Mizuyuki mount spirited comeback to edge past HopNation
3-2 victory keeps Shirakiin on course for mid-qual lead; Mihashi's Vaporeons next on the schedule
Zorg, Copperwies - The paying customers certainly got their money's worth yesterday night, as the rising HopNation took on the Nova of Mizuyuki in a pulsating encounter of football at the Rhizome Arena. Ninety minutes of exciting end-to-end football saw a veritable goalfest, both teams sharing a remarkable five goals as Mizuyuki eventually eked out a slim victory courtesy of a late, late goal by substitute Saten Ruiko.
Up against a similarly-oriented side in terms of playing philosophy, Shirakiin opted to dispense with her trademark tactical eccentricities and fielded a conventional 4-2-3-1; the only tactical innovation she allowed herself was the deployment of the inverted wingers - a defining characteristic of Shirakiin's tactical setups over the last three years. As expected after a gruelling run of five international-level competitive games within the span of two weeks, the manager's rotation policy was in effect - Tachibana slotting into the back line in place for Mikasa, who was pushed up into the midfield pivot, deputising for Saten. The second change came in the lone forward position - Izawa was given a chance to impress in place of the consistently excellent Kurugaya, who took a well-deserved break after bagging an impressive return of five goals over the last five matches. The final switch came in the midfield, where Honda Midori, fresh from a spell on the sidelines after having picked up a minor muscle strain, replaced the tiring Isshiki on the right wing.
Even before the first touch had been taken, the stadium was chock full of expectant fans hoping to see a fantastic match of attacking football. Given Shirakiin's notorious long-standing refusal to compromise on her ideological position and Warren Schmidt's apparent reluctance to invite the Nova to attack the Hops - a position which was reflected in his selection of the starting XI on the day - a goalfest was always on the cards. Indeed, after the Hops' lineup was revealed, the question was - simply - how many goals would be scored during the course of the match? There was no doubt that Shirakiin planned to take the game to Mizuyuki's opponents, as was her wont, and Schmidt's similarly attacking lineup only served to reinforce the general consensus that the match would be a high-scoring one, and consequently, there was no shortage of pundits lining up with their wildly varying predictions for the game, ranging from a resounding 5-0 win for Mizuyuki to a limp 4-2 defeat for the same.
Clearly itching to turn on the style, Mizuyuki raced out of the blocks from the start, pressing high up the pitch and trying to hassle the Hops into committing elementary errors. Periods of sustained blanket pressure was exacted upon the opponents on the day, with a lively Ishibashi metronome-like in her running, positioning and distribution. Eventually, she produced the first effort on goal in the 7th minute - a drilled Honda cross aimed at the near post caught the Hops defenders unawares; nipping in front of Rayrd Lesamnal, Ishibashi got her foot on the ball and poked it at goal from two yards out. The shot was well-saved by Oeny Subanos, who turned the ball behind the post for a corner, but the inexorability of Mizuyuki's victory seemed to be more entrenched by the second.
Ishibashi, tasked with taking the resultant corner, laid off a short pass to the waiting Tsuchimikado just outside the penalty area; the captain immediately attempted to replicate her goal against Tryienne, dipping a shoulder to fool the covering defender and blast powerfully at goal . However, her luck was not quite so good this time around; the ball ricocheted off the frame of the goal and fell kindly to Wiashrod, whose long cross-field pass acted as an effective catalyst for a counter attack. Pheir Droimpol, receiving the ball in the middle of the park from his teammate, sprayed an excellent through ball into the final third for the onrushing Schytaing - who, confronted with the sight of an incoming Takanashi, deftly avoided the clumsy sliding challenge by the 'keeper and lifted the ball into the goal.
Roars erupted amongst the home support as the travelling fans hung their heads in dejection, a mirror image of the Mizuyukian players trooping back into position for the kickoff. Barely a quarter of an hour into the game, and they were already trailing thanks to a catastrophic defensive lapse; needless to say, Shirakiin was not pleased at her lacklustre defence, bellowing instructions and gesticulating furiously at her players from the sidelines as the game kicked off once again. Tsuchimikado, in her capacity as caption, valiantly supported her manager's efforts with a few exhortations of her own, but it proved to be insufficient to get the team back on their feet in this case. Within a further ten minutes, a dazzling piece of interplay between Myer and Schytaing left Natsume in their wake, as once more the effective Schytaing capitalised to put his team 2-0 up on the day.
However, the Nova were seemingly galvanised by conceding a second goal. Instead of continuing on their alarming descent into general mediocrity on the field, the team stepped it up a gear and began a sustained assault on the HopNation goal, urged on by their captain and manager. The Hops defence, not recognised for their solidity, was finally breached five minutes before half time, as Izawa chested down a loose ball in the area and lashed the ball across a stranded Subanos into goal. The score remained the same until the whistle blew for half time; the two teams went in, one with a tenuous lead that looked like it could slip from their grasp at any moment - the other, one goal down, but gradually beginning to rediscover their footing in the game.
When the game next restarted, it was Mizuyuki who once more regained the upper hand. The Nova exhibited some exemplary pressing play as they swarmed up the pitch into the opposing half, looking for another goal to level the scores; such was their efficacy that the Hops were harassed into no fewer than two crucial defensive mistakes, which would have been enough for Mizuyuki to establish a lead but for the profligacy of Honda and Ishibashi respectively; both of them skied their shots from around twenty yards when it seemed easier to hit the target. However, the offence kept chipping away, and their persistence was finally rewarded on the stroke of the hour as Smuemund, who had been unconvincing throughout, scythed through Izawa in full flight and earned a caution for his trouble. From the resulting direct free kick - twenty five yards away from goal in the left channel, Ishibashi took an opportunistic punt and was richly rewarded as her thunderbolt of a shot dipped just under the bar, well away from the 'keeper's despairing attempt to save.
From that point on, it was all Mizuyuki as the Nova continuously bombarded the hapless Hops 'keeper, who was forced to make save after save in order to keep his team in the game. If it were not for his heroic efforts, Mizuyuki would have long been out of sight come the final whistle. As it were, Subanos very nearly managed to preserve a point for his country - he managed to hold out against the unrelenting waves of attacks until the ninety-second minute, when Loontas put paid to his 'keeper's efforts with a hanging leg that sent Saten sprawling to the ground. Initially, it looked as if the contact between the two had been minimal, and indeed several Hoptonians took to remonstrating with the referee in an attempt to change his mind. However, the referee was unmoved as he pointed to the spot and cautioned Loontas. Saten, ever the reliable player, dusted herself off and took the penalty herself, stroking the ball low into the bottom right corner.
Four games, twelve points. The Mizuyukian juggernaut may have been given a run for their money, but they continue to progress towards the ultimate goal of qualification for the World Cup finals.
