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MATCH
Match Report
“Shall it be heaven, or shall it be hell?” Such is the question for both sides as the single-leg J1 promotional playoff begins. After ending the Meiji Yasuda Seimei J2 regular season in sixth place, Verdy enter the promotional tournament in bottom position, needing wins against fifth place Omiya Ardija, 3rd place Yokohama FC (4th place FC Machida Zelvia are ineligible due to licensing arrangements), and the 16th place side from J1 to move into the top flight. Believing their second consecutive appearance in the playoff as a plus, Verdy trained carefully to approach their matches with greater confidence than before.
With Verdy still feeling the effects of injuries suffered at the close of the season, Ryohei Hayashi made the start at center forward, while Kota Watanabe and Yuhei Sato slotted in on the right and left wings respectively. The rest of the starting squad was unchanged from the previous week’s encounter against Machida, while Leandro made his return to the bench.
As the match began, Verdy played simple passes in response to their opponents’ pressure up front, keeping them chasing and focusing on rhythm over forcing their way forward. Although they had difficulty securing the ball on their own front line, the players, led by Sato, were quick to win the ball back with physical counter pressing and recycle their attack. As Omiya’s pressing began to slow, the momentum shifted entirely Verdy’s way. The team showed good variety in their passing, playing long and short balls across the pitch, and were able to pin Omiya in their own half where they began running at the defense from the wide areas. Despite that, the attack remained largely stagnant and the players were unable to create opportunities for a finish until the 16th minute, when Shion Inoue let fly with a powerful mid-range shot after a short corner. It was the first shot for either team. In the 25th minute, Sato received the ball in the final third and turned to face goal, leaving his defender behind and creating space for a mid-range shot, but his effort went just wide of the post. With the players now looking to put in shots on goal, the tempo of the Verdy attack increased. The ball was moved patiently across the full width of the pitch, creating space for Ryota Narawa and Yuki Kagawa to make runs from the wings and threaten the defense. However, their crosses failed to find the target in front of goal. Meanwhile, Omiya gave up on trying to contain Verdy’s passing game and dropped deep to tighten up their own third. The tactic enabled them to hold off the attack, but they would relinquish possession soon after winning the ball and the first half ended an almost entirely one-sided affair.
At half time, the manager issued detailed instructions to each player on the angle of their passes and runs, hoping to help bypass the opponents’ defensive block, but the match resumed in much the same manner as the first half. Omiya began by once again pressing from the front and the Verdy players kept them chasing as they continued their focused build up. As time progressed, Verdy once again found themselves controlling the ball in the opposition half for long periods and hoping to find space for a shot, when an unexpected turn of events would change the balance of the match. It was the 59th minute and Tatsuya Uchida collided with Mateus as both challenged for a loose ball in the box. The referee blew his whistle and shocked everyone by showing Uchida a yellow card, his second of the match, and sending him off the pitch. Though it seemed little more than an accident that occurred on a fifty-fifty ball, the referee was not moved by the protests and Verdy would be forced to seek victory with only ten men.
The change in fortune also happened just as the manager was about to take Uchida off for Leandro and the manager was forced to immediately rethink the game plan. However, as Omiya saw their chance and began immediately to push forward, Verdy refused to retreat and continued to move the ball. Sato, in particular, was able to win the physical matchup with his midfield counterparts and maintain a high position, while Shion Inoue held firm and closed down the space in midfield, quickly winning the ball and sending Verdy off on the counter by playing it behind. In the 63rd minute, Hayashi and Sato worked the ball to Kagawa, who left two markers in the dust with a clever run and found himself in on goal. Although Kagawa’s fierce shot was blocked by a defender, the move awakened the team’s resilience as they confronted their numerical disadvantage. The manager then resumed the substitution he had abandoned earlier, this time choosing to bring Yong-jick Lee on for Watanabe and raise the team’s intensity and balance in both attack and defense. Lee used his nose for the ball to flip the on-switch on the Verdy counter and the team carried even greater threat than when they were playing with a full 11 men.
