FC Tokyo advanced to the semifinals of the Nabisco Cup on Wednesday with a 2-0 win over J. League leaders Vegalta Sendai, while Shimizu S-Pulse scored a last-gasp winner in a 4-3 thriller at Nagoya to go through on the away-goals rule.
With the first leg having ended 2-2, the opening half at Ajinomoto Stadium was a tight affair, neither side giving the other much space. Naohiro Ishikawa could have put the hosts ahead after midfielder Tatsuya Yazawa's surging dribble and layoff in the 15th minute, but blasted over the bar instead.
Vegalta's Yoshiaki Ota had a free header in the 26th minute from Ryang Yong Gi's cross but put it way off target, and Ishikawa then struck the crossbar with a cracking volley three minutes later.