This Saturday we'll be having S-Pulse old boy, and not to mention derby hero, Cho Jae-Jin dropping by.
The former Korean international spent four years with us from 2004 and bagged 45 goals in orange. Not least this timely little beauty in 2007.
93:53. By far the most mental I've gone at ANY derby since I've been in Japan.
Not to mention the two he put in at a packed Nihondaira earlier in the year to beat the scum 2-1. The man is a modern derby legend, and it'll be great to welcome him back.
OK, so I know it isn't the all conquering QUEENS of Japanese idol groups, but what are you gonna do? On Saturday, due on pitch an hour before kick off, are the new kids on the block, Nogizaka46.
16 of the 46 strong collective will be performing a show to help warm our cockles on what's looking like a third rainy day out of three so far this year.
The 16 include Mai Fukuzawa, who hails (poor girl), from Iwata of all places, and Yumi Wakatsuki, from 20 minutes down the road in the S-Pulse stronghold of Fuji. Expect fireworks between the two! Maybe.
Nogizaka46 may be the official rivals to J. Pop royalty AKB48, but they're gonna have to go some yet to claim that flowery crown.
Kobayashi on for Takagi (63)
Edamura on for Kawai (63)
Hiraoka on for Franca (90)
Report
A hard fought, and thoroughly earned, first away win since last July. Vissel were the more dangerous from the kick off, but our defence is looking increasingly stingy as the season goes on, and so it was on Saturday. After last year's unpleasantness which led to Jong a Pin's untimely exit, he responded in the best possible way with a commanding performance at centre back.
Many eyes were on new singing Jymmy Franca's first start in Orange, spearheading the attack. It was always going to take some time, and the big man is clearly acclimatising to J. league football. He didn't stop running and his effort doesn't go unnoticed by the fans. He was also unlucky not to have chalked up his first goal, and from what I hear the goal he dispatched one on one past Tokushige was not offside. Yet to see it though, so no comment from me. It was a clinical finish with the keeper making every effort to close him down and make the save, so will only help his confidence, despite it not standing.
The first half was solid defensively, but in what was a more frantic second half the introduction of Kobayashi and Edamura helped us set the pace more in the centre of the park. Edamura was going for everything, and it was his putting pressure on S-Pulse old boy Kazumichi Takagi which caused the defender to spill the ball in the danger zone. Brosque knocked it through to the advanced Eda, and while the keeper got down well he couldn't hold on it.
The Australian was on hand to put it home in front of us lot who, after a quick check of the linesman, went accordingly berserk (including the lads behind me who had been belting out S-Pulse songs all game in broad Kansai accents). Special mention must go to Muramatsu who started the whole move with his strong physical presence on the ball - check it out in the video below.
Another clean sheet, a third win in eight days, the sun is shining and the cherry blossoms are in bloom. Things are hitting pace just in time for the big one this Saturday: the Shizuoka Derby. We've not done them at home since the 5-1, so it's about time we got a result. It's also well overdue that the wheels come off their uncharacteristically good start to the season. Watching them concede a 95th minute equaliser up at Sendai is enjoyable sure enough, and must have been gutting for their small smattering of supporters, but it's a win on Saturday or nothing. Bring it on!!
Pictures
Belting stadium right beside a subway station Vissel fans in fine fettle
Nabeta on for Ito (55)
Franca on for Shirasaki (76)
Yoshida on for Inukai (80)
Report
An entirely different team to the one that beat Sapporo, we had three débutantes, and several other first starts for this term. For what was an almost entirely new team line up, it was a great result. Niigata, a far older and more experienced starting 11 than ourselves, held their own level of threat, especially after they brought on Bruno Lopes, but Kaito was level to anything they could manage.
OK, so I'm running around trying to get ready for a weekend in Kobe, so it's going to have to be quick. Kaito had a good game, turning a point blank shot onto the post in the 89th minute. He was sharp, but Hayashi's catching of the ball was missed. Maybe it was down to his time in England, but Hayashi is great at catching rather than punching it away, and that does wonders for my nerves.
Jong a Pin was massive and Niigata couldn't handle him at all. He was a calming influence on the young Inukai and Kawai (who started at side back).
In midfield all eyes were on Ishige, and he showed great vision and reading of the game. He almost even scored late on but the keeper got down to his perfectly directed shot. Has he just belted it you can't help thinking it would have beaten the Niigata keeper, but he's not that sort of player. A great touch and given a few games he'll start to get a real feel of Nihondaira's field.
Up front, Shirasaki made his home début and had a couple of decent attempts on goal, but again, he's still getting a feel of his home ground and finding his range. In fact, it was from miss kick of Shirasaki that the ball fell to the relative veteran Kobayashi who slotted home.
Off to Kobe straight after work tomorrow until Sunday night, so no update until Monday, I'm afraid. You can follow us on Twitter @spulseukultras if you don't already, and I'll be tweeting from the ground and after the game as much I can get away with without getting into a row with the girlfriend.
Pictures
Hang on, who's the white bloke behind Palchan? I made my own Nihondaira début tonight :)
S-Pulse v ?
Youngest ever S-Pulse player? 17 year old Hideki Ishige
Tomorrow evening S-Pulse get their 2012 Nabisco Cup campaign started with a home game against Albirex Niigata. The format is the same as 2010 with stage one being two groups of seven teams. Each team plays six times, which means every team gets one match day off. If you check the table, you can see we've already had ours.
Expect to see a young team with a début for 17 year old Ishige and a first start for 18 year old Shirasaki. Kaito will be back in goal letting Hayashi rest up for Saturday's trip to Kobe. It'll be a great opportunity to see some of our young crop of players coming through and where the future of S-Pulse lies.
Niigata won their first game in the Nabisco Cup away at Consadole 1-0.
Barry writes
