J1 League

Game 12 (early schedule)

Shimizu S-Pulse 3-2 Yokohama F Marinos

Date: Wednesday April 16th, 7:00 pm

Nissan Stadium (Yokohama)

S-PULSE GOALS Nakahara (54), Own Goal (70), Inui (82)

YELLOW CARDS Yumiba (88), Capixaba (90 +3)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK Kitagawa

ATTENDANCE 16785

LINE UP

GK Oki

DF Hasukawa, Takahashi, Haneda

MF Capixaba, Yajima, Bueno, Uno, Nakahara, Yoshida

FW Ahmedov

SUBSTITUTIONS

Kitagawa on for Ahmedov (46)

Yumiba on for Yajima (46)

Inui on for Haneda (46)

Matsuzaki on for Nakahara (67)

Ohata on for Uno (90)

REPORT

What a comeback!

Or most aptly said, an even greater jailbreak than the previous game!

By the 51st minute when Marinos had scored their second goal things did not look rosy at all. Until then it had been more or less a one-way traffic in favor of the home team and the score could have easily been doubled but for some great saves by newly recruited young keeper Oki who is fast becoming the club’s rising star.

The team had to be vastly reshuffled due to a hectic schedule, mounting injuries and fatigue and suspension, resulting into a feeble performance during the first half.

But soon after conceding a second goal the game completely changed into S-Pulse’s advantage, first with a surprise move followed by a big chunk of luck and concluded with a brilliant individual exploit in a game that in the end was more or less equally shared in possession and chances!

The first half started a general assault by the Marinos who in the 16th minute force Oki’s first of his desperate save when he had to dive an parry away a very dangerous middle range shot that caught Shimizu’s defense flat-footed.

In the ensuing kick Marinos could not control the ball meters away from goal and Oki had just the reflex to parry it away again.

In the 30th minute Marinos finally succeeded catching once again Shimizu’s defense flat-footed inside their box with a too easy shot giving no chance to Oki.

In the 31st minute Marinos should have done enough when a dangerous cross was miscued by the last Yokohama forward past the far post.

In the 39th minute Shimizu committed a terrible blunder between two defenders in front of their box to tamely give away the ball to two lurking Marinos but once again Oki saved his side with a full-stretched diving parry.

In the 3rd minute of extra time S-Pulse produced their first chance of the match with a high cross that Capixaba could only head wide.

In the 52nd minute Marinos thought they had done enough when a deep ball in S-Pulse’s boxes only ended in a clumsy tussle with the ball ending to a waiting Marinos forward for another soft goal…

And then Marinos stopped playing while Shimizu did not lose their hope and starting an all out-attack.

It paid off quickly enough when in the 54th minute Marinos gave away a mid-range free kick. Inui tricked the Marinos goal keeper the he was going to take it but Nakahara quickly send a bullet into the left top corner that completely bamboozled the opposite keeper. Nakahara’s first ever goal for his new club will surely stand long in his memory!

And Shimizu piled on the pressure. In the 59yh minute Uno barely missed with a volley meeting a fine cross by Yoshida.

And in the 70th minute Shimizu were gifted a lucky goal vicious curving corner kick could only be diverted by a Marinos defender into his own goal.

In the 76th minute an incursion by the same Inui inside the opposite box ended with Matsuzaki barely missing hitting the post from an acute angle.

And then in the 82nd minute S-Pulse’s high pressure forced an error for the ball to be gathered by Inui just inside the opposite half. The veteran ran a few meters ahead before delivering a long-rang low bullet of a shot that went past an outstretched Marinos keeper to enter the goalmouth just inside the far post for the goal if the day.

At long last Marinos reacted and three minutes in in extra time a dangerous cross caught the Shimizu’s defense into trouble but the last header flew just above the bar. After that Shimizu’s defense did not bother much about form and kept kicking the ball far away until the final whistle.

A fine win, if somewhat lucky, and certainly welcome after some lackluster performances.

Now this heavy schedule will be concluded this Sunday at home against the surprising present leader, Avispa Fukuoka. No easy game this season, but our fand will come in numbers and scream behind our team!

NEXT GAME

J1 League

Game 11

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Avispa Fukuoka

Date: Sunday April 20th, 2:00 pm

IAI Nihondaira Stadium (Shiizuoka)