Month: March 2022

FC Ryukyu vs Tokyo Verdy #FC琉球

Intro

Super-awesome-fun-happy-time! Or not. Losing is one thing, getting flat out embarrassed by a rival at home (and broadcast to the world on YouTube) is something completely different. For about 45 minutes there was hope that Ryukyu may be turning things around. But that was not to be the case as Verdy scored a momentum shifting goal right before half time and then the flood gates opened up. Ryukyu, like they’ve done so many times this year, completely disappeared during the second half and were steamrolled by 4 second half goals resulting in a humiliating 5-2 defeat at home. Ryukyu remain winless at home, short on ideas and looking very much like the worst team in J2 this season.

Match Highlights

Review of the 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. Boot & Blast. Likelihood 2. Sort of, but not really. Ryukyu did clear some balls in dangerous areas but they seemed like half-hearted attempts that barely went past the 18-yard box.

2. Ryukyu must be clinical on limited opportunities. Likelihood 1. They were inside the first half but then there was nothing in the attack in the second half so I guess they did achieve this task?

Match Day 07 Takeaways

1. The rivalry is alive and well. For the fifth time in seven games, this matchup featured a penalty kick. It was also the second game in a row in which Verdy had two PKs in one game against Ryukyu as well as the second time they’ve reached the 5 goal plateau in Okinawa. Plenty of fouls and chicanery (like Kanai from Ryukyu trying to rub out the PK spot with his cleats) that pretty much sums up this rivalry which will only make the return leg tastier later this year.

2. Kusano and Noda are quite the tandem. These two strikers pair really well together. Kusano has excellent burst and long-distance speed that defenders must respect and do fear. I love how he can dribble his way out of trouble and he has nice touch on the ball. Noda’s hold up play was excellent last night. He was able to shield many defenders and continue attacks for Ryukyu prior to his injury. Seeing how he was gripping his left hamstring after a challenge he put in, I would expect a lengthy absence for the striker which really hurts this team. What these two can do is what we hoped Uehara and Abe could do and what we’ll have to rely on, minus Abe, for the foreseeable future.

3. Ryukyu simply melt away after halftime. Ryukyu had 9 total shots with 7 on net prior to the break. They looked really good up until the quarter hour mark of the first half and then found a bit of fortune on the Noda goal to go ahead 2-0. But then it all went downhill after Noda’s injury. Ryukyu conceded the dreaded goal before halftime when Verdy found space, and so did the cross, in between the Ryukyu defense. Then Ryukyu only managed a single shot, not even on net, in the second half at the 90-minute mark. That is truly poor and there is no excuse for teams making adjustments against us at halftime and Ryukyu failing to respond in kind. To date, Ryukyu have scored 6 of their 8 goals in the first half. The only thing that did increase in the second half was the amount of fouls they committed with Yu’s reckless challenge and Yong Jick’s handball in the box as the biggest killers.

4. Taguchi’s play maybe more to deal with stress than anything. You have to say the man’s confidence is slightly shattered. And who wouldn’t be after the barrage he suffered through last night and prior matches. A lot of his long clearances sailed out of bounds. Others were very short passes to central defenders which naturally allowed teams into a pressing mode since Ryukyu prefer to play out from the back. Then there was the own goal that was both unlucky and should never have been as he should have just booted it out of danger. But seeing how many of those types of clearances by Taguchi went out of bounds, you can see why he tried that back heel. There also seems to be a bit of hesitation and indecision in his process which could make him a liability if he were to be thrown back to the wolves this weekend. Dany needs to make another appearance on Sunday.

5. The only real hero last night was the mother of three young boys sitting behind us in the stands. Cheers to her for braving the expected terrible elements and we salute all the moms that bring their children to the grounds!

Round 07 in J2

I guess Ryukyu were a bit lucky to have Omiya suffer a similar fate last night or else they could’ve found themselves at the bottom of the table. V-Varen Nagasaki secured a nice win after surrendering a two goal lead at Gunma, Oita seems to be getting going with an impressive 3-1 win on the road at Sendai, and Kanazawa and Kumamoto traded goals in each half on their way to a 2-2 draw.

Conclusion

Things are looking pretty, pretty grim these days in Okinawa, and they won’t get any easier on Sunday when Ryukyu travel to league leaders Yokohama FC. A match in which Ryukyu will be without three of their top scorers: Abe (Injury), Noda (Injury), and Kusano (Loan Restriction). That means Ryukyu will have to dress either Takuya Hitomi or Vinicius at FWD in the reserves, or not considering we roster 7 defenders each match.

