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MATCH
Match Report
After giving up seven goals in two matches, Verdy found themselves on a losing streak as they traveled to face Ventforet Kofu, looking to rebound. Kofu are a team that have given Verdy trouble in the past and they have an advantage in the head to head record, historically. They are also a team competing for a spot at the top of the table, which made recovering their rhythm in this match an extremely challenging mission for Verdy. To prepare the team for the difficult challenge ahead, the manager made big changes to both the squad and system. The players began the match with a back three consisting of Lee Yong Jick in the center, Masashi Wakasa on the right, and Tomohiro Taira on the left. Fresh off returning from the U-20 World Cup, Kanya Fujimoto was chosen to pair with Shion Inoue at holding midfield. Ryohei Hayashi then rounded out the formation as the lone striker, with Ryota Kajikawa and Yuhei Sato shadowing him to right and left respectively.
Verdy began the match pinned back as the opposition attacked with Utaka pulling the strings. In the second minute, Utaka retrieved a clearance in the penalty area and fired a mid-range shot that went just wide of the post. After that, Kofu continued to build through Utaka while the Verdy back three responded with a challenge and cover defense. Kofu managed multiple efforts from the final third, but the defenders put their body on the line to prevent shots from coming in. In the 6th minute, a clearance after a corner kick fell behind the back line for Utaka to tap home, but he was ruled offside and the goal was disallowed. Verdy were not content to sit back forever, however, and the holding midfielders pressed hard to win the ball and give the team an extended spell of possession. The team used the momentum to push Kofu back with quick, direct play. In the 16th minute, the players defended a corner and immediately initiated a counter-attack that ended with Kajikawa playing a direct pass in front of goal. Hayashi attempted to get on the end of the pass, but the opposition goalkeeper left his line with a good first step and arrived to suppress the shot. In the 21st minute, Inoue picked up the second ball after a corner kick opportunity and evaded the closing defender with a quick touch before sending a driving shot on goal with a powerful swing of his left foot. However, this effort went just over the bar. After several chances in quick succession, the Verdy rhythm was in full swing and the players were able to exploit a brief lapse in concentration and earn the lead. The chance came from a corner kick in the 32nd minute. Kofu had been forced to make an early substitution, due to injury, and after noticing that the defense had slipped into man marking, Wakasa was the first to move, making an early run to the near post. Sato did not overlook the movement and provided a pinpoint ball which the Verdy defender met with a glancing header that found the far corner of the net. Moments later, in the 36th minute, Utaka found himself unmarked in the penalty area, but Naoto Kamifukumoto left his line just in time, sticking with the opponent as he looked to dribble past him and throwing his body at the ball to ultimately block the shot with his head.
Given that Verdy had faced dangerous situations on the counter after mistakes in their build up in the first half, the players emerged from the locker room determined to play with tighter spacing in defense and build up through the middle with simple passes. In terms of closing down the ball holder, the team kept the same approach as the first half, working together to a man to sustain their pressing. As the second half began, they raised their pressure to an even higher gear and their intensity from the first half on finally began to have an effect on the Kofu players. The opposition struggled to find avenues for passes, allowing Verdy to win the ball high up the pitch and start the short counter. The pressing on display today matched the displays Verdy had made during their winning streak and in the second half, the team looked completely reborn. It would not be long before the players resumed their celebrations. In the 52nd minute, Hayashi closed down the ball holder on the left side as Kofu attempted to pass at the back. An opposition defender then attempted a back pass to the goalkeeper, but the instant the ball left his foot, Sato and Kajikawa were in full sprint, having read the play. Sato was first to enter the keeper’s line of sight and as the latter attempted to slip away from the pressure, he took a heavy touch, failing to spot Kajikawa running hard toward the path of the ball. Kajikawa did not let the mistake go unpunished and struck the ball fiercely into the back of the net. Verdy now looked to put the match away and three minutes later, they would gain a chance on the counter. After the initial move broke down, Hayashi was able to retrieve the ball and play it back to midfield. Sato saw the defense were slow to close him down and swung his right foot for a powerful effort then went just wide of the left post. From that point, Verdy were pushed back but the back three focused well to stop the early ball into Utaka and the wingbacks, Junki Koike and Yuta Narawa, were quick to react when the ball was played wide, refusing to allow easy crosses into the box. Even when Kofu came within sight of goal, the back three kept perfect balance between challenging and covering to stop the ball in its tracks. Even then, Verdy did not sit back and still found chances to set up the finish on the counter. Fujimoto, Inoue, and the three substitutes Jin Hanato, Rihito Yamamoto, and Tatsuya Anzai each had clear chances. Their efforts meant that after taking the lead, Verdy were not forced to endure heavy attacking pressure from the opposition and the team were able to land repeated strong punches of their own, inflicting damage on their opponents. As Kofu began taking greater risks, Verdy found themselves attacking with a numerical advantage multiple times in the closing minutes, but they were unable to take advantage. Even so, the team’s quick transition from back to front and high concentration in defense would not falter and handed Verdy their first clean sheet victory in eleven matches.
