Not many people expected to see Kashiwa Reysol leading the J. League with May drawing to a close, but club captain Hideaki Kitajima sees no reason why the bubble should burst any time soon.
After winning the second division title at a canter last season, Kashiwa has taken to life in the top flight after only one year away with breathtaking ease. The Chiba side has won five of its seven games heading into Saturday's home clash with Vissel Kobe, notching 13 goals along the way and conceding just four.
Spearheading the challenge is a familiar face. Kitajima made his Reysol debut as a striker in 1997, leaving for Shimizu S-Pulse in 2003 only to return three years later to continue his love affair with the club that regards him as its spiritual leader.