I once had my photo taken with Takeda Shingen. It wasn't the real Takeda Shingen - he died in 1573, according to Wikipedia - but rather a friendly local dressed as the legendary "daimyo" for Kōfu's annual Takeda Shingen festival. I was especially impressed with the moustache our modern Takeda Shingen had drawn on in thick black texta for historical accuracy.

Yamanashi-ken may be isolated, but it's a friendly place full of students and young families - not to mention several Takeda Shingen impersonators - so I was looking forward to making the train trip out passed Fuji-san and on to capital Kōfu. Unfortunately the apocalyptic rain  lashing Shimizu Station as I awaited the Limited Express (one assumes the "limited" refers to how infrequently the train runs) suggested a wet afternoon was in store. 

Lo and behold, the clouds parted just long enough in Kōfu to enjoy an action-packed afternoon in the congenial company of Ken Matsushima, editor of The Rising Sun News and all-round encyclopaedia on the Japanese game, as we sat down to enjoy Ventforet Kōfu's clash with Consadole Sapporo in J2.

A crowd of 11,252 packed into Kose Sports Park for Ventforet's home opener with the Hokkaido outfit - slightly less than the 13,734 fans the home side averaged in J2 last season - but no doubt the menacing clouds that hung low over the mountains kept some fans at home and in front of their TV screens.

The swirling wind blowing down off the Southern Alps made life difficult for both keepers, and no doubt it contributed to Ventforet's opener. Yohei Onishi surprised everyone - including himself - when his attempted cross from a free-kick flew straight into the top corner of Yuya Sato's goal.

If there was any doubt about Onishi's finishing ability, he dispelled it soon after with a well-taken strike, as the lively front man steadied himself following a swift counter-attack, before thumping a skidding drive across Sato and into the far corner of the goal. 

The goals were slightly harsh on a Sapporo side that looked well up for this hard-fought encounter, and following a sustained period of pressure after the restart, they pulled one goal back when defender Hiroyuki Nishijima flicked a header home on the hour mark.

Nevertheless it was the hosts who finished the stronger, and they should have added to their lead late on, only for some wayward finishing from Korean striker Kim Shin-Young and Brazilian front man Maranhao to let them down.

They may hail from one of the most isolated regions in the country, but Kōfu fans can be forgiven for dreaming of a return to the top flight, where they stunned many under the guidance of popular coach Takeshi Oki by managing to stay up in 2006.

The "swarm defence" is long gone and so too is Oki - incredibly he was dismissed when Ventforet suffered relegation in 2007 - but with fans as passionate as the Kōfu faithful, I have no doubt the mountain men will be in the mix when it comes to promotion this season.

It was widely expected, but Gamba Osaka have made public the signing of Korean striker Cho Jae-Jin from K-League side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors for the 2009 season.

As mentioned elsewhere, Jae-Jin became a cult hero during a goal-laden three-year spell at rival J. League club Shimizu S-Pulse from 2004 to 2007.

With his contract at S-Pulse set to expire the Korean had set his sights on a move to the English Premier League, but talks with a host of clubs including Fulham, West Ham United and Newcastle United came to nought.

On a recent trip to Korea I spoke with a source close to Jae-Jin, who claimed that the Korea Republic international was keen on a return to Shimizu S-Pulse. With the Shizuoka side having already signed Brazilian striker Marcos Aurelio - who was ironically released by S-Pulse this week - Jae-Jin was instead forced to return to the K-League, where he struggled to win over fans with some nervy displays for Jeonbuk.

Jae-Jin will now call Expo '70 Stadium in Suita City home for the foreseeable future, with Shimizu S-Pulse having pounced to sign ex-Nagoya striker Frode Johnsen, who has been replaced at the Aichi club by former Consadole Sapporo striker Davi.

Just another dizzying spell of musical chairs in the J. League, but Gamba's signing of Jae-Jin could prove significant for football in the region, with the K-League looking an increasingly attractive source of ready-made talent for a league that the likes of Korea Republic captain Kim Nam-Il already call home. 

Manchester United beat LDU Quito 1-0 in front of 68,682 fans at Yokohama International Stadium, with Wayne Rooney scoring the only goal of a largely one-sided affair.

United had to work hard for their victory following the 49th minute dismissal of central defender Nemanja Vidic for an elbow to the face of Liga de Quito striker Claudio Bieler.

