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Monday, October 24, 2011

Sagan Tosu 0-0 FC Tokyo

J2 Matchday 31

Not a tremendous amount to write about for this one, there were very few clear cut chances in a scoreless effort. Yet the game was certainly watchable, partly as Tosu were able to match Tokyo, at least in the first half, and we saw the rare kind of fairly evenly matched game which we saw a few weeks back against Tokushima.

Big Bear surprised no-one by surprising no-one and the line up was the same as usual (Copyright @Citybred_BR14). I am starting to think of our manager as an old style club DJ who will play the same records in the same order no matter what as he managed to fill the floor with that set once in 1979, despite the fact that when he changes things up he gets a better reaction. However, I suppose we can’t complain too much as we are on a long unbeaten run and Ishikawa certainly is effective from the bench. Can you think of another team that consistently leaves its best attacking player on the bench though?

Anyway, Tosu, resplendent in pink and baby blue, perhaps started the better of the two sides and looked well up for it, backed by their impressive home crowd. Both teams tried to deny each other space, and bar an effort from an unmarked Toyoda from just outside the box that was blazed over the top both sides were restricted to hopeful long range efforts.

In the second half it was a different story, and the Gasmen looked much the better side. 78% of the period was played in the Tosu half, with Ishikawa stretching them when he came on and Cesar looking dangerous. Still though, there were no real clear cut chances, although the increasingly unimpressive Lucas (sacrilege?) did manage a couple of efforts which went tamely wide.

A draw in the end is a great result and keeps us almost exactly in the same position, with Chiba also drawing and Tokushima and Sapporo changing places after respective wins and losses. Another satisfactory day and the point draws closer when we will be officially OUT OF THIS RUBBISH LEAGUE. Also, just a thought on Tosu who looked like a good tough side, with a good support, a cracking stadium and nice uniforms. Looks like they will finally get a deserved crack at J1.

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