Kashima Antlers quietly but assuredly kept themselves in the hunt for the J-League and Emperor's Cup double as Toninho Cerezo's side reached the round of 16 with a 2-1 win over Kyoto Sanga on Monday.
Second-half goals from Yasushi Endo and Davi fueled Kashima past Kyoto, who pulled one back with a quarter-hour left through Shigeru Yokotani but just fell short of scoring an upset.
Despite the win, Cerezo was not happy with Antlers' performance, tearing into his team before the home fans over the loudspeakers after the game.