FC Ryukyu didn’t fall into the trap of overlooking a weaker opponent with a massive match up on the horizon. In fact, this game ended up being more of a get right game for Ryukyu than anything else. Despite the length weather delay after 8 minutes, Ryukyu came out and put 5 past SC Sagamihara.
Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 11 in J2
Conclusion
1.Match Day Highlights
2. Man of the Match
FC Ryukyu Midfielders Koki Kiyotake and Shunsuke Motegi. Both of these players accounted for 4 of the goals Ryukyu scored though Motegi’s first was scored as an own goal. Kiyotake opened the scoring for Ryukyu after the restart on a header set up by none other than Keita Tanaka. He then followed that up with a well taken shot from yet another Tanaka cross that Abe smartly dummied allowing it to fall to a wide open Kiyotake. I cannot tell if Motegi’s shot was already in the net before a SC Sagamihara player touched it. I also cannot tell from the highlights who from Sagamihara actually touched it but it was a spectacular shot none the less. Motegi was then rewarded after Ryukyu hustled to dispossess Sagamihara in their own end resulting in a turnover that saw Motegi alone at the top of the box to which he promptly sent a laser past the Sagamihara keeper.
3.Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. The razors edge. Likelihood 2. There were no changes to the lineup we see week in and week out for Ryukyu. Now we’ll see how they respond to an opponent who is much tougher than the last in a short week.
2. Contain Juri. Likelihood 3. Juri didn’t dress for the match so there was no real threat Ryukyu had to contend with.
3. Pile on the shots. Likelihood 4. Yes! Ryukyu needed a breakout game like this one to restore some confidence in players and look dominant. Granted, this wasn’t a top 6 side but it means a lot moving forward.
4. Prediction
2-0 to Ryukyu was obviously a little light so I’ll award myself a draw for at least predicting the win by Ryukyu. Season Record 5-2-4.
5. Talking Points from Match Day 11
1. Everything worked. Ryukyu enjoyed large spells of possession, looked good in that possession, and put a bunch of high-quality shots on net. We shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back too much based on the opponent, but the fact that we put in a dominant performance is very important. Ryukyu need to put in several of these performances this season and sometimes these types of games can jump start a side heading into a difficult match.
2. Tanaka might be the best RB in the league. He bagged two more assists yesterday and was all over the pitch creating chances. His ability to shield a defender, maintain possession, and then deliver a cross on Kiyotake’s goal was outstanding.
3. It was so good to see Motegi return to form. He looks fit and ready to make an impact. It may not be long before we see him take over the starting LM role for this club.
4. Shu Hiramatsu’s goal for SC Sagamihara is an early contender for goal of the year in J2. Yeah, we all would’ve loved to have seen FC Ryukyu bag another clean sheet, but even as a Ryukyu fan, you have to admire the quality of that goal. Taguchi parried the initial cross from danger, got tangled with a few Sagamihara players and the ball fell right near Shu, who then executed an absolute beauty of an overhead kick over Ikeda’s head. Ikeda would’ve never been able to get to the loose ball and finish was spectacular. Not even upset that it ruined our clean sheet. Well done son.
No change at the top as the top 5 sides all won this round. Kyoto Sanga FC saw out a 3-2 win but were in cruise control up 3-1 before Ehime FC added a late goal to make it seem like the game was close. Jubilo Iwata needed a 76th minute winner after Tochigi SC leveled the game in the second half. Ventforet Kofu won the battle over Zweigen Kanazawa in what was probably the toughest draw this round while Blaublitz Akita and Fagiano Okayama swapped positions in the table following Okayama’s 1-0 win at Akita.
The win for Ryukyu sees them maintain their 3 point lead over Kyoto Sanga FC setting up a massive 6 point top of the table tilt this Wednesday night in Okinawa. A loss would drop Ryukyu down to 3rd but a draw or win would further strengthen Ryukyu’s position in the table. At the quarter mark of the 2021 season Ryukyu have a 10 point lead over 5th placed Kofu; 7 point lead over 4th place Jubilo Iwata in what is shaping up to be a 4 horse race for promotion.
Storied past with these two? Sure. Should Ryukyu be worried? Slightly. Can Ryukyu get the job done? Great question. Sagamihara has the knack for showing up for big games this year but they are 16th for a reason right? This match is the very definition of a “trap game” for Ryukyu as they are playing a lower seeded team just in front of a massive tilt with Kyoto the following Wednesday. However, Ryukyu cannot afford to overlook SC Sagamihara as any dropped points this weekend will severely dent their promotion aspirations.
