Tokyo Nerdy 1969 Season Review and Piping Hot Steamy Hot Pants!!

Sauna in my pants? Order already placed with Santa.

2011 season finished a couple of weeks back with a disappointing 2-2 with Shonan Bellmare at a thoroughly empty Ajinomoto with just 3,929 coming though the ticket gates for the finale which saw Verdy throw away another lead in the last minute to take a single point where three points were in the back pocket. 2011 has been (for me at least) an enjoyable if ultimately disappointing season. I hadn`t been paying much attention for the final five or six games since it became painfully obvious that promotion wasn`t going to happen for the third season in succession. Fifth again and probably about right, Tokyo Verdy in 2011 were breathtaking at times when steamrollering Yokohama, Bellmare, Kitakyushu, Toyama and Okayama twice. However, this season too many points were thrown away from good positions or by Verdy simply being outgunned by better teams. I can`t be arsed with the whys and wherefore`s but let`s have a look at the team and see who might, might not or definitely shouldn`t be around for next season. Let`s start with the keepers.

Takahiro Shibaski

Yoichi Doi

The keepers jersey for the opening game will be a battle between an injury free and hopefully fully fit Yoichi Doi and 2011 keeper Takahiro Shibasaki. The equation here is simple, if Doi is fit he will be number one. Doi was a huge loss following his ruptured achilles picked up in the first Tokyo Derby. Shibasaki had some good games in his first extended run in the team in over TEN YEARS at the club, but at times is was painfully obvious just why he has had 10 years of sitting on the bench. A big man and decent shot stopper, Shibasaki was also good in one-on-ones but often shaky on balls into the box and doesn`t instill me with confidence and also more importantly; his defenders. Young keepers Shota Arai and Niall Killoran will hoping to break through though neither are likely to be near first choice barring injuries to Shibasaki and Doi. Alternatively, Kawakatsu could bring someone in though I don`t think he will.


Which brings us to the defence. The solid defence of 2010 which was one of the best in the league in 2010 was a shadow of it`s former self and the prime reason for not bothering the promotion positions. The problem in 2010 was a lack of goals, that problem was solved (and some!!) in 2011 but whilst the goals were flying in at the right end, they were also piling in at the wrong end. The stats say that Verdy were top scorers in J2 with a very respectable 69 goals in 38 games, however the defence came in at 45 conceded to leave them in joint seventh with a Kyoto side that started the season dismally but finished up just one point behind the Greens in 7th place.

On paper the defence looked reasonably solid with 2010 first choices Doi, Tomisawa,  Tsuchiya, Fukuda and Yoshida being backed up by Verdy`s Olympic Under 22 fringe players Takuya Wada and Shohei Takahashi plus new signings Yusuke Mori and  Kota Fukatsu. All looked good for another solid year until injury befell Tomisawa after just two matches, Doi himself disappeared for the season after matchday four to leave a gaping hole in defence. Initially,  Kota Fukatsu signed from Machida Zelvia having impressed Coach Kawakatsu in the 2010 Emperor`s Cup tie came in to cover but looked slow,  ponderous and simply not good enough. Shibasaki came in for Doi as mentioned before and Mori came in for the unlucky Yoshida with Shohei Takahashi taking over in central defence from Fukuda. Yusuke Nakatani was also signed from Sanga late on in the season to operate in the full back berths.  So, who do Verdy keep from a unit that simply didn`t manage the job last season?

Yukio Tsuchiya

In many ways the leader of the defence and chief motivator of the side, Yukio Tsuchiya has been a giant for Tokyo Verdy since signing for the club back in 2007 from Omiya. Relatively short for a centre back, Tsuchiya is as fearless a competitor as you will find anywhere in the league and never afraid to go in when the boots are flying and rarely makes mistakes. Always plays with a smile on his face and enjoys his game. Age is most definitely catching up with him and he may not have enough in the tank for another year, though I`m sure he will be on the field on the Opening Day. KEEP!!

Seitaro Tomisawa

Tomisawa, absent for much of 2011 due to injury is a player who I have thought was either fantastic or diabolical at various times over the past few seasons and in reality he probably falls between the two in being average. He can be guaranteed to drop a couple of clangers every season but after a colossal year in 2010 he would have been hugely disappointed not to be able to contribute more in 2011. Verdy will be looking for a big season from the Captain in 2012. KEEP!!

Yusuke Mori

Yusuke Mori came in pre-season from Kawasaki Frontale with a reputation as a no nonsense psychopath with a blotted history of red cards, blow ups with referee`s and a general Bad Boy reputation from his earlier days at Vegalta Sendai. He turned out to be a superb signing for Verdy, fiercely competitive and quick down the wings. Able to operate on either side of the defence, his crosses whipped in from either side proved deadly on many occasions this season and Verdy supporters will looking forward to another year of chewing gum and girly hair from Mori. KEEP!!

Shohei Takahashi

Takahashi had a good run in the side this year deputising for the injured Tomisawa and the ineffective Fukuda. He was also called up to the U-22 Olympic training squad and had a solid year with the Greens. He will be kept and rightly so, a product of the Verdy youth system Takahashi (minus his awful diving and rolling around like a big bloody jessie) is solid at the back and also able to play in midfield. Can`t stand his play acting but will be semi-happy to see him in Green for next year. KEEP!!

Kensuke Fukuda

Kensuke Fukuda went from being a guaranteed starter in 2010 to an occasional substitute in 2011. For some reason Coach Kawakatsu went against Fukuda, signing Mori and then Nakatani to cover the full back berths. Fukuda suddenly had a fight on his hands with Kawakatsu preferring the other two contenders for the full back slots. Harsh for Fukuda who never really did anything wrong and he will again have his hands full in trying to get back in for 2012.  Harsh but GOODBYE!!

Kota Fukatsu

Kota Fukatsu`s career highpoint came in 2006 registering 3 appearances with J1 outfit Nagoya Grampus. Surrounding this were uninspiring runs with Mito in J2 before coming up from the JFL with FC Gifu and staying for their inaugural J2 season. Fukatsu was signed as cover for the centre of defence and was shown to be a very limited player, playing out of his depth in the higher division. A poor signing who performed as he would be expected to do given his history. GOODBYE!!

Yusuke Nakatani

Nakatani came in mid-season and at 33 years of age looked to be a stop gap signing brought in to simply beef up the numbers. However, he forced his way into the side in the left back slot and went on to make 16 appearances for the Greens. Very experienced defender with lots of J1 playing time for Nagoya and Kawasaki. In the twilight of his career but good for another year in Green. KEEP!!



On current players available,  Kawakatsu would probably go with Doi, Mori, Tsuchiya, Tomisawa and Nakatani as his first choice line up with Takahashi first reserve. However, one blindingly obvious problem here is age. If Doi, Nakatani, Saeki in defensive midfield and Tsuchiya all take the field at once; their combined age is 350 or something. That is one OLD defence. Good enough for 3rd place in J2? I don`t think so. The Verdy Pensioners Horlicks, Brylcreem, and Werther`s Originals bill would be enough to sink even the most financially robust clubs, nevermind Verdy. Could be that it`s time for new blood and hopefully Kawakatsu is at least considering the same thing.
As weak as the defence was in 2011, the midfield and forwards in the attacking sense were on fire going forward. A measure of Verdy`s goal heavy statistics is that they finished top scorers in the league yet never once got in the top four. Verdy`s final finishing position of 5th was their highest position of the season. Let`s have a look at the midfield and see where those goals came from.

Takuma Abe

Tokyo Nerdy 1969 Player of The Season had an incredible Roy Of The Rovers style year going from bit part midfielder to a goal scoring centre forward over the course of the season. Abe was first brought in as an emergency striker following injuries to Hiramoto and Ishikawa and the lack of goals from an erratic Hirashige and the perenially misfiring Taira Inoue. 18 goals in 35 games for Abe saw him top the charts in Green and an absolute screamer into the top corner against Toyama announced his arrival away to Bellmare. He was promptly given an enhanced contract and at 24 will be coming into his peak years.  Though he tailed off towards the end of the year, Abe will be starting next season as a marked man and hopefully still in Green. 100% KEEP!!

Hiroki Kawano

Hiroki Kawano came into the year off the back of a somewhat disappointing 2010 beset by discipline problems and a reputation as a bit of fancy dan. On his day he is one of the most skilful and exciting players in the entire J-League and he had his most productive season in 2011 with eight goals playing mainly out on the left wing or as an occasional second forward. Running with the ball at his feet is when he is at his most dangerous, he can ghost past players with ease and I look forward to him hopefully staying in Green. Every off-season I fear that he will be sold and hopefully this year won`t be the year. KEEP!!

Takuro Kikuoka

Kikuoka came in at the start of 2010 and played in fits and starts battling with Yoshiaki Takagi for a wide right role that year and initially Yuki Kobayashi for a defensive midfield role this year. However, after Takagi left for FC Utrecht the door opened for Kikuoka to make the right midfield position his own. Scored nine goals in thirty six games this season and contributed a lot with some superb passing. Kikuoka was far more useful as an attacking midfielder as opposed to being a stopper. Kikuoa was deadly with free kicks anywhere near the box and also scored straight from a corner. Gotta love a dwarf. KEEP!!

Kazunori Iio had an up and down year playing well when on the field but spending far too much time on the treatment table. Iio started only sixteen games this term scoring four goals in the process. At 29 his best years are behind him and as the new generations come through from the youth team, players like Iio will be the ones nervously looking over their shoulders. Always gives his best effort though he is never going to bothers the net much over the course of any season. Could be time to go. GOODBYE!!

Yuki Kobayashi

Youth Team graduate Kobayashi was used to plug the gap left by Kohei Shibasaki`s departure to Kawasaki Frontale in pre-season. Kobayashi is a water carrier for Verdy and played the role very well last year with some tireless performances and a general confidence in himself. A player not likely to stay in Green for long especially if they stay in J2. Kobayashi was visibly upset when his friend Yoshiaki Takagi transferred to Holland though after seeing how "well" Takagi has done since going; Kobayashi might think twice about leaving right away. KEEP!!

