(10) FC Ryukyu vs (19) JEF Chiba United #FC琉球

Intro

I think all of the Ryukyu fans are chomping at the bit to get another look at this team following a spirited performance on the road at Zelvia last week. In the initial preview of the season I mentioned there were several questions about this side that we as fans wanted to see answered. Well, we now know that Ryukyu is employing a 4-4-2 and doing so with six new members of the team in the starting roles. The formation, and those playing inside it, worked real well, but manager Kina noted in his pre-match interview that some players missed training time recently, but outside of a select few (Tanaka/Abe), I hope Kina doesn’t tinker with that which is not broken for the sake of legacy players.

Match Day Info and Weather Forecast

Looks very favorable for this weekend.

Click>>> Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Despite not winning, or scoring at Zelvia, Ryukyu need to build on the positives from that game. It would be nice to believe that some of the players feel as if they could have won that game and are motivated to come out win the season opener in front of the home crowd. But first they’ll need to tighten up the passing that was slightly off in the opening round as a they couldn’t quite connect on the key passes in and around the 18-yard box when it mattered most. There were more than a few occasions were Ryukyu also turned the ball over cheaply in some very dangerous areas to fuel a short Zelvia counter attacks and some nervy moments.

So let’s discuss some of the questions we had heading into the ’22 campaign. First, who would start in net? It seems as if Taguchi has retained his spot as the first choice keeper to begin the season. Second, what combination would Kina employ at CB? Well, I would say this was a total shocker when Kina started So Nakagawa (22) and Rio Omori (19), and they looked damn good! There are sure to be some up and down moments with these two but there is no way you can put those genies back in the bottle after their performance on opening day. Would there be a change at FB? These remained largely unchanged from last season and I just wonder when we will see the return of Tanaka on the right.

Third, will there be a new formation or new combination of midfielders? Yes, no longer employing Higuchi’s 4-2-3-1, Kina was able to bring some experienced players into the fold that would otherwise of had to compete for one of the two fullback positions. The two central midfielders for Ryukyu were also new players to the team with converted LB Takayuki Fukumura and Kazuto Takezawa, who made his J-League debut on Sunday. Fukumura looked very crisp with his passing and on set pieces and many people are raving about the performance by Takezawa. Ren Ikeda moved out of his central attacking MF role and over to the left with Yuki Omoto, who also converted from his normal RB spot, to man the right. Ikeda looked up for it early but then began to press the situation a little too much which led to some costly missed opportunities. But that is nothing that cannot be fixed within a short span of time.

Finally, who will lead the Ryukyu attack? Shinya Uehara and Yuki Kusano toed the line up top with both strikers bringing something different to the attack. There is no telling if Abe is currently dealing with an injury or was one of the players that missed time earlier due to CV protocols, but it will be interesting to see where he fits in when healthy.

It is only game and we should not get too far out in front of our skis but the initial signs are quite encouraging. If the Ryukyu lineup can be one based off of strength down the spine (GK-CB-MF-FWD) we will all be pleasantly surprised at the heights they could achieve. They will still need to answer the question of, can they avoid the number, and severity, of injuries that has plagued this team for the past three seasons and avoid the consistent mid-season slump? But that is for another discussion.

JEF Chiba United: If you think Ryukyu has something to prove on Saturday, JEF has even more at stake. JEF signed some notable free agents this offseason, including the former Ryukyu man in Koya Kazama, which made it seem, on the surface at least, that they may have assemble don of their strongest teams in recent memory to make a push back into the J1. And then splat! JEF were done in by newly promoted side Iwate Grulla Morioka 0-1 in front of the JEF home crowd.

I am not sure if JEF simply underestimated Iwate or they are going to struggle all season. Much like Ryukyu, there is only one data point to go on at the moment but that was not the most inspiring performance from JEF. Sure, they seem to be the brunt of many jokes and calamitous moments that have only served to fuel these jokes, but they could barely muster an attack against Iwate.

Iwate was dictating the pace of play early on and was rewarded with a spectacular opening goal from a set piece and they continued that trend throughout the game and nearly scored a second with JEF finally mounting an attack in the second half. The JEF players looked visibly upset after the opening goal and even more dejected as the final whistle blew. I think they were really unprepared for an opponent they didn’t know much about, but I don’t believe that will be the case this Saturday against Ryukyu.

