Anderson Lopes bagged a brace as Yokohama F Marinos edged a valiant Kyoto Sanga 3-2 in a whirlwind J-League first-division encounter Sunday that saw both teams finish with 10 men.
Brazilian forward Lopes, last season's joint top scorer, has three goals from as many J1 games this term for Marinos, who improved to six points with a game in hand on most of the other teams. Kyoto, meanwhile, remained on four points after four games.
"Today's match showed the high level of the J-League," Lopes said. "It was a tough away game but I'm glad to have won the three points, which has been our target."
Marinos led five minutes in at Sanga Stadium after Lopes stole the ball off Kyoto center-back Hisashi Appiah Tawiah and set up right winger Kota Mizunuma to tap home.
The Kyoto defender's misery was compounded just three minutes later, when he saw a straight red for bringing down Asahi Uenaka from behind.
Marinos doubled the lead in the 33rd minute after Mizunuma returned the favor for Lopes to steer home, but Kyoto were handed a 45th-minute lifeline after Marinos defender Eduardo could not keep control of Kyoto forward Taichi Hara's ball outside the area, allowing full-back Kyo Sato to pick it up and prod home.
The home side weren't done before the break, as midfielder Futa Kawasaki stunned the visitors by kneeing the ball into the net in stoppage time after former Deportivo Alaves man Hara's header off a corner was saved by keeper William Popp.
Lopes restored Marinos' lead seven minutes into the second half following a quick throw-in, heading the ball after a miscued shot from Uenaka.
In another dramatic turn, a 63rd-minute Kyoto counter left Shinnosuke Fukuda one-on-one with Popp, who came way off his line and tripped the right-back outside the box to also get sent off.
Kyoto pressed and substitute Yuto Anzai robbed the ball off Marinos defender Takumi Kamijima inside the opposition box with five minutes go only to blast over the bar. The youngster also had a shot deflected wide off a stoppage-time corner as Marinos held on for the win.
Another thriller on the day saw Shonan Bellmare draw 4-4 with Urawa Reds, with Urawa forward Shinzo Koroki setting a J1 record of scoring in 18 consecutive seasons. Kashima Antlers came from behind to beat Kawasaki Frontale 2-1 at home.
