SHIZUOKA IS ORANGE - DERBY DAY IS UPON US

Barry writes:

On the off chance that Mr Ghotbi should click on through our humble pages this evening, a plea.

The Shizuoka Derby may not rank up there on the world stage with Barca vs Real, or Boca Juniors vs River Plate, but believe me when I say it matters.

This game has sold out the last three years and would have done tomorrow but for the weather. Don't mistake those empty seats for lack of interest. The 14000 S-Pulse maniacs (and 50 or so jubilo goons) will be making up for the empty seats with everything they have to help their team claim bragging rights until September.

This is what happened in 2009:



This Derby Day is huge in Shizuoka, and we want the win - we want it bad! We've not lost at home to the KitKat flag waving yokels since 2003, and we do want to regain old habits tomorrow. Come on S-Pulse, for Shimizu, for Shizuoka, and for all that is good and right in Japanese football - beat the scummers!!!!

Some KitKat fans

How you support a team without waving huge chocolate bar adverts around:

REAL SHIZUOKA - SHIMIZU S-PULSE

S-Pulse 1-1 Jubilo (Charity Game)

Barry writes:

S-Pulse 1-1 Jubilo
Hiraoka 45 ---------------- Yamazaki 46

Att. 5590

Line Up

GK Usui

DF Tsujio
DF Iwashita
DF Hiraoka
DF Ota

MF M. Yamamoto
MF Edamura
MF Ono

FW Omae
FW Takahara
FW Ito

Subs Used

Takaki on for Takahara (HT)
Alex on for Ono (70)

Report

Over 5500 people turned out in the pouring rain for a charity game to raise money for the earthquake. It's a shame the weather wasn't more kind as the crowd figure no doubt took a hit as a result, but nevertheless several million yen was raised for the very best of causes.

Today was never really about the game and all about the cause. S-Pulse and Jubilo fans sang as one in support of Kashima, Sendai and Mito, the three teams worst effected by the disaster. It was far from a regular occasion with everything toned down and no songs or chants which were overtly pro-Shimizu. I'm not even sure either team wanted to win this game. Perhaps it would have looked like poor form to have gone all out to win today.

We opened the scoring from a corner where a rare goal from Hiraoka came from a header at the near post. This was just before half time, but moments after the restart Jubilo had equalised. I didn't see the build up, distracted as I was singing along with Jubilo to Sendai's Country Roads song.

But like I say, it wasn't a real game in the way a league derby would be, and little can be read into the scoreline or performance, so I'm just to leave it there. What matters is the millions of yen raised. Ganbare Nippon!!!

Shizuoka Derby Charity Match April 9th

Barry writes:

A fund raising match between S-Pulse and those pesky toe rags from across the prefecture (hey, I can't be too harsh - this is for charity!) was announced today.

It will be at Nihondaira on April 9th, kick off 1pm. Tickets are 2000 yen for adults, 1000 for everyone else and are on sale in the usual way. Needless to say, all proceeds will be going to the earthquake funds.

Get yourself down there!

Iwata 2-1 S-Pulse

Barry writes:

iwata 2-1 S-Pulse
Gilsinho 23 -- Ota 41
Yamamoto 43

Att. 31266

Line Up

GK Nishibe

DF Ichikawa
DF Hiroi (yellow 73)
DF Bosnar
DF Ota

MF Hyodo
MF Ito
MF Yamamoto

FW Fujimoto
FW Johnsen
FW Okazaki

Subs Used

Edamura on for Hyodo (56)
Ono on for Yamamoto (70)
Hara on for Okazaki (75)

Report

Well if you can't score in 45 minutes against one of the worst teams in the league, you deserve to lose. Ono was nowhere to be seen in the starting 11 for reasons I can't tell you.

Probably the most interesting to happen tonight came before kick off when S-Pulse fans unveiled the same banner as last year aimed at Jubilo. It read "Jubilo" but was opened up to read "Kick your ass". The police (EDIT- or hang on, maybe they were the stewards?), on seeing it, tried with all their might to pull it down. They failed completely.

