Kawasaki Frontale roared back toward the top of the J. League first-division standings on Saturday, with hat-trick hero Marcinho powering the reigning champions to a 4-1 thrashing of 10-man Avispa Fukuoka.
The resounding win moved Toru Oniki's men up three spots into third place on 43 points, five behind leaders Yokohama F. Marinos with a game in hand.
Second-place Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who have played three more matches than Kawasaki, have 44 points following a 5-2 win over Gamba Osaka.