Moments later, Yuki Kagawa, who had contributed immensely in both attack and defense by tracking his man when needed and breaking down the left side numerous times, would finally find success with one of his runs. It was the 69th minute and Omiya had brought the ball forward, hoping to push back, only to lose it to the three-man press of Lee, Sato, and Inoue. Kagawa then played a one-two with Sato on the left side, bursting down the opposition flank and drawing a foul from a defender to give the team a free kick in a promising position. As the team lined up for the set piece, Leandro was brought on for Narawa. The kick was set by Sato in the 71st minute. Monitoring the packed numbers for both teams in the box, the Verdy forward chose a whipped ball that dipped into the box with spin and pace. As the ball curved toward goal, it was Tomohiro Taira who spotted a gap in the defense. Taira beat his marker to the spot and leapt to head the ball at the top of its flight, changing its course and sending it into the back of the net.
The Verdy bench responded immediately. As soon as the goal was on the books, Hayashi was brought off for Wakasa, sending the message that the players were to defend their goal at all costs. The subsequent moments were a test of endurance. Though Omiya had showed little attacking intent throughout the match, there was no doubting the assortment of talent at their disposal and before long they were pouring in shots on goal. The minutes slipped by like hours, such was the sudden strength of the opposition pressure. The players survived somehow until the 90th minute, but it is then that the biggest moment of danger would arrive. Towering striker Robin Simović was brought on as the opposition began to pelt balls into the box and Verdy were pushed back, ever closer to their goal. In the same 90th minute, Naoto Kamifukumoto left his line to deal with a cross from out wide but Simović’s height won out. The ball was pushed in the direction of the net, but the covering Wakasa was there to clear it off the line and avert the danger. In the 93rd minute, it was Simović again, emerging to chest the ball down and fire a volley on the turn. The effort looked on target but crashed into the post and out of play. In the end, Verdy escaped at the death and protected the lead earned by Taira.
As the final whistle sounded, it was pandemonium in the Verdy camp. Having suffered a bitter defeat in the first round, last year, the team had overcome the need for a win, the away stadium, and even the loss of a field player to earn the victory. It is that will to win that the team now needs to progress. However, the fight is not over. The joy felt on the pitch today would be meaningless if it led to overconfidence a week from now. The players must build on their budding spirit and begin their best training for the next “Partido”.
Post-match comments
Manager Miguel Ángel Lotina
Your thoughts on the match?
I thought we were excellent in the first half. We dominated possession, approached the opposition goal a number of times and created chances. I also think that there were very few moments where they were ale to carry the ball up near our goal. In the second half, we continued playing with the same ideas we employed in the first. I also had a plan in hand to change our formation and play with two strikers. However, just as I was about to put that in action, we had a turn of bad luck with Uchida being sent off and had to change directions. After that, we got a goal from a set piece but we were down a man, so I changed the formation. In the second half, Omiya were on the attack a lot more and were in on our goal a number of times. We were forced to retreat into our half to defend. In the last ten minutes, the pressure was severe and it was very difficult for us. The penetration into our penalty area was constant and there were many scenes where they seemed on the verge of scoring. With that said, we had a little bit of luck on our side and they were never able to score, so we walked away with an extremely important victory for our club.
Besides changing the formation, what other adjustments were you looking for after Uchida was sent off?
In truth, I didn’t want to give up a man in midfield, but we had no choice but to increase our numbers at the back and defend. My actual plan was quite different.
The team has now won their first-round match and must next face Yokohama FC. Tell us your ambitions for that match.
Throughout the season, we have taken the approach of “Partido a Partido”, one match at a time, which means that we focus on nothing other than the match at hand. That was true today, as well, and the circumstances are difficult in that we have to win all three playoff matches on the road. Everyone understands the difficulty of that, but we still believe in ourselves and are playing with confidence. In the playoffs, it doesn’t matter who you’re facing; matches at this stage themselves are always going to be difficult. Yokohama FC have an advantage, in that they can advance with just a draw, but I believe that will place more pressure on them. Either way, we are not going to make dramatic changes based on the opponent we pay. We will continue the plan and style that we have developed throughout the season and prepare to do our best in the next match.