Pre-match excitement

After the banner had been on display for several minutes, all the while with the three or four policemen (stewards?) trying in vein to pull it down (the above picture was as good as they managed), loud discussions continued with the fans responsible and the staff involved. Many people around me were asking what it meant, and I translated it. A very light jibe aimed at the opposition. Not offensive, not obscene, not about to incite any violence (95% of the crowd had no idea what it even meant), so why the over reaction? Who knows.

S-Pulse 0-0 iwata

Barry writes:

Shimizu S-Pulse 0-0 iwata

Att. 19968

There you have it, folks. The first ever no score draw in a league Shizuoka Derby. It took 17 years and 40 games to come, but come it did. It takes our unbeaten run at home against iwata to seven years.

Line Up

GK Nishibe

DF Tsujio
DF Iwashita
DF Bosnar
DF Arata (yellow 36)

MF Fujimoto
MF Honda
MF Ono

FW Okazaki
FW Johnsen
FW Nagai

Subs Used

Nagai on for M. Yamamoto (HT)
Ota on for Arata (77)
Omae on for Fujimoto (85)

Videos

The game was sold out and the place was rocking.



Not S-Pulse related, but here's a video of a game this weekend with goals. Gamba Osaka beating Urawa after Urawa had equalised in the 93rd minute. Brilliant stuff.

S-Pulse 2-0 Iwata

Barry writes:

S-Pulse 2-0 Iwata
Nagai 38 -------------------Park sent off 79
Hiraoka 62

Att. 17521
Line Up

GK Nishibe

DF Tsujio
DF Hiraoka
DF Bosnar
DF Ota

MF Hyodo
MF Honda
MF Ono

FW Nagai
FW Johnsen
FW Fujimoto

Subs Used

M. Yamamoto on for Hyodo (75)
Hara on for Nagai (82)
Omae on for Fujimoto (84)

Report

Perfect day for a derby win

We comfortably beat Iwata at a packed Nihondaira Stadium to extend our run of unbeaten home fixtures against Jubilo into it's eighth year. The win leaves the Nabisco Cup group B looking like this:

#		Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	D	Pts
1		S-Pulse	6	3	2	1	6	3	+3	11
2		Yamagata	5	3	1	1	6	1	+5	10
3		Iwata	5	3	1	1	7	5	+2	10
4		Yokohama FM	5	2	2	1	6	3	+3	8
5		Urawa	5	2	1	2	6	6	+0	7
6		Kobe	5	1	1	3	5	8	-3	4
7		Shonan	5	0	0	5	2	12	-10	0

So all we need to hope on Wednesday is that Yokohama don't win. In that case anything can happen in the Iwata v Yamagata game. If Yokohama win, then we'd need the Iwata game to end in a draw to progress. (Not entirely true - see comments.)

As for today, we were the better team; sharper and quicker to the punch than the visitors who, despite getting far enough forward on a number of occasions to shoot, they wouldn't have hit the target if they were still playing now.

The freekick we extended our lead from

Both our goals came from the height of Bosnar and Johnsen creating havoc in the Jubilo penalty area. Johnsen, who admittedly didn't have a great game, was still the main reason we took the lead shortly before the break. A nicely weighted freekick floated in by Ono (who was effortlessly world class again. Okada's unfathomable decision to exclude him from the national team is our gain) was met by the towering Frode. He nodded it into the danger zone, and after another flick on, it was met by Nagai. 1-0.

In the second half it was another freekick which was met by the two metre Bosanr. His powerful header brought a good save from Hatta in the Iwata goal, but it was too much for him to do anything other than parry, and Hiraoka was on hand to smash the rebound home.

Unquestionably helped by the sending off of Park, Jubilo never really looked like scoring, and Nishibe, save for one near catastrophic error of judgement in the first half, was solid as a rock. To be fair, he recovered well from his one mistake and went on to have a great game. As mentioned, Johnsen wasn't at his best with his first touch letting him down more than once, but we all have off days, and his strength in the air was instrumental today.

I'm tired and sunburnt, so I'm going to call it a day. Just before I do, hello to Ken - excellent to meet someone with such a strong English accent!

