From Afshin Ghotbi’s own web site – http://www.afshinghotbi.com, reproduced with permision.

Attendance: 14,092

Heartbreak!

Simply, tonight was a huge heartbreak for the S-Pulse family. A game filled with more drama, twists, turns, ups, downs, cheers and tears than the biggest roller coaster ride in the world. We started with a balanced group, mixing experience with youth, as we had a wonderful preparation building up towards the game. The dressing room had the perfect ambiance with the right mixture of tension, confidence, concentration and unity. The first whistle signaled a chain of events that will be talked about for a long time to come. Three penalty kicks, three red cards, eight goals, and three lead changes were all packed into one of the most exciting games of the season so far. My feelings are mixed with pride, sorrow, hope, and disappointment.

I want to salute our players’ fighting spirit and mental toughness playing a man down for over half of the game. Playing ten against eleven and later nine against ten eventually costs us the long waited victory. Our players deserve better and will rebound from this stronger and better. I also want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our fans for their devotion, love and support. The true S-Pulse fans are standing strong beside us through these difficult days. We have disappointed you with our recent results, but we will make you happy again.

Until then, so long.

…. and here is a picture of Genki Omae scoring the 1000th J.League goal of S-Pulse’s history.