S-Pulse 2-0 Consadore Sapporo (Emp Cup Rnd 3)

Barry writes:

S-Pulse 2-0 Consadore Sapporo
Nagai 0, 20

Att. 5101

Line Up

GK Nishibe

DF Ichikawa
DF Hiraoka
DF Iwashita
DF Ota

MF Fujimoto
MF Honda
MF M. Yamamoto
MF Hyodo

FW Okazaki
FW Nagai

Subs Used

Arata on for Iwashita (18)
Johnsen on for Nagai (63)

Report

Well, it took the best part of the season, several false starts, and some wretched luck with injuries, but Yuichiro Nagai is finally off the mark! Thanks in main to the first goals to come from our number nine, S-Pulse progressed to the 4th round of 2009's Emperor's Cup by dispatching Consadore Sapporo 2-0.

I call this one "portrait of a hero"

In the few times I've seen him, I've become a big fan of Nagai and I believe he's got so much more to give than he's been able to this year. I was made up to see him in the starting line up and he didn't take long to give Kenta even more headaches when choosing his best two up front. Thirty seconds after the start he was on hand to knock home a shot which back came off the post and grab his first goal in orange. He followed up 19 minutes later after some defensive hesitation from the visitors cost them dearly.

Awesome banner

Worrying was the enforced substitution of Iwashita who twice in three minutes was on the end of the away team's strong approach to the game. The first time he was clattered to the ground which led to a yellow card for the Sapporo player, and not long after in blocking a hard shot he seemed to jar his foot or ankle and had to go off. I'm still waiting for news from the official site as to the extent of the injury, but fingers crossed for him. He's had an excellent season, capped recently with an international call up, so here's hoping it's just knock.

Nagai doubles the lead and half the team celebrate Arata becoming a dad

Sapporo were an entirely different prospect to Sagawa Printing earlier in the month, but the result was fairly comfortable. Despite Sapporo's positive and physical approach to the tie, we never really looked in any real danger of not progressing. A late flurry of attacking play did bring a couple of nervy moments, but the result didn't really feel in too much doubt.

We now go on to play Ventforet Kofu for a place in the quarter final. The game with Kofu, flying high in J2 and who today beat J1 Kyoto, will be played November 15th at the Tottori Soccer Stadium, home to JFL side Gainare Tottori. Given that Tottori (Japan's least populous prefecture, apparently) is three hundred miles from Shizuoka, I think I'll settle for watching on the box. The quarter final will be against either Albirex Niigata or Meiji University. Meiji Uni pulled off a major scalp today by beating J1 Montedio Yamagata, so they'll be fancying their chances against anyone.

Second half action

Attentions now turn back to the league and the race for an ACL spot. We're away to Kashiwa next Sunday at 6:30pm, a kick off time which pretty much put the kibosh on my hopes of getting to the game. Reysol are nine points off safety with a horrendous goal difference. Anything less than three points for the home team will mean relegation. The current bottom three are pretty much dead and gone, with next weekend surely just confirming matters. So much for a riveting relegation battle. However, the fight at the top remains wide open, so don't forget to tune in next weekend for more J. League fun and games!

Videos

A long personal cam clip of the players coming out, kick off, and Nagai's opener. The goal comes on 4:20.



Nagai's second, taken from a personal cam.

S-Pulse 1-2 FC Tokyo

Barry writes:

S-Pulse 1-2 FC Tokyo
Okazaki 7 ---------------- Suzuki 3
-------------------------------- Own goal 39

Att. 19275

Line Up

GK K. Yamamoto

DF Ichikawa
DF Iwashita
DF Arata
DF Ota

MF Edamura
MF M. Yamamoto
MF Ito
MF Hyodo

FW Johnsen
FW Okazaki

Subs Used

Fujimoto on for Hyodo (68)
Hara on for Masaki (69)
Takaki on for Arata (78)

Videos etc

Waiting for our heroes:



Okazaki's 7th minute equaliser from a personal cam:



Full highlights:

Throwing it away?

Fuz writes:

After a recent run of glory and sitting in first for a couple of weeks, the boys in orange have apparently decided that we don't need to be champions after all and have disappointed us two weeks running. Last week's disaster against Oita, losers of 2009 was nothing short of mortifying and today we presumably felt the need to top that, and literally handed Tokyo victory by scoring their winner for them.

Sound bitter? That's cos I am. Less than impressed with today's performance... FC Tokyo aren't that good and we should have been able to step up to the challenge, especially at home. The fact that we didn't and couldn't equalize even with three strikers on the park is worrying. Oka-chan's goal was a beam of glory in an otherwise lacking match.

