98th Emperor's Cup 2nd round - Tokyo Verdy vs Kataller Toyama

Match Report

For the past six matches, Verdy seemed to be growing ever distant from the prospect of victory. Last week, against Yokohama FC, it took a dramatic additional-time equalizer from Yong-Jik Ri to secure the draw. Hoping that the turn of events would provide an opportunity to raise their level of play, the team returned to the pitch just two days later for the first round of the Emperor’s Cup. It was a different tournament from league play, but the players still hoped to use the match to build momentum for their promotion chase and with the lack of rest between matches, there were several changes made to the squad from the previous match. Takahiro Shibasaki was brought in at GK, playing behind a back line of Masashi Wakasa, Mitsuru Nagata making his first appearance of the season, and Tomohiro Taira. The midfield consisted of Hideo Hashimoto and Yong-Jik Ri as holding midfielders, while left-footed Shogo Hayashi slotted in on the right and right-footed Naoto Sawai took the left. The front line was topped off by Carlos at right wing, Kazuma Takai at left wing, and Ryohei Hayashi at center forward.

Perhaps in part due to the large changes in personnel, the team looked pensive as the match began, with players watching each other closely as the play progressed. When they had the ball, Verdy were careful in their buildup but lost the ball in key areas, leading to Toyama breaking into the vital area on the counter and creating a chance in front of goal in the 6th minute. Although the shot floated just over the crossbar, Verdy found themselves having conceding control to their lower-division opponents. From that point, both teams struggled to move the ball until Verdy finally grabbed the advantage. In the 16th minute, Ryohei Hayashi played a ball into space for Wakasa to run onto and the defender drilled a low cross in front of goal. Ri got a touch at the near post to change the ball’s direction, allowing the running Ryohei Hayashi to tap it in, topping off a positive attack from the wide areas. Having hit the ignition, Verdy would now push their opponents back with force. In the 20th minute, Hashimoto took a free kick from wide left and hit a cross to the opposite side. The opposition defenders watched helplessly as the ball slipped between the gaps and was pounced on by Ri for a quick second goal. Despite being on the ascendancy, the momentum would soon shift to the opposition and Verdy had only themselves to blame. The players were focused on fluidity and as a result, their spacing grew too open, creating a gap through the middle which Toyama exploited with a through ball, leading them in on goal. Shibasaki kept the team from the brink with a fine save, but in the 36th minute, the team would lose the ball again and a speedy opposition counter ended with a powerful shot that found the net. Now, the team’s bad habit of collapsing after conceding the opening goal would rear its ugly head again. At the close of the first half, after one minute of additional time had passed, Verdy allowed their opponents to build numbers at the near post during a corner kick from the right. The cross was perfectly placed to take advantage and a Toyama player got their head to the ball to redirect it into the net. Verdy’s positive start and early lead had crumbled, allowing their opponents to equalize.

To address the gaps that had opened up in their positioning, Verdy changed systems at half time. The results would return them to their original play model and allow them to reclaim control in the second half. The players now maintained a tightly compact shape and moved the ball well, allowing everyone to push up the pitch and direct play within the opposition half. Substitutes Shunsuke Mori and Hiroki Sugajima got themselves on the ball frequently, building opportunities out wide that led to frequent incursions into the opposition penalty area. However, their passing was not quite precise enough to set up the finish and moves frequently broke down in front of goal with no result. Time passed, and the match entered its final minutes with Verdy still unable to change gears, settling instead for careful passing to maintain possession. The match had now exceeded the three minutes of lost time indicated by the fourth official and seemed destined for extra time. However, it was the last play of the game that would decide the result. Sugajima and Hayashi fought to thread passes between each other and Hayashi evaded the opposition pressure to provide a sharp cross in front of goal. The charging Ri held off his marker, who pressed from behind, and volleyed home first time to grant Verdy the win.

