J1 League

Game 3

Shimizu S-Pulse 1-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Date: Wedneday February 26th, 7 pm

Venue: IAI Nihondaira Stadium (Shizuoka)

S-PULSE GOALS Own Goal (12)

YELLOW CARDS Takagi (38)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 12238

LINE UP

GK Oki

DF Yamahara, Takagi, Hasukawa, Sumiyoshi, Kitazume

MF Uno, Bueno, Matsuzaki

FW Kitagawa, Inui

SUBSTITUTIONS

nakahara on for Matsuzaki (67)

Ahmedov on for Kitagawa (68)

Nishihara on for Kitazume (74)

Kozuka on for Inui (81)

Miyamoto on for Uno (81)

REPORT

Frustrating draw!

Not a bad result if you consider that our opponents of the day were last year runners up, but we could and should have taken that game with a little more skill in attack in particular.

Although we surrendered more than 60% of the possession we actually had more (10) attempts at goal than Hiroshima (7) but could manage only one single shot on target (against only 2 for Hiroshima).

On the positive side the defense is so far more solid this year, but the absence of Capixaba did not help an attack still searching for its marks.

We started the game with a flexible defensive 5-3-2 formation with left back Yamahara always ready to run up the right flank along with right back Kitazume and even Takagi leaving a 3-back defense if needed.

We started right away on the attack in the 1st minute with Inui running inside the box and delivering a cross shot that evaded everyone and goalmouth.

Inn the 5th minute it was the turn for Hiroshima hitting on target but the kick was taken too far away and went straight t keeper Oki.

In the 12th minute a combination of good paly and good luck saw a powerful kick by Hasukawa twice poorly cleared by the Hiroshima defense before Matsuzaki inherited to ball meters away from goal to send a short cross to Takagi, but the ball was kicked for an own goal by a retreating Hiroshima defender.

We should have killed the game in the 25th minute when Kitazume did all the hard work to come within meters of the goalmouth only to kick the ball outside instead of passing it to any of 3 forwards meters away for a simple goal.

In the next minute the corner kick reached a running in Sumiyashi but his diving header was deflected to fly past the far post.

In the 46th minute a long clearance brought Takagi into play to send an excellent cross but two S-Pulse forwards only succeeded in hopelessly miscuing the ball in succession.

When you fail to take advantage to conclude good moves against a seasoned team you are bound to open yourself to inevitable retaliation. And this happened in the 65th minute when S-Pulse were too clumsy in defending a corner kick with players massed in the wrong place to allow a sucker goal to a Hiroshima back who had all the time and space to volley the ball from just inside the box beating a blinded Oki who could only watch hopelessly the ball fly in past his unmoving body. Judging from their reactions Hiroshima players were only too glad to have stolen the equalizer.

In the 84th minute S-Pulse survived a quick counter when Hiroshima’s last shot flew just over the bar.

In the last minute of extra time S-Pulse still had a last chance to take the game when they managed to run past Hiroshima’s left flank for a very dangerous cross but Ahmedoz miscued his volley only to see the weak shot palmed away at the last second.

We will have to be a lot better, especially in attack, if we want to bring back a favorable result from Okayama, a side we know well but that knows us well, too. We know we have the ability to do well in the J1 league this year but we need to address some issues concerning our finishing! But we have plenty of hope there!

NEXT GAME

J1 League

Game 4

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Fagiano Okayama

Date: Sunday March 2nd, 2 pm

Venue: JFE Harenokuni (Okayama)