Kashima edge Suwon to make ACL final for first time

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Japan's Kashima Antlers drew 3-3 away to the Suwon Samsung Bluewings of South Korea to complete a 6-5 aggregate victory and advance to the club's first ever AFC Champions League final.

Shuto Yamamoto headed in a free-kick to put Kashima one up before halftime. It stayed that way until the 52nd minute when Suwon leveled the score through Im Sang-hyeob at 1-1 and 4-3 in favor of Kashima on aggregate.

A minute later, Jo Sung-jin scored off a corner to give Suwon the lead on the night and on away goals.

But on the hour mark, Suwon struck again when Dejan Damjanovic slotted home to give the Bluewings a 3-1 lead. The former Beijing Guoan forward pulled level with Lee Dong-gook as the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 36 goals.

Four minutes later, Daigo Nishi scored with a deflected effort that evened the aggregate score at 5-5.

Serginho hails teammate's efforts

Serginho (L) of Kashima Antlers fights for the ball with Suwon Samsung Bluewings' Kwak Kwang-sun (R) during the AFC Champions League semi-final match in Suwon on October 24, 2018. /VCG Photo

In the 82nd minute, Kashima's Serginho Antonio Junior turned and fired into the top corner and his crucial goal would be the last. The games ended in a 3-3 draw and Kashima won 6-5 on aggregate, which means the Japanese team advanced to AFC Champions League final for the first time.

"Our goal is not to advance to the final, but win the title. We will do a thorough preparation, aiming to win the final in this home and away system." Kashima Antlers coach Go Oiwa said in the press.

“Before the final, we will have a J. League match, so it will be a pretty tight schedule. Because of that, it's very important for our players to get in good condition and we will thoroughly prepare for that."

Kashima will face fellow final debutantes Persepolis FC of Iran. The first leg will kick off on November 3 in Kashima with the return set for November 10 at Azadi Stadium in Tehran.