Naoya Saeki

Along with Kobayashi, Saeki is Tokyo Verdy`s other "grunt". Placed in front of the back four Saeki`s job is to break up the oppositions attack. Another of the Verdy Pensioners looking over his shoulder nervously awaiting the inevitable thump of his P45 on his doormat. The statistics show that the defence wasn`t protected well enough last season and as a defensive midfielder that`s your job. 34 years old and  the most anonymous player in the side. GOODBYE!!

Takuya Wada

                                                                                                                       Takuya Wada is another home grown talent who as yet is not a regular in the side but at 21 he still has plenty of time to mature. Mainly used as a full back or occasional defensive midfielder, Wada made 20 appearances for the Greens last term and also earned a call up to the Under -22 Olympic squad. The future looks bright for Wada and another who will hopefully ply his trade in Green. KEEP!! 

The midfield play going forward this season was superb. With Abe on fire, Kawano tormenting teams down the wings and  Kikuoka scoring and supplying goals, Verdy`s midfield was it`s most productive part. Kawano, Abe and Kikuoka are lock on keeps for next season and will hopefully be even better next term having had a whole season of playing together. Saeki is nearly done and one player who duly announced his formal retirement is Tomo "Nine Second Wonder "Sugawara, holder of the unenviable record of fastest ever sending off.  Which brings us to the forwards.

2010 was a dismal year for Verdy in terms of attacking scoring just 47 goals with Kazuki Hiramoto finishing top scorer with a meagre 10 strikes. It was blatantly obvious that the Verdy attack needed a boost and Kawakatsu looked to have done remarkable pre-season business in bringing in Maranhao, Hirashige and Ichikawa in on loan to add to Hiramoto and Taira Inoue. Ex-JEF United stalwart and Japan international Seichiro Maki also came in towards the end of the season to further bolster a team already hitting the net with unusual regularity. 

Kazuki Hiramoto

Tokyo Nerdy favourite Kazuki "Goal Machine"Hiramoto  is probably the closest Verdy have to a "Mr. Verdy" in their current ranks. Since graduating from the youth team in 2000 bar a short loan period at Yokohama FC back in 2007, Hiramoto has huffed and puffed along the forward line and also had a stint as an emergency goalkeeper and in a bizzarre move even at right full back. Hiramoto has never actually been that good it was just that the players around him were worse. If you have to choose between Hiramoto, Taira Inoue and Yuzo "192cm" Funakoshi as your star forward, there is only one choice. The best of a bad bunch if you like. At 30 years of age, Hiramoto is probably on borrowed time after spending much of 2011 injured and looking cumbersome on his return to the side. He has the competition from Abe and Maki for a starting berth and I can`t see him winning the battle. It kills me to say it but it could be GOODBYE!!

Maranhao

Brazillian Maranhao came in from Venforet Kofu with a good reputation and the scoring figures to prove it. Maranhao`s statistics don`t look too bad with eleven in twenty seven appearances but as the old saying goes; "Sometimes statistics are complete bollocks". Maranhao should have scored at least 20 given the chances that came his way. So many GOLDEN opportunities were duly fired high and wide, scuffed, shin rolled or saved. Glen Hoddle reckoned Andy Cole needed seven chances to score for Man United back in the day. The same could be said of Maranhao. As a bloke he seemed like a good guy and he was an excellent comedy villian. Maranhao was SOOOO happy when he did score I couldn`t help liking him even though his play was so frustrating. He was only loaned for a season so, thank you for some great comedy moments, (the best of which was flying over the advertising boards after a dash down the left wing) and GOODBYE!!

Taira Inoue

Taira Inoue started the season as every other season, as an object of comedy fun for all at Tokyo Nerdy 1969 HQ. Nominally a forward, Inoue has been one of the least effective players ever to pull on a shirt for Verdy. Over four seasons he "racked up" a paltry five goals playing as a centre forward. 2011 was Inoue`s swansong year scoring three in 11 appearances operating on the right side of midfield. At the moment Inoue is out of contract and I would be very surprised if he gets another one. Five goals in fifty five appearances is simply not good enough. So GOODBYE!!

Seichiro Maki

Seichiro Maki was brought in following unsuccessful spells in China and Russia to bolster the forward line and presumably give valuable experience to the side. Questions were asked regarding his fitness upon arrival and some slow, lumbering performances didn`t do anything to dispell those fears. Scored a few (three in fourteen) towards the very end of the season but will have a lot to do to impress the Verdy faithfull. Maki is very much on the downslope of his career at 31 and will probably look at the next couple of seasons as one last hurrah before hanging up his boots. I wouldn`t mind in the slightest if he retired this winter. GOODBYE!!

Ryuichi Hirashige

Ryuichi Hirashige, brought in from Sanfrecce Hiroshima on loan was a fixture in the side in the early part of the season. Hirashige scored a memorable hat trick against Kitakyushu to add to his earlier goal in the Sagan Tosu defeat but his star faded out as quickly as it was ignited. Hirashige played a further few games after his hat trick and was then dropped to the bench for the remainder of the season before going back to Hiroshima. A one day wonder if ever there was one but he will always be able to tell his kids about the day he scored a cracking hat trick. GOODBYE!!

