Kawasaki Frontale 3 - 0 Consadole Sapporo
Oooh. Another win! Three goals at home for the second game in a row! Everything is great, right? Well, everything is clearly better, but there are a few pinches of salt that need to be taken when you consider whether or not to describe this as our new great run of form. I know how some people enjoy my moaning and some people hate it. I think on this occasion I will probably disappoint both camps. It seems kind of crazy to moan after we’ve won 3-0, particularly given that it’s only our fourth win in the thirteen games we’ve played so far this year. With that in mind, I’ll keep the moany part short and let’s get that out of the way straight away.
Yes, we won handsomely! But blimey, Consadole were bad. They are clearly bottom of the table for a reason. The first fifteen minutes of this game were truly awful from both teams, with unforced error after unforced error and nothing of even any kind of quality on display. Consadole missed SO MANY chances, which was a bit of luck for us as they were making a lot more chances than we were. But they just couldn’t shoot. I feel a bit sorry for their manager who is clearly in some trouble as on this occasion you couldn’t really fault the tactics when it came to attacking as they carved through us time after time but thankfully either swung and missed or blasted the ball over the bar. I can’t remember Kami having to make any kind of proper save. In addition to erring in front of goal, they also seemed to be messing up all over the pitch, falling over whilst trying to dribble, shanking passes directly off the pitch, perfectly controlling the air above or below the ball whilst allowing the ball itself to trundle past them. It seems that confidence is at an all time low for them, and perhaps this could be something you can point the finger at the manager for. I think they just need a lucky break. I don’t think anyone wants them to go down, but on this evidence, they’re going to need a big change in fortunes to avoid the drop. They did make one good chance with a striker chipping Kami only for Ominami to make an amazing goal line hooked clearance, passing the ball to Kami, who for a moment appeared to be about to blast the ball into his own net but thankfully didn’t. We were very poor for the first fifteen minutes and also a bit poor for large parts of the second half. It was only when we made a few changes that we started to make some chances, Yamada hitting the post so perfectly that the ball pinged almost directly back towards him. It did feel though that if we’d conceded, we could have started wobbling and perhaps ended up drawing. (How does that feel Yuma?). But thankfully we didn’t, and hopefully the score line if not the whole performance will help us take another step towards getting a bit better and a bit more confident. But let’s not get too carried away as after we hammered Urawa, (who I thought looked pretty bad), we went on to draw against Avispa. I didn’t see that game so can’t really comment, but from what I’ve heard it wasn’t that great. So still baby steps, I guess. Don’t get too cocky. We beat the team who were bottom of the league and were in horrible form. But yes, the important thing is that we beat them.
Let’s get a bit more positive. I think the headline from this game, which somehow, as is my wont, I have saved till the third paragraph, has to be Gomis. He’s scored!!! Taking advantage of Erison picking up enough yellows to get a one match ban, Gomis came in and… scored!!! Perhaps buoyed by almost getting his first goal towards the end of the Avispa game, and perhaps slightly frustrated by spending the first 30 minutes of this game basically being used as a bumper in a pinball machine, having to win the headers from long goal kicks and then basically get fouled, he perhaps decided he was fed up of laying the ball off and instead turned and scored a lovely goal. The ground erupted in joy. I think everyone, including his teammates, was desperate to see him score and it was slightly sad that he didn’t do his lion celebration. Thankfully he got another goal a little while after and did the lion. The crowd went wilder. And then we got a penalty which I’m kind of shocked he was allowed to take. (Perhaps Oniki didn’t get the message on to the pitch quick enough). And bang, he’d got his hat trick. I’ve long said that I felt he just needed to score his first goal and then he’d be off and running. I didn’t expect him to score his second and third quite so soon afterwards though. Given Erison’s recent form, you might say that Gomis has the spot to lose now, but I suspect that as we have consecutive away games in Saga and Osaka on Wednesday and Sunday, perhaps without returning home in between, (that’s certainly what we’re doing anyway), maybe we’ll see Gomis start one game and Erison start the other. How nice it would be if Erison could grab a couple of goals in his next game to really get some healthy competition going.