While Verdy spent long portions of the second period in their own half, they created more clear chances than their opponents. The opportunity was there for a third or fourth goal and considering how that would have put the result beyond doubt, it cannot yet be said that the team have reached a period of consistent strength. However, the way the players repaired their recently leaky defense and claimed the victory is surely no fluke. In addition, the dynamic energy of the younger players as they involved themselves in chances at the end of the match is also a sign of a bright future for the team. Each time Verdy seem to have turned a corner, they suffer another set back, but they have used the difficult circumstances as fuel to recover, time and time again. The J2 table remains packed, with no team having a clear route to the top, and one can’t help but feel that Verdy are putting the pieces together little by little. They will need to grasp the reins of that strength and impose their style again next week, as they face second place Omiya Ardija at home.
Post-match comments
Manager Gary John WHITE
Your thoughts on the match?
We know that if we begin the match well, we can sustain our energy for the full 90 minutes, so I’m glad we began with good focus today. I think the players gave 100%, while tactically and individually, the match went well for us.
The team’s high press led to the second goal. Did you consider the weather as part of your plan?
We noticed from the early minutes that their backline was a bit mistake prone, so I felt that if we pressed from the front, we could break them down. That is something that we discussed.
Why did you decide to employ a different system against Kofu, today?
In training matches, our B-Team had been playing with a 3-4-3 and I knew that I would want to try it with the A-Team at some point, when the timing was right. There was also the fact that we had not played well, recently, against teams like Kofu who have a strong 3-4-3 themselves. In thinking about that, I decided to neutralize the strength of their system by playing with the same shape. We focused particularly on defense in training. Individually, I think everyone was perfect. I would especially like to compliment (Lee) Yong Jick, our captain today. After the final whistle, you could see him talking to Hanato about mistakes during the previous set piece. I think he kept everyone on their toes, throughout the match.
MF 38Ryota Kajikawa
Tell us about your goal.
The grass was wet and because Yuhei (Sato) was pressing the keeper, I think my position may have been outside his field of vision, so it must have seemed like I came out of nowhere and put him in a panic. The whole scene started when Ryohei (Hayashi) pressed from the top and forced them to play it to the back line, so I’m proud that we were able to press them so well as a unit.
You were pretty fired up in your celebration.
I hadn’t gotten a goal since last year, so I really wanted to score. I’d also made a lot of mistakes today, so I wanted to contribute to the team in some way. I’m happy I got a goal in the process.
You began the second half with poise and the timing of the second goal was perfect.
We played with a different system and slightly different tactics, today, so I didn’t know if it would work, but I think we caused them problems with the way we played. The fact that led to a goal was even more important.
After two straight matches in which you gave up three goals in the first half, how did it feel to survive the clear chances they had early on?
We had talked about not conceding today, no matter what, and everyone put their bodies on the line. Of course, we were helped by the fact that they didn’t finish their chances, but everyone was fully committed and if we can play like that in the future, I don’t think it will be easy for us to give up three points again. Tactics and technique are both very important, but if we don’t show a basic amount of fight, we won’t be able to take advantage of our strength in those areas. I think everyone fought hard, today.
The win today gives you plenty of motivation for next week’s match against Omiya.
I don’t know how that match will turn out, but personally, I feel that if I don’t have an impact on the result, someone could take my place at any moment. I have to do everything I can to aim for a goal. Also, the goal keepers have been working with me in practice every week, so getting a goal was a nice way to pay them back. As a team, we have to face our opponents on the pitch, but I know that Coach Takagi is a good analyst, so they’ll probably study what we did today. In response, I think we have to maintain good communication during the match.
DF 2Masashi Wakasa
Your thoughts on the match?
More than anything I’m glad we got a win with a clean sheet.
You were pushed back to some degree in the first half. Was there a change in your defensive approach that enabled you to hold them goalless?
As a back three, we remained aware of balance between who challenges and who covers. The wide players were focused as well.
This was your first clean sheet in eleven matches.
It really has been a long time and I have to apologize for that.
Tell us about your goal.
On the previous set play, I was marked by Yusuke Tanaka, but he got taken off with an injury and that was the first corner kick after he left the pitch. No one was marking me and I could hear them talking to each other about who would take who, so I decided to move before they could get set. When I reached the near post, Yuhei (Sato) had seen me and provided a good ball. I’m grateful to him.
Did you make eye contact with Sato before the kick?
Yes. He and I are always in communication. We exchange opinions on set plays a lot during training and I’m grateful that he was watching me so well at that time.
This was your first goal in your second season since joining the team.
