Pohang Steelers kept alive their hopes of an unprecedented treble in South Korea as they lifted the League Cup by thrashing Busan I'Park 5-1 in the second leg to win 6-2 on aggregate.
The victors, who face Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan in first leg of the Asian Champions League quarter-finals on September 23, are also going strong in K-League, sitting in third place.
The first game of this two-legged final was played two weeks ago and ended 1-1 on the south coast.
In front of a packed Steelyard, Pohang took advantage in the second leg by swiftly taking a 3-0 lead.
After six minutes, Noh Byung-joon shot towards the Busan goal but Hwang Jin-sung got his head in the way to direct it past the visiting goalkeeper.
Eight minutes later it was 2-0 when Denilson broke into the Busan half and from just outside the area unleashed a low shot that flew into the bottom corner.
When veteran playmaker Kim Ki-dong fired high into the net just after the half-hour mark, the game seemed to be over.
Immediately after the restart, however, Busan were back in the game thanks to a Yang Dong-hyun header.
It was a short-lived fight back from the spirited Busan, who fell further behind thanks to a long-range strike from Hwang and a late fifth from Kim Tae-su.
"The player did a good job but there is still a long way to go this season," said Pohang coach Sergio Farias.
"Still, it is good to lift the first trophy of the year."
Busan coach Hwang Sun-hong was philosophical in defeat.
"I hope that we can learn from this loss and bounce back," said the 2002 World Cup star.
"Today's defeat can be a turning point for our players."
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