KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. -- Defending J. League champion Kashima Antlers' second-stage title quest ended Saturday afternoon after bowing to relegation-threatened Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-0 at home.
Atsushi Yanagisawa falls to the ground as he competes for the ball with
Sanfrecce Hiroshima's Kentaro Sawada during Saturday's match at Kashima Stadium. Sanfrecce won 2-0.With two more matches remaining in the stage, Kashima gave up a seven-point lead to Jubilo Iwata. Jubilo triumphed over Kyoto Purple Sanga 3-0 with goals from Toshiya Fujita, Naohiro Takahara and Masashi Nakayama in Kyoto.