TOKYO: Substitute Hiroyuki Takasaki scored with the last touch of the game as Kashima Antlers put Guangzhou Evergrande´s AFC Champions League title bid on hold with a 2-1 win on Tuesday.
Takasaki nodded home a 93rd-minute free-kick to hand the struggling Japanese side a lifeline and inflict a first Asian defeat on Fabio Cannavaro´s Guangzhou.
Winless Kashima had been facing possible elimination, while a fourth straight victory would have put wealthy Guangzhou into the last 16 as they bid for their second Asian title.
But Takasaki´s glancing header from Gaku Shibasaki´s free-kick stunned the Chinese champions and left home fans weeping tears of joy at a rocking Kashima stadium.
Also in Group H, title-holders Western Sydney Wanderers were lucky to escape with a 1-1 draw against FC Seoul after a late goal-line controversy.
Wanderers ´keeper Ante Covic did brilliantly to parry a goal-bound volley in injury time but as he landed, he appeared to drag the loose ball over the line.
Goal-line technology has been introduced to the English Premier League and the World Cup but it is not yet used in Asia´s premier club competition.
Go Yo-Han had cancelled out Kerem Bulut´s opener and despite a late penalty shout from Tomi Juric, Wanderers coach Tony Popovic cut a relieved figure after the game.
“You have to take your chances at this level, and in the end it was a bit scary, it could have gone either way,” said Popovic.
“In the end we´re still second (in the group) and we move on to the next game.”
Six-goal hero Ricardo Goulart led Guangzhou to three wins in a row but the Brazilian left his scoring boots at home as Kashima went ahead through an early Yasushi Endo penalty.
It wasn´t until the 75th minute that Brazilian forward Elkeson put Guangzhou level with a sweeping, left-footed volley from a chipped cross delivered by Gao Lin.