We really need to pick up the pace and fight to make sure we at least get a top three finish and place in the ACL next year. We can do it, I believe we can, it just remains to be seen whether or not we actually will.

Still, could be worse. I could be a Hiroshima fan. Losing 4-0 with 5 minutes to go is painful, but not as painful as 7-0 at the final whistle. Ouch.

S-Pulse v FC Tokyo SOLD OUT

Barry writes:

Thinking of heading to Nihondaira on Sunday? If so you better have yourself a ticket. As of this evening, the game has completely sold out.

Another sell out at 'Daira

It's the third sell out this year, will be the fourth plus 20000 gate at Nihondaira and the fifth in total. Our average crowd for the year is already well over a thousand up on last season and with the title race hotting up, the remaining two home games will also no doubt see near full houses.

And all this despite 'Daira being a pain in the backside to get to / park at / get away from / having no protection from the elements etc. So come on Shizuoka City - obtain a compulsory purchase order on a swath of land near Higashi Shizuoka station, build us a 40000 seater stadium and watch the crowds pour in. You know it makes sense!

Now, for no reason at all, here's a video of our fans having a ball after we'd just put our fourth past little jubilo. The chant is called komagome, and when you're 4-1 up against your local rivals with half an hour still to go, it's the best damn thing in the world. :)



So glad they stayed up last year.

Oita Trinita 2-1 S-Pulse

Barry writes:

Oita Trinita 2-1 S-Pulse
Takamatsu 58, 78 --------------- Iwashita 50

Att: 18264

Line Up

GK K. Yamamoto

DF Ichikawa
DF Iwashita
DF Arata
DF Ota

MF Edamura
MF Honda
MF Ito
MF Hyodo

FW Johnsen
FW Okazaki

Subs Used

M. Yamamoto on for Hyodo (62)
Fujimoto on for Edamura (62)
Hara on for Ito (80)

Report

Well that certainly wasn't part of the plan.

Nothing short of full points at home on Sunday will be enough to maintain any kind of title challenge. A top three finish is of paramount importance, but let's not drift out of the title race when we have a real chance to add to our trophy cabinet.

Videos etc

Just the goals:



Full highlights:

Going for Gold.

Fuz writes:

First of all, I should really apologize to poor old Barry for leaving the entire running of this blog to him. I've been busy with the old personal life this year - you know, getting married, making babies and moving house. On that note, keep an eye out for pics of the UK Ultras newest member in a few weeks, because baby-chan is an S-Pulse fan whether he/she likes it or not! (It's not brain-washing, it's education.)

Right, onto the footer then. Recently we have seen the glorious orange soldiers march right up there into number one, and although a glance at the table this morning puts us in 4th place I am confident that by the end of the day we will have reclaimed our rightful position. Also, after the bitter disappointment of last year's Nabisco cup final, I can't say I have any objections to thumping Oita and helping them on their way to J2.

Yesterday was a good day in J1 as far as S-Pa are concerned, Osaka and Hiroshima drawing stopped either team really gaining any ground and Jubilo holding Kashima to 0-0 certainly didn't do us any harm. I couldn't quite bring myself to want Jubilo to win - everyone tells me I should do as they are a "Shizuoka team" but honestly, I'm from Glasgow and old habits die hard - so draws all round were most pleasing. Unfortunately Omiya weren't able to keep Frontale back, but never mind. As long as we get our three points today everything will be just shiny.

Recent form has been good - well, last week's game in the Emperor's Cup was a little slow, but with the stars of the show off on international duty these things can't be helped. We picked it up and Nishibe even managed to keep a clean sheet, despite some hairy moments when he failed to actually catch the ball. Still, Kaito should be back today protecting our goal and if Mr Okazaki would like to score a couple of those crackers he got mid-week against Togo then I will be a very happy woman, and will continue to hound my husband to let me call the baby Shinji if it's a boy.

Come on S-Pulse, WE BELIEVE - let's win today and win the league!

Japan 5-0 Togo - Okazaki Grabs Three (Again)

Barry writes:

In the final match of 2009's Kirin Challenge Cup series, Japan walked all over Togo in one of the most one-sided international games I've seen for a long time. The final score of five to nothing could easily have been seven or eight. From an S-Pulse fan's point of view, the news of the night came as Okazaki scored a second hattrick in two games. After being rested for the 2-0 defeat of Scotland on Saturday, Okachan roared back into the national team and took his international tally up to fourteen.

All three goals had his own unique Okachan mark stamped all over them, with the second especially a finish of pure class:



Full Highlights



With Shinji in such pulsating form, I'm hoping he can get another couple next Sunday away at Oita to keep our title push on track.