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MATCH
Match Report
Including league and Emperor’s Cup play, Verdy once again seemed to find victory growing distant over the last three matches. As such, it was win or bust for the team this week as they went on the road to face Chiba’s JEF United. To reclaim momentum in their campaign, Verdy would also have to win in JEF’s formidable Fukuda Denshi Arena, something they had failed to do in all previous tries. The lineup chosen to take the pitch for this encounter between two of the J-League’s original ten was unchanged from the previous week’s match against Oita Trinita.
Verdy looked behind the pace as the match began and they quickly found themselves pushed into their own area, allowing their opponents to retain possession. Though the players were aware of the threat from JEF’s pair of tall strikers up front, they failed to fully suppress it and in the 10th minute, Ibusuki battled to get a touch on a cross from the right, deflecting it in front of goal for Shimohira to tap home and give Chiba the early lead. The goal was enough to wake the Verdy players from their slumber and they quickly set about evading the opposition press and building a sustained period of possession. This enabled them to utilize their usual patient build up approach and slowly push the opposition back. In the 22nd minute, Douglas latched onto a pass from Yuta Narawa on the left side and made a run in behind, crossing into the penalty area where Jin Izumisawa received the ball and dribbled for a shot, only to find his effort deflected by a desperate block from a defender. Verdy continued to win the possession battle thereafter and sharp ball movement upset the balance of the defense, leading to a big chance in the 28th minute. Jin Izumisawa played the ball into space on the left side and Yuta Narawa broke free to run onto the pass. Watching for movement in the box, Narawa played a first time cross to the near post where Yuhei Sato met the ball with a diving header for an equalizer with style to spare. Verdy now began to truly assert their dominance. In the 38th minute, Douglas escaped his marker on the left side and his subsequent cross would pass in front of goal all the way to the far side, where it was picked up by the running Kanya Fujimoto. Fujimoto paused to allow time for his teammates and then hit a reverse pass that Sato let run and the man-marked Ryota Kajikawa would dummy, playing it through to the far side for Narawa to meet with a fantastic volley that darted into the bottom left corner and gave Verdy a come-from-behind lead in the shortest of intervals.
Verdy now hoped to ride their momentum for the remainder of the match and pull away, but at the start of the second half, Chiba would pin them back once more and force them to defend. The Verdy players maintained their shape and attempted to endure the pressure but would find themselves in a big pinch in the 69th minute. The team had broken forward on the counter, only to quickly lose the ball and find themselves on the receiving end of one instead. The JEF attackers made it in behind the left flank and before the defenders could reorganize, a dangerous cross was played into the gap between Naoto Kamifukumoto and the back line. The cross made its way to the far side, where Ibusuki was unmarked and seemingly had the goal it his mercy, only for his shot to miss the target and let Verdy off the hook. Having made a near escape on one end, Verdy would now receive a chance on the other. In the 72nd minute, Kajikawa received the ball on the left center of his own half and took a quick series of touches before hitting a towering feed to the opposite side. Fujimoto was there to receive the pass and after cutting inside with his first touch, the young player realized that no pressure was coming and let loose with a thunderous left foot. The shot flew like an arrow into the top right corner and gave Verdy an all-important third goal that allowed them to recover from a difficult opening to the second half. In the 78th minute, Douglas ran onto a looping pass from Tamura on the wide right. The forward continued his run on goal and then played a dangerous cross into the box for the substitute Alan, who only needed a touch to put it away but failed to meet the ball by the slightest of margins. Though they seemed on the verge of a fourth, the curse of Fukuda Denshi Arena was not willing to end quietly. It was the 80th minute and the Verdy defense committed a wasteful foul in a central area in front of goal, leading to a free kick for the opposition. The spot kick was taken with aplomb by Asahi Yada, who carved the perfect flight for the ball and pulled one back for Chiba. At that point, the Verdy squad began to show the defensive organization they’ve become known for and pulled the match back in their favor. The players formed a defensive block and shifted from side to side, patiently closing the space with precise positioning that prevented their opponents from creating any further chances. Though JEF would throw extra numbers forward in the final minutes, Kamifukumoto left his line with impeccable timing to erase the danger and Verdy held on to their one goal lead for their first victory in three matches.
