As the match began, Verdy experienced some difficulty controlling the ball, with their opponents quick to get a leg out and cut off the space for a pass, but gradually they recovered enough to maintain possession. Despite that, the opening goal would fall to Ehime. It was the 31^st minute and the Verdy defense allowed the dribbling Kamiya to cut inside and fire a shot, despite having plenty of men back in the penalty area. Naoto Kamifukumoto looked to be in position to deal with the effort, but it took a touch off the covering Tatsuya Uchida and changed direction, wrongfooting the keeper and finding the back of the net. Even so, the Verdy players did not take matters lying down and their push back in attack began as soon as the ball was moved from center circle. In the 35^th minute, Jin Izumisawa made the run onto a forward pass from Yuki Kagawa and dazzled the crowd by cutting inside to leave his marker behind. He then took a shot which brushed the leg of the closing defender and made its way inside the near post to the back of the net. From that point, Verdy continued to retain the ball but struggled to find options in attack. That deadlock would be broken, however, on a move begun by Shion Inoue, a player looking to make the most of his second consecutive start. As Kamiya turned on the ball in the Verdy final third and looked to run at the defense, Inoue maneuvered his body in from behind to poke it away and send it into the path of Yuhei Sato, who promptly sprayed a pass into space on the left side. Once again, Izumisawa latched onto the ball and dribbled at the defense, firing a sharp effort that was batted away by the keeper, only for Alan to follow through on the loose ball and give Verdy the lead right at the close of the first half.

With Verdy beginning the second half in the lead, the opposition would see more of the ball for long periods. Although the Verdy players tried to avoid dropping too deep, Ehime were able to move the ball out wide and probe for space, exploiting gaps as the defenders were late to close them down. In the 67^th minute, Kamiya broke free on the wide right and hit a shallow cross from the by-line. With the Verdy defense pushing up in the box, trying to close the space in front of goal, the ball would make it through and be met first by the running Koike with a powerful left footed volley that flew into the back of the net and brought the teams level. The goal would once again awaken the Verdy attack. In the 73^rd minute, Alan was taken off for Ryohei Hayashi and Yong-jick Lee was brought on for Sato, strengthening the team’s firepower up front. For the third time in the match, Izumisawa would once again leave his marker chasing shadows in the 74^th minute and apply a vicious shot from the cut line that the keeper did well to save. In the 78^th minute, Verdy would endure the opposition attack and hit back on the counter. The ball was won and played to Izumisawa on the left side. The forward then played a long ball behind the defense, just before crossing the halfway line. Douglas responded and ran into the space in front of the left side of the goal but his shot was closed down by the goal keeper and flew just over the bar. In the 84^th minute, the resulting corner kick was met by the head of Hayashi, who just beat his marker to the ball, but his shot would go wide right of the post. Verdy would then attempt to ratchet up the pressure as the match drew to a close, but they were unable to find a winner before the final whistle.

Given that the other teams at the top of the table have also failed to secure results, Verdy had an opportunity to make a slight move up the table with consecutive wins but instead find themselves dropping down a place with the day’s draw. However, two of the remaining matches are against their promotion rivals, which means the team still have a chance to control their own destiny. Next week, they will travel to face Matsumoto Yamaga FC, who currently sit three points above them in the table. While keeping to the philosophy of “partido a partido”, there will not be a more important match in hand at any point this season. It is up to the players to prove their worth with actions, not words, and the result that goes with them.

Your thoughts on the match?
I thought we started well. Then they had a period where they retained the ball and scored a goal. We reacted well before half time and created enough chances to take the lead. For the first 25 minutes of the second half, they were better than us and we could not move up the pitch. The equalizer was conceded during that period. After they leveled, we showed strong intent to win and created more chances. We were taking a lot of risks, so I think they had a chance to create on the counter as well. We had opportunities to win, they had them on the break, and I think the match ended with both teams having the potential to win.

You gave a lot of instructions about attack and defense at half time, including telling the players to attack with more variation, build patiently without rushing the shot, and to control the back line well. Was there anything that was lacking?
More than us lacking, I think they played very well for the first 25 minutes. We weren’t able to move up the pitch and we made things too comfortable for them. That is the reason for the result.

Leandro was once again substituted after 60 minutes. Is there a problem with his conditioning?
We have to control his minutes carefully. He might be able to play for the full 90 minutes, but I would rather him play at 100% for 60 minutes.

We have to control his minutes carefully. He might be able to play for the full 90 minutes, but I would rather him play at 100% for 60 minutes.
If they place numbers around him, I believe the option exists for him to use the other players or center the ball.

Today’s match held big implications for the team’s promotion chances. What did you tell the players before taking the pitch?
Everyone was well aware of the importance of the match and I did not need to explain it to them. The first thing they had to do is play with passion. I think they showed that in the final minutes of the match. I’m not satisfied with the result of the match, but I am very satisfied with the commitment of the players. We played as one team and expressed our collective passion. When that happens, I cannot fault the team, no matter what the result.