Two games vs. KKU

Avispa played two practice-matches against the team from the Kyushu Kyoritsu Univeristy today. The first game at 11 o'clock in the morning ended 2:2. Yusuke scored the two goals in the 24th and 70th minute.

The second game, two hours later, ended with a clear 4:0-win for Avispa.
Hideya Okamoto scored 2 goals in the 34th and 40th minute. Takahashi and Suzuki scored one in the 50th and 77th minute.

Public viewing at Level-5

What's the best way to watch a world cup-game??? It's public viewing!
On saturday night, over 8200 people, more than in some league-game, came togehter at Level-5 stadium to watch Japan's 2nd group stage-match against the Netherlands. Too bad that Japan lost a pretty even game with 0:1. Before the game, Masato Yoshihara, Jun Suzuki and ex-international Makoto Tanaka were on the pitch to have a talk about Japan's team. There were also entertaiment for the kids with Ronald McDonald. Now there are all eyes on the last group match against Denmark. Both teams fighting for the 2nd place behind the Netherlands. Japan would get through with a draw, Denmark need a win.

GO BLUE SAMURAIS!

[J2-R17] Avispa 2-1 Oita

Yes! We won the Kyushu-Derby against Oita Trinita with 2:1, so now we got 5 wins in a row and 7 games without a lose. 19 points out of 21 possible! What Shinoda did with the guys after the break at round 10!? But the game up first...
It started not that good. Daiki Takamatsu, who took the captain-armband from his vice Naoya Kikuchi again, headed a goal after a corner in the 5th minute.
In the 18th minute, Nakamachi headed a goal after a Kudo-corner. It was an easy one for Nakamachi because no Oita-defender covered him.
It looked like the game would end with a 1:1-draw just a few minutes before the final whistle, but after a Yusuke-cross in the 87th minute, Jumbo tried to control the ball, but a Oita-defender covered him really well, so he couldn't move. At the next second, Kikuchi seemed to have a good idea: Why don't jump Okubo on his knee!? It will stop him...and so he did.
A more than a clear penalty-kick and Kikuchi was lucky to not sent off.
Jumbo took a long run from the box-line to shot the PK, and was lucky to score. Oita-keeper Shimokawa jump into the right conrner and got the hands down, but the ball went under his arms into the goal!

After the PK, the highlight of the day happend!
GUESS WHO'S BACK!? JOGO IS!!!!!
After out of 9 months suffered from a cruciate ligament rupture, he came in right after Jumbo's PK for Sueyoshi.

Nakajima is still injured an missed the game. Miyai played on his position.

Starting 11
GK: Kamiyama
DF: Yamagata, Niwa, Tanaka, Miyaji
MF: Kudo, Sueyoshi, Nakamachi, Nagasato
FW: Okamoto, Okubo

Bench: Rokutan, Yamaguchi, Abe, Jogo, Suzuki, Yusuke, Takahashi

Goals
0:1 - 5' - Daiki Takamatsu
1:1 - 18' - Kosuke Nakamachi
2:1 - 87' - Tetsuya Okubo (PK)

Subs
60' - Okamoto -> Yusuke
71' - Kudo -> Suzuki
88' - Sueyoshi -> Jogo
Cautions
84' - Suzuki (1)

Nakamachi's goal

Jumbo's goal

Nagira is out for few weeks

Tomokazu "Nanagi" Nagira got injured while the practice on thursday. He suffered a 5th metatarsal fracture, the same injury like Yusuke, who made his debut last week against Tochigi. Seems like Nanagi will be out for 5-6 weeks, like Yusuke.

Avispa helped for a clean Fukuoka

Yesterday, players, Staff members and players from the Avispa-youth helped at the annual cleaning up in Fukuoka.
Avispa helped to clean up the beach area.

[J2-R16] Tochigi 1-2 Avispa

Hooray! We won the really important game against Tochigi with 1:2, so now we are the top-chasers of the Top 3 Reysol, Kofu and Chiba.
We had to replace Nakajima and Tanaka, who must be injured. The two were replaced by Miyaji and Nagira.
We started strong with a goal after 4 minutes. Genki scored his 8th goal of the season after a good pass from Okamoto. Genki was left alone by the Tochigi-defence on his left site. With a left cracker from Genki and a little help from the post, the ball found his way into the goal.
Tochigi scored the 1:1 after a header from Choi just before the half time, but just 10 minutes in the 2nd, Okubo scored his 4th goal of the season after a long time...
Kudo played a good cross and Okamoto made his second asisst with a "chest-pass" to Jumbo, who run into the middle of the box and tipped the ball into the goal for the final 1:2!
Yusuke made his comeback after his injury by came in for Nagasato in the 92nd minute.

This win was so important for us! Now we have to stay cool and have to win the Kyushu-Derby against Oita, the first against Oita since our last J1-days back in 2006. I'm pretty optimistic. We are on the run, specially at home. Oita is a bit down at the moment and waiting for the next win.

Starting 11
GK: Kamiyama
DF: Yamagata, Niwa, Nagira, Miyaji
MF: Kudo, Nakamachi, Sueyoshi, Nagasato
FW: Okubo, Okamoto

Bench: Rokutan, Yamaguchi, Suzuki, Yusuke, Takahashi

Goals
0:1 - 4' - Genki Nagasato
1:1 - 41' - Choi Kun-Sik
1:2 - 55' - Tetsuya Okubo

Subs
80' - Kudo -> Suzuki
86' - Okamoto -> Takahashi
90'+2 - Nagasato -> Yusuke

Cautions
26' - Kamiyama (1)
58' - Nagira (3)

Genki's goal

Jumbo's goal

A-contract for Sueyoshi

Midfielder Toshiya Sueyoshi got his J.League A-contract now. Sueyoshi played the needful 900 minutes in the J2 to get the contract. Sueyoshi reached the 900 in the last game agaist Tokushima Vortis. He played 971 minutes in 12 games so far.

Nakajima got injured

Defender Takanori Nakajima got injured in the game against Tokushima Vortis last weekend.
Nakajima suffered a joint sprain in his right foot and was replace by Yosuke Miyaji in the 49th minute. The injury is not that bad, so the fans are hoping, that he will be back in the important match against Tochigi on sunday.