J2 League

Match 34

Shimizu S-Pulse 3-0 Montedia Yamagata

Saturday September 9th 6:00pm

IAI Stadium Nihondaira (Shizuoka)

S-PULSE GOALS Santana (15), Kishioto (30), Takahashi (45)

YELLOW CARDS Yoshida (85)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 12880

LINE UP

GK Gonda

DF Yamahara, Suzuki, Takahashi, Hara

MF Nakayama, Ronaldo, Inui, Shirasaki, Kishimoto

FW Santana

SUBSTITUTIONS

Miyamoto on for Ronaldo (57)

Kolollia on for Santana (47)

Nishizawa on for Nakayama (65)

Yoshida for Yamahara (76)

Kitazume on for Hara (77)

REPORT

Sweet revenge on the away game and still within 1 point of the 2nd automatic promotion spot!

The return of Inui from suspension certainly made the difference but two weeks away from games probably explained the crazy miss of an unmissable goal in the second half.

Otherwise, we took our few chances against a difficult opponent but it could have been more emphatic even without a suspended Carlinhos.

The first chance fell to Yamagata though in the 11th minute missing the goal by centimeters after a forward was allowed to shoot inside the box across the goal.

But in the 15th minute S-Pulse after teasing the Yamagata right flank defense ended the movement with a short pass by Shirasaki to Santana who fired a low shot right off the middle of the box inside the far post which surprised everyone.

In the 22nd minute S-Pulse lived dangerously by allowing an unopposed mid-range shot that forced Gonda into a superb parade.

In the 22nd minute S-Pulse robbed the ball from the Yamagata defense but Kishimoto’s shot barely flew over the bar.

In the 30th minute Inui again stole the ball from the defense before sending Kishimoto alone against the opposite goalkeeper and the defender, a former forward, this time made no mistake with a calmly taken goal.

In the 37th minute Kanayama had his chance after running past Yamagata’s right flank but his very acute angle shot was somehow parried by the opposite keeper.

Just before half time S-Pulse killed the game when the perfect free kick was by Yamahara curled behind the Yamagata’s defense to be met by Takahashi’s perfect heading.

In the 59th minute S-Pulse repulsed a corner kick to run on a fast counter with Kishimoto having Ronaldo and Inui unmarked on his left. The ball reached Inui who somehow managed to miss an empty goal only meters away to the general surprise of the fans already celebrating the goal.

In the 75th minute Nishizawa almost scored when he saw his mid-range free kick barely palmed over the bar.

In the 87th minute Yamagata had their last shot from inside the box but Gonda did well to keep his slate clen once again.

We know we probably have to win all our remaining games to make sure we gran that second spot starting with a match away on Sunday at Kanazawa, a club struggling to avoid relegation. But it will never be an easy game!

NEXT GAME

J2 League

Match 34

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Zweigen Kanazawa

Saturday September 17th 6:00pm

Ishikawa Seibu Stadium (Kanazawa)