J2 League

Game 6

Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 Blaublitz Akita

Sunday March 24th, 2:00 pm

IAI Stadium Nihondaira (Shizuoka)

S-PULSE GOALS Kitazawa (27)

YELLOW CARDS Nakamura (10)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 12645

LINE UP

GK Gonda,

DF Yamahara, Hasukawa, Sumiyoshi, Yoshida

MF Carlinhos, Nakamura, Inui, Miyamoto, Braga

FW Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Matsuzaki on for (6)

Nishihara on for Braga (69)

Shirasaki on for Kitagawa (69)

Takahashi on for Matsuzaki (87)

Kitazume on for Yamahara (87)

REPORT

Another gritty win which will give welcome confidence to our defense against a team we could not beat last year! We must be also thankful for a lot of support from our fans who came in numbers in spite of the rain.

Although we possessed more than two thirds of the whole game, it was a tough encounter with few opportunities and a constant need for concentration against a team which resorted to quick counters.

Things became even more difficult with the sudden injury to game-maker Inui in the very 6th minute. Fortunately, new recruit Matsuzaki came up with an excellent performance.

It was actually Akita who had the first chance on a quick counter in the 12th minute after some indifferent defense from Shizuoka that allowed an attempt from just outside the box but it was too weak to beat Gonda.

In the 14th minute S-Pulse had their first chance from a long clearance by Gonda but Matsuzaki’s effort from long range flew just wide of the far post.

Shimizu scored the only goal of the game in the 27th minute when the Akita’s defense failed to properly clear a dangerous corner kick.

Yoshida pounced on the rebound to send Carlinhos on his right past the opposite defense before the latter sent a very dangerous cross which actually bounced off the far post but Kitagawa was there at the right time in the right place to slot in the ball home in spite of an awkward bounce.

But in the 41st minute S-Pulse once again lived dangerously following another quick Akita’s counter but the final shot, from a long range again, just flew past the far post.

We started the second half very dangerously when again in the 50th minute indifferent defense allowed an Akita’s forward to shoot from inside the box, but luckily enough the ball went straight to Gonda who somehow battered the ball away.

But from then on, we took control of the game. In the 56th minute Carlinhos curled a dangerously ball which barely missed the far post.

In the 74th minute, 17 years-old Nishihara, who had just come on as a substitute ran in the box following a quick counter to beat the opposite goal keeper with a sweet cross shot only for an Akita defender to clear it off the line.

Once again Nishihara demonstrated his worth when in the 77th minute Matsuzaki served him on the right side but his powerful long-range ball barely missed the far post.

We could have won by at least one more goal but at least the job was done in spite of a tenacious adversary.

On a very positive side young players like Nishihara are getting more and more playing time while this year’s recruits proved to be really judicious choices.

The team has become vastly different both in members and attitude compared to last year and we should witness some good results.

But before that, we have to deal with another difficult game away at Yamagata on Saturday where we certainly cannot afford to let our guard down!

NEXT GAME

J2 League

Game 7

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Montedio Yamgata

Saturday March 30th, 2:00 pm

ND Soft Stadium (Tendo)