KASHIMA, Ibaraki Pref. (Kyodo) A first-half header from Koji Nakata was enough to see Kashima Antlers past China’s Changchun Yatai 1-0 on Tuesday, but Kawasaki Frontale suffered a 2-0 reverse away to Seongnam Ilhwa in the opening round of matches in the Asian Champions League.
Nakata netted what turned out to be the decider in the 42nd minute of a scrappy Group F affair to give the J. League champions the perfect start, while Kawasaki will feel unlucky to have come away from its Group E match empty-handed after controlling for long periods in South Korea.
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