2019 MEIJI YASUDA J2 LEAGUE 10th Sec - Tokyo Verdy vs Albirex Niigata

Match Report

【Match Report】

Last week, Verdy suffered a draw against FC Ryukyu after giving up a goal in the final moments of the match. This week, they needed a win at all costs to reclaim hope for their campaign, returning again to Aji no Moto stadium to face Albirex Niigata. With Ryohei Hayashi away from the squad with an injury, the team lined up with Kojic up front as a lone striker. Rounding out the changes, Ryota Kajikawa was also named to the starting lineup, lining up as a wide midfielder on the right wing.

As the match began, Verdy showed intent to control the pace by moving the ball on the back line and having the goal keeper take part in the build-up. However, that strategy would soon see them concede the opening goal. It was the fourth minute and Shion Inoue lost out to the opposition pressure after receiving a pass from Naoto Kamifukumoto, putting the team in immediate danger. The initial effort on goal was blocked by Naoya Kondo, but the opposition would create another chance with a header from the subsequent corner kick. The shot flew through the open arms of Kamifukumoto to the far side, where the covering Kota Watanabe was able to get a touch but could not fully clear the ball, allowing the opposition a tap in to the open net. Down a goal early on, the Verdy players showed the will to chase the lead and retain possession in the opposition half, but they were unable to carry the ball deep as Niigata sat back in front of their goal, preventing the Verdy players from setting up opportunities for a finish. When Verdy did lose the ball, they immediately found themselves under threat on the counter and their failure to slow the opposition attack created numerous opportunities for Niigata to penetrate the final third. Verdy attempted to answer by pressing with greater numbers on the ball side, but Kojic, who was making his first start in several matches, found himself on a different page with those behind him and the opposition were able to easily evade and push the team back. Although the players were able to prevent the opposition from scoring a second, they ended the half spending most of their time on the defensive end.

As the team prepared to push back against the opposition’s early lead, Kojic was brought off at half time and replaced by Jin Hanato, signaling a continued intent to press from the front and make quick attacks on goal. Hanato spearheaded the press in defense and when the team won the ball, he served as a target man, allowing them to begin their moves from a positive forward position. In the 50^th minute, combination play on the left side stretched the opposition defense and a quick switch of play to the opposite side found Masashi Wakasa in the box. The Verdy defender put in a first-time effort, but his shot went straight into the arms of the goal keeper. In the 60^th minute, Verdy won a direct free kick in front of goal. With Kajikawa taking a touch to set him up, it was Sato who took the shot, sending in a dangerous, bounding effort that looked destined for the back of the net, only to be kept out by an excellent save from the opposition goal keeper. After this series of consecutive chances, the momentum of the match would shift to Verdy’s advantage. In the 65^th minute, the opposition received a free kick on the half way line but found themselves under intense pressure from the Verdy players. A lateral pass at the back was then read brilliantly by Hanato, who intercepted the ball between the defenders and continued his dribble straight into the box. One on one with the keeper, Hanato kept his poise and calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net. With the match level, it was now time for Verdy to truly heat up in attack. Walmerson was brought on in the 72^nd minute, followed by Takuya Nagata in the 78^th, and their fresh legs would spur the team forward. Walmerson’s dribbling skill forced the opposition back line to retreat and in the 84^th minute, the Brazilian combined with Sato and Narawa to break down the left side, allowing him to meet the final cross from Narawa unmarked. However, he failed to make good contact and the ball sailed over the cross bar.

Verdy continued to attack until the end and the final minutes developed into an open game with both sides paying on the counter attack, aiming to win the full three points. In the end, however, Verdy were unable to claim the lead for themselves and the match ended a draw. The result was a frustrating one, marking the second straight draw on home turf, but the team can take inspiration from the improvement of their attacking play and they were able to threaten the opposition on a number of occasions. The players also combined well enough to control the pace for large periods of the match. New players were tested and the variety of the team’s attacking play is gradually increasing. Now they must add that extra bit of quality that will enable them to win as they travel to Okayama, hoping to bring back the full three points.

Manager Gary John WHITE

Your thoughts on the match?
We struggled in the first half, giving up a goal from a set piece and losing the ball too easily. However, after talking to the players at half time, I think they can take heart from the fact that we were able to achieve the kind of game we set out to play in the second half.

What do you think was the reason for the gap in performance with the first half?
There are no guarantees that things will always go well in football and there were a number of players, today, who were unable to carry out our game plan. I think that failure to accomplish what we set out to do was the reason for the gap. In the second half, the players’ spacing improved and they performed well by playing in a compact shape. I think that was what enabled us to get the goal off the interception.

Can you tell us the reason you decided to have Koike and Kajikawa switch sides during the first half?
Junki (Koike) has always played on the right until now, so I figured the opposition would have some sort of strategy ready to deal with him and decided to move him to the left. As the match went on, I moved him back to his usual position and signaled that we should try to carry out our normal game plan. Junki had performed very well on the left against Ehime, so I trusted that he we would perform well today.

