Krishna Sadhana
Football Tribe SEA Editor
Tomorrow’s final of the 2019 Emperor’s Cup will pit Kashima Antlers against Vissel Kobe at the newly reconstructed National Stadium in Tokyo, with the match billed as the curtain-raiser for the new stadium. Both Kashima and Vissel enter the final match of the tournament with different goals in mind, but with the same desire – to lift that Emperor’s Cup trophy in front of their respective adoring fans.
5-time Emperor’s Cup winners Kashima are seeking for their 6th title in the competition’s history, having suffered the heartbreak of losing out on the 2019 J.League 1 title to Yokohama F. Marinos after participating in an enthralling title race all-season long. Finishing 3rd on the table, Kashima are assured of a place in the 2020 AFC Champions League play-offs, but victory in the Emperor’s Cup would mean that they will be bumped up to the group stages of the competition, with their play-off spot being given to 4th placed Kawasaki Frontale. Kashima head coach Go Oiwa will be hoping that his men will go all out in the final, as the match will be his last in charge of the Antlers. Go’s contract with the Ibaraki-based side will not be extended after the end of the season, which means that the 2019 Emperor’s Cup final will be his farewell match. Having taken charge of Kashima since 2017, Go has led the Antlers in 141 matches so far, with the 2017 Japanese Super Cup and the 2018 AFC Champions League titles, along with a 4th placed finish in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup, being Kashima’s honors during his tenure.
While Kashima are aiming for Emperor’s Cup title number 6, Vissel are aiming for title number one as they’re making their first ever appearance in a final of a major tournament. The Kobe-based side have received heavy investment over the past few years thanks to the financial muscle of chairman Hiroshi Mikitani and his company Rakuten, Inc. With significant funding from the e-commerce giant, a number of superstars have donned the crimson Vissel jersey in the past few years, from former Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski, FC Barcelona maestro Andres Iniesta, former Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen, and last but not least, legendary Spanish striker David Villa. The latter name has announced his retirement at the end of the season, meaning that the 2019 Emperor’s Cup final is set to be the 38-year old’s swansong.
Despite Mikitani and Rakuten’s investment, Vissel have underperformed massively in both league and cup competitions, having finished the recently concluded J1 season in 8th place. However Thorsten Fink’s men had done well to advance to the Emperor’s Cup final, which represents the best chance Vissel have for a shot at silverware. It is hoped that by winning the Emperor’s Cup and qualifying to the 2020 AFC Champions League, Vissel will finally have a strong foundation to build towards Mikitani’s ambitious dream of seeing Vissel emerging as the best team in Asia.
Tomorrow’s encounter promises to be an interesting encounter between an established force of Japanese football going up against an ambitious upstart looking to create a force of themselves within the world of Japanese football. While a Kashima win would see their status quo of being one of Japan’s top dogs being kept intact, a Vissel win would signify the birth of a new power in Japanese football, a birth that has been long overdue. The Emperor’s Cup title would represent the perfect send-off for the retiring Villa, a point that was driven further home by the fact that during their last home game of the season, Vissel presented a podium where Villa’s achievements as a player were displayed for all to see. And on that podium, which displayed Villa’s La Liga, UEFA Champions League, and FIFA World Cup titles among others, was an empty spot. A spot, which Vissel hope will be filled with the Emperor’s Cup title.