Meiji Yasuda J2 League

Match 3

Shimizu S-Pulse 1-1 V-Varen Nagasaki

Saturday April 4thth 2:00pm

Transcosmos Stadium, Isahaya

S-PULSE GOALS Disaro (90 + 4)

YELLOW CARDS Carlinhos (11), Kishimoto (65), Inui (90 + 1)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 8242

LINE UP

GK Gonda

DF Yoshida, Takahashi, Suzuki, Yamahara

MF Kitagawa, Ronaldo, Matsuoka, Carlinhos

FW Disaro, Santana

SUBSTITUTIONS

Kishimoto on for Yoshida (46)

Shirasaki on for Matsuoka (46)

Nishizawa on for Carlinhos (62)

Kamiya for Kitagawa (81)

Inui on for Santana (81)

REPORT

We certainly got out of jail!

Whereas last year we had the sorry habit of conceding goals in the last minutes of many a game, this time it was our turn to strike gold (silver in this case!) in the dying moments of a game!

Did we deserve this draw? Probably as possession and chances were equally shared, but that does not hide the general morosity and frustrating lack of initiative shown again.

We will play against packed defenses all season and we have to come up with new ideas, otherwise we will concede draw after draw.

That missed golden chance in the first minute of the first game of the season is still haunting us, and too many times we resorted to trying our luck far from goal instead o trying to force our way deep inside the box.

We started the game flat-footed and careless. In the 12th minute we were lucky/clumsy to repulse a very dangerous counter that lasted too long inside the box.

In the 38th minute Kitagawa tried his luck from outside the box after S-Pulse had cut a Nagasaki clearance but the ball flew past the right post.

And the 39th minute we conceded the softest of goals when our defense completely out of position did little to clear a cross that should have been easily enough taken care of.

In the 44th minute Gonda did well to repulse a shot by a Nagasaki forward following a clever throw by their goal keeper.

The second half started with many subs coming in.

In the 57th minute Disaro could have done better shooting from a few meters away upon receiving a nice cross.

In the 77th minute Nagasaki wasted a golden chance with a final header too weak to beat Gonda.

In the 85th minute it was the turn for Yamahara to again poorly finish a few meters from goal after another good cross.

In the 94th minute another chance was barely palmed away by the Nagasaki goal keeper but the ensuing corner kick witnessed the final drama of the day. Nizhzawa’s kick was first repulsed and it seemed that Nagasaki was about to escape with a famous win but the ball was kicked to reach Disaro who controlled it with his chest just outside the box before producing the perfect shot to beat the opposite goal keeper in the far right top of the framework for a superb goal.

Let just hope that this fine goal will help open the gates for the rest of the season!

Next game will be played at home for the first match of the Ybc Levain Cup against J1 League Kawasaki Frontale. This should prove a great opportunity for new players and strategies to be tried!

NEXT GAME

Ybc Levain Cup Group B

Match 1

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Kawasaki Frontale

Wednesday April 8thth 7:00pm

IAI Stadium Nihondaira, Shizuoka