Kashima Antlers showed how far Japanese soccer has come when they gave Real Madrid a mighty scare in the Club World Cup final last Sunday, but it may be some time before a J. League champion gets to take advantage of Japan hosting the tournament again.
Antlers pushed Madrid all the way to extra time before finally succumbing 4-2 in Yokohama, and the players' post-match disappointment at not being able to beat the 11-time European champions — a feat that only two teams have managed this year — was a telling indicator of how close they came.
But the fact that Masatada Ishii's men did not look out of place was their real victory. Antlers beat Auckland City, Mamelodi Sundowns and South American champions Atletico Nacional to earn the right to face Madrid, and the achievement was not lost on their manager.