S-Pulse 1-0 Omiya Ardija

BARRY WRITES... 

S-Pulse 1-0 Omiya Ardija
Jong-a-Pin 7

Att 13151
Saturday November 23rd, 2pm
Nihondaira Stadium, Shizuoka city

Line Up

GK Kushibiki

DF Yoshida (51)
DF Hiraoka
DF Jong-a-Pin
DF Ishige

MF Sugiyama
MF Honda (16)
MF Muramatsu

FW Radončić
FW Omae
FW Takagi

Subs Used

Kawai on for Yoshida (61)
Murata on for Takagi (67)
Ito on for Radončić (83)

Report

I was absent today. What with the bannings of some of our most passionate and important fans, and the three game prohibition of team banners, the recent Emperor's Cup game felt like trying to get behind the team with one hand tied behind your back. If the supporter bannings were an over reaction in the first place (which they were), then the logic of restricting fans (those who had nothing to do with the mischief at Iwata) from giving their full backing to the team is lost on me.

Was it a public display of head hanging by the club? To impose sanctions on itself as apology to Iwata / the J. League? Was it meant simply as a punishment on the fans in general for allowing some of their number to misbehave? Was it a stern, parental warning to never again hurt the feelings of opposition fans? Who knows, and to be honest I've been so disillusioned I went to the zoo today instead. But I digress.

In my absence, the boys did the business against Ardija. Omiya, who were top of the table for most of the season's first half have since lost 16 of their last 17. Absolutely amazing. If a team was to offer themselves as a self sacrifice to underline the ludicrousness of the proposed 2 stage system, Omiya have done it. Yes, they've lost nearly every game in the second half of the season, but they did OK in the first half, so let's put them in the play offs FOR THE TITLE. Insane? Well get used to it. That's what we've got from 2015. But I digress. Again.

I can't comment much on today's game, but I was as surprised and as happy as anyone to see Calla get on the score sheet. Jong-a-Pin poked it home from point blank range to claim his first goal in Japan, and what was ultimately the winning goal. The highlights below will tell you more than I can, so I'll keep it short. We remain mid table, but today's result was actually our seventh win in our last ten games, which is not bad form at all. Especially when you consider two of those defeats were away to Hiroshima and F. Marinos. Well, anyway, there's two more games left this year. Where did the months go? Here's to two more wins and to close out the season on a high.

S-Pulse!

Videos

Highlights taken off the TV.