Kashima Antlers claimed their record eighth J. League title after coming from behind to stun Urawa Reds 2-1 in the championship final second leg on Saturday and win on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw.
Antlers, who qualified for the playoffs by finishing third in the overall table a full 15 points behind first-place Urawa, lost Tuesday's home first leg 1-0 and fell further behind when Shinzo Koroki gave Reds a seventh minute lead in the return game at Saitama Stadium.
But Mu Kanazaki handed Kashima a lifeline with the equalizer five minutes before halftime, before Urawa defender Tomoaki Makino tripped Kashima substitute Yuma Suzuki in the box in the 79th minute and Kanazaki stepped up to drill home the resulting penalty.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.