Kawasaki Frontale ensured that the race for the J. League Championship top seed will go down to the final day of the regular season after a 1-0 win over Kashima Antlers on Saturday.
Urawa Reds beat Jubilo Iwata 1-0 to stay top of the overall table — the winner of which advances straight to the two-legged championship final — with a goal in the 72nd minute by Yuki Muto.
But a 65th-minute strike from substitute Takayuki Morimoto at Kashima Stadium meant Frontale stayed just one point behind Reds with one game remaining, after a dogged win over an Antlers side that created numerous chances but failed to make its superiority count.