Just A Few Things: Johor Darul Takzim Vs. Nagoya Grampus

That One Moment...

This was a rather tough loss to take for the Southern Tigers. Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) for all their efforts almost hasn’t put a foot wrong throughout this match. They had coped well defensively and played through Nagoya’s press as they played from the back. JDT themselves had at least a few decent chances such as Bergson Da Silva’s ambitious attempt that just curled away from goal. Not only that but JDT were also helped by an uninspiring Nagoya attack that, from a bigger picture, has prevented them for being much higher domestically.

But just that one moment of losing concentration can cost someone everything and that was what happened to the composed JDT defence. Mateus from the right, did well to beat out-of-sorts La’vere Corbin-Ong and proceeded to cut it back for Sho Inagaki who slipped and miskicked his shot. However, the ball went to the path of Ryogo Yamasaki who received it by the near post and he then cuts it back for Hiroyuki Abe to score from point-blank.

JDT players weren’t happy as they thought Yamasaki was offside. But replays showed the centre-forward was played well onside by Aussie defender Shane Lowry who was attempting to block a passing lane for Mateus just moments earlier. Save for that one moment, JDT’s defence did well. So you can understand why they will be disappointed with the result. And conceding the goal wasn’t the worst part of this defeat.

A Foul Or Just A Tussle?

The loss was even more bitter to swallow when you consider the fact Bergson’s last-minute equalizer perhaps should’ve stood when looking at the replays. A neat interchange between substitutes Ramadhan Saifullah and Matt Davies saw the latter playing a well-weighted cross. As the cross was coming in, Bergson and Nagoya defender Yasuki Kimoto were duelling and the former seemingly won the duel as he heads the ball in for an empathic equalizer

However, UAE referee Mohammed Abdulla immediately blew the whistle for a foul against Bergson instead of the goal, much to JDT’s shock. Replays showed the players in question were in a 50-50 tussle, having their hands on each other and Bergson seemingly won the duel. However, it seems as though the referee was swayed with how Kimoto fell over and hence, gave the foul in Nagoya’s favour. Sadly, there is no VAR for the group stages, so the decision stood. Overall, it was a frustrating night for the Southern Tigers.

19 And Going Strong

At only 19 years old, Arif Aiman just keeps getting better and better. The mentality shown by the young winger was immense. He kept calm whenever he had the ball and showed decent courage to take on Nagoya right-back Shunpei Naruse. Not only that, he did very well to track back and defend. He stood his ground well where he made two successful tackles and winning five out of nine ground duels. Though admittingly, his aerial duel win rate was dire at one out of six whenever a long ball is going towards him on the flank. If there’s one aspect that needs to be worked on, it’s his decision-making as there was one moment where he should’ve cut it back for Bergson instead of shooting from a tight angle.

You also have to consider the fact that Arif played on the left-wing rather than the right to accommodate Safawi Rasid. Facing a big team like Nagoya though, Arif did well on his ACL debut. The future is indeed bright for the young man.

A Different Kind Of No. 10

Leandro Velazquez finally gets a taste of continental action having been overlooked for Gonzalo Cabrera in the previous two seasons due to a rule that only permits a maximum of four foreign players (3+1 Asian player) in a squad. This was his first start in the AFC Champions League and he did well to command the midfield along with Natxo Insa. Sofascore gave him a rating of 7.1, the highest among JDT’s players. If you look at the stats, you can see why.

Velazquez had a passing accuracy of 88.6%, won four out of his six ground duels played two key passes in this rather laboured match. The heat map according to Sofascore showed the midfielder was all over the field, whether he was on the wings to help support his wingers or tracking back to defend by being part of a midfield line or press to give Nagoya some trouble breaking through as he blocked two of Nagoya’s shots. Maybe things could’ve been different had Velazquez been selected as among the four foreign players allowed in the past two seasons. Nevertheless, he gave a great account here as a reliable midfield marshal alongside Natxo Insa and Afiq Fazail.

They Will Probably Be Alright

It may not be the result they wanted, but there is a sense that JDT will probably be Ok in the AFC Champions League this season. As stated before, JDT’s defensive composure was brilliant and their midfield kept a distinct shape to not only block short passing lanes but also apply a press whenever Nagoya attempt to play from the back as touched by renowned regional football pundit Rhysh Rohan Rai.

If they keep being consistently solid like this and take their attacks much more effectively, JDT has what it takes to surprise people. Now they need to focus on Thailand’s Ratchaburi next and if there’s ever a chance to take three points from this group, it will be in this match.

THIS ARTICLE IS POWERED BY CYBERLYNX INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE: EDUCATION FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM