Intro
FC Ryukyu got their first win over Zweigen Kanazawa in seven years when they defeated the hosts 2-1 on Saturday night. Ryukyu looked destined to drop points this round as they started a bit slowly in the first half and were committing some egregious turnovers in the second half. Takuma Abe provided the initial spark with a beautiful piece of dribbling inside the Zweigen 18-yard box that allowed him to pick out the on rushing Kaz Uesato for the opening goal. Then it was Kazaki Nakagawa scoring his first goal in 9-months, and on his 26th birthday, when he came off the bench and redirected Shinya Uehara’s header on net. Zweigen managed to nick a goal back with only about 7′ minutes remaining but Ryukyu were able to see out the victory and move into third place.
- Highlights
- Man of the Match
- Review of the Keys to Victory
- Prediction
- Talking Points
- Round 21 in J2
- Conclusion
1. Match Highlights
2. Man of the Match
FC Ryukyu CB Tetsuya Chinen: Several players made the short list for man of the match but Chinen’s overall performance on Saturday stood out the most. He made a massive clearance in the opening half to keep the score level and was all over the pitch cutting down players and ending Zweigen attacks. The thing that me and my friends constantly yell when we watch Ryukyu games is, “Chinen is always there whenever Ryukyu need someone to step up and make a play.” Unless you watch the game in its entirety, you won’t be able to see Chinen’s highlight reel as most of what he does rarely appears on tape or in the box score outside of Ryukyu keeping a clean sheet. I just hope we can retain his services for the remainder of this season.
3. Reviewing the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Start the festivities early. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu did not get off to a fast start as their first goal came just after the start of the second half. Luckily Zweigen’s shots were way off the mark in the opening period though Ryukyu did have one good chance to open the scoring inside the first 15′ minutes.
2. Defend the Right side. Likelihood 2. As we suspected, Makito Uehara got the start at RB with Tanaka out injured. Makito did well but was eventually subbed off near the end of the match to which the lone Zweigen goal did come down our right side after Koya blocked a Zweigen shot which saw the ball sit up in a very advantageous position for Kanazawa’s Oishi to smash it past Inose.
4. Prediction
Predicted a 2-2 draw so I’ll have to take the loss here. Season Record 6-5-10.
5. Talking Points from Round 21
1. Missed chances by both sides. Both Ryukyu and Kanazawa had plenty of opportunities to score on Saturday night with Ryukyu missing twice on the doorstep in the first half, and Kanazawa returning the favor in the second half. Abe nearly opened the scoring in the 8′ minute when the ball dropped right to him inside the 18-yard box. And then Numata called for the ball from Abe near the end of the first half, but he took a poor first touch which popped the ball up to his weaker right foot and allowed the defender to close him down before sending the shot high and wide. Zweigen had multiple chances in the first half but couldn’t find the target and then they were gifted some short counter attacks thanks in part to several Ryukyu turnovers in the second half. Zweigen hit the woodwork in the 58’ minute before a wayward pass by Inose caught Yong-Jick in an awkward position withthe Zweigen attacker easily overpowering Yong Jick and sending a perfectly weighted cross into the box where the wide open Kanazawa player put a header on net. Luckily Inose was able to recover in time and made a fine save by diving back across his momentum before a Ryukyu player cleared the ball off the line.
2. The substitutions determined the outcome of this game. For Ryukyu it was the introduction of Shinya Uehara and Kazaki Nakagawa that combined for the eventual Ryukyu winner. For Kanazawa, it was the removal of Rodolfo and Shion Niwa in the 77’ minute as those two were causing fits for the Ryukyu defense, though Ryuhei Oishi did score the lone Zweigen goal a short time later. I am not sure if the Zweigen subs were brought in to introduce some fresh legs with speed to run at our defense as both Rodolfo and Niwa were playing really good up to that point.
3. Ryukyu can get by with that type of performance, for now. There were plenty of nervy moments and missed chances for Ryukyu on the night and luckily for them, their next few opponents – outside of Omiya who have changed managers once again this year- won’t punish Ryukyu for their mistakes like some of the stronger clubs in the table. That doesn’t mean we can afford to sleepwalk through the next two rounds but this side is slightly disjointed with the introduction of new players due to injuries to the regular starters.
4. A big win over a team Ryukyu have failed to beat in the J2. While you may think Zweigen seems out of place next to some of the other sides on the Points Over Expectation table, they were one of the many teams at the start of the season that Ryukyu failed to defeat during their time in J2. To me, it doesn’t matter where those teams sat in the table at the time of their matches as they all represented a mental hurdle that Ryukyu needed to overcome.
6. Round 21 in J2
Jubilo Iwata are the new leaders at the halfway point of the season after defeating Albirex Niigata at home. Second place Kyoto Sanga FC were defeated by V-Varen Nagasaki at home which means there is a three point gap between them and Iwata, and only a point difference between themselves and third place FC Ryukyu. Niigata are now six points off the lead and two behind Ryukyu in fourth.
At the bottom of the table it was more of the same for the sides facing relegation. SC Sagamihara managed a scoreless draw at home to Kitakyushu but that result didn’t move the needle very much for them. Omiya, Gunma, and Ehime all lost but it was Matsumoto Yamaga’s 2-1 win over Tokyo Verdy that provided a little breathing room as we move into the second half of the season.
7. Conclusion
Ryukyu sit just outside the promotion zone at the halfway point of 2021 and have set themselves up for a nice run in by staying in the hunt despite the numerous injuries to key players. Ryukyu have two more games to go before a three week break for the Olympics during which they face both of the bottom clubs in the standings. Ryukyu need those 6-points to close out the unofficial halfway point of the season and then get healthy during their time off.
ryukyuarmy.com 