History of Shimizu S-Pulse facts for kids

Shimizu S-Pulse is a famous Japanese football club. They have played in Japan's top football league, the J. League, for 14 seasons. This team has won many important cup competitions. They lifted the Emperor's Cup, the J. League Cup, the Asian Cup Winners Cup, and the Japanese Super Cup twice! They also reached five other cup finals, showing they are a strong team.

How Shimizu S-Pulse Started

Shimizu S-Pulse began in February 1991. It was first called Shimizu FC. Unlike many other Japanese football teams back then, S-Pulse was not started by a big company. Instead, it was formed by a group of players born in the Shizuoka area. The team was first managed by a company called S-Lap Communications. They also received money from local people and Shizuoka Television.

Two months later, the club's name officially changed to Shimizu S-Pulse. The "S" in S-Pulse stands for Shizuoka, Shimizu, and Soccer. The word "Pulse" comes from English. It means the strong spirit of everyone who supports the team.

Joining the J. League (1992-1993)

After being allowed to join the J. League, S-Pulse played in the 1992 J. League Cup. They started very well! They won 5 of their 9 group games. This helped them finish second and reach the semi-finals. They then beat Nagoya Grampus Eight to get to their first-ever cup final. However, they lost the final to Verdy Kawasaki. S-Pulse also played in the 72nd Emperor's Cup. Their journey ended in the quarter-finals against Yokohama Marinos.

In 1993, S-Pulse became one of the first ten teams in the J. League's top division. In the first part of the season, they won 10 of 18 matches. This put them in 4th place. The second part of the season was even better! They won 14 games and finished in 2nd place. Their second time in the J. League Cup was another close call. They finished first in their group. Then they beat Gamba Osaka in the semi-finals. But they lost in the final again to Verdy Kawasaki. S-Pulse continued their good cup form in the 73rd Emperor's Cup. They reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by Kashima Antlers.

Winning Their First Cup (1994-1999)

S-Pulse's amazing cup record slowed down in 1994. They left the J. League Cup in round 2. They also exited the Emperor's Cup in round 1. But their league games went much better. They finished 2nd in the first part of the season and 6th in the second part.

1995 was a tougher year for S-Pulse. They finished 12th out of 14 clubs in the first part of the league. This was their lowest finish yet. They did get better in the second part, finishing 4th. But with no J. League Cup that year and an early exit from the Emperor's Cup, it was a quiet year for trophies.

The 1996 season was an improvement. They finished 10th in the league. They also had a good run in the Emperor's Cup, reaching the quarter-finals. But the real success was in the J. League Cup. After finishing first in their group, S-Pulse made it to the final. They beat Bellmare Hiratsuka 5–0 in the semi-finals. For the third time, Verdy Kawasaki was their opponent in the final. S-Pulse was leading 2–0 but the game ended 3–3. It went to penalty kicks. S-Pulse won 5–4 on penalties! This was their first-ever cup title.

In 1997 and 1998, they kept getting better in the league. In 1998, S-Pulse almost finished 1st in the first part of the season. They missed it by just a few goals. However, they did not win any more trophies. They came closest in the 1998 Emperor's Cup. They lost 2–1 in the final to Yokohama Flügels. Also in 1998, Shizuoka Television stopped giving money to the club. Local companies, led by Suzuyo, then took over running the team.

1999 started with S-Pulse's first game in the Japanese Super Cup. They played because Yokohama Flügels had joined with Yokohama Marinos. However, S-Pulse lost the match 2–1. S-Pulse finished 3rd in the first part of the league. Then they went on to win the second part! The final games to decide the league title were against their local rivals, Júbilo Iwata. S-Pulse lost one game 2–1 and won the other 2–1. But they lost the overall match 4–2 on penalties. This great season also included two good cup runs, both ending in the quarter-finals.

New Millennium Success (2000-2005)

The new millennium brought even better results for S-Pulse. They won the Asian Cup Winners Cup in 2000. Then they won the final of the Emperor's Cup in 2001. This meant the S-Pulse trophy cabinet was getting full! They also won the Japanese Super Cup in 2001 and 2002. This meant the club had won four cups in just three years.

However, these cup wins hid the fact that their league results were getting worse. After finishing 4th in both parts of the 2001 season, S-Pulse spent the next four seasons in the middle of the league table.

Even with poor league form, their cup runs continued. They lost two semi-finals in 2003. This was followed by a quarter-final loss in 2004. In 2005, S-Pulse reached the J. League Cup quarter-final again. They ended the year with a great run to the Emperor's Cup final. They did not let in a single goal until the final game! However, they lost the final 2–1 to Urawa Red Diamonds.

Recent Seasons (2006)

S-Pulse started the 2006 season with three wins in a row. They continued to play well throughout the season. They finished in 4th place in the league. However, their time in the J. League Cup ended early. They only got 8 points in the group stage. After finishing the league season strongly, S-Pulse reached the quarter-finals of the Emperor's Cup. But their run ended with a loss to Kashima Antlers. S-Pulse has now gone four seasons without winning any new trophies.