For the second straight match, Verdy scored a dramatic goal in additional time. Once again, the man who claimed the glory was the one who had last week turned to his teammates, and their companions in the stands, and signaled that the season was not over, that their moment was only about to begin. On a team with many soft-spoken players, Ri’s positive attitude has provided a new accent and his ability to connect that to results has generated an upswing in atmosphere from within. Of course, the conceding of two goals, and control of the play, to a team from a lower division is something that must be analyzed and addressed immediately. Still, getting a goal from elements that exceed mere logic is a valuable yield for a team that has relied on tactics and strategy. Even a pro football team cannot look down on the idea that heart comes before all else. No matter how sophisticated the team’s tactics or strategy, it is passion that will give them true worth. Now the Verdy players must extend this win into a positive cycle that will carry them forward in the coming weeks.

Post-match comments

Manager Miguel Ángel Lotina

Your thoughts on the match?
I think Toyama played very well in the first half. They created chances and exploited our mistakes. That was the first half. We were able to score twice, despite not playing well. The first goal came from wonderful combination play between Shogo (Hayashi) and Waka (Masashi Wakasa), while the second came from a set piece. After that, I think it was very competitive. We were comfortable in our play but during the period when it was even, they scored two goals and we entered half time even at 2-2. In the second half, we were able to retain possession better and control the match. I don’t know if our opponents were tired, but I think the only time they came forward was on the counter. Even then, they must have been tired, because their counter attacking was not quite as sharp as it had been. After that, Yong-jik scored a goal and we were able to avoid extra time. I think that was much better than the prospect of having to play another 30 minutes. Overall, I’m satisfied with how we played today. Mainly because we were able to give game time to players who hadn’t been on the pitch much this season and I was able to evaluate how they play.

Tell us why you changed the formation to 4-3-3 in the second half.
I changed the system, this time, because I felt we needed to improve in both attack and defense. The opposition had played very well in the first half and I think we had problems, so I wanted to make changes. In particular, I think we had problems in defense. Part of that was how we pressed, which has little to do with the system, but we seemed disorganized overall. We weren’t able to play together as a team. By changing the system, I was hoping we could reorganize. We were too loose in attack and defense, especially when it comes to defense, and I believe defense is the key to gaining control of the play, so I made revisions.

Was the disorganization due to the effectiveness of the opposition press?
The disorganization was more in how we were lining up in defense. We pressed in areas where we shouldn’t have and didn’t do so in areas where we should. It was problems of that type.

DF 17Lee Yong Jick

Tell us about your first goal.
I got the last touch and it hit the keeper before going in. I heard them announce that it was Hashimoto’s goal on the PA and I held up my hand saying “me! me!” (laugh)

What about the winning goal?
In the league matches, as well, Shogo has been putting in some good crosses. It’s easy for me to have faith and make the run when the cross is coming from a left-footed player and I’ve learned in training what Shogo’s qualities are as a player. When the cross came in, the defenders were ball-watching and Ryohei also made a run at the near post. I tried to follow the flight of the cross and in the end, all I had to do was get a touch. It really was a great ball.

This is the second match in a row that you’ve scored a dramatic goal at the death.
Well, if we had scored earlier, it would have made things easier for the team and I think that is something we have to work on. However, I’ve been telling everyone that I want to continue playing beside them for as long as I can, so I, as an individual, feel a strong need to make an impact. As far as today’s match goes, I noticed that there were a lot of tough results at the other stadiums as well. As players who aren’t getting regular game time, I think it means a lot that we were able to come together and get the win. With that said, I’m happy with the final goal, but I also got an earful from the manager at half time and for me, working on those points is much more important. We place a high priority, not just on goals, but on the play leading up to them, so I need to be a part of that.

There were big changes made to the squad from the league match and it seemed like the players were sluggish mentally after the first goal.
That’s the way the team has been going in general, lately. However, I wasn’t too concerned. With the first goal, there was no way I could stop it and the second goal came from a set piece. The manager had warned us that with set pieces, divisions don’t matter, so I guess we just had to suck it up. I figured we would have an edge in terms of individual quality, so I thought that if we would get a goal, that would be enough.

