Oita Trinita: 2008 League Cup champions

Oita Trinita are the 2008 League Cup champions after beating Shimizu S-Pulse 2-0 in front of 44,723 fans at a sunny National Stadium in Tokyo.

Oita became the first team from the southern island of Kyushu to win a J. League trophy after goals from man-of-the-match Daiki Takamatsu and strike partner Ueslei proved the difference against a nervy S-Pulse side. 

Shimizu coach Kenta Hasegawa blamed the defeat on his own inexperience, and Hasegawa's decision to start with Keisuke Iwashita and Masaki Yamamoto over the more experienced duo of Daisuke Ichikawa and Marcos Paulo Alves raised eyebrows with some sections of the S-Pulse support. By the time Ichikawa and Paulo were introduced midway through the second half, S-Pulse were already chasing the game. 

Defeat prolongs Shimizu's long trophy drought but the Shizuoka side were outplayed on the day, with Oita Trinita deserving winners of the 2008 Yamazaki Nabisco League Cup trophy.