A clear autumn sky above Saitama Stadium offers endless possibilities, and that was again true on Saturday afternoon as Shonan Bellmare upset Yokohama F. Marinos to capture the club's first-ever J. League YBC Levain Cup.
The two sides share little besides residency in Kanagawa Prefecture: Marinos, who claim City Football Group amongst their minority ownership, entered the game as likely favorites in their quest to win the tournament for the first time since 2001. Meanwhile, Bellmare was pegged by most as "just happy to be there" after their dramatic penalty-kick victory over Kashiwa Reysol in the semifinals.
Despite a reputation as being one of the J. League's "big clubs," a win would have given Yokohama only its first domestic title since the 2013 Emperor's Cup. The wait was even longer for Bellmare, who had not lifted a major trophy since the 1996 Asian Cup Winners Cup.