Can you tell us what you had in mind when you were planning to take Uchida off and put on an extra striker?
Can you tell us what you had in mind when you were planning to take Uchida off and put on an extra striker?
DF 5Tomohiro Taira
Tell us about your goal.
It was an excellent ball and for the most part, Yuhei (Sato) deserves credit for the goal. I myself am not usually concerned with scoring, so I feel it’s a goal we earned as a team. I just happened to be the one it came to and I was lucky it went in.
Still, your goal has enabled the team to advance.
I’m happy to have gotten a goal in the match, but there were a lot of players who risked their bodies in protecting our net and if any of those shots had gone in, we would not have advanced, so I’d like to see the team’s defense get some credit as well.
You were quite fired up when celebrating the goal.
Honestly, I almost never score, so I didn’t really know what to do. However, I wanted to express my gratitude to the supporters and that just came naturally.
What are your thoughts on the team’s approach after Uchida was sent off?
Once we were down to ten men, we weren’t sure how we should proceed, but eventually we agreed that we shouldn’t change our approach at all. That effort led to the goal.
How do you feel about how the opposition played after gaining a numerical advantage?
They didn’t push us immediately and we knew we had to win, so we couldn’t take a defensive approach. I actually think it made things more difficult for our opponents. They had to decide whether to continue to defend or press their advantage and attack. I think it had a subtle effect.
Did your experience in last year’s playoff help?
Our loss in the playoff last year was very disappointing. However, I thought we had a better chance this year and that showed in the result. We’ve had a lot of changes to the squad since last year and I think understanding of the manager’s tactical approach has spread throughout the squad, which enabled us to achieve the position we’re in now. A consistent understanding among the team is very important.
You were more restrained in celebrating after the match.
I don’t usually celebrate at all, so even a small gesture indicates something big (laugh).
What are your impressions of your next opponent, Yokohama FC?
They have extremely strong players on their front line. With that said, I always felt like we had a chance and they’re the type of team that make it easy for you to play with an aggressive approach.
How do you feel about the requirement to win?
Knowing that we have to win, there won’t be a period in the 90 minutes where we have to drop back. The need to earn goals and win will force us to have a clear approach and naturally make it easier for us to focus as a team.
At the end of the match, the players on the back line were standing shoulder to shoulder.
Wakasa saved a goal for us by using his body to clear off the line. In terms of confirming among ourselves the need for that kind of play, it was natural that we could come together as a group.
What were you aware of in those final moments when you were enduring their attack_?
More than the danger of being broken down, they were putting players who were good in the air on the front line and the potential from loose balls in the box was most frightening. We knew that at a certain point, they’d place extra numbers up front, so we all had to concentrate on winning the second ball at all costs.
MF 16Yuhei Sato
Your thoughts on the match?
The pitch was in good condition today and even when we made runs into space, they didn’t close us down, so it was easy for us to play our style. I think the fact that we were able to play football of that quality in a situation like this will give us more confidence and it was good preparation for our next match against Yokohama FC, as well.
Was their defensive approach largely what you expected?
It was the same the last time we played them, at home. There was a lot of space between the lines. They tighten up once you’re in front of goal, but other than that, they defend loosely and will only close you down when you play the ball in. That makes it hard to score, but it allows our passing game to progress smoothly.
How did you deal with their strong striking partnership of Mateus and Omae?
Both of them are good on the counter and have great technique with the ball at their feet, so we were wary ware of their threat. Mateus has a lot of special qualities that are rare in Japanese players and he makes things difficult for the full 90 minutes. I don’t know what would have happened if they had inserted Simović into the match earlier, but in terms of our defense, we showed good concentration until the final whistle.
The players had a good mutual understanding of how you wanted to compete after Uchida was sent off.
On the pitch, we discussed defending with two center backs and trying to maintain balance, but the instructions from the bench were to attack and when we tried to do so, we discovered that they were still content only to defend in front of their goal, so the pace of the match didn’t change immediately. Set pieces were about the only chance we had to score, so I’m glad we were able to do it off that one opportunity today.
