NEWSニュース

【English Report】FC Gifu vs Avispa Fukuoka by Stuart Smith

FC Gifu hosted Avispa Fukuoka on the final day of the J2 season, with 0-0 draw rounding off the 2018 season.

 

Contrary to weather reports earlier in the week, the weather was as perfect as it could be in November, with sun and clear skies allowing nearly 9,000 people to come to the stadium. Before the game there were, as usual, lots of events for supporters to enjoy. Before the game, the club was presented with a donation of ¥21,834,000 from the FC Gifu supporters association chairman Mr.Kishino.

 

As for pre-game events, firstly FC Gifu ambassador, and recently graduated SKE48 member Machi Otoha did a talk event on the CCN stage. This was followed by performances from Green Angels cheerleaders, GGG cheer dance team and Fuyu Rakusho traditional dance team from Mizuho city.

GGG performed in front of the main stand, and were then on hand to help Club president Hiroyuki Miyata to present a bunch of flowers to Machi Otoha, who is to graduate from idol group SKE48.


For our traditional centre circle support message, local television presenter and DAZN FC Gifu pitch reporter Keiko Nakatsuji was joined by Applen-chan to deliver a positive message before the game.

 

This year, one of the main features of the Nagaragawa Memorial Centre stadium experience has been hearing & watching Stadium DJ Ryousuke Kuze & Tomoyasu Hiramatsu announce the starting eleven & substitutes. The two of them proceeded to give the supporters a great show by announcing FC Gifu's starting eleven and substitutes together.

 

The two captains were presented with persimmon souvenir promotional boards by Mizuho mayor Toshiaki Tanahashi and Mizunami Buono Pork souvenir promotional boards by Mizunami mayor Koji Mizuno.

 

The kick in ceremony, where the match ball is ceremonially passed to the referee, was performed by Gifu Newspaper Group senior managing director Mr. Kaoru Yajima and after that, we were all set for kick off.

 

On to the game itself, and, as expected with a J1 promotion play-off spot on the line, Avispa started quickly and forced Gifu into defending almost immediately. But, in a sign of how the game was to progress, Gifu quickly battled back into it and Yuya Yamagishi’s goal bound header was blocked by a desperate Fukuoka defender. The game swung back Avispa’s way, and the next ten minutes presented chances for Riki Matsuda and Jun Suzuki, but the visitors were unable to take advantage.

 

From then on it was all Gifu. Ryan De Vries saw a shot blocked by Avispa ‘keeper Kakoi; Paulo Tanaka curled an effort over the bar and then captain Masanori Abe saw his powerful header fly just over. Even though there were no goals it was a thoroughly entertaining first half of football, with the promise of more to come in the second 45 minutes.

At half time, the final “half time caravan” of the year saw all of Gifu’s promotional ambassadors - Machi Otoha, Matsuri nine, Nene Ito, GGG, Giffy and Minamo - tour the pitch so supporters could get the last photos of the year with them.


FC Gifu had finished the first half stronger and carried that form into the second half too. De Vries had a chance to score after a great through ball by Koya Kazama, but he just couldn’t keep his shot under the bar. Gifu were making all the play, but a counter attack from Avispa saw Victor making a very smart stop low to his right to deny Hisashi Jogo. Both sides continued to attack, but neither was able to find a winning goal and the match finished 0-0.


After the game, the scene was set to announce the FC Gifu “2018 MVP” - voted for by the supporters - and the winner goalkeeper Victor. A very popular winner (and the second consecutive Spanish player after Sisinio in 2017), Victor had an excellent year - a lot of the time looking like he was the best goalkeeper in the league - and he was presented with a ¥1,000,000 prize by NKG Spark Plugs director/executive officer Mikihiko Kato before making a short speech in Japanese - maybe Sisinio has been giving him lessons!

 

After that we heard from captain Yuto Ono, manager Takeshi Oki, supporters association chairman Mr. Kishino and finally from club president Hiroyuki Miyata.The supporters held up a banner that said “Takeshi Oki - let’s go to J1” as Oki stated that his aim is progress and go much higher next season. After the speeches it was time for everybody - and I mean EVERYBODY - to gather behind the goal for the traditional end of season photograph.


After the game, Ryan De Vries said “We should have won. We played really well at times, but we just couldn’t finish. We showed what we can do today, and it was nice to finish with a positive performance.”

And that wrapped up the 2018 season for FC Gifu. A sometimes brilliant, sometimes difficult season. But the form at the end, only one defeat in the last six games should provide optimism for next year.