Apart from our star striker and highest wage earner finally getting his first goal, this game was significant for the fact that, (I think I’m right in saying this…), this was the first league game we started with two full backs playing at full back! I’d like to say ‘Hey, Oniki! See what happens when you play people in the right position?’ but given what I wrote in the first part about the weakness of the opposition, I think the hypocrisy alarm might explode. All the same, it was nice to see a right and left back on the pitch in their respective spots. Segawa has done his best in that role, but clearly it’s better to play someone in their natural position, isn’t it? But that might all change for the next match at least, as Ominami had to leave the pitch as a concussion sub so I guess that means he won’t be available for the Sagan Tosu game at least. Not sure how many days he has to wait till he can play again. So expect changes on Wednesday, but maybe it will just be Takai in for Ominami and the full backs will remain in place. Although I also noticed that Ienaga went straight down the tunnel after being subbed and didn't come out for the post game celebrations so perhaps he's also injured. Well, injured or pissed off, both of which could be equally troubling. When Ominami got injured I think Oniki was probably going to take off Sai as he has done in the last few games, but had to change his plans on the hoof. Wednesday sees us take on the team who were second bottom before this game, but as they hammered Jubilo away from home by the same score we won this game, they have now climbed to third bottom. (Sitting second bottom now is naturally a team who’ve beaten us already this year). The league is a very funny beast in 2024. Our win saw us soar up the table to 11th, (now down to 12th after Verdy’s late equalizer), and even though we’ve had a truly awful start, we are only 10 points off the top. I don’t know if this shows how great the league is with lots of evenly matched teams or how bad the league is with lots of evenly matched teams. Certainly, I feel like I haven’t seen anyone who looks that good this year, so probably more the latter. It certainly is interesting though! But at the same time, this adds to the frustration of the horrible tactics we ploughed on with for game after game, defeat after defeat. Imagine where we could have been if we hadn’t been so shit. Which I understand is something that many teams could say, but it does seem especially appropriate for us. As I’ve said many times, I think our squad this year is better than it was last season, so hopefully soon we can start showing this on the pitch a bit more regularly
A few words about the ref. It was Kawamata and once again… I am shocked to say… I don’t have much to say. Guess this always helps when we win and maybe I’d have had moans galore if we lost, but I thought he did pretty well. The linesman on our side of the pitch was really puffing though. In fact, so much that I could see his shoulders rising and falling from my elevated viewpoint up in the stand. This was probably due to the large amount of long balls being whacked by both teams. The managers should really consider the health of the officials when deciding on their ‘hoof it to the fast guy’ tactics.
Next up, Sagan Tosu away. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always my favourite away day and given that this year it’s a Wednesday evening game on a normal working day, only ten days after our last Kyushu away game, I think the away attendance might be something close to how they were in the ‘good old days’, which is exactly what you’d expect a tired old git like me to be excited about. After that we’ll be slowly winding our way to Osaka so expect the blog post on the Tosu game to just be some words with the details added later. And then expect the Gamba away post to be similar too, as when we get back I’ve got a pig of a week at work and then we’re moving apartments. If I survive shifting all my records and absolutely worthless possessions, I’ll update both the posts. If you never see them updated, please send donations to my Ko-Fi account to cover my funeral expenses. I’m not the healthiest of people so the process will almost certainly damage me in some way. I hope the team can continue to improve in the future with or without my support from the terraces.