Did the goal from the free kick play out as you envisioned it?
If I whip the ball in with pace, the players in the middle don’t have to twist their necks to get power on their headers. I was hoping that someone would get a touch to it and they did, so I’m happy.
In terms of the buildup and penetration into zone 3, the two shadow strikers were able to make themselves the focus of the attack, today.
I think we played our normal style. We anticipated that they wouldn’t put a lot of pressure on us and we were able to express our strong points as a team. In terms of breaking them down, it does depend a lot on our individual ability, but it also comes down to combinations. The Manager and Coach Ivan respect what we try to do in the moment, so we are able to develop our own ideas for what to do, other than putting in crosses, and I think we deserve praise for doing as much as we did. With that said, we weren’t able to fully break them down in the end. If Leandro had come on as originally planned, I think we could have completed our attacks but the circumstances were what they were, today and it can’t be helped.
When trying to break them down in the first half, you seemed to lack numbers in the box when playing the final ball. Were you trying to avoid the risk of conceding?
When we’re defending with five at the back, there’s always going to be a limit to the number of players who can get into the box. Most of the time, it was just myself, Kota (Watanabe), and Ryohei (Hayashi). In the end, it’s not so much about numbers as it is how well we combine with one another. With that said, we were able to recover the second ball a lot, today, and it was important that we did that for the full 90 minutes. Shion (Inoue), in particular, recovered the ball for us a lot.
MF 20Shion Inoue
Your thoughts on the match?
It was a very tough match, but I think the fact that we were able to come together as a team and win is indicative of our progress.
How do you feel about your performance, individually?
In terms of winning the second ball or being a bridge between attack and defense, I think I fulfilled my role, but I also wanted to achieve results with my finishing.
Since the opposition only applied weak pressure, you had a lot of touches on the ball facing forward.
They tried to press us at first, but I think we did a good job of getting past them. As a result, we were able to carry the game to a point where they backed off. The dynamic you describe came about as a result of that. Overall, I think we were able to dominate the first half and play at our pace. It’s also positive for us as a team that we ended the first half at 0-0, so I don’t think we should be too critical of the fact that we couldn’t break them down.
What was your reaction to Uchida being sent off?
Without a doubt, he’s one of our core players and his presence or absence has a big effect on how we approach the game. Even so, we decided amongst ourselves to not change the way we were playing. Whether it was from set pieces or similar, we believed that a chance would come and decided that we should keep going.
At what point did you feel the need to shift to all-out defense?
It was after we got the goal. We all had the feeling that we wanted to defend the lead and that was consistent throughout the team. Looking at the result, I think having the whole team commit to that was the right decision.
You seemed very active in challenging the ball holder and winning the second ball.
You seemed very active in challenging the ball holder and winning the second ball.
What are your thoughts on the final ten minutes?
To be honest, if they had equalized in that period, we may not have had enough left in the tank to get another goal. However, I think our determination to protect that goal was what led to the result.
After the match, the manager gave you a tight embrace before greeting the supporters.
That made me happy. It was the first time I got a hug from him like that. I’m sure he was very happy, as well, but we still have two matches left, so I want to prepare to make him happy again.
DF 4Yuki Kagawa
Your thoughts on the match?
Winning was an absolute necessity, so I’m glad we managed to do it.
You played at left wingback and worked hard in attack and defense.
My strengths as a player are my ability to penetrate and put in crosses from the left side, so I ran at them without hesitation. This was different from a league match and we needed the result, so I just tried to play in a way that would lead to a goal and focused on results. Omiya were retreating into a defensive block, so I was confident I could open them up with a run.
Just as the team were suffering from Uchida being sent off, you made a great run and earned the freekick that led to the goal.
We were down a man but after the sending off, we came together as a team and decided that we weren’t going to change our approach. We encouraged one another to continue attacking. I tried to stay aggressive and in doing so, I drew a foul. I’m glad that led to a goal. It was the same dynamic in the first half, but I had felt that we had a chance off free kicks from a deep position like that and I hoped that I could make something happen by continuing to run at them.
After Wakasa entered the match, the team shifted to an all-out defensive approach. What was the communication like among the players at the rear?
When Waka came on, the message was clear that we needed to retreat and settle into a defensive block. However, even then, I still had to get forward occasionally or put pressure on the ball holder; otherwise, they would be able to put good balls into the box. No matter how much we were pushed back, I think we were able to keep them from completing the final play before the finish.
You really overcame a desperate situation to achieve a big win, today.
It’s not often that we can achieve this kind of result in a match where we struggled, so I think the fact that we won will be a big plus for everyone’s future as a player and for the history of the club.
MF 23Naoya Tamura
Your thoughts on the match?
We were on the attack in the first half, but they left Omae and Mateus on the front line at all times, so we had to be careful. In the second half, the pitch became dry and the ball didn’t move as well, which affected our rhythm, and that’s when they began applying their press again. In the end, we were able to win, but I want us to be better in our play.
Was your impression that the team should have gotten a goal in the first half, when you were playing comparatively well?
Yes. I felt that if we had gotten a goal in the first half, they would have come out in search of an equalizer and that would lead to a more open game. In the end, I think we have only ourselves to blame for how tough the match became. The match against Yokohama FC is likely to progress in the same way and I would like us to secure a goal earlier.
After Uchida was sent off, was the plan to aim for a single chance while defending?
After Uchida was sent off, was the plan to aim for a single chance while defending? Not at all. If we stayed on the defensive, the match would end as is. Even after Uchida was sent off, we still had five defenders at the back and after that, Yong-jick (Lee) came on, so we concentrated on pushing Kagawa and Narawa into a high position to support the attack. Kagawa inspired us with his aggressive play.
You really overcame a desperate situation to achieve a big win, today.
I understand now why the lower teams often win and build momentum during the play off. Next up, Yokohama FC are waiting for us at their home and that will make things difficult. With our win today, we now feel like we’re playing for Omiya as well, so we have to study what our opponents do well, do our best to neutralize that, and then play our game as best we can.
The players wore black bands today to mark the passing of Takayuki Fujikawa, a major contributor to the club’s history.
Even when I played for Sendai, Mr. Fujikawa complimented me on my play and invited me onto his show and other events, so I felt his passing very strongly. I feel like he was here with us on the pitch, today. In truth, I had actually heard that he died before the match against Machida, so I played with that feeling in that match as well, but this was the first game since his passing was announced, so we kept him with us. I’d be happy if news of our win reached him in heaven.
DF 2Masashi Wakasa
You saved the team with a super clearance.
That’s not true (laugh). I knew from my previous experience playing with Kami(Fukumoto) that he would leave his line to deal with crosses, so while it’s important that we trust him as the core of our defense, I also thought it would be important to provide cover. I simply did what was called for in our system.
The ball looked pretty close to crossing the line. Were you more composed than it may have appeared?
No, it was pretty close. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I was expecting the ball to have more pace on it. I don’t have a clear memory of that moment. It was unconscious.
You looked pretty pumped after the clearance, though.
Really? That was also unconscious. It’s kind of embarrassing, so don’t tell me more. (laugh)
Did you ever imagine that you would be brought on with the team down to ten men and desperately defending a lead?
I try to stay prepared to come on, every match. Especially when the team has scored, I feel like there’s a chance I could be called upon.
The opposition attacked with a lot of intensity in the last ten minutes, after Simović came on.
The opposition attacked with a lot of intensity in the last ten minutes, after Simović came on.
There may have been a temptation to try to use up the remaining time by maintaining possession and yet, in the end, you were forced to make a lot of simple clearances.
I think I was brought into the match to do that and the whole team understood that was what we were being asked to do.
The play today must have reminded you of your previous playoff experiences as an Oita player.
In my first year with Oita, we took the lead in a playoff match against Chiba and I was brought on at the same time as Aarøy. It brought back memories of that. I hope that the team are able to gain promotion like Oita did at that time. Our next opponents, Yokohama FC, will also be a tough match up and we will have to work hard in defense.
After the match, Uchida came out to join the victory huddle.
After the match, Uchida came out to join the victory huddle.