Agent Orange Reports: 21-9

So, a bad week for me ended rather well with yesterday's result.

I love going out to Chiba and catching a game at Fukuari but my work told me that we would have a training day, so that plan was out. The training turned out to be like traffic school: it had some good information but it was rather dull in spots. Not as bad as I thought it would be, though.

Then on Tuesday, I took part in the time-honored tradition of fat, older people during summer. I got heat stroke, hyperventilated and passed out. Ambulance came in and took me away, although I got to meet a cute doctor (before you pop up with your, "What's his name, Agent PinkPanties?", just stop. She was delightful). Then on Thursday, while walking to go settle my bill, I came upon two elementary school children and asked them where the hospital was. They ran away screaming. I'm pretty sure I made this week's Stranger Danger bulletin.

Finally, against my better judgement, a couple of friends and I wandered into HUB after traffic sch... er, training and watched the game. Usually, when I go to HUB, Omiya plays some of the most mind-numbingly insipid, unmotivated, heartless football known to man. Also, we were due for our... our... every-other-year, bi-annual 1-0 loss to Chiba (actually, how do you say that we always lose to Chiba twice by 1-0 counts every other year? At least FC Tokyo has the decency to beat us at home every year so I can say, "Ohhh, It's time for our annual home beating by FC Tokyo". Nahh, I don't mean that. Screw FC Tokyo. Douchebags.)



I missed the first part of the game when I guess JEF took half their shots because I really can only picture one shot they took. Omiya on the other hand were absolutely splendid. The defense was superb. The midfield anticipated and intercepted passes beautifully. And the forwards put up eleven shots between them. Good shots. If you weren't sure what kind of game Jang Wae Ryong wants to play, get a hold of a tape of yesterday's game. The fast, attacking, eleven-men-playing-defense brand of soccer worked to perfection.

My God that was inspiring to watch. Unfortunately, like the Oita match, I'm not sure if it was us playing great, them playing awful or a happy medium of both. I don't remember the last time we exerted our will on another team for a full ninety minutes. It was great to see and hopefully we can build upon it.

Another Alex Miller Rant

I don't get it. While JEF Chiba is not the deepest squad in the world, they do have a good amount of scoring talent. Why do they only have fourteen goals? And why aren't they producing more opportunities? One manager who should have pressure on him but doesn't is Alex Miller. Is it the Liverpool pedigree? The collapse of FC Tokyo in the last fifteen minutes of their match at the end of last season that ensured their J1 safety? What? Why does this guy seem untouchable? And why did I get Robert Verbeek flashbacks when I watched them foul and backpass their way to a 2-0 loss? There is one guy who should be on the hot seat but isn't.

Game Notes

1. With the back four configuration of Taishi Tsukamoto, Daisuke Tomita, Mato Neretljak and Yasuhiro Hato, the team's record is 4-2-1. With other people interspersed in the team, it's 1-3-4. Ironically enough, that 1-3-4 record is the same as when Yosuke Kataoka plays a majority of minutes in a game.

2. When the ball gets to our forwards, good things seem to happen. It was great to see Yoshihito Fujita get two goals in a game. Both were really scrappy attempts. The team also managed to get four off the posts and a couple more were from mid-range that were off target.

3. Begrudgingly, I have to give Chikara Fujimoto credit for quick thinking on the pass to Fujita for goal number two. Nine times out of ten, he shoots that thing over the bar but he got it to Fujita on an isolation to Eddy Bosnar (Omiya's favorite stone-footed defender) and Fujita muscled it through. Fujimoto played well on defense even though he kinda whiffed on some doable shots, but he at least seemed into it yesterday.



Three Stars

1. Yoshihito Fujita - Two goals in a game. I believe the last Japanese player to do that for Omiya was Masato Saito against Trinita last year.

2. Shin Kanazawa - He was all over the place, really a pest today. One of his best performances as an Ardija player and very close to notching a goal.

3. Park Won Jae - Gave JEF fits with his speed down the wing. Very active and very pesky.

And Finally...

Flamengo buys Denis Marques and we're left with Dudu. I'll talk more about both later. Does the big Jang outcry seem like decads ago to you too?

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