Tokyo Verdy Beleza hope to stay at the top after long-awaited WE League triumph

Japan Times

21-05-2025

Mastering adverse conditions was something of a defining characteristic for Tokyo Verdy Beleza, who were crowned WE League champions on Saturday.
Japan's most successful women's soccer club added an 18th domestic league trophy to its cabinet this past weekend as it cruised to a 3-0 win over JEF United Chiba Ladies in wet and windy conditions at Nishigaoka in Tokyo's Kita Ward.
The triumph ends a six-year wait for league success and marks the club's first title of the professional era. Indeed, the early years of the WE League are denoted as something of a barren era for Beleza. For a team that stocks its ranks almost exclusively with homegrown talent, Beleza has struggled to replenish the holes left by top players such as Yui Hasegawa, Risa Shimizu and Narumi Miura, who each flew the Japanese nest for the big leagues overseas.
But now, the next batch of exciting young talent, aided by a sprinkling of experience in just the right places, has been able to deliver the goods and the Tokyo club seems to have carved a path back to its winning ways.
'The foundations of this side have been two years in the making,' captain Tomoko Muramatsu said in a heartfelt speech after the game. '(Head) coach (Takeo) Matsuda has always encouraged us to go one step further and now we are sure that the fruits of our labor have finally come to fruition.' Matsuda, whose contract will not be renewed for next season, was quick to congratulate his players on a job well done.
'We've been approaching every match as if it were a cup final and there were no special considerations today,' he said. 'Of course each player will have their own mentality but the important thing is that we perform at as close to 100% as possible. I think everyone expressed themselves well and we played well today.' Fans were treated to the most tightly contested WE League season to date, with the title race coming down to the last day. Beleza emerged triumphant over INAC Kobe on goal difference, as both teams finished on 51 points. The defending champion Urawa Reds finished third on 46.
A degree of detraction is likely to follow the achievement, however, as this year's title was won with the lowest points tally since the WE League increased its number of matches played per club to 22. Critics may also assert that Beleza's success had as much to do with the shortcomings of their competitors as it did their own efforts. Despite boasting the upper hand in the head-to-head against Beleza, INAC Kobe missed out by the narrowest of margins after rebuilding, quite seamlessly, from the loss of stars Mina Tanaka and Miyabi Moriya. Urawa, meanwhile, similarly persevered despite the loss of rampant goal scorer Kiko Seike and injuries to veterans Kozue Ando and Hikaru Naomoto.
But any claims that Beleza's success can be attributed to a disproportionate dose of fortune alone can be swiftly rebuffed by an impressive record of success in youth development. Of the top three finishers, it was indeed this year's champions who fielded the youngest starting 11 on the decisive final matchday, with an average age of 22.18. That compares with 25.36 for Kobe and 25 for Urawa. Teenage midfielder Miharu Shinjo was a standout player throughout the season and was rewarded with a call-up to the national team for its two-game exhibition series against Colombia in April. A further accolade was awarded to the technically blessed Yuzuki Yamamoto, who at age 22 became the youngest league MVP to date.
All this is to say that the talent factory that has also produced legendary Nadeshiko talents such as Homare Sawa and Mana Iwabuchi continues to operate with efficiency and might just be the means by which the Tokyo side stays at the top.
As for the tactical approach itself, Matsuda's preferred setup of having three players at the back will likely go down as the staple of this championship-winning team. The three central defenders enabled wingbacks Nanami Kitamura and Yuzuki Yamamoto to push high up the pitch, joining the attacking ranks with the aim of overloading the opposition in the final third. Out of possession, the wingbacks would fall back into the defensive line, allowing the formation to kaleidoscope into a solid structure of five capable of thwarting any counterattack.
Such was the versatility of this game plan that goals came from a variety of methods. Use of the wide areas, incisive passing combinations, shots from range and even the occasional set piece were all taken full advantage of as this sharpshooting Beleza side finished the season with a table-topping 50 goals scored. Both INAC and Reds conceded fewer goals, but it was ultimately the Tokyo side's potency in front of goal that carried it over the line when all was said and done.
Despite the dismal head-to-head performances against its closest rivals, it was Tokyo's resolute consistency that proved the decisive factor. Both INAC and Urawa stumbled often to teams lower down the table, constantly leaving them with ground to make up. It is true that lady luck shone a little brighter than usual on Beleza, but the importance of performing at the highest level week in, week out, cannot be overstated.
Looking ahead to next season, the club will surely be licking its lips at the prospect of competing in the AFC Women's Champions League and potentially the inaugural FIFA Women's Club World Cup.
While a successful title defense is likely to hinge on its ability to survive the summer transfer window intact, the dawn of a new prosperous era for this highly renowned club may well be upon us.