J2 League

Game 31

Shimizu S-Pulse 4-1 Renofa Yamaguchi

Saturday September 14th, 6:30 pm

IAI Nihondaira Stadium (Shizuoka)

S-PULSE GOALS Kitagawa (27), Yajima (72, 86), Tanque (89)

YELLOW CARDS

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 14668

LINE UP

GK Gonda

DF Yamahara, Sumiyoshi, Takahashi, Hara

MF Carlinhos, Uno, Inui, Nakamura, Braga

FW Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Miyamoto on for Uno (70)

Yajima on for Carlinhos (70)

Kitazume on for Inui (77)

Tanque on for Kitagawa (83)

Gunji on for Braga (83)

REPORT

A vital win against a club competing for a spot in the promotion play off which had just pulled a surprising draw at our nearest rivals’ home, namely Nagasaki, which keeps the latter at bay and brings us ever nearer a direct promotion spot during this very difficult month of September!

For all the domination the final score was a bit flattering and achieved thanks to a great performance from the bench, even considering we were missing a striker through injury. A strong bench is the mark of a strong team, but the problem is when to introduce along new strategies, but we can comfortably say it was a success!

The game stared under heavy rain making play quite difficult. S-Pulse were on their marks right from the 2nd minute when a swift exchange ended with Carlinho shooting from five meters inside the box but the ball directly to the Yamaguchi keeper.

In the 5th minute Yamahara sent Kitagawa running past Yamaguchi’s right flank deep into the box but the S-Pulse’s striker’s shot was blocked in extremis.

In the 22nd minute Kitagawa could have done even better when Takashi found meters from goal but the striker’s cross shot rolled past the far post.

But in the 2th minute Kiatagawa did not miss his third chance when Yamahara’s corner kick was weakly cleared with ball reaching the left back who crossed it again from shorter range to find Kitagawa’s head which lobbed the opposite keeper inside the far post. A somewhat lucky but deserved goal.

In the 35th minute Yamaguchi had their first chance when poor defense allowed a shot just from outside the box rolled less than a meter past Gonda’s right post.

The game slowed down until the 67th minute when once again poor defense allowed a lone Yamaguchi forward work his way past through four defenders and somehow beat Gonda inside the far post.

Time had come to bring in the bench.

And it was in the 72nd minute when substitute Yajima produced a superb technical goal when he controlled a long clearance with his chest past a running back Yamaguchi defense to volley a beautiful lob over a helpless opposing keeper.

In the 75th minute Yamaguchi worked out a half chance but it ended with a mid-range shot flying over the bar.

In the 86th minute S-Pulse put the match beyond their rivals of the day after a weak clearance ended up with another unselfish substitute, Tanque, instead of trying his luck preferred to pass to Yajima who slid the ball inside the near post past a bemused keeper.

But in the 89th minute the big (The Tank Tanque”) Brazilian was given his own chance when Yamaguchi failed to clear a dangerous corner kick for a simple volley into paradise.

This win will surely contribute some very need self-assurance to the team before they move to Tokushima on Wednesday to play a game postponed by a typhoon. A win there will very probably guarantee promotion!

NEXT GAME

J2 League

Game 29 (postponed game)

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Tokushima Vortis

Wednesday September 18th, 7:00 pm

Pocari Sweat Stadium (Naruto)