J1 League

Game 9

Shimizu S-Pulse 0-2 Yokohama FC

Date: Sunday April 6th, 2:00 pm

NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium (Yokohama)

S-PULSE GOALS

YELLOW CARDS

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 9106

LINE UP

GK Oki

DF Sumiyoshi, Takahashi, Takagi

MF Yoshida Inui, Bueno, Uno, Matsuzaki, Kitazume

FW Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Capixaba on for Yoshida (60)

Nishihara on for Kitazume (69)

Yajimai on for Matsuzaki (69)

Nakahara on for Uno (79)

REPORT

Back to the blackboard!

An almost identical replica of the last game.

Sterile domination with 9 shots at goal against 5, 8 corner kicks against 1 and 9 freekicks against 8.

Once again, the defense and part of midfield had to assume the bulk of the work at the mill and the oven while the offense was unable to convert anything of note.

Obviously, the present strategy has too many flaws that oppositions day after day are able to exploit with a minimum of effort. Our players are working hard enough and they have the quality to do vastly better but this acute lack of success is fast becoming a burden hard to throw away.

They will quickly need to regroup or we are in for a very long season.

In the 10th minute we created our first chance with a dangerous deep pass forward that allowed Kitagawa to try his luck from mid-range but his shot was hopelessly miscued too wide.

In the 27th minute a free kick right in front of the middle of the box once again flew past the far post without worrying the opposite goal keeper.

In the 30th minute a sweet corner kick was met by defender Takahashi on the far side but his header was wide.

One minute later S-Pulse ran past Yokohama’s right flank for a nice set up inside the box but Uno’s shot flew miles over the bar.

One minute later Lady Luck was definitely not on our side when an attack along Yokohama’s left flank ended with a cross to Inui who sent a low shot from just outside the box to beat the opposite goal keeper only for the ball to hit the far post.

One minute into extra time Yokohama had their first chance of the day when an they outflanked our left side only for the ball to mis everyone before it reached a lone Yokohama player who could only mange to kick miles over the bar.

All those efforts in vain were paid cash only 5 minutes after the break when a tired defense allowed an easy long hop inside the box that was met by the head of a totally unmarked opposite forward for a maximum result out of a minimum effort.

In the 58th minute Lady Luck once again was not on our side when a quick counter was let go because of advantage after a horrid tackle only for the last attacker to be disposed meters away from goal in a 50/50 chance of a penalty which evaded us.

In the 59th minute a good enough move around the box ended up with Matsuzaki shooting just wide of the far post.

In the 64th minute indecisive defense could have led to a gift of a goal but the last shot went wide.

The last minutes of extra time epitomized our woes when I the 93rd minute a good enough counter ended up with Inui’s kick being deflected away at the last moment. And in the last minute of extra time an exhausted defense allowed a cross which was met by the head of a totally unmarked Yokohama forward for the twist of the knife.

Once again, a game which we should have won but let go through our fingers/toes because of poor finishing.

We could certainly use the next game to remedy to that when we meet Jubiilo Iwata in Iwata for a Shizuoka Derby counting for the second round of the Levain Cup. Jubilo will certainly field their best team. That could end into a real test we will have to pass to bring smiles on the face of our fans!

NEXT GAME

J-League Cup (Levain Cup)

Second Round

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Iwata Jubilo

Date: Wednesday April 9th, 7:00 pm

Yamaha Stadium (Iwata)