Intro
Another game, another draw for FC Ryukyu. We’ve pushed the win less streak to 8 games this season but as a whole, the performances we see each week by FC Ryukyu are improving. Therefore, we should be encouraged moving forward despite the numbers in the points and win columns.
- Match Recap
- Man of the Match
- Review of the Keys to Victory
- Match Day 8 Prediction
- Match Day Takeaways
- Round 8 in J2
- Top Goals from Round 8
- Conclusion
1. Match Recap
Another hard earned, heart breaking draw for FC Ryukyu. Goals from set pieces by Iwata wiped out the lovely goals from open play by Ikeda and Uehara. It was unfortunate that the final goal of Iwata came after a blatant foul on Tanaka, and even more unfortunate that Uesato tipped it in to the back the net after he got a foot to the shot.
2. Man of the Match
FC Ryukyu MF Ren Ikeda: Ren added his second goal of the season yesterday but he also put in a very workman like performance while in defense. The same could be said about Koizumi and Dany who is playing inspired these days.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory
1. Play relaxed: Likelihood 2. I would say that they did. Jubilo had a massive amount of possession, and FC Ryukyu never pressed to go out in front or recover from a deficit. They simply let the game come to them and capitalized on the opportunities presented to them.
4. Match Day 8 Prediction
I said 2-1 to Iwata and it ended 2-2. 0-2-6 for the year.
5. Match Day 8 Takeaways
1. The New Formation: FC Ryukyu switched to a 4-1-4-1 last night and I must say, they looked much better than they have the past 5 weeks. Yes, Jubilo out possessed us by a very wide margin, but the defending was far better. Jubilo was often frustrated by blocked shooting lanes which forced them into long range desperation shots that Dany was easily able to track and stop. In fact the two Iwata goals came from set pieces. I am glad the switch has been made as it will allow some rest for the players as we move forward.
2. The timing of our substitutions was a bit off: It was evident during last nights game that FC Ryukyu need to rest Numata at some point. This would probably mean Fukui is back in the lineup but Tanaka has shown that it really doesn’t matter who plays the FB roles these days.
3. Uehara is lethal in the air and valuable asset if he can get service: We’ve seen this out of him before but he struggles with the ball at his feet. He is best used in brief spells where he can make an immediate impact which means we are still in need of a 3rd striker soon.
4. The refereeing was abysmal: This obviously sounds like something a fan would say after their team was done in by a bad call near the end that drastically changed the outcome of the match. While the team cannot dwell on what happened, as they need to focus on Okayama in less than 48 hours, we as fans can. There were a few missed calls from the refereeing crew last night but none more blatant than Tanaka being shoved out of bounds on the touch line which rewarded Iwata with the CK that they equalized on. There are countless times you that you see this same exact play in leagues around the world, and it is called a foul in favor of the defender almost all the time. The shove was pretty blatant and caught on film. You have to wonder what the ref and his crew were focused on at that moment. Granted, Iwata did not score on that play and FC Ryukyu still had the ability to defend the CK, but we all know how it ended. It is hard enough to end a win-less drought when you are struggling for form. Its even harder when the refs act as a 12th man for the opposition. Enough said on that.
5. You should be excited as a FC Ryukyu fan for the abundance of youthful talent in the squad. Ikeda, Koizumi, Yamaguchi, Suzuki, and Motegi are a tremendous foundation from which to build. They all require some polishing but that will come with more game time. Throw in the recent contract extension of Dany Carvajal through 2022 and we may see a much better squad next year.
6. Round 8 in J2
Nagasaki remains top; Giravanz continues to surprise; and Kyoto are struggling for wins. Also, it seemed like this round had a lot of late goals to change the outcome of several matches.
7. Top Goals from Round 8
#1. Takumu Kawamura from distance. (4:13)
#2. Stefan’s chip from long range (2:18)
#3. Junya Osaki’s deflection (1:04)
8. Conclusion
FC Ryukyu head out for a 2-game road trip starting with Okayama Fagiano on Saturday. This will mean that many FC Ryukyu fans will get to see Uejo and Tokumoto facing their old team for the first time.
The performances by Ryukyu have been getting better, now it is time the results started to go our way. Despite not winning this season, the current win-less drought is not similar to the one we were experiencing at this point last year. We still need to score more than one goal per game, but I think that we will see more multiple goal games very soon. As it stands, FC Ryukyu close out July with an 0-3-3 record. Good enough for 21st place in the table. I’ll see you tomorrow with the Match Day 9 preview against Okayama.
Good luck and stay safe.
ryukyuarmy.com 
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