Kofu 1-0 S-Pulse (Nab Cup)

Barry writes:

Kofu 1-0 S-Pulse
Havenaar 66

Att. 10466

Line Up

GK Usui

DF Tsujio
DF Iwashita
DF Bosnar (Yellow 2)
DF Ota

MF Edamura (Yellow 61)
MF Muramatsu
MF Kobayashi (Yellow 22)

FW Omae
FW Ito (Yellow 15)
FW Takagi

Subs Used

Nagai on for Kobayashi (55)

Report

I didn't go or watch it (girlfriend service time) but all the result means is we have to score in the home leg which we would have had to have done anyway.

I went to Yokohama FC v Verdy yesterday because I was free and the other half was at work, so here's a picture or two.

The visitors in fine voice
Two goals in two minutes for 10 men Yokohama
Our Takagi's younger bro came on for a bit and looked like a chip off the old block
The first home win of the season for the former Flügels

I managed to miss the red card as my pre-halftime toilet run backfired spectacularly. I only noticed the home team were down to ten men after they'd scored two in two minutes to go ahead. Must pay more attention in future.

Mitsuzawa is a cracking little stadium, but the tight gangways behind the stands are not built for crowds. Good job only 4000 were there yesterday. ;) You're right on top of the action though, so you can forgive the place's shortcomings. The beer lovelies didn't stop all game, and very lovely they were too. Verdy fans were not happy as you might imagine, but fair play to Yokohama, they held on doggedly for their first home win against the odds.

A special mention must go to the CoCo Ichi on the west side of Yokohama station. A piping hot curry rice served to specification within two minutes. Top work, that restaurant. Five minutes we have to wait in Shizuoka. FIVE MINUTES!!! The bar has been raised.

Videos

Back on topic, here's Kofu's goal from today. Looks like Usui got proper done on the near post.　Check out the travelling masses behind the far goal though. Just sent a shiver down my spine seeing how many made the trip. Respect.

Punishment from Jubilo RE: Banner

Barry writes:

Released by Jubilo on Friday, the verdict after the Ghotbi nuclear banner. In summary:

1) The two who hung the banner are indefinitely banned from all J.League matches, this may be lifted in the future.

2) The president and vice president of the main jubilo supporter group Progresso, are banned from J.League matches until the end of this season.

3) Beginning in July all banners and flags at Jubilo home games must be approved ahead of time by the club and are limited to player names and 'content supporting the players'. No anti S-Pulse flags for the derby as per in the past, then. They won't screen stuff in June but security will ask anyone with non-compliant flags to either put it away or leave the stadium.

With thanks to Dokool of Aishiteru Tokyo for translations help.

Note that this is not the J. League's verdict, which will follow at a later date.

Iranian Fans' Response to Nuclear Banner

Barry writes:

Since Saturday this blog has had more visitors from more corners of the world than ever before. A shame it had to come off the back off controversy, but such is life. The news spread all over the globe in hours, including to Iranian news sites. Here's a selection of comments from various Iranian message boards.

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Gorbi

After reading the article and watching some of the videos, I have to say that I am impressed with the Japanese fans who will not stand for such BS. I think what they had on the banner was rather dumb, but not necessarily racist. Also reading the comments left by fans, I am impressed by the responses. Looks to me like the vast majority of the fans in Japan are decent and don't care for such stupidity. Good for them, our own fans can learn a thing or two from the Japanese.

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Anon

Gorbi I disagree and think it is very racist to bring up the nationality of a coach into club rivalry. ... We Iranians have to stand up to these racist behavior.

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futbol IRAN

thats a shame considering how much Iran helped Japan during the earthquake tragedy!

tasteless and immature fans!

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Persianking

lol personally I feel not insulted by this but still a bad move , did not expect that.

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Babak agha

That's not remotely racist!!! You guys need to get the difference between racism and stereotyping ;-)

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dokhtar92irooni

That's harsh and insulting to all Iranians

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maij

That is NO WHERE near ..., I say again NO WHERE & NO WAY near a racist comment!!

