Dutch substitute Alex Schalk scored the winner as the Urawa Reds, the Asian Champions League winners, saw off 10-man CONCACAF winners Club Leon of Mexico 1-0 to reach the last four of the Club World Cup on Friday.
The win at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, set up a semifinal meeting with European champions Manchester City on Tuesday, when Urawa will look to make the final for the first time in their third tournament appearance.
"To be playing on this stage is already something special. To come on and have an impact, it's a dream," forward Schalk told FIFA after scoring the 78th-minute winner, five minutes after he entered the match.