So there it is readers. Your 2011 squad review. 2012 is just around the corner and Tokyo Verdy will hopefully still be a functioning football club. The new signings season generally begins in earnest in January and let`s see who Verdy pick up. Will Verdy get promoted next year? Will Verdy go back to Green or continue with the Zebra stripes? Will Hiramoto ever manage to grow a decent `tache? Will Kazu STILL be around in 2012 stinking up the league like the old cabbagy fart that he is? It`s all to come again as we start for another lap on the good ship Green!! 

Finally, I`d like to say a big thank you to all readers of Tokyo Nerdy 1969. Official Winner of Shittest Blog On the Internet Title 3 years running. We`re done for 2011 but don`t be shy to say hello in 2012!! Until then Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. Onwards and Turkeywards The Boys Scoff On!!

Syrian Flag Dust Up

Scrapping for the flag Syrian Style....can`t see much but you can make out the grey trousered hero of the piece if you have a magnifying glass with telephoto lens handy. Cheers to Tubby for heroically smuggling out the footage for us to broadcast to the waiting world. You saw it here first readers. Viva La Revolution!!!

Green Flags nowhere to be seen. Pink jacketed high school kid security guards guarding the Japanese fans from the baying Syrian hordes.

The People`s Front of Judea? F@@K Off We`re The Judean People`s Front........Japan 2 - 1 Syria

Power to The People!!!!!!!!

The Bronx was burning, Moss Side was (and probably still is) full of scum and Kokuritsu was the scene once again of trouble on the terraces singular plastic seats. That`s TWICE in 11 years of going to football in Japan that I`ve seen trouble and BOTH were at Kokuritsu. The place is getting a bad rep.....Back in 2006 or so Verdy were hammered by Mito and a number of the Verdy fans began scrapping amongst themselves and I personally witnessed paper cups being thrown and a cardboard "four beer holder" launched towards the pitch during the post match booing when the players politely came over to be boo-ed. Tonights bad boys were the 20 or so Syrian supporters camped in the away corner of the Olympic Stadium.
As usual the anthems were played and there was no sign of what was to follow. Initially there were two pretty small Syrian flags tied to the stand and a small group of people milling around behind. Then another group unfurled (what I have since found on Wikipedia to be) a big "pre Baathist occupation and symbol of the 2011 uprising" flag and a bunch of people REALLY weren`t happy. The "Current Syrian Flag Group" rushed the "Old Syrian Flag Group" and tried to take it down. Cue pushing, shoving, a bit of light scrapping and the security guards actually having to do something at a Japanese football game!!

The groups were seperated and eventually when (I assume)  the Police arrived, the Old Syrian Flag Group were marched out of the stadium. As soon as they were gone, there appeared three BIG Syrian flags and and a bunch of supporters enthusiastically waving little flags where none had been before. A pretty bizarre state of affairs and I assume the Syrian Embassy staff and The Peoples Front of Syria (not The Syrian Peoples Front...SPLITTERS!!)  had been bussed in en-masse to promote a more positive image. I only wish I was sat at the Syrian end of the ground to see the man in the grey trousers who was giving it loads up close.

He`s not The Messiah, he`s a very naughty boy....

Presumably this whole affair is related to the current uprising/revolution/crackdown/ in Syria though it could be that the man in grey trousers was actually a woman and a good friend of the site upset at comments on the cut of her grey trousers.
To the game....Japan won 2-1, Syria probably deserved a draw and the Old Syrian Flag Group got thrown out just before Syria equalised. Wounder!!
Verdy also won today 2-1 with Fukuda and Maranhao netting to keep Verdy on course for 5th.

JEF Down Again.....Verdy 1-0 JEF United

"Oh come on...What?"

Verdy ensured JEF United will be also running in J2 next season with a 1-0 win courtesy of Seichiro Maki scoring against the club where he made his name. So, he`ll be popular in Ichihara this week then.....The writing has been on the wall for JEF; almost as long as Verdy with only one win the last seven going into Sundays game. 11,600 were there to see the Old Boys trot about before the Verdy took the points. You can watch the pretty dull highlights here.
Kitakyushu are up next with Verdy able to leapfrog them into 5th place with a win. 4th is impossible but Verdy will have to hope to match last seasons 5th place and go into the New Year with a bit of impetus.

"I`m not like him at the top of the screen....bloody $%$## ...er would you like to see my trophy cabinet?"

Tokyo Nerdy will be all Olympic`d up next weekend. I`ve bought some 1980`s tight Nike running shorts those shiny, tiny ones with the netting inside. I`ve got a massive bag of anabolic steroids, creams,  blood enhancers, a turkey baster,  I`ve been rubbing muscle relaxant on my backside and all major veins all week and I`ve got a huge envelope of unmarked 50 Pound Notes and a Free Coupon to stay at Buckingham Palace. I`m not sure if this is what is required for Japan v Syria U-22s but it`s the Olympics right? Japan v Syria at Kokuritsu. Looking forward to it.

