Yokohama F Marinos reached the Asian Champions League knockout stage on Wednesday, easing past China's Shandong Taishan 3-0 at home to top Group G in manager Kevin Muscat's final game in charge.
The Brazilian attacking triumvirate of Elber, Anderson Lopes and Yan Matheus all got on the scoresheet for Marinos as the departing Australian signed off in style at Nissan Stadium.
"(I am) really pleased," Muscat said. "It's been an emotional week, 10 days. We prepare for our brand of football. We prepare for winning games, so it's not surprising that we needed two goals and we got three and could have had more."
"Sometimes when you're emotional, it's not easy to make the best decisions...But they stayed calm with that wonderful football, and the three goals we scored tonight were fantastic."
"It's a special football club and in two and a half years, I learned a lot about myself as a person. I realize that you don't have to have the same blood to be part of a family."
The first real chance fell to Shandong in the 41st minute when defender Jadson's shot from distance deflected narrowly wide for a corner, but the home side broke the deadlock in the stoppage time.
Right winger Matheus controlled the ball from center-back Ryotaro Tsunoda on the halfway line before his defense-splitting pass found Elber, who ran in from the left and outpaced two Shandong defenders before prodding home.
Shandong forward Cryzan, who looked menacing during the first half, almost scored at the wrong end eight minutes after the break as he glanced a header off a Marinos corner just wide of his own net before the second Marinos goal arrived four minutes later.
Tsunoda again set off the move with an incisive ball on the floor finding captain Takuya Kida, who laid the ball off for Matheus inside the box before the Brazilian rolled the ball across for Lopes to tap in.
Matheus got on the scoresheet himself with a superb 64th-minute lob from outside the box after Elber wriggled his way through in the middle of the pitch and released his Brazilian compatriot on a counter, returning the favor for his goal.
