Ulsan Hyundai 3 - 2 Kawasaki Frontale
Perhaps this is the first time I have started writing the game’s blog post whilst the match is still happening. I like to think this makes me more journalistic with a tight deadline, but at 3-1 down and looking like we’ll never score again, the truth is that even writing blog posts is more fun than watching this match. Looks like another ACL campaign has been finished by Ulsan but to be honest we can’t really blame anyone but ourselves. Well, actually some of ourselves… if that makes any sense. In the spirit of sour grapes I’m going to rush through this and put it out quickly. I have no desire to think about another failed ACL campaign for any longer than I have to. I guess after all the fifth round of games have been played we’ll have some idea if we still have even a glimmer of a chance of progressing but I’m guessing this post will be up and never looked at again by me by the time that happens. This is a game in which we’ve missed so many good chances and haven’t bothered to defend properly for any of their chances. All the positivity and confidence we gained from the second Johor game has long gone. Oniki could have started the game with the dull as ditchwater double defensive midfield and perhaps ground out a 0-0. Instead he decided to go for that approach only when we were 3-1 down already. We’ve just scored… But it’s almost certainly too little too late as the ref will probably blow up before the injury time elapses as they have in ever one of our games. He did. Game over, literally and almost certainly metaphorically for us in the competition. The final game against Guangzhou which was already kind of pointless has now become exceedingly pointless. Unless Guangzhou beat Johor and then Johor beat Ulsan. A record of two draws, one win and one loss against the teams who don’t finish last in the group will almost certainly not be enough to see us through as a second place team so our only chance would be those results mentioned above. (Actually, a Johor win and then a draw in the Johor Ulsan game might be enough too). We gave Ulsan goals in this game with some absent defending and tactics and failed to take hardly any of our chances. Even the absolute gimmes. And plenty of passing of the ball across the defensive line as we trailed by two goals set to go out. Back to the worst of our 2022 performances again with only a one game break where there was any hint of brightness. After we went against Ulsan last year Hasegawa and Joao Schmidt were frozen out of the team for the rest of the season. I wonder who Oniki will hold responsible this year? I suspect it won't be the same people as I think. Don’t blame the shit pitch, don’t blame Shanghai pulling out and screwing up the system. Blame… I’m not going to point fingers but I have people in mind. But at the same time, I have crappy days at work sometimes too. If I kept having them though, maybe I’d think about a career change.
Next up… oh fuck it, you know who it is and it’s an utterly pointless game anyway. Go Frontale do something else instead and stay as far away from Frontale and football as you can for a while. Honestly, it’s for the best for all of us.
GK 1. Sung-Ryong JUNG
DF 13. YAMANE Miki (Yellow card 52')
Subs
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