Weather Forecast & Match Information from the Club
Match Day 10 Highlights
Team Previews
SC Sagamihara
FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 11 in J2
Conclusion
1.Weather Forecast and Match Information from SC Sagamihara
Looks like some it could turn nasty this round. Be prepared if you’re going.
Visiting Ryukyu fans are allowed into the match. Details can be found by clicking the link below.
SC Sagamihara: As I mentioned in the introduction, SC Sagamihara has the ability to play well against some of the better sides in the league. They’ve moved past their rocky start to the campaign where they didn’t score a single goal for the first three matches. I wouldn’t necessarily say that SC Sagamihara are one of the better defending teams in the league, but they do have 4 clean sheets to their name which is only 2 behind Junto Taguchi of Ryukyu.
Sagamihara went 1-2-2 in their last five games with the lone win occurring at Chiba this past weekend which also happened to be Sagamihara’s first road win of the season. Despite conceding early on at home to Niigata, Sagamihara managed to turn things around following a PK and breakaway goal and took the league leaders to the brink before conceding the equalizer in the 61st minute. Sagamihara had plenty of chances to win this game but fell just short. The following match at Tochigi ended 0-0 and is best summed up by saying that both sides missed several chances to score.
SC Sagamihara put in another good shift against a tough opponent in Iwata despite what the score line (2-1 loss) indicates. Similar to the Niigata match, Sagamihara was able to quickly answer the opening goal from their opponent, look dangerous at times, came close to taking the lead, but ultimately surrendered late in the match. At Kofu in the midweek, Sagamihara made some changes to the lineup with the most noticeable being Juri’s removal from the starting eleven. They didn’t look as dangerous as they did against other opponents and fell 2-0 on the road.
The match with Chiba was shaping up much like the 0-0 match with Tochigi SC before a 52nd minute goal from Tatsuya Shirai put Sagamihara in front. The goal stemmed from a corner kick and ensuing chaos in front of the JEF keeper when rebounds were blocked and not fully cleared. They were also aided by JEF offering very little in the attack that day.
Sagamihara has earned the same exact amount of points, 5, in their past five games as they did in their first five games of 2021. They have fared better in the goals scored department in the latter five games, but have also conceded more than they did in the first five games. Fumitake Mura has vacillated between a couple of different formations in their last five games where he started out in a 3-3-2-2; switched briefly to a 3-5-2 against Iwata; reverted to a 3-4-2-1 on a short week at Kofu; before returning back to a 3-5-2 this past week at JEF.
In any event, the player to watch out for this week is forward Juri Mamute who is SC Sagamihara’s leading scorer and points leader (2 goals & 1 assist). Juri is a powerful forward who is not easily moved off the ball and is often moves around the pitch to create mismatches with smaller defenders in order to allow the two attacking midfielders from Sagamihara to run into space.
FC Ryukyu: Can they maintain this pace? The question on every Ryukyu supporter’s mind as well as that of J-League fans. Ryukyu have a penchant for seeing out games in very dramatic fashion these days as most end up with Ryukyu securing a clean sheet and all three points. But how long can that last? I for one have no idea as we are squarely in uncharted waters. This is by far Ryukyu’s best start to a season ever and they continue to surprise us at every turn despite so many calls to the contrary.
But, and it is a big but, we need the offense to start clicking. I for one buy into the mantra that offense wins games, defense wins championships, but there is always going to be a give and take to that saying in any season. So far Ryukyu won out games, albeit untraditionally, in very fine defensive fashion. The fact that we have nearly equaled the amount of clean sheets in any year since we’ve entered the J-League by this point in the season is simply outstanding. Trust me when I say I used to feel that FC Ryukyu’s best defense was an unrelenting offense but that is simply not the case in 2021, and that is a good thing.
All catch phrases aside, this team needs a serious injection of life into the offense as the defense can only hold so long before they begin to buckle under the pressure, and that pressure desperately needs a release valve. So what can be done? It is not as if the front line players have been underperforming, but rather they need to introduce what some would call daring and creative flavor.
