J. League champion Kawasaki Frontale lifted their fifth major trophy in four years on Friday, defeating Gamba Osaka 1-0 at Tokyo¡¯s National Stadium to claim their first-ever Emperor¡¯s Cup and round out their 2020 domestic double.
Frontale, known for years as Japanese soccer¡¯s ¡°silver collector¡± for their string of second-place finishes across domestic competitions, completed their silverware collection having won the J. League, Levain Cup, Super Cup and Emperor¡¯s Cup in a four-season span between 2017-2020. Friday¡¯s result came four years after Frontale¡¯s first Emperor¡¯s Cup final appearance ended in a defeat to Kashima Antlers.
¡°We aimed to win multiple titles this year, and the players did so incredibly well in the league that we didn¡¯t want those results to be erased with the final result, so it was important for us to win,¡± Frontale manager Toru Oniki said. ¡°It was a tough game but the players worked hard.¡±
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