2019 MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE 16th Sec - Tokyo Verdy vs Kyoto Sanga F.C.

Match Report

Last week, Verdy came away with a 1-1 draw after a clash of founding J-League clubs vs. JEF United Chiba. Though their streak of consecutive wins came to an end, they still extended their unbeaten run to seven matches as they prepared this week to face in-form Kyoto Sanga F.C. A change to the starting lineup was made at center forward, as Leandro took the place of Kojic, while on the substitute’s bench, Ryohei Hayashi made his first appearance since being taken off with injury against FC Ryukyu.

In the opening stages of the match, both teams struggled for control of possession and played aggressively. Verdy built several chances on the right wing and it seemed as if a goal was on the horizon. Instead, however, the pendulum swung in the opposite direction. It was the 13^th minute and the Verdy defense failed to contain a probing ball from an opposition forward, allowing the player to slip into the right side of the penalty area and swing his right foot at the ball. The effort was blocked by a defender, but merely changed direction and fell straight into the back of the net. This marked the second week in a row that Verdy had given up an early lead, but unlike the previous match, they would not recover defensively. Shortly after the opener, Verdy once again failed to deal with an attack deep down their right wing and as the back line hurried quickly back, no one was able to close down the ball holder, allowing a mid-range shot to find the left corner of the net for a second consecutive goal. Next, Verdy tried to push back by winning the ball up top with their high pressing and launching short counter attacks. However, there were too many gaps that opened up as they closed down the ball holder and the team were never able to press with more than one man at a time, eventually forcing them to drop back into their own half. Subsequently, in the 27^th minute, the failure of the Verdy players to press and hold their high line allowed another goal from a powerful shot and left them behind by three goals as the half time whistle sounded.

Hoping to change the momentum after the break, Verdy replaced Hiroki Kawano with the returning Ryohei Hayashi. The players also lined up differently as they tried to push for an immediate response. The manager did his best to light a fire under them in the locker room and as play resumed, Verdy were quick to get forward and try to narrow their 3-point deficit. The players were more willing to take risks and were more aggressive at chasing. The change in approach led to an improved rhythm and the new formation placed more numbers up top, enabling the team to maintain possession of the ball. For their part, however, the opposition kept a high line and tight spacing that prevented passes in the middle of the pitch and stifled chances. Just as it looked like Verdy would spend the rest of the match moving the ball without result, a move developed in the 63^rd minute after Yuta Narawa played a looping entry pass that found its way to Hayashi. With Leandro making a run in support, Hayashi chested the ball down for him Shion Inoue then latched onto a through pass from Leandro and found space on the left side of the penalty area. Inoue’s pass across the face of goal missed Hayashi but made its way to the far side, where Junki Koike burst forward and hit a first-time effort with his right foot. The shot deflected off both a defender and the goalkeeper before finding the back of the net. Verdy would now raise their play several gears and push forward even more, while their opponents responded by inserting Tulio and shifting into a stance of all out defense. In the 73^rd minute, Kota Watanabe ran with the ball on the right wing and hit a through pass to Hayashi in front of goal. Hayashi had beat the off-side trap, but his right-footed effort from a diagonal angle would sail just over the top right of the bar. Verdy hoped to sustain their pressure for the remainder, but a series of accidents would upset their plans. After Leandro was taken off with an injury in the 66^th minute, Kota Watanabe hurt his ankle during a mid-air challenge. Just moments earlier, Verdy had used their third substitution and with Watanabe unable to continue, they were forced to close the match with 10 men. At that point, the events of the second half took their toll physically and the 10 remaining players could no longer press, granting Kyoto control of the ball. As a result, the opposition added insult to injury in the 89^th minute by turning in a corner kick for a fourth goal before the final whistle.

Verdy began the day’s match hoping to close the gap with the teams at the top of the table, but three goals in quick succession during the first half led to a painful defeat. The team’s inability to defend at the back when their pressing fails remains a major issue. Next week, Verdy hit the road for successive matches away and the difference between their strengths and weaknesses remains paper thin. To reclaim their balance in attack and defense, they must make their best preparations and travel to Kagoshima for their next encounter.