Keys to Victory

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

Get after JEF early and often. Likelihood 3. JEF were on their heels all game and didn’t really respond to the pressure that was being applied. Possibly due to a new backline consisting of three CBs that have never played with another before or just a lack of clear direction from the manager. Either way, Ryukyu will need to tighten up the passing in the attack but could find even more space for which to operate with this opponent.
Maintain the aggression. Likelihood 4. Ryukyu were much more physical than we are used to seeing and will need to be just as aggressive against JEF. JEF may have one over on us in the height department this game but after watching Nakagawa and Omori deal with some of the stronger, more seasoned, strikers from Zelvia, I like our chances. This also includes set pieces when we get these two involved. JEF didn’t look particularly good defending set pieces against Iwate whereas Ryukyu looked a completely different side with their deliveries and finishing. There is no clearer example of this than seeing Nakagawa almost hammer home the opening goal of 22 for Ryukyu following a corner kick. Ask yourselves, when was the last time we saw a Ryukyu defender involved like that on a set piece?

Round 02 in J2

Fagiano Okayama vs Tokushima Vortis, along with Yokohama FC vs V-Varen Nagasaki, stand out as two of the bigger matchups this round though some will want to see how Iwate follows up their win at JEF when they travel to face FC Machida Zelvia. Much like Akita last year, and this year as well, Iwate will have to spend the first month of the season on the road due to concerns over the temperatures in those parts of Japan. At least for Iwate they will not have to travel to Okinawa during the high heat summer months as they head this way for Round 3.

Conclusion

Time to find out if Ryukyu can put in consistent, strong, performances week in and week out as well as to welcome back Koya Kazama who was a fan favorite during his time here at Ryukyu. Each side enters this match from a different perspective with JEF trying to prove that the first game was just a fluke and Ryukyu wanting to build on a solid performance and show everyone in J2 they mean business this year.

MD01 Report: FC Machida Zelvia vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu kicked off the 2022 campaign with a 0-0 draw at FC Machida Zelvia this past Sunday. They also started six (6) new players with a seventh featuring in a substitute role. Ryukyu has found success hard to come by in recent years while traveling to Machida so this was an encouraging result to start the year.

Match Stats

Match Highlights

Notes from MD 01

Tenacious defense. I for one was shocked at the lineup Kina rolled out on opening day but the young center backs were a revelation. Both Nakagawa and Omori played really well in that they were breaking up attacks by stepping in at the right moment; clearing balls crossed into the box and even getting involved on set pieces. This is something we’ve never really seen out of Ryukyu in the past. Chinen’s performance last year stood out so much because we rarely had that type of central defender on the roster, perhaps we have two now.
Physicality. Ryukyu played one of the most physical games I’ve seen out of them in quite some time. Ryukyu committed their fair share of fouls on Sunday, but they remained poised despite the amount of pressure that Zelvia piled on in the second half. They certainly didn’t make life easy for a strong Zelvia side.
Started strong, needed some adjustments after half time. Ryukyu more than held their own in the first half and it even looked as if they would score at times. But they came out a little flat in the second half and were beginning to get pulled apart on both sides of the pitch. Zelvia made the necessary adjustments after halftime to dictate a majority of the play in the second but Ryukyu were able to hang on for the draw on the back of a really good defense performance.
A strong base to build on. Ryukyu were sloppy in the attack with some of their wayward passing but that should correct itself after the starters become more acclimated with one another as the season progresses. The encouraging sign is that the defense looked good and I for one would rather have a solid defense to start the season in order to allow the attack to develop.

Around the League

5 draws, 1 blowout and 1 match that was postponed due to CV-19. The newly promoted sides faired well as Iwate grabbed a nice win on the road at JEF while Roasso Kumamoto earned a point on the road at Renofa Yamaguchi. Yokohama FC was the only team that was demoted from J1 to win in the opening set of fixtures with Tokushima Vortis and Vegalta Sendai both playing out 0-0 draws. The big winners from this round was Fagiano Okayama who decimated Ventforet Kofu 4-1 at home behind a strong performance from Tiago Alves.