In the first half, the team’s trouble pressing from the front stood out. Can you tell us the reason for that?
We were unwilling to take the risks necessary to put pressure on their buildup in the first half and because of that, we ended up handing them control of the play. I suspect that the indications for when to press and when not had shifted from our original game plan. We adjusted that in the second half and it enabled us to play better. I felt that our timing, teamwork, and spacing were much better. For the goal we scored, as well, our pressing worked to force them into a mistake.

FW 18Jin Hanato

Your thoughts on the match?
Watching from the bench in the first half, I felt that our attack was poor and when I came on, I concentrated on receiving the ball between the lines as much as possible, so that we could build rhythm and push up the pitch in search of a goal. Since we were playing at home, I really wanted to win and as a team, we had chances. It’s a shame that we couldn’t put the game away.

You came on at the start of the second half. At what point did the manager let you know?
Just before the close of the first half, the manager told me to be ready to come on after the break.

In terms of what differed from the first half, the team’s first line of defense seemed to improve.
Part of it was problems with our defense, but it’s also true that there was no one available to receive the ball between the lines. I wanted us to get on the ball more and express our natural strengths by increasing our time in possession as we sought a goal. Rather than make runs behind, I felt it was important that we develop from the near side and bring the ball deep enough that we could get a shot in.

For your goal, you kept your head well when you went one v one with the keeper.
I couldn’t finish in the previous match, so I’m happy that I could get at least one goal today. However, I also wanted us to win. As a team, if we don’t win this sort of match, we’re going to drift further and further from the top of the table. I want us all to be looking in the same direction and aiming to get the three points.

Were you looking for them to make a lateral pass that you could take advantage of?
As the play went on, I felt like I might have the chance to do so. I faked like I was going to back off and that allowed me to claim the ball as soon a I made my run. The same thing had happened to us in the first half when they cut out the pass from Kami(fukumoto) and earned the set piece that led to their goal. At times like that, I think we have to keep an eye on how play is developing and retain the option of booting it forward to the front. When the momentum is poor and we’re struggling, I personally think it’s meaningless to try to build from the back at all costs. If we can learn to minimize risks by clearing it and trying to retain the ball on the front line, that will allow the team to push up and enable us to retain the ball better. It will also prevent us from conceding goals like that, so I hope we can share that awareness in the future.

Were the improvements to defense in the second half a result of the team retaining the ball better?
If we’re tighter in our positioning, we can surround them right away when we lose the ball and personally, I feel that if we’re not running hard, we won’t be able to accomplish anything. Both Koja (Kojic) and myself were playing in the position we had today for the first time and that likely made things difficult for him. I had the chance to watch for the whole first half, so I think that’s one reason why I was able to start strong.

So, you hadn’t played as a lone striker before?
I did during training camp and when I first joined the team, but in terms of my overall career, I have rarely ever done so. I don’t necessarily know what position is best for me, so I just want to play at an above average level no matter what role I’m assigned. That means not disrupting the rhythm of the team’s play and riding the momentum we are able to develop. I’m the type of player who wants to combine with those around me, so I hope that I can help my teammates ride the momentum too.

You seemed to change your positioning somewhat after Walmerson was brought on.
Walm(erson) was making his first official appearance in the J League and I know that he’s a dribbler, so I tried to create one v. one situations for him on the wing by not drifting too far wide. I hope we can continue to develop our shared understanding as the season goes on. He’s very good on the ball, but we can’t be lazy in tracking back when the ball is lost. If we can do a better job of switching gears, I think we’ll have opportunities to attack with greater numbers whenever we win the ball back. Since this was his first match in Japan, I’m sure he’ll only get better.

MF 7Kota Watanabe

Your thoughts on the match?
We lost the ball too easily and overall, the match reminded us that we’re going to struggle if we don’t learn to finish our attacking moves more often.

Your pressing seemed off in the first half and the team seemed to drop back too far in defense.
Some of that was because we were doing something new with our pressing and it didn’t quite go as planned. We gave up an early goal, but we still had plenty of time after that and it was a match where we could have taken the lead ourselves.

You were able to recover, somewhat, after Hanato was brought on in the second half.
When we have someone who can secure the ball in those positions, it makes it easier for the rest of us to get forward. However, it also results in us having fewer players in the box. If the other players can learn to fill the space that Jin (Hanato) leaves open when he goes to receive the ball, I think we can develop a more effective attack.

Do you think the improvement in attack also led to improvement in your counter pressing?
When our spacing is right, we can defend quickly whenever we lose the ball. Even so, if we don’t stop conceding possession so easily, we’re going to continue getting hit on the counter, so I hope we can address that.

You pushed them back but still seemed unable to flip the switch in attack.
There were several times where I lost the ball after a good forward pass. If can I can turn and get my head up immediately in those situations, it will create more chances. That’s something I needed to do better.

Compared to the previous match against Ryukyu, you seemed to be placing more emphasis on balance today.
In focusing on our overall play today, I wasn’t able to threaten the opposition as much. Some of that was because I was in bad positions or didn’t receive the ball. I have to demand the ball more and get more touches if we’re going to create chances, so that’s something I will concentrate on in the future.