FW 11Ryohei Hayashi

Tell us about your goal.
I could sense that the ball was moving to that area. I just followed my instincts and met it at the right spot. If I hadn’t had that feeling, I probably wouldn’t have scored. It was important that I be in that position at that time and once I was there, I knew I would have a chance.

The team also got a quick second goal from a set piece.
I was at the near post, but Yong-jik met the ball at the far side and at that second, I was sure it went in. The referee was also watching carefully and confirmed it went in. Things were going well until then, but from that point, it was downhill.

Tell us about what happened after going up 2-0.
It’s definitely a problem to have that happen after going up 2-0 in the first half. I heard later that we got three points off only three shots today. In times when we finish that decisively, we had to be smarter and play in a way that protected the 2-0 lead. We can’t play the kind of game where we get caught up at 2-2 before the half is even over.

DF 19Mitsuru Nagata

Your thoughts on the match?
In terms of the result, I’m happy that we were able to get the win. In terms of the content, there were a lot of players who hadn’t had game time lately, so to some degree, it can’t be helped that we were struggling to link up together. With that said, we didn’t show enough fight. Once we went up 2-0 and the match shifted momentum, there were ways that those of us in the middle could have handled things. With myself and Hashi (Hideo Hashimoto), I think we were a bit soft mentally and that is something that we have to cut down on. Once Kaji(kawa) entered the match in the second half, the ball and the players began to move and I think from there, there were no problems.

It seemed like the team had trouble staying organized in defense in the first half.
We made easy mistakes and during the times when the three at the back were moving the ball between us, the opposition’s front three took advantage. There were ways we could have addressed that, like temporarily creating a back four while we were building from the back. We suffered due to our inability to make that judgment in real time.

Was it the players who decided that Hashimoto should drop into the back line in the second half?
Of course, there were instructions about that from the bench, but we did think that would make things easier for us. In the second half, myself and Taira maintained the right distance between us and we were able to pass the ball in a way that made the opposition run hard. I wish we could have done that in the first half.

How did it feel to make your first appearance of the season?
Of course, it’s fun to get on the pitch in an official match and I hope I can be more involved as the season goes on. However, I have to accept part of the blame for giving up two goals today. I will do my best in training to improve.

There were big changes made to the squad from the league match and it seemed like the players were sluggish mentally after the first goal.
It feels that way in our league matches as well. But since I’m on the outside, I think it’s more important for the regular players to think about things individually and make improvements. It doesn’t matter who it is, I think the players on the pitch need to communicate more and share opinions.

How do you feel about the team’s play so far?
It was great that we didn’t lose at the start of the season, but also disappointing that we weren’t able to win. In terms of the way we’ve played, we’ve been giving up more and more goals in matches where we’ve been fighting hard. If you give up goals even though you’ve been playing hard, it can feel like you have nothing to show for it. We have to do a better job of deciding when to be ambitious or do a better job tightening up in defense.

MF 29Shunsuke Mori

What were your instructions as you entered the match?
I like to run at the defense when I’m high up the pitch, so I was told to dribble when I made it into those areas and at other times, I was told not to lose the ball.

How did it feel to make your Verdy debut?
It was my first official match in quite a while. Physically, it’s very different from training and I was only able to do a small amount of what I really wanted. That’s somewhere I feel I have to improve.

At the start of the match, there were many instances where the players seemed to have trouble with their touch.
The pitch was still recovering from the rain earlier, so it took us a while to get used to the condition.

You ran at the defense more in the closing minutes.
The manager had told me to run at them and try to open up space. I think I was able to do that in the manner that suits me best.

You seemed to be direct in your dribbling as well.
I would have liked to cut inside more, but that’s dictated by the circumstances.

There were also instances when the players seemed out of synch.
We won’t be able to improve our communication if we don’t get math time, so I feel we need more opportunities to play.

Share The Match!

SCHEDULE