Manager Gary John WHITE

Your thoughts on the match?
We were pretty embarassing in the first half. We gave them too much space and we simply lacked fight. I didn’t sense any passion from the players in the first half. Individually, we lost the ball easily and didn’t win the one v one battles. All of those elements really stood out. I told the players everything on my mind at half time and they seemed to wake up after the break. We also changed our formation and began completing more passes, all the things we’re supposed to do, but it was too late to try to start playing from the second half on and we should have done all of that before the first half came to a close. Coming into today, we hadn’t been beaten in seven matches and I think the players started to lose their edge a bit. So, for that reason, I want us to take this loss seriously and shift our focus before next week.

In terms of how you began the match, was it more that the players lacked aggression than a consciously conservative approach?
Naturally, the way we like to play is to be aggressive from the first minute. However, just as I touched on a moment ago, we lost the one v one battles and it was our mistakes that enabled the opposition to build their rhythm. We were able to shift focus at the beginning of the second half, but a match like this is never going to be that easy and it reminds us that the second half is too late to try and begin playing.

Can you update us on the condition of Kota Watanabe?
He’s being checked out right now. The medical team is working with him as we speak.

Can you offer a specific explanation for why the team struggled in the early minutes?
They may have been feeling the pressure of a big match. The areas where we failed were things like one v ones, so there’s no one clear reason. Looking back on our training over the past week, I think we practiced well and right at this moment, I’m not able to give you a detailed analysis. Of course, there are things we will need to look at. It’s just hard to do so at this very second.

MF 19Junki Koike

Tell us about your goal.
The ball drifted out to me on the side and I just tried to keep it down and on target. In the end, it deflected off a defender and changed course, so I’m glad it went in. I had a feeling that if a cross was played, it might come free to me, so I put myself in position, but even I didn’t think I would be that unmarked.

You showed the will to make runs behind a number of times.
Individually, I wanted to make runs from wide behind the center back on the opposite side. Their center backs were communicating with each other, but there seemed to be some disagreement, so I thought there was a chance if I got the ball there. Actually, the ball never came. That’s an instance when I should have raised my voice more and communicated with my teammates.

In the second half, you changed the formation to 3-5-2.
In the first half, they put a lot of balls into the space on either side of our anchor. The same thing happened against Chiba, last week, and I’m sure Kyoto was focused on doing that. We weren’t able to make the necessary changes in response and as a result, we gave up three goals. In the second half, we switched to a back three with two holding midfielders and marked their shadow striker. That stabilized our defense and enabled us to increase our time in attack. It would have been nice if we could have gotten two or three goals for ourselves during that period….

It seemed like the team’s struggles in defense also had a bad effect on the attack in the first half.
Because our defensive approach failed, we weren’t able to win the ball in good locations. As a team, we have to build the strength to overcome situations like that.

Because our defensive approach failed, we weren’t able to win the ball in good locations. As a team, we have to build the strength to overcome situations like that.
We lost the ball too often because of easy mistakes and when that happens, the match is always going to be difficult. If we don’t compete well in that area, we won’t have many opportunities to win, so we need to make improvements.

While it’s true that they took advantage of your weak points in the first half, did you also feel they were playing at a high level?
Of course, we played badly, but I think they did their research. They didn’t try to do anything difficult like carry the ball forward from center back in build-up. Instead, they carried out a simple attack with few mistakes. That’s something we need to learn from.

Is this a difficult loss to swallow, both in terms of content and table position?
It hurts a lot. Our opponents did their research last week and this week’s opponent took advantage of the same things that worked for them, so we needed to make adjustments. In the end, we gave up three goals and coming back from that is not easy. We can’t let matches unfold like this.

In past weeks, you were able to earn at least a draw, even when playing badly. This week, you gave up not only the most goals you have this season but also lost by the biggest margin.
There is no excuse for the way we played and it’s frustrating. However, if we don’t take a good hard look at ourselves and address the problems we have, we’ll be in trouble. In order to rise up the table, it’s essential for us to pull together again and do our best.

