FC Ryukyu finally defeated Renofa Yamaguchi FC at home for the first time in their history. The game itself was not as nearly as exciting as the result since the weather conditions, and roster selections, really slowed the pace of the match. Despite the 3 points for Ryukyu, they were unable to move up in the table. Though they had a shot to jump at least one spot had Uehara hit that goal in the second half.
FC Ryukyu GK Dany Carvajal. Dany earns his second man of the match in a row after shutting out Renofa. Dany has been in superb form since Kyoto and made some crucial saves last night to guarantee FC Ryukyu all three points.
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Speed. Likelihood 4. As mentioned in the intro, this match was slow played and neither Kawai (sub) nor Abe (healthy scratch) could influence the game.
2. Exploit the open space in the Mid Field. Likelihood 4. FC Ryukyu were able to find acres of space to operate in the Renofa half yesterday. The problem was, they did nothing with it as the offense as a whole really stalled.
3. Defend the crosses into the box. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu did a decent job of this but Renofa were with out their talisman Iury.
Match Day Prediction
I predicted a goal bonanza so naturally it ended 1-0 with very little offense from either side.
Takeaways from Match Day 32
1. Numerous changes to the starting 11 resulted in very little offense for FC Ryukyu. While Ryukyu registered 8 shots on net, few of them actually troubled the Renofa goalie. For this game, Ryukyu started Ren Ikeda up top with Uehara on the bench, and Abe being left off the roster altogether.
Ren put in a shift but couldn’t find the back of the net with his best chance coming from a header. Ryukyu really should’ve started, or gone to Uehara, sooner than they did and it was even more surprising to see Uehara come on in place of Koizumi, who was our best playmaker on Sunday.
I think the problem was that many of the mid-fielders expected Ren to run into the spaces that Abe normally would have occupied and you could see that with some of the errant passes near the 18-yard box.
2. There seems to be no improvement for Ryukyu on set pieces. You could see many of the outfield players huddling up to discuss who would do what on the set piece but when you cannot get the ball past the first line of defenders, what’s the point?
3. This was probably a good game to get some of our returning players some minutes. Motegi made his first start in quite some time, Tanaka returned to play a full match, and Shinji Ono made his first appearance in over three and a half months. It could be said that the true reward for this game was not just the 3 points, but earning those points without our full compliment of starters.
Match Day 32 in J2
Avispa Fukuoka’s home loss to Matsumto has allowed V-Varen Nagasaki to close the point gap to just 2 with 10 games remaining. Niigata and Kofu both earned wins to at least keep them in the conversation for the promotion race.
Though it wasn’t pretty, it was an important result for FC Ryukyu on Sunday. FC Ryukyu have now achieved double-digit victories this season, 3 shy from their 2019 total of 13, but still need to earn 13 more points over their next 10 games to match the 2019 point total.
FC Ryukyu will face the number 2 and 3 placed team in the table when they head to Fukuoka mid-week before traveling to Nagasaki on the weekend. Any positive result in either match would be nice, with the best chance for points probably coming against Fukuoka. Avispa have only scored 4 goals in the past 6 games with their defense only surrendering 3 goals during that span so we could be facing another low scoring affair on Wednesday.
I’ll see you tomorrow with the Match Day 33 preview.
Get your drinks chilled and your snacks ready because this should be an exciting, fast paced, goal scoring match this Sunday. FC Ryukyu and Renofa Yamaguchi FC represent 2 of the 3 teams that have conceded at least 50 goals this season and in the previous 7 times these teams have faced each other since 2015, there have been 29 goals scored. In fact, there is only 1 match in which there was less than 3 total goals.
Match Day 31 Recap: FC Ryukyu vs Ventforet Kofu (0-1)
FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu sit 9 points and 4 wins away from matching their season total of 2019. You always want to see improvement from year to year, though sometimes it doesn’t happen, but for FC Ryukyu it is important that we make some headway heading into 2021. FC Ryukyu will need to win 4 out of their remaining 11 games to match that total from 2019 and there is no better way to start than by defeating an inferior opponent at home who has one of the worst away records in J2.