Despite enjoying a one-man advantage Liga offered little in the way of attack, with midfielder Alejandro Manjos going the closest for the underdogs from Ecuador with two ferocious long-range strikes that were brilliantly saved by United's veteran keeper Edwin van der Sar.

Wayne Rooney scored the only goal of the game in the 73rd minute as he took an intelligent pass from Cristiano Ronaldo before burying an accurate right-foot strike in the bottom corner of the goal.

In the day's other game Gamba Osaka won the 3/4 playoff, beating Mexican outfit Pachuca 1-0.

Masato Yamazaki scored the only goal of the game, as the J. League team largely outplayed their central American opponents.

Well, that was a close run thing.

The Shizuoka derby lives to see another day after local misfits Jubilo Iwata got their act together just in the nick of time, beating Vegalta Sendai 3-2 on aggregate in the promotion/relegation playoff to retain their place in the top flight for next season.

The star of the playoff was undoubtedly Jubilo's teenage midfielder Takuya Matsuura.

Matsuura turns twenty on December 21, but his performances belied his young age as he scored the equaliser in the first leg in front of a hostile capacity crowd of 18,974 at Yurtec Sendai Stadium, cancelling out Brazilian striker Nadson's first half goal for the northerners.

The stage was set for an epic second-leg showdown at the compact Yamaha Stadium and 16,693 fans piled into every available vantage point to witness another J. League classic. 

Vegalta are no strangers to top flight football - they spent two seasons in J1 in the early part of the century - and predictably one of Japan's most passionately supported clubs fought tooth and nail to get back to the promised land.

They didn't count on coming up against Takuya Matsuura though, as the youngster chested home a Ryoichi Maeda cross just before half-time to calm Jubilo nerves.  

With Vegalta piling everyone forward in search of an equaliser in the second half, Jubilo took their chance on the break - and what a goal it was, as a long clearance from a corner was picked up by Matsuura on the halfway line, and the youngster twisted and turned inside two Sendai defenders before chipping the ball over keeper Takuto Hayashi, to send the home fans packed into the clock end at Yamaha into frenzied jubilation.

As is so often the case in football, Sendai managed to pull back a stoppage-time consolation that only added to their fans' misery, as ex-North Korean international Ryang Yong-Gi curled a spectacular free-kick over the wall and passed Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi in the final minute of the game, although the Zainichi Korean's strike proved too little to propel Sendai back into the top flight.

So the Shizuoka derby lives to see another day - not that too many Shimizu S-Pulse fans were concerned about the prospect of it disappearing - and Jubilo coach Hans Ooft was a visibly relieved man after the final whistle sounded in Iwata.

Grinning like a cheshire cat, the big Dutchman thanked the Jubilo fans and promised that his club had learned from their mistakes this season.

One would hope so, with the three-times J. League champions coming within a whisker of experiencing a taste of life in the basement of professional Japanese football in 2009.

The final day of the J-League season promised drama, but it was business as usual for Kashima Antlers as the Ibaraki outfit wrapped up back-to-back titles with a 1-0 win away at bottom club Consadole Sapporo.

Kashima’s title was just desserts for a club that led the way for much of the campaign, and coach Oswaldo de Oliveira will be delighted that his Antlers lifted a record sixth J-League crown despite the absence of mercurial captain Mitsuo Ogasawara, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Kashiwa Reysol back in September.

Ogasawara endured a failed stint in Serie A with Messina, but the talented midfielder was the driving force behind Kashima’s title win in 2007. Kashima shrugged off his absence, however, as well as injuries to former FC Basel defender Koji Nakata and ex-Sao Paulo man Danilo to wrap up a comfortable victory at the Sapporo Dome, with midfielder Takuya Nozawa sending the Antlers on their way with a precise finish ten minutes before the break.

The real drama took place at Fukuda Denshi Arena in Chiba, where former Liverpool first team coach Alex Miller knew that nothing less than victory over FC Tokyo would save his JEF United side from relegation. United are one of just six clubs to have played every season in the top flight of Japanese football, but their cause was hindered by a suspension to Australian defender Eddy Bosnar, who was briefly on the books at English club Everton.

Things looked bleak for United in front of a capacity crowd in Chiba, as FC Tokyo opened the scoring just before half-time through a bullet header from Brazilian striker Cabore. A second goal just after the break from FC Tokyo defender Yuto Nagamoto appeared to spell doom for Alex Miller and his team, but in a league that once carried the official slogan “Amazing,” JEF United lived up to it by launching the most improbable of comebacks.