There has been an outpouring of calls for support by the fans following this recent defeat, but in all fairness to them (us), how much more can we take without change?

Rivalry Week #FC琉球

Intro

The first of two games this season that seem, in my mind, to have a little something extra behind them compared to rest of the schedule. Ryukyu and Verdy, not your traditional derby or rivalry, but one born out of some interesting set of circumstances and results. Ryukyu enter this match in a down state with only one win in their past five games while suffering some heavy, and deflating defeats. Verdy, on the other hand, enter this match with serious momentum having not lost this year and recently securing a heroic draw at Yamagata during the weekend. Maybe we can throw the stats out the window for this one but they are hard to ignore.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

It looks to be awful this Wednesday night here in Okinawa and I believe we played Verdy in similar weather conditions when FC Ryukyu were first broadcast to the world on the J-League International YouTube channel back in 2020.

Click>>>> Match day 07 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: 1 win and 4 losses in their past 5 games while being outscored 12-7. Conceded the most goals to date and possess the worst goal differential for any team in J2. Sit just one point above the bottom of the table but find themselves squarely entrenched in the relegation zone. That is not the type of script that fans for any team want to read. But that is the reality we live in and one I am not sure will change anytime soon.

Ryukyu were demolished at Oita Trinita last week after losing their third consecutive home game by a score of 2-1 just a few days prior. I mentioned in the recap last week that the results prompted the owner/chairmen of the club to issue a statement. Following that tweet there was an email sent to the fan club members asking for their opinion on certain areas of the club and then a cryptic tweet by former Captain, Kaz Uesato, telling the fans of Ryukyu that support is needed now more than ever. Strange set of events to take place in such a short span of time, or just a coincidence?

I think all Ryukyu fans know that there are plenty of games left this season to turn things around but expectations must be severely tempered as to what we should hope to achieve in 2022. The immediate goal should be to improve small areas of play within training and start seeing some marked improvements in these areas during games. In the interim it should be to start stringing some better results together with the long term goal of pushing themselves far away from the relegation zone. Anything more would just be the cherry on top of the sundae as the goal of promotion seems extremely distant at the moment.

As I have stated throughout the past few years, FC Ryukyu has quasi-established a rivalry with Tokyo Verdy during their time together in the J2 based on some heated encounters and shenanigans from both clubs. While some key members from both clubs that were a large part of this manufactured rivalry have moved on, there is always a set of games that carry a little extra weight each season and tomorrow’s game should be no different.

Tokyo Verdy: 3 wins, 3 draws, have hit the 3 goal mark twice this season and sitting in third place. Probably the best start to any season in recent memory for Verdy as they look to climb out of the J2 and back into J1. A place they haven’t been in 14 seasons. Verdy have 3 wins and 2 draws over their last 5 games with big wins over Tochigi and Zelvia; hard fought draws against Vortis and Yamagata; and a 1-0 win over Gunma who had three goals wiped off the board.

The one thing that stood out from all of Verdy’s highlights is they are absolutely relentless. Not sure if that is due to work rate, attitude, or coaching but it all seems to be clicking for Verdy at the moment. What really makes Verdy lethal is their ability to score from all areas of the pitch and on all types of plays. Verdy are led by Ryuji Sugimoto, who joined from Yokohama FC this winter, and who already has 4 goals and 1 assist this season. Another winter arrival, this time from Vortis, is central midfielder Ryota Kajikawa who is second on the team with 1 goal and 2 assists.

But what I think speaks volumes about Verdy is that eight different players have found their way onto the scoresheet which somehow doesn’t include last year’s top scorer for Verdy, Junki Koike. Toru Takagiwa, yet another winter arrival from the J1, was the top choice keeper up until the last round at Yamagata and was looking in fine form before his disappearance. I am not sure if he is currently dealing with an injury or has fallen out of favor with the manager but his absence could provide a little glimmer of hope for FC Ryukyu this week as Verdy looked shaky in net last week.

Ryukyu may hold the slight advantage when it comes to the overall record between these two teams (3 wins, 2 draws and only 1 loss) but as stated earlier, these two teams are on a completely different trajectory right now. Verdy’s only win between these two sides happened back in 2019 in Okinawa to the tune of 5-1 and I fear we could see a repeat performance of that disaster tomorrow.

