Meiji Yasuda J1 League

Match 24

Shimizu S-Pulse 2-0 FC Tokyo

Sunday August 7th 6:00pm

Ajimoto Stadium, Choofu

S-PULSE GOALS Carlinhos (57), Santana 85()

YELLOW CARDS Carlinhos (17)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 20577

LINE UP

GK Gonda

DF Hara, Tatsuta, Yoshinori Suzuki, Yamahara

MF Inui, Matsuoka, Shirasaki, Pikachu

FW Carlinhos, Santana

SUBSTITUTIONS

Ronaldo on for Shirasaki (63)

Kitagawa on for Carlinhos (63)

Kololli on for Pikachu (74)

Goto on for Inui (74)

Katayama on for Hara (85)

REPORT

Very important win for many reasons.

-We are slowly getting away from the relegation zone.

-We seem to finally play to our potential.

-We came to understand the added value of a fan base who are at last allowed to chant their unusual support song as shown by the players’ gratefulness during and after the game.

The infirmary is finally almost empty and we can use a full membership including some recent recruits enabling us to field a complete multi-faceted team with the addition of one of the strongest benches in the League expecting to participate along a well-defined plan. Thus, we can apply pressure until the very end of a game resulting in less defense work.

Our opponents had to wait more than 35 minutes to have their first shot at our goal. In the 20th minute a move started by the ever-present side back Yamahara offered a chance to Pikachu to score from mid-range but his shot went barely wide.

In the 38th minute we had our moment of luck when we conceded a goal from a corner kick which was disallowed for oof side.

That is when we started to leave our mark o the game. In the 57th minute Tokyo tamely gave away a ball that Tatsuta kicked far ahead to Hara on the right flank. The latter ran past the defense before sending a neat high cross behind the defense from where Carlinhos running at full speed produced a brilliant and powerful heading to score his first goal of the season and that on his birthday.

After that Manager Ricardo provided fresh ammunition to the team by bringing attacking substitutes that stretched the Tokyo defense, although they proved dangerous enough on a couple of occasions. In the 68th minute Kitagawa almost doubled the score but his fine low shot was barely parried away.

Then in the 85th minute Shimizu S-Pulse put the game on ice through determination and skill. A left side corner kick was about to be wasted but Ronald did well to intercept the clearing and send the ever-dangerous Yamahara lurking on the left side. The latter once again ran past the defense before sending a looping cross. It flew above Kololli, but the latter having dragged away the defense had opened a big enough gap behind him that Santana gleefully used with a powerful heading that sent the S-Pulse fans behind the goal into unrestrained celebrations.

Despite a few alerts S-Pulse had done everything to win the game and certainly deserved the three points.

Next to come is another away game at Gamba Osaka, another fellow struggler. If we win that game, we will have confirmed our rebirth and will prove a danger to any team in the League!

NEXT GAME

Meiji Yasuda J1 League

Match 25

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Gamba Osaka

Sunday August 14th 7:00pm

Panasonic Stadium Suita, Suita