The former Socceroos great has gone where even his illustrious Australian predecessors Ange Postecoglou and Kevin Muscat couldn't by reaching the biggest club showdown in Asian soccer.
Yet it was the manner in which Yokohama made it which proved so remarkable on Wednesday, playing with just 10 for nearly an hour and a half but still managing to eke out a 3-2 second-leg win after extra-time to secure a 3-3 aggregate draw and then pinch the shootout victory 5-4.
Yokohama players and fans celebrate their triumph over Ulsan after a penalty shootout. (AP PHOTO)
In driving rain at the Yokohama International Stadium and having to overcome a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in South Korea, Kewell's team roared into a 3-0 lead within half-an-hour of the return, thanks to an Asahi Uenaka brace, sandwiched by an Anderson Lopes goal.
But then the wheels began to fall off as, first, Matheus Sales narrowed the deficit with a header and then Marinos' defender Takumi Kamijima got sent off for a handball in the box, allowing Darijan Bojanic to level the aggregate score from the penalty spot.
Ten-man Yokohama then found themselves constantly under the cosh, with Ulsan hitting the bar through Lee Dong-gyeong and then having a Bojanic goal ruled out after a VAR review soon after the break.
But Yokohama defended with desperation and a touch of inspiration from their goalkeeper William Popp, who made a terrific save to tip a late effort from Ulsan's Brazilian Kelvin onto the post in extra-time to take the match into penalties.Â
The Japanese keeper wasn't finished, making the one crucial, diving spot-kick save at 4-4 from Kim Min-woo that enabled Brazilian defender Eduardo to then fire home the decisive penalty that left the home fans going crazy in the rain.
It's set up a final for Kewell's side against United Arab Emirates outfit Al-Ain, who eliminated Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal on Tuesday. The first leg will be in Japan on May 11, with the return in the UAE two weeks later.
And it represents a tremendous achievement for the 45-year-old Australian, rated by many as the greatest-ever Socceroo, who had plenty of struggles in the lower reaches of football club management in England before moving to Scotland to be Postecoglou's assistant at Celtic.
Having left the Scottish champions to take over from Muscat at Yokohama in December, he's now surpassed both Australian luminaries, who both took the Marinos to the J1 League crown but couldn't replicate the success in the Champions League.
