This afternoon, the final of the Emperor's Cup of Japan was played at the Tokyo National Stadium, with a crowd of 62,837. originally thought that this was a game with a big gap in strength, after all, it was the first half of the league against the league relegation team, but the weaker Kashiwa Suns got several times the number of shots and threatened the attack of Kawasaki Frontale, and always dominated the rhythm of the game, while Kawasaki Frontale, who was named a god in the AFC Champions League, struggled to move forward in the league. In the end, the score was 0-0 in regular time, and there was no goal in extra time, and the penalty shootout score: Kawasaki Frontale 8-7 Kashiwa Suns, Kawasaki Frontale won the Emperor's Cup and qualified for the 2024-2025 Asian Classic.
Kawasaki Frontale starters: 433 formation - Zheng Chenglong (goalkeeper), Noboru Tosato, Yamane Shirai, Dainan Takuma, Yamamura Kazuya (back four), Tachibana Kento, Sekoki, Wasaka Taito (three midfielders), Damian, Miyashiro Daisei, parent Akihiro (three forwards).
Kawasaki Frontale won all the games in the AFC Champions League this season, but their dominance in the league gradually declined, and they only won 14 wins, 8 draws and 12 losses in the Japanese Professional League, especially after only 1 draw and 3 losses in the league in August, they completely missed the top three, starting from September, the team gave up the league and focused on the AFC Champions League and the Emperor's Cup, and won all of these two games, and the AFC Champions League advanced to the knockout round one round ahead of schedule, and the Emperor's Cup also successfully advanced to the finals, and the J League also won 5 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, which can be called the best record in the three-line battle.
Kashiwa Suns starters: 442 formation - Kenta Matsumoto (goalkeeper), Ei Katayama.
1. Koga Taiyo, Tsuchiya Tachiya, Tachida Yugo (back four), Konoma Matsuya, Shiihashi Keiya, Takayo Tomoki, Savio (four midfielders), Yasuta Yamada, Shindai Hosoya (double forwards).
Kashiwa Suns have been in poor form this season, ranking second from the bottom in the league with 6 wins, 15 draws and 13 losses, only because the J-1 League will be expanded to 20 teams in the new season to avoid relegation, and the thrilling relegation success (expansion, so only the penultimate place is relegated). It can be said that the team is weak in the JFL, and the opponents in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Emperor's Cup are not strong teams, so they reached the final.
The game was not one-sided, with the attack-oriented Kawasaki Frontale not getting many chances, while the Kashiwa Suns, who defended on the counter-attack, used the counterattack to get shots on goal many times, and the attacking threat was more numerous. The two sides drew 0-0 in the first half, and the second half began to be deployed, but the two sides still did not break the deadlock, and the result could not be separated after eight minutes of stoppage time. Both sides had chances in extra time, including single knives, empty goals, goal-line clearances, etc., but unfortunately they were all very narrow.
In the first five rounds of the penalty shootout, Kashiwa Suns missed the 4th penalty and Kawasaki Frontale missed the 5th penalty to make the two sides 4-4. In the sixth round, Kawasaki Frontale didn't score again, and Kashiwa Suns didn't even score, which is a bit dramatic. At the beginning of the seventh round, the signal of the game was interrupted, and it is reported that both sides scored, and in the eighth round, Kawasaki Frontale scored, and Kashiwa Suns missed. In the end, Kawasaki Frontale defeated the White Sun God 8-7.
With the end of the Emperor's Cup, the finals of the 2023 season of China, Japan and South Korea, and the qualifications for the Asian Elite and AFC Champions League 2 for the new season have also been released.
Asian Classic——
Japan 3+0: Vissel Kobe (J-1 League Champion), Kawasaki Frontale (Japan Emperor's Cup Champion, 8th place in J-1 League), Yokohama Mariner (J-1 League runner-up).
South Korea 2+1: Ulsan Hyundai (K-1 League Champion), Pohang Iron Man (Korea FA Cup Champion, K-1 League Runner-up). Gwangju F-C (play-off qualification, third place in K-1 United).
China 2+1: Shanghai Port (Chinese Super League champion), Shanghai Shenhua (Chinese Football Association Cup champion, 5th place in Chinese Super League). Shandong Taishan (play-off qualification, runner-up in the Chinese Super League).
AFC Champions League 2 -
Japan: Sanfrecce Hiroshima (third place in J-1 United).
South Korea: Jeonbuk Hyundai (4th place in the K-1 League).
China: Zhejiang (third place in the Chinese Super League).