FW 11Ryohei Hayashi

Tell us what your role was after coming on.
We switched to 3-5-2 and I was told to line up with Leandro as the front two, but my goal was to make runs behind and pull away markers to open up space for Leandro.

What were your honest thoughts on the first half, after watching from the bench?
It was exactly as you saw. We played terribly. We didn’t put pressure on the ball and even when we did manage to do so, they played simple passes around us. We allowed them to do everything they wanted to do.

What did you have in mind for opening them up when you came on?
We got the first goal, so that lifted our spirits. We changed systems in the second half and I came on, so it was all about raising our level as a team. In terms of the second half, we got a goal and had momentum on our side, but after how we were in the first half, it was really difficult to finish off the match. We have to play well from the opening whistle.

For the past few matches, it seems like the team’s first line of defense has not gone well.
The teams we’ve played have numbers at the back, so it’s difficult to win the ball with just a single forward. At the very least, I think the forward needs to cut off their passing lanes and limit the options that our players at the back have to respond to. I also think it’s important for the forward, as the player who initiates the press, to show the will to be aggressive when the opportunity is there.

You only just returned to training and were brought on right away. How was your conditioning?
I had to take the pitch right away after a month and a half off, but I was able to move better than I expected and I adjusted to the flow of the match right away. Personally, I had the sense that I had made a good start to my return and that I would be able to raise my conditioning.

You had a good chance at the mid-point of the second half.
When I received the pass from Kota, the other players reacted like I was offside, but I made sure to stay in line with their defense before making my run. I didn’t have a good angle with my right foot and the keeper was baring down on me, so I aimed for the top corner of the near post. I want to work on that one again in practice until I can finish it. I’m a forward, so if I think positively, the most important thing I can do is continue to involve myself in chances like that, but personally, I felt good about making my return and I want to continue working so I can raise my condition and help the team.

You started a good move that led to the goal.
Nara(wa) saw that I had faked like I would receive the ball at my feet and then made a run behind, so I was able to chest it down for Leandro and he opened the play to the far side. I thought it was a good flowing move. I wish we had done more things like that in the first half. We had been on a run of matches without losing and in a way, I think the most important thing we gained today was the chance to self-reflect and make changes. The way we lost was definitely a negative, but I think it’s important for us to connect it to the future in a way that’s positive.

MF 24Yuta Narawa

Your thoughts on the match?
For the past month, we’ve been able to take away at least a point no matter what happened, but today, they were better than us in every aspect. It was a pure defeat, plain and simple.

The first three goals conceded came after they exploited the space on either side of the midfield anchor, which was also an issue last week.
Personally, I think there are two reason that happened. One is that our first defender didn’t press them strong enough and they had freedom on the ball. The other is that, just as happened against Chiba, we didn’t start the match well. During training this week, on the previous day and the day before that, I saw some signs of that in our play, but when we began the match today, I was determined that we wouldn’t allow it to happen and still the game played out like it did. It’s frustrating for me in that I saw the problem but still wasn’t able to correct it.

The team were more aggressive in the second half, after the formation change.
Concerning our performance in the first half, it wasn’t a case of our formation being improperly matched up with theirs. The problems were much more basic. So rather than crediting our improvement in the second half to the change in formation, although I’m sure that had some influence, I think it was more down to doing all the things required of a professional football player, like running hard and trying to win the ball from our opponents. I think we did a better job of that in the second half. In order to win, we have to do it for the full 90 minutes and I think the fact that we were able to get points recently, despite playing badly for portions of each match, caused us to get a little complacent. That complacency showed in the result today.

So, your complacency was exploited by an in-form Kyoto team?
Even with that complacency on display, we were still able to win the ball and pass it well for certain periods. Ideally, we’d like to be on the ball all the time, but it’s never going to be that simple. We have to remain down to earth and do what’s required of us when our opponents have the ball. We didn’t do a good enough job of that last week and the same problems emerged today.

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