Yokohama F. Marinos 1-0 S-Pulse

BARRY WRITES... 

Yokohama F. Marinos 1-0 S-Pulse
Fujimoto 58

Att 19310
Nissan Stadium, Yokohama

Line Up

GK Kushibiki

DF Kawai
DF Jakovic
DF Hiraoka
DF Yoshida

MF Musaka
MF Honda
MF Ishige
MF Takagi T

FW Omae
FW Novakovic

Subs used

Takagi Y on for Novakovic (67)
Murata on for Takagi T (81)
Lee Ki-Je on for Musaka (90)

Report

Not looking good is it, chaps? A pretty dire offering from both teams to be honest, but while we were unlucky in that Yokohama got a deflection to put the ball away, that would be to ignore the fact that they were the only team really in it. That they were painfully mediocre just served to highlight our own addled ineptitude at making much in the way of goal ward progress .

One highlight was Novakovic, his hard work and toil was only limited by those around him. He must be sick of playing for teams at the wrong end of the table. He deserves better. We were better of course until the manager was sacked. Mid table may not have been setting the J. League alight, but it was solid. It certainly wasn't staring down the barrel of a year in J2, and I struggle to see us getting out of the hole we've been dragged us into. Oenoki was never the man for the job, that's obvious, but with four of our last six games at home, Nagasawa and Jong a Pin on the brink of return, a spirit lifting cup run, and the unfaltering support of all in orange, he has everything working towards him in his mission to save us.

Home to Niigata on Wednesday, where we will gather, and we will support. If we can stay up it will be the result of a mammoth effort of all involved. In this, our darkest hour, it will be the fans shining the guiding light, and for them our team must now be playing. We were let off the hook yesterday with Cerezo losing and Kofu drawing, but we're still in a whole world of trouble.

It really is now or never.

Videos

Highlights.

Nagoya 2-2 S-Pulse (AET) S-Pulse win 5-3 on penalties (Emp Cup 1/4 Final)

BARRY WRITES... 

Nagoya 2-2 S-Pulse (aet) 
Ogawa 72 ------------------ Takagi Y 65
Nagai 82 -------------------- Takagi T 67

S-Pulse win 5-3 on penalties

Att 6113
Mizuho Stadium, Nagoya

Line Up

GK Kushibiki

DF Kawai
DF Jakovic (79)
DF Hiraoka
DF Yoshida

MF Takagi Y
MF Honda
MF Murata
MF Ishige

FW Takagi T
FW Omae

Subs Used

Mizutani on for Takagi Y(76)
Lee Ki-Je on for Kawai (81)
Murata on for Ishige (106)

Report

No classic, but the only thing that matters is that we squeezed through. On balance we probably deserved it, especially away from home. Defending on their goals was cause for concern, though. That said, we were solid as a rock from set pieces, so credit where it's due, we may be heading in the right direction.

Without Novakovic we were left to juggle a bit up front, especially given the lack of anything approaching what can be called height. You have to work with what you've got though, and that we did. Both goals came via decent approach play on the ground, and the brothers Takagi put their respective goals away very tidily indeed. Given the chances we made we should have had the game beyond Nagoya's reach going into the final 15 minutes, but I can't really moan. An away win (draw, but you know) for the second Emperor's Cup tie in a row, both against in-form teams.

The semi final will be in Tokyo, so neutral ground for whoever we face (Omiya or G. Osaka). But just when the traditionally-ignored-by-the-masses-until-the-final Emperor's Cup is starting to get interesting, the semi final is scheduled for a Wednesday night. Go figure. Well, I don't doubt we'll still get ridiculously over excited and subsequently heartbroken. That's what this wonderful, pointless, beautiful, infuriating, gorgeous game called football is all about.

Videos

Got a bit of time on your hands? Why not watch the whole 90 minutes? Via YouTube user, nay YouTube legend, Terukaza Oyama. Amazing work, that man. First half, part one:



First half, part two:



Second half, part one:



Second half, part two:



No extra time I'm afraid, but you can jump straight to the penalties courtesy of YouTuber JagdOrkus:

S-Pulse 3-0 Cerezo Osaka

BARRY WRITES... 

S-Pulse 3-0 Cerezo Osaka
Ishige 8
Hiraoka 77
Murata 94

Att 11917
IAI Stadium Nihondaira, Shizuoka

Line Up

GK Kushibiki

DF Kawai
DF Jakovic
DF Hiraoka
DF Yoshida

MF Honda
MF Omae
MF Musaka
MF Ishige

FW Novakovic
FW Takagi T

Subs Used

Murata on for Omae (84)
Mizutani on for Honda (85)
Takaki on for Takagi T (90)

Report



Our first win after six defeats and a draw. Halle-bloody-lujah.

Not enough to take us out the drop zone though, and nothing has been achieved yet. Regardless, this is huge in terms of turning our season around. Yes, Cerezo were crap. They were irritable, desperate and let themselves down, not least for their red card. But we dominated from start to finish and should have been 3-0 up at half time, let alone full time.

The starting eleven, still missing Jong a Pin, was far more solid than some of Oenoki's recent line ups. Kawai I'll take over Mizutani any day of the week, and the same for Jakovic over Miura. Defenece after all is where we've come undone with goal after goal seeping through. Today we kept a clean sheet, and when Cerezo were hitching it forward for Diego Forlan for the last half an hour, that's far from a given, even in a game we dictated.

That's what these last seven games are all about. Being solid. Getting points. This is not the time to give minutes to youngsters, at least not from kick off. So a better performance, but everything still to do. We have four of our last seven games at home, so with home advantage and our boys doing what we all know they can, we should stay up.

Well, next week we have the nice distraction of the cup 1/4 finals. Away at Nagoya, which is going to be very tough to overcome, but with the carrot of a semi final dangling in sight we'll be up for it. Kick off Saturday at 7pm - excited? I know am. :)

Videos

Highlights.



The goals in beautiful slow motion from YouTube user imoimo9.