VIPs from Yamada City

Barry writes:

Saturday's 3-3 thriller with Cerezo Osaka was host to 50 special guests from Yamada City, Iwate prefecture; a town almost completely destroyed in the March 11th tsunami. A number of junior high and high school students and family members, numbering around 50 in total, were presented with the invites by Takahara.

"Thank you Takahara, Thank you S-Pulse"

I glad they were given a crazily entertaining, maybe if not winning, game to enjoy, and I hope everyone went home with some good memories of Shimizu. You are truly welcome back any time. Nice job Takahara, and nice job S-Pulse.

S-Pulse 3-3 Cerezo Osaka

Barry writes:

S-Pulse 3-3 Cerezo Osaka
Ono 8 ----------------------- Bando 76, 77, 87
Takagi 80
Takahara 89

Att. 12823

Line Up

GK K. Yamamoto

DF Tsujio
DF Iwashita
DF Bosnar
DF Ota
DF Jong-a-Pin

MF Ono
MF Edamura

FW Omae
FW Takahara
FW Takagi

Subs Used

Brosque on for Edamura (60)
Iwashita on for Ono (71)
Nagai on for Hiraoka (79)

Report

That has to be amongst the most insane final 15 minutes of a game I've ever watched. 75 minutes gone and we're coasting along at 1-0. Osaka had just brought on another striker in Bando, but Kaito had been keeping the visitors at bay with a string of stunning stops, and if we could keep it tight we should be good for three points. Well after five goals, several more gilt edged chances, four yellow cards and some of the most cynical time wasting you'll ever see, it finally ended 3-3, and I needed a lie down.

Jong-a-Pin warming up

It started with a penalty to equalise, and straight from the restart Osaka scythed down the left wing, swung it in, and there was Bando again. Two one in the blink of an eye. Kick off, and within seconds Lopes goes down on the floor like a sack of crap and doesn't move. The play acting and time wasting started right on cue. He was stretchered off, we pressed and equalised two minutes later through Takagi. Suddenly Cerezo were not quite so interested in running down the clock and starting playing again.

It was Bando for the 11 minute hattrick on 87 minutes to give the visitors the lead after rounding Kaito and firing home. The away fans went nuts, as you would expect. Having come back against the odds once, I'll be honest in that I feared the worst at this point. Cerezo had only three minutes to hold on and I had no doubt they'd do all they could to not let us play. But credit where it's due (to us), we just did not stop.

We were in a hole but were not going to go down without a fight. Just two minutes after their third, a cross to the far post from Omae was met by a forward stampeding Takahara who headed powerfully, unstoppably home. The place erupted. Takahara and Cerezo keeper Kim Jin-Hyun both saw yellow after getting into an altercation when Kim stopped Taka grabbing the ball for a speedy restart. Fair play to Taka, he wasn't going to let such pettiness go unchallenged.

With five minutes stoppage time, the game was now flowing in our favour and a Bosnar header which was agonisingly straight at the keeper (he had little time to properly direct it) and a last minute counter attack when Eddy should have probably passed were both chances which might have brought goals, but the game finally ended up 3-3.

It was a frantic end to a game we maybe should have won, but after creating a mess, we did very well to come back. The referee was again poor and it effected the game, but our mistakes were our own. New boy Jong-a-Pin (nickname Kara, by all accounts) who is a left back by trade played as a defensive midfielder behind Ono and Edamura, and the big man had a good début. Confident on the ball, forward looking, he was rarely troubled when put under pressure. He looks like he's going to grow into a vital part of our team, and very pleased I am to see him in orange.

Away in Yamagata on Wednesday. I was half planning on going, but just can't make it, so I'll be watching on the box. Yamagata will be playing J2 next year barring a ferocious fight back in the next few months, so three points is a must. More goals, please Taka - with each one you're proving more and more doubters wrong, and I love you for it!

Videos

Yet to find any. Will add them as and when.

Jong-a-Pin signs

Barry writes:

The official press release came today to confirm the Dutchman's signing for S-Pulse, as was reported last week. Welcome to Shizuoka, big man! Looking forward to seeing what you can do.

With his addition, our foreign player count is up to three, but either of our Aussies counts as the one Asian foreigner. So we may still be seeing another overseas player from Ghotbi's international connections as we still have one non-Asian space left.

S-Pulse 3-0 Omiya Ardija

Barry writes:

S-Pulse 3-0 Omiya Ardija
Edamura 48
Ono 54
Takahara 78

Att. 16768

Line Up

GK K. Yamamoto

DF Muramatsu (yellow 45+1)
DF Iwashita
DF Bosnar
DF Ota

MF Ono
MF Hiraoka
MF Edamura

FW Omae
FW Takahara
FW Takagi (yellow 90+3)

Subs Used

Brosque on for Ono (68)
M. Yamamoto on for Hiraoka (81)
Nabeta on for Takahara (85)

Report

No time, no time! I'll be honest with you. I drank too much before the game and don't remember with too much clarity the events which led to our first win in four. I'll have a quick go though from memory.

Kaito was recalled for Usui who had let in 12 in three games. Not all his fault by any means, but it can't do a keeper's confidence any favours. Takahara was back leading the charge and Edamura made a rare start.

The first half was bereft of too many chances, but it was Eda who opened the scoring right after the break. Ono, from another of Ota's excellent crosses, doubled the lead. Shinji found himself deep in the Omiya box, and with a couple oif deft steps lost his marker. From behind the goal I thought he' d hit is straight it straight at the keeper, but how could I doubt him? It was aimed perfectly through his legs.

At 2-0 Omiya really had us hanging on for a spell and we just couldn't hold onto possession. But for a cracking Kaito stop it would have been 2-1 and the way it was going a come back wouldn't have been unlikely. But we held on and a belter from Takahara put the game beyond reach for the visitors.

So a good result for sure, but still tempered by the last three games. New signing Jong-a-Pin was there and was seen chatting away to Ghotbi before the game. Maybe we'll see him as early as the Cerezo match next week.

Aaaah, time up! I'm off to Aichi for the day. Will do the Ghotbi says bit later or tomorrow or whenever. See ya!


Videos

Personal video uploads starting with Edamura:



Ono:



Takahara:

Goal Rush Video - 2011 Part 1

Barry writes:

Yep, I've a little bit of free time on my hands during the summer hols. :)

Enjoy.

S-Pulse Set to Sign Calvin Jong-a-Pin

Barry writes:

News has been rife around the tubes that Dutch defender Jong-a-Pin is set to sign. The 6 foot 25 year old is currently attached to Heerenveen but is out of contract this summer.

The 2008 Olympic international has been playing as a left back but is said to be able to play as a defensive midfielder or at centre back. This is encouraging as Ota has earned himself an international call up this season thanks to his performances as left back.

Well, as soon as anything is official I'll be tweeting and posting it here, so watch this space. It's an interesting signing, the first of Ghotbi's reign, and looking at our last three games, one we probably need.

In my experience, the Dutch speak excellent English and this would be a major boon in helping him settle in. With Eddy, Alex, Ono and of course Ghotbi (and several others) communication shouldn't prove any kind of problem.

Video

Here's some selected clips of Jong-a-Pin. As if the fact he's wearing a very Brighton-esque strip wasn't enough, it's dotted with HEARTS! :D Love it.

Niigata 4-0 S-Pulse

Barry writes:

Niigata 4-0 S-Pulse

Att. 37830

GK Usui

DF Tsujio
DF Hiraoka
DF Bosnar
DF Ota

MF Ono
MF Muramatsu
MF Sugiyama

FW Omae
FW Nagai
FW Brosque

Subs Used

Takagi on for Brosque (55)
Edamura on for Sugiyama (73)
Yamamoto on for Tsujio (80)

Report

You have got to be joking. Well, at least it wasn't four.

Oh, hold on, as I type this, it is four. :( Another 94th minute goal for the opposition.

Are we trying for our worst ever goal difference? What the hell has gone wrong these last three games? This season was always going to be transitional, so here's to us finding our feet again and stopping this horrific run at home to Omiya on Saturday.

We only drop one place to 10th thanks to a bit of a cushion from our recent good run. I don't think anyone except the current bottom three will be going down, so let's not panic or get on anyone's back just yet.

But seriously, though. This can't go on.

Ghotbi Says

Translated back to English, so not his exact words, but the gist.

"We gave everything we had. We were unlucky to go one nil down and end the first half behind. We have a lot of injured players and people who aren't at full fitness and having a hard time of it. A positive is that even at 3-0 down we never gave up and were attacking until the end.

We're getting all our bad luck at once. I'm happy that our next game is at home where we can play in front of our own fans and stop this bad run."

Videos

Highlights.



Reaction from our travelling fans at full time. Can't say I blame them.



In other news, Brighton scored an 98th minute winner to mark a dream start to life at The Amex Stadium. After the last three weeks, I bloody needed this, I can tell ya!