Football: Defending champs Marinos beat Frontale 2-1 in season opener

First-half goals from Takuma Nishimura and Elber gave defending champions Yokohama F Marinos a 2-1 win over runners-up Kawasaki Frontale as the J-League’s 30th-anniversary season kicked off Friday.

Toru Oniki’s side pulled one back through Kento Tachibanada late in the Kanagawa Derby, but they were otherwise unable to convert the lion’s share of possession into goals.

Played in front of a packed crowd of 22,563 at Todoroki Stadium in Kawasaki, the season opener featured the winners of the past six J-League first-division titles, who finished last year separated by just two points.

Both sets of...