Will the J.League champions Kashima Antlers win their second championship this season or will Kawasaki Frontale earn their first-ever title? Sunday 1 January will see the final of the 96th Emperor's Cup All Japan Football Championship at Suita City Football Stadium in Osaka.

Kawasaki F won a close contest against Omiya Ardija 1-0 in the semi-final three days ago, which gave them a good opportunity to avenge their previous defeat against Kashima. The team booked a place in the final for the first time in 33 attempts, including the Fujitsu era (the predecessor of the current team).

Midfielder NAKAMURA Kengo of Kawasaki F, who won the Most Valuable Player of the J.League, commented: ‘we want to have another go at Kashima, as we lost to them in the J.League Championship. We couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to avenge that loss.’

Kawasaki F ended second in the first stage and third in the second stage, annually in second place with 72 points. However, the team lost to Kashima 1-0 in the semi-final of the Championship with forward KANAZAKI Mu’s goal. Kashima, on the other hand, won the first stage but ended eleventh in the second stage, annually in third place with only 59 points.

Nakamura started the match in the Championship on the bench due to lack of form. However, he was sent onto the pitch to replace an injured teammate in the first half and played until the end. Since he could not perform at his best, he felt frustrated. He expressed his enthusiasm for the coming game: ‘personally, I was not in top form in the Championship. This time, it’s different. So I’ll give all I have.’

Although Kawasaki F were put under pressure by the opponents and struggled in the semi-final, the team played tenaciously. Defender TANIGUCHI Shogo struck a deciding goal towards the end of the match, showing patience when needed on top of their usual aggressive offensive style of football.

Nakamura explained that Kawasaki F learned tenacity from Kashima. ‘Their playing style, in which they don’t let opponents do anything towards the end, inspired me a lot. We need to do the same, or we cannot win at this level.’

Kawasaki F’s record against Kashima in the league is 12 wins, 9 losses, and 5 draws, including one win and one draw this season. However, Kashima won four times and lost three in the J.LEAGUE YBC Levain CUP. Kashima also beat Kawasaki F in both previous encounters in the Emperor's Cup – they won an overtime 3-2 in the Round of 16 in 2004 and the semi-final 1-0 in 2007, when they went on to win the championship.

Nakamura further commented, pointing out the importance of reducing careless mistakes and staying patient: ‘Kashima are tough and experienced, and they have excellent game intuition. If we let our guard down, they will attack.’ Taniguchi also added: ‘we must keep our focus and do the simple things right. We need to stay tough on the ball, win the one-on-one battles, and make quick transitions both offensively and defensively. Toughness will be the key.”

Although defensive midfielder Eduardo Neto is suspended from the game due to multiple infringements, Nakamura and midfielder OSHIMA Ryota will lead the team in building attacks, while forward OKUBO Yoshito, who has scored in every match apart from the semi-final in this Cup, and forward KOBAYASHI Yu are expected to perform well up front.

Coach KAZAMA Yahiro, who has announced his retirement after this season, noted: ‘it’s up to how well we handle the opponents’ pressure. We’d like to get ourselves in top form, so that the players can enjoy themselves and perform well.’

Kashima, on the other hand, aim to win their fifth cup title in total and their first since 2010. They arrived in Osaka one day earlier than Kawasaki F to start their preparations on 30 December.

The team have played nine games since the semi-final of the Championship on 23 November, but they do not seem to have been affected by their tough schedule.

In the semi-final against Yokohama F・Marinos, although the team let the opponents take 14 shots, goalkeeper SOGAHATA Hitoshi, defenders SHOJI Gen and UEDA Naomichi led the team in defending the goal solidly, and they kept a clean sheet in two consecutive matches since the quarter-final against Sanfrecce Hiroshima. The team continued to display their strong and persistent defence, just like they did in the FIFA Club World Cup, in which they ended in second place.

In attack, the team showcased dynamism and accuracy with their few limited goal-scoring opportunities. Forward DOI Shoma scored in the 41st minute and forward SUZUKI Yuma, who came off the bench in the second half, netted one in the 73rd minute. Midfielder SHIBASAKI Gaku, who became fit to play an official game for the first time since the final of the Club World Cup, assisted two goals to get through to the final.

Although Kanazaki’s condition, being unable to play in the quarter-final and the semi-final, is still questionable for the final, forward AKASAKI Shuhei, Suzuki, and midfielder Fabricio have scored two goals each this championship. The team also have other goal-scoring arsenal, including Doi, Shibasaki, and NAGAKI Ryota, who all have scored one goal each.

Doi commented after the semi-final, pointing out that their flexibility during difficult periods as a team has allowed them to build momentum: ‘we played without feeling pressured’. He also expressed his enthusiasm: ‘as we have come this far, all we need is a win.’ Shibasaki further added: ‘I’d like to play as hard as possible whichever position I’m in’.

The final, which will be held in Osaka for the first time since the 1960 Cup, will kick-off at 14:00 on Sunday 1 January.

Final (1 January 2017)

Fixtures and Results (Japanese version only)

96th Emperor's Cup All Japan Football Championship

27 August 2016(Sat.) 〜 1 January 2017(Sun.)

More Information