YOKOHAMA — Yokohama F. Marinos handed Urawa Reds an opening day shock on Saturday with a 1-0 win that made sure Reds started the 2008 J. League season as badly as they finished 2007.
Urawa had been hoping for a win at the stadium where it threw away the title on the final day of last season, but a second-half goal from Takanobu Komiyama handed an impressive Marinos side three well-deserved points in front of a crowd of 61,246.
Reds' star strikers Naohiro Takahara and Edmilson made little impact as Yokohama's midfield cut off their supply line, and not even a second-half red card for Marinos' Roni on his debut could rouse Urawa into action.