The Japanese side battled gamely despite having already been eliminated but the defeat saw them finish in third position.
Tianjin made an early chance when Su Yuanjie crossed from the left and Alexandre Pato headed just over in the 13th minute. The home side then took the lead when a volley from Zhao Xuri was deflected in after 24 minutes. And Zhao put Tianjin two ahead six minutes later. His header from Pato’s cross was beaten out by Haruhiko Nakamoto but Zhao lashed home the rebound from close range.
Yusuke Segawa came close for the visitors when he darted into the six-yard box but saw his effort blocked by Tianjin keeper Sun Qibin.
Kashiwa then pulled one back with a counter attack in the 39th minute. Kei Koizumi drove forward and found Ramon Lopes in space. The Brazilian’s shot came off the post and Koizumi was first to the rebound and knocked the ball into an empty net.
Pato almost restored the two-goal lead on the stroke of half-time but Nakamoto denied him with an excellent save. The home side added their third when Yang Xu leapt to head home Chu Jinzhao’s cross in the 64th minute.
However, Tianjin were pegged back again in the 69th minute. A deep cross from the left was headed across goal by Tomoki Imai and Segawa prodded the ball home from six yards out. There was still time for Nakamoto to deny Pato one last time with an excellent save in the closing stages.
Tianjin now face domestic rivals Guangzhou Evergrande in the Round of 16 next month.
