Football: Nagoya beat Niigata on penalties in epic League Cup final

TOKYO (Kyodo) – Nagoya Grampus beat Albirex Niigata 5-4 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw to secure their second League Cup and deny their opponents their first major title on Saturday.

Niigata equalized in the last minute to head into extra time after coming back from two goals down and then leveled again to take the epic encounter to penalties at the Tokyo National Stadium, where Nagoya lifted the trophy they won for the first time in 2021.

The result was a fitting send-off for long-time Nagoya goalkeeper Mitch Langerak, who is leaving the club at the end of the current J-League campaign to join Australian side Melbourne Victory.

“We have the best fans in Japan,” said the 36-year-old Australian. “In front of my family, friends and fans, I had a feeling we were going to win.”

Two of the country’s most ardent fan bases were enthusiastic in their support long before kick-off. It was Niigata, in possession, who produced a promising performance in the rain in front of 62,517 spectators.

But veteran Nagoya forward Kensuke Nagai capitalized on a mistake by Niigata goalkeeper Koto Abe to open the scoring in the 31st minute, firing a low first-time shot into the left corner from outside the penalty area.

The 35-year-old scored his second goal in the 42nd minute after some excellent play from his teammates, started by Keiya Shiihashi, who sent the ball into the penalty area. Sho Inagaki nodded away from goal to Ryuji Izumi, who still had some work to do, but showed some deft touch to confuse his marker and send Nagai off the field, heading away.

Niigata brought on the tournament’s top scorer with six goals, Motoki Nagakura, as part of a triple substitution with 25 minutes left and received a return goal when Kaito Taniguchi headed Danilo Gomez’s cross from the right flank.

Albirex left-back Kento Hashimoto saved Langerak’s long-range diving shot and the Australian goalkeeper made another to keep out Gomes’ cross at the far post as Niigata piled on the pressure.

With the clock ticking and Nagoya seemingly home and clean, substitute Yota Komi won and scored a last-minute penalty to force extra time.

Right wing-back Katsuhiro Nakayama, who came on with 10 minutes left in normal time before conceding a penalty, turned things around with a goal three minutes after extra time.

But Komi came to Niigata’s aid again when he latched on to Nagakura’s pass to slot past Langerak in the 111th minute.

The penalty shootout was played at the Nagoya end and Niigata’s second man Nagakura sent his shot wide of goal to the right while Langerak stepped up to score the next try low to the left before Yuya Yamagishi saved the decisive shot to give Nagoya a memorable victory .

“Grandfather gave me so much. This is my gratitude,” Langerak said. “I want to congratulate Niigata. What an amazing team.”

Niigata manager Rikizo Matsuhashi said his team was “gradually getting stronger, but was still a little short.”

“I told my players to take a lot of difficult moments and use them to fight for the title,” he said.