Barry writesKashiwa 2-1 S-Pulse
Masushima 81 --------------Iwashita 38
Masushima 86
Att.12209
Line Up
GK Hayashi (72)
DF Yoshida
DF Iwashita (51)
DF Jong a Pin
DF Lee
MF Muramatsu (19)
MF Ono
MF Kawai
MF Omae (81)
MF Takagi
FW Brosque (21)
Subs Used
Franca on for Ono (58)
Kobayashi on for Takagi (74)
Takahara on for Omae (87)
Report
Picture the scene. The ball is rolling out for a goal kick. A yellow and white shirt both heading in that direction are slowing down to get ready to return back upfield. The two players maybe graze one another. Maybe their shirts brushed. The yellow shirt falls over. The referee blows his whistle and gives a free kick which leads to a goal and Kashiwa's first win of the season.
An ugly and questionable end to a game. Why would Iwashita foul a player in that situation? I don't believe he did. I was watching and there was no flicking out, no intentional tripping. Check out the video below at 1:27 to see it. Any contact was just two players running close to each other, yet the number 19 falls over, flailing his arms round like a windmill.
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Apart from that, our first half was very good. We controlled the opening exchanges and were the better team in the first half. Out back four seems pretty set, although suspensions will start enforcing changes. The ref was waving cards around like confetti all game, although bizarrely Domingues got away with 90 minutes of back chat and gesturing at the officials, not to mention spitting hard directly at Lee. The man was a disgrace and Kashiwa should be ashamed of him. Lee and Yoshida are both doing great at left and right back respectively. Both exciting players and both going to play huge parts in our season.
The second half was a totally different battle, and we struggled to maintain the pressure and control we showed in the first. Only after we went behind did we start creating chances again. Way too passive and Ono's substitution just before the hour contributed to Kashiwa's dominance and the equaliser was coming. The winner not so much but for the aforementioned free kick out of nothing.
Kawai is very talented and contributed a lot. Especially useful in getting the ball out wide for Genki to charge down the wing, but on occasion was effective in passing directly through to Brosque, who was up the top by himself until the hour when he dropped back and left Franca up front. Franca didn't get much chance to do anything given how the game was going so can't judge him much on today's game.
Absolutely gutting to have lost this one but there are plenty of positives to take from it. Much like Nagoya, it's not a game we should have come away pointless from.We played well, and took the game to the champions on their own turf. Unlucky to lose, and I have to remind myself that Kashiwa are technically the best team in the country. Against lesser opponents we'd have won today.
Videos
The goals.
4 comments:
One does not simply sub out Ono...
Enthralling match... A great start with a lot of pressure and ball possession for S-pulse. With the pairings of Yoshida/Omae and Lee/Takagi they had great width, with Muramatsu and Kawai closing centrally.
At the 58th minute, though, Ghotbi gave in his midfield, in my opinion. They were no longer able to retain possession and rationalize. Although Calvin's long passes are fairly accurate, it isn't as safe a way to hold on to a lead and perhaps build on it. I wonder if it is Ono who asks only to be played for 60 minutes a match, but I doubt it.
From that point on, the pressure piled up and so did the unfortunate foul calls you mentioned...
These new acquisitions, though, make me look forward even more for the next match. I liked Hayashi, albeit not being tested that much and even though he looked suspicious in the second goal.
But Yoshida and Lee were the ones I was most impressed with. Yoshida is quick and so confortable on the ball, today even moreso than Omae. Lee - his assist was brilliant, from a technical point of view. Great free-kick. Both of them remain to be further analyzed defensively, but will surely be exciting going forward. Both Lee's and Yoshida's crosses were really good and Lee showed versatility and vision when getting his right foot to the ball producing an accurate pass to Takahara, late in the game.
From a neutral point of view, an exciting end of the match... But I wasn't too happy. Perhaps I'm becoming a bona fide Shimizu fan.
Disappointed with the result totally.. We did not deserve to lose this game..we played well and i think some questionable refreeing plus some luck handed them the win!!
I have a few observations though,Barry
The back 4 are brilliant as you said. So is Kawai, strange no one ever mentions him in the goodness part!
Daigo Kobayashi is not the next SHinji Ono...Agreed he is still young but i felt he is a bit lazy in tracking back defensively and is not that influential as well..
And Jymmy Franca is just a foul machine.He had a good run in today,sufficient time but he was very disappointing. He committed a lot of fouls and did not have a single shot. Takahara was on for like 10 mins and he had 2 gr8 chances to equalize.. Hope he gets better!!
And finally one word about Kashiwa stadium..Its not very good as you said except for the closeness to the pitch.. THey dont have seats for the visitos section..Are you kidding me? Thought this was a basic in stadiums!!
And ya..did i show up on tv?? Was right behind the goal :D
João and Shadows,
Two excellent posts, thanks fellas. João, I agree with the Ono point, but I hear he's not quite at 90m fitness yet. His absence was really felt, and at the hour it felt like it was all Kashiwa.
Shadows, with you on Kawai. He's looking like a really good acquisition. Was instrumental in spraying the ball out to Omae in the first half and is a solid tackler.
DOn't want to judge Franca too harshly yet. He's gonna take time getting to grips with the J. League (and the referees). To be fair, in the second half we only really got anywhere near the Kashiwa goal after we'd gone behind.
Takahara made a right mess of that perfect ball by Lee. Really should have equalised, and I bet he knows it.
I didn't see you on TV, although I was looking! Yep, that stadium is pretty primitive, isn't it. Last time I was there we had festival style temporary toilets. Except they were installed permanently and the stench was foul.
Just be thankful it wasn't raining!!
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