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. Boot & Blast. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu cannot afford to get cute, especially in their own penalty area, as Verdy punish teams that fail to ‘clean up the garbage’ in front of goal. Though Ryukyu prefer to play it out from the back, they shouldn’t take any chances on clearing balls in dangerous areas as it is better to live and fight another day then find yourselves in a massive hole.

2. Ryukyu must be clinical on limited opportunities. Likelihood 1. We saw both Gunma and Zelvia fail to capitalize on some limited opportunities and they both paid the price. Ryukyu haven’t generated a lot offense as of late and therefore they must score on what little chances Verdy affords them on Wednesday night. This may only come in the form of set pieces and CKs which seems to be one of the weaknesses for the overall strong Verdy squad.

J2 Round 07

I don’t think there is any one game that stands out above the rest as a must watch this round but there are several intriguing matchups on the slate. Can league leaders, Yokohama FC, remain undefeated when they host Montedio Yamagata who themselves are coming off a heartbreaking draw in extra time against Verdy? Okayama v Iwate and Kanazawa v Kumamoto could be tasty for the neutral viewer and can Oita, Kofu, Nagasaki and Ryukyu reverse some of their fortunes this week?

The free J-League International YouTube broadcast this week will feature FC Ryukyu at home to Tokyo Verdy. The link to the broadcast can be found under the picture.

Click>>>> FC Ryukyu v Tokyo Verdy J.League Int’l YouTube

Conclusion

I love the games between Ryukyu and Verdy and I am eagerly awaiting how Ryukyu responds in the face of so much adversity. A win tomorrow would certainly ease some of that pressure as well as provide a much needed boost to the supporters who have yet to see their team win at home in 2022. All hands on deck for this one!

Oita Trinita vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Not exactly the type of response we were hoping for out of FC Ryukyu this week when they got tuned up 4-1 away from home after a deflating 2-1 defeat at home just a few days ago. The loss has prompted the owner/chairman of the club, Keishiro Kurabayashi, to issue a statement on Twitter following the match asking for patience with the club as it is a long season, not to worry as results will come, and to direct any opinions or criticism directly to him.

I am not exactly sure how to take that message as on one hand I agree that it is a long season and results will come, but there hasn’t been any encouraging signs that things will improve. On the other, it seems odd to be issuing a statement like this as someone in the management department has clearly identified that there is a problem which may require some drastic changes. Changes that the club rarely executes mid season.

Match Highlights

Review of the 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. Just run at em. Likelihood 1. This certainly wasn’t the case as Ryukyu only had about 10 minutes of run of play inside the first half where they looked threatening

Match Day 06 Takeaways

1. Changes: We finally got some changes within the lineup, most notably Dany Carvajal back in net, but the results were the same. Woeful defending, turnovers, failure to maintain possession and offering nothing in the attack. Seems like a recipe for disaster. Perhaps a switch back to a 4-2-3-1 will unlock some of the players as Ren Ikeda is far better in the center of attack than out wide.

2. The backline and defending: OOOFFF! That was hard to watch.

3. Abe’s injury: Subbed on and limped off with what looks like a hamstring injury. Expect no news and a lengthy absence for Abe.

Conclusion

There are still 36 games to go in this season and we should probably start treating each individual game as their own individual season moving forward. If things are going to change, they will change through fits and spurts of good play. Get a good result, try to keep the momentum going. Take a set back, review what went wrong, attempt to make the changes during training, and put the result out of your mind.

Ryukyu have a full week off before playing at home midweek versus a somewhat rival in Tokyo Verdy. They should take some timeout during the week to reflect on what has transpired and try to change just a single aspect of their play that they can execute well during their next game.

(21) Oita Trinita vs (20) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu need to deliver a response following their third consecutive defeat at home this past weekend. This requires Ryukyu to do something they rarely do this season, gain and maintain a lead. In the lone game that Ryukyu scored first, they surrendered that lead late which ultimately resulted in a loss. Outside of the opening fixture, there hasn’t been one fixture that any of us can point to as a dominating performance by Ryukyu. Much like we needed to get that first victory of the season, we need to start stringing together better results.

Weather Forecast and Match Day Info

The game will be played inside a dome so weather shouldn’t be a factor. However, the short week and travel will be something that Ryukyu need to contend with.

Click>>>> Match Day 06 Info from Oita Trinita

Team Previews

Oita Trinita: Oita was the other team whose season was delayed due to a CV-19 outbreak in the squad and who have also yet to earn a victory in any competition this season. Currently second from bottom on three points, Oita will look to bust out of their slump with a very beatable FC Ryukyu coming to town.

