Brazilian defender Nene rescued a point for champions Urawa in a 1-1 draw with Yokohama F Marinos on Sunday after former Reds midfielder Koji Yamase had threatened to steal the show at Saitama Stadium 2002.
Urawa followed Kawasaki Frontale into the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League in midweek but Yamase threatened to burst their bubble with a stunning second-half strike in front of a crowd of just under 52,000.
Nene swept home an equally impressive effort to level in the 67th minute but Washington left his shooting boots at home and Urawa's failure to kill off the visitors means leaders Gamba Osaka, 2-1 winners at JEF United Chiba on Saturday, now enjoy a four-point cushion at the top of the table.