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MATCH
Match Report
Last week, Verdy came from behind to win an away match with Albirex Niigata, their first victory in seven matches. This week, the team returned home to Ajinomoto Stadium to face Kyoto Sanga F.C., hoping to earn their first winning streak of the season. The only change to the squad was at center forward, where Ryohei Hayashi replaced Douglas, who was absent after being subbed out due to injury in the previous match.
As the match began, Verdy seemed to be moving the ball at a good tempo and controlling possession, but gradually, Kyoto’s quick passing game began to evade the Verdy press and the team were pushed back into their half. However, despite allowing Kyoto to carry the ball in front of the vital area, Verdy’s defensive shape shifted well to deal with the opposition’s pass work and they were able to cut off any clear routes toward goal. This prolonged period of absorbing the pressure would continue until the 21st minute, when a momentary lapse would occur. After a Verdy throw-in on the right side was cut out in the center by Sergio, a cross flew through the box and was met on the far side by the unmarked Renzo for the opening goal. It was then that the Verdy players would truly awaken. The team began their response by taking better control of the ball on the back line, where they had been cheaply giving up possession, and using the full width of the pitch to probe for gaps. In the 26th minute, a burst of speed allowed Kota Watanabe into the opposition penalty area and, after a lukewarm clearance by the defense, the loose ball fell to the feet of Kanya Fujimoto whose shot was saved by the keeper. From that point, Verdy raised the pace at which they moved the ball out wide, creating more chances for crosses in front of goal. In the 36th minute, a speedy pass from Tatsuya Uchida found Naoya Tamura in space on the right. Tamura had time to look up and spot the run of Ryohei Hayashi before aiming an early cross in his direction. With plenty pace on the ball, Hayashi was able to connect with a header to give Verdy a quick and dynamic equalizer. The last chance of the first half came in the 41st minute, when Kyoto attacked on the break and managed an unmarked shot from within the vital area, but the effort was saved by Naoto Kamifukumoto.
At half-time, the theme for Verdy was how to cut down on mistakes in attack and steadily push into the opposition half. That approach would quickly bear fruit. In the 47th minute, Watanabe’s agile movements carried him into the penalty area once again, but his point-blank shot was saved by the keeper. Now Verdy would begin to assault the opposition goal in numbers. With compact spacing between the front line, attacking midfield, anchor, and back line, the team were strong in attack and defense, winning the ball back in high positions after being repelled and instantly moving forward once again to create a series of chances. In the 53rd minute, the players’ effort achieved results when Fujimoto applied fierce pressure on the opposition defense and forced a loose ball. Watanabe was the quickest to react and played a first-time cross in front of goal, where Ryohei Hayashi’s run at the near post drew away the markers, creating space behind for Yohei Sato to make a late run and apply the header for the go-ahead goal. After taking the lead, Verdy began to concede possession to the opposition and were forced to absorb the pressure for long periods, as they had at the beginning of the first half. However, just as the momentum seemed to shift, the team’s legendary No. 11 would earn his pay for the second time. It was the 75th minute and Verdy had earned a free kick in a shallow position on the left side. Ryoto Kajikawa took the kick, playing a wickedly curved ball in front of goal where Hayashi jumped earlier and higher than the rest, heading the ball into goal to give the team a valuable third goal amid a difficult period. With the Kyoto players now losing their legs, Verdy began to create chances on the counter and closed the match by continually threatening the opposition. The final counter attack came in the first minute of extra time, when Uchida won the ball on a 3-2 break and played a pass to Fujimoto, who was running at full speed down the right side. Fujimoto’s effort was turned back by the post, preventing Verdy from building even further on their lead, but his confident play was clearly indicative of the path forward the players must travel for the rest of the season.
After earning two straight come-from-behind victories and their first winning streak of the season, Verdy’s period of seven matches without a win has now given way to a positive spell of four straight games without a loss. However, there is still much work to do and the players must continue to focus on the match at hand. By steadily building on their preparation, the hope remains that they can carve a path forward for the remainder of the season. In particular, next week’s second consecutive home match should provide the opportunity to raise the voltage.
