Saturday 20 September 2008

Kobe 0-1 S-Pa

S-Pulse beat Vissel Kobe 1-0 with a stoppage time winner from Okazaki, with the win dragging us up to the mid-table respectability of 9th. It's the highest we've been in the table since I can remember! The game couldn't have been much closer with 12 shots from Kobe to our 11. Possession was almost a perfect 50/50 too. The last minute winner came from one of our seven corners, and nicely balances out the 88th minute winner Kobe scored against us at Nihondaira earlier in the year. Okachan has been banging in the goals of late, which is just what we need leading up to the Nabisco Cup final!

Next up is Verdy at home on Tuesday. A win there and any fears of J2 next year should be properly extinguished. Given Verdy's poor form of late, our good run (only one defeat from eight, and that was to possible champs, Nagoya), and the fact that the last time we played them at home we destroyed them 5-0, everything points to only one thing: a resounding home victory in from of 15000 delirious S-Pa fans! We Believe!!!

In other news, Jubilo's home defeat to Marinos coupled with a resurgent JEF beating Sapporo means the blues are four points from safety and only two points from an automatic relegation spot. Desperate times in Iwata... The Shizuoka Derby in November takes on a whole new dimension! If Jubilo aren't able to pull themselves out of the danger zone before then, a defeat by us would leave them with just three games to save their J1 status. It's gonna be a hell of a run in!!

Highlights from Kobe!

No comments: