Shinji Ono ensured Guido Buchwald has the grandest stage of all at which to say his goodbyes as Urawa coach by scoring one goal and creating another for Robson Ponte as the Reds advanced to the Emperor's Cup final with a 2-1 victory over Kashima Antlers on Friday.
Urawa midfielder Shinji Ono fires a shot in the first half of Friday's Emperor's Cup semifinal game against the Antlers at National Stadium in Tokyo. With a 2-1 win over Kashima, the Reds next face Gamba Osaka in Monday's final.
KYODO PHOTOIt was a scrappy performance at Tokyo's National Stadium by the Reds, who were lucky to beat a Kashima side determined to make sure the last game for its own departing coach, Paulo Autuori, would be the final, but Ono's brilliance was the telling factor on either side of Toru Araiba's equalizer.