For Shimizu S-Pulse, Tuesday's Emperor's Cup final was a chance to make it third-time lucky after losing two finals in the past three years. For Cerezo Osaka, it was a chance to finish off a miserable season with a trophy and the opportunity to start the year with a boost as the team attempts to return to the J. League's first division following relegation last year.

Regretably for Cerezo, their season of misery continued. Despite fighting back from a 2-0 deficit with a spirited rally in the second half, Cerezo blew their last chance of glory this season as Baron scored eight minutes into sudden-death extra time to secure the trophy for S-Pulse for the first time.

But it was no walk in the park for the team from Shizuoka, which lost last year to the Kashima Antlers and three years ago to the Yokohama Flugels. Despite scoring in each half -- through Alex and Ryuzo Morioka -- to take a 2-0 lead, Cerezo was never out of the game, and goals by Hiroaki Morishima and Yoon Jong Hwan made sure the first game of 2002 and the last of the 2001 season was a nail-biting one.

"It was a tough game and you couldn't tell what was going to happen. That must have been entertaining for the spectators, but it was hard watching from the bench," S-Pulse manager Zdravko Zemunovic admitted.

"We never gave up. I told my players, 'I know it's tough, but be patient and wait for your chance.' Last year, we played well but lost in the final, and this year we didn't play so well but won it. That's what soccer is all about."

At times, the final at Tokyo's National Stadium was exciting, but it was hardly classic soccer. Early on, the two teams would have been embarrassing in a high school tournament, but the second half came to life and the excitement was certainly enough to keep the crowd of 46,728 happy in the bright sunshine.

Despite the loss of defenders Toshihide Saito and Daisuke Ichikawa and midfielder Teruyoshi Ito to injury, Shimizu still had the edge on paper, but Cerezo, playing without its Brazilian duo of Marcelo and Wagner, started off in brighter fashion.

S-Pulse captain Morioka, playing on the right of the back three, looked like he was playing with a New Year's hangover and without the steadying solidity of fellow defenders Takuma Koga and Katsumi Oenoki and Kazuyoshi Toda in the middle of midfield, Cerezo could easily have gone ahead.

And they would have if Morishima hadn't fluffed two golden opportunities in the first quarter of an hour. These misses proved very costly when, in the 21st minute, Sawanobori battled well to head a long ball down into the path of Alex, who jinked his way around former S-Pulse midfielder Kazuaki Tasaka and finished off the move with a delightful Paulo di Canio-style chip over the 'keeper.

The goal helped to wake S-Pulse up and Cerezo found it hard to hold back the orange tide before half-time. Sawanobori, back to his best form in recent months, Alex and Baron took aim at the Osaka goal and Seigo Shimokawa had to be alert to prevent the scoreline from widening.

The second half was a different ball game. Cerezo came out fighting and with 184-cm striker Kazunari Okayama replacing Kenji Oshiba on the hour mark, the pendulum swung in the direction of Osaka. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side.

A minute after Kohei Hiramatsu was booked -- and lucky to stay on the field -- for shoving down Morishima off the ball, the feisty Shimuzu winger earned a free-kick after a foul on the right by Yoon. Sawanobori swung over the free-kick and Morioka was left unmarked to head home and make the score 2-0 with a quarter of the game left.

But it was to be a tough quarter for S-Pulse. What should have been a stroll turned into a nightmare as Cerezo forced their way back into the game.

With 10 minutes left on the clock, Yoon lofted the ball into the box where Nobuki Hara was on hand to head it down to the unmarked Morishima, who finished off the move with ease and brought Cerezo back into the game at 2-1.

From then on, it was total Cerezo pressure and the Osaka team's determination paid off in the final minute of regulation time when S-Pulse's young goalkeeper Takaya Kurokawa rashly brought down substitute Yoshito Okubo. Yoon slotted home the equalizing penalty.

"At 2-0 up, we expected to be able to hold onto the lead," Alex commented afterward. "But at 2-2, it was anybody's game and we had to play like it was 0-0 again."

As a final irony, Cerezo, which opted to play without its Brazilian contingent, was undone by the Brazilian skills of Alex and Baron. In the eighth minute of extra time, Alex robbed Morishima and streaked up the left wing. After an exchange of passes with Sawanobori, he delivered a low cross into the path of Baron, whose first shot was beaten away by Shimokawa. However, the 186-cm striker was able to bundle home the rebound and seal the victory.

"It's great to be champion after two failed attempts," said Alex, who recently became a Japanese citizen.

Cerezo manager Akihiro Nishimura was philosophical in defeat: "We started the game pretty well and created many scoring chances, but we couldn't find the finishing touch. It's one thing getting into your rhythm, but if you can't find the net, it's going to prove costly."

Cerezo's Morishima agreed with his boss.

"The game developed as I outlined to reporters yesterday," he explained. "That is, whether you can take your chances or not. That was to be the most important thing.

"We started well but didn't take advantage of our chances. On the plus side, we didn't give up and this gives us some hope for the future."