J1: Vissel 1-1 Sanga

Peter's take on the match at Home's Stadium as Vissel and Sanga 'battled' to a 1-1 draw.

Went to watch Vissel v. Sanga at Wada Misaki with Mark yesterday.

Very much a game involving two teams on the edge of the relegation zone. I said to Mark at the end of the game, "Kobe looked as though they had some players with technical skills, but no ideas; Kyoto looked as though they had some good ideas, but no players with technical skills."
I also phrased it, "Vissel looked as though they had some good players but a poor manager; Sanga looked as though they had a good manager but poor players."

After the game, we met up with some acquaintances for drinks. The first thing one of these, a Sanga fan, said was, "If we had had one good player, we would have won!"

He and I were on the same wavelength. That was the kind of game it was: if Kyoto had had one good player, they would have won; if Kobe had had one good idea, they would have won.

Apart from the goals, Vissel had only two really good missed chances in the game, both headers from volante (so called) Miyamoto--one went narrowly wide, the other brought a very good save from the Kyoto goalie. I lie: Botti missed a sitter straight after half-time; a cross from the right found him coming in unmarked just wide of the post on the left, and it looked like a simple header--the ball was slightly behind him, so he went for a spectacular kick instead, sending the ball way over the bar. However, I felt it should not have been beyond the wit of man to have contrived a header, which would surely have resulted in a goal.

The goals? Oh, yes, there were two goals--I almost forgot. After a mind-boggling eff-up by the Vissel defence, when no danger was pending, for which Komoto was mainly responsible (boo-hoo), Uchiyama conceded a stone-cold penalty. The question was, how was it the ref never gave Uchiyama a red card? Maybe he play-acted his fall just well enough. Anyway, the penalty was converted. Vissel's goal also came from a set piece. A free-kick out on the right by Botti was allowed by the Sanga defence to fall to Kitamoto about five yards out more or less in front of the near post, and he volleyed it low into the far corner--a well-taken goal. But, again, by a defender.

Going forward, Vissel's forwards were absolutely clueless. Every time they looked they might turn the Sanga defence, they started going sideways or backwards.

To some up: if Vissel's attackers had had one good idea, they would have won. But they didn't!