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MATCH
Match Report
In both of their previous two matches, Verdy had come away with a 2-2 draw. On this day, they played their second consecutive home game with only two days of rest in between, lining up against table leaders Tokushima Vortis at Ajinomoto Stadium.
After being left out of the previous fixture due to condition worries, Matheus returned to the starting lineup today, along with a back line that was unchanged from the previous two matches. Shion Inoue had also been left out of the match against Niigata, for similar reasons, and was given a spot on the bench against Kanazawa, but on this day, he returned to the starting lineup.
This was a match between two teams who seek to maintain possession and control the play. The first team to gain the upper hand in that struggle were Verdy. As they kept hold of the ball, the team were able to make several forays into the opposition half and threaten the goal with aggressive moves. Despite their success at evading the opposition’s counter pressing in the early minutes, however, mistakes in Verdy’s build up play gradually began to increase and they found themselves handing the ball to the opposition. Once Tokushima claimed the ball, they were able to beat Verdy’s forward press and the team gradually found themselves retreating into a tight defensive block. Verdy were also unable to claim the second ball and endured attacks in waves as a result. In the 18th minute, the team were unable to clear a loose ball after being attacked in the wide areas and the opposition were allowed a cross into the box from the left side. The ball was met by Kiyotake, who had made an intelligent run behind the near post defender, and the Tokushima player found the net to put Verdy behind. After the goal, Verdy continued to find themselves on the back foot in defense and were unable to effectively close down the ball holder as they were pinned in their own half. The momentum finally began to shift after the water break. The manager issued detailed instructions on the players’ positioning and after the restart, the defense was finally able to keep up with the opposition’s pass work. In the 43rd minute, Joel Chima Fujita intercepted a pass and played it to Hanato on the front line before continuing his own run into space. The counter was now on and Hanato returned the ball to Fujita with a pass into space on the right. Before the defense could close him down, Fujita took a compact swing with his right foot and sent a low drive into the left corner of the net for the equalizer. Verdy continued to attack as the half drew to a close and after breaking down the left side of the defense during the first minute of additional time, Sato received the ball to the left of the penalty area. However, his shot went straight into the arms of the goalkeeper.
Following up on the adjustments he made during the first half water break, the manager issued further detailed instructions at half time and Verdy resumed play by controlling possession. Their defense also improved, after struggling in the first half, and they were able to maintain their attack without providing the opposition a chance to counterattack. In the 49th minute, Yuta Narawa was inserted into the match and made an immediate impact by blocking an opposition clearance. He followed that up by cutting inside and sending a curving effort at goal, only for the shot to drift over the right post. In the 59th minute, a corner kick from the left reached the far post and was retrieved by Fujita, who then drilled a rapid ball across the face of goal. Masashi Wakasa made a run at the near side and attempted to get his head to the ball before it could reach the goalkeeper, but he failed to make contact and the ball went wide of the post. In the 63rd minute, Haruya Ide took possession of the ball in his own half and played a well-timed through pass to Junki Koike. Koike continued his run into the penalty area and elected to hit a lateral pass to Ryoya Yamashita, but it was blocked by a defender. In the 84th minute, Sato ran with the ball at his feet and faked the goalkeeper with a dummy, after which he found space for a mid-range shot, only to see the effort brush against the left post and drift wide. Moments later, despite the opposition having few to no chances in the second half, the Verdy defense would lose focus. It was the 85th minute and after responding to a Tokushima run outside the penalty area, the team allowed the attacker to cut inside and play a cross that hit the arm of the covering Shohei Takahashi. The referee whistled for hand ball, despite it looking like Takahashi had no chance to avoid the contact, and the opposition were awarded the penalty. It was the 86th minute and the kicker was Iwao. He elected to try a placed effort into the right corner and while Matheus guessed correctly with his dive, the ball just escaped the goalkeeper’s reach and the opposition claimed the lead.
Despite conceding, Verdy did not let up on their attack until the very end. The players fought hard for the ball and were persistent about winning it back when they lost possession, launching quick counter attacks. Their final chance came in the second minute of additional time, when they received a free kick just right of the penalty area. It was Yuhei Sato who stepped up to take the set piece and despite both teams crowding the box, his near-perfect ball slipped expertly through the gaps between the defense and goalkeeper. Players from both sides fought to get a touch and when a defender attempted to clear, he could only manage to deflect the ball into the back of the net. The team seemed to have achieved a dramatic equalizer, but Hanato was judged to have drifted away from the Verdy line into an offside position and the referee ruled that he had interfered with the play. Verdy continued to threaten the goal until the final whistle, but they were unable to create more clear chances before time expired. Looking back, the team had dominated the play against the table leaders and created chances until the last minute, but they were lacking in finishing precision and suffered defeat by a single goal.
