J2 League

Game 20

Shimizu S-Pulse 0-3 Ehime FC

Sunday June 16th, 6:00 pm

NInjineer Stadium (Matsuyama)

S-PULSE GOALS

YELLOW CARDS Inui (34)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 8107

LINE UP

GK Gonda

DF Takagi, Takahashi, Hara

MF Yamahara, Inui, Miyamoto, Nakamura, Braga, Kitazume

FW Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Carlinhos on for Braga (46)

Matsuzaki on for Kitazume (65)

Yajima on for Miyamoto (74)

Tanque on for Inui (74)

Gunji on for Kitagawa (86)

REPORT

Have we invented a new way to lose a game?

Attempts at goal: 15-9

Corner kicks: 11-2

Free kicks: 17-7

And this against a newly promoted team with not a single foreign player and a limited budget (and fan crowd) to boot.

Actually, al the away games lost this season have followed the same pattern: opponents massed into defense and waiting for the opportunity to pounce against our constantly attacking team leaving themselves too often completely open, especially on the wings, having committed too many players upfront.

Add to this that we had to field an unusual formation due to injuries at vital positions that forced us to play with only three backs, two of them midfielders, while 2 backs were actually playing up midfield.

Right in the 7th minute, our whole team was too slow to retreat after the Ehime goalkeeper kicked the ball upfield and Ehime were offered a soft goal which could been easily saved by a 4-back formation.

2 minutes later we missed our first golden chance when a good move ended up with Inui alone against the goal keeper but his shot somehow went wide due a very late deflection.

In the 21st minute poo Inui missed the next opportunity after a sweet move ended up with a cross that our game maker could only volley directly into the arms of the Akita keeper.

In the 36th minute it was the turn for Kitagawa to miss a great chance offered by Inui meters away from goal.

2 minutes in the second half, Ehime which had been quiet during the whole first half were allowed to play outside the box before a long-range shot had to be parried away by Gonda.

One minute later almost an identical move was allowed even nearer once again forcing Gonda to save his team.

In the 59th minute what was waiting to happen happened with a quick counter by Ehime once again around an undermanned defense with the last shot being deflected past a desperate Gonda for the sucker goal our opponents were patiently waiting for.

In the 69th minute Ehime missed one of their few chances by only shooting over the bar from easy range.

In the 76th minute a fine move deep inside Ehime’s box could not be scored by Tanque’s header was deflected away.

The third conceded goal in the 90th minute added insult to injury when an Ehime player managed to kick a loose ball from the middle of the field to lob Gonda who was caught away from safety trying to push his team forward.

The better team did not win on the day, the more clever one did.

Next Sunday will see an even more difficult opponent in the name of Akita at the other end of Japan, another long trip too far away for our fans to fill half empty stadiums. S-Pulse will have to do with it and must come back with a positive result if we do not want to repeat last season’s heartbreak!

NEXT GAME

J2 League

Game 21

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Blaublitz Akita

Sunday June 23rd, 2:00 pm

Soyu Stadium (Akita)