Michael Tuckerman
Saturday August 12, 2006
Big Arch Stadium, Hiroshima
SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA 1 - 2 SHIMIZU S-PULSE
Shimizu S-Pulse kicked off the second half of the 2006 J-League season
with a deserved 2-1 victory over lowly Sanfrecce Hiroshima today.
In steamy conditions at Sanfrecce's Big Arch Stadium, S-Pulse
raced out of the blocks in search of an early goal. In the sixth
minute of play, pacy striker Takuro Yajima connected with Akihiro
Hyodo's left-wing corner only to see his effort easily saved.
Yajima's strike partner Marquinhos was also in the thick of
the action, with the Brazilian shooting narrowly wide from a tight
angle in the 16th minute.
It was not until the 17th minute that S-Pulse keeper Yohei Nishibe
was called upon to make a routine save, as wave after wave of S-Pulse
attacks bore down on the Sanfrecce goal.
Hyodo, Marquinhos, midfielder Takuma Edamura and Hyodo again all
went close as S-Pulse struggled to find the break-through, with
Sanfrecce content to counter attack. The frustration was beginning
to show in the hot and humid conditions, as Marquinhos reverted
to a number of long-range strikes with the half drawing to a close.
The half-time stalemate was broken immediately after the break.
A surging run in the 46th minute by midfielder Jungo Fujimoto saw
the ball break to Marquinhos. His misdirected shot bounced kindly
for Edamura, whose first effort bounced up and over the goalkeeper,
allowing him to gleefully slam the ball home at the second attempt.
The goal was no less than S-Pulse deserved, having dictated the
entire match up to this point.
Sanfrecce tried to strike back immediately, with Ueslei shooting
wide in the 53rd minute with only Nishibe to beat. Five minutes
later Marquinhos struck the post after a fantastic run and cut-back
by the impressive Hyodo. His strike partner Yajima then charged
through the defence but could only find the side netting in the
61st minute, before his side-footed volley from a 64th minute Hyodo
corner bounced well wide.
In the 72nd minute, S-Pulse keeper Nishibe watched nervously as
Sato's shot drifted inches over the crossbar. A minute later
Nishibe was beaten, as Ueslei's unstoppable downward header
sent the home fans into raptures. Having dominated the last fifteen
minutes, Sanfrecce were then reduced to ten men in the 75th minute
as the momentum of the game suddenly shifted again.
In the 78th minute, S-Pulse midfielder Edamura was again in the
right place at the right time. With Yajima causing all sorts of
havoc from a left-wing cross, Edamura popped up to bravely head
a loose ball home from the edge of the six yard box. He received
a split lip for his trouble but that couldn't hide the delight
of Shimizu's two goal hero.
S-Pulse manager Kenta Hasegawa reacted by bringing on midfielder
Yoshikiyo Kubiyama in place of striker Marquinhos, as Shimizu looked
to wrap up the victory.
In the 85th minute, a tired Hyodo screwed a right-foot shot wide
after Fujimoto had superbly won the ball in midfield. Fujimoto himself
then blasted over the crossbar before being replaced by fellow midfielder
Jumpei Takaki. Takaki then missed a good opportunity, shooting straight
at the goalkeeper after being set up by the tireless Yajima.
Ultimately S-Pulse held on to record their tenth win of the campaign,
despite a tense final few minutes. It was no less than the Wingheads
deserved, having dominated for the vast majority of the match. They
next face Ventforet
Kofu in a mini-derby at Nihondaira on August 19th, where victory
could take them above fourth-place Kashima Antlers and give them
the chance to launch their first serious assault on the title since
1999.
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