Saitama: Urawa Red Diamonds progressed to their first AFC Champions League final in a decade on Wednesday, beating Shanghai SIPG 1-0 in their semi-final second leg to wrap up a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Rafael Silva’s 11th-minute header at Saitama Stadium added to Urawa’s away goal advantage from the first leg, and a dogged defensive display in the second half ensured safe passage for Takafumi Hori’s side to do battle with Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia in next month’s final.
28 goals later
Rafael Silva’s goal
Fittingly for a team set to contest the final, Urawa are the highest scorers in this year’s AFC Champions League, having found the net 28 times in their 12 games – one every 38.6 minutes.
It didn’t take them long to register here, with Yosuke Kashiwagi – who has now been involved in four of Reds’ last five goals – sending in a corner from the left for top scorer Rafael Silva to nod home.
As well as ultimately deciding the tie, the Brazilian’s seventh goal of the campaign maintained the remarkable record of every Urawa goal in this year’s competition having been converted from inside the penalty area.
No play-making awards for Oscar
Oscar’s misplaced passes
Brazil international Oscar was signed by Shanghai to help decide big occasions like this, but it is fair to say the 26-year-old had an off night in Saitama.
The former Chelsea man struggled to impose himself on the game, unable to muster a single shot on or off target and providing just one successful cross.
His distribution in general was not at his usual standard either, and almost a quarter of his passes failed to find a teammate as the Chinese team exited the competition with a whimper.
End-to-end Endo
If any one player epitomised Urawa’s spirit in this game it was surely right back Wataru Endo, who put in an all-action display to ensure his side’s progression to the final.
The Japan international worked tirelessly up and down the right flank, pushing up whenever possible to support the attacks and providing a pinpoint cross in the 17th minute which Yuki Muto really should have converted.
Defensively, too, he was faultless, hustling and harrying throughout as he won 14 duels, six aerial duels, and made eight clearances and five interceptions as Urawa returned to the final for the second time.
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com