Now it's all about Wednesday...

Videos

Nagai's goal from a personal cam. A hint of the offsides about it to say the least.



Personal cam of Hiraoka's goal:

S-Pulse 5 (FIVE) - 1 Jubilo

Barry writes:

S-Pulse 5-1 Jubilo Iwata
Iwashita 2 ----------------- Maeda 44
Edamura 10
Hyodo 24
Edamura 57
Okazaki 75

Att. 20116

Line Up

GK K. Yamamoto

DF Ichikawa
DF Aoyama
DF Iwashita
DF Ota

MF Edamura
MF Honda
MF Ito
MF Hyodo

FW Johnsen
FW Okazaki

Subs used

Fujimoto on for Hyodo (73)
Nagasawa on for Johnsen (85)

Report

3-0? Pah, that's nothing. 5-1 on the day, that's 5-4 in aggregate. There's only one team in Shizuoka, and today underlined that fact not once, not twice, but five times.

Jubilo prepare for the spanking of their lives

Nihondaira was heaving for another sell out; the biggest game of the season bar none. After the horror of getting beaten 3-0 back in April, we had it all to prove, and we didn't need long to get things going. We burst out the traps and were two up within ten minutes. The first was from Iwashita, and as you can probably guess it was from a corner. Edamura doubled the lead eight minutes later, and suddenly my pre-match prediction of 10-0 wasn't looking entirely improbable.

Maeda very nearly pulled one back for Iwata when he smashed a volley against the bar, but less than ten minutes after that we were celebrating again. Our third came from some uncharacteristically elegant play from Hyodo, as he brought a high ball down and evaded the defender on the turn to score a stunning goal. It sent the packed stadium wild, and Jubilo must have known there was no coming back.

All smiles in the S-Pulse end

Maeda did manage to pull one back in first half stoppage time, and the goal puts him level with Okazaki and Kawasaki's Juninho at the top of the top scorers table, all with 12. With that goal on the board, the visitors came out the stronger in the second half, but it was Edamura again who was there to bring down a loose ball and slam it home to make it four just before the hour. The party in the stands well and truly began when Okazaki beautifully sent it through Kawaguchi's legs to make it 5.

We twice hit the bar, the second time when substitute Nagasawa went achingly close to grabbing a sixth, but let's not be greedy. This was the biggest league Shizuoka Derby victory of all time, with a four goal margin eclipsing anything Jubilo could manage even during their glory years. How long ago they must seem to the blue masses who were scuttling for the exits with five minutes still to go...

Even Kenta joined Loco Loco - he later said once was enough!

We're now unbeaten in eight, winning five of those. As is our tradition to start poorly and warm up with the summer, we're up to third. This is before the Sunday games for Gamba Osaka and Kawasaki Frontale, but regardless of their results, we're looking well placed for an ACL challenge. Antlers are still eight points clear of second place, and still look pretty much uncatchable at the top. That said, Urawa were seven points clear with, what? four games left in 2007, and they managed to blow it. We still have eleven games remaining, so who knows! Our game with Kawasaki next Sunday will be a huge chance to set out our intentions, so I may just have to head up to the Todoroki.

For now, I'm just going to enjoy a classic day down at Daira. We were incredible. :)

Videos etc:

Official pictures can be found here (top row). Full highlights:



Post match Loco Loco - including Kenta!



And finally, an excellent compilation video of one of the best ever nights down Nihondaira:



:)

When is a Derby not a Derby?

Barry writes:

When it's a DARBY.

We're all getting excited about the Shizuoka prefecture face-off next week. We're also looking forward to the orange head to head with Niigata this Sunday (for which there are only 1551 tickets left.) It looks like S-Pulse have got some great events lined up for supporters to enjoy each match day, so all credit to them. Both games are looking like sell outs, which is excellent work from all concerned.

