Kawasaki Frontale 1 - 1 Kashiwa Reysol
Ok, I know I always say I’ll keep it brief and then bore on for ages but this time I was going to be a little briefer than usual. We’re in the middle of moving at the moment and it’s a monumental task. I hadn’t imagined that I’d really have had time before our next game to sit down for any extended period and write something to my usual, erm… ‘standard’. But thanks perhaps to worrying about the move, I’ve woken up at 5am, too early to start making any kind of noise by shifting anything. So here we are, a semi usual blog post, just with a bit more bleakness due to the fact that I already know this is going to be a long and tiring day. This was unsurprisingly, another crap game. Unsurprising because once again a close look at our recent travails has seen our manager decide that we’re probably doing the right thing but being monumentally unlucky, and to keep on with exactly the same stuff. Oniki’s post match comments are becoming as predictable as these blog posts are. And none of these things are in any way surprising, as the same approach and the same performance will inevitably draw the same comments from whoever is being submitted to them. Quite why it hasn’t nudged our manager into trying something new is a bit of a mystery though. Or rather would be a mystery if we didn’t have one plan Oniki in charge. I should stress again that I’m not demanding he be fired and immediately banned from Kawasaki city. I just wish he’d for once notice quite how bad we’ve become, and instead of trotting out the same platitudes after every match, just try something different on the field thereby giving himself something different to talk about.
In this game, aside from changing the keeper which was such an obvious thing to do that even Oniki couldn't avoid it, we went for the same starting line up and approach as against Gamba, a game we lost 3-1. The bench was almost exactly the same too, the only change being enforced because the return of Sung-Ryong meant that we didn't have enough foreigner spots in the matchday squad for Ze Ricardo. Segawa, despite leaving the field as a concussion sub against Gamba was able to start this next match, much like Ominami did a few games before. Can’t really complain that Sai didn’t start as he had a pretty bad game against Sagan Tosu, but I thought he did a decent job against Gamba when he was called on. But no, the solution for Oniki is to once again play someone out of position in a full back spot, apparently favouring some players over others regardless of their performances. The tactics were exactly the same as they always are and for the third game in a row we went ahead but capitulated. Unlike in the Tosu and Gamba games though, we managed to squeak a point. And unlike against Gamba and in a few other games recently, we avoided conceding almost immediately after scoring. But let’s not be under any illusions. The period just before and after we scored was our only decent spell in the match. It didn’t last that long and as always we were unable to take advantage of being on top in the match. We made an extremely dodgy start to the game though, and that was much more in keeping with the general pattern of the game than us taking the lead was. Aside from that semi decent period either side of the goal the stats speak volumes, particularly the second half stats, (just the one shot from us and it was off target. Truly terrible stuff). Sung-Ryong was back in goal and was the clear man of the match, saving us on numerous occasions as we did pretty much nothing in the second half aside from pass sideways and then finally lose the ball to gift them chances. I think there is absolutely no doubt who should be starting in goal at the moment. To be honest, these posts are hardly worth writing recently as every game is the same. We have a little bit of a good period, don’t take our chances and then fall to pieces, making like-for-like subs with not even a second’s thought that we might be able to do something to change the tactics. Which naturally results in us getting nothing, as it did in numerous previous games and for most of the season. Nothing will change unless Oniki changes something tactically. I don’t think he will.
Erison got his recent usual 15 minutes. Too little time for him to really do anything or allow him to play himself into some form, but just enough to dent his confidence further and switch him endlessly from the middle to the wing and back into the middle again and again. Another bit of managerial magic. Jesiel started the game looking very out of shape again and I was worried that Oniki might be pushing him towards another injury like he did earlier in the season. Thankfully though he managed to last the full 90 minutes. Tachibanada and Wakizaka had pretty bad games again, I thought. Bet they still get picked for the next match though, eh? Wakizaka this year seems to get the occasional goal which serves to cover up his usually utterly average performances. It’s probably a bit unfair to blame him for their goal, but the replays do make it look a bit like he tees the ball up for their striker during a penalty box scramble. (As an aside, I bet if we'd been in the same situation in the Kashiwa box, instead of trying to shoot we'd probably kick the ball back to Sung-Ryong to try to draw out the opposition). I would be quite happy to see neither of them start the next match, but I think that is about as likely as us making a charge for the league title this year. Or Oniki changing his tactics. Should probably also point out that once again we conceded whilst we were preparing to make subs. In fact, so familiar were many things in this match that I could have just cut and pasted large sections of previous blog posts. We’re awful. I wonder if the recruitment of our new analyst from India will change matters. I suspect after closely analysing this match he will submit a report that is just one side of landscape oriented A4 with ‘VERY SHITE’ printed in the biggest font possible and a sad face emoji. Even if he has something useful and important to say, the likeliness of Oniki listening is pretty low I think. Remember he went to watch Arsenal train a few years ago and came away with the impression that his way was better and there was nothing he could learn from the experience. I think the game was summed up by the way that after endless attempts at ‘drawing out the opposition’ with some short passing at the back, we found ourselves on the ball and breaking with at least five Kashiwa players out of contention, left behind by our player running with the ball. Naturally in this situation, we decided to cut back, allow them to regroup, before making a few more passes to get the possession stats up, and then attempt what seems to be our holy grail this year, the pass that is hit directly at an opposition player but passes unhindered through their physical form. Don’t lose heart lads, sooner or later Oniki’s 2024 tactical innovation will start to come off and then we’ll be flying! As a final comment on the uselessness of our play this year a quick stat. We’ve averaged around 60% possession in six out of our last eight games. Guess which ones we didn’t have as much possession in? Yep, the two games that we won. But keep on going with the pointless passes, eh? Who needs goals or even shots when we can have beautiful, beautiful sideways passing.