With just over a quarter of an hour remaining substitute Tatsunori Arai gave United fans hope with a well-taken strike, and in the seventy-seventh minute Tatsuya Yazawa sent the home fans into raptures as his crisp volley flew passed a crowd of bodies to nestle in the bottom corner.

A point was not enough to save United, but with ten minutes remaining referee Kazuhiko Matsumura pointed to the spot after FC Tokyo captain Yasuyuki Konno brought down JEF United striker Reinaldo inside the box. Despite being a fringe first team player for most of the season, Reinaldo assumed penalty taking responsibilities himself, and his confidence proved well-founded as the big Brazilian smashed an unstoppable spot-kick high into the top corner.

Tatsuya Yazawa scored his second and United’s fourth late on, but the Chiba side’s win appeared to catch even Miller off guard. When questioned in the post-match interview as to how he felt about his side avoiding an end-of-season playoff to retain their place in the top flight, the former Rangers midfielder looked stunned, before confirming with his interpreter that United had indeed finished above the bottom three.

Miller’s confusion was understandable – it was a typically chaotic end to another unpredictable J-League campaign – and Tokyo Verdy were the unlucky team to replace JEF United in the drop zone as their derby day defeat to Kawasaki Frontale spelled a swift return to the Second Division. They will be joined by the hapless Consadole Sapporo, who like Verdy spent just a solitary season back in the top flight.

Fallen giants Jubilo Iwata dropped into the relegation/promotion playoff place after they lost 1-0 at home to Omiya Ardija in front of a sold-out Yamaha Stadium. The Shizuoka giants sacked coach Atsushi Uchiyama and replaced him with experienced Dutchman Hans Ooft back in August, but Ooft’s second spell in charge has failed to bring results, and the three-times J-League champions now face up to an uncomfortable two-legged  play-off against popular Second Division side Vegalta Sendai for a place in the top flight, with Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Montedio Yamagata already celebrating promotion. Sendai and Jubilo drew the first leg of that playoff 1-1 overnight in front of a capacity crowd of 18,974 at Yurtec Sendai Stadium.

Even allowing for JEF United’s incredible comeback, the result of the day arguably came in front of 53,583 fans at Saitama Stadium. On the eve of the final round of fixtures, Urawa Reds announced that coach Gert Engels would be forced to step down at the end of the season. Former SC Freiburg coach Volker Finke is widely tipped to replace the departing Engels, but Finke won’t be impressed by what he saw as the Saitama giants hosted bitter rivals Yokohama F. Marinos. With Urawa fans heckling their under-performing team from the kick-off, the Reds spectacularly imploded on the pitch, as the 2007 Asian champions crumbled to a humiliating 6-1 defeat. It was a fitting end to another incredible campaign, as the J-League once again lived up to its billing as one of the most exciting domestic leagues in the world.

 I read an interview with JEF United defender Eddy Bosnar on Australian FourFourTwo the other day in which the Sydney-born defender claimed to have been "treated badly" by Australian officials as he continues to be overlooked for national team duty.

My interest stemmed from the fact that at the time of press United were lying second from bottom in the J. League, having conceded 45 goals - the equal second worst defensive record in the top flight. Surely not the kind of form that would have Australia coach Pim Verbeek frantically reaching for the phone.

Since that interview appeared United have been thrashed 3-0 at home by Yokohama F. Marinos, and yesterday their chances of avoiding relegation took another serious blow when Alex Miller's side were beaten 3-2 by Shimizu S-Pulse in front of a massive crowd of 20,079 at a jam-packed Nihondaira Stadium.

Not surprisingly United fans were out in force at Nihondaira, but things got off to a bad start when Shimizu midfielder Akihiro Hyodo unleashed a textbook left-foot volley after twenty-six minutes to send the home team on their way. United striker Seiichiro Maki then responded with a textbook header of his own as the Japan striker leaned back to power home a Reinaldo cross six minutes later, as the two teams traded expertly taken goals.

