J1 League

Game 4

Shimizu S-Pulse 1-1 Fagiano Okayama

Date: Sunday March 2nd, 2 pm

Venue: JFE Harenokuni (Okayama)

S-PULSE GOALS Sumiyoshi (68)

YELLOW CARDS Kitazume (83)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK missed (65)

ATTENDANCE 13330

LINE UP

GK Oki

DF Takagi, Hasukawa, Sumiyoshi

MF Yamahara, Bueno, Uno, Yoshida

FW Inui, Nakahara, Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Kitazume on for Yoshida (46)

Tanque on for Kitagawa (77)

Shimamoto on for Nakahara (80)

Nishihara on for Yamahara (80)

Kozuka on for Inuo (90 +7)

REPORT

Second consecutive frustrating draw!

Even if the game started under inauspicious circumstances as many of our fans could not attend the game as their plane was sent back to Haneda Airport because of dangerous fog covering the Okayama Airport we did not help our luck by missing a gift of an opportunity at a critical time of the game and once again because of an underperforming offense. Our defense was solid as usual but you cannot ask our defense to be both at the mill and the oven even if it is an attack-motivated one. So far out of a total of 5 goals in 4 games 3 involved the defense and one was a gifted own goal.

After the two first games of the season fielding the same starting members, this was the third game in a row when changes had to be considered especially with the absence of Capixaba in midfield. This time we started with a flexible 3-4-2-1, at least on paper, with Yamahara going up field in the place of Capixaba.

In the 12th minute Kitagawa intercepted a loose ball from an Okayama defender but upon seeing the goal keeper out of position his long-range shot flew past the far post.

In the 17th minute S-Pulse’s indecisive defense could have ended up with an own goal.

In the 27th minute a corner kick in our favor also ended up with a very long-range attempt which past the far post.

In the 31st minute we allowed a sharp shot just from outside the box but Oki somehow parried the dangerous ball over the bar.

The game then entered a passive note until the 64th minute when a dangerous incursion inside the Okayama box ended up with a clumsy foul on Sumiyoshi for a penalty kick. Unfortunately to the unrestrained joy of the whole Okayama team Kitagawa’s kick was too weak and too near the opposite goalkeeper who was not fooled and had plenty of time to palm the ball away.

In the 66th minute Kitagawa almost redeemed himself when a long clearance beat all the Okayama defenders before the ball reached him but his hurried volley helplessly flew past the near post.

In the 68th minute we thought we had done enough to amend for the missed opportunities when Okayama could not clear the ball off Yamahara’s corner kick which fell to Takagi whose cross was met with a solid header by an unmarked Sumiyoshi. A goal involving no less than 3 S-Pulse’s defenders!

But soon later poor defense could have ended with Okayama equalizing with a header missing goal.

And all the missed opportunities were punished when we could not clear a corner kick in the 75th minute due to loose positioning which allowed two consecutive headers to beat us.

The enormous extra time should have seen us win with the game twice when after 9 minutes of extra time Takagi could not convert a difficult shot three meters away from goal and a few seconds from the final whistle when the last shot flew over the bar.

Okayama knew they had gotten out of jail and S-Pulse were left with only themselves to blame.

At least we are still unbeaten and know we have plenty of room to improve.

We certainly will have to show plenty more in a very difficult away game on Saturday in Osaka against Gamba Osaka!

NEXT GAME

J1 League

Game 5

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Fagiano Okayama

Date: Saturday March 8th, 3 pm

Venue: Panasonic Stadium Suita (Suita)