BEWARE!! Thrashing, Mauling, Whipping, Shoeing, Hammering In Progress.. Verdy 4 -0 Fagiano

The Official Tokyo Verdy Thrashing Machine. Who`s Next??

After the 5 goal mauling of Toyama last week The Boys followed up with a 4-0 pasting of Fagiano Okayama. The Tokyo Nerdy 1969 Number Crunching Department number crunchers tell me that is now NINE goals in two games readers and Verdy are banging the goals in faster than Ryan Giggs (allegedly) bags birds he`s not supposed to.
So where has it all come from? Hiroki Kawano that`s where. He has played out of his skin in the last two games to leave FC Utrecht and anyone else watching wondering if the Dutch Cloggers picked up the right "short Japanese guy who plays for Verdy". From setting two up and scoring one himself against Toyama to scoring two and setting one up against Okayama, Kawano has been the catalyst for himself and others to profit.
Kawakatsu did indeed start with two goal hero Takuma Abe in the line up as requested by Tokyo Nerdy 1969 last week albeit in an unfamiliar lone forward role. Maranhao kept his place on the left and Kikuoka switched from a defensive midfield berth to the head of a midfield diamond to support Abe.
Again Verdy were to race into an unassailable lead  scoring two goals in quick succession to leave Okayama reeling. The first after only six minutes came from J2 leading scorer Tiago who very kindly sliced into his own net from an inswinging Kikouka corner. The second was to come just two minutes later. Saeki released Yusuke Mori down the wing who beat his man and drove a low, hard cross in with much pace, Kawano arrived to meet it first time in front of his marker to lash into the the net under the keeper. 2-0 eight minutes gone and Verdy were pressing Okayama continually restricting them to just the  occasional foray into the Verdy half.
Thiago himself was lucky to recieve only a yellow card for a blatant elbow to Shohei Takahashi after just 15 minutes. The two were jostling for position when Tiago seemingly thought Takahashi was wrestling too much so elbowed him straight in the face without looking, Takahashi dropped to the deck (though he does this when somebody breaks wind next to him) and out came the yellow. Probably should have been red but Tiago got the sympathy vote for scoring an own goal, being 2-0 down and the ref probably made up for all the blatant flops from Takahashi in the past.
Takuma Abe played well in his new role getting into some good positions though when push came to shove he fired wide on two occasions when well placed.  In the 33rd minute Kawano was to switch on and light up the grey day at Ajinomoto. Probably one of the best pieces of skill I`ve seen this season and the goal started and finished by himself with some help from himself on the way.  I will put the highlights up when I find them but the backheel flick to release Abe is one of the best passes I`ve seen this year. The ball came to Kawano facing away from the goal, he somehow backheeled it OVER the oncoming defender for the advancing Abe to cross. The ball came in and was only half cleared, Kawano fired, the keeper managaed to tip the shot onto the post the ball rebounded back to Kawano who made no mistake with the second effort.  3-0 at half time and again Shibasaki and Takahashi were trying to run the clock down just before the break. Ugh!!
Into the second half and Verdy continued to press looking for a fourth and along it came courtesy of Maranhao and I imagine the Venforet man is more than pleased to break his duck and open his account for the Greens. That man has had a jungle-full of monkeys on his back for the last two weeks with the chances that have gone begging. Takuma Abe was the architect this time with a superb break down the left crossing over for Kawano to head onto Maranhao who was able to finish the move with a close range header to make it 4-0. Maranhao thanked the heavens for his goal and then got subbed for 15 seconds later for Yoshiaki Takagi to make his final exit. 4-0 nine in two games and life is good on The Good Ship Green. I`m sure a giant shark will come and attack the ship soon and eat all on board but for now, we have a good strong breeze, the skies are blue, we have a bevvy of buxom ladies on board and Ryan Giggs is (allegedly) nowhere in sight to rip through them all before we`ve even said hello.
Onwards an` Ninewards Me Hearties  The Boys Sail On!!