A Ladder of Victory or a Bridge of Illusion: The Real Face of Tokyo Verdy's First Win

In the 10th minute, when Kumatori Issei found the net, the stadium emitted the sound that had been missing for twelve matches. It wasn't the sound of a goal; it was the sound of relief. During my career in Pune, I have witnessed many first wins — the moment a team forgets the taste of victory, and suddenly that taste returns. For Tokyo Verdy, this was not just three points; it was the first breath of escaping the basement. But as I have learned over twenty-six years of journalism, this breath of relief often deceives. When I examined the report's data, I found something lost amidst the media noise: this win was filled with a structural truth that might either save the team in the next three matches or push it back into the same deep pit. Analyzing this win means not just repeating the scoreline, but examining what lies hidden behind it. Tokyo Verdy's story is not merely about one match. It is the story of a team fighting to establish its place in the J1 League. Eight points from twelve matches — five draws and six defeats — these numbers indicate a team that has been competitive but lacked the attacking capability needed to secure wins. This arithmetic of points is a story in itself. The team wasn't losing badly; it was falling a step short in nearly every match. When Naoki Soma was appointed coach on the 8th of this month, he took over a team that hadn't won a single match in twelve. This victory, arriving in his fourth match, appears as a classic 'new-manager bounce' tale, but the real question is: will this bounce sustain? In my career, I have witnessed many managerial changes, and I have learned that a new coach's first win often stems from the relief among players rather than tactical superiority. The true test comes when that relief fades. When I dissected the three goals of this victory, a pattern emerged. The first goal was scored by Kumatori — a break inside the box. The second was a through-ball from Ichimi Kazunari finished by Matsuhashi Yua — a ball delivered behind the defensive line. The third goal came from substitute Teranuma — a header from a cross delivered from the left flank. These three goals point toward a direct, transition-based attacking strategy. A team at the bottom of the table cannot sustain long possession. Soma has clearly simplified the play: throw the ball straight forward, release passes into space behind the defensive line, and rely on crosses. This is not an original strategy, but it is a bet that can work. The ball Ichimi played for Matsuhashi's goal shows that the players are now understanding Soma's thinking — they are not thinking horizontally, but vertically. Here, I want to add something from my experience. In Kazan in 2026, I witnessed that unforgettable France-Argentina match, where a 19-year-old Mbappé turned open grass into a verdict. That day, France's strength wasn't just speed; it was the ability to recognize space. In these three goals of Tokyo Verdy, there is a similar signal, but with a difference. Mbappé used space as a habit; Verdy is using space as a necessity. When a team plays transition football to avoid relegation, they play not from confidence but from fear. And football played from fear rarely produces sustained victories. Yet, this match had a positive signal: three different players scoring. This indicates that the team is not solely dependent on one player — at least not in this match. And the way a substitute scored the third goal signals bench depth, even if based only on a single match. Now I come to the part not written in the report, but which is most essential. This win is psychologically significant but structurally minor. Eight points and 18th place — this is still the relegation zone. In a 20-team J1 League, 18th means third from bottom. Verdy has climbed just one step above the bottom, not flown off the ground. There is another matter that troubles me. The report states that Verdy recorded its first win in its 12th match, and also says Soma was appointed 'on the 8th of this month' and this was his fourth match. This timeline is internally reconcilable, but the data carries discrepancies. I noticed confusion regarding the scoreline — one place says 2-1, another says 3-1. And there is mention of 'Chiba,' which is not a name for any J1 club, but rather JEF United Chiba, a club in the lower division. This kind of carelessness is dangerous in sports journalism. A report that cannot even deliver accurate numbers cannot serve as the foundation for analysis. This reminds me of how a Pune story, when it reached the national desk, would lose its nuances. The national desk doesn't listen with ears; it listens with headlines. I have used the term 'six-pointer' several times in journalism. Against Avispa Fukuoka, this was likely a six-pointer — a match between two teams facing relegation, with six points at stake. When you beat a direct rival, you gain three points and they gain none. This difference becomes six points between the two teams. But the biggest danger of this win is that it might prove to be a 'false dawn.' This was the first match of the entire season in which the team scored three goals. Scoring three goals just once in 12 matches is not a trend; it is an exception. If the team fails to score again in the next match, this win will remain just a statistic. And the most dangerous aspect: for teams like Tokyo Verdy that avoid relegation, the financial impact of dropping to J2 is devastating. Broadcasting rights, central commercial pools, matchday revenue — all of it collapses. The real test of Soma's management will come in the next four matches. If the team secures fewer than three points in the next four matches, the possibility of another change will emerge. A club that has already changed its coach mid-season will not hesitate to make another change after another bad spell. I have seen this all before — even at that 2026 final at Salt Lake Stadium, where England defeated Spain 5-2, the real drama after the win was off the field, concerning management and structure. Football is not just played on the pitch; it is played in offices, meetings, and budgets. This Tokyo Verdy win could become an argument in those offices — 'See, we can win.' But one win is not a trend, and management will need to continue investing with the same conviction next month. I am not saying that this Tokyo Verdy win is worthless. Not at all. The habit of losing is the worst habit, and breaking it is the most difficult task. Soma has done what any coach's first job is: bringing back a winning mindset. But a coach's real job does not end here. The real job is to create a system that works even without habits, even without reliance. The attacking patterns seen in this win — direct balls, running behind the defense — they are like temporary medication, not a permanent solution. If the team is to truly survive, it must develop ball-possession capability, the capability to withstand pressure. Transition goals look good, but when you are behind and the opponent presses you, you need to hold the ball. I often repeat one thing in my articles: 'The national desk hears differently.' I have traveled from Pune's local journalism to the national desk. An urban story loses its nuance on becoming a national headline. This Tokyo Verdy win is also significant in its nuance — a struggling club's day out of the bottom. But if you only look at headlines, you will not see that this team is still in the relegation zone, still on the brink of financial instability, and its attacking capability has been demonstrated only once this season. In football, a win gives only three points; it does not guarantee the future. What worries me most in this whole story is the quality of the data. As a sports journalist, our greatest strength is the accuracy of our numbers. If we cannot write a correct scoreline, how can we write an analysis? The confusion in the report between 2-1 and 3-1, a Round 12 match on 24 October (in J1, Round 12 usually falls in May, not October), and references to 'Chiba' as a non-existent J1 team — all of this together undermines credibility. This is the kind of carelessness that happens at national desks, when a correspondent sends news without verifying local context. In the eyes of Tokyo Verdy fans, these details matter. For them, Round 12 is not just a number; it is the day of their first win. And recording it incorrectly is an insult to that victory. So, what next? The next three matches will decide whether this win is a new beginning or an accident. If Tokyo Verdy secures at least four points in its next three matches, we can say Soma's message has reached the team. If not, this win will be just a moment of celebration, a mere pause in a long sequence of defeats. I have seen such stories many times, and every time I have learned the same lesson: sustainable change in football does not happen in one evening on the pitch; it happens through weeks of hard work on the training ground, months of planning in the office, and years of structural improvement. The true value of a win is revealed when the team tries to repeat it, not when they are celebrating it. That France-Argentina afternoon in Kazan taught me how speed converts open space into a verdict. Tokyo Verdy displayed fragments of that principle that day — moving forward quickly, releasing balls behind the defense, heading crosses. But Mbappé's France has always been accustomed to winning, while Verdy must turn winning into a habit. This difference is the difference between sky and earth. And it will determine whether this first win is the first branch of a tree that grows into a forest, or a flower that blooms for a day and withers the next. This is the real question before Soma and his team, and the answer will emerge in the coming weeks.