Some fascinating news today, as we captured the 27 year old defender Kiyotaka Miyoshi. Fascinating because the 180cm right footed full back has been living in South America since graduating from Asia University in 2008.
A year in Argentina with Estudiantes, and two seasons across the border in Uruguay at Boston River means he must have some good experience dealing with big, strong attackers. Some strength and depth for the defensive line. He'll take the number 36 and I'm looking forward to seeing how he fits in.
Takahara on for Inukai (HT)
Shirasaki on for Brosque (81)
Ito on for Omae (86)
Report
A fantastic Saturday was spent in Yokohama at another UK Ultras wedding. Top day from start to finish.
Congratulations to Saechan and Maakun! Best Day Ever
There was the small matter of the S-Pulse loss between the reception and the second party in the evening, but for the first time in a long time I was far too preoccupied to keep up to date with the game. We lost with a depleted team against an Urawa side who have surprised everyone this season. They won and fair play to them.
Apologies that this week's update has come late (and contains very little about the game). I'll warn you ahead of time that this weekend's report versus Sapporo will also be tardy. Know why? Because we're all off on Friday for a long weekend in HOKKAIDO!
Dome. All you can eat meat. Tower. Less humidity. Partying in Susukino. Beer factory tours, and hopefully an away day Kachiloco in one of the J. League's flagship stadia. Can't bloody wait!
Brosque on for Ishige (58)
Kang (94) on for Takagi (91)
Report
That's now four wins on the trot. Short-handed against the league leaders, 4-3 away at 2010's champions and a still very strong Nagoya, 3-2 home against the same opposition, and victory away at a team who had only conceded three at home all year.
The long-term process of separating the wheat from the chaff recently took another step forward, the formation is evolving to deal with it, and the results have been showing things are working. Muramatsu coming back from London was a big help no doubt, but to a man, yesterday's starting XI was a team of men here to play football. The only way it should be, but with such a fine balance of power in J1, so often the difference between success and failure.
Tosu are a team of hard grafters and that's reflected in their position in the table. They've surprised a lot of people, and it may not always be pretty, but they're not down there with Gamba Osaka and Niigata fighting for J1 survival, so more power to them. Yesterday's win on their patch, a place with such a stingy and tight defence, cannot be overstated. Another result born of hard work, so all credit to the lads.
Next up it's all off to Ecopa for a game which could propel us up to the ACL positions. A rejuvenated Urawa team are in forth this year after barely staying up last season. A change in manager to the no-nonsense Petrovic has again shown how a team can be an entirely different prospect when actually focused on playing football.
Should be a cracking battle, but alas, I'll be at a UKU founding member's wedding in Yokohama. She has, however, thoughtfully scheduled the main ceremony to end in time for us to get to a sports bar. The evening reception then starts after the full time whistle. Top work, that girl!
Onwards and upwards!
Videos
Until full highlights appear, here's a personal video of Olympian Muramatsu's header. His first professional goal, no less!
And a cracking cross from Jong-a-Pin met perfectly by Kim. Beat his marker, timed his run to perfection, got on the end of it. If he'd hit the target the keeper had no chance. I like what I see so far! Looking forward to Kim's next few games.
500 miles? Piece of cake. Our travelling army enjoying their hard earned kachiloco. Legends - the lot of you!
If you follow us on Twitter you'll already know this, but according to a news report coming out of Korea, our much anticipated new signing is South Korean striker, Kim Hyun-Sung. The 186cm 22 year old bronze medal winning Olympian (apologies to our Japanese readers for mentioning that) is reported to have signed on a six month loan deal.
Kim is joining us from FC Seoul, although he played the last season on loan at Daegu FC, where he played in all but four matches and scored 8 goals. He has made seven appearances for the U23 South Korea team and has scored four goals on that stage.
I can see him banging in Lee's pin point crosses already... Official announcement to come as soon as it's made.
