Superb second-half goals from midfielder Elsinho and Brazilian compatriot Renato lit up the Tamagawa Classico on Saturday as Kawasaki Frontale kicked off the J. League second stage with a 2-0 win over FC Tokyo.

Elsinho opened the scoring seven minutes into the second half before Renato curled a free kick into the top corner to give Frontale maximum points.

“I think we have prepared very well over these past two weeks and the players’ commitment was very high. We played a very good game,” said Kawasaki manager Yahiro Kazama, whose side was hammered 6-0 by Borussia Dortmund in a friendly here on Tuesday.

“The Dortmund match was very good for us, seeing their speed in front of our eyes, and that was exactly the kind of training match we needed.”

Both teams created chances in a lively opening in hot, humid conditions at Todoroki Stadium, Yuto Takeoka skimming the bar after just two minutes.

But a mistake from the 29-year-old defender nearly proved costly in the 13th, former Japan striker Ryoichi Maeda picking up his stray pass and wasting the chance to put Tokyo in front by blazing over the bar.

Renato twice went close for Frontale, putting a deflected free kick just wide and testing Tokyo goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda on the half-hour mark, before the home side broke the deadlock.

Takanobu Komiyama took a pass from Renato on the left flank and sent the ball into the danger zone, where Elsinho gave Gonda no chance with an exquisite first-time effort with the outside of his right foot.

“It was crucial that my goal led to the team winning this game,” Elsinho said of his fifth goal of the season. “We have won four (league games) in a row now and want to keep that up.

“We finished fifth in the first stage and dropped games that we should not have lost, but we have made a great start to the second stage and at the end of it we want to finish at the top.”

Renato’s pace and movement caused Tokyo all sorts of problems, and he finished the Gasmen off 16 minutes from time with a sweetly struck effort after drawing a foul from Kazunori Yoshimoto on the edge of the box.

Goals from Yuki Muto and Shinzo Koroki gave first-stage champions Urawa Reds a 2-1 win away to Matsumoto Yamaga, extending their unbeaten start to the season to 18 games, while last season’s treble winner Gamba Osaka came from behind to beat Ventforet Kofu 2-1 courtesy of a last-minute strike by Takashi Usami.

Elsewhere, Hisato Sato moved within three goals of matching the all-time J. League record of 157 held by former Japan international Masashi Nakayama, bagging a brace as Sanfrecce Hiroshima held on to beat Vegalta Sendai 4-3 away.

Kaoru Takayama hit the decider to earn Shonan Bellmare a 2-1 win at home to Nagoya Grampus, Leandro marked his return to Vissel Kobe with a goal in a 5-0 rout of Shimizu S-Pulse, and a 96th-minute winner from Yasushi Endo saw Kashima Antlers edge Albirex Niigata 3-2 away.

Yohei Toyoda was on target as Sagan Tosu survived a late fightback to win 3-2 at Asian Champions League quarterfinalist Kashiwa Reysol, while Yokohama F. Marinos and Montedio Yamagata played out a 1-1 draw.