Jean Patric scored the winner as Vissel Kobe moved top of the J-League first division on Sunday with a 2-1 comeback home win over neighbors Kyoto Sanga.
Kobe, who earlier announced the signing of 35-year-old Spanish World Cup winner Juan Mata, moved up to 52 points with their first win in three games, two points clear of reigning champions Yokohama F Marinos in second with eight games left.
Fourteenth-placed Kyoto took the lead after six minutes when Kobe left-back Ryo Hatsuse's miscued clearance near the touchline landed at the feet of forward Taichi Hara. The former Sint-Truiden dribbled across the edge of the box before his shot took a big deflection off a defender and flew past Daiya Maekawa in Kobe's goal.
The home side leveled in the 18th minute at Noevir Stadium through Shuhei Kawasaki, who found the top left corner on a half-volley after Koya Yuruki's left-wing cross bounced off a Kyoto defender and fell nicely into the midfielder's path.
"It's finally arrived after playing for four years, and I'm really happy," said Kawasaki after scoring his first J1 goal.
Kobe's Daiju Sasaki pulled his deflected shot narrowly wide, and Kyoto's Temma Matsuda had a close-range volley saved in a busy end to the first half before substitute Patric grabbed the winner seven minutes into the second half.
On at the break, the Brazilian forward latched on to Hatsuse's ball over the top down the left, chested down the bouncing ball into the area and held off his marker before drilling home past Kyoto keeper Gu Sung Yun.
In the day's other match, Avispa Fukuoka held off FC Tokyo 2-1 away from home.