Ooh, one other thing I just learnt. Shimizu S-Pulse in hangul is:
A very hard fought victory against very tough opposition. Our incredible victory at Mizuho on Wednesday would have fired up Nagoya even more than normal, and the opening half especially felt everything like a local derby. Hell, there were more visiting fans than jubilo have managed in recent seasons. A pulsating game, both teams attacking, hard challenges flying in (Nagoya with 7 yellows), and most importantly, goals.
We were without Yoshida through injury and Muramatsu who is on his way back from London, so a rearranged starting 11 was required again. Nagoya were also missing Nagai (Olympics) and Kennedy (injured), so with both teams without two key players it levelled the playing field somewhat.
Nagoya, with those two players back, will not finish midtable. And neither will we. We've turned a corner with that win away at league leaders Hiroshima. Then that heroic league cup performance in Aichi raised everybody's spirits, and today we displayed our guts and work rate to overcome 2010's champions for the second time in a week, putting 7 goals past them in the process.
Sugiyama is coming into his own and will probably play a part next season. Given his massive importance in 2010, creating a team that can stand on it's own merits and win games without Ono has always been a priority, and we're pretty much there. I'm fairly sure this will be Shinji's last year for us, and possibly his last year as a pro. He is still class through and through, but who will be willing to pay those not inconsiderable wages for a player with increasing injury problems? Whatever happens, best to luck to him.
I digress.
This win was all about hard work and fight, and our young team (Omae, Ishige, Shirasaki, Lee and Takagi all 22 or under, and all played vital parts) gave us very encouraging signs for the future. Next up is this year's surprise package Sagan Tosu. Away at the wonderful Best Amenity Stadium, which wouldn't look too out of place in the Premier League. I won't be there, but will endeavour to watch it on the box and tweet my manic and frantic tweets to keep you all updated. If you don't follow me, please do. @spulseukultras
Jymmy França
As you probably know by now, Jymmy França announced that this game was his last in orange. In a short but eventful spell, he won over many fans and will be missed. The news comes just as he was starting to find his stride, but this was a decision probably taken a while ago. Jymmy's exit can only mean one thing - a new forward coming in, most likely a foreigner. Watch this space, or better yet, our Twitter, to learn who he is as soon as we do.
Thanks for the memories Jymmy, and the very best of luck wherever the game takes you next!
Pictures
Palchan's new girlfriend, Pikal
Given the rain a good turn out, and we even got a wonky choreography attempt from the visitors
Ghotbi and goal hero Genki
Jymmy Franca announced his departure after the game - Thank you and good luck!
Bloody hell! What a game that was.I don't get to many games at all these days what with work, the fam and living in Gifu, but am I glad I went last night. More fool you, Barry, for not coming!
The first half we were by far the better team and I felt like it was just a matter of time waiting for a goal. I was a happy bunny when Brosque scored just before half time, and was sure we would hold a lead - especially when Taguchi missed a sitter.
As soon as we came back on it was obvious our lead had giving Grampus a kick up the arse and they were going for it. Tulio managed to equalise after his earlier offside attempt and I started to get antsy. We hadn't beat Grampus in a while and it was about time we rose to it.
Jymmy Franca had a great shot before he managed to get it in - and nicely done it was too. At this point I really thought we had it in the bag, and was yelling for one more to put a lid on it - and one more goal came, but not from where I wanted.
3-2 to Grampus with five minutes to go and we needed two goals to come back. My mates, just over from Scotland for a week break looked at me and I said, "nah, it'll be alright. We came back the other week and we'll come back tonight".
Never truer words spoken.
Less than a minute later, we had one in the back of the net thanks to Senuma and the orange end erupted. Hope renewed, we KNEW we could do it. Additional time 4 minutes.
Come on!!!
Come on we did.
Toshiyuki managed to get it in, and we all went crazy. Beautiful! What a beautiful game football is!
The remaining time seemed to go on forever, and Grampus tried to claw it back. I was fidgeting like a mad man praying for the final whistle and was so relieved when it was finally all over.
Wonderful. Brilliant. Amazing! What a fan-fucking-tastic game. Unlike Bazzer I wasn't prepared to concede; I thought we were by far the better team in the first half and we held it together in the second, even when the odds were against us.
