Can we play in Chiba every week?

Two trips north of Tokyo this season have reaped four goals for, none against, and six points on the board. Are there no other games we have to go to Chiba for this year? I could very easily get used to watching Okazaki slam in winners against yellow opponents. Unlike against JEF, today's opener came not from soon-to-be-recalled-to-the-national-team Fujimoto, but S-Pa's Brazilian dynamo Fernandinho. A long cross/pass swung in from the side he smashed first time into the bottom corner sending the orange ranks behind the goal (and the hundred watching in Dream House, Shimizu) into raptures. Ferny is a crucial part of the S-Pulse machine, and he proved it yet again today. With Kenta still working out his best starting forward line, Ferny's playmaking just behind the front two and his eye for goal is more important than ever.


Pic courtesy of our man in with the home fans, Tats

Today we started with Yajima and Hara leading the charge. I'd not seen a great of Hara before today, but he looked hungry and not afraid to get stuck in. He was taken off for Okazaki just past the hour, but with his last touch he very nearly doubled our lead. A sweetly struck effort on the edge of the area smashed back off the cross bar and out of danger. Hara off, Okachan on, and it was only eight minutes we had to wait for the second goal. It had long been coming - nine S-Pa corners against the home team's two tells it's own story, and it was from a corner that Okazaki got down low to head it home. Cue more sideways conga dancing on the terraces. :)

The horrendous start to the season is still fresh in the memory, making every goal and every win that much sweeter. Up to 12th, a win on Saturday would take us into the top half, and would leave me smiling for the whole of May. Derby preview coming up later in the week - stay tuned! S-Pulse are back in form, firing in the goals and ready to rock and roll to a Kings of Shizuoka title on Sat!

In other news, Reds made hard work of beating Consdore, needing to put in four to kill off Sapporo who scored twice themselves. Nagoya's awesome start continued to falter with another defeat, this time home to Kawasaki. Other than that, find it out yourself - what am I to you people, a news service? ;-D