Meiji Yasuda J1 League

Match 2

Shimizu S-Pulse 2-2 Avispa Fukuoka

Saturday March 6th 2pm

IAI Stadium Nihondaira, Shizuoka

S-PULSE GOALS Carlinhos(12), Nakayama (65)

YELLOW CARDS

RED CARDS

ATTENDANCE 9,063

LINE UP

GK Gonda

DF Hara, Valdo, Suzuki, Katayama

MF Nakayama, Takeuchi, Nakamura, Carlinhos

FW Thiago, Goto

SUBSTITUTIONS

Kawai on for Nakamura(61)

Akira Silvano Disaro on for Goto(70)

REPORT

A frustrating draw! Whereas luck on our side in Kashima, it deserted us at home.

This said, this draw should be taken as a warning. Although the defense solidly played according to expectations, the midfield at times lacked ideas and the forward were short of speed. To make things more difficult chances were not taken.

Carlnihos goal in the 12th minute was well taken with a typical touch curling the ball around the goalkeeper from just outside the box. But the game should have killed in the last minutes of the first half when a simple chance was wasted on a one on one between striker and goalkeeper.

This gave hope to our opponents who finally took advantage of a rare indecision from the defense to equalize in the 61st minute.

Nakayama proved his worth by shooting S-Pulse in the lead when the ball was only parried by the opposite goalkeeper at the edge of his box. S-Pulse was refused a goal for a marginal offside. Then S-Pulse committed the mistake to protect their lead instead of going for the kill and disaster struck in extra time when Avispa was awarded a litigious free kick leading to their equalization.

Only the S-Pulse attacked again and were unlucky to see their efforts repulsed by a post in the last seconds. On the day, a draw was maybe fair enough, but S-Pulse wasted themselves.

Next Wednesday they will to bard onto a perilous trip to Osaka to face Cerezo, their present Manager Lotina’s former club. It could become a defining moment for the season!

NEXT GAME

Meiji Yasuda J1 League

Match 3

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Cerezo Osaka

Wednesday March 10th 7:00pm

Yanmar Stadium Nagai, Osaka