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!
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.
S-Pulse 2-0 Sagawa Printing Hara 46 Marcos Paulo 82
Att. 5341
Line Up
GK Nishibe
DF Ichikawa DF Hiraoka DF Arata DF Ota
MF Fujimoto MF Honda MF Ito MF Hyodo
FW Johnsen FW Hara
Subs used
Marcos Paulo on for Hyodo (61) Yamamoto on for Ito (68) Kijima on for Johnsen (84)
Report
Nihondaira was bathed in beautiful October sunshine as S-Pulse progressed to the Emperor's Cup 3rd round without ever really moving out of 2nd gear. The result was a nice little present on the day I turned 25 for the seventh time.
Best view in the league, surely?
A not-too-depleted team took to the field today against Kyoto's Sagawa Printing. The holes created by national call ups for Kaito, Iwashita and Okazaki were ably filled by Nishibe, Hiraoka and Hara respectively. After a rather patchy first half, (which didn't go unnoticed by the faithful behind the goal) we eventually strolled to a comfortable 2-0 victory.
With Kaito off with the national team, Nishibe was in goal
Hara opened our scoring not long after the restart with a brilliant individual goal. The Sagawa defence just couldn't deal with his speedy run deep into the penalty area, and he smashed the ball home with a great finish.
We played well within ourselves for most the remainder of the game, only very occasionally feeling anything close to a threat by the visitors. That said, we had to wait till the 82nd minute to put the game to bed. The second came from Paulo after he'd come on as a 61st minute sub. The big man was there to knock home a shot which the keeper could only parry and it takes his total tally with us up to two. He really enjoyed it, and I'm glad I was there to see it!
A rare goal for Paulo - enjoyed by all!
The win takes us through to the 3rd round to be played October 31st at 1pm when we'll face Consadore Sapporo (victims of Paulo's other goal) at home for a place in the last sixteen. The winner will face the victor of Kobe vs Kyoto. It was far from a testing game today, and a comfortable win, but let's be grateful it was. Several J. League teams were knocked out by non-league or university team opponents, including Tokyo Verdy, Urawa Red Diamonds and Tokushima Vortis. All part of the magic of the cup, and a reminder to take every game seriously!
A (slightly harsh) yellow for their number 9
Next home game is in the league in a fortnight against FC Tokyo. This will probably sell out, so if you're thinking of going, get your tickets early! Videos etc
Courtesy of YouTube user ssnnddttyy who captured the game on their personal cam, here are both our goals. Hara's opener, not long after the break:
In a qualifier for 2011's Asian Cup, S-Pulse legend Shinji Okazaki scored a hat-trick as the national team brushed aside Hong Kong 6-0. Tonight's haul brings Shinji's international goals up to eleven in seventeen games, and nicely marks the anniversary of his first international cap one year ago against the UAE.
Legend
The game was held at Nihondaira, Okachan's home turf, and a sold out crowd roared the Samurai Blues on to an easy victory. For full details of Japan's 2011 Asian Cup qualifying campaign, and the other goal scorers from tonight, click here.
Japan have two more games coming up, with Saturday's Kirin Cup game against Scotland sure to pose a harder test than Hong Kong. Best of luck, Shinji, and remember to keep those scoring boots on for the final six games of the season!
Kashima lose 1-0 at home to Albirex Niigata and our first place position remains intact. The Antlers, who were ten points clear not so long ago, are now second. We have the same number of points, but their goal difference has taken a hammering over their recent shockingly bad run. Out of their last seven, they've lost six.
All over
Should have stayed at S-Pulse, mate
Wondering where their ten point lead went
The remaining 16 minutes of the abandoned Kashima vs Kawasaki game will take place on Wednesday, and if Kawasaki can hold onto their 3-1 lead Kashima will have lost eight - twice as many as us. It's going to be an interesting last six games!
S-Pulse 1-1 Hiroshima Okazaki 44---------------- Sato 29
Att: 18205
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
Fujimoto on for Edamura (57) M. Yamamoto on for Honda (78) Hara on for Hyodo (82)
Report
We are top of the league, said we are top of the league!
Yeah, well, it's only for a day, but it's been a while. Kashima will reclaim top spot tomorrow if they avoid defeat at home to Niigata, but for now, there's only one team in first place in J1, and that's us. :)
I had no idea what was going on here
Shizuoka had been wet pretty much all week, but praise the football Gods, at 11am this morning the clouds parted and a gorgeous sunny day was the reward for the 18000+ fans who rocked Nihondaira. They had a fast paced (for the most part) game to enjoy with plenty of shots peppering each goal, but the majority, myself included, went home kicking themselves. If we'd made more of our chances we're not only be top, we're be two points clear.
The rain cleared and turned into a beautiful day
Oh, well. I'm not complaining too much. Hiroshima are good, and a hard team to play against. When they have hold of the ball they are not about to give it up easily. If it meant passing it back and forward across their back four till our players (and fans) started falling asleep, then that's what it meant. The moment we grew sick of this private kickabout and committed ourselves, the ball was hoofed 70 metres up the field to their number 14 or 10 who would instigate an attack. To be fair, this style worked, and we had trouble gaining control of the game for most of the first half.
A great away following given the distance, and a rather lovely flag
This was the major theme of the day's play, and it produced a goal for the visitors after half an hour. After the long ball upfield, a good, low cross was played deep into the six yard box and was met by Sato who put it away. Kaito was unlucky not to get down in time to block the shot and it squirmed under him into the back of the net. There was a hint of offside, but that was according to Iwashita, and it's not down to him, sadly. 1-0 to the away team, but it's been nearly a decade and half since Hiroshima beat us at Nihondaira, so they must have known the game was far from over.
A Sanfrecce free kick which came to nothing
Our equaliser came from hero, legend, and all round God-like striker Shinji Okazaki, who placed a header over the keeper and into the far corner with the type of skilled precision many players struggle to manage with their feet. Excellent finish. The second half was mostly ours, but we just couldn't breach their final line of defence. Johnsen went close when he beat the keeper to a cross, but a defender was on hand to clear it off the line.
We swarmed forward incessantly as the clock started running down, but it came to naught. The last chance came when Masaki received a ball in the box with, what appeared to me to be some time to control it before a shot, but he skied it with his first touch. Dang. :(
Next (after cup weekend) is Oita away in a fortnight. If we beat them they go down to J2 with five games remaining. Ouch. A kind of revenge for last year's Nabisco Cup, I guess, but we need to win it to maintain out title challenge and for no other reason. We're top, we're unbeaten in 13 and we have three players off with the national team this week. Things are pretty bloody bright for S-Pulse right now, but now let's get on with the final push to glory - three points in Kyushu, please!
The twenty-eight man squad for the Japan national team's three upcoming games was announced today. Japan are set to face Hong Kong (Oct 8th @ Nihondaira) in a qualifier for the 2011 Asian Cup, and Scotland (Oct 10th @ Nissan Stadium), and Togo (Oct 14th @ Miyagi), in 2009's Kirin Cup.
In addition to Okazaki, Kaito Yamamoto and Keisuke Iwashita have been reward for excellent seasons with their first full national team call ups. As a result, all three will be unavailable for our Emperor's Cup 2nd round game with Sagawa Printing on October 11th.
Their inclusion comes as no surprise to any S-Pulse fan who has watched them both grow in stature and experience as the season has gone on. Both have been instrumental in our 12 game unbeaten run, and have been frequently praised on these pages, so we're made up to see them join their team-mate Okachan in the dark blue of Japan. Good luck, fellas! The squad in full:
Fuz writes:
