With a strong wind blowing from behind the home goal toward the away stands, Verdy began the match attacking downwind. While this may not have been the sole factor, the team seemed tentative at the start, as their opponents pushed them deep into their territory, building on the left through Sugimoto. When they did win the ball, the players were immediately put under pressure and struggled to get forward in numbers, forcing the forwards to struggle to hold the ball until support came. In defense, Verdy were content to drop back and pack their own third, successfully hanging on without conceding, despite a number of dangerous crosses into the box. The first opportunity for Verdy to push back came in the 18^th minute. After an early cross from the right wing, Jin Hanato was able to cleverly spin off his defender and move into the space in front of goal. Still turning his body, he swung his foot and connected for a shot on goal. However, the effort flew straight into the hands of the goalkeeper. The biggest danger of the first half came in the 27^th minute, when a direct free kick was conceded 25 meters from goal. The opposition kicker sent the ball hurtling toward the top right corner, but Naoto Kamifukumoto read the flight of the ball and was able to deflect it away with an outstretched right hand. The Verdy defense then did their job to clear the ball and end the threat. As the half drew to a close, Verdy gradually began to receive a greater share of the possession and made positive adjustments to their attacking rhythm. However, they were unable to create avenues for the finish and went into half time with only two shots on goal.

 

Verdy were expected to attack more after the break, now playing against the wind, but as the second half opened, the match turned into an open affair, preventing the players from fully flipping the switch on their attack. After a few minutes of this trend, the opposition exploited a gap behind the back line with a through ball that was latched onto by Kishimoto. The Tokushima forward then played the ball past the rushing Kamifukumoto and turned it into the open net, marking the fifth straight match since the beginning of the season that Verdy had conceded the opening goal. As in those past matches, the Verdy players seemed to awaken after the goal. Placing more players on the ball side in possession, they were able to break down the defense and in the 56^th minute, build up on the left wing led to a cross into the box that passed the face of goal and made its way to the opposite side. There, Koike found himself unmarked for a first-time volley but his shot went just over the bar. After that sequence, Verdy were in total control, dominating possession for the remainder of the match. However, despite their increased time on the ball, they were still unable to create effective opportunities for the finish and were forced to move the ball mainly in the wide areas of the pitch. Like Verdy, Tokushima had entered the match in a low table position with only a single win and decided to minimize risks by neglecting to burst forward on the counter, instead focusing on cutting off the space for Verdy’s passing game. Hoping to change the momentum, the Verdy manager substituted Naoya Tamura with Wakasa and changed the system to a back three. Wakasa was soon after followed onto the pitch by Watanabe and Koki Morita as the team looked for any way possible to carve an opening. The climax of the match came in the 90^th minute, when Verdy were finally rewarded for their persistence. Yuta Narawa refused to give up on a loose ball, ultimately earning the team a corner kick which Sato played with force to the near post. Wakasa created panic in the box as the ball flew over the heads of the first defenders and rode the wind to drop point blank in front of goal. Players from both teams pushed and clawed to reach the ball and in the midst of the scramble, the defenders found themselves screened, allowing the cross to drop onto the back of Lee Yong Jick and bounce into the back of the net.

 

Verdy faced a difficult situation after securing the equalizer, with the home team pushing forward in a final burst of pressure, but the players worked with intense concentration to tighten up in the center of the pitch. Although they did have opportunities to try to seal the win in additional time, securing a point away from home took priority and the match ended with both teams level.

 

In retrospect, this was a match that Verdy did not win and it can’t be said that they intended to wait until the 90^th minute to equalize. However, the team do deserve some praise for surviving the difficult circumstances and winning a valuable point on the road. Next week comes a series of consecutive home games in quick succession. Both opponents, Kashiwa Reysol and Mito HollyHock, are teams in the upper end of the table. However, those circumstances also provide the perfect opportunity for Verdy to illustrate their rebound mentality and build momentum to move up the table.

 

When the match had concluded, Lee (Yong Jick) greeted the supporters and made his voice heard with these passionate words

 

“We’ll do our best again this week! Let’s all work together! We still have a lot of fight left!”

 

But Lee cannot be expected to bear the burden alone. His teammates, the staff, the supporters, and everyone involved with Tokyo Verdy must share the weight of the circumstances, come together, and bounce back. It is still too early to look ahead. Everyone’s passion and concentration must be focused on preparing for the match at hand.

Your thoughts on the match?
We expected that the wind was going to have an effect, so I’m glad that we were able to deal with that. Partly due to the direction of the wind, things were difficult for us in the first half. In the second half, we expected to be playing opposite the wind, so I told the players at half time that it was now time for us to show what we can do. I’m happy with how we carried that out.

After conceding, you brought on Wakasa and changed the team’s formation. What were you aiming for?
At that point, it was important that we get forward in search of a goal and we had worked over the past week on developing a plan b, so I think that proved useful. Of course, I had no intention for us to lose this match, so the changes in formation were made to help us seek the win. Bringing on Wakasa was done to both change the formation and change our approach. I made the decision that it was important for us to play in a direct way that would allow us to pursue a goal.

At the end of the second half, you inserted Koki Morita as midfield anchor and moved Lee Yong Jick to the front line. As a result, you were able to penetrate deep in the wide areas but unable to get any crosses in. Was that something you had worked on in practice?
We have to practice our crosses a bit more and the way we carry the ball into those positions. It may not have been an enjoyable brand of football for everyone to watch but there are always times where that type of play will be necessary and thus, we need to train. With regard to Koki Morita, he’s only 18, but he plays like someone with 15 years of pro experience.

Was the decision to return the formation to one with two holding midfielders a way of hedging risks while you tried to get a goal?
It’s reflective of the fact that we have to be flexible in our tactics and that it was a home match for the opposition, so I expected them to put pressure on us at the close. I wanted to tighten things up in the center of the pitch.

Was the draw simply the result of a lucky goal or do you expect the point to have a positive effect going forward?
I believe that this match might end up being a turning point for us and despite the fact that we’ve conceded the first goal in all our matches so far, we’ve also shown repeatedly that we can reclaim a goal of our own. I believe that we have come together well as a team and have shown a will to win.