The first battle of the long consecutive holidays will be a fierce battle against a team with the same philosophy. After all, the opponent is Albirex Niigata, which Albert once worked with. It can be called a "brotherly showdown".
Of course, my older brother is from Niigata. The tactical philosophy of Albert PUIG ORTONEDA, who led the team for two seasons from the 2020 season, has firmly taken root in the team. Rikizo MATSUHASHI, who succeeded him as head coach, has further encouraged development and successfully returned to the stage of J1.
Their strength is not to be underestimated. At the end of the 8th round, their record is 3 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses, placing them in 8th position. What's more, they have earned points against tough opponents. They have defeated Kawasaki Frontale, who finished 2nd last season, and Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who finished 3rd, and drew with Cerezo Osaka, who finished 4th. They have also drawn with the in-form Vissel Kobe this season and achieved a dramatic comeback victory against Avispa Fukuoka. In contrast, fellow promoted team Yokohama FC has been blocked by the thick wall of J1 and is currently in last place.
In this season's J1, teams that use a strong press from the opponent's territory to quickly take the ball and attack towards the goal, such as the "steal and counter" type, and teams with a solid defense as their foundation, such as Nagoya Grampus and Fukuoka, are ranked high. The former includes teams like Hiroshima, Kobe, and Kyoto Sanga F.C., while the latter includes Nagoya Grampus and Fukuoka.
On the other hand, the team that carefully connects passes from behind and attacks has a bad flag color. While Yokohama F.Marinos, who are aiming for consecutive victories, are in the top ranks, Kawasaki are stuck in the lower ranks. There are many teams that have problems on both sides, such as avoiding pressing in their own territory and breaking blocks in enemy territory. Albert PUIG ORTONEDA is no exception.
Niigata is the same. However, compared to other possession-based teams, their worries should be much smaller. In that sense, the progress made since "Albert" is significant. Their current position is built upon the positional play instilled by Albert.
The build-up has become even more polished as each player skillfully changes their position while watching the enemy's movements and advances the ball. The proof of this is the frequent use of one-touch passes. This allows them to release the ball before getting caught by the enemy's press. In order to increase the success rate of this, fine adjustments regarding the "distance and angle" between players are essential, but Niigata's strength is not just their positioning.
First and foremost, it's all about individual skills. No matter how good your positioning is, the ball won't move without proper decision-making and accompanying technique. In particular, "speed and accuracy" of passes are required. If you can control difficult one-touch passes with ease, that's even more impressive.
Positioning is important, but the team with the "quick snatch" style generally tries to catch the opponent in a man-to-man style when attempting a high press. If that happens, there is no positional advantage for the attacking side. So what can be done? One of the reasons why Niigata has fewer cases of stumbling in build-up compared to other teams is because under coach Matsubashi, they have thoroughly honed the essential technique of avoiding the press. Even when pushed back into their own half, they are able to cleverly bypass the opponent's counter press and make it to the finish. That is the type of opponent that will come to Ajinomoto Stadium.
Moreover, a man who did not exist in the Albirex era is now showing an overwhelming presence as the key player in the attack. It is Ryotaro ITO who reigns at the top. Not to mention the 8th round Fukuoka match where he performed a hat-trick, he is involved in almost all of Niigata's goals with his brilliant play, and if his name is on the starting list, he becomes the most feared opponent.
Who will be sent as an assassin? The most suitable candidate is probably Albert PUIG ORTONEDA... In any case, if Ito is allowed to work freely between the lines, victory is uncertain. Not only the selection of personnel, but also the tactics plan during defense, it seems that Albert's moves will hold the key. If we are completely committed to winning, we may need to bring it to the "tactical game" that the commander speaks of.
The conclusion is that it is advantageous to play a more tactically faithful game due to the battle between similar opponents. However, does it actually turn out that way? Looking back at the battle of Albert Tokyo, the Shonan Bellmare game, where they were pushed back into their own territory for a long time and the content was not good, ended in a draw, while the Cerezo Osaka game, where the content clearly improved, was lost in competition. It seems necessary to coldly determine the points where we should focus our strength while weighing what we want to do and what the opponent dislikes.
Where are Niigata's blind spots? Currently, they are struggling to break through the blocks. In the Kobe match, they were unable to break through the solid defense and ended with no goals. Even in the Fukuoka match where they achieved a come-from-behind victory, they struggled to attack until the 70th minute. While they are gradually improving to meet J1 standards, it is still difficult to say that they are fully prepared.
Even if we are pushed back, we should not panic and maintain a high-density and high-strength block to withstand Niigata's attacks. In particular, cutting off the passing route to Ito will be effective. Players like Shunsuke Mito and Eitaro Matsuda who make sharp vertical runs from the wide positions are a threat, but their team doesn't cross the ball often.
If we can take advantage of the opportunity and launch a sharp counterattack, we should have a good chance of winning. Not only the midfield's middle counterattack after taking the ball, but also the long counterattack starting from the center backs Masato MORISHIGE and Yasuki KIMOTO should be a threat to Niigata. Using depth more than width in our attacks will be key.
In fact, Niigata has few games that have been brought to a block-breaking development, and their ability to respond to counters is unknown. While they excel at avoiding presses and building up, their average ball possession rate is only 51.4%. Their press strength when forming a block is not high, and once they switch to defense, they are more likely to be pushed back for a longer period of time. Therefore, instead of focusing solely on defense or using a one-shot speed attack, it is important to calmly connect passes and push back into the enemy's territory. The choice between a quick attack or a slow attack is crucial in order to minimize unnecessary exhaustion and fight efficiently.
Create time by connecting passes to each other, but the key will be the quick attack - that may be the development. Albert Tokyo has many fast arrows, but the key person will be Ryoma WATANABE. Not only does he have the ability to capture prey, but he also appears to be the most hungry for goals. It's strange how chances always seem to roll into the hands of such a man. Ito vs. WATANABE. That formula is also something to keep in mind.
Text by Sato Hojo (Football Writer)