You need to understand the difference between Political comment and Racist comment. That banner about Nuclear weapon production is POLITICAL not race.

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Ardalan

It may not be racism, but it sure is "loos and bimaze". Like saying, the only things Italian do is eat Spaghetti, or all Chinese people know martial arts like Jackie Chan. Ridiculous and predictable generalizing is what is it.
But then again, this does not by any means represent the view of the majority of Japanese football fans. It's just a demonstration of lousy sense of humor

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allan123

True, this only from Jubilo Iwata Fans and the Japanese people are very nice.
But This comment "To Gotbi, stop making nuclear weapons" I don't like.

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Webmaster

That is NOT a racist comment but a political one. ... I have not seen any people more polite and real than the Japanese in the entire world, so I am sure they are not meaning anything racist. (And that is the majority in my opinion)

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P.Nima

We shouldnt be angered by this at all. There were just a couple of fans behind this. The banner was quickly pulled down, they were kicked out, and the club apologized to Ghotbi. What more can you want from them?

We cant expect everyone in Japan to be homogeneously perfect, there are jackasses in every country.

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Mehran

I for one, do not find this kind of racist behavior funny. Good for the Shimizu supporters for shutting down these Jubilo little punks and their idiotic banner.

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Some people not bothered, others deeply insulted. Anyway, I guess it's time to leave this be for now while we wait for the J. League's response.

One unfortunate upshot of everything is that next year's home derby may end up now being played at Ecopa with the increased segregation and security of the newer stadium. All well and good, but it's an hour from Shimizu and ten minutes from Iwata. Not ideal. :(

Jubilo Iwata Supporters in Terrorist Slur Towards Afshin Ghotbi

Barry writes:

You know one of the many things I like about the J. League? The ability to have a good, healthy rivalry between teams without the off field problems or political tensions of certain showdowns around the world.

Well, take a bow Jubilo Iwata supporters. Some of your ranks succeeded in dragging this year's Shizuoka Derby into the gutter with a truly foul display of racist stereotyping.

"Ghotbi, stop making nuclear weapons!"

Afshin Ghotbi was born in Iran and moved to America as a child. Not that any of this should have anything to do with anything, of course. To most people in Nihondaira today it didn't. But a small group of Iwata supports clearly though it such an issue to spend the time effort and money to make the above banner.

Think for a moment how this looks to the world. A man of Iranian heritage comes to Japan to work, and within months is labelled on national TV as a terrorist. Nobody thinks for a minute that those Jubilo fans actually believe that, but to be making such displays of race discrimination so freely and without any shame is simply abhorrent.

The banner sparked a near riot as large numbers of the S-Pulse supports were so incensed as to run the entire length of the stadium to confront and demand the flag. To my mind they were 100% justified in their actions and deserve applause for not letting this pass without words.

The banner incited violent confrontations

The livid home fans didn't leave the away end for half an hour. I hear the Iwata supporters responsible were apprehended. They deserve to be banned from J. League stadiums for life for bringing shame to one of the oldest derby fixtures in the J. League, and inciting angry brawls that endangered women and children in the crowd. Punches were thrown, flags torn down and a whole lot of pushing and shoving. It may not sound much, but this is virtually unheard of in Japan, and just the type of thing that can turn hundreds of people off the game.

Incensed S-Pulse fans refused to leave the away end

Above and beyond this, what of Afshin Ghotbi himself? He comes to Japan to manage S-Pulse and gets vile racist abuse. Poor fella. What a welcome to the country. The message to the world today, for it is all over Twitter, is "Japan racially stereotypes with no shame." The J. League needs to come down on those responsible like a ton of bricks to show that this won't be tolerated.

One S-Pulse fan who joined the angry mob told me "It can't be allowed. It had to be challenged." One Jubilo supporter told me "It's fucking stupid." Yep, it is. It's foul and left a bad taste in the mouth. It's time for the J. League to act, and act swiftly.

