Mateus of Nagoya Grampus opens the scoring from the penalty spot during the second half of a J-League football match against Tokushima Vortis on Sept. 10, 2021, at Toyota Stadium in Toyota, central Japan. (Kyodo)

       TOYOTA (Kyodo) -- Nagoya Grampus moved into third place in the J-League first division with a 3-0 win over Tokushima Vortis on Friday, while tying a J1 record with their 18th clean sheet this season.

       Vortis, who finished with 10 men at Toyota Stadium, suffered their fifth straight loss in a game that Grampus won with two penalties and an own goal.

       Grampus became the second team after the 1995 Yokohama Marinos to play 18 games in a season without conceding a goal.

       Mateus opened the scoring from the spot seven minutes into the second half, when the visitors went down to 10 men. The game was still in doubt until the final minutes, when an own goal and a Mu Kanazaki penalty iced it.

       A couple of failed tackles in midfield allowed Noaki Maeda to gather in a Ryoya Morishita through pass. Vortis defender Takeru Kishimoto overtook Maeda from behind in the area and tried to slow him with a subtle arm on his shoulder, but when Maeda stumbled, Kishimoto was handed a straight red.

       The visitors made sure of the contest in the 83rd minute when defender Joel Chima Fujita headed a cross from Shumpei Naruse into his own goal. Kanazaki added Grampus' third from the penalty spot in the 89th minute.

       Grampus are now on 50 points, two ahead of fourth-place Vissel Kobe, and three ahead of fifth-place Kashima Antlers and Sagan Tosu, who both play on Saturday.

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