Al-Sadd's Belhadj seals 5-3 win as 3rd-place playoff goes to penalties

Nadir Belhadj, who also scored the decisive penalty in a shootout in the AFC Champions League final last month, was again the hero for the side from Qatar as he scored their fifth.

The clash went to spot kicks after a low-key game that ended 0-0 after 90 minutes — there was no extra time — and never really hit the heights.

The first real chances of the match did not come until midway through the first half, when Kashiwa threatened three times in quick succession including a snap shot by midfielder Junya Tanaka that smacked an Al-Sadd post.

Moments later the Qatari side might have taken the lead on the break, but Mamadou Niang saw his powerful shot parried by Takanori Sugeno, who 10 minutes before halftime also denied Abdul Kader Keita.

The second half took on a similar theme, the Japanese side having most of the ball without really creating any concrete openings and Al-Sadd defending in numbers while looking to counter-attack at International Stadium Yokohama.

Niang might have grabbed a winner in the dying minutes, but his shot was deflected and the ball looped over the bar, sending the contest to penalties.

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