We play Nagoya again on Saturday at home. I REALLY want to go!!
Nagoya 3-4 S-Pulse
Tulio 54 --------------------- Brosque 42
Fujimoto 76, 87 ---------- França 69 ---------------------------------- Senuma 88 ---------------------------------- Toshiyuki 93
4-4 on aggregate, S-Pulse win on away goals
Att. 7313
Line Up
GK Yamamoto
DF Kawai (89)
DF Hiraoka (84)
DF Jong a Pin
DF Kang
DF Yoshida
MF Sugiyama
MF Brosque
FW França (45)
FW Omae
FW Toshiyuki
Subs Used
Ishige on for Kang (66) Senuma on for Yoshida (84)
Report - The Miracle at Mizuho Probably best to let my tweets to the talking. We started 1-0 down after the home first leg. Kick off!
S-Pulse enjoying greater possession.
Genki has a fizzing shot pushed round the post. Ref gives a goal kick. GOAL!! 1-0! Brosque from a Genki FK. GAME ON!! (1-1 on agg)
Unstoppable header from the Australian who got behind his marker. That's the massive away goal. And but for Taguchi firing wide at an open goal, we would be at 1-1.
It came after Yamamoto hesitated and let him steal in. Even I'd have put that away.
HT!
2nd half underway! Nagoya scramble it in, but it's offside.
França with a belting shot on the turn. Keeper just about deals with it.
Why the long face, Tulio? You just equalised! 1-1. (2-1 Nagoya on agg)
Ishige on for Kang (66) JYMMY FRANCA!!! Just as I was about to say there's still goals in this, @Jymmyvip sneaks one in! 2-1 to us! (2-2 on agg) Bollocks! 2-2, 3-2 on aggregate to Nagoya. 15m still to go!
Débutante FW Senuma on for Yoshida (84) Game over. Nagoya with the long ball and score. 3-2 Nagoya. (4-2 Nagoya on agg) Débutante Senuma pulls one back. 3-3, 4-3 to Nagoya on aggregate
1m plus stoppage time.
4m stoppage time. GOAL! OMFG! UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE! 4-3 to us, 4-4 on aggregate. We go through on away goals.
88th and 93rd minute goals. Just crazy scenes!
I hold my hands up - when Fujimoto put the game seemingly out of reach in the 87th minute, I slumped back deep in my seat. Even when Senuma scored our 3rd, I didn't react at all. I've been watching football long enough to know miracles don't happen that often.
I really should know better by now. In the 3rd minute of stoppage time, in a moment reminiscent of Johnsen's against Urawa, Toshiyuki raced to meet a deflected cross at the far post and somehow squeeze it home. 4-3 to us on the night, 4-4 on aggregate, the bar exploded in orange, and we go through on away goals.
What spirit, what guts, what fight - and all with 11 men! :-D Very glad to report we didn't have anyone sent off today! It really was a cracking cup game. One of the best I've seen in my time in Japan, and either team could have won it. Make no mistake, both teams wanted it. Even had we gone out 4-3 I was ready to concede Nagoya deserved the win. They defended deep when they had to, but when needed they posed a very real threat, and it came to fruition in the form of three goals.
As for us, Brosque's goal was a belting header, and very well taken to lose his marker. Jymmy finally got some reward for his real hard work of late. New signing Senuma made a dream start to his S-Pulse career putting a loose ball away after a concerted S-Pulse attack. Then Toshiyuki pops up to complete a remarkable, and very improbably fightback, and send the travelling masses delirious.
Man of the moment - Yuji Senuma
The semi final will be against FC Tokyo. The 1st, away leg will be at Ajinomoto Stadium on Wednesday September 5th, kick off 7pm.
The 2nd leg, at home, will be on Saturday October 13th at 2pm. I'll miss the home leg because I'm a complete spanner and didn't think to check the League Cup fixture list when buying a plane ticket home this week. Schoolboy error. :(
Videos
Highlights, with words from both managers at the end.
And the full time whistle in White Ize, Shizuoka. You should have seen it for Takagi's goal...
Barry writes 
