まだ負けなしの仙台は、負傷の赤嶺の代わりにベテラン柳沢を投入、ウィルソンとのツートップで臨む。前半６分、フリーキックからのクリアボールを石川直樹がハーフボレーで技ありのシュート。ＧＫの前でブラインドにする位置にいた鈴木大輔にオフサイドの旗が上がり、得点は認められない。確かに難しい判定ではあったが、審判団の判断の向上に期待したい。
ゲームの行方を決める大事な決断にまた鈴木が絡む。試合終了まであと数分のところで、鈴木がウィルソンを後ろから押し、ＰＫを与えてしまう。このＰＫをウィルソンがきっちり決め、ベガルタは８試合負けなしで首位を堅持した。
アルビレックスの黒崎監督は、レフェリーのこの判断を「素晴らしい」と評した。日本流の皮肉なのだろうが！？
川崎フロンターレ１-４サンフレッチェ広島 – 4月28日
今週のレポートは、相馬監督に代えて風間監督の新体制となった川崎フロンターレのゲームから。風間監督の初采配は、ＧＫに西部、センターバックに森下と稲本を据える布陣を敷く。本来はボランチの位置から球をさばいていた稲本だが、はたしてこの采配はどう出るか？
前半15分、先制点は広島。中盤の細かいパス回しから、左を駆け上がる山岸に佐藤からボールが出る。山岸がそのままボールを持ち込み、左足を振り抜くと、ボールはゴールの右隅へ。一方、川崎は前半33分に同点に追いつく。中村からの絶妙のスルーパスにＤＦ伊藤が反応、ゴール前の密集を抜け出して右足外側で決めたゴールだった。
そのわずか５分後、サンフレッチェが追加点。走力で稲本に勝った石原が、倒れ込みながらＧＫ西部の出際を狙ったゴールを決める。試合は２-１でハーフタイムへ。後半は開始早々の２分、千葉のロングフィードが右サイドのミキッチに出る。そのまま持ち上がったミキッチが低いクロスを入れると、ゴールエリア内に走り込んだ佐藤が確実に決めた。その後、後半33分、再びミキッチからのピンポイントのクロスを佐藤がヘディングで合わせて、試合を決定づける。風間フロンターレにとっては厳しいスタートとなった。
Kashiwa Reysol 1-1 Sagan Tosu – April 28th
The home team welcomed back Leandro Domingues and Hiroki Sakai after suspension last week and took the lead seconds before half time as Kitajima guided home a corner via a defender’s shoulder to give Reysol the lead at the break. Kobayashi got the point-saving goal after the defence had made a mess of an inswinging free kick. Reysol’s season continues to be very average, while Sagan Tosu continue to confound the critics.
Nagoya Grampus 1-2 Urawa Reds – April 28th
Grampus lined up in a 3-2-2-2-1 to counter Urawa’s 3-2-3-2 line-up, which was an interesting tactic from home coach Stoijkovic, but it didn’t pay off as Marcio Richardes opened the scoring in the 23rd minute from 18 yards after a run across the top of the area was not closed down in some slack defending. Four minutes later Tulio headed down a cross and Kanazaki was there to flick it over the keeper to make it 1-1 at the break.
Reds won the game in the 68th minute on a Marcio Richardes PK after Hayuma Tanaka handled the ball – and got his second yellow card in the process – replays clearly showed the hand to ball and a deserved PK. Tulio almost pulled a point back with minutes to go but the keeper made a desperate one-handed save at his left post and Reds rebounded from their Saitama Derby defeat last week.
Albirex Niigata 0-1 Vegalta Sendai – April 28th
For unbeaten Sendai, Akamine was out with a muscle strain so in came veteran Yanagisawa to partner Wilson upfront. The talking point came in the 6th minute when a cleared free kick fell to Naoki Ishikawa who deftly half-volleyed the ball home only to see the goal disallowed for an offside flag. The problem was that Daisuke Suzuki was blocking the keeper’s view – good to see the officials get the difficult and unusual decision correct.
It was Suzuki involved in the key decision of the game, and another talking point as, with minutes to go, the defender shoved Wilson in the back and a PK was awarded which the Brazilian duly converted to keep Vegalta well clear at the top of J1.
Albirex coach Kurosaki said the ref was “subarashii”, fantastic! Sarcasm in Japan, whatever next?!
Kawasaki Frontale 1-4 Sanfrecce Hiroshima – April 28th
We start the reports this weekend at Kawasaki Frontale, who have a newly-esconsed coach in Yahiro Kazama, who replaced Soma last week. His first order of business was to bring Nishibe in as goalkeeper, and Morishita at centre back, alongside Inamoto, normally a central/defensive midfielder – did it work? Read on …
In the 15th minute, Sato spread the ball to Yamagishi in the left channel, and he advsnced and slid the ball past the keeper for the opening goal. Frontale were level just after the half hour mark when Nakamura fed the ball inch perfectly through a forest of legs for defender Ito to latch onto a sidefoot the ball past the keeper.
Less than seven minutes later Ishikawa out-muscled Inamoto – there’s a phrase I haven’t type often – and slipped the ball past Nishibe as he was falling to retake the lead for Sanfrecce into the break. And just after the break, Chiba found Mikic on the right with a long ball, he bulleted a low ball into the six yard area and Sato couldn’t miss, 3-1 to the away team. In the 78th minute it was Mikic again, this time with an inviting cross that Sato headed hom, 4-1, cruising. Three points, not a good start for Kazama Kawasaki.
Omiya Ardija 2-1 Consadole Sapporo – April 28th
Omiya took an early lead through a Carlinhos header, before Junpei Takaki leveled the scores in added time before the break. Then Jade North thought he had scored from a corner to give Consadole the lead – goalline technology not yet installed in Japan and definitely no slow motion close-up replays of that one, just in case a mistake was highlighted!! As it was, it was Takuya Aoki who got the winner for Omiya, as Tsubouchi slipped him the feed and his right foot shot curled away from the keeper and in at the far post. Another win for Omiya, finally living up to their potential?
Yokohama F. Marinos 3-1 Vissel Kobe – April 28th
Marinos finally got their first win of the season, after going behind to Tsubasa Oya’s first ever J.League goal 12 mknutes after half time. Vissel. though, already playing without Okubo, lost Tashiro to injury before the break. The home team came back with three goals in under seven minutes, all coming through some slack marking by the Vissel defence. Yuji Ono scored the first with a diving header, just when right back Okui thought he was clearing the ball. Taniguchi headed home the second, unchallenged and Nakazawa added the insurance goal when an incoming free kick was seemingly left to go out by the Vissel keeper and Nakazawa’s knee probably knew little of the goal, but was not complaining!
Both teams were considering a coaching change and this probably put the nail in the coffin of Wada, for Vissel, with Akira Nishino hovering in the background. Meanwhile, Marinos fans were probably wondering if this win had just postponed the inevitable and kept their coaching team intact for another game or two?!
Kashima Antlers 5-0 Gamba Osaka – April 28th
Gamba capitulated big time to a team that is struggling beside them near the bottom. Both teams have finally seen a mini-revival after dire starts to the season, but it was the home team that continued that revival with an easy win against the team from Osaka. Goals from Endo (just before half time with a super left-foot blast from 18 yards out), Koroki, Osako (making the most of a deflection, and a terrible miss from Gamba keeper Fujigaya) and Motoyama saw Kashima boost their goal difference and their confidence, while Gamba returned home deflated. Perhaps they should be signing up out-of-work coach Akira Nishino, before Vissel Kobe do!!
J.League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup 20th Anniversary Video!
Enjoy some history!