It was actually my first goal in a long while. However, more than my goal, I’m most happy that we kept a clean sheet today.
Next week you face Omiya at home. Tell us what you hope to accomplish.
It’s another difficult opponent, but I hope we can be strong at the back, communicate well, and if the chance comes my way, I’d love to score another goal.
DF 17Lee Yong Jick
That was a fantastic performance. Tell us your thoughts on the match.
I don’t know if it was fantastic or not, but I have to thank my teammates today.
You were very organized as a back three and your roles were clear.
Basically, we were told to keep an eye on the player in front of us. We played with a high press, so it was easy to get caught up in chasing and I tried to concentrate on covering. I told the other players to make the challenges, throughout the match.
In terms of challenge and cover, you did a good job of keeping Peter Utaka in check, today.
It’s always best if we can win the ball with the first challenge and that was our plan. However, he is skilled enough that it won’t be easy. I just tried to stay close to him at all times and not let him turn with the ball. I then told Shion (Inoue) and Kanya (Fujimoto) that one of them should come and help me sandwich him. With that said, they were also working really hard to press on the front line and the whole team deserves credit.
There were some dangerous moments in the early part of the match.
The problems we’ve had early are reflected in the high number of goals we’ve conceded lately and that showed again, today. I do think we were a bit lucky. If we had conceded at that point, the match might have turned out the same as the previous two. The fact that we didn’t concede there is partly what enabled us to maintain our defensive focus in the second half.
You could relax a bit with the 2-0 lead, but you also did a good job of putting pressure on the opposition when their energy levels began to drop.
I think the fact that we couldn’t do that until now is one of the reasons we’ve struggled. For that reason, I told everyone to keep challenging and that I would cover for them when they did. I think it had a big impact that we were able to continue creating time on the ball today, but our play model seeks to keep possession. In that sense, we had a lot of quick and simple chances today and that’s hard to maintain, physically. To sustain possession more, we have to improve our positioning when we’re in attack.
You did a good job of fighting off their crosses, today.
If we close them down properly, it won’t be easy for them to get a header on target. For example, I knew that Koichi Sato, who came on as a substitute, was good in the air, but I focused on putting a body on the target man before the cross was raised.
If we were to get greedy, I think the team would have liked to get a third goal to finish things off.
That’s something I mentioned to the other players after the match. We can’t be satisfied with two goals and we’re not the kind of team that easily finish a match at 2-0. We have to be greedy and aim for three, four, or five goals, so we can recover our confidence quickly. The supporters had been really disappointed lately and we have to show them that we can play like this. I told everyone that they should focus on that.
You fought to the end without changing formation.
We did change positions, but the basic shape remained the same. The substitutes who came on did their jobs well and the way the player from the Verdy youth system receive the ball and pass it amongst each other is excellent and fun to watch.
This was your first time to captain the team from the start of the match.
I don’t think of it as much more than an arm band. Do (Kondo) wasn’t with us today, so it was just a coincidence that the band came to me. However, I was at the center of the back three, which makes me the last defender, and I’ve always believed that it’s important for everyone to be on the same page. Today, I took the initiative in making my voice heard and I’m really grateful that everyone responded and did what was needed.
You seemed to have a big impact on the match, individually.
I have to maintain that level of performance. If we’re just playing direct football, it doesn’t matter who is in and even when everyone is celebrating like today, there are still a lot of things we have to correct, so I want to commit to that. If I can continue that over multiple matches, then I think I’ll be a bit more deserving of compliments.
The damage from the second goal must have been even greater because it came after you exploited an opposition mistake.
That’s true and I think this was the first match this season where we really committed to pressing aggressively from the front. It’s something we had tried to do many times, but in the end, we were never able to pull it off. From my perspective, it did feel like our high press was more effective than ever, today. I think we our opponents must have been surprised, as well.
The win today should give you plenty of motivation for the match against Omiya.
They’re a super team and we know they have a good manager in Takagi. His teams always press hard from the front and I’m sure they watched the matched today and will scout us well. We have to prepare well so that we can perform even better than we did today.
MF 6Shion Inoue
You really worked hard in defense, today.
Over the last two matches, including the goals we gave up, it felt like we were being exploited defensively. Today, including dealing with the system change, we communicated well in training and on the pitch to improve our defense and I’m glad that showed in the result.
Partly because of the system change, you were able to neutralize their shadow strikers, today.
I communicated well with the players on the sides of the back three, Waka(sa) and Taira. However, one of the center backs would always come forward to close down the shadows, so for us in holding midfield, it was rather easy. I think you saw the benefits of three at the back vs. four, today.
Individually, you showed desire to get a goal, today.
I had many opportunities to score today and I regret that I couldn’t finish. In terms of my individual performance, I’m not satisfied. Since I haven’t been scoring, I’m putting a little too much power in my shots, so I hope I can get a goal soon.