When FC Ryukyu were blanked by Kofu in the mid-week, FC Ryukyu had very little thrust and momentum until the last 15 minutes of the match after the introduction of some substitutes. Koizumi has only been used as a sub the past two matches and hopefully he cracks the starting 11 this round as he is our best playmaker in the squad. Abe could possibly make way for Uehara since he has started nearly every match for FC Ryukyu this year with his lone substitute appearance coming against V-Varen Nagasaki back in July. It makes the most sense to start Abe in an attempt to get out in front against Renofa as Ryukyu will face 2 of the top 3 sides after Renofa.
FC Ryukyu’s midfield has seen numerous changes to the starting 11 over the course of this season and the only one that seems to be in top form is Koya Kazama. He was left off the score sheet last round and will look to get back to his scoring ways this week. Ren Ikeda has been starting in place of Koizumi at CAM and it is probably time to reintroduce Koizumi to the starting lineup on Sunday to drive the attack. The same could be said about replacing Kawai with Motegi as Kawai has struggled to regain his 2019 form and we could use Motegi’s skill on more set pieces.
Uesato has been a constant in the CM this year with is usually partners of Koki Kazama or Mizuki Ichimaru but has also seen Koizumi in that role on occasion. If Ryukyu want to maximize their firepower on Sunday, Koizumi starting in place of either of Koki or Ichimaru, while leaving Ikeda up top, would be ideal. In fact, some of our best games featured that exact lineup.
In defense, it is likely we’ll see a pairing of Yong Jick with either Suzuki or Chinen, though Chinen didn’t make the trip to Kofu this past round. I could also see Numata returning to his starting LB role with Makito Uehara making the start at RB before making way for Tanaka in the second half.
Defense has been an issue for FC Ryukyu this year so all we can do now is simply hold on for the finish line before addressing the issue in the offseason winter transfer market.
Renofa Yamaguchi FC: Renofa have been hanging around the bottom of the table since Match Day 7 when they lost to Kitakyushu on the road 0-2. The best stretch of games this team experienced was between matches 20 and 24 when they went 3-1-1 with wins over Tokyo Verdy, JEF UTD Chiba, and Jubilo Iwata while drawing against Ehime FC. That stretch represents 1/3 of the total points accumulated this season for Renofa.
In the most recent stretch of games for Renofa, they have gone 1-1-3 with the lone victory coming in a very impressive performance against Kyoto Sanga FC on the road. But after that game, Renofa did not look like the same team that earned that win. Yamaguchi were outscored 9-2 and registered three straight losses to Tokushima Vortis, Mito Hollyhock, and Montedio Yamagata. They righted the ship slightly this past Wednesday when they drew with Gunma, but that was a game they should have won had it not been for a late goal (86′).
I am not quite sure which Renofa team we will see this Sunday as they can play well at times but for the most part, they are where they are in the table for a reason. Against teams around them, or near them, in the bottom of the J2 table, Renofa are 1-3-3 with the lone win coming against FC Ryukyu. But Yamaguchi are an even 1D-1L against Ehime FC, Gunma, and Matsumoto Yamaga FC in 2020.
The one positive for Renofa heading into Sunday is the fact that they possess a great record against FC Ryukyu. They have only lost once in their prior 7 matches dating back to 2015. While the games against Gunma and Matsumoto may provide a road map for how this game will shape up, I think FC Ryukyu will severely test the back line of Renofa.
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen
1. Speed. Likelihood 4. The Renofa back line was getting run ragged by the opposition in the 5 Renofa games that I watched. Either Renofa play a rather high back line or they simply lack the pace to keep up with the opposition’s forwards and attacking midfielders. You might think this is a potential break out spot for Kawai, but I think Abe is in the best spot to get around and past the Renofa defenders on quick breaks.
