Match Day 15 Preview: 5/25/2019 (H) FCR vs. Albirex Niigata (A) at the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium, Kickoff at 1930.
Weather Forecast: Temperatures will be in the high 70s (77F/25C) at kickoff, and it should feel around 80F/26.7C for most of the match with the humidity. There will be a constant 12-13mph wind and only a 5% chance of rain so come on out and enjoy one of the best weather days for a match that we’ve had in a long time.
Each team enters the week 15 contest fresh off a loss. FCR suffered their loss against Okayama on the road after they conceded a PK while Niigata saw a 2 goal first half lead against Ehime disappear and lose 3-2 at home. Yet again, FCR finds themselves in need of a win against an opponent who is near them in the table. As with all FCR home previews to date, the boys will once again look to increase their home undefeated streak, this time to 29.
Albirex Niigata 13th in J2 with 17 points, 4W5D5L, Current Form: DDWLL, GF19 GA 17 +2
Record Against Top 11 teams in J2 table: 1W5D2L; Against Bottom 11: 3W0D3L
Record Against Common Opponents of FCR this year: 3W4D4L; GF15 GA13 in these competitions.
Away Match Statistics: Record: 2W4D2L; Away GF12 GA10 +2 Overall goal scoring record; Niigata have not won away from home since 3/16/19 versus Yokohama FC and have earned 3 draws and 2 losses in their last 5 road matches.
Typical Formation 4-2-3-1.
Albirex, like Okayama last week, are a very similar team to FCR. They sit just 3 points behind FCR in the table and are 5 points clear from the bottom. Nothing really stood out in any of the 4 matches I viewed for this preview that signals a strength or weakness of Niigata. They played well against Mito and Yamaguchi and then had two massive let downs against Nagasaki and Ehime.
Against Nagasaki they were down two goals at half time and unable to recover. Against Ehime they were up two goals at half and seemed to switch off and allow Ehime to score 3 second half goals. This team has the ability to light up the scoreboard as they’ve scored multiple goals in 7 competitions this year, but they can also be pegged back as they’ve conceded multiple goals 4 times in those 7 matches resulting in 2 draws and 2 losses.
Niigata Players to Watch:
FW #9 Leonardo and MF #18 Ryoma Watanabe are the top goal scorers for Niigata this season with 4 each. Watanabe is their best play-maker in the attack and set up a nice goal this past weekend.
MF #33 Yoshiaki Takagi and FW #11 Arata Watanabe are the joint top assist leaders for Niigata with 3.
FW #19 Kisho Yano. An often-used substitute late in matches for Niigata. Not a spectacular goal scorer, as he’s only netted one so far this season, but he is someone that can provide a distinct height advantage (187cm) for Albirex. Former Japan National Team member.
FC Ryukyu: 9th in J2 with 20 points, 5W5D4L, Current Form: LDLWL, GF19 GA16 +3
Record Against Bottom 11 Teams in J2 Table: 3W2D3L; Against Top 11: 2W3D1L
Record Against Common Opponents of Niigata this year: 4W5D2L GF14 GA10 in these competitions.
Home Match Statistics: Record 4W3D; Home GF12 GA6 +6 Overall goal scoring record at home; 2 wins and 3 draws in last 5 home matches but FCR hasn’t scored more than one goal in any match since the 3/30/19 game against Renofa; FCR are averaging 4,834 fans per match.
Typical Formation: 4-2-3-1
FC Ryukyu returns home after having suffered a defeat against Okayama this past week. Ryukyu came out firing in the first half and on a different day maybe one of those Koji Suzuki strikes would have found the back of the net. In the end they didn’t and FC Ryukyu were absolutely shell-shocked by Okayama to start the second half. They nearly conceded on a couple of occasions and it wasn’t until Okayama was awarded a PK that the deadlock was broke and Fagiano were on top. FC Ryukyu struggled to create any real chances in the second half outside of a diving Tanaka header that almost tied the match and lost 1-0.
This was also the second match in a row in which FC Ryukyu were resorting to short corners vice crosses into the box. None of these set pieces have worked the past 2 weeks and FCR opponents are becoming accustomed to FCR’s inability to score from set pieces. This is an issue I hope they addressed on the training ground this past week.
FCR keys to Victory:
1.) Maintain high levels of focus and concentration for the full 90 minutes. FCR switched off early in the second half last week and paid dearly for it. They cannot afford to do this against a very similar opponent as they will certainly take advantage of that mistake. This has been a theme for Ryukyu throughout the season and it has hurt them on multiple occasions and I have no explanation as to why it occurs with such regularity. Higuchi needs to prepare them mentally during the half time speech and lock them in as this side has started fast over the last 6-7 weeks and faded late.
2.) Goals, multiple goals. It goes without saying that the Ryukyu attack has slowed down quite a bit the past 8 weeks and I think we all would love to see them firing again. This is an evenly matched game against two teams who play similar styles of football and use similar formations. FCR must be clinical in front of goal and pounce on any Niigata mistake. They also need to maintain their intensity in the second half, similar to the match against Zelvia and see out the game. If FCR are unsuccessful in scoring any goals during their fast start, then they need to carry that over into the second half.
3.) More creativity on set pieces. Short corners are not working and the FCR FKs are not that great either. These are golden opportunities to score each week and it is the second least successful part of the FCR game. The first being defending set pieces.
Match Prediction:
Both teams to score and FCR achieves their first multiple goal game in 8 matches but we draw 2-2 at home.
Admin Notes:
The shuttle buses are running from Awase Port for those who show up late and need a place to park. Not a bad service either as it removes you from the massive traffic jam bubble after each match.
It should be great weather tomorrow night so please show up in full force to offset the Orange Wave that is rolling into Okinawa. Come on lads!!!
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