Holders Kashima Antlers were knocked out of the Nabisco Cup on Wednesday after going down 3-2 at home to Shonan Bellmare.
Kashima’s defeat was its third of the group phase and left it eight points behind Group A leaders Omiya Ardija and seven behind second-placed Vissel Kobe with two games left.
Ryota Nagaki won possession and drilled home the opener for Kashima from the right side of the penalty area, before Shonan hit back in the 18th, when Shuhei Otsuki finished off a pass from Yohei Otake from just outside the box.
It was not long before Kashima regained the lead though. Shonan tried to clear its lines after Yuma Suzuki had headed back Yuta Koike’s corner, but Shoma Doi was on hand to snap up the loose ball and steer home.
That goal looked to have put Kashima on the way to victory but Ariajasuru Hasegawa swept home Otake’s pass to level for Shonan on 87 minutes, before he set up Jin Hanato to complete the victory in the fourth minute of injury time.
Omiya (11 points) beat Jubilo Iwata 1-0 through Keisuke Oyama’s first-half goal, while Yudai Tanaka and Seigo Kobayashi were on target in Kobe’s 2-0 win at Ventforet Kofu.
In Group B, Kazuki Kozuka scored the winner as Albirex Niigata won 2-1 at their manager Tatsuma Yoshida’s former club, Kashiwa Reysol.
Sho Ito struck in the 94th minute to give Yokohama F. Marinos a 2-1 win at home to Avispa Fukuoka, while Sagan Tosu and Kawasaki Frontale finished 1-1.
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Kashiwa Reysol's Hidekazu Otani (right) shoots during his team's 2-1 loss to Albirex Niigata in Nabisco Cup action on Wednesday night. | KYODO
