Yokohama F Marinos got payback for their heartbreaking defeat to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the J-League title race with a 2-0 victory in the last Emperor's Cup final at the existing National Stadium on Wednesday.
First-half goals from Manabu Saito and Yuji Nakazawa in a space of four minutes sent Marinos — appearing in the New Year's Day showpiece for the first time in 21 years — past the two-time defending league champions and to the club's first trophy since winning the league in 2004.
Marinos, who had beaten Sanfrecce twice this season, lost out on the J-League title on the final weekend to Hiroshima, who overtook Yasuhiro Higuchi's men by one point to cap their dramatic turnaround.