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Shimizu No-Pulse Al Hilal kills Japanese club's Asian Super Cup hopes
RIYADH (Reuters) -- Asian club champion Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia booked a place in next year's Club World Championship when it drew 1-1 with Shimizu S-Pulse of Japan on Tuesday to win the Asian Super Cup 3-2 on aggregate. The Saudi side joined Japan's Jubilo Iwata in next July's 16-team tournament in Spain after lifting the Super Cup for the second time in three years. J-League side Shimizu, with former Tottenham Hotspur skipper Steve Perryman in his last game as head coach before returning to England, had lost 2-1 at home last week but pulled level on aggregate when wing-back Daisuke Ichikawa struck in the 29th minute. It held that lead until 20 minutes from time when Saudi international midfielder Omar Al Ghamdi struck. His deflected effort found the back of the net to put the Saudis back in front on aggregate. Shimizu pushed forward looking for the goal that would have forced extra time. But near-misses by Ryuzo Morioka and Ichikawa in the dying minutes were just off target. The result means Al Hilal joins 1999 Asian Super Cup winner Jubilo Iwata of Japan in the global club tournament and also emulate bitter rivals Al Nassr, which represented Asia at the inaugural tournament in Brazil earlier this year.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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