Coach Masanobu Matsunami handed youngster Uchida his first start of the season, replacing Niwa at right back, and bringing Futagawa back into midfield for his first start in seven matches and the changes paid early dividends when Futagawa opened the scoring in the 3rd minute! Paulinho robbed a dithering defender, advanced to the byeline and his cross just cleared Sato in the centre, but Futagawa was on the spot, controlling the ball with his thigh and volleying home from close range.
Gamba continued to press and controlled the game with ease, with Kimura in the home goal a virtual spectator for the first half an hour. The familiar confident Gamba passing game seemed to have returned, the early goal obviously helping the confidence of the struggling team. Gamba could have gone 2-0 up when Konno hit the post with a header from an Endo corner, and a slick passing move ended with a square pass to Futagawa in a great position but the goalscorer completely missed his kick when a 2nd goal beckoned.
Sagan had failed to get anywhere near the goal as half time approached and had resorted to countless fouls and desperate tackles to stay in the game when Tozin went in high and deliberately on Uchida as the clock ticked past 40 minutes – a dangerous challenge. The fact that Uchida did not go down and did not make a meal of the challenge (while the Tosu forward DID stay down!) probably prevented the red card. Needless to say Tozin recovered with no ill effects when he realised he’d got away with just a yellow! It is worth noting that Min Woo Kim, who has been putting in some good performances for the away team was being kept well under wraps by Uchida, a Gamba youth graduate.
Gamba really should have been more than a single goal up at half time, with a Kurata through ball setting Sato free, but the forward poked the ball inches wide of the post as the keeper advanced and added time approached. It was all Gamba in the last few minutes, as they looked to extend a lead that was deservedly theirs but it stayed 1-0 at the break with Sagan not registering a single goal attempt in the half.
Sagan came out a little more after the break but still had just the Toyoda header that flew past a post to show for their efforts as the hour mark approached. Meanwhile, Kurata, in particular, was growing in stature and confidence and had a couple of chances – one blocked and one high and wide when a shot on target would have been a finish to a great move – before he was set free by Futagawa, with a sublime through pass, but an extra touch and three defenders stopped the Gamba midfielder from finishing off the move.
Abe replaced Paulinho on 65 minutes and, again, the change made the difference, as Uchida and Abe exchanged passes on the edge of the area, slipped the ball out to Endo and his low cross was turned in by Sato to finally make it 2-0!
And then, it was 2-1! A long throw (probably a foul throw, actually, but when do assistant referees ever take action on that back foot lifting?!) and a flicked header crept in off the far post.
Sagan must have sensed a chance to get back into the game but a deliberate hack at the calves of Abe – unpunished but for a free kick – didn’t help settle their defence, but Endo’s free kick was high, wide and not at all handsome. But then the referee decided he’d help the away team out and allowed Kurata to be taken down from behind, without action and Sagan took the ball upfield and there was an almighty goalmouth scramble which, if the away forwards had managed to get a goal out of would have been a huge injustice. When the ball finally went out, Kurata needed treatment and was, in fact replaced by Takei before the game restarted.
As Gamba continued to hold the ball for long periods, the fouls mounted as the home team got kicked and pushed, and the referee started to let things go, there were so many infringements. And then the official gave a foul as Sato attacked a cross – even though it was Kobayashi’s head well down, NOT Sato’s foot high! Kobayashi was probably close to a card – or two – when he got replaced in the 84th minute as the away team tried to hold back the blue and black tide. Abe, Sato and Endo combined in the 85th minute but the result was just another corner as the clock ran down. And then Sagan were level from nothing. A superb curling shot from Fujita into the top corner against the run of play as Gamba’s lead evaporated.
With minutes to go, Futagawa was withdrawn as Matsunami threw on Rafinha looking for maximum points and Gamba went for the win in added time of three minutes. And get it they almost did, when a quick throw found Rafinha, and his low cross was desperately hacked away as Abe looked to finish off the chance.
Going into the game, in such a lowly position, Gamba would probably have settled for a point but, after controlling so much of this game, they will be disappointed not to come out with a win, and, to make it worse, after constant pressure and desperate punches from the keeper, time ran out…. but the referee was obviously too scared of the consequences to blow the final whistle as the ball broke free (clutching at straws, I know, but considering the ball didn’t even go out in added time, the time was up as the keeper punched clear!) and Sagan broke, three on two, and took all three points.
Key points? Gamba may have returned to old ways, but those old ways included scoring more goals than the opposition…. if the referee allows numerous fouls without showing the cards, it’s time to dish out a few fouls of your own!
There was scattered booing and whistles from some of the Gamba fans but it seems that most will have seen the promising signs that this team showed and now it is up to everyone to pull together and make a performance like this count for something.
Kimura, Uchida, Nakazawa, Konno, Fujiharu, Myojin, Endo, Kurata (Takei, 73), Futagawa (Rafinha, 88), Paulinho (Abe, 65), Sato