Langerak farewells Japan with League Cup shootout glory
Mitch Langerak has capped his six-year stint in Japan with silverware by helping Nagoya Grampus win a dramatic J.League Cup final courtesy of a penalty shootout.
The Australian international goalkeeper, who will head to A-League Men club Melbourne Victory when the J.League season finishes next month, scored a shootout spot kick and saw another sail wide as his side claimed a 5-4 win on penalties after a 3-3 draw with Albirex Niigata.
“Grampus have given me so much. This is my thank you,” Langerak said.
“In front of my family, friends and these fans, I had the feeling we were going to win this.”
Nagoya looked set to canter towards victory when they led 2-0 at the conclusion of the first half, but Niigata, who boast Socceroos defender Thomas Deng, dug deep and sent the game to extra-time courtesy of a penalty 11 minutes into added time.
Nagoya scored early into extra-time but Niigata hit back via Yota Komi, who sent the game at Tokyo’s National Stadium to penalties.
That was where the 36-year-old Langerak came to life, with Motoki Nagakura blasting Niigata’s second penalty wide.
On the next attempt, the eight-cap Australian international Langerak buried his own penalty to put Nagoya ahead.
Deng slotted his penalty past his fellow countryman but Nagoya didn’t miss and held on to claim a shootout victory.
It was Nagoya’s second J.League Cup triumph during Langerak’s time with the club after over 200 games of service.
Langerak fell out of Socceroos consideration under Graham Arnold and was not part of Tony Popovic’s first camp during last month’s World Cup qualifiers.
Nagoya sit ninth in the J.League with three regular-season games remaining.
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