KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. — Kashima Antlers landed the first blow of the 2009 J. League season as the reigning champions beat Urawa Reds 2-0 in a ferocious opening-day battle of the big guns on Saturday.
Takuya Nozawa gave Antlers a 23rd-minute lead after Reds had been denied a penalty for an apparent trip on 17-year-old debutant Genki Haraguchi, before Marquinhos doubled Kashima's lead early in the second half.
Both teams went for the jugular in a full-blooded contest at Kashima Stadium, but Antlers' championship class shone through as Oswaldo Oliveira's men flexed their muscles to finish the game comfortably in control.