The home teamed pulled level less than 10 minutes later after their own free kick into the box saw the ball bounce around off numerous heads and feet, as no one could control it, before Mateus seized on the chance and shot across 'keeper Masaaki Higashiguchi and in at the far post.
The confident Fukuda came close to helping Gamba reclaim the lead in the 21st minute as he approached down the left, and then made space for the right foot shot with some trickery and skill, but had to watch his attempt go wide of the far post. It was the home team, though, that made the next breakthrough when Gabriel Xavier needed two bites at the cherry to beat the Gamba 'keeper, who had made a good save on the initial shot only to see the ball fall kindly for the opposition forward to bury it into the net. Half time, and Grampus led 2-1.
Four minutes into the 2nd half saw Gamba almost level again when an Usami run down the left resulted in a cross that Ademilson acrobatically volleyed towards the far post, but the relieved 'keeper saw it drift outside as he stood unable to do anything but watch. Substitutes Yasuhito Endo - playing his 633rd J.League game - Patric and Kazuma Watanabe all combined to give the latter a chance at a left foot shot with around 20 minutes to go, but, again the ball went wide, and the subs worked together again in added time as Patric nodded down a ball into the box for Watanabe to drive home with his right foot and give Gamba a deserved point.
Team - Higashiguchi, Takao, Miura (Yamamoto, 85), Kim, Onose, Fukuda, Ideguchi, Yajima (Endo, 71), Ademilson (Kurata, 61), Ono (Patric, 61), Usami (Watanabe, 61)
Goals:
Genta MIURA 6'
Kazuma WATANABE 90+2'