J.League Kicks off New Format in Thrilling Style with 14 Goals in 2 Games
Japan’s top soccer league marked its transition to an autumn-spring format in sizzling style on Friday night.
The J.League commenced its new autumn-spring format with a thrilling start, featuring 14 goals in just two games. The defending champions, Kashima Antlers, secured a 4-3 victory over Yokohama F. Marinos, with the winning goal coming deep in second-half stoppage time. Gamba Osaka also showcased their flair, defeating 10-man Urawa Reds 4-2 in Suita, Osaka Prefecture.
The season, which began in August this year, will now run from late December to early February, with the final round of matches taking place on June 6. At the National Stadium in Tokyo, a league-record crowd of 63,960 witnessed the dramatic conclusion to Kashima's match, where Aleksandar Cavric scored the decisive goal. Meanwhile, Gamba Osaka's game against Urawa Reds was a fiery affair, with five goals scored in the first half alone.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