Post-match comments
Manager Miguel Ángel Lotina
Your thoughts on the match?
At the start of the first half, we lost ball several times and had to endure counter attacks as a result. Partly due to a breakdown in teamwork, we couldn’t put pressure on them and the game was difficult for a long period. After they scored the opening goal, we started to play better. We started to achieve our aims, tactically, and then Naoya (Tamura) put in a fantastic cross which led to a fantastic goal from Ryohei (Hayashi). Thanks to that, we were able to relax as we entered the halftime break. In the second half, we were able to play with more possession and the problems with our defense were corrected during the break. We played with more poise and greater confidence in defense and attack. Now that we’ve gotten some good results, the team’s confidence has improved and there is a good overall atmosphere. I hope we can maintain that and continue to grow as a team.
Compared to the period of the team’s losing streak, it appears that the players are showing more energy and precision in their counter pressing. Was there anything specific that you improved?
I think this was one match where the players performed well in that area. The most important thing is that when you lose the ball, you have to show the energy and will to win it back right away. In that sense, my impressions from this match were positive. In the first half, there were points where our press broke down or where the quality of their players enabled them to play around it, but in general, I think we did a good job of switching quickly between attack and defense.
After Ibayashi moved to right side back in the second half, it seemed like the opposition was exploiting the space between him and Fujimoto. Do you feel there are revisions that need to be made, there?
Naoya (Tamura) picked up a yellow card in the first half and from my perspective, we were being hit on the counter on our right side. I wanted to avoid the risk of Naoya picking up a second yellow and leaving the pitch, so I moved Iba(yashi) to side back. Of course, Iba is a central defender and is not used to playing as a side back. There are some things that can be revised there, but in terms of today’s match, our opponents played very well. I think what you saw was a combination of those two elements.
FW 11Ryohei Hayashi
Tell us about the first goal.
It’s a normal thing for me to talk to the other players before the match begins and tell them what kind of runs I plan to make so that they can look for me. I had told Tamu (Naoya Tamura) to get his head up when he won the ball in a high position and look for me before putting in the cross. With the goal, I began the run first to the near post and called for the cross. I think it was a good goal.
How about the second goal?
For the second goal, I myself have to look at the footage before I can fully understand what happened. I just know that I was able to get into the space between the defenders. From there, I made a good jump and scored from the header.
Beyond the goals, you also helped the team by being aggressive in your counter pressing.
When we’re being pushed back, it’s inevitable that space will open in front of the holding midfielders, so it’s important that I retreat and defend in those areas. It’s also important for the team that I help in defense, as well as attack. Football is a team sport, so I try to remain conscious of that.
In terms of the physical battle, did the absence of their taller defenders today have an influence?
Personally, I never feel like I’m going to lose when I’m on the move and challenging them. No matter who I’m up against, when I play at center forward I feel like I’m going to score, so I try to utilize that confidence in my play.
Compared to the earlier part of the season, it seems like the team is relying less on crosses alone and has achieved better balance with combination play.
I think it’s very important that we’ve seen results from those efforts. When we get results, that’s evidence that we’re growing as a team and it leaves a very positive impression.
You had said before that improving the team’s finishing would be important if you wanted to achieve a winning streak.
Last week, too, we came from behind to win, so when they got the first goal, we weren’t in a panic. By scoring before half time, I knew it would give us a shot in the arm. I’ve been getting goals lately, so I felt that even with one chance, I’d be able to score.
It seems like the start of the World Cup has been a positive influence, as well.
Everyone is excited about the World Cup and my goal performances today were inspired by players who are in the tournament. The first one, I took from the French player Matuidi and the second one, I took from Serbia’s Mitrović.”
This was your first home victory in a while. Do you have a message for the supporters?
Thank you for continuing to support us with such passion. We will keep working hard to ensure we get a win, so please come to the stadium and cheer us on.
MF 16Yuhei Sato
Tell us about your goal.
We did well to win the ball on the short counter and attack from the front. Kota provided the assist once again. I think he and I have a very good understanding.
You scored from a header. Have you ever done that before in your career?
The first goal I scored in the J-League was from a header. That one was against Omiya. However, it was my first time to do so in a long while, so I’m glad to get the goal.