Throughout Verdy’s long history, Fukuda Denshi Arena was the only stadium in which they had never managed a win - a streak which ended on this day. Although the past has little relevance for the current squad, Lotina’s men were still able to show that they possess a pride that separates this team from other seasons. Each of the team’s goals was scored in an elegant, dynamic fashion. However, there is no time to brag and less for over-confidence. Rather, the players must continue to focus on the matches ahead and prepare with maximum effort. Entering the final leg of the season only means that now, more than ever, Verdy must maintain their style and impose it on the pitch. In doing so, the goal they seek will move of its own in their direction.
Post-match comments
Manager Miguel Ángel Lotina
Your thoughts on the match?
The opposition made a better start than us in the first half. They controlled the play, created chances, and scored a goal. However, we were able to reclaim our poise and respond well. We won control of possession and played the kind of football we strive for. Doing that, we claimed two goals. In the second half, Chiba pressed harder from the front and made it difficult for us. In the midst of that period, Kanya (Fujimoto) scored a golazo. After that, we spent a lot of time on defense and the opposition also scored a super goal. However, we were able to maintain our focus in defense. Chiba have a lot of strong attacking players, so they forced us to do that for longer periods than usual, but we concentrated well enough to see out the match. I would have liked us to win the ball and lessen the amount of time we had to endure their attacks, but their pressing was very strong and it was difficult for us.
What were you hoping for by inserting Yong-jik Ri into the match?
We couldn’t maintain possession, so I wanted him to use his strength to keep it for us. In addition, Yong-jik plays very aggressively in defense, so I hoped that he could work with Kaji(hara) and Uchi(da) to close the space wherever it emerged. One of Yong-jik’s greatest qualities is that he can respond well to any situation, no matter how difficult the match, and play in a dynamic way. I think it’s a wonderful ability that he has.
MF 35Kanya Fujimoto
Tell us about your goal.
It was similar to the Kyoto match. I got the ball in a good position and I saw that there was space for me to dribble or shoot, so I decided to believe in my left foot and let it fly.
Were you aware that Jin Izumisawa and others were free in the box when you decided to shoot?
Honestly, it was all a blur and I didn’t really see them. However, I was aware that I had teammates running to my left and right. I think I had it in mind to shoot from the beginning and that’s why I made my run in that direction.
Lee Yong Jick commented that you kept using him as a decoy.
To be honest, I’m not sure how many times he did that for me. He teased me about it after the match, but I had to ask him which moments he was talking about. The one I remember was the goal and I don’t know if you would call that a decoy… well, okay I guess did use him that way, didn’t I?
Your first touch putting you in the path of the goal was also impressive.
“At first, I thought the ball from the opposite side was too low and so my plan was to trap it so that I could drop back into our half with the ball. However, my marker was ball watching and had lost sight of me… in the end, I’m not really sure why I trapped it the way I did, but it worked out well and I was able to set up my left foot the way I like best.
For your assist, did you see Narawa’s movement before making the pass?
My first thought was to pass it to Kaji(kawa), but their defense had closed him down. It ended up being a pretty risky pass, but Kaji did a great job of creating space and letting the ball run. Once it did, Narawa moved onto it. That space was constantly open on one side when someone had the ball on the opposite end. The same thing happened when Jin was running at them. I would move just outside the arch and if he passed it to me, I would have a chance for a shot. So, when it was my turn to run at them, I looked for the same spot and I’m happy that my pass ended up leading to a goal.
You seem to be selecting dribbling as an option more often, lately.
When I run at the defense, they can’t stick a leg out as easily and it forces them to back pedal. If my teammates then make a run, I know that I can always pass it to them without taking another step and so I choose to dribble first.
You already have your third goal of the season.
