NEWS

Kashiwa Reysol, FC Tokyo and Yokohama F. Marinos advanced to the semifinals of the Emperor’s Cup on Saturday.

Division One side Kashiwa needed extra time before holding off Division Two champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-2 in Okayama. Brazilian forward Franca, a second half substitute, struck the winner in the 100th minute.
Sanfrecce and Japan forward Hisato Sato twice cancelled out Kashiwa leads after goals by Masahiro Koga in the fourth minute and Minoru Suganuma in the 14th minute.
Kashiwa faced fierce pressure from Hiroshima, who hit 19 shots to the first division side’s 13 over the 90 minutes.
Kashiwa manager Nobuhiro Ishibashi sent in two attackers – Tadanari Lee and Franca – early in the second half, but neither side could break the deadlock.
Ten minutes into extra time, Franca took a ball from Lee and skillfully chipped the ball past goalkeeper Akihiro Sato for the win.
Yokohama midfielder Kenta Kano scored once and set up two goals as the F. Marinos rallied past their second-division opponents 3-1 in Saga.
Tosu took the lead in the 24th minute through Koji Hirose, but Yokohama drew level in the 27th minute when Japan defender Yuji Nakazawa rose high in the area to head home a Kano corner.
Shortly before the break, Yokohama defender Yuzo Kurihara headed in another Kano corner to put his side 2-1 up at halftime.
Kano then got himself on the scoresheet by firing home in the 90th minute.
Elsewhere, FC Tokyo came from behind to beat Shimizu S-Pulse 2-1 thanks to two goals from Shingo Akamine in Sendai.
Shimizu went ahead in the 26th minute on Kazumichi Takagi’s penalty, which was awarded after Tokyo defender Hideki Sahara handled the ball in the box.
But Akamine equalized in the 50th minute, also on a penalty, after full-back Tatsuya Suzuki was brought down by Shimizu defender Arata Kodama in the area.
A minute later, Tokyo took the upper hand after Japan full-back Yuto Nagatomo drove up on the left and sent a cross in. Suzuki then found Akamine and the young forward slotted the ball home from 15 meters out to seal the victory.
In the December 29 semifinals, Reysol will play FC Tokyo in Shizuoka, while the F. Marinos will face either Asian champions Gamba Osaka or Nagoya Grampus in Tokyo.
The Gamba-Grampus quarterfinal will take place on December 25 in Kobe after the match was rescheduled due to Gamba’s commitment with the FIFA Club World Cup.
The winners of the Emperor’s Cup will qualify for next year’s AFC Champions League.