Asian Leagues Guide: 12BET J. League News 1/3/12

Asian Leagues Guide: 12BET J. League News 1/3/12: Severino stars as FC Tokyo win Emperor’s Cup TOKYO, Jan 1: Brazilian striker Lucas Severino scored a double as FC Tokyo beat Kyoto Sanga 4-...

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12BET J. League News 1/3/12

Severino stars as FC Tokyo win Emperor’s Cup

TOKYO, Jan 1: Brazilian striker Lucas Severino scored a double as FC Tokyo beat Kyoto Sanga 4-2 to become the first second division side to win the Emperor’s Cup on Sunday.

Tokyo, who had already won the J. League second division title, qualified for the Asian Champions League with victory in a scrappy final in front of 41,000 at National Stadium.

It was also a first Emperor’s Cup triumph for Tokyo, who came from a goal down to win the tournament’s first final contested by a pair of clubs from the Japanese second tier.

“I want to say a big thank you to the players,” Tokyo manager Kiyoshi Okuma after his last game before taking up a front office job at the club. “It’s been a great season and to complete it with a first Emperor’s Cup title is special. I think we’ve shown we can live with life in the first division next season.”

Japan defender Yasuyuki Konno quickly cancelled out Hiroki Nakayama’s 13th-minute opener with a smart header before a dipping Masato Morishige free kick put Tokyo in front.

Lucas smashed in a third goal to knock the stuffing out of Kyoto three minutes before halftime and silence the purple half of the New Year’s Day crowd.- http://www.dawn.com/

 

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Asian Leagues Guide: 12BET J League News 1/2/12

Asian Leagues Guide: 12BET J League News 1/2/12: FC Tokyo beat Kyoto Sanga to win Emperor's Cup TOKYO: FC Tokyo qualified for the 2012 AFC Champions League Sunday as they came back from ...

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12BET J League News 1/2/12

FC Tokyo beat Kyoto Sanga to win Emperor's Cup

TOKYO: FC Tokyo qualified for the 2012 AFC Champions League Sunday as they came back from a goal down to beat Kyoto Sanga 4-2 to win the Emperor's Cup.

The final of the prestigious tournament, opened to Japan's professional and amateur leagues, featured two clubs from the J-League second division for the first time.

FC Tokyo won the second division title in the last March-December season to return to the top flight, while Kyoto finished at seventh place to miss promotion.

FC Tokyo, winning the Emperor's Cup for the first time, joined the top three teams from the J-League first division -- Kashiwa Reysol, Nagoya Grampus and Gamba Osaka -- in Asia's Champions League.  

"I was moved by my own team as they did their job pretty well," Tokyo coach Kiyoshi Okuma said. "We came from the second division and played against teams in the top league. We needed patience and courage."

"It was tough because our supporters expected us to do well, but it ended in a good result. I'd like to thank my players," he added.

Only two minutes after Kyoto skipper Hiroki Nakayama opened the scoring in the 13th minute, Naohiro Ishikawa sent a cross after exchanging short passes from the left corner, allowing Yasuyuki Konno to head home an equaliser.

In the 36th minute, Ishikawa sent another short pass from a free kick and Masato Morishige netted a sizzling 30-metre shot.

Brazilian striker Lucas added two more, while Yuya Kubo managed to pull one back for Kyoto.

"I thought it would be difficult when we lost a goal, but I scored myself and we started to play our game. This team is well organised. I think we played a lively football," said Morishige.

 

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Asian Leagues Guide: Kyoto Sanga vs FC Tokyo JAPAN EMPEROR CUP 12BET Pr...

Asian Leagues Guide: Kyoto Sanga vs FC Tokyo JAPAN EMPEROR CUP 12BET Pr...: Kyoto, FC Tokyo reach Emperor's Cup final J. League second-division minnows Kyoto Sanga set up a historic Emperor's Cup final with J2 cha...

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Kyoto Sanga vs FC Tokyo JAPAN EMPEROR CUP 12BET Prediction 1/1/12 1PM GMT +8

Kyoto, FC Tokyo reach Emperor's Cup final

J. League second-division minnows Kyoto Sanga set up a historic Emperor's Cup final with J2 champion FC Tokyo after scalping Yokohama F. Marinos 4-2 in extra time on Thursday.

 No J2 team had ever reached the final on New Year's Day.

Substitutes Yuya Kubo and Yoshiaki Komai scored in the second half of extra time from 2-2 for Kyoto, which previously lifted the cup in 2002 with Gert Engels in charge.

Kohei Kudo and Dutra also struck during the second half of normal time for Takeshi Oki's side, which had knocked out holders Kashima Antlers in the round of 16.

Kazuma Watanabe netted the opener for Marinos in the first half, and substitute Masashi Oguro invited the extra 30 minutes deep into injury time.

The Emperor's Cup winners will qualify for next year's Asian Champions League alongside the top three finishers of the J. League — Kashiwa Reysol, Nagoya Grampus and Gamba Osaka.

"I don't want to say congratulations to my team just yet. Not until we win one more," said Oki, an assistant to Takeshi Okada on Japan's 2010 World Cup team.

At Osaka Nagai Stadium, Tatsuya Yazawa scored the 77th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory over Cerezo Osaka, who played their last game under Levir Culpi.- http://www.japantimes.co.jp/

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Asian Leagues Guide: Yokohama Marinos vs Kyoto Sanga JAPAN EMPEROR CUP ...

Asian Leagues Guide: Yokohama Marinos vs Kyoto Sanga JAPAN EMPEROR CUP ...: Yokohama F. Marinos is a Japanese association football team that participates in the fully professional J. League Division 1; the top J...

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