With the two teams bringing their passion to the forefront as never before, it was Machida who would control the pace in the opening moments. Upon winning the ball with a physical approach, their players would immediately play long balls to the front line and push into the Verdy third. In the early parts of the match, Verdy were unable to stop their opponents from making runs into space and were forced to spend long periods in a defensive block in front of goal. However, the players were successful in locking down the middle and forcing Machida into the wide areas, where they were able to close them down and prevent them from having their way too easily. In attack, Verdy were unable to secure the ball on the front line and though they did try to make things happen individually, Machida’s well disciplined challenge and cover defense proved difficult to break down. The only moment when a chance seemed imminent was the 36^th minute. Naoto Kamifukumoto spotted the Machida line drifting a shade too high and kicked a long ball into the space behind. Alan made the run and managed to get his head to the ball just before the rushing keeper, sending it in the direction of goal, but the covering defender beat Hayashi to the second ball and cleared it into safety. Meanwhile, Verdy would find themselves in a pinch several times as the opposition attempted to exploit their superiority in set pieces. However, Kamifukumoto was aggressive in leaving his line to deal with the danger and the half ended with the score even at 0-0.

 

After revising their approach in attack and defense, the Verdy players re-took the pitch in the second half with the words of the manager ringing in their ears: “Don’t panic and kick the ball up the pitch. Pass it with patience!” As Machida continued to play the ball long, as in the first half, Verdy were ready to win the ball and work it slowly, retaining possession and pursuing the match more at their style. As a result, they were able to initiate the play in the wide areas and push their opponents back, creating chances in the process. In the 47^th minute, Yuki Kagawa broke down the left side and played a cross toward goal. Alan received the ball and passed into an even deeper space on the wide right for Yuta Narawa. Although Narawa’s strong effort was blocked by a defender, it was a big opportunity indicating that Verdy were ready to fight back. In the 63^rd minute, Akira Ibayashi tried a back heel shot off a corner kick but the effort was off target. On the other end, in the 74^th minute, a counter attack from Machida penetrated into the final third and resulted in a shot that cannoned dangerously off the post. While breathing a sigh of relief, the Verdy players would be gifted an opportunity soon after. In the 76^th minute, Narawa received the ball in a shallow position on the right side and played a looping through ball that dropped in behind the defense. Hayashi was first to react and left his markers behind, getting a touch just ahead of the on-rushing keeper to send the ball into the back of the net. Verdy had thus reclaimed the momentum, created a number of opportunities in front of goal and finally took the lead. Although a win would give the team a place in the playoffs regardless of the matches in other stadiums, Machida had their own upper table position at stake and were not prepared to back down. Just after scoring the opening goal, Verdy were pushed back and found themselves unable to deal with balls into the final third, allowing Otani to score and bring the match level. Of the remaining two teams competing for playoff qualification at that point, Omiya led 1-0, while Avispa Fukuoka were facing a scoreless draw. These results meant Verdy were still in contention, but the manager was determined that the team control their own destiny and signaled his desire for the players to attack by bringing on Yuhei Sato. The final minutes were an open affair, with Sato making himself available as the playmaker as Verdy pushed for a goal. Though they brought the ball within shooting distance several times, Machida were always quick to track back to fill the gaps and the match proceeded towards its close with neither side budging, even as the referee’s assistant indicated five minutes of additional time, until the final whistle.

 

The matches at other stadiums also reached their conclusion with the same timing and in the end, Verdy dropped one position to 6^th but succeeded in protecting their qualification spot for the promotional playoff. Their opponents in the first round will be Omiya Ardija and the battle will take place at the opposition’s stadium, NACK5.

 

Had they secured fifth position, Verdy would have gained the advantage of competing in the first round at home and even proceeded to the second round with a draw. Ultimately, however, the circumstances are the same as last year, with victory alone providing a path forward. At that time, Verdy were unable to overcome the odds and shed tears in a heartbreaking loss in the cold Kumamoto rain. As such, this situation also provides an opportunity for revenge and hopefully an extra boost of motivation. Either way, achieving victories in all three playoff matches is their best and only chance to reach J1. The situation could not be more clear. The team has no choice but to win. Or put another way, winning is the only thing they have to do. With that strong competitive spirit in hand, their best preparations begin anew tomorrow. On the 25^th, they will once again join their brothers in green, who filled the away stand today, to take the pitch at full strength.

 

Your thoughts on the match?
It was a very even contest. In the first half, both teams played to their strong points and sought to get a goal. However, neither side were able to score. In the second half, we created chances from the wide areas. In particular, we created chances from the left side, but the goal we got came from the right side. In terms of our performance in defense, I think it was good throughout the match and our opponents were taking a lot of risks to get forward in attack, so I thought we might have a chance to get a second goal on the counter, but ultimately, we conceded after a set play. The team was very nervous. We heard news about what was happening in the other matches. We knew there was a chance we could make the playoff with a draw. However, if a goal were to occur in one of the other matches, the table positioning would change, so we were forced to seek a goal while being wary of their counter attack. It was a nerve-wracking situation.

Douglas Vieira was not on the bench today, due to injury. What is his condition and did his absence have any effect on your game plan?
Douglas had some problems after the last match and was on light training this week. However, yesterday we learned that he would not recover in time and thus didn’t bring him with the squad today. With that said, we are very fortunate to have had Ryo(hei Hayashi) with us as a replacement. I think he had an excellent match. It is my hope that Leandro, Jin (Izumisawa), and Douglas will all be ready by my next Sunday’s match.

What changes did you make at half time that enabled you to create chances on the left side in the second half?
There weren’t any specific changes I made. I just emphasized to the players what they needed to do and demanded that from them. I think that served us well at the beginning of the second half. We created chances in those periods where we were able to execute our game plan.

Tell us your thoughts about facing Omiya Ardija in the J1 promotional playoff.
Omiya are a great team. In the first half of the season, they found it hard to adjust to the play in the second division, but in the second half, I think they began to show their true strength. If they have an advantage over us, it’s that they’re playing at home and can progress with just a draw. At the same time, I think that advantage will put pressure on them and it would do them a lot of damage to lose at home. If we have an advantage, it’s that we’re playing away and have to win. If we can win at their home stadium, that will be a tremendous success for us and we will fight with that ambition in mind.