Kashima Antlers sent out a warning to those who covet their J. League crown with a 3-0 thrashing of Gamba Osaka in the Fuji Xerox Super Cup on Saturday.
Shinzo Koroki opened the scoring with an acrobatic strike in the seventh minute, before Marquinhos doubled Kashima's lead less than 10 minutes later after getting the better of a Gamba defense in absolute disarray.
Takuya Nozawa added another five minutes before halftime, leaving Antlers with a second-half procession in the traditional season curtain-raiser between J. League and Emperor's Cup champions at National Stadium.