Mito has never won at Sapporo Dome, but the last match of the year saw a close chance.
The first 3/4 of the game could undoubtedly be considered to be in Mito's control. Eleven minutes in, forward Shiozawa took a high ball and his headed shot was perfectly placed in the upper right corner for the quick lead.
It wouldn't be until Sapporo's Davi took his second goal that the home team took firm control, and the ball control became more evenly contested.
Mito has nothing to be ashamed of for this match, as with the last one, incredible effort showed that this team with this coach has the ability to compete against any team in the country despite the lowest attendance and least money by far. I expect the fan appreciation day tomorrow will be full of incredible joy and pride in Ibaraki's little team in the big city.
With Tokyo's draw, this win secured Sapporo's place as division champions. Tokushima's loss kept Mito from being in bottom place for the first time in history, and prevented what could have been a huge irony... Ibaraki's two teams at completely opposite ends of the board. Kashima completed an amazing comeback in the standings to clinch a dramatic J. League championship hours after Sapporo took Division 2.
I am sad to see the season end but so happy to see it end as well as it did. I am confident that no team has played as hard as Mito has in the past month. The closest team that comes to mind would have to be Kashima.
4 comments:
Sounds like a terrific performance against Sapporo, Vendo. The end of the season has been emotional for a lot of us, but I'm truly delighted that there's been some success for Mito and have loved reading your blog throughout 2007.
Thanks. I'll still be following practices and trades through the off season and try to talk with the new players in hopes of being able to make updates and predictions for the new year.
You're magnanimous towards Kashima - no envy or hatred of the local enemy Vendo?
There are a few Kashima fans who feel Mito should be disbanded, but all in all Mito and Kashima fans get along very well.
I'm glad Kashima won for two reasons... First, it makes the Ibaraki derby much more interesting and would be a huge story if Mito could win. No matter how Kashima does the year before, nobody expects Mito to win, and if it should happen to happen against the champions it would be that much more exciting. Secondly, I really don't want any team to win more than one title and Urawa already took the AFC championship. In an ideal situation, teams would share the wealth and sperate teams should win the championship, Nabisco Cup, Emperors Cup, and (if possible) the Asian championship and/or world club championship.
I guess I just like things to be more interesting no matter the situation!
Post a Comment