Intro
FC Ryukyu have equaled their longest ever winning streak in J2 with their 4th win from 4 this past weekend. Ryukyu now sit second in the table, level on points, with Albirex Niigata and have looked a far better side than we’ve seen these past few seasons. The loss continues to add to the struggles of Nagasaki but I wouldn’t count this team out just yet as there is still 38 rounds to play.
- Match Highlights
- Man of the Match
- Reviewing the Keys to Victory
- Talking Points
- Prediction
- Match Day 4 in J2
- Conclusion
1. Match Highlights
2. Man of the Match
FC Ryukyu Mid Fielders Ren Ikeda & Koya Kazama: It was to hard to chose either one so I will go with a joint man of the match for round 4. Ikeda opened the scoring on a spectacular one time volley, and then added his 3rd goal of the campaign which ultimately turned out to be the winner for FC Ryukyu. Ren was set up on both of his goals by Koya Kazama with the second assist being the best of the bunch. Koya received the ball deep in the Nagasaki box, and could have rightly tried a shot from that range but instead opted to send a pass all the way back through the box to the streaking Ikeda who buried the goal. These two could have made it a hat-trick in both departments if Ikeda had buried a wide open chance early in the first half.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Uesato/Koki/Ichimaru/Yu have to play one of their best defensive games of their life. Likelihood 2. The entire team played well under the Nagasaki pressure.
2. Be clinical in limited opportunities. Likelihood 4. And that they were. The only miss that stands out was the Koki Kazama shot that rocked the crossbar and would have put Ryukyu up by 2 goals early. But since Ryukyu have been saved a by the crossbar a few times this year, this stuff evens it out.
4. Talking Points
1. Doing more with less. FC Ryukyu were once again out possessed by their opponent but were able to bend, not break, when Nagasaki were attacking. Ryukyu needed to be clinical in their limited opportunities and they did just that. So far, Ryukyu have been playing a majority of their games this year with a lead so they haven’t been forced to chase a game which could possibly expose the back line. Though it needs to be said, Ryukyu have been very good at allowing the game to come to them instead of attempting to press.
2. There were a few nervy moments early on. Nagasaki’s attack was a little too narrow at the start and our central midfielders did really well to crowd out the top of the box when Nagasaki pushed deep into the Ryukyu end of the field. Nagasaki had two really good chances in the first half with one shot barely missing and the other being a wasted opportunity when Kato went at it alone instead of passing to one of the wide-open players on either side. The lone goal by Nagasaki came after Ryukyu had established a 3-goal advantage and there wasn’t much more Taguchi could have done as the ball bounced through a lot of traffic before Edigar Junio redirected it into the far corner. On that note, Junio made an immediate impact on the game when he came on in the second half.
3. The victory comes at a high price. Takuma Abe went down awkwardly in the 80th minute when he went sliding in for a cross by Numata. Abe’s left knee dug into the turf which then made it look like his hip was either hyperextended or he did some sort of damage to his lower back. He was forced to crawl over the touch line before briefly returning to his feet to make his way to the stretcher. Abe was in serious discomfort and there is no telling what the exact injury is or how long he will be out until the club releases a statement. It is a big loss for this team since Abe adds more than just goals for the team. His hold up play has been excellent this year and a lot of scoring chances begin with Abe getting the ball to one of the midfielders in space. It will come down to either Shintaro Shimizu or Takuya Hitomi starting at FWD with the veterans Akamine and Uehara spelling either of those two. There is one other option. Ren Ikeda could move into the FWD role like he did last year when both Abe and Uehara were out injured but he is not the same player in that role as Abe and that would leave a void in our central midfield as there has been no sign of Nakagawa up to this point.
5. Prediction
I was way off with my 2-1 victory for Nagasaki. Do not mind that at all. Season Record 2-0-2.
6. Match Day 4 in J2
Ryukyu were not the only side with a shock win this round as SC Sagamihara earned their first ever win – while also scoring for the first time this season- when they defeated Omiya Ardija. Zweigen, Jubilo and Mito all thumped their opponents this round and Akita continues to pile up points in a strong opening act to their inaugural J2 season.
7. Conclusion
Heading into this round I said this would be a statement game for FC Ryukyu and they certainly answered the call. It is still to early to jump to any conclusions but the signs are encouraging. Ryukyu are facing a bit of an uphill battle when they travel to JEF United Chiba this week as it will likely be the first time where there are multiple changes to the starting 11 due to the Abe injury. While Nagasaki represented its own unique set of challenges for Ryukyu, JEF has a completely different set of obstacles to overcome. Ryukyu have never earned a single point off of JEF and they have yet to find the back of the net in the four games these teams have played. Heading into this match without your best forward is not ideal so we will now see how Ryukyu responds in the face of adversity.
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