J2 League

Game 5

Shimizu S-Pulse 3-1 JEF United

Saturday March 20th, 2:00 pm

Fukuda Denshi Arena (Chiba)

S-PULSE GOALS Carlinhos (44), Inui (80), Matsuzaki (90 +1)

YELLOW CARDS Hasukawa (59), Sumiyaoshi (84)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 14923

LINE UP

GK Gonda,

DF Yamahara, Hasukawa, Sumiyoshi, Yoshida

MF Carlinhos, Nakamura, Inui, Miyamoto, Braga

FW Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Shirasaki on for Braga (67)

Matsuzaki on for Kitagawa (67)

Takahashi on for Inui (86)

Kitazume on for Yamahara (87)

Chiba on for Carlinhos (90 +3)

REPORT

A heart-warming win against a team which had proved a nightmare for us last year!

A gritty win on a day when not everything was technically perfect but largely compensated by a common will to fight against a team which pressed hard on us all day all over the pitch, surpassing us in possession and chances.

But this year is different from last year when we lost and drew games in the very last minutes too often. Now we win and put games away in those very last minutes, an encouraging sign, if there is one, for the rest of the season!

In a first half almost devoid of chances until the last 5 minutes, S-Pulse in the 29th minute sweetly moved around JEF’s box with Braga finishing with a difficult acute angle across the goal mouth that unfortunately did not beat the opposite goal keeper.

In the 34th minute S-Pulse lived dangerously around their own box but JEF’s final shot was headed away.

In the 44th minute S-Pulse finally broke the deadlock when Kitagawa and Carlinhos combined to send Inui deep inside the box. His shot was first parried away only for the ball to come into the path of Carlinhos who made no mistake.

But JEF replied almost immediately after in extra time when S-Pulse’s defense lost possession in front of their box and JEF pounced on it with a fine shot across the mouth which found its way inside the far post leaving a hopeless Gonda to look at the damage.

The second half witnessed more hard-pressing from JEF United but S-Pulse slowly averted themselves and in the 80th minute Sumiyoshi did well to intercept a counter which had just started after S-Pulse had been stolen away from another attack. Sumiyoshi’s tackle was smartly recuperated by Matsuzaki who calmly sent Inui through inside the box. The latter somehow managed to produce a sharp shot with no angle left which squeezed in between the goal keeper and the near post, a goal which Inui commented later was a pure reflex.

In the first minute of extra time S-Pulse put the game on ice with a fine goal started with a throw-in with Nakamura sending the ball across the field to Kitazume who volleyed in a cross for Matsuzaki to sweetly divert the ball inside the far post.

A game won with guts, a quality that clearly evaded us last year.

Time to reap more benefits starting with next game at home on Sunday against Akita, a game which promises a full house with our raucous supporters!

NEXT GAME

J2 League

Game 6

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Blaublitz Akita

Sunday March 24th, 2:00 pm

IAI Stadium Nihondaira (Shizuoka)