Desmond is back to save Fujieda MYFC! The defender helped keep a clean sheet on his second debut for the club and therefore earn a 0-0 draw at home to Zweigen Kanazawa. The result means Fujieda’s four game losing streak is over, despite being down to ten men for just less than half the match. The result means Fujieda move off the bottom of the table.
Starting lineup before the match.
For this match, Musashi Mizushima made numerous changes from 4-1 loss to Grulla Morioka in midweek. He changed from his preferred 4-2-3-1 system, to a standard 4-4-2, to accommodate striker Yusuke Ishii’s first start of the season.
Masato Mizuki took Takumi Hashimoto’s place in midfield, to allow Desmond to slot into centre back, where Ryuji Mochizuki made way for Kazushi Uchida to start. Yuhei Marumoto was the midfielder to drop out for Ishii and Shogo Nakatsuru came in for Takahiro Tanio.
The opposition lined up with a solid 4-5-1 system, with Masao Tsuji, who has four goals so far this year, up front on his own.
Oishi battling for possession.
The first half was relativity uneventful, which would have pleased Mizushima and Fujieda fans as in recent games, there have been too many goals conceded in first halves. The only of note, was defender Hiroki Narabayashi picking up a yellow card.
With the game goalless at half time, neither manager made a change with the game just too tight. However, eight minutes into the second half, the only event of the first half was made significant as Narabayashi picked up his second yellow card, meaning Fujieda were down to ten men with nearly 40 minutes left to play.
Sato takes a strike.
Despite the red card, MYFC continued to defend resolutely. Zweigen made two changes within twenty minutes of Narabayashi’s red card but neither had any effect.
Desmond and Mizuki picked up bookings as Fujieda continued to battle on. In the 77th minute, Mizushima took off both his strikers, Tsugutoshi Oishi and Ishii, and replaced them with two midfielders, albeit attacking ones, in Takumi Hashimoto and Takahiro Tanio.
Desmond winning a header.
The changes made Fujieda even more resolute and despite Zweigen making a couple of late changes, they could not break down Desmond and co. at the back.
Interestingly, despite being down to 10 men for a significant chunk of the game, MYFC actually had more shots than their opponents, 15 to 9.
Fujieda MYFC (4-4-2) – Park; Narabayashi, Desmond, Uchida, Okuda; Mizuki, Nakatsuru (Marumoto 90+5′), Hisatomi, Sato; Oishi (Hashimoto 77′), Ishii (Tanio 77′)
Zweigen Kanazawa (4-5-1) – Harada; Tsujio (Tomita 89′), Ota, Sakuda, Hozaki; Ochi, Yamafuji, Kiyohara (Tanaka 82′), Omachi, Sato (Awatari 71′); Tsuji (Oishi 62′)
Scorers: N/A
Attendance: 1,184
Next match: Blaublitz Akita (away) 11/05/14
Fujieda can definitely be proud of that result. A draw against a team that is 2nd in the league, whilst having a man sent off, is no mean feat. Hopefully MYFC can build on this result next week against Blaublitz Akita, who are one place above Fujieda in the table.
Photos from myfc.co.jp
The loyal fans making a noise!
Following Fujieda MYFC (藤枝ＭＹＦＣ) 