We start the reports this weekend at Kawasaki Frontale, who have a newly-esconsed coach in Yahiro Kazama, who replaced Soma last week. His first order of business was to bring Nishibe in as goalkeeper, and Morishita at centre back, alongside Inamoto, normally a central/defensive midfielder – did it work? Read on …

In the 15th minute, Sato spread the ball to Yamagishi in the left channel, and he advsnced and slid the ball past the keeper for the opening goal. Frontale were level just after the half hour mark when Nakamura fed the ball inch perfectly through a forest of legs for defender Ito to latch onto a sidefoot the ball past the keeper.

Less than seven minutes later Ishikawa out-muscled Inamoto – there’s a phrase I haven’t type often – and slipped the ball past Nishibe as he was falling to retake the lead for Sanfrecce into the break. And just after the break, Chiba found Mikic on the right with a long ball, he bulleted a low ball into the six yard area and Sato couldn’t miss, 3-1 to the away team. In the 78th minute it was Mikic again, this time with an inviting cross that Sato headed hom, 4-1, cruising. Three points, not a good start for Kazama Kawasaki.