Meiji Yasuda J2 League

Match 7

Shimizu S-Pulse 0-1 Ventforet Kofu

Saturday April 1st 2:00pm

JIT Recycle Ink Stadium, Kofu

S-PULSE GOALS

YELLOW CARDS

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 11643

LINE UP

GK Gonda

DF Yoshida, Suzuki, Takahashi, Kitazume

MF Nishizawa, Ronaldo, Shirasaki, Nakayama

FW Santana, Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Carlinhos on for Kitagawa (64)

Disara on for Nakayama (76)

Kishimoto on for Nishizawa (76)

Oh Se-Hun on for Santana (81)

REPORT

Instead of an April Fool’s Day it turned into a feather-burning descent !

Why have we loaned three of our best players away? To add injury to our woes, we lost Yamahara for the next two months resulting in a big hole both in defense and offense.

Final figures will say we have dominated the game with 8 shots against 5 and 6 corner kicks to 2 and the opposite defense conceding twice as many free kicks.

We finally reached bottom. For a team that shout loud and clear that we will go back to the J1 League in a single season we are already finding ourselves in the relegation zone.

Drastic changes will be needed and already a change in personnel has been announced.

In the 14th minute Yoshida had the chance to open the score after a cross lobbing the whole Kofu defense, but his shot was far too weak to beat the keeper.

In the 20th minute we were saved by an offside decision after some pitiful defense.

In the 40th minute Nishizawa’s long range shot was deviated at the last time before a defender.

In the 48th minute we were saved by both the post and the bar on a free kick just outside the box.

In the 60th minute we wasted another gift of a chance less than 10 meters away.

In the 62nd minute the framework saved again after a corner kick was not properly cleared.

In the 68th minute Carlinhos’ poor shot could not beat the keeper after a clever clearing by Gonda.

And what was to happen after some many chances wasted happened in the 82nd minute when S-Pulse’s defense gave away the ball in the silliest way of all to concede the goal that sealed the fate of the game for the team and more.

What’s next?

First of all, some changes at many levels. We still have the chance and potential to bounce back, but it will be at some price. To start with, players with a stronger mental will according to this year’s club motto will have to gain their place and help change the tide.

Luckily enough we are back to the Ybc Levain Cup 3rd round and away from our base at Shonan Belmare, which could prove as a welcome refreshing change on Wednesday!

NEXT GAME

Meiji Yasuda J2 League

Match 7

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Ventforet Kofu

Saturday April 1st 3:00pm

JIT Recycle Ink Stadium, Kofu

Ybc Levain Cup Group B

Match 3

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Shonan Belmare

Wednesday April 5th 5:00pm

Lemon Gas Stadium Hiratsuka, Hiratsuka