The start of the 2013 J. League season last Saturday brought with it the chance for a new beginning, but some teams were more determined than others to break with tradition on the opening day.
Urawa Reds went into their game at champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima having lost each of their previous five opening fixtures, and having never begun a season with an away win in 20 years of league history. Goals either side of halftime from Yosuke Kashiwagi and Genki Haraguchi put Reds on their way to laying those ghosts to rest, and not even a 55th-minute reply from Koji Morisaki could prevent the visitors from leaving with a 2-1 victory.
Nagoya Grampus began their clash with Jubilo Iwata looking to avoid the touch of death from opposing striker Ryoichi Maeda. The team that Maeda has scored his first goal of the campaign against has gone on to be relegated in each of the past six seasons, but having allowed a one-goal lead to turn into a 1-1 draw at Toyota Stadium, Grampus were hardly about to celebrate seeing Jubilo midfielder Hiroki Yamada's name on the scoresheet instead.