Training camp+vitamin C=goals

So they listened then.

At the end of last season, every Sanga fan had "Just have a shot!" bursting out of them. Well, today, we saw what they've been working on over the break......just having a shot.

They not only displayed their trademark exquisite passing, but once they were in range, taking lots of shots at the goal. So now they look seriously dangerous.

Three goals were scored against the pretty decent and aggressive Ehime. Last season the opposition’s defense would have frustratingly undone all the beautiful passing and goal set up, but today we were whipping the shots straight past and unsettling their wall-like defense. A real promising atmosphere for the season was set out in today's friendly.

Having escaped the snowy freezer of Kyoto to the stunning scenery unique to this part of Japan, we bathed in the calm warm weather and took in the mountain views that made up the backdrop of the stadium.

As a relatively newbie of Sanga's fan club, I was taken aback a bit after arriving to see half the stand filled with other Kyoto-ites and loyal fans who had also chosen to spend the long weekend watching their team prep for the season. Something I don't think even a die-hard (insert major Premier League team name) fan would do, and the reason why....perhaps because it was free, and the team looked liked they wanted us there. It was open to fans, making it easy to support them. Like the event last weekend, Sanga seems to join up with the fans rather than treat them just as seat-buying customers. Seeing this 'behind the scenes' view strengthened my feelings even more for my new ‘love’.