Team News
Shimizu S-Pulse – Alex Brosque and Jymmy Franca are suspended.

Match Preview
Eight yellow cards and two reds last time out and Shimizu S-Pulse (P8 W5 D0 L3 GD +1) still managed to take maximum points from FC Tokyo. Today they will be missing Franca, no big loss, and Alex Brosque – a bigger blow to be sure. Supersubs from the nine-man win over Tokyo, Takahara and Takagi may be called on to start this time and S-Pulse will be hoping to continue their fine run against a Kashima Antlers (P8 W3 D1 L4 GD +1) who have now won three games in a row after a dire start.
The mix of youngsters and experienced players is beginning t blend well for Shimizu, although Shinji Ono still appears to be carrying an injury and will be hard-pressed to comlete a full game.
Kashima scored five against Gamba Osaka in their last game, although they had big help from a dire defence and goalkeeper, but the likes of Koroki and Osako will be brimming with confidence after getting on the scoresheet, after a bad start fr the team as a whole. Influential midfielder Endo, who outplayed his famous namesake in the Gamba midfield last game, is living up to potential shown over the las few years and will be a key player for the team as the older heads like Motoyama and even Ogasawara gradually fade away and are replaced by the new generation.
Despite being weakened through players carrying injuries, and suspensions, EXPECT a WIN for SHIMIZU S-PULSE!

Head to Head
Ten wins for Kashima, four for Shimizu and eight draws over the years. Kashima won last time out but the four before that produced three of those eight draws.

Franca’s 2nd yellow card was a little more debatable, one of those that could go ewither way, depending on the referee, the opponents reaction, the crowd, and the view of the officials. Franca went up for the ball with arm swinging, caught his opponent in the face, who went down as if he’d been shot. The officials discussed it and a card was dispatched. Those go either way, today it went against S-Pulse. Until the goal (and his red card) FRanca had surely had the best chance as he found himself though on gaol with no defender in sight, but he delayed so much that by the time he was ready to shoot, he had defenders around him, and his shot was weak.
Tokyo sensed blood when S-Pulse went down to nine men but the home defence held out and then Takahara launched the counter attack that had Afshin Ghotbi and his bench dancing a jig, and gave S-Pulse maximum points!