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.

Sapporo 2-2 S-Pa

Sapporo 2-2 S-Pa
Davi (29) Nishizawa (12)
Ikeuchi (75) Paulo (44)

Att: 10282

And this is why this season, in the league at least, is a write off. Not being able to hold on to a lead against 2nd rate relegation fodder like Sapporo, and in the end almost being lucky to get away with a point, is why we're not going to finish anywhere above midtable at best.

More of a report when the red mist has evaporated. At present I can't see any positives to take from today's awful result, so I'm not going to comment until I've been able to put it in some kind of perspective. Or till I've had the chance to get really drunk.

Match Highlights:

Consadore Sapporo v S-Pa (Preview)

After S-Pulse's midweek jaunt up to Kashima comes an even longer journey up to Hokkaido. For the first time in six years our opponents are the J. League's most northern team Consadore Sapporo. Before the fixtures came out in February, the UK Ultras were all fully intending to make this game, but falling as and when it does it just wasn't possible. A couple of the UKU's extended family will be there, but we'll be holed up in front of the big screen at the Shimizu branch of the S-Pulse Dream House chain. With draft beer on sale, it's the nearest you get to watching a game down the pub!

Consadore are languishing in the drop zone at 17th with a minus 15 goal difference. They've only won three all season and with only one draw we've got to be looking for three points. We've got Kobe at home next week which should also be good for a win, so all being well, we could be up to 5th or 6th in a couple of weeks. Now watch as we crash and burn to inferior opposition and wind up in the relegation zone! Nah, bollocks - we're gonna turn them both over and sort out our dodgy goal difference in the process! WE BELIEVE!