Conclusion

Not a bad start to the season considering Zelvia often has their way with FC Ryukyu the past few seasons. Ryukyu will open up their home slate for the 2022 season next week when JEF Chiba United make their way down to Okinawa, which means we will see a familiar face in Koya Kazama.

MD 01: FC Machida Zelvia vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

We are back baby! The J2 season is set to kickoff in a few days and this is the first entry of 2022 for this blog. Much like every offseason here in Okinawa, we saw the departure of some talented players with some lesser known names making their way down south to join the club. FC Ryukyu is coming off their most successful campaign in J2 where they finished 9th overall and looking to continue that momentum for a push to the J2 playoffs. Last season we saw Ryukyu flirt with promotion as they were in one of the two automatic qualifying slots just past the halfway point of the 2021 season. But much like the expected talent drain from this club in the offseason, a semi-reoccurring mid-season slump, coupled with several injuries to key players, ended all hopes for promotion. It also ended Higuchi’s time as manager and he was replaced by Tetsuhiro Kina. So what is in store for this club in 2022? Can they have a repeat performance of last year, or are we facing the very real prospect of relegation back to the J3?

Match Day Info and Weather Forecast

Rain all day to open the season.

Match Information from FC Machida Zelvia

Team Previews

FC Machida Zelvia: Zelvia got the better of Ryukyu last year by easily winning the first fixture 3-0 and then drawing 0-0 on the return leg. Zelvia was a lot of people’s Darkhorse promotion team last season when they added some firepower in Chong Tese and Dudu, but it was their defending that let them down in the end. Not be dismayed in their belief that a good defense is simply and overpowering offense, Zelvia signed former Montedio Yamagata striker Vinicius Araujo to the team for 2022.

Zelvia also brought in veteran goalkeeper William Popp from Oita Trinita. Popp played 14 matches last season posting a 3-2-9 record with 3-clean sheets. Perhaps the step up to J1 from Fagiano Okayama was too much for Popp last season so a return back to J2 might be exactly what he needs.

It is hard to imagine but Ryukyu have not won on the road at Zelvia since 2014 (J3). In fact, in their last 6-matches at Zelvia, Ryukyu have only netted a single point, have been outscored 14-3 while being shut out 4 times. I am not sure what makes Ryukyu play so poorly on the road at Zelvia and I am not sure they reverse the trend in the opening fixture of 2022.

FC Ryukyu: As I mentioned earlier in the introduction, Ryukyu saw their yearly exodus of talent this offseason when central defender Tetsuya Chinen departed for Urawa Reds where he will join former Ryukyu stud, Yoshio Koizumi. Chinen was far and away the best central defender Ryukyu have rostered and his absence will be felt across our back line. Once more it will be a competition between the 3-quality goalkeepers on the Ryukyu roster. Incumbent, and likely day 1 starter, Junto Taguchi will try to fend off a now healthy Dany Carvajal who himself stands a better chance of regaining his starter position with the departure of both Higuchi and goalkeeper coach Masataka Sasaki. GK is the only position on the Ryukyu roster with quality depth as Junto and Dany can push each other throughout training and we saw last year that Kosuke Inose can fill in if an injury were to occur to either of the first two GK choices at Ryukyu.

It was no coincidence that last season’s collapse occurred when both Dany and Taguchi were out injured as both of their health will be huge determining factor in where this team will finish in the standings at the end of the year. It was not realistic to think Ryukyu could dip their toes into the transfer waters and find a one-for-one replacement for Chinen in defense, and like so many of the past seasons, Ryukyu did not address the central defense position by signing any high priced free agents. Instead, they opted for youthful exuberance in the form of loans. Rio Omori (FC Tokyo) and So Nakagawa (Jubilo Iwata) might not be the day one starters, but I am excited to see what the can bring to the table. The likely starting duo at CB for Ryukyu will be Ryohei Okazaki and Lee Yong-Jick. Okazaki has never been able to stay healthy during his time here at Ryukyu and Yong-Jick is a converted outfield player trying to learn the position as he goes. Ryukyu signed a few fullbacks to the roster this offseason making defense the most populous position on the 2022 roster.

