J1 League

Game 32

Shimizu S-Pulse 1-2 Vissel Kobe

Date: Saturday September 27th, 7:00 pm

NOEVIR Stadium Kobe (Kobe)

S-PULSE GOALS Kozuka (40)

YELLOW CARDS Bueno (46)

RED CARDS

PENALTY KICK

ATTENDANCE 18914

LINE UP

GK Umeda

DF Hasukawa, Kim Min Tae, Sumiyoshi

MF Yamahara, Bueno, Inui, Kozuka, Yumiba, Yoshida

FW Toshiki Takahashi

SUBSTITUTIONS

Yajima on for Kozuka (60)

Uno on for Yumiba (70)

Takagi on for Yoshida (70)

Stephens on for Toshiki Takahashi (82)

Kitagawa on for Inui (82)

REPORT

So close and yet so far!

Vissel Kobe scoring in extra time and our failure in a similar situation in two of our 5 previous games (and more) is the difference between a Championship candidate and a team mired in mid table!

We had to reshuffle the midfield due to too many reasons out of our grasp and it showed.

For all the battering we could and should have escaped with a point even playing away against one of the leaders.

The data at the end of the game was staggering in spite of a tight result.

We conceded possession to the tune of 63 % to 37% (double!).

They had 485 passes to our mere 307.

Pass accuracy was not very good on either side (75% to 62%), but our performance, or lack of it was damning.

We got bombarde by 22 attempts at goal against 10, but shots on target were few and far between on both sides (6 to 2).

We had to concede 6 corners to 2 and had to commit twice as many fouls.

But the lesson was still positive considering we gave a fight to all top teams.

On the other hand, we have to thank our defense while the attack has always been left wanting…

Kobe did not waste time to assault our goal and in the very 3rd minute had their first chance deep inside our box only for the last shot to fly high above the bar.

In the 19th minute a double blunder in midfield gave away too an easy chance to Kobe who once again wasted their last shot above the bar.

In the 22nd minute S-Pulse failed to completely repel a dangerous free kick only for the ball to speed close past our near post.

And in the 40th minute against the run of play we scored on our very first chance when we wrestled the ball away in midfield to send Yamahara past Vissel’s right flank before the latter sent a low cross that was met on the run by young Tozuka who scored his first goal of the season.

In the 48th minute Bueno had a chance to shoot at goal but it went far too wide.

In the 50th minute we should have killed the game but Inui preferred to try his luck from too cute an angle instead of passing to well positioned Takahashi, a miss we came to regret for the rest of the game.

Then we offered a goal to Vissel with very poor defense even after having been saved by the post beforehand.

And it was a constant tsunami battering our goal from then on with chances wasted by Vissel Kobe in the 73rd and the 75th minute, the last one thanks to some desperate Umeda’s defense.

But in the 1st minute of extra time we threw away all our luck and work away when we did not follow up Umeda’s long clearance and defended clumsily thereafter to offer a goal that Vissel might have deserved when considering their total domination but that a professional side should have avoided…

Too many times we have suffered this season from such lapses where time and again we proved that we should stand among the leaders just to fail in woeful manner.

At least we have the spirit to fight on!

It is back home on Saturday against FC Tokyo, a team we have to beat to get clear of the red zone once and for all. We certainly will need our fans’ support!

NEXT GAME

J1 League

Game 33

Shimizu S-Pulse vs FC Tokyo

Date: Saturday October 4th, 1:00 pm

IAI Nihondaira Stdium (Shiuzoka)