FW 26. YAMAUCHI Hinata (on for MARCINHO 75')
Yes, we won handsomely! But blimey, Consadole were bad. They are clearly bottom of the table for a reason. The first fifteen minutes of this game were truly awful from both teams, with unforced error after unforced error and nothing of even any kind of quality on display. Consadole missed SO MANY chances, which was a bit of luck for us as they were making a lot more chances than we were. But they just couldn’t shoot. I feel a bit sorry for their manager who is clearly in some trouble as on this occasion you couldn’t really fault the tactics when it came to attacking as they carved through us time after time but thankfully either swung and missed or blasted the ball over the bar. I can’t remember Kami having to make any kind of proper save. In addition to erring in front of goal, they also seemed to be messing up all over the pitch, falling over whilst trying to dribble, shanking passes directly off the pitch, perfectly controlling the air above or below the ball whilst allowing the ball itself to trundle past them. It seems that confidence is at an all time low for them, and perhaps this could be something you can point the finger at the manager for. I think they just need a lucky break. I don’t think anyone wants them to go down, but on this evidence, they’re going to need a big change in fortunes to avoid the drop. They did make one good chance with a striker chipping Kami only for Ominami to make an amazing goal line hooked clearance, passing the ball to Kami, who for a moment appeared to be about to blast the ball into his own net but thankfully didn’t. We were very poor for the first fifteen minutes and also a bit poor for large parts of the second half. It was only when we made a few changes that we started to make some chances, Yamada hitting the post so perfectly that the ball pinged almost directly back towards him. It did feel though that if we’d conceded, we could have started wobbling and perhaps ended up drawing. (How does that feel Yuma?). But thankfully we didn’t, and hopefully the score line if not the whole performance will help us take another step towards getting a bit better and a bit more confident. But let’s not get too carried away as after we hammered Urawa, (who I thought looked pretty bad), we went on to draw against Avispa. I didn’t see that game so can’t really comment, but from what I’ve heard it wasn’t that great. So still baby steps, I guess. Don’t get too cocky. We beat the team who were bottom of the league and were in horrible form. But yes, the important thing is that we beat them.
Let’s get a bit more positive. I think the headline from this game, which somehow, as is my wont, I have saved till the third paragraph, has to be Gomis. He’s scored!!! Taking advantage of Erison picking up enough yellows to get a one match ban, Gomis came in and… scored!!! Perhaps buoyed by almost getting his first goal towards the end of the Avispa game, and perhaps slightly frustrated by spending the first 30 minutes of this game basically being used as a bumper in a pinball machine, having to win the headers from long goal kicks and then basically get fouled, he perhaps decided he was fed up of laying the ball off and instead turned and scored a lovely goal. The ground erupted in joy. I think everyone, including his teammates, was desperate to see him score and it was slightly sad that he didn’t do his lion celebration. Thankfully he got another goal a little while after and did the lion. The crowd went wilder. And then we got a penalty which I’m kind of shocked he was allowed to take. (Perhaps Oniki didn’t get the message on to the pitch quick enough). And bang, he’d got his hat trick. I’ve long said that I felt he just needed to score his first goal and then he’d be off and running. I didn’t expect him to score his second and third quite so soon afterwards though. Given Erison’s recent form, you might say that Gomis has the spot to lose now, but I suspect that as we have consecutive away games in Saga and Osaka on Wednesday and Sunday, perhaps without returning home in between, (that’s certainly what we’re doing anyway), maybe we’ll see Gomis start one game and Erison start the other. How nice it would be if Erison could grab a couple of goals in his next game to really get some healthy competition going.
Apart from our star striker and highest wage earner finally getting his first goal, this game was significant for the fact that, (I think I’m right in saying this…), this was the first league game we started with two full backs playing at full back! I’d like to say ‘Hey, Oniki! See what happens when you play people in the right position?’ but given what I wrote in the first part about the weakness of the opposition, I think the hypocrisy alarm might explode. All the same, it was nice to see a right and left back on the pitch in their respective spots. Segawa has done his best in that role, but clearly it’s better to play someone in their natural position, isn’t it? But that might all change for the next match at least, as Ominami had to leave the pitch as a concussion sub so I guess that means he won’t be available for the Sagan Tosu game at least. Not sure how many days he has to wait till he can play again. So expect changes on Wednesday, but maybe it will just be Takai in for Ominami and the full backs will remain in place. Although I also noticed that Ienaga went straight down the tunnel after being subbed and didn't come out for the post game celebrations so perhaps he's also injured. Well, injured or pissed off, both of which could be equally troubling. When Ominami got injured I think Oniki was probably going to take off Sai as he has done in the last few games, but had to change his plans on the hoof. Wednesday sees us take on the team who were second bottom before this game, but as they hammered Jubilo away from home by the same score we won this game, they have now climbed to third bottom. (Sitting second bottom now is naturally a team who’ve beaten us already this year). The league is a very funny beast in 2024. Our win saw us soar up the table to 11th, (now down to 12th after Verdy’s late equalizer), and even though we’ve had a truly awful start, we are only 10 points off the top. I don’t know if this shows how great the league is with lots of evenly matched teams or how bad the league is with lots of evenly matched teams. Certainly, I feel like I haven’t seen anyone who looks that good this year, so probably more the latter. It certainly is interesting though! But at the same time, this adds to the frustration of the horrible tactics we ploughed on with for game after game, defeat after defeat. Imagine where we could have been if we hadn’t been so shit. Which I understand is something that many teams could say, but it does seem especially appropriate for us. As I’ve said many times, I think our squad this year is better than it was last season, so hopefully soon we can start showing this on the pitch a bit more regularly
A few words about the ref. It was Kawamata and once again… I am shocked to say… I don’t have much to say. Guess this always helps when we win and maybe I’d have had moans galore if we lost, but I thought he did pretty well. The linesman on our side of the pitch was really puffing though. In fact, so much that I could see his shoulders rising and falling from my elevated viewpoint up in the stand. This was probably due to the large amount of long balls being whacked by both teams. The managers should really consider the health of the officials when deciding on their ‘hoof it to the fast guy’ tactics.
