The J. League champion Kashima Antlers were knocked out of the Asian Club Championship after a 1-1 draw on Thursday against South Korean side Anyang Cheetahs in their third and final game in the East zone quarterfinal group stage.
Needing a win to progress to the semis, Masashi Motoyama looked to have put the Japanese side through with a 58th-minute goal but Andre Santos equalized in injury-time to ensure Kashima fell at the same stage for the third time in the last five seasons.
Playing in torrential rain, midfielder Motoyama grab-bed the breakthrough early in the second half from a well-struck shot 20 meters out after the South Koreans had failed to clear a corner.