The team began with a single change to their starting members, as Junki Koike began the match on the left wing and Yuhei Sato slid over to the number 10 slot.

 

Verdy began the match by passing the ball well and pushing past the opposition press into the final third. In the first minute, Tatsuya Uchida retrieved a forward pass into a tight space and threatened the goal with a mid-range shot. The team then created their first clear chance in the fifth minute when Koike broke into space on the left side after a one-two. The winger drilled a cross in front of goal that found Leandro unmarked　and though his header was on target, it was kept out by a fine save from the opposition goal keeper. Verdy continued to attack from the wide areas with Koike, especially, expressing himself with dynamic play. Yuta Narawa took advantage of the space opened by Koike in the 12^th minute, making a run on goal to create a clear chance and sustain the rhythm built on the left side. After the 15^th minute, however, the opposition began to grasp more of the pace. Though Verdy had pressed from high positions in the opening minutes, Ehime began threading mid-range passes and the team found themselves unable to commit numbers and win the ball, dropping further and further back in front of their own goal. In the 20^th minute, Verdy allowed Kamiya to burst forward on the counter and gave up a shot on goal that was only kept out by an excellent save from Naoto Kamifukumoto. Though the players attempted to push back, they lacked numbers in attack and gaps began to widen in their defense with each opposition counter. In the 38^th minute, Lee Yong Jick went strong to clear a pass played in front of goal but the ball was deflected off his leg and changed direction to make its way into the back of the net. As the first half came to a close, Verdy created a chance from a corner kick, but Naoya Tamura’s unmarked shot on the far side flew over the bar.

 

At half time, the speech from Manager WHITE emphasized the chances the team had missed in attack. With the encouragement to continue creating opportunities, the players were then sent onto the pitch looking for the win.

 

The second half began at the opposition’s pace but after pressing to win the ball high up the pitch and evading the first challenge, Sato flashed a diagonal shot just wide of the right post in the 55^th minute. The manager then moved quickly to ride the momentum with a series of substitutions. Jin Hanato was brought on for Leandro, while Hiroki Kawano took the place of Kanya Fujimoto. The changes led to tighter positioning on the front line and Verdy were able to combine short passes and improve their rhythm. In the 82^nd minute, Sato emerged from among a crowd of defenders to play a cross from the left wing which Ryota Kajikawa met on the far side with a clever half volley. However, his effort rebounded off the post. In the 86^th minute Ryohei Hayashi also took the pitch and Verdy were given an even greater chance. It was the first minute of additional time and Sato played a sharp free kick in front of goal for Hayashi to head home. His powerful shot left the keeper rooted to the spot, only to cannon off the cross bar with a resounding thud. Kawano then had an opportunity just before the final whistle, evading the outstretched keeper to retrieve the ball on the byline and play a cross past the face of goal. However, his teammates came just short of meeting the pass and the referee whistled for time up.

 

This was Verdy’s second consecutive loss to start the season. Worse, the team remain goalless, a somewhat shocking result for a club that has made attacking football one of its objectives for the season. With that said, the team clearly created a greater number of opportunities to finish than the previous week, including two shots off the post and bar. This was thus the first match of the season in which Verdy achieved the type of attacking football they seek to play and the squad can take some satisfaction at their progress. From their front-line press to their combination play in the final third, there remains a need for refinement but the potential is clear. Next week, Verdy finally return home, seeking their first win in four months at Ajinomoto Stadium. With no time to hang their heads, the players must prepare as best they can.

Your thoughts on the match?
It was a difficult one for us. I feel like we dominated the majority of the play. It’s also a fact that we created a fair number of chances. We had shots come of the post and off the bar. Somehow, the ball just didn’t hit the net. The mentality of the players was excellent, including their tactical approach. All I can say is “that’s football”.

The team’s qualities showed through more than the opener, but there were moments when their pressing seemed to slacken. Were you intentionally retreating into a defensive stance or were you simply unable to push up?
Part of it is that we were able to produce good possession play in the first 10 to 16 minutes. After that, we had a period where things just seemed not to go right. I don’t know whether it was because the ball didn’t hit the net or we just lacked the confidence necessary to keep pressing. At half time, I stressed to the players that they needed to finish when they have the chance. As a result, they continued to create scoring opportunities.