A trio of 1-1 draws with some demolitions mixed in sums up Oita this season. That doesn’t bode well for Ryukyu as we’ve seen first hand how bad we are at putting teams away. Oita does have one advantage, they’ve played – and surrendered – with leads this season. They managed a draw at Kofu late on despite seeding much of the play to their opponents; took the early lead vs YFC but lost it; allowed Mito to get out in front before equalizing with a spectacular goal; led and then were blown away vs Nagasaki and then led for all of one minute vs Renofa before ceding that lead.

Hirota Goya, yes that same man who terrorized Ryukyu while at Nagasaki in 2019, is the player we need to look out for on Wednesday. Other than that, Oita, like Ryukyu, are struggling to string results together but have the advantage of playing at home on a short week.

These two sides haven’t met since the 2016 season when Oita were down in the J3 for their lone season before winning the league and being promoted back to J2. Ryukyu did have some strong performances against Oita back then and nearly defeated them twice that season. Keita Tanaka and Yu Tomidokoro are the only members of that Ryukyu squad currently on the roster from that year but that really doesn’t mean much. This will be Oita’s 8th game of the season as well as their third mid-week match of the young campaign. Perhaps some early fatigue on the part of Oita may level the playing field for both sides this Wednesday night.

FC Ryukyu: One thing Ryukyu have going for them is following a 1-2 defeat at home this season, they usually win. That is a bad attempt at some comedic relief as Ryukyu have only played one game away after losing at home this year, but there might be something there with that logic as Ryukyu have earned all their points away from home.

Something is off with the team this season and I am not sure what it is. Gone are the days of Higuchi’s hard practices that led to a lot of fatigue and injuries inside the squad but perhaps the discipline he was instilling during those training sessions has also dissipated. I hope players are not viewing their time here in Ryukyu as nothing more than the sunset chapters of their careers as whatever Ryukyu were attempting to build the past three seasons is quickly eroding.

But more importantly, Ryukyu need to find a nasty streak/killer instinct during games in order to start putting teams away. Ryukyu have eclipsed the single goal mark only once this season yet have conceded 2 goals per game during the last month. Ryukyu have a ton of veteran players, most of the starting 11 are around, or older than 30 years old, and we need these guys to get going to pull this team up. Too often it feels as if Ryukyu get ‘lucky’ on goals instead of purposefully working the ball around the pitch and into open spaces.

Last week Ryukyu reverted back to Okazaki and Yong Jick at CB. And the results were the same as the previous three weeks so that leaves us nowhere in defense. Ryukyu have not shut out an opponent since round one and that was when we had the combination of Omori and Nakagawa manning the back. Maybe the short time between matches for Ryukyu will allow one, if not both, of these players back into the fold. There really isn’t many other changes Ryukyu can make throughout the midfield and attack without knowing the fitness of some players or their availability.

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. Just run at em. Likelihood 1. Oita cave under pressure, and so do we, so who will assert themselves first?

J2 Round 06

There are two games early in the week which I assume are scheduled to support both Oita’s and Tokushima’s Levain Cup participation with the standout fixture of this round featuring (2) Vegalta Sendai hosting (4) Machida Zelvia.

The J-League International YouTube Channel free broadcast this round will feature (19) Mito Hollyhock at home against (15) Roasso Kumamoto.

Click>>>> J-League Int’l YouTube Channel

Conclusion

Show us something, anything, before we find ourselves at the bottom of the table at the end of this round. It is still early enough to course correct and get back in the thick of things but with every dropped point, it becomes harder and harder to see this side competing for anything other than avoiding relegation. Good luck boys!

FC Ryukyu vs FC Mito Hollyhock #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu failed to win at home for the third time this season and did so by the now all-too-familiar score line of 1-2. Things are not great at the moment and thankfully, or regrettably, FC Ryukyu have another game in quick succession to put this one out of their memory. Luckily for Ryukyu that game is on the road where they seem to be acquiring all their points these days.

Match Highlights

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Weather the early Mito storm. Likelihood 2. Mito were right on schedule with this one and hit their opening goal right at the 15 minute mark. Unbelievable that we knew this was coming and allowed Mito to dictate all of the early play. This is more infuriating than regrettable.

