Absence Makes The Bush Grow Greener JEF United 1 - 1 Verdy

Love a nice big bush me.

Having missed the last two games with a family trip I was well looking forward to this one. Verdy had been up and down while we were away but came up trumps last time out with a whipping of the ever sinking Roasso Kumamoto.
Captain Tomisawa was back in the line up for the first time in 20 games, we also got a chance to have a look at new full back Nakatani from Sanga and see the cameo debut of ex-Jef striker Seichiro Maki for two minutes at the end. The scoreline says only 1-1 but anyone who saw it will know that the final scoreline is not all indicative of the all the goal mouth action that took place. The woodwork was rattled on no less than FIVE different occasions with JEF taking the honours 3-2 in the woodwork count. JEF started brightly and opened the scoring after just five minutes with Oshima leaping above Takahashi to head home a free kick from wide on the left. However, it wasn`t long before Verdy started to pressure the JEF goal with Takuma Abe forst to hit the post for Verdy with a diving header and the keeper beaten following a smart one touch move featuring Mori and the returning Taira Inoue at right midfield.
Yuki Kobayashi was dangerous all night peppering the JEF goal from distance and he too found the joint with a thunderbolt from way out. Young Kobayashi is a player going places and he will be on the radar for teams further up the league for sure. He is steady on the ball and mops up tidily and quietly much like Kohei Shibasaki who left for Kawasaki in the close season.
As the first half wore on it was Verdy who looked more likely controlling possesion and restricting JEF to the odd counter attack. Half time came and it seemed like only a matter of time before Verdy would equalise. The equaliser came in the 68th minute with Maranhao freer than a discounted Summer Sale Lynyrd Skynyrd Freebird. The cross came in and Maranhao was in acres of space to head the ball home.
So, 1-1 and then the game really heated up with both teams going for the win. End to end and Fukai for JEF a particular thorn in Verdy`s side. For a short guy he can`t half motor. It was Fukai who struck the wordwork last with a goal bound shot across Shibasaki which the big fella managed to push onto the post.
So a 1-1 result not much use to either side but it is now plainly obvious that whoever can string a couple of results together can make a charge for the top of the league. FC Tokyo have dropped off following the finish of their unbeaten run and nobody looks likely to run away with it. JEF and Verdy will both be thinking they are losing ground on the promotion positions though in reality with the form of the top teams both teams need just a couple of wins to be knocking on the door.