It was only a few years ago that a star-studded Vissel Kobe were performing erratically, winning silverware and fighting relegations only in a span of few months. But now, on the back of their 2023 J.League 1 title, a much-modest-looking Vissel side have stamped their seal as an established power in Japanese football as they clinched their second Emperor’s Cup title on Saturday, seeing off regional rivals Gamba Osaka 1-0 at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
The 2024 Emperor’s Cup final was the occasion for the people of Kansai, as the final pits two of the region’s best teams against one another – Vissel Kobe, representing Hyogo Prefecture, against Gamba Osaka, representing the suburb of Suita in Osaka Prefecture.
This Kansai derby has more than just regional bragging rights, but also the right to lift the Emperor’s Cup trophy for the 2024 season.
And it was Vissel who prevailed on top, after a match that saw chances come a plenty for both sides, Taisei Miyashiro sealed the win for the reigning league champions with a 64th minute tap-in. The Ushi were made to work hard for their win as Gamba, through their Brazilian defender Dawhan, provided several scares throughout the match, but in the end Vissel’s steely nerves got them through the line to ensure them their second Emperor’s Cup title.
Unlike the 2019 Emperor’s Cup, that saw the celebrations being testament of all the investment done by Vissel’s owners Rakuten in bringing in big-name talents from abroad and within Japan, the 2024 celebrations saw the Vissel players acknowledging that they’ve done only one part of their job in a very crucial few weeks.
As defending J1 champions, Vissel are still in the thick of a three-way title race between themselves, constant pretenders Sanfrecce Hiroshima, and surprise packages Machida Zelvia. Should they steel themselves through that challenge, Vissel would clinch a historic domestic double – a far cry from the class of 2019 Vissel that saw the likes of Andres Iniesta being involved in a relegation scrap only a few months after clinching silverware.
The celebratory mood was still there, but it was more modest in nature, as the party is yet to truly start.
There’s also a possibility for an unprecedented treble, with Vissel being nicely-poised in their 2024/25 AFC Champions League Elite league stage standings. Four matches, three wins, and a draw, and Vissel are set to take on a Central Coast Mariners side yet to win a game in the ACLE on Tuesday – get three points from the Australians, and Vissel will see their path into the knockouts being opened up even more.
Games will come thick and fast, but unlike the erratic, star-studded Vissel of the past, the current Vissel squad are filled with sterner stuff who are more than deserved to clinch their place as one of Japan’s elite.