As the opening whistle sounded, Verdy were initially able to evade the opposition press and penetrate their half but gradually, they began to rely less on passing and play more long balls to the front line, most of which resulted in Yamagata retrieving the second ball. In the end, the Verdy players conceded possession before they were able to push up from the back, leading to repeated easy mistakes in midfield and allowing Yamagata to pin them back in their own half. Although they did not concede many clear chances as they fell back in defense, Verdy found themselves conceding possession in their own third when they won the ball and were unable to build a consistent rhythm in attack. Just as the half seemed poised to end with neither team creating a clear cut opportunity, an unexpected turn occurred in the 44^th minute that would break the deadlock. While taking a throw-in from the right wing, Masashi Wakasa entrusted the ball to Ryohei Hayashi at the near post. Hayashi then played a through-ball for Junki Koike, who had made a run into space. Koike initially failed to control the ball, but this actually allowed him to play it behind the pressing defender and breach the penalty area. The Verdy forward then recovered the ball before the defense and swung his left foot for a low, buzzing shot that found the left corner of the net.

After taking the lead against the run of play, Verdy now sought to impose their true style and extend their advantage. Although they allowed the opposition behind the defense in the 50^th minute, Naoto Kamifukumoto came to the rescue with a fine save. Verdy continued to move the ball and evade the opposition press, gradually building a positive tempo. While threading passes with patience, the players would draw the Yamagata markers toward the ball and then switch it to the opposite side, allowing them to speed up and make runs behind. However, a mistake during buildup in the 60^th minute allowed the opposition to retrieve the ball and send Sakamoto in unmarked on the counter. As Naoya Kondo and Kamifukumoto attempted to close him down, the forward found an opportunity to shoot and Verdy conceded the equalizer. It was disappointing that this setback occurred just as the team were developing their tempo and manager WHITE immediately moved to strengthen the attack with substitutions, bringing Koki Morita and Kanya Fujimoto on to provide further options. The move initially allowed Verdy to grasp the pace. The players were determined not to use long balls as an escape and the four Verdy academy graduates in midfield maintained tight spacing as they moved the ball and forced their markers to run. However, though they were able to up their tempo and run at the defense, the Verdy attackers made mistakes as they bore down on goal, allowing Yamagata to pepper them with counter attacks. As the gaps in the Yamagata shape began to widen, Verdy found increasing space in midfield and elected to aim for speed, playing the ball quickly behind the defense, only to see their tempo begin to waiver. With every minute that ticked by, the match grew into a ferocious end to end affair with both teams trading opportunities on the counter attack. In the midst of this open play, it would be the slightest of gaps that made the difference. It was the 90^th minute and Kojic attempted to head the ball down and start the counter. The Verdy forward appeared to be fouled by a tackle from behind but play continued and the opposition moved in behind the Verdy defense. After allowing the ball to move deep into their territory, an opposition cross was headed home at the near post for a goal. Verdy had thus allowed the match to slip away in the final moments. Still, with the fourth official indicating four minutes of extra time, the players pushed to equalize. In the 91^st minute, extra numbers in the box led to a chance for Fujimoto to play a cross into the box. The ball made it to the far post and was met by Koike, who played it back across the face of goal. Kondo then ran onto the loose ball, just in front of goal, only to see his shot fly into the midsection of the goal keeper. That last chance was all she wrote and Verdy thus ended their three-match run with a bitter taste in their mouths.

After their victory against Kashiwa Reysol, Verdy seemed to have picked up new momentum. The team’s shaky defense had finally seemed to settle and though they had struggled in attack, they had managed to hold off Mito Hollyhock for their second straight clean sheet. Having finally found defensive stability, the next step was to control the play and earn a clear defeat of their opponents. Though they succeeded in that approach for portions of the match, Verdy allowed themselves to get drawn into an open game and let a good opportunity for victory slip away. There can be no excuse for having given up the result. In order to provide all those who support the club the result and performance they deserve, the team must now focus during the week ahead and try to build on the positives which were in evidence.

Your thoughts on the match?
I think it was a good match for the full 90 minutes. Both teams competed hard and played to win. In terms of tactics, technique, and energy I think the play was contested at a high level. I only wish the referee’s decision making could have been a little better.

From the start of the second half until the goal was conceded, the team seemed to be moving the ball at a good tempo and effectively evading the opposition press. Is it difficult for the team to maintain and improve on that average?
I think the players had played well even before that point and I don’t think it’s that difficult to improve. Whether we’re talking about our passing or organization as a unit, I think we did well and we were effective at responding to what the opposition were trying to do. I think we displayed confidence and if you look at the substitutions that were made, you’ll see they were all attacking in nature.

The substitutions may have been attacking in nature, but you ended with only a single shot. What image did you have in mind for how the attack would function?
I simply put in the players that I thought would help us win. It’s never the case that everything will go as planned, but my intention was to increase the number of chances we created.