J2 League

Game 2

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Ehime FC

Saturday March 2nd, 2:00 pm

IAI Nihondaira Stadium (Shizuoka)

S-PULSE GOALS Kitagawa (58, 89)

YELLOW CARDS Miyamoto (54)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 15758

LINE UP

GK Gonda,

DF Yamahara, Hasukawa, Sumiyoshi, Hara

MF Carlinhos, Nakamura, Inui, Miyamoto, Matsuzaki

FW Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Nishihara on for Carlinhos (80)

Yajima on for Matsuzaki (80)

Yoshida on for Yamahara (90)

Nishizawa on for Inui (90)

Kitazume on for Miyamoto (90 +2)

REPORT

Gritty win!

The first time in 9 years that we win our first home game!

The first time in 17 years that we win our first two games of the season!

The “Orange Derby” (as both clubs bear an orange jersey at home games) ended into a real derby.

Newly promoted Ehime FC proved to be an uncompromising, no-complexed and too often an overly rough outfit, the kind of team that S-Pulse had to be very careful about, especially in the light that the J2 League has almost become as strong and unpredictable as the J1 League. As for player quality both goal keepers made first-class saves of a different level.

S-Pulse dominated the early part.

In the 2nd minute Miyamoto sent a long pass to Hara around the right flank. The latter’s cross was tapped behind for Carlinhos to strike at inside the right post but the opposite keeper produced his first superb save to push the ball away.

In the 39th minute Ehime dangerously passed the ball around just outside the box but the final shot was too weak to surprise Gonda.

In the 42nd minute Carlinhos was sent inside the box but once again the Ehime keeper managed to parry away the shot struck from a very acute angle. The ensuing corner saw Nakamura produce a great heading but once again the keeper somehow managed to prevent the ball to getting in under the bar.

In the 3rd minute of extra time Nakamura again produced a sharp middle range shot that flew just above the bar

In the 55th minute it was the turn of S-Pulse to live dangerously and Gonda had to produce his first great save of the game on a quickly taken free kick when he had to deal with an Ehime forward firing from a few meters away attempting to shoot inside the far post across the goal mouth.

In the 58th minute S-Pulse finally broke the deadlock when Inui sent a long pass across the field to Matsuzaki who sent a sharp cross that Kitagawa brilliantly headed inside the far post.

In the 69th minute Ehime intercepted a lazy pass to see Ehime run around Shimizu’s left flank but Gonda once again proved impossible to beat with a low shoot aimed inside the near post.

In the 73rd minute S-Pulse should have sored again when Carlinhos sent a short cross to Nakamura who combined in a one-two move with Kitagawa only to see his final shoot once again parried away.

In the 76th minute S-Pulse were unlucky not get a penalty kick when Inui brilliantly sent Miyamoto who was tripped from behind but the apparent foul was waved away.

In the 78th minute a lazy Shimizu’s defense allowed two Ehime forwards to shoot from point bank in quick succession but Gonda somehow managed to juggle away both attempts, which probably saved his team on the day.

In the 89th minute S-Pulse finally took the game away when Yamahara ran down the pitch before passing to Inui along the left flank. The veteran midfielder ran forward before sending a precise pass behind the opposite defense for Kitagawa to tap in an easy goal after beating in extremis the offside trap.

A hard-won game before travelling to Nagasaki on Sunday to play against a team Shimizu knows well and will not take for granted!

NEXT GAME

J2 League

Game 3

Shimizu S-Pulse vs V-Varen Nagasaki

Sunday March 10th, 2:00 pm

Transcomos Stadium (Isahaya)