Match Review: FC Nippon vs Gaelic Lions FC

• DF Katsumi Oku
• DF Kotaro Hayashi
• DF Tom Yoshida
• MD Javier Calvo
• MD Hiroki NARABAYASHI
• ST Takuya Hagino
• -- Seiya Yokoyama
• -- Kento Joko
• -- Seito Yachimoto
• -- Takuya Matsushima
• -- Nobu Honma

• MD Seiji TACHIBANA
• ST Oscar Lee
• -- Satoshi Hiraku
• -- Jo Kagitani

• Jack Reid GK
• Liam McGinley DF
• Will Sexton DF
• Hans Van Den Hoogen DF
• Wilfried Lapierre DF
• Charlie Traynor MD
• Stephen Swords MD
• Daire Flanagan ST
• Zac Whitehouse ST
• Shailer Thomas --
• Angus Logan --

• Daiki Ishino ST
• Darragh Burke ST
• Tasman Wrigley --

Sushi Terrorism

Masticating, tiktoking, pubescent hudlums are terrorising Japan, confounding society, destabilising stock prices and clutching the pearls for yochien-mamas throughout the land. All for likes and f* yous to the man. Point is: don't Hansen it and underestimate teenagers. Picking up at least two injuries per game alongside usual work and family commitments, our age profile has never looked healthier. But how would we get on against an intelligent and technical Japanese side this week? We regret not taking our chances in that first 15. With Champagne Charlie linking up superbly, getting in down the right and Zac flying down the left, I was smashing the Gaelic Lions like button. Hans off the upright, somehow not a handball to take it away from Zac at the back post, the fresh air shot with the empty net (let's say the defender got a nick). Teenagers on fire. Nippon adjusted. Played a LOT deeper. Held ball. And so, not much happened until half time. This continued with Nippon applying a lot more pressure though. After a series of corners, Nippon squeezed one over. Well deserved for how they grew into the game. And they controlled until the last quarter. We unleashed a rabid Daiki down the left, brought on another young gun, reverted to our strongest midfield (Jack making a great debut) and things looked a lot better for us. Daire curling one with his left, great save from the keeper. Hans header, another great save on the line. And Tasman causing problems on the right too. We all love a good romantic tale. Daiki had already drawn a couple of yellows running direct at their back four and after ghosting by two, the full back, so impressed and begging to swap jerseys, just couldn't resist having a tug. Up stepped our own (injured and bruised) Japanese warrior to get a deserved equaliser from the spot. Poetry. And MoM just for that brave cameo. We will take the point and thank Nippon for a share of the spoils over our three games. Your centre back was immense today (not sure name for MoM?). Until next season. Kids, eh!