It has now been 6 matches since Verdy obtained a win and given the quality of their play, their last three fixtures were all games that they could have won. That makes the failure to get even a point in today’s match particularly demoralizing. The players have continued to believe in their team style and done well to pressure the goal, but they still find themselves a step short. As Verdy are left to wonder what made the difference between a win and loss in such a competitive game, another fixture is already on its way. The players have only three days to prepare before hitting the road to face F.C. Kyoto Sanga and must find a way to fill the gap that exists between them and the results they need.
Post-match comments
Manager Hideki Nagai
Your thoughts on the match?
We were playing against the current table leaders, Tokushima, and I was very impressed with the courage that the players showed from the start of the match on. In the early minutes, the opposition lined up in a way that was slightly different from what we expected and I had to make some adjustments to our positioning during the water break. After that, I think we played extremely well for long periods of the match. In the second half, as well, we did a good job of pressing from the front and winning the ball. I also think the players did a great job at the end of moves. As long as we aim to play with this style, there are certain things we can’t avoid or, more precisely, things that we will have to overcome. That means that to get the goals we need, we have no choice but to continue pursuing greater quality in our finishing. The players are creating plenty of chances and they always run hard for the full 90 minutes, so I am proud of their effort. Still, I truly regret that we weren’t able to fulfill the wishes of our fans, who hoped for victory and cheered us on until the final whistle. I don’t think we’re going to get anywhere by hanging our heads, so we will just try to prepare as best we can for the next match.
Can you tell us the specific changes you made to your defense in the first half?
The first was to stop retreating in defense and try to keep a more compact shape. I also told them not to let balls be played into the middle and to be clear about who would do the pressing from the front.
In the second half, it seemed like things could have gone either way. What made the difference between a win and a loss?
For us, it was the way we ended our moves. We did well to break them down, but we still have room to grow in terms of the quality and precision of our finishing. We say this constantly, but it remains true – to win, you have to convert your chances. It’s been something we reflect on every week, but the players continue to try hard and challenge themselves, so we will keep working and raise our finishing ability throughout the squad. I think that whether we can accomplish that or not will determine our fate.
MF36Joel Chima Fujita
Your thoughts on the match?
We allowed our opponents a lot of the ball and that was particularly a problem in the first half. In the second half, we decided to be more aggressive and that desire enabled us to win possession more and create a lot of chances. I don’t think we played badly in the second half.
What revisions did you make in defense after struggling in the early minutes?
When the players at the front pressed in the first half, those of us in midfield were often late in closing down the space they left open and that meant that the opposition were able to evade our closing with one-touch passing. Another thing was that there was open space between midfield and the defense, which their forwards dropped back to fill. There were just too many occasions when they got past us with one-touch passing. As time went on, we talked amongst ourselves and decided to man mark them. I think things went well after that.
Tell us about today’s goal.
We were constantly trying to intercept any sloppy passes they might make. At that time, I was able to win the ball well and Jin (Hanato) was in a good position, so I laid the ball off to him and sprinted forward. In the end, I was able to hit a good low shot. (In contrast to his first pro goal) I hit the back of the net this time and it was a worthy goal, or at least one that no one should be able to dispute.
You got the goal by beating Kamifukumoto, your Verdy teammate from last year.
It wasn’t something I focused on or anything, but I felt happy to claim a goal from one of my old seniors. Finishing is not necessarily my greatest skill. I miss a lot of shots in training and did so in the last match against Kanazawa, so I sometimes feel like I’m bound to miss when I try. Because of that, I didn’t put that much power into my effort and I think that actually helped.
Did your experience playing on the squad with Kamifukumoto last season aid you in any way?
Not really. I’m not the type of player who is particularly cunning, so I’m not aware of the characteristics of every goalkeeper I face. There was nothing from that experience that gave me an advantage.
Were you focused on keeping your swing compact?
I didn’t intentionally take a compact swing. It was more that the defense was closing me down, so I was afraid of them sliding in and the ball taking a deflection. For that reason, I focused on completing the shot before that happened.
FW25Jin Hanato
Your thoughts on the match?
It was a match that I felt we were winning and not only today, but in the previous two weeks as well, I still find myself wondering how it is that we didn’t get the full three points. At this point, it’s hard for me to accept. I know that we were playing well and while it’s true that our legs were heavy and we made a lot of mistakes in the first half, the adjustments we made in the second half were successful and we created chances. I don’t know if the penalty should have been given or not, but sometimes the winner seems to have luck on their side. It’s difficult. I don’t know yet quite how I feel.
