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.
ryukyuarmy.com 