Toshiya Fujita bagged a goal in each half and Brazilian striker Gral came off the bench to score on his debut as Jubilo Iwata whipped 10-man Consadole Sapporo 4-0 to move to the top of the J. League first division Sunday.
Jubilo Iwata forward Rodorigo Gral (left) is congratulated by teammate Masashi Nakayama after scoring a goal in the 84th minute in a J. League Division One match at Iwata Stadium.Meanwhile, goals in four first-half minutes from Ryuji Bando and Masaya Nishitani helped Vissel Kobe secure its first points of the season as Ryoichi Kawakatsu's men ran out a 3-1 winner at Gamba Osaka.
In Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan national team hopeful Fujita opened the scoring from the penalty spot on 20 minutes and pounced on a loose ball to double the lead for the home side midway though the second half.
Veteran forward Masashi Nakayama headed in a third from an Aleksandar Zivkovic corner 10 minutes later before setting up Brazilian striker Gral, who completed the rout six minutes from time.
In Sunday's other J1 fixture, former Sapporo marksman Bando opened his account for his new club by beating Gamba keeper Ryota Suzuki with a low drive inside the right-hand post to put the visitors in front after 12 minutes.
Four minutes later, Nishitani reacted quickest when Shigeyoshi Mochizuki's free-kick rebounded off the Gamba wall and uncorked an unstoppable half volley to put Kobe firmly in the driving seat.
Brazilian Magrao pulled one back for Gamba shortly after the interval but Kazuyoshi "Kazu" Miura rolled back the years with a clinical finish in the 75th minute to hand Gamba its first defeat of the year.
Okano to retire
Japan Football Association (JFA) president Shunichiro Okano will retire after this summer's World Cup with J. League chairman and JFA vice president Saburo Kawabuchi set to take over, soccer sources said Sunday.
Kawabuchi will step down from his job with the league in July and is expected to be elected to his new post at the next JFA board meeting, which will take place in July at the earliest.
The 70-year-old Okano, an International Olympic Committee member who will have served two two-year terms in Japanese soccer's top job, is set to be named as honorary JFA president.
Okano was an assistant coach with the Japanese team that won a bronze medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. He managed the national team for nearly two years in the early 1970s and became JFA president in July 1998.
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