What revisions did you make in defense after struggling in the early minutes?
Number 8 (Iwao) was receiving passes from the center backs in between the lines, so Yuhei (Sato) and I had to keep an eye on the central midfielders and make sure that we weren’t left behind by his first touch. By having every player move in coordination when we flipped the switch on our press, we were able to prevent the opposition from gaining clear chances, so I’m disappointed with the result.
Tell us about the goal that was disallowed for offside during additional time in the second half.
I didn’t actually touch the ball. I was simply in an offside position and that’s what was flagged.
Individually, you recorded an assist and performed well on the front line.
I made some mistakes in my passing and didn’t perform well in the first half, which I think caused trouble for the team. We continue to have matches with only a short two or three-day interval, but training is everything and I think we have to reflect on that.
Tell us about your assist. Could you see that Inoue was behind Fujita at the opposite post?
In the early minutes of the first half, there was a moment when I could have taken a shot if I had carried the ball at my feet, but instead I tried to pass it to Shion (Inoue). The assist to Fujita came after rethinking that play. The ball I played to Shion was a pass to feet, so the next time, I tried to lay the ball off in front of the player. I’m glad that led to an assist. As Joel (Fujita) made a run in front of the defense, it was a simple matter of playing the ball in front of him, so that all he had to do was take a swing. I think it was a highly efficient attack. In addition, I didn’t actually see Shion.
MF19Junki Koike
Your thoughts on the match?
Our defense was ineffective in the first half and we couldn’t hold them back in attack. There were many points when they were a step ahead of us, but we made adjustments after the water break and gradually saw more of the ball. In the second half, I think we largely accomplished what we set out to do. I had chances myself and just wish that I had finished them. It was a match that either side could have won, so all of us, including myself, have to reflect on our failure to convert chances.
Individually, this was a memorial match for your 400th appearance in J2. How does it feel?
I have taken my time and built up experience little by little in those 400 matches. I really had a lot of emotions coming into this match and the fact that the manager gave me the captain’s arm band enabled me to carry on my shoulders the expectations and feelings of a wide group of people as I played. I feel a strong sense of disappointment at not meeting those expectations.
Your good friend Kajikawa was absent from Tokushima’s squad today, but your teammate from last year, Kamifukumoto, was on the pitch. How did it feel to play against him?
I knew Kami(Fukumoto)’s skills from playing with him and that they would build up at the back with him taking part. At first, we had trouble keeping up with them, but we were able to adjust midway. The first goal they scored was on the counterattack, but for the second, we allowed them to execute their preferred style of play. As far as Kaji(kawa) is concerned, I really wanted to play on the same pitch as him today, but I had hoped to send him a message by achieving a victory over Tokushima. That’s just another reason why I’m disappointed with the result.
What revisions did you make in defense after struggling in the early minutes?
When we pressed from the front, we often left players unmarked in midfield, but by making adjustments throughout the squad, I think we were able to press without hesitation and slow them down more.
You had complete control of the match in the early minutes of the second half, but you weren’t able to get the second goal.
We had chances and threatened the opposition. I only wish that we had gotten a goal then. From what I’ve seen of Tokushima this season, they’re very good at doing what they need to do to win. They secure goals and win matches even when they’re pinned back, so we really wanted to put pressure on them by being the first to score. As a player on the front line, it was very disappointing.
In the second half, you built up on the left and immediately switched play to the right, which allowed you opportunities to get behind the defense.
We didn’t move the ball from left to right very often in the first half, but in the second, we created several chances that way. The number of chances we create and the precision of our finishing remain an endless area of emphasis for us. However, our timing is often perfect on the occasions when we do score goals, so we just need to do that more often. I hope that everyone on the squad can do so.
While it isn’t reflected in the final result, you played a very competitive match against a Tokushima team that defeated you by a large margin in the season opener and have continued to grow in scale.
Today and in the previous matches where we settled for draws, we could sense that the amount of time that we were able to play our style of football is definitely increasing. However, we have to get wins. Winning is the only way to prove that Nagai’s approach to football is correct. Otherwise, we ‘re going to start hearing a lot of opinions from different quarters. Right now, the whole team believes in this style of football and we are training and playing with that intent. I feel a strong urge to get wins and raise the overall valuation of our style.
It’s going to be difficult for you to catch the upper-table teams now, but what areas do you hope to build on in the remaining 10 matches?
Our football has been consistent from the beginning and I think we have developed a lot. The verdict for our team will depend on how well we can demonstrate our growth in the remaining ten games. I believe that overcoming this difficult period will lead to better results for us in the future. We will try to accomplish that during the final spurt.