Is it safe to say we are safe?

We won a game when it counted, something we haven't done in what feels like a long time and depending on Kofu's result tomorrow against Niigata, it's safe to say that we'll be playing J1 in 2012. Kofu needs two big wins in their final two games to have any chance of J1 survival and all we need is a draw next week against Kashiwa (that's if Kofu wins tomorrow)  to confirm our J1 status. So yes, it is safe to say we are safe, but stranger things have happened before in the J-League, so "I wont count my chickens before they hatch".

What I can count on is our 2-1 win away at Fukuoka, that three points is in the bag and accounted for. Even though Fukuoka is battling Yamagata to avoid the wooden spoon this year (yes only 2 places below us) and that we have defeated them once already this year, at no point before the final whistle I felt "the three points was in the bag". If I was asked at the beginning of this year the result of this game, I wouldn't have hesitated in saying "an easy win", but how things have changed.

I don't really want to mention much about the game, as the thing that matters the most at the end of the day is the result. Our goals came from Kashiwagi and a penalty from Richardes.

The one thing about the game I do want to mention; why is Tsuboi playing with Spiranovic sitting on the bench again? I just don't get it. Whether we are playing for the future, for the now or anything for that matter how is Tsuboi ahead of Spiranovic? I can't (or don't want to) see Spiranovic going to Europe next year, and don't want to see him playing for another J-League side. The Spiranovic-Nagata combination has been solid this year, despite our struggles up front, so why change now?

This is how we line up:
GK: Kato
DF: Hirakawa, Tsuboi, Nagata, Noda
MF: Keita, Umesaki, Richardes, Kashiwagi, Haraguchi
FW: Sergio

Subs
28min Sergio > Tanaka
86min Tanaka > Hara
90min Kashiwagi > Nobu Yamada

I think it's safe to say that there was collective sigh of relief from the Red fans. Our final match next week is at home against Kashiwa. Now the question is can we play spoiler?

All that matters now

Right now to me all that matters is for the Reds to stay in the J1 in 2012. You know what I don't care how we do it! (Legally of cause...) This past weekend I must admit, I was cheering for the team in blue to defeat Kofu. No I'm not proud of it, but right now I must do what I need to do. Even if that means cheering for the team that defeated us 3-0 in our last league game over three weeks ago. Desperate times calls for desperate measures I guess.

The only other game that I was paying extra close attention to over the weekend was our own match against Sendai. The ideal result would have been a win, which would have almost certainly "secured" our J1 status for next year. But "WE ARE REDS" and we don't make things easy do we? The final result against Sendai was a nil-all draw, so couple that with Kofu's lost, it places us 3 points above the drop zone with two games left as well as a superior goal difference. It should be enough, but if any team can screw this up, yep that would be us. Sorry for any new Urawa Red Diamond fans out there, but that is the honest truth!

The match against Sendai was a scrappy affair, partly due to the rain which was bucketing down. Again though, like throughout 2011 it has been our ability to score goals that let us down. Things just aren't clicking on all cylinders. I wish I can say that things have improved enough during Hori's reign, but things just don't seem to come together in our attack. It just seems as though no ones on the same page. The thing that is hurting us the most though is our ability to score goals, more specifically we lack a striker who can score goals (I think you all should know this by now...)

The defence on the other hand has been solid 2011 and was solid against Sendai, but why is Tsuboi playing ahead of Spiranovic? Yes Tsuboi had a good outing for the Reds, but is the writing on the wall for Spiranovic or does he have ambitions to return to Europe during the January transfer window? Being an Aussie Red's fan, I do hope he stays, but for him to maintain his place in the Soccerroos' squad he would need playing time.

This is how we lined up against Sendai

GK: Kato

DF: Hirakawa, Nagata, Tsuboi, Noda

MF: Keita, Umesaki, Richardes, Kashiwagi, Haraguchi
FW: Sergio

Subs

73min Sergio > Tanaka

86min Umesaki > Hara

Onto the other game we had this past week, we did defeat Tokyo Verdy to advance in the Emperors' cup. Besides our J1 survival, I think winning the Emperors' Cup should be our focus for the remainder on this campaign. J2 side Ehime FC is who we will face in the 4th round of the Emperors' cup, so I'm fairly confident we can progress even though yes I know that a few years ago they knocked us out of the Emperors' Cup. Hopefully history doesn't repeat itself!

In our last two league games we play the bottom side Fukuoka away followed our showdown @ Saitama against Kashiwa; where they are fighting for the title and we are fighting for our J1 status. If you didn't know, you would have thought it was us in the J2 last season!

WE ARE REDS!

Thank you Yokohama F.M

So we didn't win the league cup (Nabisco Cup) - losing 1-0 in extra time to Kashima, but to me that really didn't matter. It would have been great to win a trophy, but I am almost certain that with our current form, winning it would have doomed our 2012 season (that's to say that we survive this year). But in season 2011, another round of games have past and we're still above the drop zone. That I can be relieved about but what frustrates me is the 3-0 defeat to Jubilo Iwata. If it wasn't for Yokohama F.M coming back to defeat Kofu, it would have been the relegation zone for us this week.

I don't know what it is, we just did not show any heart out there. What makes things worst is that our defence which had been our "strength" this year conceded 3 goals and looked very fragile. Don't know why Spiranovic didn't play again. Hamada has been good in Spiranovic's place but the Spiranovic-Nagata combination at the back has been solid all year. As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Only think that I can think of is that Spiranovic is leaving next year, which I hope for a Reds point of view isn't the case.

Our midfield against Iwata consisted of Kojima, Umesaki, Kashiwagi, Takasaki and Haraguchi; all of whom are young and ironically what was lacking the most out there tonight was a bit of experience. Something someone like Keita brings to the team, even though yes I know he hasn't been playing well this season. I would like to see how Aoyama goes in Kieta's position but again he does lack J-1 experience.

One thing that has been holding us back this year has been up front, our strikers (or lack there of). Since Edmilson's departure mid-season, there hasn't really been any options for us at striker (not that Eji was playing well when he left). Big hopes were placed on Ranko, but he isn't the answer. Takasaki and Sergio play well up front on occasions, but they aren't really the solution. Is Genki an option, maybe but he really isn't the "target-man" we need up front. If only we had better options up front, this season could have been different. I think that's a fair statement don't you?

Either way, this is how we lined up against Iwata

GK: Kato
DF: Nobu Yamada, Hamada, Nagata, Hirakawa
MF: Kojima, Umesaki, Takahashi, Kashiwagi, Haraguchi
FW: Sergio

Subs
57min No Yamada > Noda
66min Segio > Ranko
77min Takahashi > Mazola

Our last three games look like this; Sendai (H), Fukuoka (A) and Kashiwa (H). I'd rather stay up due to our winnings rather then Kofu losses, but as long as we stay up, at the end of the day it doesn't matter. What I hope to see is a win and 2 draws from our last 3 games, is that asking for too much?