Keigo Numata will have to fend off last year’s mid-season signing, Takasahi Kinai and this season’s signing from Tokyo Verdy, Takayuki Fukumura, but we’ve seen Numata breakdown as the season wears on so perhaps these signings are more to give Numata a break here or there than actually unseating the starting LB. Over at RB it should once again be Keita Tanaka, who has shown how a player can reinvent himself as Tanaka converted from MF to RB, and it has been a resounding success. He was on a scorching pace last season, 2 goals and 9 assists in the opening half of the 2021 season, before injury ended his campaign. Behind him will be Yuki Omoto (signed from Omiya Ardija) and Makito Uehara. None of these two are likely to replace Tanaka barring injury.

I am under the assumption that Kina will continue to employ the 4-2-3-1 formation that Ryukyu have used during their time in the J2. If that is the case, Ryukyu will once more have Kaz Uesato anchoring the central midfield where he will be joined by Yu Tomidokoro. There is not much central midfield depth behind these two and we’ve seen in the past that any midfielder can step into these roles when asked.

If Taguchi/Dany are the anchors at the back for Ryukyu, then Ren Ikeda is the linchpin for the Ryukyu attack up front. Ren really stepped up last season after the departure of Koizumi, but like so many of our key players, he to succumbed to injury where he fractured a bone in his spine after landing awkwardly from an aerial challenge. Flanking Ikeda on either side will be Koki Kiyotake and Katsuya Nakano who is brought over from Kyoto Sanga FC. Kina could also move any of the forwards on the roster into the midfield roles and there is chance, albeit a very small one, we see the two players from Saigon FC who were brought in on loan. But I have no idea if they have made it to Japan and have been training with the team as all preseason activities have been behind closed doors due to CV-19 protocols.

Takuma Abe returns for his third season at Ryukyu but he too has never been able to complete a full campaign. There is no doubt that Abe is a difference maker when on the pitch, but he usually fades quickly down the stretch and we have never received any word on what injuries have knocked him out for the past two seasons. Ryukyu also see the return of Shinya Uehara for his fourth year at the club. Shinya is an excellent late game substitution to be brought on to attack, or defend, set pieces with his height. He is also versatile enough to play RB when called upon.

There are seven (7) forwards on the Ryukyu roster which is the most I’ve ever seen. Sittichok Paso, who returned to Chon Buri FC in the offseason, and then opted to come back to Ryukyu, certainly needs to see more playing time this year. Perhaps his listing as MF on the official club website may see him more on the pitch in that role vice the forward role he had last season. Takuya Hitomi has returned from his loan spell at Nagano and it will be interesting to see how much he has developed as he was quite raw the last time we saw him in 2020. Vinicius will also return to Ryukyu this season but he rarely featured last year outside of a handful of the J-Elite games and is a true unknown at this point.

Ryukyu did bring in two strikers Ryunosuke Noda from Kyoto Sanga and Yuki Kasano on loan from Yokohama FC. Neither player stands out as prolific goal scorer having never reached the double digit mark in their careers but at least they provide a set of younger, healthier legs for the Ryukyu attack.

Match Day 01 in J2

Plenty of matches spread out through the weekend for you to enjoy. I want to see how the teams who dropped from J1 get on as well as the teams (Nagasaki and Niigata) get on as potential promotion candidates. I do not know if the J.League International YouTube channel will broadcast a match this week so please check their channel on YouTube, as well as their Twitter account, @J_LEAGUE_En, for any updates. And of course, tune in and catch up on all the good stuff the boys over at the J-Talk Extra Time, @JTalkET, have put out the past few weeks in the run up to the season opener.

Conclusion

There are lots of questions that need to be answered concerning Ryukyu under Kina in 2022, to go along with lots of excitement from the growing fan base here in Okinawa. Everyone always hopes for promotion, but I would be pleasantly surprised if Ryukyu somehow snuck into the J2 playoffs. I always look forward to opening day here in the J-League and hope for another strong start to the season for FC Ryukyu.