After earning a 4-0 victory away against Tokushima Vortis, Verdy returned home last week where their match against FC Gifu ended a scoreless draw. While the team has extended their unbeaten run to eight games since the start of the season, there remain concerns about their ruthlessness in attack, which they hoped to address this week in an away match against Roasso Kumamoto. The biggest change in the squad was the return of Tomohiro Taira, who had picked up an injury in pre-season and was making his first appearance since resuming full training.

It was Verdy who dominated possession in the early moments. With Shion Inoue pulling the strings of the passing game, the players used the full width of the pitch to search for openings in the opposition defense. Despite this, Kumamoto built a strong block in front of goal and Verdy were unable to play good passes into the vital area. When Verdy did lose possession, the opposition were quick to play simple long balls to their two large center forwards and threaten on the counter. However, Akira Ibayashi, Shinnosuke Hatanaka, and Taira showed good team work at the back and refused to grant the front two freedom, stifling any chances. While Tokushima did manage to secure the ball high up the pitch on several occasions, Hatanaka, in particular, used his strength and composure to win the ball and set Verdy off on the counter. The team then endured an an extended spell of opposition possession, but Verdy, too, were quick to switch from attack to defense and their ball-side pressure was able to keep their opponents from getting off a shot. In the end, both teams would finish the half without creating clear chances and momentum seemed to be swinging Verdy’s way.

In the second half, Verdy made adjustments to deal with the opposition counter and strengthen their own efforts in attack. From the locker room, Manager Lotina stressed that the first five minutes of the half would be key. The players would take heed, creating a clear chance on goal as early as the 46th minute. Yuta Narawa drew defenders after receiving the ball deep on the left side and played a pass through the center. Inoue latched onto the ball and, taking advantage of a late reaction from his marker, managed a strong right footed shot that went just wide of the post. From this point, Verdy would be in control for the near remainder of the match. However, even when they were able to push high up the pitch, they were outnumbered by the defense and couldn’t quite find a way through. Avoiding too many risks, the players elected to recycle possession and tried to switch the play from side to side. As the half progressed, Verdy began to pile on the pressure. Ryota Kajikawa entered the game, and his forward runs added an element of speed and dynamism to the attack. In the 72nd minute, Kota Watanabe ran with the ball on the counter from Verdy territory. Kajikawa made a supporting run into the space on the left side and, after receiving the ball, whipped a cross in front of goal. Having begun the move, Kouta Watanabe continued his run as the cross made its way into a gap in the defense. However, his header was off target. In the closing minutes, Ryohei Hayashi was brought on, enabling Verdy to press from the front as they fought for a goal. Hayashi would get his head to a Tamura cross in front of goal in the 94th minute, bending forward to make contact, but the shot went wide of the left post. In the end, Verdy showed plenty of ambition, but the goal never came and the team were left with a second consecutive draw.

After nine matches, this was Verdy’s sixth draw of the season and their fifth scoreless result, a stat line that will leave no one satisfied. With that said, the progress the team has made in defense cannot be ignored. The three goals they have conceded this season are few enough to place them in line with table leaders Fagiano Okayama. And with FC Machida Zelvia having suffered a loss during the week, Verdy are now the league’s only undefeated side. The foundation built in defense last season has fully matured into a team strength and now, the players must overcome their stagnation in attack, without upsetting the team balance, by moving forward in numbers when the opportunity arises to unlock the opposition goal. That mission begins tomorrow, as they prepare next week to build a green wave amidst the electric atmosphere at Nishigaoka.

Manager Miguel Ángel Lotina