#240 Oh My! 10 Games Left, Survival Mode!

On Friday, September 13th, our Albirex Niigata will take on Shimizu S-Pulse at home at Big Swan. The J1 League is finally down to its last 10 matches. As the season reaches its climax, we cannot afford to drop a single game. This is truly a critical moment for our J1 survival. Above all, since it is a home game, we are expected to secure all 3 points.

Our opponent this time is Shimizu S-Pulse. They are led by manager Tadahiro Akiba, a former Albirex player. As someone who was deeply involved in Niigata's promotion to J1 during his playing days, he surely knows the atmosphere of Big Swan inside and out. Tera, Noza, and Isao, please make sure to butter up Manager Akiba in advance (just kidding).

Now, I have created a home-game hype illustration for the first time in a while. Shimizu and us have often swapped places between J1 and J2, so surprisingly, we haven't had many opportunities to face them at home. They are an opponent I've wanted to draw for a long time, so this illustration has been a long time coming.

I struggled quite a bit with the theme, but this time I chose 'fish.' Shimizu Port is famous for having the highest tuna landing volume in Japan. While tuna can also be caught in Sado, Niigata Prefecture, I prioritized the 'number one in Japan' label. So, for the Niigata side, I chose the 'nodoguro' (blackthroat seaperch), the king of the Sea of Japan. Its presence needs no explanation, right? Actually, I was also torn between shrimp. A 'Sakura shrimp vs. Nanban shrimp' composition would have been interesting, but I felt that fish would look better as an illustration, so I finally settled on this.

10 games remaining. Whether we can accumulate points will determine our J1 survival for next season and the future of the club. If we don't hold our ground here, everything we have built up so far might come to nothing.

The players are fighting desperately. The new signings have also settled into the team. However, football is not played by the 11 people on the pitch alone. The cheers of the supporters, the 12th man, provide the strength to take that final step.

We absolutely cannot lose this match. That is why we must fight together. Let's paint Big Swan orange and seize victory!

By the way, this article marks the 44th 'home-game hype illustration.' It's crazy how Niigata Prefecture still has endless fascinating local specialties and features to write about even after 44 articles.