It’s my first year, so I don’t know if it’s “already three” or “still just three”. I do feel like I can get more. Playing the position I’m in now, I’m always going to be asked to score goals and I have to increase my numbers there and assists as well. Pep Guardiola once said that as long as you’re a forward, you have to be thinking constantly about running at the defense, scoring goals, and getting assists. When I heard that, it changed my mindset. As I think about trying to trouble our opponents, dribbling always seems like a good option.
MF 24Yuta Narawa
Were you aware of Sato making the run when you put in the cross for your assist?
I wasn’t looking for Yuhei in particular. It could have been Douglas, Yuhei, or even Kanya (Fujimoto) making the run. It’s part of our team strategy to make runs on the far side like that, so I took one look into the box and saw Yuhei. When I got the pass, I knew to play it into that area.
For your goal, as well, did it happen as you envisioned?
I wasn’t in that spot with the thought of scoring a goal. However, during training, I would often take up that position during our attacks, so once the ball found me, I knew I had to make something happen. It was a coincidence that I had space for the shot, but 80% of the time, I will take that position. At first, I didn’t know whether I should take a touch first or not, but the grass was slippery beneath me, so I concentrated on keeping it down by putting spin on it with my right foot.
It seemed like you were aiming for the space behind their right side back today.
In terms of my taking positions high up the pitch, it’s important to receive the ball there and I also do to make sure I can keep the opposition’s forward players busy. That enables us to take the initiative in the wide areas. My opposite number today was Takayuki Funayama and he’s not known for his hard work in defense, so I think we were able to do that.
In the first half, it seemed like you were struggling to deal with their twin towers up front.
To be honest, we didn’t expect them to play with two tall players in those areas. For that reason, I think it put us on the back foot for a period. On the other hand, in the second half, we knew their qualities and formation and we were able to adapt.
Overall, it seemed like the Verdy players were under a lot of pressure whenever you won the ball.
In terms of the full 90 minutes, it was very important that we caught up and gained the lead early. After the third goal, I think we started conceding more of the possession to them, but it would have been better for our style of football if we could have kept it more.
It would have been difficult to carry out the match regardless, but what are your thoughts on the goals you conceded?
I don’t want to brush them off and say it can’t be helped. At the same time, we’d been giving up goals despite being back on defense lately, so I think we did our job in terms of being more physical across the team.
As you said the other day, there’s always an element of chance, but if the team plays without making mistakes, you can prevent your opponents from scoring to a certain degree. I think you proved that today.
When we do the right things in defense, it makes it easier for us to concentrate on our game and not make mistakes. It’s important that we play in a way that always leaves the potential for a win on the table. In that sense, I think we met our minimum standard today.
While the team probably played better during the last run of three games without a loss, today you were able to get the win under difficult circumstances.
It’s good that we won, but this is just one match out of 42, so as we play, we try not to be overly conscious of whether we’ve won or lost in the past. In that sense, I don’t think it changes much for me, personally.
This was the team’s first-ever win at Fukuda Denshi Arena.
Someone mentioned that a minute ago and it was the first time I had heard that. I don’t usually think much about whether a particular stadium fits us or not, but I think it’s good for us that we got a win against a team that we’ve had trouble beating, and in a stadium where we’ve struggled in the past.
With this win, you’ve climbed back into contention for automatic promotion.
A truly strong team will not get over-confident after a win and keep their focus for the next match. This season, we’ve tended to let things get a bit lukewarm after a win, especially in away matches. To show that we’ve learned from our mistakes, it’s important that we focus on the next match and take the full three points again.
MF 16Yuhei Sato
Tell us about your goal.
The defenders had their backs to me, so I was able to make a good run and Nara(wa)’s cross had a good trajectory, so I was able to make contact at the perfect height. With that said, even I have trouble understanding why I’ve been scoring so many goals with my head lately…
You and Narawa had good chemistry again, today.
Nara and I have been played together a lot this year and I think even people outside the pitch can tell that we combine well. For me, personally, I find it easy to play with him and with Kaji(hara). I had a good pass from Kaji today too and it makes me happy to know that he is watching my movements so well. It’s also good that we can play in the wide areas without retreating.
