There is no prize for heading into the J. League's World Cup shutdown in first place, but Urawa Reds can at least savor the view from the top of the table for the next two months.
Urawa beat Cerezo Osaka 1-0 on Saturday to lead the way into the May 18-July 15 break, one point ahead of second-place Sagan Tosu and five clear of Vissel Kobe and Kashima Antlers.
A racism scandal that earned the club a one-game supporter ban in March has made this season a traumatic one for Urawa, and events on the pitch have not always been smooth either. The storm that surrounded the "Japanese only" banner in the game against Tosu obscured the fact that Reds lost 1-0, while further defeats to Vissel and Kashiwa Reysol highlighted the team's weaknesses.