The final installment of this series will look at the FC Ryukyu forwards and goalies. FC Ryukyu entered the year with only 3 strikers on the books, but never had more than 2 of them healthy at any one point. In goal, there was a 2-1 split for games played between Dany Carvajal and Junto Taguchi. But it was the decision to start Taguchi over Dany in 8 out of the last 9 games that really raised some eyebrows down here.
Forwards
Takuma Abe: Abe made 31 appearances, scoring 13 goals and adding 2 assists, before succumbing to some unknown injury that prevented him from completing the season. Signed from Vegalta Sendai in the offseason, there were many questions surrounding the then 32-year-old striker. Namely, had his skills diminished? Abe hadn’t reached double digit goals since 2012 when he was with Tokyo Verdy, but one thing we should understand about FC Ryukyu, more importantly, the system Higuchi employs, is that the man up top will have plenty of chances to score.
Abe scored in his second ever game for FC Ryukyu, and had two separate stretches where he scored in 4, and 3, games in a row. Prior to his unknown ailment, Abe had played in nearly every game for Ryukyu and looked to be on pace for +15, if not 20, goals. I stated at the beginning of the season that FC Ryukyu were extremely thin at FWD, and the sheer number of matches in such a short span certainly took its toll on Abe. Perhaps it wasn’t an injury that took him down, it could have just been a case of dead legs.
Whatever the case, Abe was in excellent form for this club in the games he did play. Besides scoring some fantastic goals; like he did against Fukuoka on Match Day 2 by going at it alone for 70 yards and beating Serantes; Match Day 12 with his signature left footed tap in; or his best game – and ultimately the last he’d score in- against Omiya with a brace where one was another left footed tap in from a long cross.
Shinya Uehara: Shinya, like Abe, was not on the roster for long spells of the season. When he did feature, it was always in a substitute role. This is a far cry from how he finished 2019 where he was filling in at RB, and playing the full 90’, due to so many injuries. But when Shinya did come on, he played the role of a “super sub” as his goals would tilt games in favor of FC Ryukyu.
Shinya notched a brace in 2 of the games he came on as a sub. And his penchant for scoring timely goals is incredible. Against Tochigi SC on Match Day 13, Uehara came on to score two times after the 75’ to level the game twice. Then against Mito on Match Day 20, he scored 2 goals in the final 6 minutes to give FC Ryukyu the win.
Takuya Hitomi: Like Ikeda, Hitomi joined from a University in the offseason but was sidelined for the better part of 8 months following knee surgery. He returned to the team on Match Day 24 but did not feature until Match Day 26. Hitomi scored his first ever goal for Ryukyu on Match Day 39 against Okayama, but was only ever included in the starting 11 once in 2020. But there is a bit of optimism surrounding this player as he possesses some nice traits, and flashed some talent in his limited opportunities. If anything, Hitomi looks more natural in the striker position than Ren Ikeda, and we may need Hitomi to start up there if FC Ryukyu hemorrhage a ton of talent in the offseason.
Keep: There is no question we need to keep all 3 of these players since FC Ryukyu have little depth at the position. Abe and Hitomi could split starts throughout the year to stay fresh, and we already know how effective Uehara is in brief appearances as an aerial threat and poacher inside the box. FC Ryukyu undoubtedly need to acquire a fourth striker in the offseason as none of these players showed they can stay healthy for a full season, but I feel Abe has plenty left in the tank for at least one more season at FC Ryukyu.
Goal Keeper
Coming into the season, Dany Carvajal was the clear first choice keeper for FC Ryukyu. Junto Taguchi was signed from Albirex Niigata to be the backup, but ultimately usurped Dany at the end of the season. The situation that FC Ryukyu faces moving forward at goalie has both good, and bad elements to it. There is nothing wrong with a little competition, but you also don’t want to take it too far where it engenders discontent among the ranks.
Dany Carvajal: Dany was not able to start the season for FC Ryukyu as he was still recovering/rehabilitating from ankle surgery in the offseason. He did return at the restart of the season and ended up playing in 28 total games. Dany began 0-1-2 in the first three games against Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, and eventual champions, Tokushima Vortis. That rough start prompted Higuchi to make a switch to Taguchi, who did not fare any better in his next two starts going 0-1-1.
For the season, Dany’s record was 9 wins, 5 draws, 14 losses, while registering 5 shutouts. Unfortunately, none of those shutouts occurred against the top competition in the league as they were against, Verdy, Gunma, Renofa, and Omiya twice. Dany seemed to be relegated to the bench after the 2-0 loss to Zweigen on Match Day 38, and never featured again this year.
That was a bit harsh to stomach considering Dany played really well in some games, and at times, he was let down by the players in front of him. Both offensively, and certainly defensively. He also had a bit of bad luck on several occasions were shots were deflected, or tipped, which caused them to change direction, and get past him. Sure, these things happen to all goal keepers, but when the coach is waffling between who to start, and who to sit, these little things do not help.
Junto Taguchi: Taguchi had bounced around between 4 clubs before settling in at Ryukyu this year. Prior to joining Ryukyu, Taguchi only made 2 starts for Albirex Niigata in 2018, with zero appearances in all of 2019. He was the first-choice keeper at Fujieda MYFC in 2017 when he was on loan from Yokohama F. Marinos, where he recorded 6 shutouts in the J3.
Taguchi’s first game was one to forget. First, FC Ryukyu surrendered a goal within the opening 30 seconds of the match, not all Taguchi’s fault, but then he made a mental mistake which nearly cost Ryukyu. If it were not for Yong Jick, of all people, bailing Taguchi out after his giveaway, things could’ve ended much worse. Taguchi still had the trust of Higuchi when on Match Day 5 he earned the start and drew with Nagasaki. But after Match Day 6, Taguchi wouldn’t start until a rest day for Dany on Match Day 22.
Higuchi opted for Taguchi moving forward after Match Day 34, which was a bit strange considering that Dany had won 4 of the previous 7 games before this switch. But it was the Nagasaki game that was a turning point for both Taguchi, and the team. Taguchi would then go on to start in 8 out the last 9 games for Ryukyu earning a 4-2-2 record. He recorded 4 of his 5 total shutouts in that run, and I have to say, he looked good in doing so. If you’re wondering, Taguchi’s shutouts came against: Yamagata, Nagasaki, Verdy, Ehime and Mito.
The Way Forward: Dany is under contract through 2021. Taguchi just renewed his contract with FC Ryukyu today. Both are quality keepers, so there will be serious competition for playing time next year. It was hard to tell if Higuchi was attempting to play the “hot hand” with his selections at the end of the season, or, if he prefers Taguchi over Dany. Dany has definitely recovered from the ankle surgery, and was playing some inspired football at times, even when it seemed that others around were not. But Taguchi’s strong finish speaks volumes at this point. Here is the rub, as they say. FC Ryukyu doesn’t have the strongest defensive unit in front of these guys so it is hard to get a true gauge on just how good they both could be.
We all have seen what happens when the #1 GK goes down. Usually, it is a steep drop off in talent with the second choice, so FC Ryukyu are some what blessed with 2 keepers that can play at a relatively high level. It will be interesting to see how Higuchi selects his keeper for each match next year. And this is something to follow in the weeks leading up to the start of 2021.
Conclusion
That does it for the player series. I will be back after the Christmas break to wrap up the season as a whole. Please enjoy your Holiday, and I know that may not be easy in these difficult times. If you’re feeling alone, isolated, or depressed, please reach out to someone. And if you have no luck, feel free to reach out to me in my DMs on Twitter. I’d be happy to chat with you or even share a beer over Zoom.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all, Stay Safe.
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