Ghotbi - I'm so very, very sorry you had to see that. Please don't take these wannabe hooligans' words to heart. Most people in Japan are decent folk who won't let this type of thing go unchallenged. You saw how our fans defended your honour - and that is the majority of this country.

Sunday May 29th Update:

Those responsible have been identified on YouTube.

Jubilo have issued a full unreserved apology to Afshin Ghotbi, S-Pulse supporters, everyone at the game, and everyone who loves the game of football.

Two males in their teens were detained after the game and interviewed by the police and match commissioner. The J. League are waiting on the official report.

S-Pulse new boy and former Jubilo striker Takahara was reported as expressing his disappointment with Iwata's fans.

Videos

The moment the flag was unveiled.



The shit immediately hitting the fan.







Oh, yeah - the game ended 0-0.

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 - The Most English Speaking team in the J. League?

Barry writes:

Just a random thought. Is S-Pulse the most English speaking club in the J. League? Bosnar and Alex of course are native speakers, but then we have Ono, who I've chatted with very briefly and speaks excellent English. In addition, Nagai and Sho Ito both reportedly speak the language well. Then the gaffa himself is another native speaker.

Shimizu Eigo-Pulse. :)

Omiya 1-4 S-Pulse

Barry writes:

Omiya 1-4 S-Pulse
Rafael 93 ------------ Brosque 39
----------------------------Takahara 50, 59
----------------------------Tsujio 69

Att. 6668

Line Up

GK Usui

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

MF Ono
MF Muramatsu
MF Brosque

FW Omae
FW Takahara
FW Takagi

Subs Used

Edamura on for Genki (64)
Ito on for Ono (73)
Kobayashi on for Brosque (82)

Report

The goals have been coming. Anyone who watched our last couple of games will have seen that, even though the results haven't been great, we did create several great chances. Today we got the rub of the green and some of them went in. Conversely, Omiya hit the woodwork I think three times, much like us last week.

For most of the first half Omiya were the better team, but the goal from Brosque took the wind out of their sails. Right before half time, and against the run of play is a big blow to come back from, and after we started the second half much improved, taking only five minutes to build on our lead, there wasn't any coming back for the home team.

Takahara started as centre forward ahead of the dropped Sho Ito who had drawn a blank for the first six games of the season. To be fair to the lad, he's been achingly close in the past few weeks, and today he had us thinking we'd made it 5 but for a stunning reaction save from Kitano. Takahara, who has been played on the left thus far, was in his natural predatory zone today and his first goal, on the half volley from a Tsujio run and cross, was sweetly struck. The second came after a poor back pass (I think?), and a hesitating keeper, gave the pouncing Taka all the time in the world to compose himself and stroke a shot of some class past Kitano.

That really meant game over, but we were in the zone and were determined to make up some ground on our goal difference. Tsujio added to his assists with a shot that crept in past the post. The big man fully deserved it. It was after this that Sho, on for Ono, very nearly got on the scoresheet. He really needs a goal, does Sho.

Good news - Daigo made his S-Pulse debut for the last ten minutes and received a nice warm round of boos from his former fans. It'll take a little while to regain his full match sharpness, but he'll get there, and despite the long lay off was getting stuck right in. Takagi looked spellbinding at times and I hope he gets his first goal in an orange shirt next Saturday again the scum.

That's enough rambling from me. So I'll sign off with thanks to Omiya Steve and co for number one, picking up the phone, and number two, being so hospitable despite the result. You are more than welcome to join us for beers after the return leg later in the year. :)

I went to Omiya in 2008. It was much the same

Not every team does this. Nice touch
Tsujio makes it 4
Full time
In previous weeks he kept drifting to centre forward - and today he showed why

Videos

Highlights:



Personal video of Tsujio's's goal. The J. League's 15000th, no less.