Urawa Reds claimed the Asian Champions League title for the first time in a decade after Rafael Silva scored in the 88th minute to seal a 2-1 aggregate win over Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal with a 1-0 final second-leg win on Saturday.
A crowd of 57,727 at Saitama Stadium had to endure a nervy 90 minutes following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Riyadh on Nov. 18, with Saudi champions Al Hilal dominating possession and the second leg poised on a knife-edge.
But Silva clinched the deal when he charged forward on a late attack and blasted the ball past goalkeeper Abdullah Almuaiouf, handing Urawa the title for the second time and giving Japan its first Asian champion since Gamba Osaka in 2008.
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.