How did the team prepare to face Kyoto?
I was conscious of receiving the ball between their lines. I think we did a good job of that on the left side of the pitch.
In the match against Niigata, the team sat back to absorb the pressure after taking the lead, but today, you continued to defend aggressively from the front.
We did a good job of getting the ball to the front after goal kicks and I think that was very effective. After the goals, we were able to remain calm and carry the match until the end.
The team seemed out of sorts at the start of the match and you made a lot of mistakes.
Their pressure wasn’t really that strong, but we ended up being hit on the counter because of our own mistakes. With that said, we hadn’t had many matches this season where we were able to continually carry the ball that far up the pitch, so I think we have succeeded in adding variety to our attack. In particular, the relationship between myself, Nara (Yuta Narawa), and Kaji (Ryota Kajikawa) has grown quite strong and we’ve had more opportunities to play by probing the opposition gaps. All that’s left is for the team to increase the rate of plays which will lead directly to goals and increase the amount of points we get. We’re able to build time in the wide areas, so I want us to build on that in the future. If we’re going to control the play, we need to have that time.
Compared to the earlier part of the season, it seems like the team is relying less on crosses alone and has achieved better balance with combination play.
We’re able to break teams down from the right or the left and lately, we’ve been able to face forward with the ball and play with energy. To make sure that we don’t rely too much on simplistic crosses, we’ve increased the rate at which we switch the play to the opposite side, but in terms of how we finish, I want the players who are in close proximity to eachother to communicate and share the same image about how we break them down.
DF 3Akira Ibayashi
This is the second straight match where you’ve come from behind to win.
I think it means a lot that we were able to continue the same style of play for a whole match, today. We went down a goal in the game against Niigata, too, but we can feel our improvement as a team. We had a lot of the ball and we knew we were tiring them out. Our opponents today had possession for longer periods than in the match against Niigata, but we were able to hold the ball high up the pitch and when we switched the play, we could tell that their defensive shape was late in catching up. I think that was what led to Tamura’s cross. I think it was only because we worked hard to thread short passes between us that he was able to make the cross unmarked.
Tell us what happened with the first goal you conceded.
I don’t think we had a chance to stop that one. A player who was clearly bigger than us got onto the ball on the far side with enough time to eye the keeper’s movements and apply the header. Hata (Shinnosuke Hatanaka) was marking him, but the ball flew over his head and the opponent got to it at the peak of its flight. To stop that one, we needed to prevent them from putting in the cross.
In the second half, you shifted positions to right side back. Was that something you were prepared for at half time?
The manager told me the shift would took place. In my own mind, I tried to play as if I were on the right side of a back three, but I had to be conscious of sliding more quickly in defense. With that said, after changing positions, there were more instances of them getting runs near the corner flag, so that is something I will have to be more careful of.
MF 35Kanya Fujimoto
You had a shot come off the cross bar at the close of the match.
I probably should have aimed a low shot at the far post, so I regret that. The staff, too, have told me that I should try to keep it on the ground in those areas. I wasted the chance by shooting too soon.
You had some other near-misses in the first half, too.
Yes, but the only chances we had were the shots I took and Ryohei’s goal. There were a lot of things that didn’t go well for us, as a team, in the first half. However, our momentum improved in the second half, so that was a positive.
It seemed like you were playing with a lot of attacking intent.
It is necessary that I drop back in defense. However, in attack, I can retrieve the second ball or lead the team forward on the counter, so I felt it would be okay for me to carry the ball in front of goal in those situations. I’ve grown in confidence in those situations and have improved my instincts, so I monitor how the other team play and look for opportunities.
You contributed a lot in defense, as well, including the counter press that led to the second goal.
I tried to press their center backs in the first half, as well, but it didn’t come off right. However, that kind of pressing will win us the ball several times and we’ve developed a good instinct for it over the last few matches, so I hope to do that more aggressively in the future.
You got a victory, today, before leaving to join the Japan U-19 squad.
I’m just glad we won. A win or a loss today would change the way the team is rated. Now, I will do my best to gain lots of experiences in Russia and bring those back as a positive influence for the team.