J1 League

Game 13

Shimizu S-Pulse 2-0 Tokyo FC

Date: Tuesday April 29th, 1:00 pm

Ajinomoto Stadium (Chofu)

S-PULSE GOALS Kitagawa (45 +1), Inui (79)

YELLOW CARDS

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK Kitagawa (45 +1)

ATTENDANCE 33769

LINE UP

GK Oki

DF Yoshida, Uno, Takahashi, Kitazume

MF Capixaba, Bueno, Inui, Yumiba, Matsuzaki

FW Kitagawa

SUBSTITUTIONS

Nakahara on for Matsuzaki (77)

Tanque on for Kitagawa (77)

Yajima on for Inui (85)

Haneda on for Yoshida (90 +1)

Yamahara on for Capixaba (90 +1)

REPORT

Third consecutive win in the J1 League for the first time in 4 years!

Such an important series in a highly unpredictable 2025 J1 League version where the usual hierarchy is being tossed around as witnessed by no less than 6 away wins this round with some big names suffering unforeseen demise.

The more commendable this win was as it was played away in front of a big partisan crowd against a team eager to prove that their present ranking does not reflect their quality.

It proved to be a tough game, the more for it that an already depleted defense had to be modified at the last second when Hasugawa got injured before the game even started. Midfielder Uno had to be drafted as a center back for the first time in his professional career. This warranted a cautious 4-5-1 formation who knew they would have to defend for long periods and take the few chances that were offered to them. At the end of the day Tokyo had twice as many attempts at goal but they conceded twice as many free kicks proving that S-Pulse was always ready to pounce on any chance.

Tokyo FC did take the bull by the horns right away targeting the makeshift defense and in the 16th minute they ran past our left flank to stretch Oki into two consecutive fine saves.

In the 24th minute Shimizu S-Pulse almost scored from a rare corner kick when Kitagawa headed the ball directly into the opposite keeper’s body only 2 meters from goal.

In the 28th minute S-Pulse lost the ball in midfield in a 50-50 tussle before Tokyo penetrated Shimizu’s box but the last shot flew directly into Oki’s safe arms.

In the 41st minute a rare counter brought Capixaba into Tokyo’s box left flank before he passed to Matsuzaki whose fierce low shot just missed the far post.

In the 44th minute S-Pulse once again exploited some weak defense but Inui was clumsily tripped down inside the box. Kitagawa scored his 4th spot kick of the season by just squeezing the ball between the right post and the keeper’s fingers.

In the 51st minute Kitagawa almost fooled the opposite keeper with a clever free kick just outside the box but the ball flew past the far post.

In the 64th minute S-Pulse allowed a terribly dangerous cross to a surrounded but unmarked Tokyo’s forward who somehow botched his header meters away from goal.

In the 66th minute a pass from the defense was intercepted and the goal was saved only by desperate defending meters from goal.

In the 79th minute S-Pulse countered a long pass from a Tokyo’s defender and quickly relayed it to veteran Inui who ran and dribbled past a couple of defenders before unleashing a sharp shot from just inside the box which could only be slightly deflected into goal in an almost similar move achieved by the same Inui last game.

In the 89th minute tempers started to flare on another cross missed by the last Tokyo forward who kicked goal keeper in the process.

S-Pulse somewhat lived the last minutes of another long extra time but Oki made sure to keep the slate clean.

A fine if somewhat laborious win, but we lost another defender in Yoshida, though Yamahara is coming back from injury to palliate the damage. But the tight Golden Week schedule is going to be heavy on the players’ legs and more players will have to answer the call starting by another so-called home game at the National Stadium in Tokyo next Saturday against Nagoya, but we can count on a big contingent of S-Pulse fans!

NEXT GAME

J1 League

Game 14

Shimizu S-Pulse vs Nagoya Grampus (“home game”)

Date: Saturday May 3rd, 2:00 pm

Japan National Stadium (Tokyo)