J1 League

Game 2

Shimizu S-Pulse 2-0 Albirex Niigata

Date: Saturday February 22nd, 2 pm

Venue: IAI Nihondaira Stadium (Shizuoka)

S-PULSE GOALS Capixaba (45 +2), Matsuzaki (62)

YELLOW CARDS

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 18141

LINE UP

GK Oki

DF Hasukawa, Sumiyoshi, Takagi

MF Yamahara, Uno, Bueno, Nakahara

FW Capixaba, Kitagawa, Inui

SUBSTITUTIONS

Matsuzaki on for Nakahara (46)

Miyamoto on for Uno (63)

Kozuka on for Inui (70)

Tanque on for Capixaba (70)

Ahmedof on for Kitagawa (79)

REPORT

Good win again, and the first time we start a J1 League season with two consecutive wins in 18 years!

In front of an almost full house of supporters including some courageous fans from Niigata coming all the way from cold North Japan, S-Pulse secured a precious home win against an unpredictable adversary.

The defense again was solid, but the attack is not yet performing up to expectations. For a meagre total of 10 attempts, only 4 were on target, less than our opponents of the day. And truth be told, Niigata helped us with some rough play which ended notably with one straight card at the worst moment for them.

We started with a 3-4-3 formation clearly intent on attacking football, but the same formation did fluctuate a lot along the game.

In the 8th minute S-Pulse created a good chance ending with a right cross from Nakahara on the right flank but striker Kitagawa’s heading missed the far post by inches.

In the 20th minute the S-Pulse defense allowed Niigata to try their luck from outside the box but Oki produced a fine save stretching himself to parry the dangerous shot.

In the 24th minute Inui was tripped by a clumsy and dangerous tackle which ended up into a straight red card after the umpire consulted the VAR to turn the game into S-Pulse’s favor.

But it was Niigata who almost scored in the 29th minute after a careless pass was intercepted to ignite a move that ended with a low shot across Oki’s goal that missed the far post by not much.

And in the 40th minute Takagi had to head off a dangerous corner with Oki already beaten proving that Niigata had to be taken seriously even with only 10 players on the field.

In extra time S-Pulse finally produced a play they had practiced during their whole training camp. Nakahara curled in a dangerous corner kick from the right that was first headed in by defender Takagi but the Niigata keeper parried it at the last second only for the ball to fall to a lurking Capixaba who volleyed it above the same keeper’s head in spite of the acute angle for the new recruit to score his first goal for his new club.

The second half was going through a lazy motion when in the 61st minute substitute Matsuzaki seeing no particular attacker to pass to tried his luck with a 25-meter missile that sizzled just under the bar, having been helped at the start by a slight deflection, proving that S-Pulse bench was a real force but also proving that the attack had to rely too much on defenders to score their goals.

In the 66th minute Inui could not believe his eyes when his fine shot was cleared off the line with keeper beaten after an excellent move initiated by Hasukawa who had passed to Yamahara on his left for an excellent cross which had been headed back to the veteran midfielder.

In the 84th minute Niigata had their last chance with a long direct free kick that did not fool Oki.

In the dying minutes new recruit Ahmedof almost scored his first goal for his new club when another excellent move gave him the ball just outside the box but his fierce shot missed the far post by nothing.

The next game to be played at home on Wednesday in an evening game which promises to be cold will see the visit of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, last year’s runners up. The first real test of the season and a big one at that. We will certainly need all the help from our great supporters!

NEXT GAME

J1 League

Game 3

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Date: Wedneday February 26th, 7 pm

Venue: IAI Nihondaira Stadium (Shizuoka)