People you should know-The ones that got away

Although their time with Verdy was rather short, their impact on the team's future is immense. Nobuhiro Ishizaki is a coach that has floated around J1 and J2 for awhile, having stints with Montedio Yamagata, Oita Trinita, Kawasaki Frontale, and Shimizu S-Pulse before finding himself on Ossie Ardilles 2005 staff. After a string of disasterous losses, Ardilles was catapulted and Ishizaki was inserted and charged with getting the squad ready for a little team from Spain you might have heard of.........REAL MADRID. Long story short, a Verdy squad with a huge chip on their shoulders came out and smacked REAL MADRID in the mouth, causing superstars Ronaldo and David Beckham to try and go after (current Sanfrecce Hiroshima) MF Kazuyuki Toda. Verdy would go on to win that game 3-0 and also beat Fiorentina in another friendly. Ishizaki was replaced by a Brazilian coach who then led them to relegation. Currently Ishizaki has Kashiwa Reysol in first place in J2 and well on their way to promotion.
Another J2 coach with ties to Verdy is Yokohama FC head man Takuya Takagi. Takagi was a mainstay on the National team who came to Verdy after a brilliant career for Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Unfortunately Takagi was hobbled by injury and didn't have the desired effect that (then) Verdy Kawasaki had hoped for. Actually Takagi was part of the new philosophy of bringing in overpriced name players who were better in reputation than skill. 1998 is really the penultimate moment of Verdy decline and Takagi was part of it. He finished his career in 2000 in Sapporo.

This year found Takagi in the limelight yet again as head man for a surprisingly resurgent Yokohama FC after Yusuke Adachi was jettisoned after the first game because of a humiliating loss to J League newcomers Ehime FC. Teaming up with former Verdy and National Team strike partner Kazu Miura, Yokohama FC has been surprisingly known for it's defensive prowess and lack of offensive firepower.

Two coaches that got away and now have their squads in sight of the big time.