J2 League

Match 26

Shimizu S-Pulse 2-2 JEF United

Sunday July 16th 6:00pm

Japan National Stadium (Tokyo)

S-PULSE GOALS Kamaiya (15), Kololli (66)

YELLOW CARDS Ronaldo (64), Inui (68)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 47628

LINE UP

GK Gonda

DF Nishizawa, Suzuki, Takahashi, Kitazume

MF Carlinhos, Ronaldo, Inui, Miyamoto, Kamiya

FW Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Kishimoto on for Kamiya (53)

Yoshida on for Nishizawa (53)

Oh Se-Hun on for Kitagawa (53)

Kololli on for Nakayama (61)

Ibayashi on for Kitazume (82)

REPORT

A frustrating draw!

We have never managed to win a game at the National Stadium for a simple enough reason: This stadium was not conceived for soccer/football only. We may have a achieved a great promotion feat with the biggest ever attendance for a single J2 League match but for a team used to play its home games with a great proximity to its fans, it was like playing an away game in an bubble afr away from the home stands cheers.

Even so we could and should have won this game.

In the 15th minute JEF United was not able to repulse a dangerous S-Pulse attack inside their box ending with Kamiya scoring a great goal unopposed from the edge of the box.

In the 17th minute, very bad luck struck when a long range JEF shot was badly deflected sending a hopeless Gonda in the wrong direction for an equalizer which should have been avoided with more effective defense pressure.

In the 31st minute Inui had a great chance to score after running into the opposite box but his shot was foiled by an excellent opposite keeper.

In the 43rd minute an aimless S-Pulse defense allowed another long range shot which barely flew over the bar.

Two minutes in the second half extremely poor defense typified by badly positioned Suzuki’s missed heading clearance allowed a long pass to be scored against the run of play and from then on it was a battle to chase the score.

In the 55th minute the offense had done well to cut a bad pass from the JEF defense but an unopposed Oh Se-Hun tamely shot at the goalkeeper who must have thought his team would have a lucky day.

In the 62nd minute, S-Pulse wasted an even better chance after a perfect cross could not be simply tapped in goal.

At last Kololli who had just come as a substitute showed how to calmly convert another good cross into goal.

Bad luck continued in 71st minute when Kololli’s perfect corner kick was agonizingly headed against the bar.

Both teams had their chances in the remining time with the better ones for S-Pulse who had twice as many shots at goal than their opponents.

But it was not to be S-Pulse’s day in Tokyo, our “home stadium” of the day.

But we are still within shot of that second Automatic promotion spot and will have to capitalize on or next game, a real away game, against Tochigi on Saturday!

NEXT GAME

J2 League

Match 27

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Tochigi

Saturday July 22nd 6:00pm

Kanseki Stadium (Utsunomiya)