Blue Balls.....Kumamoto 1 - 0 Verdy

Life Begins at 46

The new season is up and running and Verdy started 2011 exactly the same as 2010 with a defeat to Roasso Kumamoto. Kawakatsu flumoxed everyone with his line up, Shibasaki starting in goal, new signing Fukatsu partnering Tsuchiya in the middle with Tomisawa playing in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role. Up top Kawakatsu went with Ichikawa and Hiramoto but after all the excitement of buying a whole new strikeforce, it was disappointing not to see the Green Machine blow their collective attacking load all over Kumamoto. Though this was not for the want of trying.
So how did the new guys get on? Well Ichikawa did exactly what was predicted by our friends at GGOA, snatching at his chances and getting subbed at half time for his troubles. He had the chance of the match for the Greens after breaking through around the 20 minute mark, rounded the keeper and inexplicably blasted over the bar from the edge of the box. Maybe he slipped, but from that position he has to score. He also scuffed another effort and won`t be happy with his debut. Roasso themselves found the net twice in the first half, Verdy escaping once by the skin of the linesmans flag though there was to be no such luck with the second; ex-Verdy  midfielder Shingo Nejime doing the damage with a 30 yard piledriver, helped by a wicked deflection off Fukatsu to leave Shibasaki stranded.
Half time came and off went Ichikawa for new Brazillian Maranhao and he did his chances of being first pick next week no harm with a lively display down the left, some neat passing and seemingly a bit of pace. It all came to nothing but the goods are there, if he can get the service. And there lay the crux of the problem today. The midfield was dominated by Roasso with Fabio a constant thorn in Verdy`s side. He`s big and gangly and put himself absolutely everywhere. The only blot on his copybook a dreadful miss with just Shibasaki to beat. Shibasaki himself looked shaky with his distribution but pulled off a nice save to tip over a looping header. The jury is still out on Fukatsu, he looked weak in comparison to the evergreen Tsuchiya, who was my pick for man of the match for us today. He threw himself in front of everything, including Fabio`s shoulder for a painfull bang on the cheek.
Roasso took the three points and probably deservedly so; we had chances but didn`t take them. Ichikawa missed one sitter and another reasonable chance, Kawano headed over when free on the edge of the six yard box and a good few times the last pass was missing in the final third.  Next week sees the visit of Mito Hollyhock who had an excellent result against Sanga, but let`s hope they revert to last season and are willing to be be blitzed.... Onwards and Upwards, The Boys March On!!