In their previous encounter, Verdy were forced to defend a one-goal lead in a difficult 30-minute match-resumption against Fagiano Okayama. In terms of points, the win gave the team a four-match league winning streak and brought their league position within range of qualification for the promotional playoff at 6th in the table. Now the players would travel to Kamatamare Sanuki for the last match of the season’s first half. The starting lineup was unchanged from the week 20 match against Tochigi SC, while Kanya Fujimoto made an appearance on the substitute’s bench after returning from his trip to Russia with Japan’s U-19 squad.

It would take only a few minutes for the first drama of the match. In the 3rd minute, Kota Watanabe carried the ball high up the pitch and combined with Yuhei Sato to play a ball into the penalty area, where Ryohei Hayashi shed the pressure from his marker and mesmerized the defense with a series of feints before sinking the ball into the net. After the opening goal, Verdy continued to push forward in search of a second but would frequently lose the ball from their own mistakes, opening themselves up on the counter and providing the opposition with some dangerous opportunities from set pieces. In the 16th minute, a corner kick from the left was met at the near post with an on-target shot, but Naoto Kamifukumoto responded well to bat away the danger. Though it seemed like Verdy were in control of the momentum, a sudden lapse would occur in the 21st minute. The Verdy defenders allowed Kazuki Hara to break free into space, despite having numbers in the box, and gave up the equalizer. With the opposition now pushing forward, Verdy began to lose poise in both attack and defense, falling back into a submissive position as Kamatamare attacked. Shortly afterward, the Verdy would concede a corner after blocking a mid-range shot and, just as in the 16th minute, the ball from the opposition was met at the near post for the go-ahead goal. The Verdy players would respond by keeping possession and continually attacking for the remainder of the half, but they were unable to break through as the opposition parked the bus in front of goal.

As the team emerged from the locker room, their quest was to patiently continue as they had at the close of the first half and try to stretch the balance of the opposition defense. In the 48th minute, after the restart, Sato dribbled at the defense and floated a cross from the left side. Ryohei Hayashi made the run to meet the ball but his shot would not find the target. Verdy would continue to have an overwhelming advantage in ball possession, as their opponents retreated further and further back to eliminate the space, but much of their time was spent moving the ball from side to side on the back line. Alan was subbed in to try to revitalize the attack, but there was no room with which to take advantage of his speed. On the other hand, in the 63rd minute, the team grew top heavy and gave up a long ball into their own half. As the Verdy defenders watched the ball take a high bounce with no one taking the initiative to clear, Hara once again took advantage to score a damaging third goal. Douglas and Kanya Fujimoto would enter the match immediately afterward, to strengthen the attack, but they were unable to find ways to effectively break down the all-out defense of their opponents. As the final whistle approached, Akira Ibayashi and Shinnosuke Hatanaka would join the attack in a final push, but this too proved ineffective. The match would then end with the players looking more desperate than dangerous.

Verdy intended this match to close the first half of the season on a positive note, continuing their four-match winning streak and granting them momentum for the second half. However, the players were unable to tie the good fortune of the first goal to a result. While it is true that the team could not cope with Kamatamare’s ultra-conservative approach, it is also true, as pointed out by Manager Lotina in his post-match press conference, that all three goals resulted from clear mistakes in defense. The recent winning streak had moved Verdy into the promotion race, but a loss to the club at the bottom of the table club has brought them back to reality. The players now know they have not earned anything yet and their next encounter will see them try to return to square one as they begin the second half of the season. They have no choice but to continue preparing for the match ahead of them and give their full effort to earn all the points they can.

Manager Miguel Ángel Lotina