20 Sep 2007(Thu)

September 18, 2007: The match is deep into injury time; the visitors are winning 2-1 and have made only two substitutions.

Guess what happens next?

That's right. There is movement on the visitors' bench, the board goes up and they want to replace the No. 11, a left winger, with No. 2, a central defender.

The No. 11 walks off as slowly as possible, eating up a few more precious seconds, and the No. 2 runs towards his own goal, where his team is defending a corner.

The ball comes over, the heads go up, the net bulges and the home team has grabbed a dramatic equaliser for 2-2. The away team kicks off and the full-time whistle blows.

Was the away team just unlucky, trying to bolster their defence for the corner?

Or did they get their just deserts for blatantly running down the clock and trying to spoil the rhythm of the match by making a meaningless substitution?

However you may view this "tactic", I feel that the move by Oita Trinita manager Chamusca backfired on him big-time against Kawasaki Frontale at Todoroki on Saturday evening.

The match was 1-1 as we entered three minutes of additional time, but Oita substitute Teppei Nishiyama quickly changed that by shooting home left-footed into the bottom corner for 2-1. Cue mayhem from the Oita fans behind the goal, the players and bench, who celebrated as if they had won the World Cup.

Frontale, naturally, pushed for a second equaliser, and forced a corner on the right. At this point, Chamusca tried to change Shingo Suzuki (11) for Takashi Miki (2), but the referee waved play on.

Oita defended the corner, but in doing so conceded another, this time on the left flank. Now Oita made the change. Ohashi, a Frontale substitute, swung over the kick, and Igawa, another Frontale sub, headed home with the Oita defence all at sea; 2-2. Restart. Final whistle. Cue Oita players dropping to the Todoroki turf Doha-style.

I can't help thinking that Chamusca shot himself in the foot with that late move. His team were focused, they were defending what was surely Frontale's last chance, and they were ready to attack the corner and clear their lines.

Then everything stopped for a few seconds as the change was made. Did they lower their guard and lose concentration, handing the initiative to Frontale?

I think this played a part in the equaliser, so the change actually worked in Frontale's favour rather than Trinita's.

Looking back, I am sure Chamusca must wish he had just kept playing and trusted his team's ability to hold on.

ends