the antlers

the other day i was watching kashima antlers play fc tokyo in heavy fog, a game in which a draw will take them top of the j-league.


while fc tokyo had some flashes of brilliance, one couldnt deny that the antlers were pretty much in control. and though fc tokyo took the lead early in the first half, marquinhos equalised after less than 5 minutes. then, motoyama slammed home a drilled ball across to complete a sweeping antlers move. and with 5 minutes to go, the antlers scored a third.

and at the start of injury time, they got a corner. and i guess most team would just send 2 or 3 men up as a token gesture. not this team. 6 went up, including the centerbacks. but danilo got the goal. 4-1. and the rest of the injury time saw the ball mostly in fc tokyo's half.

fc tokyo actually played quite well. most people would argue that 4-1 wasnt a fair reflection of the play. the second half was end-to-end, with both sides having the chances. but you got to give it to the antlers- they just have this killer instinct, they just want to keep scoring, even when the match is safe. if they made the scoreline flattering for themselves, it is because they have earned it.

to me, they are easily the best attacking team in the j-league. i love the way they move the ball up the field so quickly, the options are always there. that's what make them tick. the midfield has no wingers. for what? in toru araiba, a defender who wears the number 7, that tells you a bit about him, and uchida, they essentially have 2 wingers and 2 full-backs. and motoyama and marquinhos are more than able to drift to the flanks to take over the winger duties as well.

aoki and nozawa are the holding midfielders who are not afraid to take shots or even get into the area. but with a goal down, one was taken off for the more offensive-oriented danilo, such that it becomes 4-1-1-2-2. and the move paid off. after the equaliser, the game had already opened up, so the pattern was essentially- win the ball back, get the ball to ogasawara, ogasawara release someone, the pitch is then stretched, and the man with the ball either try to beat the defender or the defence, as the rest of the players pour forward.

the antlers have been named the Galloping Herds of Ibaraki. when you watch them attack, you understand why.

and they are not only good at scoring goals, they are also decent at defending. in fact, they have the best attack and best defence in the league. oiwa and iwamasa do their job perfectly. sogahata is a steady no-nonsense keeper.

the best form of defence is a good attack. always, always attack. but when you have to defend, you jolly well defend well.