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Hachioji Park, Monday 17th September,
Saitama Jets crashed to a heavy defeat against reigning champions BFC at Hachioji Park on Monday evening with all the goals coming in the second half. Despite the one-sided nature of the score the Saitama team matched the British for long periods and will feel a little aggrieved at the margin of defeat.
The game started at a brisk pace despite the humid conditions and never really let up, with both sides holding the other at arms length for most of the first half. BFC had periods of pressure but couldn’t penetrate the Jets’ rearguard and their best chances of scoring came from free kicks crossed into the area, won on the Jets left by eternal danger-man Shosuke. One of these free-kicks went deep to the back post and was headed back across goal where it ping-ponged around before flying narrowly wide of the Jets goal. The Jets were forced to play slightly deeper than they would have wished, but used the pace of striker Loren to good effect, winning the ball in their own half and launching counter attacks which were a constant irritant to the British defence. In a pretty even half the Jets could even lay claim to the two best chances late on. First Loren muscled his way through a couple of challenges and let fly from the edge of the box, but his effort was just a little too high and too wide. Not long after Gildart found himself in the clear but delayed his strike just long enough to allow a defender to get back and block.
In truth, with a bit more composure on the flanks and at the centre of defence, Saitama could have imposed themselves on the Champions to a much greater extent. Too often, rather than playing through midfield- the wide players were sending long balls over the top, which were meat and drink to the British defenders, whilst the Jets’ centre backs were adhering stringently to the ‘if in doubt; clout’ philosophy, greatly endangering any avian life passing overhead. Just prior to half time Matt Turner came into the centre of defence and the big Canadian, not generally recognized for his finesse, offered a couple of lessons in accomplished defending. First, as a BFC attack was repelled the ball fell to Turner on the edge of the area and the big man took a touch to control the ball and dinked a lovely 5 yard pass into midfield to set the Jets away on the counter, but better was to come. Minutes later Turner slid in and hooked the ball away from a BFC attacker and, maintaining possession, found Sasaki in the midfield, he then set off on a determined run down the flank and receiving the ball back got into a crossing position on the edge of the opposition box. Great defending!
0-0 at half time and having matched the British and asked a few questions of their own the Jets were possibly a bit too pleased with themselves, after all you don’t get given any points at the halfway stage. Within five minutes of the restart Saitama found themselves two very unfortunate goals down. The first was a bouncing ball into the box and an attempted clearance sliced off a defensive boot and looped agonisingly over Harada in the Jets’ goal. 1-0. Two minutes later BFC’s Japanese right-winger took an uncharacteristic heavy touch and, with the ball heading harmlessly out for a goal kick, fell over. The ref’ had no hesitation in pointing to the spot amid howls of protest from outraged Jets. It was a shocking decision. However, to be fair, there were a couple of other occasions when the same player had decent shouts for a PK which were denied, but if your not going to be gutted about conceding a soft penalty like that you really shouldn’t be out there to begin with. The kick was expertly put away despite Harada’s decent attempt at a save. 2-0 and with the British full of confidence the Jets were in danger of wilting. Shosuke, having been contained in the first half was starting to have a bit of a field day, being allowed to pick the ball up in his own half and run with it into the Saitama area with impunity. The cunning tactical ploy of bringing on the Jets oldest (and probably slowest) player and playing him out of position on the left of midfield mysteriously did little to take the wind out of the skinny Japanese’s sails and it wasn’t long before, given all the time in the world, the winger played a perfect pass behind the Jets defence for a strong running midfielder to latch onto and clip past the onrushing ‘keeper. 3-0. Seemingly in danger of going under, the Jets stepped it up and the British responded, the tackles started flying in and the old TML favourite, ‘the handbag’ made a cameo appearance. But despite starting to threaten the BFC goal it was the Jets who conceded yet again, this time from the left as the winger cut inside, rode a few challenges and lashed an unstoppable shot back across goal and into the bottom corner. 4-0.
In the space of 20 minutes the Jets had been reminded why their opponents had won the title last season. At this point the British, quite correctly, felt they had the points in the bag and the Jets started to dominate as they attempted to put some respectability on the score-line. A few promising situations came and went before Gildart finally got some reward for his evening of hard, but generally unrewarding work. The BFC midfield must have already been in the showers as they were nowhere to be seen when a ball from centre half Eite was allowed to travel along the ground from inside the Jets half to the edge of the BFC area. Keating just had to apply the simplest of touches to turn the ball into the path of Gildart who finished clinically from 10 yards to notch his third goal in two games. 4-1, but it was too little too late and shortly after the ref’ brought an enjoyable and well contested game to its end.
The British title defence rolls on and for the Jets, despite being bitterly disappointed about conceding four times, especially the first two, a very encouraging performance offers the promise of more rewarding days ahead.
Report by Rob Keating
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