So, time to throw a bit of crap around at the opposition and officials. Kashiwa were much better than us at football, and were infinitely better than us when it came to rolling around on the floor, whinging, and brandishing imaginary cards at the ref. It was their lucky day though, as Kimura and his linesmen were so useless that they actually needed the help of the good natured Kashiwa players, who saw some guys who were really struggling to understand even the basic aspects of their job and gave them some pointers. This even extended to their manager who, I noticed when watching a replay of their goal, was giving it quite some gusto with the invisible card for the foul by Tono. Not blaming the ref for our shitness though. When your one aim is to pass the ball sideways in your own half, there’s not really many ways that the ref can have an influence. I found the Kashiwa right back intensely irritating as in spite of his tender age and lack of J League experience, he seemed to be leading the way when it came to being a bit of a moany and divey shit. Their fans gave Ominami and Segawa a big old boo when they were mentioned in the team announcement. I thought it would have been great for them to rub their previous team’s fans’ noses in it by us putting in a great performance and thrashing them. Sadly reality and Oniki intervened and instead we were extremely lucky to get away with a draw. The late VAR drama where Jesiel’s goal, (just saying, from a Seko free kick, instead of one of Wakizaka's usual useless set pieces), was ruled out for a very marginal offside would have been quite enjoyable if it had gone the other way, but I think that if we’d won this game, it would have been an injustice on an even bigger scale than the Emperor’s Cup final last year against… oh Kashiwa. So basically, a bit of a shit first half, with a shithead at right back for them, a shit ref, shit linesmen and a larger than the sun steaming shit of a second half. I don’t know why we bother.
Banner wisdom -
So much content here. Although I think I have poked fun at all of these in the past but never mind, eh?
We’re Kashiwa Stupid -
I think we all want to know where exactly does Kashiwa level stupid fit in relation to Funabashi level stupid and Ichikawa level stupid when it comes to the Chiba prefectural stupidity ranking?
Endless Trip to Asia -
Is it a trust fund backpacker gap year type situation or have they just experienced some truly awful airport delays?
Play Dirty, Go Hard -
Just bizarre. If only Kimura had noticed
this he might have been convinced to give them a few cards too as it
seemed he couldn’t make any decisions by himself and needed constant
advice.
Kashiwa City to Big Dreamin -
The feeling that Kashiwa fans get when the Joban line turns in the Chiyoda line at Ayase.
So, another pile of steaming crap in a season that is delivering more shit than a super sewer. The only consolation, (well, apart from the fact that us not playing well was so predictable that I’m sure most of us had mentally prepared to lose the game), was to wake up and see the score of the ACL final the next morning, Some people might consider this a pretty shitty attitude, but I’d say that if I spend every weekend wishing our local rivals get hammered by whoever they’re playing, why wouldn’t I want them to get hammered in one of the most important games they’ve ever played? Next up, the same tactics and broadly the same players against Nagoya at home next Sunday. By that stage we will have finished our move, so I will either be on a high about our new place, (presumably a high that will soon be punctured by a terrible performance by our team), or so traumatised by the move and cleaning that the defeat will just wash over me. Either way it probably sounds preferable to going into the game with any hopes and having them smashed to bits. After that, a weekend off before a midweek game in the Emperor’s Cup where Oniki will probably play the same players and use the same tactics, and Sony Sendai will put an end to one other slight glimpse of some kind of potential rest of the season entertainment. What a joy this all is!
GK 1. JUNG Sung-Ryong
DF 30. SEGAWA Yusuke
DF 3. OMINAMI Takuma (Yellow card 57')
DF 5. SASAKI Asahi (Yellow card 88')
MF 8. TACHIBANADA Kento
MF 17. TONO Daiya (Yellow card 58')
FW 41. IENAGA Akihiro
FW 18. Bafetimbi GOMIS
FW 23. MARCINHO
Subs
GK 99. KAMIFUKUMOTO Naoto
DF 2. TAKAI Kota
FW 9. ERISON (on for WAKIZAKA 78')
MF 16. SEKO Tatsuki (on for TONO 61')
FW 20. YAMADA Shin (on for GOMIS 61')
MF 26. YAMAUCHI Hinata (on for MARCINHO 70')
DF 31. Sai VAN WERMESKERKEN (on for SEGAWA 70')
Goals
WAKIZAKA (Frontale) 30' 1-0
KINOSHITA (Reysol) 59' 1-1
My Frontale Man Of The Match
I said it above but the only option is…
JUNG Sung-Ryong - without him on the pitch we would have lost, and probably have lost heavily.
Highlights
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