Meiji Yasuda J1 League
Match 32
Shimizu S-Pulse 0-1 Kashiwa Reysol
Saturday October 16th 3pm
IAI Stadium Nihondaira , Shizuoka
S-PULSE GOALS
YELLOW CARDS
RED CARDS
ATTENDANCE 7979
LINE UP
GK Gonda
DF Hara, Valdo, Ibayashi, Katayama
MF Takeuchi, Ronaldo, Nishizawa, Benjamin
FW Fujimoto, Thiago
SUBSTITUTIONS
Nakayama on for Nishizawa (60)
Kawai on for Takeuchi(60)
Benjamin on for Fujimoto(70)
Disaro on for Katayama(85)
REPORT
Another painful disappointment. The game can be epitomized by what happened between the 52nd and 53rd minute.
In the 52nd minute a great cross from the right by Hara beat the whole Kashiwa defense which read an unmarked Nishizawa less than 3 meters with 2 thirds of the goal empty in front of him. Instead of just controlling the ball inside the far left post he tried to volley it and sliced completely away from the goal under the anguished cries of the fans. The ball was kicked quickly ahead by the opposing goal keeper while the S-pulse players were still lamenting and a boulevard was opened to a Kashiwa Reysol attacker who gleefully shot the winning goal without any opposition.
During the first half S-Pulse had most of the possession but Reysol are a team who care little about beautiful soccer and have no qualms using rough tactics at the limit of the rules. Once Carlinhos was badly tripped from behind in what would have resulted into a straight red card in any European League but the defender got away with a yellow card and remonstrance he had the gall to protest against. Unfortunately, it happens too often when players are not protected, and in this very case S-Pulse were outfoxed by a team who could not care less about fair-play.
To add more misery, in the last quarter of the game Kololli was refused a fine goal for a very marginal offside that was not even checked on the VAR. S-Pulse did show a lot of courage and never gave up, but it just was not their day especially where midfielder Matsuoka could not take part and no proper replacement could be found for his positive play.
S-Pulse are going to have a tough end of the season playing against teals all well above them in the League. For the moment it will be a weekly fight for survival starting with an away game against Kawasaki Frontale when they will need nothing less than an earthquake to bring back a single point from an unbeaten team. But you never know, where there is a will, there is hope!
NEXT GAME
Meiji Yasuda J1 League
Match 33
Shimizu S-Pulse vs Kawasaki Frontale
Sundayday October 24th 5pm
Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium, Kawasaki