Winner!!!

This year we haven't won games that many games, so when we do we can't take it for granted, because in all honesty we don't know when the next one will come. I'm hoping for it to come this weekend against Gamba, but realistically I don't know. It's not a good feeling as a supporter not being able to come in to a match with a winning expectation, it's depressing actually, but that's for another time an place. This blog is all about our victory on Wednesday.

What makes the victory all that much more sweeter, was that it was a "derby" game, which resulted in our neighbours being eliminated. Yes I know it's only the Nabisco cup and I have previously mentioned that winning the Nabisco Cup would spell relegation (as was the fate of Oita and FC Tokyo). But lets see it from a Reds perspective, after the last time we won the League Cup in 2003, resulted in an Emperor's Cup in 2005, the League and Emperor's Cup in 2006 and the ACL in 2007. Not too bad right? I'd be happy with that.

I'd also be happy to see Umesaki finally playing to his potential (as in not being injured); seeing him upfront playing opposite Genki gives us a more dangerous look. Another thing I'd be happy to see is more goals from Ranko. He hasn't started well for the Reds and I know people are already beginning to question him. As for me, I haven't really made up my mind yet; but if he can continue to score goals, like the two he scored against Omiya, then why not? We haven't had a "reliable" target man upfront since Washington. Yes Eji did his best, but he was no Washington. So hopefully Ranko can be just that for the Reds, he has the size, now he just needs to perform week in week out.

Two players I don't like to see week in week out would be Tsuboi and Nobu Yamada; Tsuboi came on at half time for Nagata whilst Nobu started at right back. I don't mind seeing them on spot duty and to be honest with you it was good seeing them play but they aren't what they use to be (Nobu wasn't really a defender to start off with). Is it coincidence that Urawa conceded a goal whilst both of them was on the field? (I know I'm looking too deeply into it.)

At the end of the day, we won 2-1 (4-1 agg) and we're through to the quarter finals of the Nabisco Cup to face Cerezo Osaka. So up next we play Gamba this Sunday (J1) and Cerezo on Wednesday; a week in Osaka for the Reds.

This is how we lined up against Omiya

GK: Yamagishi
DF: Yamada (No); Spiranovic; Nagata; Noda
MF: Keita; Naoki; Richardes
FW: Umesaki; Haraguchi; Ranko

Subs
29min Haraguchi > Mazola
HT Nagata > Tsuboi

61min Ranko > Sergio