Done and dusted....Urawa 2 - 1 Verdy

Not enough unfortunately.....(all season)

That`s it season finished. Apodi`s equaliser and first for the club not quite enough with Urawa taking the place in the next round. The winner came late on 86 minutes with only 7,000 there..... 7,000 at Urawa? Holy shit they have got problems at Saitama Stadium. I know it`s only the Emperors Cup and Verdy are shit but but Jesus Christ! SEVEN THOUSAND AT AN URAWA REDS GAME!!
On a sidenote is the continued absence of Kawano. Apodi has been in recently, Kawano has been out, I`ve not been following very closely for the last few weeks but could Kawano be on his way? Wouldn`t surprise me but would be annoyed. Saying that though, he`d be absolutely mental not to go if any decent offer came in.

Verdy Fall....Kyoto 1 - 0 Verdy

The mind boggles.

Verdy have fallen with three games to go. The gap being ten points to third place, Verdy are now confirmed as J2`ers for 2012. A fourth season in the second tier was sealed with a late 86th minute loss to Kyoto.  Verdy have top scored with 64 goals in 33 games and have never at any point come close to breaking into the top three. Fifth has been the highest all season achieved last week with the win over Sapporo. It`s been on the cards for weeks but still disappointing to have it confirmed. Never mind though, next year will be the year! Next up is JEF United with another Old Boys All Star Extravaganza beforehand. The same formula drew 25,000 last year though I can`t see the numbers being as good it should still be a fun day out. JEF are still in with a shout of sneaking into third place but will be relying on Tokushima and Sapporo dropping the baton big time to get in there. Onwards and Fallen The Boys Graze On!!

Ticking Along....Verdy 2 - 1 Sapporo

Another win for the Boys today with Maki (2nd) and Abe (16th) adding to their tallies for the season. This looks to be the front line for 2012 so let`s see how we go from now through to the last game of the season IN UNDER A MONTH!! Holy crap where did that season go?? Down the toilet early doors same as the last two seasons. After doing nothing against the top teams we have now beaten third and fourth and drew with the Champions elect (again). Seemingly the team is there for promotion but only when it feels like it. If it`s cold, we forgot our kit,  had a long trip, a busy day, the train was late, the painters are in or we have a headache we are knackered.
However!!! In 2012 we`re a coming to get you J2!!!! And I bet my last Pound all teams will be shaking like a shitting dog at the prospect. Onwards and Next Yearwards The Boys March On!!

Tubby Reports From The Battle of Tokyo

Tokyo Nerdy Official Roving Reporter Tubby has been good enough to send in the following pictures and match report. Nice one!!!

Should have been 35,912....

The Battle of Tokyo- Kick Out The Jams

The Battle of Tokyo - Kick out the JAMS! 

A Green In Blue In the Red and Blue

King Amar-ara-ara-arse

The Good Guys

Was a lovely day for it, sun cracking the flags and a sense of excitement in the air as i walked up Ajinomoto-way in a sea of blue and red. Inside the 35000 FC Tokyo fans seemed rather subdued as the patch of 1000 or so green and whites in the corner out-sang them. The Red and Blues quickly put a stop to that though with a hearty chant of "Oh Verdy Kawasaki!". That was like a Green rag to a bull but luckily the kid on away-fan steward duty managed to keep the riled Verdy supporters from spilling over onto the pitch.

Fantastic crowd and a cracking atmosphere for a J2 match though. I was sat among the hun and anticipating the game ahead as I sipped on my smuggled beer and nibbled on my eda mame before kick-off. My mood soon changed as a grey sky fell over the place and the FC Tokyo fans started up a full rendition of that hideous excuse for a song that is "You'll Never Walk Alone". My eda mame were starting to taste a little bitter.

Well that set the tone for a pretty dull first half. The only real highlights were those in the Verdy boys hair, boom boom! (with the exception of Tsuchiya of course). Couple of chances at each end but not much to get too excited about. Verdy's standard of play seemed pretty decent though. A lot better than I seem to remember but then again I can't seem to remeber much of Verdy's past play as my eyesight isn't what it used to be (my mum always said it would make me go blind) and I'm usually two sheets to the wind and nattering to Tokyo Nerdy when I watch the Boys in Green.

The first half finished with a bang, with Lucas rising above the Verdy defence to head in first half stoppage time. Don't know what it is about the name Lucas but it seems to be the most popular name in Brazil at the moment. Not the most glamorous of Brazilian names mind - just brings back memories of a smelly girl who was in my class at school. She had the "Lucas-mange" allegedly.

After going a goal behind just before the whistle, the second half promised fireworks from Verdy and did they deliver? Well they had a couple of excellent attempts at trying to hoof the ball out of the stadium when clean through on goal and also what looked like a stone wall penalty when a Verdy player was through on goal only to be brought down by the last man. In the end it resulted in a yellow card to the Verdy guy for simulation - the luck of an Evertonian some might say.