MF 6Shion Inoue

Your thoughts on the match?
We gave up an early goal and the opposition played with good attacking rhythm. That may be because our defensive plan didn’t work, but either way, their ability to pin us back and move the ball well made things very difficult.

You were able to recover, somewhat, after Hanato was brought on in the second half.
I think our spacing improved in attack, or at least with Jin on the pitch, we had an extra man in the build-up, so that brought us closer together and we were able to defend in tight spaces. I think that was the biggest difference between the first and second half. Even when we lost the ball, we had numbers in the right places and we were able to win it back several times. I think we needed to do that even more.

In the second half, you were able to create chances by building on the left and switching the play to the right.
We weren’t trying to change sides no matter what and it would actually be good if we could finish attacks on the side where we have greater numbers, but when the opposition follows us into the wide areas, the opposite side is always going to open up and it’s important that we make use of both options. In the first half, we wanted to build on the right and finish on the left, but it didn’t go well and that’s something we need to improve.

Although Hanato was able to participate in the build-up, that led to issues with having fewer numbers in the box.
That is an issue, but I think the way we attacked in the second half is how we need to play as a team. Our squad is full of players who are good at attacking with numbers, so I think our attacking style in the second half suits us as a team.

Do you wish that you could have controlled the play more at the end, when things became more end to end?
Walmerson came on and he plays well when he has space, so I do think we could have created a few more chances. However, we have to take better care of the ball. We have to use our heads more in those situations.

MF 38Ryota Kajikawa

You started on the right side, today, and moved to the left as the play went on.
I was on the right at the beginning but before the match started, I was told that we could discuss amongst ourselves when things weren’t going well and move to the left if necessary. That turned out to be the case, so we made the change.

Given that they just changed managers, was their approach different from what you expected?
Yes, I think that’s true. However, we also conceded too quickly. They built from the back like we do, so whenever we pressed them, spaces would open up between the lines. That enabled them to put some dangerous balls in but other than that, we were well placed in defense and they didn’t threaten us much. With that said, we simply didn’t play well in the first half.

What revisions did you make at half time?
The first thing was to cut down on the number of easy mistakes we were making. Other than that, we made personnel changes and had players of different type on the pitch. I think that enabled us to change our style and develop some momentum.

The squad seemed designed to pass the ball well, today. What was the reason you couldn’t do that in the first half?
Our spacing wasn’t right and we ended up playing into the hands of their press. If we had done a better job of receiving the ball between the lines and tried to use our front line more, we could have gotten out of the trouble we were in. Instead, we continued moving the ball at the back and that made it easy for them to press us.

Because of the early goal you conceded, did you have to continue trying to pass the ball, even when they were pressing you well?
Not really. The goal they got came from a set piece that they won by cutting out our passing from the back. If we had suddenly decided to stop doing that out of fear, we would be left with nothing. We talked in the middle and encouraged each other to play with confidence and continue passing the ball. It’s just that the passes we chose made things more difficult for us.

You were able to recover, somewhat, when Hanato was brought on.
He served as a target man on the front line and that gave us an improved rhythm. However, we were still making mistakes with our last pass and we couldn’t get enough numbers in the middle. We have to be more decisive and try to take the game to our opponents, rather than simply passing the ball for its own sake. If we’re in a situation where we have the lead, we can do what we did today, but with where things stood in this match, we had to choose to play closer to the opposition goal. With all that said, I think it’s a positive that this emerged as a learning experience for us. If we’re under duress and defending for an entire match, those areas where we need improvement won’t become clear.

DF 22 Takuya Nagata

You made your debut by playing on the right wing, today.
I’d played there several times during training. It’s not the position that I’m used to playing, but I always try to do what I have to do, no matter what position I play in, and I felt that the manager had inserted me there because we needed to get a second goal. That means he expected me to put in good crosses and otherwise create chances. I will continue focusing on what is demanded of me and try to have an impact on the match.

How did it feel to be on the pitch?
At the time I was brought on, it had become a fairly open game and I had chances to get forward on the counter. I think the team needs someone who can finish moves off in those situations and individually, I know that I need to put in more crosses and make more direct runs at the defense.

You were involved in a couple of clear chances, though.
I want to be able to express my individual qualities while still helping the team play Verdy football. That’s something the entire team needs to do more.

The team struggled in the first half. What did you discuss on the pitch as you approached the second half?
By the time I came on, it was end-to-end and both teams were desperate, so I didn’t have much time to discuss things tactically with the other players. More than that, it was important that I play well at the end of moves and express my individual qualities on the pitch.

Given that the team had conceded goals at the end of the match for two games in a row, were you mindful of managing risks, today?
My personal outlook was that since Walm(erson) and myself had brought on, the message was that rather than take a defensive stance, as we’d done in the previous matches, we needed to concentrate on earning the win. That I couldn’t accomplish that shows what I’m lacking, right now.

Do you have any thoughts on making your Aji no Moto Stadium debut?
It’s been a long wait and this is only the beginning for me.

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