season's champion 1-0 away in the J. League first division.
Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura scored an injury-time winner from a free-kick as Yokohama F. Marinos won 1-0 away to Nagoya Grampus Eight and newly-promoted Vegalta Sendai joined Yokohama on two wins out of two after beating host Consadole Sapporo 1-0.
Kashima, which won its second successive J. League crown last year, has struggled to hit the back of the net this year and Japan strikers Atsushi Yanagisawa and Takayuki Suzuki once again missed numerous chances.
Yanagisawa wasted Kashima's best chance early in the second half, blasting over from close range as the home side failed to make the most of its possession.
Brazilian-born midfielder Alessandro Santos looked the only threat for Shimizu until Baron rose above Yutaka Akita at the top of the area in the 119th minute to seal an extra-time win and two points for the visitors.
At Toyota Stadium, Nakamura bagged the three points for Yokohama from a 25-meter free-kick as the game looked set for extra-time, leaving perennial J. League underachievers Nagoya without a point.
Joining F. Marinos on a maximum six points is Sendai, which had Yoshiteru Yamashita to thank after he pounced on a defensive error in the 73rd minute to score the only goal of the game.
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