Intro
It is once again that time of year for two teams to square off who have built up a pretty good history between one another the past four seasons. I’ve written many times about this rivalry that has included the fouls, cards, penalty kicks, lopsided score lines and controversy that makes this make-shift derby all the more enjoyable. I for one hope to enjoy this in person, weather permitting, so as to see Ryukyu’s first win six weeks! Time is running out and the fixtures do not get any easier for Ryukyu. It has to start somewhere and that somewhere is in Chofu.
Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
Weather looks agreeable. I just hope the tropical storm around Okinawa this weekend doesn’t disrupt the team’s, or the traveling fans, transportation plans.
Click>>>> Match Day 24 Information from Tokyo Verdy
Team Previews
Tokyo Verdy: What a whirlwind season it has been for Tokyo Verdy thus far. They opened the season with eight (8) straight games without a defeat before embarking on a stretch of thirteen (13) games with only a single (1) win. That obviously got their manager to start the season relieved. Verdy do have the luxury of playing three (3) of the bottom five (5) teams in the table over the coming weeks but who knows if that will be enough to get them back in the promotion hunt. Verdy already played two teams in the relegation scrap in their past five games and only managed draws with those sides (Omiya and Iwate).
Verdy have had some interesting matches this season in which they’ve either scored, conceded or scored and conceded three (3) goals in consecutive matches. In fact, that has happened five times (Match Days 6/7, 9/10, 14/15, 17/18, and most recently 22/23). And following those outbursts of scoring Verdy usually plays in some low scoring affairs by going 1W-2D-1L. Will that trend continue this match?
Speaking of this match, FC Ryukyu has the slight edge in the series by winning three (3), losing two (2), and drawing twice (2). All three of Ryukyu’s wins came in row between 2020 and 2021 in which Ryukyu shutout Verdy in all of those games. However, Verdy has some of the biggest score lines away to Ryukyu having hit five (5) goals on two occasions. It seems when Ryukyu draw with Verdy at home, and then lose by a heavy score the following match, Ryukyu win the next time these two play. That is some loose logic there but it is the exact situation Ryukyu find themselves in this Sunday.
FC Ryukyu: A few weeks ago I suggested that FC Ryukyu could be facing another lengthy winless stretch of games. That has unfortunately come to fruition. FC Ryukyu are winless in their last seven (7) games while suffering four (4) consecutive defeats for the second time this season, and have managed just a single goal in their past four games. FC Ryukyu’s performance chart on the Transfermarkt website is looking more like an EKG reading of patient who is about to expire than anything else.
But maybe a game with Ryukyu’s main rival in J2 can help get them going in the right direction. We’ve all seen teams around the globe struggling for results only to face a rival, or play a derby match, which somehow reinvigorates a side and provides a break in the bad results. Let’s hope that is the case for FC Ryukyu on Sunday. To do that, Ryukyu will need goals, but where – and who – will they come from?
Nacho Fernandez rolled out the same lineup that his predecessor used at Fagiano Okayama the previous week with pretty much the same results. At the end of the match the manager lamented the fact that there just wasn’t enough crosses into the box and that at times it seemed his side wanted to revert back to the ways under the previous manager (as best as we could translate). I appreciated that he was visibly upset at the results and it was a breath of fresh air in the normal milk toast postgame interviews. But fiery talk is one thing, backing that up with results is another.
If Nacho wishes to see more crosses and service into the box, than he should look no further than Keita Tanaka. That is, hoping Keita – who has been seen in training – is healthy enough to start over Makito Uehara at RB. Another option would be to reintroduce Takayuki Fukumura back into the lineup, who has also gone missing from the side the past two weeks, as well as Yuki Omoto. I hope the previous Emperors Cup match with Omiya, in which two of the three players mentioned above last featured, didn’t result in any injuries that we are not aware of. By my count that makes four (4) Ryukyu defenders on the mend and short on options considering we use many of these defenders in several roles. Abe is the poster child for a match later this month, perhaps he is finally fit and ready to play this week?
Round 24 in J2
All three of the top sides are on the road this week with all matches but one, Verdy v Ryukyu, taking place on Saturday. League Leaders (1) Yokohama FC and (2) Albirex Niigata will look to extend their lead over (3) Vegalta Sendai with games against teams in the lower half of the table and with Sendai having the toughest draw against (5) FC Machida Zelvia. A match that will also be broadcast on the J-League International YouTube Channel. Click>>>> FC Machida Zelvia vs Vegalta Sendai.
At the bottom of the table it is (20) Iwate Grulla Morioka hosting (21) Omiya Ardija in game in which we as Ryukyu fans would like to see a draw but until FC Ryukyu start handling their own business, it is pointless to continue to scoreboard watching in hopes of favorable results. The Verdy v Ryukyu match will also be broadcast on the J-League International YouTube Channel this weekend. Click>>>> Tokyo Verdy vs FC Ryukyu.
Conclusion
These next two games could be considered a bit of a release from the tough fixtures Ryukyu just fought through, but nothing is to be considered easy for a team floundering at the bottom of the table. It is looking less and less likely that Ryukyu can pull off some sort of miracle winning streak considering they’ve only won three (3) times in their first twenty three (23) matches. But they could at least win two in a row for the second time this season and possibly see out some tough points on the road. This match with their quasi-heated rival couldn’t have come at a better time for Ryukyu as hopefully it provides a bit of extra motivation to shake loose a win this weekend. Come on lads!
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