If the opening two goals proved just how technically adept Japanese footballers are, Shimizu's second brought into sharp focus one of their genuine deficiencies. There should never have been any danger when an overhit Hyodo corner was headed back across the face of goal, but United keeper Masahiro Okamoto somehow allowed Akinori Nishizawa's header to slip underneath his body, and in the panic that followed United captain Tomi Shimomura blasted the ball into the back of his own net. Okamoto has traded places with fellow United shot-stopper Tomonori Tateishi all season, but with only Consadole Sapporo's comedy duo Takahiro Takagi and Yuya Sato representing an even worse choice in goal than what Alex Miller has on his hands, it's no surprise to see both United and Sapporo stranded in the automatic relegation places. 

In the second half S-Pulse killed off United hopes once and for all as exciting young Japan international Shinji Okazaki slalommed through the United defence unchallenged before stroking the ball into the far corner of the goal. The Chiba Dogs managed to pull one goal back through another Maki header, but it proved scant consolation for Alex Miller's side, as they crashed to their sixteenth defeat of the season.

In stoppage time Bosnar failed to enamour himself to the S-Pulse fans when he got himself sent off for a second bookable offence. Bosnar would already have been suspended from United's final game of the season at home to FC Tokyo having picked up his twelfth booking of the campaign, but the Australian hauled himself level with Tokyo Verdy's human foul machine Takashi Fukunishi at the top of the "most booked" charts as he needlessly stood over an injured Akihiro Hyodo, before waving a finger in the face of referee Toshimitsu Yoshida, who predictably responded by brandishing a red card straight back.   

Fortunately for Bosnar and JEF United, their two nearest relegation rivals Jubilo Iwata and Tokyo Verdy both lost. I saw a replay of Kashima defender Daiki Iwamasa's stoppage-time goal against Jubilo on a fellow S-Pulse fan's mobile phone in the carpark down the road from Nihondaira, and the joyous reaction from the surrounding S-Pulse fans suggested that none too many were concerned about the prospect of missing out on the Shizuoka derby in 2009.

It would be a shame if JEF United went down - they're one of the most fervently supported teams in the league, and they routinely bring huge support to clubs around the Kantō and Chūbu regions. They're also just one of six clubs to have featured in every season in the Japanese top flight since its inception in 1993. They've played dreadfully this season, however, and they weren't helped by a forgettable performance from Eddy Bosnar here, who will no doubt hope that Pim Verbeek and co. don't take too close a look at a DVD of this one.

I like Frode Johnsen. There, I said it! I've been an unashamed fan of the Norwegian striker ever since I first laid eyes on him in the J. League.

Maybe it's because as an Aussie I'm used to watching the kind of all-action, elbows-out, heart-on-your-sleeve (and whatever other cliché you can think of that describes a physical striker) footballer that Johnsen undoubtedly is. 

But if football is a game of opinions - and that too, it most certainly is - then it is my steadfast opinion that Frode Johnsen dived to win his Nagoya Grampus side a penalty that keeps the Aichi-based outfit in the title race.

And it wasn't just any kind of dive. It was one of those desperate, lunging, spectacularly cringe-worthy, I've-already-watched-Keiji-Tamada-tumble-ten-times-and-he's-gettin'-nothing type dives that would only fool an innocent Tibetan monk and your average J. League referee. The thought that Blind Freddy could have spotted this dive springs to mind, but then it appears that Blind Freddy was refereeing at Nishikyogoku Stadium when Johnsen took his theatrical tumble, although closer inspection reveals that the hapless official was actually Hajime Matsuo.

Johnsen's acting skills went as far as being able to haul himself off the ground without cackling hysterically (there wasn't even so much as a wry smile on his face!) and like all great football villains, the normally likeable Norwegian promptly stepped up to bury the resultant spot-kick a mere five minutes into seven minutes (naturally) worth of stoppage time.

If I were a Kyoto Sanga fan - and they were packed in like the proverbial sardines to a crowd of 18,355 at a heaving Nishikyogoku on Sunday - I'd be mightily annoyed with one Frode Johnsen. But then I'm not a Kyoto fan. Sorry kids... them's the breaks.

Closer analysis of my deep-seated affection for said Johnsen reveals that the ex-Norwegian international looks set to be playing his football at Nihondaira Stadium next season. Or should I say, "Outsourcing Stadium?" That's right, Shimizu S-Pulse have sold the naming rights to Nihondaira Stadium for a cool 360 million yen, with some of the proceeds likely to go towards luring Nagoya's out-of-contract Norwegian up the Tōkaidō Road to Shimizu. 