2. Exploit the open space in the Mid Field. Likelihood 4. FC Ryukyu can really control the pace of the game with large amounts of possession and with Renofa likely setting up in a 4-3-3, there will be some large gaps in the middle part of the field to exploit. If Ryukyu can quickly transition from defense into offense, and get the ball into their midfield playmakers, they could find some wide-open running lanes on Sunday. Koizumi would be the top choice here as his playmaking skills could really unlock the Renofa defense.
3. Defend the crosses into the box. Likelihood 2. Renofa are one of the league leaders when it comes to sending crosses into the box from the flanks. They seem to lack any midfield creativity and prefer to attack their opponents on short attacks on either side with a cross into Iury. FC Ryukyu need to prevent the Renofa wingers/outside midfielders from getting past them to choke out the Renofa offense. I fear that if Ryukyu do not do this successfully, Iury will find plenty of space in between our central defenders and have many clean looks on goal.
Match Day 32 Prediction
In their first meeting this season, FC Ryukyu drew first blood from an early goal by Motegi and then completely fell apart as Renofa scored four goals to win 4-1. Since neither side defends particularly well – Renofa dead last in goals allowed and FC Ryukyu are 3rd worst- means this should end with a large goal tally. I believe FC Ryukyu will take this one 4-2.
(5) Albirex Niigata hosting (4) Giravanz Kitakyushu is the marquee match up with so much at stake for both sides. The next best game could be the (1) Tokushima Vortis vs (11) Tokyo Verdy with the international community enjoying the last game of this round.
The forecast for the game is calling for rain and thunderstorms all day so I am not sure if there will be lengthy delays due to weather. What I am sure of though, is that this were be several “Lightning Quick” moments by both sides on Sunday since neither defends well, and both teams have a penchant for taking numerous shots.
I truly believe that FC Ryukyu are the stronger side, but the past record of Renofa against Ryukyu indicates this is yet another team that FC Ryukyu will struggle with in any competition. In any event, tune in to the lone 1600 match of the day for the J-League on Sunday for what should be a back and forth game, weather permitting.
The fourth consecutive loss in a row to Ventforet Kofu was a bitter pill to swallow last night. The fact that many of the top teams show little respect to FC Ryukyu, and why should they, by playing “second stringers,” coupled with our inability to produce any results against these weakened squads, is tough to deal with as a fan.
Ryukyu survived an early barrage (and by that I mean Dany Carvajal) from Kofu but ultimately, the deciding goal in the second half came off a deflection from both Yong Jick and Suzuki (befitting of this team I guess). After the Kofu goal, FC Ryukyu pressed hard but the closest they would come to an equalizer was a shot off the wood work by Numata.
FC Ryukyu: Dany Carvajal. Dany was far and away our best player last night and once again rose to the challenge put in front of him. He was pressed into service very early on and made three nice saves to keep the score level. He got a bit of luck when a shot rifled past him and hit the post but was not so lucky when a series of deflections, which he got his toe too as well, made it into the net. His play has really elevated since that random benching 3 games ago and is so crucial if FC Ryukyu wish to surpass their point tally from 2019.
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Have some early Success. Likelihood 3. Indeed we did as we frustrated Kofu’s attack early and created a few chances of our own outside of the large spells of possession by Kofu in the first half.
2. Ruffle the Feathers of Kofu. Likelihood 2. There were some visible cracks but no major breaks in the emotions of Kofu. Dudu got a little worked up in the second half and it was refreshing to see the referee wave off Dudu’s dive near the end of the match.
3. Catch Kofu Napping. Likelihood 4. We did not as some of the players that Kofu started yesterday were of the reserve caliber which meant they were giving it their all to impress the manager.
4. Score from Dead Ball Set Pieces. Likelihood 2. Well we didn’t score so it is a big no for this one. Though Ryukyu did have plenty of opportunities to score from set pieces yesterday.
Match Day 31 Prediction
I said 2-0 to Kofu so I have to be somewhat pleased that it didn’t reach that score line but still disappointed that FC Ryukyu did not get their first ever point against Kofu.