In the end Verdy got the point that they deserved. They put the pressure on with a couple of corners, one of which flew in to the top corner after deflecting off a Verdy/FC Tokyo leg, boot, arse or something. Still not sure who got the goal but Tokyo Nerdy reliably informs me that TV replays confirmed it was a Verdy goal.

The game petered out after that, the only point of note being the referee deciding to hand out his season's allocation of yellow cards in 2nd half stoppage time. Not sure what they were for. Maybe another one of those dodgy betting scams set up by Rooney's dad. Come to think of it, the referee did look a bit Scouse.

So J2's best defense against J2's best attack resulted in a possibly predictable draw. At least there was a couple of goals though and pretty decent day out all-in-all.
Boo's rang out at the full-time whistle - with the Verdy contingent going a bit mental in their corner. Tubs just sat there over-exaggeratedly applauding - slowly, loudly and proudly - showing his appreciation for the Boys in Green. Onwards and mid-tablewards!

Chest Shaver`s Of The World FC Tokyo 1 -1 Verdy

WAN.. or choose your own adjective

Had a long day at work only to find that my Sky dish had somehow moved a millimetre in the wind and the signal had gone down therefore ensuring the game I`d taped was lost forever.....Until Tokyo MX TV came galloping over the horizon with a replay at 7pm. Result!  One added "bonus" was that I got to see Tokyo MX TV`s prime cock handler announcer "Jonathon" for the second time this season. Thankfully his time on screen was short but his Arshole Dial was fully turned up to 11 for the time he was on screen. Some people in life are just annoying and he is most definitely one of them.
Yesterday he went for the Roberto Mancini suit and big scarf look and had obviously spent a good deal of time in the mirror trying to perfect his look. Get a grip you fuckin` muppet!!!  Nobody gives a fuck about your scarf (except me obviously), get your own style, get your own life and stop polluting the screen of innocent viewers.
Three hours to get ready, socks and pants taken out from a colour co-ordinated drawer, facial massage, pore cleanser on, hair combed 40 times with 40 different products, nails filed, chest shaved (chest shavers are twats), watch selected from a velvet box containing six different watches, fresh t-shirt out of the bag, quick look at some wanky Men`s Fashion s(h)ite, suit on, scarf in his "man bag" and off to the studio. Probably the same kind of twat who queues up for 4 hours for a Krispy Kreme donut (or whatever other shit tossers in Tokyo line up for just because everyone else does). Some people say Metrosexual though I prefer the term wanker. Metrosexual has too many underlying nuances with regards to sexuality whereas with wanker everyone knows exactly what the speaker is referring to. That bloke is a WANKER.
So to the game, if you are a neutral supporter you would have struggled to make it to half time without nodding off. There was plenty of gusto though little in the way of goalmouth action. FC Tokyo looked the more likely with Verdy offering just a little through Abe with Maki struggling to make any inroads. It was Lucas who opened the scoring with a well placed header right on halftime with Verdys clsoest being a free kick effort from Kikuoka which smacked back off the bar with the keeper beaten.
Into the scond half and Verdy were to equalise through an own goal from close range to make it all square. Both teams huffed and puffed and blew some half chances though neither side really did enough to win.
So all square for the season and unfortunately no more Derby`s until at least 2013.

GOAL!!!

FC Tokyo and Verdy have played twice this year and though I can`t speak for the Blue and Red three quarters of the city I know Verdy fans would love for the derby to be a more regular occasion. 36,000 in attendance yesterday and 25,000 for the reverse fixture earlier in the season. Even in J1 FC Tokyo will only do those kind of numbers when Urawa or maybe Marinos come to town. Verdy most definitely need the games as they NEVER do those numbers and will more than likely be back down to four or five thousand for the next home game. Football needs derby games and when one disappears it leaves a gaping hole....especially for the shit team in the shit division. Onwards and Upwards The Boys Waddle On!!

Derby Day, Nabisco Cup Final and Curry.... Tochigi 2 - 4 Verdy

Curry is good but not that good.

Verdy scored a cracking win going into the derby this weekend up-ending Tochigi with Seichiro Maki`s first of the season on his first start. Takuma Abe scored another two and Kikuoka finished off the scoring on Wednesday. Derby Day tomorrow I`m not going because of work so you can whistle for any kind of enthusiasm for this weekend. (Unless we win and after I`ve watched the tape I might have something to say).
It`s also Nabisco Cup Final weekend with Urawa and Kashima going for the Mickey Mouse Title. Barry at UK-Ultras had an interesting take on the devaluing (10 out of 10 on the Wank-o-meter) of the tournament and possibilities for it`s future which you can read here. Well seemingly the league have taken action and have taken Barry`s criticisms on board and have come up with a plan to entice the fans to the Final and set up a stampede for tickets for next season. CURRY RICE......Now I`m a big fan of the national dish of Japan but  even I struggle to see how a 900 Yen serving of curry rice on a plastic plate is going to draw in the support. That sums up the Nabisco organisers right there.

Absolute Shit..... Verdy 1-2 Toyama

No idea who they are but I assume they are REALLY shit. Could be Graeme Souness crossed with Jimmy Hill and Freddie Mercury doing the  Rod Hull and Emu impression  on the left.