Johnsen is the logical replacement for former South Korean star Cho Jae-Jin, whose goals were outsourced (sorry folks, it can only go downhill from here) to Brazilian midget Marcos Aurélio at the start of this season... with disastrous results. Marcos Aurélio has now troubled the scorers on the grand total of zero occasions, while current Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors front man Jae-Jin is rumoured to be on his way to Gamba Osaka next season, paving the way for the triumphant arrival of Johnsen in Shimizu.

Since I've got no doubt that Johnsen himself is frantically refreshing this page on an hourly basis as he seeks the esteemed approval of your's truly, I'll say this, "Frode, I know you're capable of scoring more than 0 goals a season. Practically anyone is. Heck, even Masashi Nakayama got on the scoresheet again this season." 

But lest old Frode be unaware of just what Shimizu's passionate supporters expect of him, I'll leave him with a subtle reminder. Listed below is the score the last time time Nagoya came up against an S-Pulse side fielding the kind of striker who can put away the service that Daisuke Ichikawa and Arata Kodama are capable of producing.

Shimizu S-Pulse 3 - 0 Nagoya Grampus (October 6, 2007)

Cho Jae-Jin 28'

Cho Jae-Jin 49'

Cho Jae-Jin 77'

Over to you, Frode.

Hope springs eternal, so the old saying goes, and if Adelaide United were looking for signs that they can claw their way back into their two-legged AFC Champions League final clash with Gamba Osaka, they may have just found them in Gamba's 3-1 home defeat to FC Tokyo in the J. League at the weekend.

It wasn't that Gamba lost in a match in which neither side looked particularly impressive, but rather the way that Gamba conceded their goals that should pique interest in South Australia. 

Missing tall defender Sota Nakazawa through a back injury, Gamba coach Akira Nishino switched to an 3-4-3 formation that saw former Yokohama F. Marinos striker Roni handed a rare start, with Gamba still harbouring slim hopes of winning just their second J. League crown.

They could have been on their way had ex-Japan international Ryuji Bando not missed two golden opportunities in the first eight minutes. First Bando raced through one-on-one with FC Tokyo shot-stopper Hitoshi Shiota in just the second minute of the match, but as Bando picked his spot, Shiota guessed right and stuck out a lunging foot to deflect his effort wide.

Then Bando ran on to an excellent chip over the defence, only to turn and volley his effort straight at Shiota, with the former Japan international looking rusty in front of goal after missing most of the campaign through injury.

Those misses proved costly as FC Tokyo took the lead with the first attack of the game. There appeared little danger when winger Naohiro Ishikawa floated an innocuous looking cross deep towards the far post, but powerful Brazilian striker Cabore had only the diminutive Yasuhito Endo as his marker, and the ex-Gyeongnam FC striker Cabore simply shrugged the midfielder off and headed the ball back across the face of goal and into the far corner.   

FC Tokyo scored again with practically their next attack of the game. A long throw seconds after the half-time interval was aimed at the 192cm tall Sota Hirayama, but with the ball sailing over Hirayama's head and the Gamba defence paying far too much attention to the former Heracles Almelo front man, Naohiro Ishikawa dashed in behind the defence to side-foot a half-volley passed Yosuke Fujigaya for FC Tokyo's second.

Sota Hirayama was proving a real handful in this match, vindicating coach Hiroshi Jofuku's decision to leave top scorer Shingo Akamine on the bench, and Hirayama then scored the goal his dominant performance warranted. With his back to goal Hirayama used his powerful frame to shield the ball from Gamba midfielder Tomokazu Myojin, before turning and firing into the far corner of the goal.

The hosts pulled one back in front of a disappointing crowd of just 13,515 at Expo '70 Stadium, with Lucas Severino flicking on a chipped assist from Takahiro Futagawa to register a goal against the club he left in January. Yet Gamba never looked like winning this match, and it was FC Tokyo - and not the Osakans - who kept their faint hopes of winning an unlikely J. League title alive.

Three things stood out from the defeat. One is that Gamba missed Sota Nakazawa more than they would care to admit. While Michihiro Yasuda and ex-FC Tokyo man Akira Kaji are adequate in attack, they struggle in defence - particularly when Gamba are being put under pressure, and particularly when that pressure comes in the form of crosses into the box.

