There is still plenty of life left in the J. League title race, but after opening up a four-point gap at the top of the table last weekend, Yokohama F. Marinos have taken a bold step toward their first championship in nine years.
Marinos came through a bruising encounter to beat Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 on Saturday, with Shunsuke Nakamura's 4th-minute goal enough to put distance between the front-runners and nearest challengers Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Urawa Reds with eight games remaining.
Marinos have not always looked convincing leaders this season, with mistakes by the chasing pack often going unpunished. But there was no such mercy on Saturday, with Yasuhiro Higuchi's men picking up their first win in three games to capitalize on Urawa dropping two points in a 1-1 draw with Ventforet Kofu earlier in the day.