MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE REGIONAL ROUND Match Week 13 Recap: Kashima suffer first loss, FC TOKYO close the gap, penalty shoot-outs galore in the West | News

There were plenty of surprise results in the MEIJI YASUDA J1 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE on Wednesday, as REGIONAL ROUND Match Week 13 was played in full.

Tokyo Verdy delivered the biggest shock of the day, as they came from behind to deal East leaders Kashima Antlers their first regulation defeat of the season.

Kimito Nono gave Kashima the lead in the 19th minute, but Issei Kumatoriya equalised with an opportunistic strike for Tokyo-V 15 minutes later, and Taiju Yoshida wrapped up a 2-1 home win with a diving header in the 40th minute.

FC TOKYO capitalised on Kashima’s slip-up and closed the gap at the top to just three points, courtesy of a 3-1 win away to Kashiwa Reysol.

Keita Endo started the scoring for FC TOKYO two minutes before half-time, before Ryunosuke Sato made it 2-0 after an hour.

Nobuteru Nakagawa pulled one back for Kashiwa with 18 minutes remaining, but Sato made the result safe with a penalty in the 89th minute.

In the day’s other games in the East, second-half goals from Matheus Savio and Hiiro Komori saw Urawa Reds end their seven-game losing streak with a 2-0 win over Kawasaki Frontale, a Kaina Tanimura brace and Taisei Inoue finish sealed Yokohama F･Marinos a 3-2 victory against JEF United Chiba - Carlinhos Junior and Hiroto Goya registering for Chiba - and FC Machida Zelvia defeated Mito Hollyhock 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

A goal in each half from Hokuto Shimoda and Dresevic had put FC Machida in control, but an own goal offered Mito a way back into the contest before a sublime solo effort in the 90th minute from Koki Ando sent the game to a shootout.

Deciders from 12 yards were very much the order of the day in the West as well, where four of the five games required penalties, with each of the top four ultimately losing those clinchers.

Leaders Vissel Kobe lost 4-2 against Cerezo Osaka after a 0-0 draw, Nagoya Grampus went down 5-4 to Fagiano Okayama after Daichi Tagami’s late header for Okayama cancelled out Hidemasa Koda’s opener, and Gamba Osaka were edged by Kyoto Sanga F.C. by the same score from the spot after late goals from Kyoto’s Haruki Arai and G-Osaka’s Harumi Minamino served up a 1-1 tie.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima were the last of the leading pack to have to make do with a point, after they surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Avispa Fukuoka.

Shuto Nakano and Shunki Higashi struck early to put Hiroshima ahead, but Shosei Usui and Tomoya Miki responded to make it 2-2 before Fukuoka won 4-3 in the shootout.

V-Varen Nagasaki were the only team in the West to win inside 90 minutes, as they beat Shimizu S-Pulse 2-1.

Yudai Shimamoto opened the scoring for Shimizu, but Thiago Santana and Motoki Hasegawa were both on target to seal a comeback victory for Nagasaki.

Urawa Reds vs Kawasaki Frontale - Game Highlights | MW13