S-Pulse 2-1 Kashima Antlers

Barry writes:

S-Pulse 2-1 Kashima Antlers
Fujimoto 37 (pk) -------- Korogi 58
Edamura 74

Att. 19848

Line Up

GK Nishibe

DF Ichikawa
DF Iwashita
DF Hiraoka
DF Ota

MF Hyodo (yellow 63)
MF Honda
MF Ono (yellow 20)

FW Okazaki
FW Johnsen
FW Fujimoto

Subs Used

Edamura on for Ono (73)
Ito on for Hyodo (78)

Report

Some nights are just magic.

Jungo gets ready for his penalty

This was the biggest game of the season so far, and boy did it live up to expectations. A sold out Nihondaira was rocking under the floodlights as S-Pulse beat the defending champions to end the first half of the season top of the table.

Despite my best intentions, it's hard not to feel slightly awed by Kashima. Their constant strength over the last 17 years which has seen them claim seven J1 titles is something very hard to ignore, and while we went into yesterday's game with no fear, there was a tangible tension around Nihondaira in the build up to kick off.

On in the 73rd minute, scores in the 74th: Edamura

Not only was the result massive, so was the performance. We could, and maybe should, have won this more comfortably. More than once we cut through the Kashima defence and were only denied by some uncharacteristically un-deadly finishing from Okazaki and / or inspired goal-line defending / goalkeeping.

So our winner, while a bit lucky (chested in by Edamura after a failed clearance), was fair on balance. We took the lead after an absolute gift of a penalty. A needless handball off a free kick into the area left Jungo with the job of calmly sending the keeper the wrong way.

Kashima should have opened the scoring before this after a shocking clearance from Nishibe went straight to a white shirt, but Iwashita, who will be an international before too long, did amazingly well to neutralise a very real danger deep in the penalty area. Without Bosnar at the back we lacked a bit of physical presence, but Hiraoka did a good job in the Ozzie's absence.

Loco time - With Ronald McDonald

The roar when Edamura put it home for the winner was probably heard back in Ibaraki, and Kashima had nothing left to prevent their third defeat of the season.

These are the games we have to win if we want to have a decent pop at the title, but more than the big ones, we have to keep this form up in the "lesser" games, namely another sold out match under the lights at Daira next Saturday. 9th placed Yokohama FM are the visitors.

Before I sign off, a couple of facts and a picture: Last season we scored 44 goals all season. This year at the halfway stage we're already on 37. Last season we won 13 games all year. This year we're on 10 already.

And now the picture:

No caption necessary

Videos

Full highlights:



And so you can get the feeling of being there, this is Jungo's penalty from ssnnddttyy's personal cam:



And Edamura's winner: