It’s very interesting seeing the back and forth between Musashino and Esperion. As Esperion first goes for direct soccer to take advantage of Musashino’s high press. Though Musashino showing they are well-coached, they can adapt to the direct passes. The real key for this match for Musashino is not Kaneda, but rather Mutou Chiakim, who is their playmaker. He was able to get everyone in the right positions. Seeing how Mutou plays, you can get a sense of why Fukuda wants Ashito to learn defense and communication.
Between the good adjustments by Nozomi which brought up Ashito, Asari and Kuroda allows them to play more direct soccer. Essentially, more players up front leave more options. With more options, their passes become less predictable. Then as Tachibana gets the score, it adds a much-needed spark to the Esperion team.
Still, the one who really got the team going was Ashito. As it was because of him that Tachibana was in a position to score. Ashito of course, assumed that Tachibana would give that extra effort. Which does show the type of influence Ashito has on his teammates. Also, the improvement in Ashito is evident as the combination of getting better at giving instructions and his vision makes him a big deal. With that said, you still have Ashito’s scoring instincts that haven’t gotten away. Of course his desire to score wouldn’t just disappear. How Ashito deals with balance in his play is most curious.
The offside trap that Musashino plays is interesting because it’s basically them all on it. They really embody the philosophy of high-risk soccer. It’s interesting how that is what allowed them to counter Esperion’s direct soccer play. One area of concern still going on is Togashi and Takeshima. While they have tried to progress forward, it’s obvious their chemistry wouldn’t suddenly magically become better overnight.
