Vissel Kobe (Tokyo) 27.07.2024

Spurs had a scare in the third minute, when Nanasei Iino went down the Vissel right wing and crossed to the far post, where Osako struck a volley, but hit it into the ground with it bouncing over the goal with Vicario throwing himself towards the ball just in case it had been on target.  It was a tactic that the energetic Kobe side looked to use at every occasion with early crosses initially causing problems, with Davies having to block a shot from Iino after the ball from one cross had been cleared.  It was another ball across goal that led to Kobe opening the scoring.  With the ball seemingly heading out for a goal kick as it went across goal, Pape Matar Sarr didn’t realise that there was no danger and stretched to stop the ball going beyond him, directing back the way it had come for Osako to finish high into the net from the edge of the six-yard box.  It was an unnecessary goal to concede and has to be put down to a lack of communication and put Spurs on the back foot.

It was the trigger Tottenham needed to start playing.  Being mid-season for Kobe, they were more energetic, even though the weather wasn’t quite as humid at kick-off as it had been in the previous few days.  It had been 45C so this was decidedly cooler than that !  Maddison started to find his targets with his passing and Johnson was testing his marker on our right flank.  It was down that side that the Spurs equaliser came from.  Archie Gray played a straight ball into Kulusevski, who held off a challenge to play it wide to Johnson and he returned the pass allowing Dejan to flick the ball forward through his legs as Pedro Porro ran into the box.  He showed right and then chopped the ball inside to slide a shot past the keeper’s right.  Pedro didn’t hit it that cleanly, but there was enough pace on the ball to get it beyond Maekawa in what was a very well-worked goal.  Straight away Tottenham looked energised and Son was soon testing the keeper with a powerful shot as he came in off the left.  The story was much the same for the rest of the half.  

Spurs broke from a Kobe corner and Maddison turned the ball around the corner for Kulusevski to run onto in yards of space in his own half.  His touch took the ball past Kikuchi just level with the edge of the centre circle, but the Japanese central defender made sure that Dejan didn’t get past him, bringing him down with a yellow card given by the referee for the cynical foul.  There were some incredibly loud fireworks 30 minutes into the match coming from outside the ground .  Continuing to push forward, Spurs won a couple of corners which they tried to work with a ball to the edge of the box, with one to Kulusevski blocked.  It ran to Gray, who showed quick feet to go past three players, but his intended pass to Son was intercepted.  However, Archie wasn’t done yet, as he went back to win the ball and eventually find Sonny.  One of the corners had come about when James Maddison put a pass inside the Kobe right back and Son played the ball low across goal for Johnson to come in at the far post, but Hatsuse made a great tackle to put the ball out for a corner before Brennan could get there.

There weren’t as many half-time changes as in previous games, with Donley on for Ben Davies, Austin for Vicario, Bergvall for Maddison and Skipp for Bissouma, but Ollie slipped into the back four allowing Archie Gray to move into a defensive midfield position.  It didn’t take long for the second half side to click as in the second minute after the restart, Spurs had gone ahead.  Porro drove a ball down the right for Johnson to get on his bike and he out-paced sub Honda to play a first time ball across the box where Son ran on to it to put it back across the newly arrived keeper to make it 2-1.

Ten minutes into the half, Kobe had a couple of attacks, with one low ball across the goal not finding a recipient and then they worked a quick break that led to Sasaki side-footing a shot directly at Brandon Austin, who took the ball comfortably low down at his feet.  After a couple more subs, Tottenham were looking for more.  The ball was won well by Porro and moved right before Manor Solomon, who had just come on, laid to back to the back of the D for Jamie Donley to curl a shot that hit the outside of the keeper’s right-hand post.  Mikey Moore had also come on with Solomon as Johnson and Son had departed and the youngster was presented with a great opportunity after some good build-up play and inside box on the right his low shot beat the keeper, but not the back of substitute Iwanami.

Similar to Porro’s goal, Kobe equalised in the 65th minute, with the ball played out to Jean Patric in the penalty area to the right and he came inside, with a shot coming off Royal’s thigh as he dived in to block and going in at the far post.  It was a little disappointing to let Kobe back into the match, but it was a well taken goal and it meant that Spurs had to respond once more. 

What we were treated to was a display by our younger players that included Bergvall performing drag-backs, the team playing out from the back through the midfield to forwards and Mikey Moore showing his ability to wriggle free from tight situations.  Skippy looked at ease in the central defensive role he has been given and took the armband when Sonny was substituted.  Both Spence and Devine looked eager to impress and worked well together down the right hand side.  Devine put an inviting ball across the face of goal which Will Lankshear was just unable to reach before cracking a shot that the keeper had to punch away and then Donley hit a volley that he controlled really well, forcing the keeper to dive to tip it over.  Some fantastic first time passing around the Kobe box featuring Spence, Bergvall and Devine produced the stereotypical ball across the face of goal that Lankshear couldn’t reach this time because his shirt was being pulled back, although the referee didn’t think so.  Donley turned provider when he lifted a cross to the far post from the left of the area and Moore was there, but throwing himself to head it, he put it over the top. 

With new legs, the Spurs high press was forcing turnovers but they were unable to turn them into goals.  Moore was found on the right and his pass inside the full back picked out Spence running into the box.  A firm ball across goal was touched by the keeper which was enough to take it away from Lankshear and pushed Devine wide of the far post, but it was recycled for Solomon to have a shot that he put over the far angle of goal and post.  Just when it looked as though the game was heading for penalties, Solomon received the ball on the left and his pass outside him to Donley was played between the legs of the defender in front of him putting it to Mikey Moore, who was alone in the middle of the six-yard box to knock it in to make it 3-2.  It shouldn’t be under-estimated the role that Lankshear played in making that space for Moore by taking a defender towards the near post allowing Mikey to drop into that area.  It was another well created goal and showed the awareness of players on and off the ball as to where they need to be.

The match provided a better competitive atmosphere, but Spurs looked Vissel’s equal in terms of energy and perhaps bettered them in terms of creating chances.  There could have been a few more goals for Tottenham, but there wasn’t too much to trouble the defence after the early exchanges.  Along with the win, perhaps more important was that there were a number of performances that must have made an impact on Ange Postecoglou.  Bergvall, Donley and Moore all look very confident and have slotted in without any problems, Davies and Vicario back in the side getting their first run-outs and others did their claims for a squad place no harm.

So, it is on to South Korea for the final two games of the Asian tour and no doubt there will be further additions to the squad, with new signings, players returning from injury and the international players who were involved in tournaments this summer all coming back.  While these are only friendlies, it is exciting to see how all the pieces of the jig-saw are fitting together with the aim of being ready for the start of the Premier League campaign.

Sparky Marky

• HEDGUIOFG