Meiji Yasuda J2 League

Match 12

Shimizu S-Pulse 2-0 Tochigi

Saturday April 29th 2:00pm

IAI Stadium Nihondaira, Shizuoka

S-PULSE GOALS Inui (39), Kitazume (44)

YELLOW CARDS Kitagawa (74)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE12305

LINE UP

GK Gonda

DF Kitazume, Taakahashi, Suzuki, Yoshida

MF Nakayama, Ronaldo, Inui, Shirasaki, Carlinhos

FW Santana

SUBSTITUTIONS

Miyamoto on for Shirasaki (4)

Kitagawa on for Inui (65)

Kamiya on for Nakayama (65)

Oh Se-un on for Santana (73)

Ibayashi on for Carlinhos (73)

REPORT

Third win in a row for the first time in 7 years!

We are slowly creeping up the table!

A tale of two halves.

In the 3rd minute Kitazume who had come in place of Kishimoto who had accumulated too many yellow cards shot barely wide of the near post.

The game had not gone 4 minutes when Shirasaki had to leave the pitch because of an injury threatening to break the balance of the team. Fortunately, we have a very strong bench and Miyamoto took over.

In the 14th minute following some inept defense by Tochigi Inui had his shot blocked in extremis.

After steady domination in the 37th minute Inui extended the opposite goal keeper with a sharp long-range attempt.

Two minutes later S-Pulse finally scored after a good move ended with Ronaldo dribbling his way inside the box before sending a short looping cross to a completely unmarked Inui who made no mistake controlling and firing point blank into goal.

In the 44th minute the advancing Tochigi team was tricked by the S-Pulse defense who instead of passing the ball to their goal keeper sent a long pass in the middle of the field for Kitazume who had left his defensive position to tap over a Tochigi goalkeeper caught outside his box. A great gift for Kitazume’s 31st birthday!

The first half had witnessed constant domination by S-Pulse but the second half saw more defense than attack.

In the 47th minute Gonda had to catch a ball shot from just outside the box which fortunately went straight to him.

In the 51st minute Gonda intercepted a short cross which could have gone anywhere,

One minute later a good move along the Tochigi’s left flank should have led to a third goal but Nakayama’s weak heading flew over the bar.

In the 64th minute Inui should have scored again after an enormous blunder by Tochigi’s defense.

In the 89th minute some woeful defense by S-Pulse should have be taken advantage of but the Tochigi forwards only managed to interfere with each other.

Shimizu S-Pulse should have won more convincingly, but at least the home game jinx seems to be lost in the past at last.

The defense, except for an occasional lapse or two is progressing. The attack still has work to do. Accordingly, the team still has room to improve.

The next game will be on Wednesday far away in Shikoku Island against Tokushima Vortis, a dangerous team far stronger than their present classification would suggest!

NEXT GAME

Meiji Yasuda J2 League

Match 13

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Tokushima Vortis

Wednesday May 3rd 2:00pm

Pocari Seat Stadium, Naruto