You were under a lot of pressure from the opposition at the start of the second half.
This stadium has a huge reverb effect and when it gets loud, it sounds like there is double the number of fans in the audience, which makes it a very tough place to play when you’re the away team. I’m sure it also makes it easier for JEF. We had to prevent ourselves from getting swallowed in the atmosphere and make sure we didn’t get broken down, because just one play will completely change the momentum here. They have players with a lot of individual skill, so there were moments when we were broken down, but I think we endured well for the most part.
Did you expect to be pushed back for much of the match?
Not at all. We wanted to have possession, but they were fired up and put more pressure on us than we expected. If it became necessary, we had plans to change personnel and battle in the style of our game against the Reds. There were several different plans ready. In the end, we adjusted to match our opponents. I think the way we played against the Reds has increased our options. Although we lost, I think the manager was somewhat satisfied with the new plan and we also tried it for parts of the Oita match. Since we now have more wide players, I expect our range of plans will increase as well.
DF 17Lee Yong Jick
Your thoughts on the match?
I was asked to do the same as Yuhei (Sato) had. However, I also felt the manager wanted me to raise our defensive strength in that area. In some ways, it was business as usual.
But you looked like you had even more energy than usual.
The stadium was packed today, so I figured the fans wanted to see us raise the intensity. The supporters behind the goal were really asking for it, so I decided to try and rile them up (laughs). It always makes me happy to play in front of a large crowd and I think we have to answer to that. For me, personally, the more people there are, the more fired up I’ll get. I decided to play my own part in the atmosphere.
Still, the conditions must have pretty difficult to play in.
I felt a difference in the humidity from when I was on the bench and when I took the pitch. I had felt like it was a cool day, temperature wise, but on the pitch, I realized it was very hot and everyone was feeling the effects. With that said, the opposition were coming at us with only a single wave of pressure, so if we could shed that, I felt like the game would grow a lot easier. Overall, however, we weren’t accomplishing that. Once I entered the match, I tried to pull markers away or create space for passes. It wasn’t so much that it was difficult as it was just that kind of game.
Your free run proved helpful for Kanya Fujimoto’s goal.
To be honest, he used me as a decoy so many times today that I wanted to throw my hands up. Still, an 18 year old who can score with that kind of shot is definitely impressive. I approached him during the match and told him to pass it to me one of those times -- after all, I’m capable of scoring too -- but I do think it’s a good thing for Kanya to have that confidence in his ability to score. I’ve been on a team that runs a lot in the past and I know it provides an advantage for a left-footed player. I suppose he’s doing what comes natural to him and I would like to help him.
At the end of the match, you were aggressive in pressing from the front and looked as if you were trying to inspire the team.
Everyone was tired and if you think about what the primary task is for substitutes at those times, it’s to run hard. The manager has told me that he knows that he can trust me to do that, so I have to repay his faith. At the same time, the Chiba players were moving the ball a bit too easily and when I ran at them, it created some confusion, so I thought we might be able to win the ball at some point.
This was the team’s first-ever win at Fukuda Arena.
Whenever we accomplish firsts like that, I think it bodes good luck for the future. Before this match began, I forgot that we’d gone three games without a win, but we’re all concentrating on the match at hand anyway and being able to maintain that concentration, whatever the circumstances, makes me feel like the team is in good shape.
The team probably played better during the previous three-match unbeaten run, but today you were able to get a win under difficult conditions.
I think it’s important for us to have a lot of the ball, but in the match against the Reds, we had the ball and couldn’t progress up the pitch. As a result, we lost after giving up a goal from a single sucker punch; meanwhile today, we lost control of the ball midway through, but we were able to end moves by creating good opportunities for a shot. If you compare those two, I think winning is more important than playing well. What matters in the end is getting the win and there will always be matches like this that we have to overcome. By doing so, I think we’ll become a team that gets results and it won’t matter whether we’re able to dominate the play or not.