The 2012 J.League Cup (officially known as the 2012 J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 20th edition of the J.League Cup, a Japanese professional football (soccer) competition organized by the J.League. It is one of the three major domestic competitions in Japan, alongside the J1 League and the Emperor's Cup.
Overview The 2012 tournament featured all eighteen clubs from the J1 League, Japan's top-tier professional football league. Unlike the Emperor's Cup, which includes teams from all divisions, the J.League Cup is exclusively contested by J1 clubs. Teams participating in the AFC Champions League (ACL) typically receive a bye into the knockout stage of the J.League Cup, while other teams compete in a group stage.
Format The competition was divided into two main stages:
- Group Stage: Fourteen J1 League teams were divided into four groups (two groups of four, two groups of three). Each team played a single round-robin format within their group. The top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage.
- Knockout Stage: The eight qualified teams from the group stage were joined by the four J1 teams participating in the 2012 AFC Champions League. This stage consisted of quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final, all played as single-leg matches, with extra time and penalty shootouts used to decide winners if necessary.
Season Summary The 2012 J.League Cup commenced on March 14, 2012, and concluded with the final match on November 3, 2012.
- Winner: The tournament was won by Kashima Antlers, marking their fifth triumph in the competition's history.
- Runner-up: Shimizu S-Pulse finished as the runner-up, losing to Kashima Antlers in the final.
- Final Match: The final was held at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Kashima Antlers defeated Shimizu S-Pulse with a score of 2–1 after extra time. Gen Shoji scored the winning goal for Kashima.
- MVP: Gaku Shibasaki of Kashima Antlers was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament for his outstanding performance throughout the competition, including a key role in the final victory.
The 2012 J.League Cup continued the tradition of providing an exciting and important domestic trophy for Japanese clubs, often serving as a platform for emerging talent and offering a different competitive format compared to the league campaign.