6 Sep 2007(Thu)

Tokyo, September 4, 2007: What a difference a goal makes, especially when it comes in the fourth minute of injury time in a local derby.

The clock was almost on 94 minutes when Cho Jae Jin stooped to meet the expertly taken free kick of Jungo Fujimoto and head the only goal of the Shizuoka derby at Ecopa on Saturday.

The goal sparked wild scenes of celebration, as Cho removed his shirt and threw it into the S-Pulse fans behind the goal. That was a great sight to see – and the tattoos were pretty impressive, too.

The repercussions were severe. Jubilo’s manager and former defensive anchor, Adilson, resigned in the wake of the 1-0 defeat, and the club must once again try to recapture the glory of yesteryear under a new manager, Atsushi Uchiyama, an in-house promotion. But not this season, as Jubilo are in J1 no-man’s land, ninth place with 34 points.

As for S-Pulse, they just won’t go away will they?

Kenta Hasegawa is doing a fantastic job with limited resources, and his team is packed with exciting young talent in all areas of the field. In central midfield, Ito – rated the best midfield player in Japan by Steve Perryman all those years ago -- holds it all together; there is Brazilian flair in the extravagant skills of Fernandinho, plus the strength and quality of Cho up front.

Although S-Pulse lie fourth with 44 points, eight behind Reds, they cannot be regarded as title challengers just yet. Not even dark horses, as that tag must surely belong to Kashima Antlers, who were simply irresistible in crushing Frontale.

But with another season of experience behind them, S-Pulse should be ready in 2008 to have a crack at the championship.

Their regional rivals Jubilo, meanwhile, must start again – again.

As I said, what a difference a goal makes.