TOKYO, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Kashima Antlers stayed on course for an unprecedented domestic season treble by beating Yokohama F Marinos in the quarter-finals of Japan's Emperor's (FA) Cup on Saturday.
Antlers, who have already won the league championship and League Cup this season, held their nerve to win a penalty shoot-out 4-1 after a 1-1 draw following extra time.
World Cup defender Yutaka Akita headed Kashima into the lead in the 40th minute of the match at neutral Tottori, but Marinos equalised in the 77th minute through midfielder Kunio Nagayama following confusion in the Antlers' defence.
Antlers went first in the shoot-out and claimed victory by converting their first four kicks.
Marinos, who had lost 3-0 to the Antlers in the two-leg league championship play-off and also been knocked out of the League Cup by Kashima, missed their first two efforts and scored only with their third attempt from central defender Norio Omura.
In Friday's semi-finals, Antlers will meet Gamba Osaka, who beat Jubilo Iwata 1-0 with a goal in sudden-death extra time from Takahiro Futagawa.
If the Antlers win the Emperor's Cup final, on New Year's Day, it will be the first time a team has won the treble of league, League Cup and Emperor's Cup in the same season since the professional J League kicked off in 1993.
Verdy Kawasaki won the league and League Cup in 1993 and 1994, and Antlers won the League Cup and Emperor's Cup in 1997.
In the other quarter-finals on Saturday, a hat-trick from Brazilian winger Alessandro Dos Santos carried Shimizu S-Pulse to a 3-1 win over JEF United Ichihara, and Vissel Kobe beat Cerezo Osaka 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw.
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