Calvin Jong-a-Pin on the Nabisco Cup Final, and the future of S-Pulse.

JS: How did you feel about the game in general?

CJ: Kashima just played deep and defensive, looking for counter-attacking opportunities. This was their plan – to sit back and defend. They showed that they were afraid of us by taking Dutra out of the starting line-up, but we had trouble creating anything despite our good possession. We must have had 30 crosses into the box but none got to the strikers’ heads!

JS: Yes, indeed, plenty of the ball, but no end product was the story of the day for S-Pulse.

CJ: We dominated the play often, Antlers just defended and defended and waited for a mistake or a counter, so it’s too bad and our own fault in the end that we couldn’t do something with all that possession. It was very disappointing. WE did not take the chances- or half-chances when they came, but we are a young team and we have to learn through this experience. If the management of S-Pulse manage to keep this team together we will do a lot of great things in the future.

JS: How did you approach the game once it had started?

CJ: Osaka is a very good player, very sharp, good running and angles and I had to be on top form to mark him, and I think, with the help of Hiraoka, of course, as we were switching between marking during the game, we kept him quiet. You didn’t see much of him in this game, did you!? And Koroki was so quiet that he was subbed at half time, also, so I think we had the right approach, and it was working.

JS: How was it to play in a Cup Final?

CJ: It’s already great to be in Japan, I love it, and the fans are amazing just for “normal” games, so this Cup Final really was special – but I think the fans are special in every game in Japan! The fans are much more exciting that in Europe. Today was incredible to walk out and see a whole side in orange, and the other side in red. As the teams came out the sound was amazing, the big trophy mural on the far stand was fantastic – what an atmosphere. Someone asked if this motivated me, and I, of course, replied that it’s a final – motivation was not needed, but it all helps create the atmosphere!

JS: And you were captain – special day?

CJ: Not really – an honour indeed, but nothing special. Every game I play is special and, of course, this was a Cup Final, and I was captain, but I give everything for the team in any game, captain or not. It didn’t affect my approach to the game. I am a natural leader – even though I say it myself – so I was already taking the lead in defence and I feel this is one of my stronger qualities – organizing the team so I was honoured to receive the captain’s armband, and I hope that the confidence of the management, staff and team in making me captain will be repaid many times.

JS: You had only made a late substitute appearance in the last J.League game – the victory over Antlers – how was your fitness?

CJ: I have to admit, I am only at 80% and, unfortunately it shows on the winning goal, when I allow the player to move past me. If I had been 100% fit, that would have been no problem to take that ball! I was lacking pace today, because of the injury, which was sad, in the end.

JS: Anything you’d like to add?

CJ: While it is disappointing for the team and the fans to get this far and lose a Cup Final, it is gratifying that we are in this position as I saw a magazine at the start of the season that has us tipped for relegation. That made me quite angry and I am very happy to have proved that comment wrong, by a long way! As I said, there is a lot more potential and promise in this team – we will go far!