Asian champions Urawa Reds finally picked up their first win of the J. League season after beating Vegalta Sendai 1-0 on Saturday in caretaker manager Tsuyoshi Otsuki's first league game in charge.
Urawa went into the game at Saitama Stadium in crisis mode after firing manager Takafumi Hori on Monday — less than five months after he had led the club to the Asian Champions League title for its first piece of silverware in 10 years — following a disastrous start to the J. League campaign that yielded only two draws and three defeats.
But Shinzo Koroki scored in the fifth minute to put Urawa on course for a cathartic win over high-flying Vegalta, giving Otsuki something to build on after stepping up from his role as the club's training and youth director.