SHIMIZU, Shizuoka Pref. -- Shimizu S-Pulse's hopes of joining Jubilo Iwata in the Club World Championship were dealt a severe blow after a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabian team Al Hilal in the first leg of the Asian Super Cup at Nihondaira Stadium on Sunday.
To make matters worse, S-Pulse will have to do without defender Kazuyuki Toda who was sent off in the 35th minute after bringing down Al Hilal's Ricardo Perez Tamayo in the box. Compounding Shimizu's problems, Katsumi Oenoki, the natural replacement for Toda, is also unavailable, having injured his ankle in training last week.
In the words of S-Pulse boss Steve Perryman, "We committed suicide" in the last 10 minutes of the first half.