Past disappointments may have persuaded Vissel Kobe fans to temper their expectations when the club unveiled its latest signings over the offseason, but Saturday's table-topping win over Kashima Antlers has surely prompted a rethink.
Vissel beat Antlers 3-2 to jump into first place above defending champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima, twice coming from behind before Keijiro Ogawa notched a 69th-minute winner. The result means Vissel have now won four games in a row, but the outlook for the newly promoted side at the start of the season was anything but clear-cut.
Vissel prepared for their first top-flight campaign after a year's absence by signing Brazilian trio Marquinhos, Pedro Junior and Fabio Simplicio — all established J. League heavy-hitters with price tags to match. But if that ambitious strategy would be enough to satisfy most fans, Vissel's supporters had seen it all before.