Working with a back three, you were able to connect your defense from midfield to attack.
I didn’t have to worry about what was happening behind me. When I was playing as an anchor, I had to keep an eye on the back, but today, I was able to pressure their holding midfielders, myself. The players at the back pushed so that I could keep a high position and they were stable in their defense, so I would like to thank them.
In the second half, did you want to have a bit more of the ball?
We had the lead, so I didn’t think there was any need to force things in attack. But I also feel like I could have called for the ball and controlled the play from holding midfield.
At the end of the first half, you tried too hard to move the ball in attack and ended up being hit hard on the counter.
If we feel we have nowhere to pass, we shouldn’t try to make the pass. At that time, the talk in central midfield was that even if we couldn’t play the ball behind the ends of their back three, we should have tried to hit those areas and push them back more.
Because of the pitch condition, your passes would sometimes go loose in unexpected ways and be picked up by the opposition. It happened to the other side as well, but how did you make decisions on switching from attack to defense?
In matches where things go well for us, those balls come to us and in matches where things don’t go well, they get picked up by the opposition. To ensure that we are in control for longer periods, I want to work more on winning the second ball and also winning the ball when I challenge.
MF 20Rihito Yamamoto
What instructions did you receive when you took the pitch?
We were winning 2-0, so the first priority was to remain tight in defense and not concede.
What ideas did you have about how to carry the game in that situation?
They were also putting a lot of numbers forward, so it became a very open game at the end. Rather than keep possession, we saw that they had fewer numbers at the back and the whole team understood the need to get a third goal and finish things off.
You had chances to shoot on goal, yourself.
I put too much power into the shot. I had a lot of options to choose from, but the result was what you saw. I was too indecisive.
Despite the mistakes, you challenged yourself and that should lead to better things in the future.
This match gave me a lot of confidence and I was able to play with more poise, so next, I hope that I can get a goal. I also want to contribute more to building the team’s tempo.
Was that a comparatively easy time to enter the match?
We were focused on defense. I can’t say that the game had completely stabilized, but it was a lot easier than the match against Nagasaki, when I made my debut, and I was able to take part in the attack. Watching from pitch side, it looked like a difficult situation, but once I came on, I was able to adjust smoothly.
FW 18Jin Hanato
Your thoughts on the match?
I had only spent ten minutes in a training match, so I felt it was a little early for me to come on, but I managed. The team had suffered some bad losses recently and against a club on the upper end of the table like Kofu, we had some dangerous moments, but it means a lot that we were able to keep a clean sheet. Still, if I were to ask for more, I think we had a chance to get a third goal and it’s a shame that we couldn’t finish.
You had your own chance, as well.
I had some teammates making a run and the opposing defender had fallen down, so I should have carried the ball a bit more. In situations like that, I have to keep my poise. The other thing is that we have to increase the number of scenes like that we create and slow the ball down when we’re in front of goal. To do that, I have to play in a greater number of matches and get used to having opportunities on goal. The more we do that, the more I’ll develop the instinct to finish.
The team grabbed hold of the match after the opening period by being aggressive.
Well, if Utaka had scored from his early chances, I don’t know how the game would have developed. Honestly, it could have gone either way, today. The way everyone put their bodies on the line and helped Kami(fukumoto) to keep the clean sheet had a major impact. When a team attacks and attacks like that but still can’t get a goal, they end up conceding easily on the other end.
In a situation similar to the match against Kashiwa, you were able to create opportunities this time, even while under pressure.
Against Kashiwa, we were pushed back until the final whistle but today, we created chances to attack. So, we made some progress today, but we had to finish. If we had gotten a third goal, we could have finished the match off. Whether or not we finish there will have a big effect on our table position, so we can’t be satisfied and need to train harder.
Beyond not getting the third goal, the substitutes made big contributions today.
Everyone knew how important this match was for us and by getting the three points, we made up some of the gap with Kofu. The season still isn’t half over. If we can concentrate more in the early minutes and get goals to finish off good opponents like we played today, we’ll be able to get some good results. Our opponents didn’t finish their chances today, but that might not be the case next time, so we need to improve in how we begin matches.
Did your hard work putting pressure on the ball lead to the opposition’s mistakes, today?
In the end, the most important thing is to be physical. I’m a forward player, myself, and I know that if the other team is physical like that, it will be hard to get a goal. We expressed that ourselves today and if it inspires the front line, the team will move in a good direction, so I would like to reflect on my failure to score in a positive way.
The team has made a lot of changes over the last two matches. Were the players active in exchanging opinions?
I wasn’t involved in the last two matches, but in both, we gave up three goals in the first half. If we do that, the match will be over quickly. We’re not deserving of promotion when we play like that, but we reflected well on our mistakes and today, we were able to get a 2-0 win.