I just wish that someone at the club website had stuck the word DERBY into a dictionary before making the, admittedly rather lovely, graphics used to promote the games. Click here to see when a DERBY becomes a DARBY... (^.^;)

Iwata 3-0 S-Pulse SHIMIZU: SHAME ON YOU

I'm tired, sunburnt, hoarse, but most of all I'm absolutely fucking disgusted. Getting turned over by second-rate relegation fodder is one thing, but letting your biggest rivals have the time of their lives at your expense is completely bloody unforgivable.

I forget my exact words, but they weren't very polite

One question, Kenta: what the FUCK was that? We're one of the better teams in this league. We've got talent - you only have to look to Iwashita, Paulo, Jungo, Okazaki, Hara, or Nagai for evidence of that. If you're not able to mould these players into a threatening team, one which doesn't get given the run around by a team which hadn't won in nine league games, then you've got to start asking yourself if you're the right man for the job.

Nishibe was at fault for the first (how many times have we said that?), but even at 1-0 we had nothing. Twelve shots for Iwata in the second half to our three. And that was with four strikers on for a good portion of it. Johnsen was ineffective, so why leave him on? It was instead Jungo who was removed for Hara. Then when 2-0 down a defender was taken off for another striker. Minutes later our now non-existent defence was breached to make it three. Game over.

Kenta, the fans gave you and your team - our team - a hell of a barrage of abuse at the end, and I'm hoping you've been pulled up in front of the board to explain what went wrong. I hope you can, and I hope you can fix it, because nothing less than a win at home against Kashiwa (one of only two teams with less points that Iwata) on Saturday is now acceptable. No three points and those who were calling for your head last season will be back loud and clear.

S-Pulse - hang your heads in shame. The whole of Iwata is having one big party tonight while the ten thousand oranges are back at home kicking the cat, throwing the remote control and generally feeling ASHAMED and EMBARRASSED of their team, and it's YOUR fault.

While I'm ranting, Jubilo, you don't get off scot free. Oh, no. Look at the two pictures below taken at exactly the same time and tell me what you see:

What is it that immediately springs out at you? Is there double, triple?, the number of away fans? Come on Jubilo - we had to travel the best part of an hour for this. You're ten minutes - TEN MINUTES - down the line. We had trouble getting seats in the bottom tier over two hours before kick off. An Iwata friend waltzed in at 12:15 and found swathes of empty seating behind their goal. "Embarrassing" was her precise wording.

We did our part by taking thousands of fans to Fukuroi, but if you can barely muster ten thousand of your own number, it's no wonder we're left with a half empty stadium and a measly crowd of 22152. Yeah, you were bottom of the table, but have some freaking pride in your team.

Yeah, we sucked, blew, were generally a steaming shower of shit on the day, but it's patently obvious who Shizuoka's premier supported, and all round classier and superior outfit are. Jubilo, you knows it! Reysol, watch out next week - someone is due a battering, and Kenta's job security may now depend on it.



Read a rather more measured, but no less scathing, report by Mike Tuckerman here.

The Shizuoka Derby: Jubilo v S-Pulse (Preview)

The 2009 away Shizuoka Derby. It's a game which came within a whisker of never being. Had J2 Vegalta Sendai put it in in added time last December, this game would not be taking place. To the heartbreak of S-Pulse fans the world over, the dark side of Shizuoka prevailed in that relegation play off, but it's already turned out that it was all for the best.

Yup

While Jammy Jubilo somehow clung onto their J1 status against J2 opposition, we didn't have to wait long for their first public humiliation of 2009. When it came it didn't disappoint. On match day number one, Iwata were destroyed at home by J1 new boys Montedio Yamagata in that now famous 6-2 demolition job. While still only five games into the season, Jubilo are rock bottom with no wins and thirteen conceded.

hahahahaha

This makes lovely reading for all right thinking S-Pulse supporters, and with the sun set to shine over Ecopa Stadium tomorrow, things are looking perfectly poised for classic derby and with all three points for the S-Pa. Johnsen's height should prove too much for the Jubilo defence (I use the term loosely) to handle, and with Okazaki on fire and Nagai waiting in the wings, things are looking good for a team aiming for a 4th straight win and 4th straight clean sheet.


