Intro
The match between FC Imabari and FC Ryukyu ended in a draw for the third time in as many matches. Only there were no PKs to determine the winner in this one. Instead, Ryukyu battled back from an early Imabari goal with two second half goals of their own inside a minute, but were consigned to a draw on the very last kick of the game. Ryukyu fans will feel disappointed it wasn’t all three points while Imabari fans will feel vindicated having suffered a similar type of result last week against Kagoshima. Things be like that sometimes.
Highlights
Talking Points
1. The Lineup: Takuma Abe made his return to the bench for FC Ryukyu however Kiyotake and Kelvin were still absent from the roster. Ryukyu are dressing far more defenders than mid-fielders these days, and using all of them it seems, which only confirms everyone’s suspicions that players are hurt, there is no word on any timetable for their return, and we have to make due with who we have healthy right now. Mu Kanazaki returned after his suspension and was heavily involved in the second half with his hold up play as well as getting in on the Hitomi goal with an assist.
2. The Game: Ryukyu had bursts to open each half but offered could not consistently sustain momentum. And then when they decided to ‘park the bus,’ they were punished by Imabari. The 57% possession was nice, but Ryukyu were outshot and were under serious pressure when Imabari had the ball in Ryukyu’s end. Ryukyu were making the right decisions on where to go with the ball during the game, they just deployed the wrong passes when it mattered most. There will be a couple of plays near the end which many may criticize Ryukyu for not just booting it out of danger but that is a bit harsh. A couple of things that are clear is they need the offense to provide some relief to our besieged back line, and Ryukyu really need to be winning these types of games if they wish to be promoted.
3. Takuya Hitomi: Was having a nice game and was rewarded with a goal from a very nice finish. We’ve seen this from Hitomi before but what unfortunately suffered a non-contact injury just 15 minutes into the second half and had to be subbed off (stretchered). Hitomi may have taken a slight knock to his leg on an earlier challenge at the start of the play, but when he was attempting to slow his run you could see him briefly pull up limp, attempt to pass the ball and then collapse. The expression on his face and the pulling of his jersey over his head as he was carried off doesn’t bode well as Hitomi clearly knows something is bad. There is no telling what injury he suffered or how long he will be out of the lineup. Truly an injury we cannot afford with so many undisclosed injuries already plaguing the club.
4. Junto Taguchi: A tale of two halves for this player. Taguchi was once again a bit shaky to start which led directly to an Imabari goal within the opening 15 minutes. Granted, his defenders weren’t helping him out all that much as Imabari were finding plenty of space between our back line. Taguchi could’ve done better on the shot as he took a poor first step, conceded a rebound in the worst possible spot after failing to secure the shot, making the goal almost inevitable.
Taguchi recovered in the second half to make a pair of key saves for Ryukyu but wasn’t able, not that many would, to get to the final shot of the match that curled past him. I would say the jury is still out on whether or not Taguchi is the right man for the job. Ryukyu cannot afford, and probably cannot bail out, Taguchi making mistakes that puts the team into an early hole or breathes life back into opponents. He must get better and display some leadership that has earned him the vice captaincy and starting job.
5. In the end, the point was a fair result. It doesn’t feel great as 3-points was clearly in the cards for Ryukyu, but nevertheless, the point on the road against a tough team is a very good result for this club.
Round 3 in J2
Matsumoto Yamaga moves into the pole position after their 3-0 thumping of Y.S.C.C. combined with Tottori losing 3-2 at home to Ehime FC. Iwate responded from their loss last week to Ryukyu by defeating FC Osaka on the road in what looked to be poor weather conditions. Hachinohe bagged a victory after a ding-dong type of goal with multiple rebounds and deflections. Nara club hammered Nagano at home and as a Ryukyu fan, it was great seeing FC Gifu take down Kagoshima United 1-0 at home.
Conclusion
It is kind of strange where a result like this so early last year felt like a loss whereas this year it sort of feels like a win. So we march forward into next week against Fukushima United and if Ryukyu are feeling a little disappointed about the result that slipped through their fingers on Sunday, that is a good thing, and Fukushima needs to be the recipient of that frustration on Sunday.
ryukyuarmy.com 