Yokohama F. Marinos missed a string of chances against relegation-haunted Tokyo Verdy 1969 before Japan international defender Yuji Nakazawa's late header gave the boys in blue a deserved 1-0 win at Tokyo's National Stadium on Saturday.
Yokohama forward Tatsuhiko Kubo (left) competes for the ball with Tokyo Verdy defender Kenta Togawa in a first-half action on Saturday at Tokyo's National Stadium. F. Marinos defeated Verdy 1-0.
The breakthrough for Yokohama came on 82 minutes. Brazilian Dutra whipped in a venomous free-kick from the left, and the ball skimmed off the head of Marinos captain Nakazawa past Yoshinari Takagi in the Verdy goal.