Did I mention Jubilo's main hope up front, scorer of four of their five goals this year, and all round diving wanker, Gilsinho is out suspended? I didn't? Well he his is. Did I also mention we've sold more tickets than the home team? No? Well, as of yesterday, we have.

Pretty much all that's left is for our eleven orange heroes to go out and assert our self evident superiority over Iwata, send ourselves up into the top three, and at the same time leave the scum even further adrift at the foot of the table. The first Shizuoka Derby of 2009 is here - come on lads, don't let us down!!

S-Pa 2-1 Jubilo (SDT Cup 2009)

Not that it was ever in doubt, but yeah, in stoppage time we scored two goals to win us supremacy over Jubilo.

'ave it. :)

Extended highlights (personal cam):



And Okazaki's goal. 94th minute was is it? :-D

Júbilo on the Brink

Five short years ago, who would have thought it!? In 2003, Júbilo narrowly missed out on the chance to defend the league title (their third) they had won the previous season. That blow was somewhat softened by claiming the Emperor's Cup title instead. The previous six seasons had reaped three J. League titles, a Nabisco Cup crown, and an unprecedented three consecutive appearances in the final of what is now the Asian Champions League. A brand new 50000 seater stadium had just opened ten minutes from Iwata to house a fan base which frequently outstripped the 17000 capacity Yamaha, and their achievements totally eclipsed even those of S-Pulse, who were also busy racking up titles. With all this, you could have forgiven their supporters for feeling pretty confident in the future.

Well.

Five years down the line, things have gone from bad, to worse, to a level completely unimaginable a few seasons ago. Júbilo are just 90 minutes away from relegation to J2, from likely losing the handful of young, decent players they have, and probably worst, from being laughed at for years by S-Pulse fans. The empire enjoyed around the turn of the century has faded, died, and has been pushed far into the past by Júbilo's J1 peers, not least, and most importantly, by us. In 2008 S-Pulse finished better placed (much better placed!) for a third year running, and had far more impressive cup runs. We also recorded a higher average gate than Iwata for the first time since 1999, and that was even without the use of Ecopa to accommodate 30000 for our bigger games - something we did until last year.

So how could things get any worse for Shizuoka's fallen giants? Well, starting the 2009 season in J2 would be a start! That was the very real prospect their fans woke up to on Sunday morning. That they barely avoided automatic relegation to J2 was bad enough; it was only Tokyo Verdy's inferior goal different which meant Iwata finished above an automatic relegation spot. This gave them a second chance in the promotion / relegation series against J2's third placed Vegalta Sendai. The first leg on Wednesday finished 1-1, and now it's all back to Shizuoka for the game which decides it all. The match sold out in hours, and Sendai are bringing down a huge following to see (they hope) their triumphant return to J1 after relegation in 2003.

So while Júbilo's incredible fall from prominence is readily welcomed by the orange half of Shizuoka, the split between the S-Pulse fans who would embrace Júbilo's demotion and those who would hate to lose their local rivals is huge. A perusal of the S-Pulse supporters group on Mixi (think Facebook, but in Japanese) shows as many people eager the Blues stay up as there are with yellow flags at the ready ahead of tomorrow. I'll be behind enemy lines at the Yamaha and am expecting an atmosphere unlike any other this season. The game is balanced at 1-1 meaning a win for either team will be enough. In the event of a draw, the following applies:

0-0 - Júbilo win on away goals
1-1 - Extra time
2-2, 3-3 etc - Sendai win on away goals

With the away goal, and home advantage, the J1 team are clearly favourites to avoid the drop, but if the last three promotion / relegation games have taught us anything, it's that you can never underestimate the underdogs. The last three all went the way of the J2 challengers.

I've been agonising for days over who I want to win this one, and I've come to the conclusion that I want Sendai to send Júbilo down. Heck, Júbilo would already be down if we hadn't gifted them the derby last month, and that's surely more than enough charity from us. I know I'd miss the derby if Iwata drop; it's the highlight of the season and the easily the biggest home game of the season, but that's football, and there'll be more than enough Shizuoka match-ups in the future. I recently came across this photo from around 2005, when we were looking none to clever ourselves.