Next up, Sagan Tosu away. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always my favourite away day and given that this year it’s a Wednesday evening game on a normal working day, only ten days after our last Kyushu away game, I think the away attendance might be something close to how they were in the ‘good old days’, which is exactly what you’d expect a tired old git like me to be excited about. After that we’ll be slowly winding our way to Osaka so expect the blog post on the Tosu game to just be some words with the details added later. And then expect the Gamba away post to be similar too, as when we get back I’ve got a pig of a week at work and then we’re moving apartments. If I survive shifting all my records and absolutely worthless possessions, I’ll update both the posts. If you never see them updated, please send donations to my Ko-Fi account to cover my funeral expenses. I’m not the healthiest of people so the process will almost certainly damage me in some way. I hope the team can continue to improve in the future with or without my support from the terraces.
Team
GK 99. KAMIFUKUMOTO Naoto
DF 31. Sai VAN WERMESKERKEN
Subs
GK 1. JUNG Sung-Ryong
DF 2. TAKAI Kota (on for OMINAMI 75')
MF 6. ZE RICARDO (on for TONO 88')
MF 16. SEKO Tatsuki (on for IENAGA 75')
FW 20. YAMADA Shin (on for GOMIS 61')GK 99. KAMIFUKUMOTO Naoto
DF 31. Sai VAN WERMESKERKEN
DF 3. OMINAMI Takuma
DF 4. JESIEL
DF 5. SASAKI Asahi (Yellow card 61')
MF 8. TACHIBANADA Kento
MF 17. TONO Daiya (Yellow card 63')
DF 5. SASAKI Asahi (Yellow card 61')
MF 8. TACHIBANADA Kento
MF 17. TONO Daiya (Yellow card 63')
MF 14. WAKIZAKA Yasuto
FW 41. IENAGA Akihiro
FW 18. Bafetimbi GOMIS
FW 23. MARCINHO
FW 41. IENAGA Akihiro
FW 18. Bafetimbi GOMIS
FW 23. MARCINHO
Subs
GK 1. JUNG Sung-Ryong
DF 2. TAKAI Kota (on for OMINAMI 75')
MF 6. ZE RICARDO (on for TONO 88')
MF 16. SEKO Tatsuki (on for IENAGA 75')
FW 26. YAMAUCHI Hinata (on for MARCINHO 75')
DF 30. SEGAWA Yusuke (on for JESIEL 88')
Goals
GOMIS (Frontale) 30' 1-0
GOMIS (Frontale) 43' 2-0
GOMIS (Frontale) 45+3' PEN 3-0
My Frontale Man Of The Match
Even someone like me who likes to go a bit left field sometimes couldn’t on this occasion give it to anyone other than….
Bafetimbi GOMIS - three goals, the famous lion celebration and high emotions all round. Delighted!
Goals
GOMIS (Frontale) 30' 1-0
GOMIS (Frontale) 43' 2-0
GOMIS (Frontale) 45+3' PEN 3-0
My Frontale Man Of The Match
Even someone like me who likes to go a bit left field sometimes couldn’t on this occasion give it to anyone other than….
Bafetimbi GOMIS - three goals, the famous lion celebration and high emotions all round. Delighted!
Highlights
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