16 Apr 2009(Thu)

April 14, 2009: While it is always nice to score the picture-perfect goal, there is nothing wrong with some good old long-ball football when the occasion demands.

This was the case at Mitsuzawa Stadium on Saturday afternoon, when Yokohama F Marinos romped to a 5-0 victory over a very poor Vissel Kobe team.

Three of the five goals came from straightforward long balls which the Vissel defence failed to handle; the other two were a left-wing break and flashing right-foot drive from Koji Yamase and a free kick from Kenta Kano which bounced over Tatsuya Enomoto.

The opening minutes of a game are always a good time to test the opposition with a long ball. First, it puts them under immediate pressure when the nerves are still settling and can produce a mistake, and second it keeps the ball well away from your own goal and cuts out any chance of one of your own players making a mistake in a dangerous area.

It may not be attractive to the purist, but it gets results, as the Marinos fans quickly discovered.

A long ball from Matsuda, nifty footwork from Hyodo and a super finish from Watanabe with a sliding half-volley; 1-0 after two minutes.

A long clearance from Kim, indecision at the back between Miyamoto and keeper Enomoto and Watanabe flicks in his second goal of the afternoon; 3-0 after 21 minutes.

A long and seemingly harmless pass from Tanaka, Enomoto in all sorts of trouble again, Yamase scores with ease; 4-0 after 48 minutes.

For a team that needs a win, which Marinos did after two defeats and two draws in their opening four league games, this safety-first, no-frills approach produced positive results and builds confidence for the future.

The Vissel defence helped matters considerably, and Marinos know they cannot expect as many gifts as that, but the pressure of the long ball and the direct route led to most of the Vissel mistakes.

There is a time and a place for everything in football, but so often the simple way is the best.

ends