Match Day 31 Takeaways
1. The play of Yong Jick. There were the inexcusable turnovers in our own end in the early part of the game when Kofu was pressing hard for a goal and dominating the possession. And then there was the lackadaisical effort throughout much of the match when it came to putting in challenges and then recovering back to his spot after he missed the challenge and was out of position. I started to hone in on Yong Jick after I saw him gingerly jogging back to the box after he whiffed on a challenge and then so many more incidents like that came to light.
It is not fair to Dany to have to endure Yong Jick playing in front of him, and not fair to this team with 10 other players giving it their all. Talent can get you so far in this game, but so can effort. The perfect example is Tanaka who never played RB in his life and has transformed himself into an integral part of this team within a short span by simply giving maximum effort.
I hope these remaining 11 games are the last we see of a player who is solely relying on name brand recognition to maintain employment.
2. Koizumi’s introduction late in the game swung the momentum in the direction of Ryukyu. Maybe Higuchi realized that Kofu were going to press us early and that Koizumi’s fresh legs would take advantage of some tired Kofu legs late on. Whatever the case, Koizumi was electric on the ball and should have been apart of the first substation in the 62’ minute instead of the 77′ with so little time left to play and assert his influence.
3. Tanaka made a welcome return to the lineup. It is good to see one of our better players get some limited action so he can get back to full match fitness for a brutal November slate of games.
4. Kawai is struggling for form. There is no way to sugar coat this, he hasn’t looked like the player we saw last year or even at the start of the season back in February. It is possible that he doesn’t fully trust his body after a lengthy spell away with an ankle injury but whatever the case, we are not seeing that sudden burst and blistering pace we’ve become accustomed too from Kawai. It maybe time to start Motegi at LM, but seeing how Motegi didn’t even feature last night, I am starting to believe the effects of CV19 are lingering on for this talented player.
Ventforet Kofu have now become the fourth team this year to defeat FC Ryukyu twice, joining JEF UTD Chiba, Albirex Niigata, and Montedio Yamagata. I thought that FC Ryukyu had a good shot at earning at least a point yesterday, and nearly did if not for thee woodwork, but those are the breaks sometimes. Time to shrug this one off and regroup for the match against 21st place, Renofa Yamaguchi, this Sunday so as to avoid Renofa becoming the fifth team this year to defeat FC Ryukyu twice.
Here we are once again, nearly a full year removed, from FC Ryukyu trying to derail Ventforet Kofu’s promotion dreams once more. The last time FC Ryukyu tried to accomplish this feat, we had to do so with a severely depleted squad after having already secured our place in the table safe from relegation and ended up losing 2-0. But things are a little different these days. Kofu do not possess nearly the same firepower they had last year when Utaka was leading the line. FC Ryukyu have retained the services of many of their quality players, who for the most part, are relatively healthy and match fit. And then there is rigors of the reshuffling of the schedule due to CV19. I take no joy in playing the role of spoiler, as I’d much rather be looking down at teams in the table, but you make the best of what you got.
Match Day 30 Recap: Ventforet Kofu vs Tochigi SC (0-0)
Ventforet Kofu: Kofu enter match day 31 having won 3 out of their previous 5 games that included victories over Kitakyushu, Tokushima and Zelvia. Their only loss came at the hands of Gunma while they played to a 0-0 draw against Tochigi SC this past weekend. Kofu are rounding into form at just the right time after having suffered a winless spell of 7 games during the months of September and October. They will need to continue their strong play as they currently sit 13 points outside of the top two promotion spots, but the upcoming schedule sets up well for Kofu.
Over the next four rounds, Kofu will play teams in the bottom half of the table starting with FC Ryukyu this Wednesday followed by Omiya, Mito and then Ehime before facing Iwata, Kyoto and Yamagata in quick succession this month. 12 points from these next four games would provide a massive boost to their promotion ambitions and set them up nicely to gain ground at the expense of those teams around them in the table later.
FC Ryukyu: Fresh off a 3-0 road victory over Omiya, FC Ryukyu will look to continue their momentum against 6th place Ventforet Kofu. In their previous 3 meetings with Kofu, FC Ryukyu have suffered three defeats while being outscored 9-3. While FC Ryukyu have got back to winning ways of late, 3 wins in their last 4 matches, Kofu will be a stiff test on a short week with a lot of travel mixed in for FC Ryukyu.
Abe continues his march to the J2 Golden boot with a pair of goals this past round brining his season total to 13. Good enough for 3rd overall and 6 behind leader Peter Utaka of Kyoto Sanga FC. Abe has been a rock for Ryukyu this season as he has featured in 28 out of the 30 games the club has played this year. He rarely seems to tire and continues to display his ability to create time and space for shots.
Koya Kazama also seems to be in good form by following up his goal against Kyoto Sanga FC with 2 assists against Omiya. Both Koya and Abe will need to be on point this week as Ryukyu have always had a difficult time penetrating the Kofu back line.
Outside of our top two scorers Abe and Koya, FC Ryukyu will need to energize the remaining mid-filed combinations of Ikeda, Kawai, Koizumi and Motegi. In the case of Motegi, he has yet to score or provide an assist, since his return from COVID-19. I hope he is no longer experiencing the effects of the disease but he has been used primarily as a substitute since his return in September. He could provide a much needed boost to the attack if/when he gets back to his pre-CV19 form.
Last week’s paring of Yong Jick and Suzuki at CB worked well enough to shut down the Omiya attack though Omiya was able to get several dangerous shots off through the middle of the defense last week. It was only due to the excellent play of Dany Carvajal that none of those shots found the back of the net.
Finally, Keita Tanaka was able to return to the bench this round as an unused substitute and in his place, Makito Uehara scored his first ever goal for the club. As I’ve said on several occasions, he is a raw talent that needs match experience and coaching in order to develop into a top player for this club. Personally, I feel he is better suited at CDM than RB with his size/speed combination.
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen
Let’s state the obvious first.
-Kofu’s strengths, both in the attack and defense, line up well with the weaknesses of FC Ryukyu.
1. Have some early Success. Likelihood 3. While a goal or two would be nice, success could come in the form of creating quality chances, challenging the Kofu goalie with well aimed shots, or stifling the Kofu attack. We’ve seen what happens to the Ryukyu attack if it cannot find any shooting lanes or generate any real pressure and momentum early. It simply stalls out. This maybe the only time that I advocate trying some shots from distance as Kofu can defend decently in and around their box. And no, I am not talking about the Yong Jick postage stamp shot from 50 yards out.
2. Ruffle the Feathers of Kofu. Likelihood 2. As far as I could tell in their highlights, Kofu plays with much more visible emotion than most sides. This could work in favor of Ryukyu if they are able to take advantage of any misfires and mistakes from Kofu. Remember, Kofu is in the midst of a promotion push whereas Ryukyu have nothing but pride left to play for in 2020. Though I wish the roles were reversed, it is what it is at this point. The easiest thing to do is to frustrate a side, who is under massive pressure to win, by getting under their skin. I’d deploy Chinen or Suzuki in place of Yong Jick to mark Dudu, and while not aiming to hurt the player, put in a few hard fouls to get him off his game. Even a Tanaka “professional foul” would work as Dudu seems like a player to react and lash out to that type of treatment. You could always swap out a defender later at the expense of disrupting the engine of the Kofu attack by getting him off his game.
3. Catch Kofu Napping. Likelihood 4. Kofu are one of those sides that seem to play down or up to the level of their competition. The most recent loss to Gunma indicates as much. FC Ryukyu must be clinical on whatever opportunities are afforded to them on Wednesday as this could force Kofu’s hand to press for the equalizer or winner late on and really open things up.
4. Score from Dead Ball Set Pieces. Likelihood 2. Kofu are very adept at seeing out low scoring affairs since they’ve only scored more than 2 goals this season on 4 occasions and yet sit 6th in the table. This game could very well be decided by a set piece and hopefully FC Ryukyu can convert one or two of them for goals.