2. Harass Mito inside the box. Likelihood 3. The lone Ryukyu goal came within the box but they failed to follow that up with any sustained pressure.

Takeaways from MD 05

1. Despite owning a majority of the possession, it really didn’t feel like Ryukyu controlled the game from our view in the stands. Mito had ten corner kicks, of which it felt like 5-6 of those occurred within the opening 20 minutes of the first half and Ryukyu once more succumbed to the constant pressure from an opponent. On that note, opponents are probably content with allowing Ryukyu loads of possession as they cannot seem to do much with it other than pass it between the center backs and full backs.

2. Game was nearly over at the 18-minute mark. Mito scored a lovely goal in the 15th minute following a corner kick, which to his credit, Yong Jick defended as best he could. The problem was the rebound fell directly to a wide-open Mito player that sent a phenomenal shot into the top corner. Mito then had another corner kick just two minutes later that bounced off the crossbar and into a dangerous area inside the Ryukyu 6-yard box that was somehow cleared off the line.

3. Ryukyu cannot put teams away. While they were able to claw their way to victory last week, Ryukyu were not able to put Mito away with a second goal despite some good chances at the start of the second half. Failing to score the go-ahead goal led to a costly turnover inside the Ryukyu half and the eventual Mito winner. We saw something similar to this a few weeks ago against Iwate and out of the 450 or so minutes played this season, Ryukyu have led for just 69 total minutes.

4. Whole sale changes are probably warranted. Ryukyu need to find a spark somewhere and more importantly, sustain that momentum during games. Taguchi’s confidence is getting rocked by the constant turn style defending in front of him and perhaps he needs a break. The Ryukyu attack just isn’t producing the goals and I am not sure where they turn to find the answer. Perhaps the introduction of some players who rarely feature is a start but the one player we would’ve liked to see up top, Sittichok Paso, has left for international duty during our goal scoring drought.

5. Kina’s seat is officially getting hotter. Kina has been in charge of Ryukyu for 13 matches dating back to 2021 and owns a 4-5-4 record with a 16:17 goals scored/conceded ratio. His record last season was far better after inheriting Higuchi’s squad but that was at a time when Ryukyu had no fear of relegation or promotion. We all wanted to see what Kina could do when given an entire offseason, and ability to bring some of the players he wanted, and so far the results are not good. Maybe the management gives Kina another 5-6 games to see if he can get the club moving in the right direction but that includes games against 5 teams that currently sit inside the top 6 positions of the table. What can we really expect from Ryukyu, and Kina, during these games?  

Round 05 in J2

Albirex Niigata earned their first win of the year; Kanazawa surrendered a two goal lead before pulling out the victory on the road at Akita; and the much ballyhooed games between Okayama/Yokohama and Verdy/Zelvia ended in a 1-1 draw and 2-1 win for Verdy. As mentioned by @JTalkETJon from the JTET Pod Cast, it is still too early to tell what will shake out for the promotion, and relegation battles, but we should be seeing the signs of who are the real contenders and pretenders this season.

Conclusion

Ryukyu struggled mightily on the road during the 2019 season and it seems those fortunes have been reversed this year with Ryukyu struggling for points at home. Attendance has been on a steady decline the past two games and will probably not pick back up until Ryukyu start stringing together some better results at home. It sort of feels like we are adrift at sea with little idea of how to turn things around.

(16) FC Ryukyu vs (22) FC Mito Hollyhock #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu are fresh off their first win of the season and looking to double that win total when last placed FC Mito Hollyhock travel to Okinawa on Saturday. Ryukyu had to battle back twice from deficits at Renofa Yamaguchi last week but hopefully that performance has calmed some nerves of the fans as well as steeled the reserve of the Ryukyu players. Mito enter the match in the midst of a four game winless streak which makes this a bit of a trap game for Ryukyu who may be feeling their oats after their last win.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

The forecast calls for partly covered skies with little chance of rain. That is banking on the fact that a pretty nasty storm front clears out on Friday. We all know how weather works down here in Okinawa so prepare for the worst and enjoy better conditions if they should occur. Or just drink more to forget about how terrible the weather (hopefully not the match) actually is while you’re standing outside.

Click>>>> Match Day 05 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: That first win should provide a little sense of relief, as well as some boost in confidence, for Ryukyu heading into match day 5. We all wanted to see a Ryukyu performance indicative of their first game last Saturday, obviously not the previous two rounds, and we got just that last week. Now it is time to build on that momentum from the Renofa match and notch another win in what could be Ryukyu’s first home victory of the season.

Last week it was the ‘old guard’ of FC Ryukyu that pulled them through so perhaps we need a bit more of that this game. Abe’s goal from a corner was spectacular; Kiyotake’s header looked accidental (but we’ll take it); and Ryunosuke Noda’s first goal in over a year and half was a well taken shot from a breakaway. Speaking of Kiyotake, he had an interesting game last week in that he scored the equalizer, assisted on the winner, but was a bit off the mark for parts of the match. He nearly allowed Renofa to take control of the game when he sent a misguided pass directly across the top of the Ryukyu box and onto the foot of a Renofa attacker. Luckily Taguchi was up to the task and parried it away from danger thus keeping the one goal deficit in tact.

Heading into this matchup it is anyone’s guess as to who Kina will start as Ryukyu have been pretty consistent on rotating players in and out of the starting eleven all season. Ikeda returned last week from a one week absence, Yu Tomidokoro seems to have secured one of the starting CM roles over Kazuto Takezawa, Abe and Kiyotake both started, Yuki Omoto made his first start at RB, and Rio Omori has gone missing the past two weeks thus allowing Yong-Jick a return to the bench. It is great to have all these options but it likely leaves the side a little unsettled. Perhaps Kina is deploying a strategy of forcing players to earn the starting role each week compared to that of his predecessor who based it solely on name brand recognition, which is a good thing. What isn’t a good thing is needing the offense to get going and shifting many players around who cannot get into any sort of rhythm. I guess we’ll see this week.

Hopefully we see a return of Keita Tanaka at RB this match as he was seen at practice throughout the week but there is no telling how is rehabilitation from last season’s injury is progressing, or if he is ready to go. If he does play, I would expect a limited appearance until he gets back up to match fitness. One player that Ryukyu will definitely be without for the extended future is Sittichok Paso who will be joining the U-23 Thailand national team for the Dubai Cup in the U.A.E. Personally, I think Ryukyu are wasting a great opportunity to capitalize on having a Thai player in the squad when it comes to marketing and actual playing time. We need to find a better way to incorporate him or else we shouldn’t be wasting his, or our, time by rostering and failing to market a player like Paso.

FC Mito Hollyhock: Here is the tale of the tape so far: (1) Mito have suffered two defeats by a score line of 2-3 and have only managed a single point from their first four matches. (2) Mito can be prone to both fast starts, 4 of their 5 goals have come within the first 15 minutes of games, as well as lackluster finishes, 6 of the 8 goals conceded have occurred in the second half. That is the reality facing Ryukyu on Saturday.

Mito’s season was delayed by a week due to a CV-19 outbreak at Oita so they opened their campaign during week 2 at home to Sendai. Mito controlled the majority of play to open the game and their efforts were rewarded with an early goal before a handball/PK wiped out that lead in the 32nd minute. Sendai went ahead in the 74th minute but Mito quickly equalized two minutes later when Kazuma Takai took the most direct route ever seen inside the box to put it into the top of the net. However, Mito switched off near the end by conceding a goal in the 3rd minute of stoppage time. Against Akita the following week both sides traded numerous chances before some nervy run of play from both teams saw Akita score the eventual winner.

Mito played Oita in the midweek to make up for the previously postponed round 1 and once again they looked the better side to start the match. Mito opened the scoring in the 7th minute from a good nice run of play but, in keeping with Mito’s luck to date, Oita equalized from a very nicely taken shot inside the first half. Finally, and probably the most deflating performance to date, was Mito’s 2-3 loss at Yokohama FC where they surrendered a two goal lead in that loss.

Mito’s most lethal player is Kosuke Kinoshita, who joined from the Urawa Reds this offseason, and who has two goals and one assist this season. Mito has only defeated Ryukyu twice in the short span of their time together in J2 with their most recent win occurring at Ryukyu back on matchday 25 last year when Ryukyu were beginning their too often predictable mid-season collapse.

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. Weather the early Mito storm. Likelihood 2. There is no doubt that Mito start matches very fast as indicated by their goals scored/conceded ratio mentioned in the team preview section. Mito are very adept at hitting teams on the counter attack, which means Ryukyu need to survive the first 15 minutes of this match in order to take control of the game. Easier said than done for Ryukyu as this exact type of pressure caused us to concede early in the game last week at Renofa.

