J1 League
Game 30
Shimizu S-Pulse 1-0 Kyoto Sanga
Date: Saturday September 20th, 7:00 pm
Sanga Stadium by KYOCERA
S-PULSE GOALS Yajima (75)
YELLOW CARDS Sumiyoshi (27), Hasukawa (85)
RED CARDS
PENALTY KICK missed, Toshiki Takahashi (8)
ATTENDANCE 19056
LINE UP
GK Umeda
DF Hasukawa, Kim Min Tae, Sumiyoshi
MF Yamahara, Bueno, Inui, Yumiba, Nakahara, Yoshida
FW Toshiki Takahashi
SUBSTITUTIONS
Yajima on for Yumiba (63)
Kitagawa on for Nakahara (63)
Kozuka on for Inui (71)
Takagi on for Yoshida (71)
Chiba on for Toshiki Takahashi (90 +2)
REPORT
Yet another survival ending in a desperate and in all honesty unforeseen victory that consolidates our position in the middle of the League far away from the red zone!
We had our share of good and bad luck and the defense seems at long last to click for good.
As for data, it does read well but it also does not reveal the grit and skill of the team.
We were dominated in all departments except the only one that mattered.
We conceded possession to the tune of 60% to 40%, passes 426 to 313, pass accuracy 78% to 67% and corner kicks, 7 to 2.
But Kyoto wasted many of their chances with 20 attempts at goal with inly 8 on target compared to our 8 attempts with 4 on target.
We scored the only goal of the game but should have taken the lead early on.
We started the game with exact team as last Sunday away to Niigata.
After defeating the bottom club on their soil we were facing the leaders of the day again away. Two extremely difficult games in a row for vastly different reasons.
With started well enough with a good move in the 7th minute sending Yoshida deep into Kyoto’s box before passing toe Toshiki Takahashi who was badly fouled from behind meters from goal but the action was waved away. Following appeal, the VAR was consulted and a penalty kick justly awarded. Unfortunately, Toshiki Tkahashi hit the bar throwing away a golden chance to take the lead which did not augur well for the rest of the game. But S-Pulse did not buckle down and played undying spirit.
In the 17th minute we were caught off guard in the middle of the defense but once again Umeda proved his worth by repelling the last powerful shot.
In the 34th minute a lineout looked out promising but the Yamahara’s concluding shot was taken at too an acute angle to hope to beat The Kyoto keeper.
In extra time we did allow too much space and time in front of our box but luckily enough the last shot flew straight into Umeda’s safe arms.
Still in extra time Inui tried his luck from far away but his shot too went straight to the opposing keeper.
The game went along fairly uneventfully until the 76th minute when S-Pulse passed in front of a static Kyoto defense before sending Takagi past their opponent’s left flank. His cross was subsequently met by fellow substitute Yajima who made no mistake for a very well-taken goal.
One minute later Kyoto ran too easily inside our box and it took all Umeda’s reflexes to prevent the equalizer.
Again, one minute later S-Pulse needed some luck and Umeda’s skills to prevent another golden chance hopelessly wasted by Kyoto.
In the 90th minute Umeda once again had to extend himself to save the game to parry a powerful long-range shot.
The game once again went into ridiculously long extra time but S-Pulse managed to preserve it advantage for a great win against all odds.
Now, it will be back at home on Tuesday against a team we usually do not do well against in the name of Urawa Reds.
We will need all our fans’ cheers to continue on this positive road!
NEXT GAME
J1 League
Game 30
Shimizu S-Pulse vs Urawa Reds
Date: Tuesday September 23rd, 6:00 pm
IAI Nihondaira Stadium (Shizuoka)
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