Click for more anti S-Pulse propaganda

Such gleeful enjoyment of our own struggles bore revenge in the form of a huge "Congratulations on your relegation to J2" banner which made it's début at last month's derby. Other gems from the link above include Shimizu referred to as "A Shame of Kingdom." They clearly want to play hardball with regard the rivalry, so they can't be expecting anything other than Shimizu to paint itself yellow this weekend! Relegation isn't the end of the world, they would surely recover, and you can be certain they would come back swinging ready to wrestle back the title of Kings of Shizuoka. So, with the utmost respect to all Iwata fans, (hey, my other half is one!) I say:

Come on Sendai!!!

Iwata 1-0 S-Pa

I have nothing to say about this, so here's a couple of videos instead:

The players come out as thousands of S-Pa fans turn the stadium orange, white and black:



After the whistle, the players get what's coming to them when they let down 10000 travelling die-hards:



And if that doesn't give you a headache, I don't know what will...

And finally, here's a video of Jae-Jin scoring the winner in the 93rd minute of last year's Shizuoka Derby.



Not that you can see it, but God that felt good. :)

All square in derby 1 of 4

さすが静岡
So my three nil prematch prediction was always going to be case of the heart ruling the head! There's not been a three goal derby winning margin since 1999, and yesterday neither team looked like breaking that record. When the final whistle blew there was a distinct feeling of anti climax around Nihondaira, particularly as Jubilo had played out the last 25 minutes with just ten men.

More about the game later. The UK Ultras experience is never just about the football, and yesterday was no different. The derby fun an games started on Friday with a 15 mile round trip to Nihondaira to reserve our space in the queue. We weren't alone, with around two hundred other die hards standing in line from 10pm. Midnight rolled around and we taped our plastic sheets down and headed home. It was a trip well worth having made, as when we arrived Saturday four hours before kick off, the line was colossal. It was a familiar story inside the ground with a full house meaning hundreds of people were left seatless. Where so many seats disappear to is a mystery, but with ours secured, we settled in and demolished a few prematch cans in the balmy May sunshine.

Three hours before kick off
When the game finally got underway, Jubilo came out the stronger and when on the 34th minute they breached S-Pulse's defences to go one up, the shower of four letter words masked the feeling deep down that it had kinda been coming. Fast forward to the second half and we didn't have long to wait for the goal we needed. As Hara scrambled the ball over the line I was still stuffing my face with my half time chicken pasta salad, and what was left of it went flying as I steamed down the stand and into the mosh pit. Despite Jubilo having Kawamura sent off on 64 minutes, we couldn't find a way through for a second, and even with the introduction of Okazaki and Yajima on 72, the barrage of S-Pulse attacking came to nothing. As we got stuck into an incredible post-match £2.50 all-you-can-drink deal, we knew all too well that the beer would have tasted that much better had we made more of our one man advantage.

A late Jubilo free kick Jubilo came to nothing (thank f**k)
While we were left wondering what the Japanese was for 'anti-climax' we knew its only three weeks until we get to do it all again in the league cup. I doubt we'll be seeing another full house, but there should still be a decent enough crowd down 'Daira to cheer us on to the second round. Victory would pretty much ensure our path through the group stage while defeat for Jubilo would leave their chances hanging by a thread, so there's all to play for. After yesterday, frustrating as it was, we've now lost only one of the last ten derbies. Can't be too unhappy with that, but it'll be a whole lot better should we knock them out of the cup on the 25th.

Next up is Niigata away on Tuesday. As far as I know, no Ultras will be in attendance, with this one nipping off to Kyoto for two days of temples and suchlike. There's no Sanga home game sadly (I checked) although it's probably just as well as the better half looked none too impressed when I jokingly suggested we take in a game at the Nishiyogoku stadium... I'll leave you with the choreography from yesterday. We were in the centre of the second 'E'. :)

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Derby Day comes but twice a year - or four if you're drawn together in the League Cup. A year to the day since we ran out to an orange and white stadium packed to the rafters, so it will be again. Cast eyes left for today's Japanese lesson: 完売 (kanbai) = SOLD OUT. Three days before showtime there was not a ticket to be had, save for at a price on Yahoo Auctions. The 20000 capacity at Nihondaira will again be tested to the limit, no doubt making some wonder why, with the 50000 seater Ecopa down the road, we don't play the game there. The reason is simple, and it's a good one: It's so far "down the road" that it's a mere stone's throw from Iwata City. Like last year, we'll be able to make full use of home advantage, as 18000 oranges voices drown out the murmurs which will occasionally emanate from the away end.

I'm a big fan of manipulating statistics to prove my point, but a quick glance over recent meetings reveals not much effort is needed to show we've got reason to be confident. Going into tomorrow we're unbeaten in four with an aggregate score of 8-1. We saw off Jubilo both home and away last year, and have won six of our last ten meetings with two ending in draws. Need some more? With Kenta at the helm, we've lost just one derby from seven, winning four. We've not lost a home derby in five years (and while I wasn't there the last time we got turned over, I'm pretty sure the ref was on their side and that we woz robbed).

In reality, Jubilo will also fancy their chances. Since JaeJin left, we're without the man who last year almost single-handedly ended their Derby Day dreams, and the blues are also on a good run of form with Gilsinho slamming in the goals. One thing the visitors won't be looking forward to is returning to the cauldron that Nihondaira unquestionably is when it's full to bursting:

The Good:

Expect more choreographed fun and games tomorrow!

The Bad:

An impassioned plea on the official club homepage warns against a repeat of the above, even hinting at disciplinary action from the J. League. I say ya boo sucks to that. Home advantage is all about intimidating the visitors, derbies are all about riling your opponents, and that's all this is. Everyone knows not to cross the line by physically attacking the coach, so it's all good clean fun in my eyes.

The Ugly involves a certain member of the UK Ultras falling drunkenly off his seat into the person in front. Fortunately no video exists.

So if you're still ticketless, too bad. The forecast points to sunshine, the stadium's going to be heaving, and Jubilo are once again entering the lion's den as lambs to the slaughter. My prediction? 3-0 to the mighty oranges. :)

Can we play in Chiba every week?

Two trips north of Tokyo this season have reaped four goals for, none against, and six points on the board. Are there no other games we have to go to Chiba for this year? I could very easily get used to watching Okazaki slam in winners against yellow opponents. Unlike against JEF, today's opener came not from soon-to-be-recalled-to-the-national-team Fujimoto, but S-Pa's Brazilian dynamo Fernandinho. A long cross/pass swung in from the side he smashed first time into the bottom corner sending the orange ranks behind the goal (and the hundred watching in Dream House, Shimizu) into raptures. Ferny is a crucial part of the S-Pulse machine, and he proved it yet again today. With Kenta still working out his best starting forward line, Ferny's playmaking just behind the front two and his eye for goal is more important than ever.


Pic courtesy of our man in with the home fans, Tats

Today we started with Yajima and Hara leading the charge. I'd not seen a great of Hara before today, but he looked hungry and not afraid to get stuck in. He was taken off for Okazaki just past the hour, but with his last touch he very nearly doubled our lead. A sweetly struck effort on the edge of the area smashed back off the cross bar and out of danger. Hara off, Okachan on, and it was only eight minutes we had to wait for the second goal. It had long been coming - nine S-Pa corners against the home team's two tells it's own story, and it was from a corner that Okazaki got down low to head it home. Cue more sideways conga dancing on the terraces. :)

The horrendous start to the season is still fresh in the memory, making every goal and every win that much sweeter. Up to 12th, a win on Saturday would take us into the top half, and would leave me smiling for the whole of May. Derby preview coming up later in the week - stay tuned! S-Pulse are back in form, firing in the goals and ready to rock and roll to a Kings of Shizuoka title on Sat!

In other news, Reds made hard work of beating Consdore, needing to put in four to kill off Sapporo who scored twice themselves. Nagoya's awesome start continued to falter with another defeat, this time home to Kawasaki. Other than that, find it out yourself - what am I to you people, a news service? ;-D