The reasons why Verdy are going nowhere this season have been summed up this week. A draw with Mito (17th place and therefore shit), beat Tokushima (4th and therefore decent) then lose to Toyama (15th and accordingly shit). Verdy are predominantly shit with the occasional flashes of decent. Any need to report further on this season.....? Big Dogs Cock!

Verdy 1 - 0 Tokushima

Verdy registered their first win over a top 6 side this season with Takura Kikuoka`s effort on four minutes enough to separate the sides. Sapporo got drilled by Sanga to leave the gap to 3rd at 8 points. Too much? Yup. Next up Kataller Toyama tomorrow before the Derby next weekend.

Countdown to 2012 Mito 1 - 1 Verdy

Killing Time

Maranhao for Verdy on 56 minutes, Tsukasa Ozawa equalised with 8 minutes to go. Didn`t watch it, not bothered about the replay. Tokushima up next on Wednesday but it`s getting difficult to work up the enthusiasm to set the video. Can`t make the return derby game, can`t make the Urawa away game both because of bloody work. One or maximum two games for me till the end of the season and then I am DONE. One plus point is that Urawa dropped into the drop zone at the weekend thanks to Omiya`s win so it`s possible that everyone in J2 will get a decent ground to go to next season. Let`s hope so! I raise my glass in the hope of an Urawa relegation. Though Verdy haven`t been anywhere near to going up in any of the last three seasons; in terms of "big" games I can`t think of two better teams to go down in two seasons than FC Tokyo and Urawa. Let us hope that FC Tokyo`s (more than likely) trip back to J1 is just a blip and they can happily re-join us in J2 in 2013.....
On a side note what a completely shit weekend of sport. Wales done in the rugby, Wolves done by the Tesco Shit Baggers and Verdy shit as usual. Gotta wonder why I bother sometimes.

Into the Next Round! Verdy 7 - 1 V-Varen Nagasaki

Verdy break their Cup duck and here`s another....er broken duck.

Verdy put there Emperor`s Cup hoodoo behind them with a mashing of V-Varen Nagasaki at the weekend. A pleasant day at Komazawa started with Nagasaki threatening to spoil the day by taking the lead on 20 minutes before they were battered into submission through goals from Maranhao (2), Abe (2), Kikuoka, Kobayashi and Tsuchiya. Couldn`t really ask for more though the crowd was a paltry 2,701. Why does nobody give a flying crap about the Cups in Japan? Verdy battered one of the best of the JFL and next up; (assuming they can put away the University side) currently one of the worst in J1. Urawa play Wednesday night for their place in the next round.

Emperors Cup 2011

State of that!!

Another Emperors Cup extravaganza starts and probably finishes for Verdy next Monday with a game at Komazawa against 3rd placed JFL outfit V-Varen Nagasaki. JFL`ers? Piece of piss you`d think until you look at Verdy`s record against JFL opposition since they won the Cup in 2005. Played four lost four. Honda FC, Honda Lock, SC Tochigi and Machida Zelvia have all done the Greens from the lower division. In fact Verdy have the unenviable record of having lost all five Emperors Cup games since winning the thing. Sanfrecce Hiroshima were also on hand to dump on the Greens.
One interesting titbit is that should Verdy pull off a result and if Urawa Reds also manage to actually beat somebody this season then the two teams will meet in the 3rd round at Saitama Stadium. C`mon The Boys!! We might not be going up this year but to put Urawa out of the Cup and pour even more misery on their season would certainly be a nice tonic. And failing that going to a ground with a crowd bigger than an English non league game will make a welcome change. SO C`MON VERDY FOR ONCE IN YOUR MISERABLE LIFE WIN A GAME TO SET UP A GOOD DAY OUT FOR THE IDIOTS DAFT ENOUGH TO STILL GIVE A SHIT!!!

