4/6 (Wednesday) vs Vissel Kobe (Ajinomoto Stadium)
Which one will make use of the rehearsal?
Kobe, still without a victory since the opening, welcomed Kyoto Sanga F.C. to their home on the 2nd, but despite taking the lead in the second half, they suffered a comeback defeat. It was the first game for interim manager Luis PLANAGUMA, but the goddess of victory still did not smile upon them.
Still, the Kyoto match brought many rewards. Under coach Luis, a new tactic was adopted and the players embodied it on the pitch. Against Kyoto's intense pressing, the team, known for their possession, showed a certain level of functionality, which also became a catalyst for building confidence in achieving results under the new commander.
The experience from the Kyoto match will definitely come into play in this match against FC Tokyo, who also have an aggressive defense as their strength. In the Kyoto match, we positioned players on both wings and showed a clear intention to use the opponent's high press to our advantage. This can also be seen as a rehearsal for conquering FC Tokyo, who have a similar formation.
However, if we look at it from the perspective of a practice match, the same can be said for FC Tokyo. Yokohama F.Marinos, who they faced in the previous match, also have a positional play as their creed, just like Kobe. Although there are differences in the speed and other aspects of offense and defense, the direction of taking positions that the opponent dislikes and moving the ball, and taking control of the game through ball possession is the same. One of the key points in conquering Kobe will be to attack their build-up, which includes Diego OLIVEIRA's intense high press and goalkeeper Hiroki IIKURA.
On the other hand, Kobe also emphasizes pressing from a high position, assuming a compact formation, and experienced players such as Yuya OSAKO and Hotaru YAMAGUCHI may be able to block FC Tokyo's build-up play, which shows a solid skill that does not seem like a "rookie" in positional play. If Kobe can catch a good flow, the frequency of Andres INIESTA's magic appearance will increase. It seems that the team that can make good use of the lessons learned in the practice match will be closer to victory in this match.
In addition, one of the concerns in this matchup will be the performance of Kento HASHIMOTO, who joined Kobe on loan from FC Tokyo. Already registered as a participating player and currently working on improving his condition, HASHIMOTO shows his fighting spirit by saying, "I am 100% ready in terms of my mindset." Similarly, Yoshinori MUTO, also a former FC Tokyo player, is currently out due to injury, but if HASHIMOTO is able to play, it will surely be an unmissable moment for fans and supporters of both teams.
Text by Keita Ono (El Golazo, Vissel Kobe Correspondent)
