They were promoted from J3 to J2 and then to J1 under coach Tomohiro Katanozaka, where they were presented with challenges and struggled in J2 with coach Takahiro Shimohira, and then coach Katanozaka returned again – they grew by overcoming challenges while drifting around. Hinatsu Higurashi writes about the real life of Oita Trinita. In Part 18, now that it has been decided that the team will remain in J2, I would like to take another look at why coach Katanozaka’s “seamless football” has struggled.
October 27th, J2 Round 36. Oita Trinita played away against Blaublitz Akita and won 2-0. At the same time, Tochigi SC lost 0-1 to Shimizu S-Pulse, eliminating the possibility of Tochigi exceeding the points difference with the remaining teams with the remaining games, and Trinita’s remaining in J2 was confirmed.
This season has been a really tough road so far. Under coach Tomohiro Katanozaka, who was in charge for the first time in three seasons, he took steps to create a new style with the keyword “seamless football,” but just before the start of the season, there were a number of injuries to key candidates, and the preseason was positive. The clouds are scattered. Despite this, he initially tried to stick to what he had originally set out to do, but as the number of injured increased and their recovery was delayed, at one point nearly half of the force was forced to undergo rehabilitation and other menu adjustments. I had no choice but to change it.
If you repeatedly combine the players who are available at the time and adapt your opponent’s tactics, the base of your team will not develop and you will not be able to expect stable battles. Specially designated players who were forced to play at the beginning of the season returned to the university league after the summer. Head coach Katanozaka and his team tried to use all their wisdom, but the players were unable to see what the coach wanted to do, and they ended up playing in a state of uncertainty. Because the members were replaced and replaced without a foundation, the fighting style became even more erratic due to the characteristics of each member. As the players looked for something to rely on, coach Katanozaka gradually increased the amount of specific instructions he gave after the middle of the season, but the number of attacks decreased significantly after the initial shift from high press to middle block. . There were a series of games in which they only allowed two or three shots per game, which caused another headache.
Manager Katanozaka shouting in the technical area (Photo: OITA FC)
Continuing to change and fine-tune their formation, the number of chances created and shots gradually recovered, but the season progressed without increasing the pace of accumulating points due to easy mistakes and points conceded from weak defense. As the number of remaining games decreases, the urgency of the battle to remain in the team also increases. The team has clearly changed its goal to remaining in J2. They took advantage of the suspension period to redefine their defense with a[5-4-1]block, and from the match against Yokohama FC in Round 32, they used that strategy to grab points.
At one point, I cried over the bad luck of the team, with Shun Nagasawa, the leader in scoring, and Arata Watanabe, the second-place finisher, leaving the team at the same time, but towards the end of the season, Shun Ayukawa, Ren Ikeda, Shigehei, and Yu Yashiki finally joined the team. Long-term absentees such as Sei, Masato Machida, and Junki Satsukawa are returning one after another. With the addition of Nagasawa and Watanabe, the player base has recovered and the team’s condition has improved. They were cornered to the point where they were 5 points behind the J3 relegation zone, but their individual abilities were returned to the organization, and there were some bright spots in the fight for relegation.
Highlight video of Round 33 vs. Fujieda
As these elements worked together, they accumulated one point in the match against Yokohama FC and three points in the subsequent match against Fujieda MYFC. Trinita was determined to make a comeback from here, but the match against Vahren Nagasaki in round 34 unfortunately coincided with the Persimmon Drop at Peace Stadium for Trinita. They conceded many points due to mistakes and lost 1-4. I had to let go of the trend that had begun to turn upward.
A determined decision to “seal the build-up”
Although the situation was difficult, 18th place Tochigi also struggled to win, and the gap in points remained narrow. When the team reached the point where it was almost guaranteed that they would stay with just one more win, the manager switched to a more realistic strategy to avoid even more risk. The team, led by coach Katanozaka, suppressed the build-up that was their specialty and simply distributed the ball to the front line without any effort. Ayukawa and Yashiki, who pride themselves on their speed, got behind the opponent and increased their playing time in the opponent’s half. If the strengths of the team, who are technically skilled and have high attack power, come into play and they are able to increase the number of shots in the attacking third, they will be able to dominate the game and create more chances for set pieces.
In the match against Mito Holyhock in round 35, they did exactly that, and although they had a good feeling, they ended up winning 0-0 with just one point. On the other hand, Tochigi also had a scoreless draw with Zaspa Gunma, with the difference in points remaining at 5, with 3 games remaining. If Trinita wins in Round 36 and Tochigi is tied or worse, Trinita will remain and Tochigi will be demoted. Even if Trinita were to draw, if Tochigi lost, the gap in goal difference meant that they could almost stay in the match.
However, the opponent in Round 36 was Blaublitz. This is a team that has thoroughly and deeply instilled the strategy of simply applying power in front of both goals, which Trinita has adopted since Round 35, as a team style. Will Trinita’s tacked blade work against someone who is full of professionalism?
The team blew away those concerns with great enthusiasm. With simple tactics and clear tasks, the players no longer have any hesitation, and they attack and defend with a good sense of distance, outnumbering their strong opponents. Ayukawa, not overlooking his opponent’s mistakes, scored the first point, and soon Delran added another point. Blaublitz continued to attack without slowing down, so the match remained uncertain until the end, but Trinita managed to escape without conceding a goal and secure a spot in J2 with two games left on the road.
Highlight video of J2 Round 36, match against Akita
Why have the number of injured people increased so much?
General manager Teppei Nishiyama prefaces his analysis by saying, “Of course, I can say anything until it’s over,” regarding the team’s inability to improve as a team as their style of play has changed over and over again this season. ……
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Higurashi Hinatsu
A soccer writer based in Oita, born in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture. Writes for Oita Trinita’s official content “Toriten” and is in charge of Ergo Lasso Oita. His books include “From Oita to the World: The Challenge of Oita Trinita Youth”, “The Most Important “Normal” in Soccer”, “The Coach’s Abnormal Love – Or How I Came to Love This Business”, Savior Director Tomohiro Katanozaka” and “Katano Soccer Chronicle.” The latest edition will be released in March 2023, “Decisions and Coordination of Soccer Managers – Famous Generals Full of Wounds”. note：
