Yoichiro Kakitani scored the winner as Cerezo Osaka advanced to the Emperor's Cup final against Yokohama F. Marinos thanks to a hard-fought 3-1 extra-time win over Vissel Kobe on Saturday.
At Osaka's Yanmar Stadium, Kakitani, who entered in the 77th minute, headed home the rebound after his 98th-minute penalty was deflected by Vissel goakeeper Kim Seung-gyu. The ball popped up to Kim's left and Kakitani had a clear path, diving for the ball and striking it at shoe-top height.
Cerezo, who won their first major domestic title in November at the YBC Levain Cup, will be playing in the finals for the first time in 14 tournaments.