The second is that chipped passes over the defence are very much the modus operandi for Gamba's attack. Several times Gamba caught out the FC Tokyo back four this way, indeed that's how Lucas Severino scored his goal, but cutting off the supply line from midfield and in particular from Endo and Futagawa, seems like a sensible option in halting Gamba's forays forward.

Most importantly, Gamba tend to struggle under pressure. Since lifting their one and only J. League crown thanks to a dramatic final day in 2005 (ironically it was a stoppage-time FC Tokyo equaliser against Cerezo Osaka that saw Gamba win the title), Gamba have been involved in three subsequent title races. They've choked in all three of them.

Admittedly the J. League is as tough a domestic competition as it gets. But there's no doubt that pressure seems to affect Akira Nishino's team, especially when they're away from home.

Food for thought for Aurelio Vidmar then. He could do worse than demand a red-hot atmosphere from the home fans at Hindmarsh Stadium, while instructing tall timber Robert Cornthwaite and Sasa Ognenovski to get amongst it at set pieces. Overly simplistic it may seem, but that might be all that Adelaide United have to hold on to having been comprehensively outplayed in the first leg of this tie.    

There was an excellent piece by SBS football analyst Scott McIntyre last week that managed to put Gamba Osaka's upcoming two-legged AFC Champions League final with Adelaide United into perspective.

In it, McIntyre rightly rubbishes the myth that Japanese clubs have merely "bought" success in Asia, pointing out that clubs such as Gamba Osaka have run fully-fledged youth academies for years that have promoted countless numbers of youngsters into the ranks of professional football.

Just as alarming a myth being perpetuated in Australian football circles suggests that Gamba Osaka have already qualified for the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup. While "fact-checking" seems to be a byword for "time-wasting" within certain sections of the Australian media, the reality is that Gamba Osaka have certainly not qualified for the Club World Cup.

With Gamba's chances of winning the J. League looking increasingly remote, they need to win the AFC Champions League to qualify for the Club World Cup, which is precisely why Scott McIntyre claims that Gamba Osaka have much more to play for than Adelaide United, who will take part in the Club World Cup whether they win the Champions League or not.

Certainly Gamba will be looking to take something back to South Australia from the first leg of this clash at the dilapidated Expo '70 Stadium in Suita City on November 5, however Akira Nishino's side may not go into this match brimming with confidence after being smashed 3-1 by a rampant Shimizu S-Pulse in their last match in the J. League, while Gamba's weekend Emperor's Cup clash with J2 side Ventforet Kofu has been postponed until November 16.

Nevertheless having beaten Adelaide's A-League counterparts Melbourne Victory twice in the group stage of this season's AFC Champions League, Gamba will be desperate to become the second Japanese side to lift the current incarnation of the Champions League following Urawa Reds' success last season.

In midfielder Yasuhito Endo, Gamba possess one of the shining stars of Asian football, and the talismanic Japan international is well rested having sat out Gamba's defeat to S-Pulse through suspension. Indeed the entire Gamba squad is well rested - their last competitive match came on October 26 - and there is plenty of experience within the Gamba ranks as captain Satoshi Yamaguchi approaches 400 professional appearances, while long-range shooting specialist Takahiro Futagawa has played more than 250 times for Gamba.

What Gamba will come up against is an Adelaide side that has made winning the Champions League their mission. Aurelio Vidmar's side have played with obvious passion and constant grit throughout this tournament. Unfortunately for Vidmar he comes up against a Gamba outfit synonymous with precisely those qualities.

With Gamba forced to subsist in a baseball heartland in which J2-dwelling city rivals Cerezo Osaka have far more potential to command popular support, an AFC Champions League title would do nicely for a club looking to increase their popularity throughout the Kansai region. Moreover with Gamba having announced ambitious plans to build a 35,000-capacity "English style" stadium on the site of their current Expo-land home, the Champions League final has suddenly taken on "must-win" proportions for the club that started out a modest existence as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Soccer Club in 1980.

Still, Adelaide United will be just as desperate for victory in this continental showpiece final - particularly after their most recent 3-2 home defeat to Melbourne Victory, and with full houses likely to pack into Expo '70 Stadium on the northern fringes of Osaka on November 5 and again in Adelaide's Hindmarsh Stadium on November 12, all eyes will be on East Asia for this mouth-watering clash of Asia's best in the 2008 AFC Champions League final.

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.