Last weekend’s J.League 1 action saw relegation-battling Shimizu S-Pulse hosting league leaders Yokohama F. Marinos in Matchweek 19, with the match being played out at the National Stadium in Tokyo. Shimizu had specifically rented out the arena for the match against Yokohama instead of using their usual IAI Nihondaira Stadium in Shizuoka Prefecture to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the club’s foundation and the occasion did not disappoint the neutrals at all, even though Shimizu fans were disappointed that their team were at the wrong end of a 5-3 goal fest.
A season-record attendance of 56,131 people were present at the National Stadium to celebrate Shimizu’s 30th anniversary on Saturday, however the orange faithful were silenced in the 10th minute after Takuma Nishimura had given visitors Yokohama the lead.
Shimizu were quick to response to that setback, however, and in the 13th minute they were level after Yuta Kamiya managed to latch onto a Thiago Santana through pass and calmly slotted home past Yokohama goalie Yohei Takaoka.
Leo Ceara then regained Yokohama’s lead right at the stroke of half-time after he had slid a Kota Mizunuma ball into Shuichi Gonda’s goal, however, two minutes after the restart, Santana slammed home to equalize for Shimizu.
From there, Ceara worked his magic for Kevin Muscat’s men, firing a quickfire double salvo in the 49th and 52nd minutes to complete his hat-trick and provide Yokohama with the 4-2 lead, before former Arsenal man Ryo Miyaichi placed the men from Kanagawa Prefecture beyond reach in the 88th minute.
Eichi Katayama’s injury-time strike would prove to be a scant consolation for Shimizu.
Yokohama’s win was their 500th in the J.League 1, while defeat meant that Shimizu remain stranded in 17th place, with last-placed Vissel Kobe breathing down their necks thanks to their 2-0 win away at Sagan Tosu on the same day.