Match Day 31 Prediction
There are a handful of teams in J2 that always seem to have FC Ryukyu’s number. In the 3 meetings with Kofu; FC Ryukyu surrendered a 2 goal lead for a 5-2 loss; closed out 2019 with a less than full squad resulting in a 2-0 loss; and scored their only goal against Kofu this year from the penalty spot. It’s hard to see FC Ryukyu getting over their woes against Kofu this year and this one is likely to end 2-0 in favor of the hosts.
Round 31 in J2
Tokushima Vortis hosting Jubilo highlights this round and it will also be the free YouTube broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel.
There can be no doubt that Kofu are a stronger side compared to FC Ryukyu as their record and place in the table highlight that very point. When facing a strong side on the road, after a rigorous season filled with ridiculous amounts of travel in very short succession, the match is no longer a test of strength, but rather a test of wits.
So, how can FC Ryukyu overcome some of the issues that have tormented them in their previous three games against Kofu and achieve their first every victory over their opponent? Well for that, I’ll reference the Cooper Color Code of the Combat Mindset.
Both Ryukyu and Kofu will start out in the YELLOW state at kickoff but Ryukyu need to propel Kofu into the RED and then BLACK categories, skipping over ORANGE quickly, by thwarting Kofu’s attack and agitating some of their more emotional players. Think stuff like this doesn’t occur in sports? Just think about how well Diego Costa would frustrate many of the Arsenal players during his time at Chelsea. It emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, and is an area I think Ryukyu could exploit.
As I stated earlier, Kofu have it all to lose while FC Ryukyu do not have nearly as much at stake on Wednesday night. It is time that we play some “Head Games” with Kofu instead of trying to match them strength for strength.
That was fun! FC Ryukyu jumped out to an early lead that they never relinquished and earned their second win in a row; second win in a row in Omiya; and swept Omiya this year outscoring them 8-0. FC Ryukyu also remain undefeated on international primetime games broadcast on the J-League international YouTube channel 2-0-1 (lol).
The easy choice is Takuma Abe who scored two early goals and nearly added a third, but it was Dany’s key saves throughout the match that maintained the clean sheet and saw FC Ryukyu bring home all 3 points today.
Review of the Key to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Get Abe going early. Likelihood 4. You bet your a$%. 2 goals inside of 20 minutes says it all.
Match Day 30 Takeaways
Abe was devastating to the Omiya back line He found/created space for himself and punished the hosts with 2 goals and it could have been more if not for a reactionary save by the Omiya goalie at point blank range on a corner kick.
2. FC Ryukyu cut down many of the mental errors we’ve seen plague this squad in 2020 but some wayward passes and runs in the second half must be attributed to playing with such a large lead and having to defend enormous amounts of pressure by Omiya.
3. While the verdict is still out on Ichimaru Mizuki, there can be no doubt that Makito Uehara is the next big youth player to come out of this club. He is by no means a polished player, but his abilities and attributes were on full display Sunday. He was rewarded for his efforts with his first ever FC Ryukyu goal and the sky is the limit for this player, which creates a bit of a controversy for Higuchi as he’ll need to figure out how to get him into the lineup at RB with a healthy Tanaka. Personally, I’d move him to CDM and get some experience before Uesato retires/moves on.
Fukuoka wobbled, allowing Tokushima Vortis to assume the lead this week though they needed a late goal to earn all 3 points over Gunma. V-Varen Nagasaki is hot on the heels of the leaders and if Fukuoka stumbles again, it could open the door for Nagasaki who are have the same goal differential.
FC Ryukyu are off to a good start this month which includes 9 games inside of 29 days. Keep in mind that FC Ryukyu only have 3 home games during that span and hopefully the budget allows them to stay on mainland with such quick turnaround fixtures. For example, they play Kofu this Wednesday and should simply stay up there for a short bus trip south from Omiya as well as stay inside Fukuoka later that month for a short trip to Nagasaki three days later. But that is anyone’s guess at this point.
For now, enjoy the victory and get ready to face Ventforet Kofu, a side that is undefeated against FC Ryukyu the past two seasons.
ryukyuarmy.com 