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Kashima put up in 26 games with a late draw of undecided home record

Kei Chinen achieved a last-minute equalizer when Kashima Antlers scored a 1-1 draw on Sunday with Urawa Reds and made 26 home games undefeated to set up a new J-League division record with a run by October 2023.

The point in the Kashima stadium ensured that the leaders who started the season with a defeat before winning the next four, staying at the top with 13 points, one about Machida Zelvia, who won on Saturday.

In the meantime, a dominant Urawa led in the first half after wing player Tabaro Kaneko looked down the long ball of the guard Shusaku Nishikawa. The right-back Takahiro Sekine threaded an inviting ball behind the Kashima backline, and while the keeper Tomoki Hayakawa got a small touch, the ball reached the long post in which Taishi Matsumoto slipped home.

Kashima Antlers chinen celebrates after the second half of a J-League game against Urawa Reds in the Kashima Stadium in the Ibaraki Prefecture on March 16, 2025 (Kyodo). (Kyodo). (Kyodo). (Kyodo).

Urawa continued to play well from behind, and Thiago Santana had three chances after the break and blew out of the box on a counter before he had good things out of the plate rett before Kashima scored the vital goal.

A free kick from the right was not released in the first minute of stoppage time, and Yuma Suzuki's clever reverse ball found Naomichi Ueda on the left in the area. The defender's first cross was hit by a slight distraction in front of Santana from the head of the Midfields Chinen, which put the home fans into raptures.

“It was a home game and it was a game we wanted to win because I know the ability of my players,” said Kashima manager Toru Oniki. “But the fact that we do not lose at the Kashim Stadium must feel threatening to be opposing teams in the future.”

Vissel Kob's Erik (27) celebrates with his teammates after scored the first of his two goals in the first half of a J-League-First division match against Shonan Bellmare in the Lemon Gas Stadium in the Kanagawa prefecture on March 16, 2025. (Kyodo) (Kyodo) (Kyodo). (Kyodo)

Elsewhere, Shonan Bellmare missed the chance to end after he had lost his first win of the season thanks to an Erik clip at home against the double acting champion Vissel Kobe at home. Sanfreecce Hiroshima was kept 1-1 at home after Kashiwa Reysol when both sat on 11 points next to Shonan.

Yokohama f Marinos won the first win after defeating Gamba Osaka 2-0. J1-Newcomer Fagiano Okayama played a great draw with Kawasaki Frontale, while Kyoto Sanga won 2-1 at Shimizu S-Pulses.


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