2. Harass Mito inside the box. Likelihood 3. A preponderance of Mito’s conceded goals have occurred in and around the 6-yard box. Ryukyu need to put more quality shots on net to cause some chaos and confusion in the Mito defense as well as inject some better crosses into the attacking players who should find space to operate on Saturday.

J2 Round 05

A couple of tilts at the top of the table this week with (5) Fagiano Okayama looking to rebound from a heavy defeat at Zelvia when they host league leaders (1) Yokohama FC, with (2) FC Machida Zelvia traveling to face (3) Tokyo Verdy in a bit of a derby match. Most of the other games this round see a lot of teams in the bottom third of the table squaring off in order to jockey for positioning. There is the lone, albeit odd, Monday afternoon kickoff this week between (13) Roasso Kumamoto and (14) V-Varen Nagasaki.

The free J-League International YouTube broadcast this week will feature (12) Albirex Niigata at home against (12) Ventforet Kofu and the link can be found below the picture.

Click>>>> J-League Int’l YouTube Channel

Conclusion

So it is kind of a big weekend for both the club and the supporters. First, it is Jin-Beno Day (the official mascot of Ryukyu) and there are a ton of giveaways and special seating at the stadium. Who doesn’t love J-League mascots? Second, Yu Tomidokoro, aka Mr. Ryukyu, celebrates 250 matches in his J-League career along with Yuki Omoto celebrating his 100th game in which commemorative plaques and towels are available for purchase. Third, a win here for Ryukyu could be a nice launching pad to further success along with an uplifting first home win for the fans.

But finally, and most importantly, this is the first match of the season that I will be able to attend in person. So brace yourself Okinawa, the Commander of the Ryukyu Army is inbound!

Renofa Yamaguchi FC vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Well it certainly feels good to get the fist win out of the way. It was by no means easy, but FC Ryukyu finally notched their first win on Saturday with a 3-2 road win over Renofa Yamaguchi FC. Ryukyu had to overcome deficit twice in this game but the win has propelled them out of the relegation zone with many more questions still needing to be answered.

Match Recap

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Clean up the garbage in front of goal: Likelihood 3. Umm, Renofa’s second goal was just that. So no!

2. Remain calm when Renofa’s chaotic play takes hold: Likelihood 4. I feel as if we got sucked into this a bit throughout the match.

3. Do not wait for the perfect goal: Likelihood 2. 50/50. We scored from a very nicely worked set piece. a Kiyotake header, and a turnover but couldn’t quite get things going.

Match Day 4 Takeaways

The Cavalier Kiyotake: Sure, he scored and assisted on another goal but his turnovers nearly cost us and honestly, up until that goal, he looked a better sub than starter. That pass across the front of our box that Renofa capitalized on was inexcusable and luckily Taguchi got to the shot.

Numata is done: Nothing there to indicate he has anything to offer in the attack or defense. Replacing Numata at LB means shifting Fukumura from CM to LB and could cost us but is probably the better move at this time.

Unsettled at the back: Nakagawa could’ve (should’ve) done a better job handling some of the runs by Renofa but I am willing to deal with these growing pains. Omori’s absence is also a bit concerning considering Yong Jick made the reserves. We need to tighten up back there to give any GK a chance or else we run the risk of easily worked goals from the opposition.

A set Piece Goal? My heart be still but it looks like Ryukyu have worked on these plays this season. Abe’s take was spectacular.

3 points is 3 points: Take them in any form. That wasn’t pretty but it was effective. If Ryukyu struggle like this every week then it will be a long season, but they did right the ship on a pitch were they’ve had little, to no, success, so ley’s take it.

J2 Round 4 Review

Zelvia put Okayama to the sword but it was Yokohama FC’s comeback that stole the headlines this round. Table is very much unsettled so lets not jump to conclusions.

Conclusion

Ryukyu desperately needed that win and hopefully winning becomes a habit around here. If we have to struggle each week for wins like this than this will be a very long season. I do not think that many, despite the early saber rattling, expect Ryukyu to get promoted to J1. Instead, we’d rather see and a consistent improvement from one season to the next. I am not sure we’ve seen that yet.

(6) Renofa Yamaguchi FC vs (21) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu are three games into the season and still in search of their first win. Things will not get any easier this week as they travel to Renofa Yamaguchi, a side that has found much success against Ryukyu at home, and perhaps without some key players. Though it isn’t quite time to hit the panic button down here in Okinawa, we are right to be somewhat concerned with how things have gone so far.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

Some favorable conditions for watching football tomorrow.

