China PR: Rongcheng maintain healthy lead
Chengdu Rongcheng showed their quality as the leaders came from two goals down to edge Zhejiang FC 3-2 in their Chinese Super League tie on Saturday.

Park Jin-seob opened the scoring in the fourth minute, with Alexandru Mitrita doubling Zhejiang's advantage from the penalty spot in the 21st.

Rongcheng, however, refused to concede defeat and Felipe de Sousa Silva sparked their fightback by pulling one back in the 42nd minute.

 

The Brazilian drew Rongcheng level in the 69th minute and Behram Abduweil completed the comeback in the 90th as the leaders moved up to 48 points, 14 ahead of Yunnan Yukun.

 

Yunnan kept their slim hopes alive with a 3-1 defeat of Dalian Yingbo, with the win keeping them a point ahead of Shandong Taishan, who beat Qingdao Hainiu 3-1.

In other matches, defending champions Shanghai Port FC beat Wuhan Three Towns 3-2, Shenzhen Peng City edged Shenyang Urban 2-1, Beijing FC cruised 4-2 past Tianjin Jinmen Tiger, Shanghai Shenhua outclassed Henan 4-1 while Qingdao Youth Island and Chongqing Tonglianglong drew 0-0.

Japan: Kashima in four-way tie at the top
Defending champions Kashima Antlers made it two wins out of two with a 2-1 defeat of Nagoya Grampus on Saturday.

 

Leonardo de Sousa Pereira gave Antlers the lead in the 22nd but they were then pegged back by Naomichi Ueda's own goal in the 54th.

Ikuma Sekigawa, however, sent the Kashima fans into delirious celebrations by scoring the winner in the eighth minute of second half added time.

 

Antlers finished the matchday fourth in the standings, with FC Machida Zelvia, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Kashiwa Reysol ahead of them on goal difference.

 

Machida strolled to a 4-0 win against JEF United, with Takuma Nishimura starring with a brace.

Sanfrecce impressed in a 4-1 defeat of Urawa Reds, with Akito Suzuki scoring twice, while Reysol beat Tokyo Verdy 3-1.

 

Gamba Osaka and Vissel Kobe were held to draws by Mito Hollyhock and FC Tokyo respectively to sit two points behind the leading pack.

 

Okayama and Yokohama F. Marinos edged V-Varen Nagasaki and Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 respectively, Avispa Fukuoka cruised 3-0 past Cerezo Osaka while the Kawasaki Frontale-Kyoto Sanga tie ended 2-2.

Korea Republic: Seoul widen lead
Song Min-kyu netted twice as FC Seoul defeated Daejeon Hana 4-2 on Saturday to widen their lead in K League 1 to 10 points.

Patrick Klimala equalised in the 48th minute after Joo Min-kyu had put Daejeon ahead seven minutes before the break.

Kim Jin-su's own goal restored Daejeon's lead but Song netted in the 81st and 83rd minutes to turn the game around, with Jeong Seung-won's strike in added time confirming the win.

Ulsan HD lost further ground after falling 3-2 against Gangwon FC, with Kim Dong-hyeon scoring the winner in the 82nd minute.

The win moved Gangwon to within two points of Ulsan, with defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC fourth on 35 points after falling to a 3-2 defeat against Bucheon 1995.

In other matches, Jeju defeated FC Anyang 2-0, Pohang Steelers edged FC Gwangju 2-1 while Incheon United FC and Gimcheon Sangmu played to a 1-1 draw.