Sunday, 25 October 2009

Throwing it away?

FuzFuz writes:
After a recent run of glory and sitting in first for a couple of weeks, the boys in orange have apparently decided that we don't need to be champions after all and have disappointed us two weeks running. Last week's disaster against Oita, losers of 2009 was nothing short of mortifying and today we presumably felt the need to top that, and literally handed Tokyo victory by scoring their winner for them.

Sound bitter? That's cos I am. Less than impressed with today's performance... FC Tokyo aren't that good and we should have been able to step up to the challenge, especially at home. The fact that we didn't and couldn't equalize even with three strikers on the park is worrying. Oka-chan's goal was a beam of glory in an otherwise lacking match.

We really need to pick up the pace and fight to make sure we at least get a top three finish and place in the ACL next year. We can do it, I believe we can, it just remains to be seen whether or not we actually will.

Still, could be worse. I could be a Hiroshima fan. Losing 4-0 with 5 minutes to go is painful, but not as painful as 7-0 at the final whistle. Ouch.


4 comments:

dokool said...

The officiating in today's game was a travesty. Those non-calls, the recalled goal, what a joke.

And yes, while we played like shit in the first half we did a lot better in the second half and it probably should have been 3-1.


Glad I made the trip again! Now that I know how easy it is to get to Shimizu on local lines I'll be making it part of my yearly away match itinerary.

Barry said...

Not just today, but I feel like J. League is becoming a non-contact sport. Every bloody time there's any kind of contact in a challenge, the player on the receiving end seems to go to ground. And worst of all, the referees end up giving 80% of them. Both teams were guilty of it today, and most games I've watched this year have been the same. If there have been more than three minutes flowing play without a ref blowing for a free kick I'm hard pressed to remember it. I'm watching the Liverpool Man Utd game online right now, and the difference is plain to see.

Today was a terrible, mistake-ridden performance from us, and the own goal was just the icing on the cake. As for the offside, I'd have to see it again, but the flag did go up long before he took the shot.

So to summarise, I want to watch a game next Saturday against Sapporo where players are not going to ground every two bloody minutes.

A Love Supreme said...

Hey Barry, Dan...Andre here. From what i saw the ref dictated the game from start to finish. so what happens when this occurs? well players who think that they can get away with it, try to. but in my opinion it was a pretty physical game, mainly because of the refs negative participation.

Fuz said...

Hey dokool, glad you came down to Shimizu for the game; the 'daira is a fun stadium to be at (more so when you win, which you did).

I agree the refereeing was appalling - the only saving grace perhaps is that it was consistently appalling against both sides.

Hopefully next time we'll raise our game and so will the ref...