Happy New Year!! Tochigi 0-0 Verdy

Down and Out In Tikrit Hills

A Happy New Year to All readers of Tokyo Nerdy 1969, may 2012 bring you all that you wish for!! 2011 is all but mathematically done for Tokyo Verdy so let`s look forward to next year. Barring a miracle the likes of which hasn`t been seen since Mary got away with blaming her pregnancy on a supernatural, omnipresent all seeing, all hearing figment of her imagination; we will be spending another year in J2 with all the excitement, razamatazz and glamour that comes with it.
Once again the Verdy faithful can look forward to a stadium packed to the rafters in one tiny section of the area behind one goal. Another season of "Do you remember when we were half decent.....?" Another season of starting with high hopes only to fall flat and in the end not quite make it. There have been some absolute plus points this season with the goals flowing like turps in a tramp`s beard against the lower ranked teams but when we`ve come up against the top teams, when it matters?? Just not good enough. Of the games against the top 6 teams we have taken just FOUR points from a possible TWENTY ONE. The draws against JEF, FC Tokyo, Tokushima and this week SC Tochigi a pitiful return for a team who started the season as an outside bet for third.
There have been some wonderful moments this season and some real spankings but that doesn`t cover the failings of the season overall. Pre-season Verdy were looking good for a run at promotion with the scoring problems of last season seemingly addressed with Maranhao, Ishikawa and Hirashige all brought to add to the weak looking line up of Hiramoto, Inoue and Iio.
The goals have indeed flowed but last seasons rock solid defence has fallen apart. New signing Kota Fukatsu just wasn`t up to the job after Tomisawa got injured. Shibasaki doesn`t inspire confidence either and as a keeper it`s essential that your back four has faith in your ability.  I can`t blame the whole season on one incident but can`t help feeling the injury to Yoichi Doi in the FC Tokyo game has contributed hugely to the leaky defence. It`s not only that he is a better keeper than Shibasaki in terms of his own game, he is also far more vocal in organising his back line and delivers a damn good rollicking when required.
On the plus side the midfield play at times this season has been breathtaking. One touch passing and play around the box has been superb. Kawano has been superb this year after having an up and down 2010, Kikuoka has emerged from the shadows of Yoshiaki Takagi to take his position in the team and scoring some cracking goals on the way. Yuki Kobayashi will definitely be moving on to brighter things in the future given his form this season. He plays the mopper upper role very well and it can only be a matter of time before he is cherry picked.
Probably the story of Verdy`s season has been the "come from nowhere" story of Takuma Abe. Stuck up front as an emergency striker due to injuries Abe has bumped, barged and blasted his way to the top of the scoring charts with some superb displays. As I said before he has the knack of being in the right place at exactly the right time and does the simple things well. He makes Hiramoto and Maki look positively ANCIENT in comparison with his speed of thought and inter play around the box. I look forward to seeing more of him next season for sure.

The Lady Above a Virgin or Tokyo Verdy in J1 in 2012?

So what about the rest of this year? Well just sit back enjoy the games and look forward to 2012 and try again. If at first, second and third you don`t succeed?? Fuck the whole thing off and support Nadeshiko Japan. Onwards and Nowhere The Boys March On The Spot!!

She`s Got Dickie Davis Eyes......Gainare 0 - 1 Verdy

Scrappy win, Maranhao with the goal on Abe`s spadework. Gainare had more chances and if they had anyone who was decent in front of the back four they would have won. I`ve watched 90 minutes on tape with no fast forward and that really does sum up the game.

2 Goals Forward, 4 Goals Back...Sapporo 4 - 2 Verdy

Oooof!!! Livin` My Life Quarter Mile At A Time....

Defensive blunders were the name of the game tonight in a match Verdy had a good chance to win and claim three points to close in on 3rd place. Consadole will be relieved to take the points and keep the heat on FC Tokyo after spending much of the 90 minutes on the back foot.
The game was only 2 minutes old when Tomisawa and Tsuchiya let Hiroyuki Furuta burst through them to finish. Hiroki Kawano hit back just two minutes later with a devastating run through the middle holding off two defenders to fire home. The rest of the first half saw a lot of probing by Verdy with a few shots peppering the Sapporo goal but nothing really of note.
The second half started where the first finished with Verdy in the ascendancy going forward and looking to take the lead. Sapporo had a total of THREE chances in the second half and scored every single one. The second goal came on 61 minutes with Yusuke Kondo sending a perfect lob over Shibasaki after Tsuchiya and Tomisawa again hesitated and left Shibasaki trapped in no mans land.  Iio hit the post with a shot and turn in the box before Yuki Kobayashi let fly with a rocket into the roof of the net following good work by Yusuke Mori. Mori left his marker on his backside before slipping the ball to Kobayashi to fire an unstoppable effort home from just outside the box. At this point Verdy looked likely to go on and win it but were to be undone by some awful defending. Okamoto took the first of his goals in the 88th minute when Tsuchiya sent a looping header back towards his own goal, the ball came back off the base of the post and left an easy tap in. 13th Century Dung was rubbed in the wound just a minute later in order to bring out a puss when Okamoto again took advantage of Verdy`s generosity to fire home even after getting the ball caught under his feet and Verdy having plenty of chances to make a challenge and deciding to leave him be.....
So where does that leave us? In need of some solidity at the back. The forwards can score till the cows come home on occasion but while last year the defence was a rock, this year the defence has been the achilles heel. Finally, Maki and Hiramoto were on for the last ten minutes and looked ponderous, old, rusty and utterly done for the season. Hiramoto has struggled for fitness this year but when he has been on he has looked pedestrian and Maki hasn`t done a single thing in either of his cameo appearances. Ok, maybe he isn`t 100 per cent fit but I`ve seen nothing so far that indicates he is worth a seat on the bus. Verdy are fast running out of games to get up to that 3rd place, it`s not impossible but tonight`s game was the kind they had to win, had the chances to but ultimately didn`t.

Coach Kawakatsu on his way to the 2011Uncle Albert Lookalike Contest

Oh well, I`m now the proud owner of probably the fastest Skyline GTR on the planet so who cares? It cost millions but I`ve saved up in the last two weeks. Call it a midlife crisis but what`s wrong with racing round the streets of Tokyo at 320KMH?  Vroom!!!!!