Click>>>> Match Day 04 Information from Renofa Yamaguchi FC

Team Previews

Renofa Yamaguchi: This side has yet to play from behind in any of their three games to date. However, they have surrendered two of their leads later in matches. After Kumamoto failed to clear their lines in the opening fixture, Renofa pounced on a loose ball in front of net. Then the game turned into a back and forth tilt up to and through Kumamoto’s equalizer. The same could be said about their match with Akita, however, Renofa scored two goals in that game to put their opponent away.

Niigata gave Renofa a golden chance in the second half when Yamaguchi took the lead but once again they gave up a late goal to allow Niigata back into the game. It is hard to tell if Renofa presses well, has a high work rate, or is completely disorganized in both the attack and defense. Each one of their past three games seemed very fast paced where both teams involved had plenty of opportunities to score.

In the six games that Renofa Yamaguchi has hosted FC Ryukyu beginning in 2014, Ryukyu have only won once at the Ishin-Me Life stadium. Renofa only failed to reach the two goal mark in one of those games, the one Ryukyu won, and have hit Ryukyu for more than four goals on three occasions. Those statistics seem similar to what Ryukyu faced on opening day at Zelvia but should provide a little boost of confidence to a Renofa side that isn’t the same whipping boy we saw closing out the 2021 season.

FC Ryukyu: Not the greatest start of a season we’ve seen from Ryukyu, but also not the worst, at least not yet. That honor resides with the 2020 campaign where FC Ryukyu went winless in their first 8 games of the season. That was also the season wrecked by CV-19 and with relegation taken off the table. We have no such luxury this year and though Kina is not technically on the ‘hot seat,’ the heater is at least turned on until Ryukyu can pull themselves out of the relegation zone.

Ryukyu have shown us three different sides in their first three games. First, they put forth such a good effort at Zelvia that gave many of us fans hope that this team could really compete against some of the stronger clubs in J2. Second, they got absolutely demolished at home to JEF which was polar opposite from the performance we saw the week prior. Finally, they looked dominant against Iwate but couldn’t find the second goal to turn the tide and paid the price at the end. What will week 4 bring us?

Katsuya Nakano looks the part and has scored our only two goals of the season. Prior to starting last week he was primarily used as a substitute for Ren Ikeda. Who, has now gone missing from the squad while dealing with a potential injury. The same has to be said about Keita Tanaka who has not featured at all this season. Okazaki made his debut at the back last week but who knows how Kina will continue to rotate the 3 CBs on the squad. One final note, youngster Kazuto Takezawa has also taken a back seat to a veteran in Yu Tomidokoro. I think we are going to see more tinkering of the lineup by Kina until he can find the right 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

1. Clean up the garbage in front of goal: Likelihood 3. Two of Renofa’s goals this season have come when opponents fail to adequately clear their lines. We have already seen how that bit FC Ryukyu last week and we cannot afford another rendition of that performance against a side who never really gives up inside the box.

2. Remain calm when Renofa’s chaotic play takes hold: Likelihood 4. As mentioned in the team preview section, Renofa plays in a sort of frenzy on both ends of the pitch. This affords them many short counter attacks but also leaves them exposed at the back. Ryukyu need to slow the pace of the game down to force Renofa to press too much and open themselves up.

3. Do not wait for the perfect goal: Likelihood 2. It seems as if Ryukyu are only lethal from inside the 18-yard box and barely take accurate, powerful shots, from distance. I think we definitely have the talent to bag those goals but Ryukyu seems intent on trying to force things into tight, contested areas in front of goal.

J2 Round 4

Only 1 team (Yokohama FC) remains undefeated after three rounds while 6 teams (which includes FC Ryukyu) are still looking for their first win of the year. (3) FC Machida Zelvia vs (2) Fagiano Okayama jumps out as one of the games to watch if you are a neutral fan. But, there is also the free J.League International YouTube broadcast this week featuring (18) Zweigen Kanazawa and (10) JEF United Chiba.

Click>>>> J.League Int’l YouTube Channel

Conclusion

Each round that ticks by without a win to open the season will make most of the Ryukyu faithful a bit nervous. It is not time to abandon all hope if they do not win on Saturday but you would like to see an improvement from one week to the next instead of the yo-yo like performances the past 3 games. Hopefully Ryukyu can put in the same type of performance they did against Zelvia to open the season this week at Renofa and grab that all important win to get the so called “monkey off their back.”