One glance at Kashima Antlers' eight-point lead might suggest JFA president Motoaki Inukai is right to label the J. League "boring." But even if this season's title race is shaping up to be more one-sided than in recent years, an improvement in quality among the leading teams is a worthwhile tradeoff.
Kashima has reached the halfway point with a commanding advantage over second-place Urawa Reds, racking up 42 points from 17 matches having drawn only three and lost just once.
That record includes an unbeaten run of 15 league games, and, worryingly for the chasing pack, Oswaldo Oliveira's men have yet to really hit top gear.