S-Pulse give other teams hope
On "derby day" it is normal for current form to go out the window.
This was the case at Ecopa Stadium on Sunday, when Shimizu S-Pulse and Jubilo Iwata met in the Shizuoka derby.
Who would have thought that S-Pulse could win this one, as their early-season form had been poor to say the least?
And who would have thought Jubilo's winning run in the first division would end at six, and that their under-achieving prefecture rivals would be the team to beat them?
Form, then, went out the window, and Ota scored the only goal of the game on the hour mark.
Collecting a pass from the left-footed playmaker Araujo, Ota cut in from the right, held off two Jubilo defenders and shot into the roof of the net.
What a time to score your first goal in the top flight!
News of S-Pulse's win, or, rather, of Jubilo's defeat, must have been encouraging for the chasing pack.
After all, Jubilo had taken a maximum 18 points from their first six games, and the first stage championship was beginning to look like a one-horse race even before the halfway point...and that horse was wearing light blue and white.
But now, JEF United and Yokohama F Marinos are only four points adrift, both with 14, and there are still eight matches to play.
Marinos won well, 2-0, at FC Tokyo, and had several leading players, such as Nakazawa, Matsuda, Dutra and Kubo, missing for various reasons.
JEF United should have closed the gap on Jubilo to two points, when they entertained Kashiwa Reysol on Sunday night.
But again it was "derby day" in Chiba, and Reysol had local pride to play for as well as points. The match ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw for the home team, which kept them four points off the pace.
It is becoming a familiar story with JEF United these days. They put themselves into a great position, but just can't go that extra distance when they really need to.
Behind JEF and Marinos, four teams have 11 points: seven behind Jubilo but enough of an incentive to keep going for victory.
They have to keep believing that Jubilo will slip up again, and that they will be the ones to capitalise on any mistakes.
S-Pulse have given everyone hope, even accounting for the fact it was "derby day" when strange things happen.
ends
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