J2 League

Game 37

Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 Iwaki FC

Sunday November 3rd, 2:00 pm

IAI Nihondaira Stadium (Shizuoka)

S-PULSE GOALS Hasukawa (81)

YELLOW CARDS Yoshida (42)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 18046

LINE UP

GK Oki

DF Hasukawa, Sumiyoshi, Hara

MF Yoshida, Yajima, Nakamura, Uno, Matsuzaki, Nishizawa

FW Tanque

SUBSTITUTIONS

Carlinhos on for Matsuzaki (46)

Inui on for Uno (63)

Yamahara on for Yoshida (70)

Gunji on for Tanque (70)

Naruoka on for Nishizawa (83)

REPORT

We are Champions!

Relegated-to-be Tochigi FC which gave us so much trouble last Sunday wrestled a surprising draw against Yokohama FC in Yokohama contributing to an unassailable 4-point gap with only one game left, a proof, if needed, that there is little difference between all clubs in the j2 League whose many teams are of J1 League level.

Plucky Iwaki had a little more possession keeping the ball away from as much as possible but we completely dominated as far as shots, corner kicks and chances were concerned.

Once again, we had to wait for the bench to make the difference, a ploy that might not work next year against better opposition.

S-Pulse had their first chance in the 6th minute but Yajima’s shot from the box line rolled centimeters away past the near post.

In the 12th an enormous blunder inside or box could have ended a sucker goal but the Iwaki’s final shot sailed over the bar.

In the 18th minute Iwaki’s clever high pressure provoked the same blunder but very fortunately Iwaki’s last shot was palmed away against the far post.

In the 2nd minute S-Pulse which had not grasped Iwaki’s strategy yet once again gave away the ball too easily but Iwaki’s last shot was too weak to beat Oki.

In the 34th minute we at last had a real chance when Tanque’s excellent header off a mid-range free kick extended the visitors’ keeper into a fine save by palming away the ball over the bar.

On the following corner kick it was the turn for Iwaki to have some luck when Nakamura headed the ball from two meters in front of the goal directly into the hands of the Iwaki keeper.

In the 39th minute Iwaki had even more luck when a corner kick beat the keeper completely only for the ball to be repelled by a last defender’s chest.

After a first half which could have gone any way we had to wait more than a quarter of an hour for the come to come alive in the 73rd minute when a great long pass by Nishizawa found teenager Gunji’s head who could not believe his eyes when the Iwaki keeper somehow repel the ball away.

But in the ensuing corner kick Nishizawa’s vicious kick was relayed by Nakamura’s head to Hasukawa who headed his first goal ever as a professional to the deliverance of the whole stadium.

In the 88th minute Inui could have put the game on ice after a great counter but once again the Iwaki’s keeper proved why he could be bought by more elevated clubs.

And cheers resonated all over the stadium with the final whistle and soon it became deafening when the Yokohama game was confirming our becoming Champions of the J2 League in 2024!

Next Sunday we will have plenty of time to celebrate at home against Kumamoto, hoping to put a cherry on top of the cake for all our fans to savor!

NEXT GAME

J2 League

Game 38

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Roasso Kumamoto

Sunday November 10th, 2:00 pm

IAI Nihondaira Stadium (Shizuoka)