KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. — Kashima Antlers crushed title rivals Gamba Osaka 5-1 to take an emphatic step toward a record third consecutive championship on Saturday, but Kawasaki Frontale made sure the race will go down to the wire with a 1-0 win over Albirex Niigata.
Antlers began the day knowing they could clinch the title with victory over third-place Gamba if Frontale failed to beat Albirex, and Shinzo Koroki and Takuya Nozawa put the defending champions on their way with two goals inside the space of two second-half minutes at Kashima Stadium.
Takahiro Futagawa pulled one back immediately for Gamba, but Koroki hit his second two minutes later to restoke the mood of expectation among the 35,598 crowd with Frontale struggling to break down Albirex at Todoroki Stadium.