Well the good news is that Ryukyu have the depth to call upon in these tough times. I have, and will continue, to call for Nakagawa to regain his place at the table. Ren Ikeda has excelled this year in the CAM role, but Nakagawa is a special player and the more he grows into this side with minutes, and let’s be honest, players of his quality require opportunities to unlock the potential, I think you will all see why I rave about this player when he is given the opportunity. That was his biggest downfall when he left Ryukyu in 2019 as he could never crack the starting 11 on a consistent basis anywhere. So, let him regain that swagger he had from 2018/early 2019. Let him show you why he was a coveted asset of J1 sides as he shreds defenses and turns Abe, like Koji in 2019, loose. We are playing a game with house money right now so there is no need to be coy.
And yet there is more, one more player to be specific. Shunsuke Motegi has proven himself fit, and as someone who believes FC Ryukyu basically stole from Mito Hollyhock pre CV19, deserves his time in the limelight. Now, if you think Tanaka’s ability to reinvent himself at RB is outside of Motegi’s realm of possibilities to do the same at LB, or you think Numata doesn’t need a breather back there, then you’d be mistaken. He may not usurp Kiyotake at the moment but his time will come and if Tanaka and Yu Tomidokoro are any indication for how players can change their stripes (look for Yong Jick to possibly do the same at CDM) then Motegi at least deserves a shot.
4.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. The razors edge. Likelihood 2. First, Ryukyu cannot, should not, overlook SC Sagamihara in advance of Kyoto Sanga FC. But you can be smarter than the last time we played a midweek match. Wholesale changes at RB. LB, CM, MF, CB and FWD are warranted and almost encouraged. If we don’t give these guys a breather then we are edging closer to injury and burnout territory. This doesn’t come without risks as we could do this and absolutely get manhandled by Sagamihara, but you need to take some risks in any given season and risk management mitigation screams, take it now!
2. Contain Juri. Likelihood 3. As stated, Juri is a powerful forward who uses his body well to shield defenders in and around the box. You often see him drifting to the edges of the box to try and establish a mismatch with some of the opponents’ full backs. Both Tanaka and Numata will have their hands full if this happens on Saturday and if Ryukyu instead opt to send Chinen or Okazaki to mark Juri, Uesato and the other central midfielder will need to be on top of their game to fill the void in the center of the Ryukyu defense.
3. Pile on the shots. Likelihood 4. SC Sagamihara might be the only team in J2 that has fewer shots on net than Ryukyu. That means Ryukyu should see some large spells of possession but need to end the attacks with accurate shots on net. SC Sagamihara has only eclipsed the double-digit mark for shots once this season while Ryukyu has managed it four times. This would be the perfect opportunity to get some of our guys firing before heading into a tough match with Kyoto.
4. If we do score, maintain focus in the minutes that follow. Likelihood 4. SC Sagamihara has shown the ability to quickly to respond to goals scored by their opponents as they did against Niigata and Iwata.
5.Prediction
SC Sagamihara are 0-1-4 with 4 goals scored and 10 conceded against top 6 competition in 2021. FC Ryukyu are 4-1-0 with 8 goals scored and 2 goals conceded against those near the relegation zone. Granted, Sagamihara are close, but not in, the relegation zone at this point. But I still believe FC Ryukyu see this one out 2-0. Season Record 5-1-4.
6.Round 11 in J2
Leaders (1) Albirex Niigata get (13) JEF United Chiba this week with (3) Kyoto Sanga FC facing (19) Ehime FC. (4) Jubilo Iwata will hope a Kyoto stumble in their match so it can help them close the points gap when they play (10) Tochigi SC at home this week. The marquee matchup this round is (7) Ventforet Kofu hosting (6) Zweigen Kanazawa who both dropped points last week. (5) FC Machida Zelvia host (20) Renofa Yamaguchi FC and could turn this into a 5 team race for promotion depending on the outcome of the Kofu v Zweigen match. Finally, (8) Blaublitz Akita will try and take advantage of (12) Fagiano Okayama who are coming a rough month of April.
We have to wait for awhile until the J-League English Twitter feed drops the game for this month.
Ryukyu shook off their first loss of the season by defeating Ventforet Kofu for the first time in the team’s history 2-0 on Sunday evening. A late, some might say controversial, goal by Ren Ikeda in the 90th minute was all that Ryukyu needed to see out the three points. The win keeps FC Ryukyu three points above Kyoto in the automatic promotion slot while also restoring some of the confidence that may have been lost at Machida.
Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 10 in J2
Conclusion
1.Match Day Highlights
2. Man of the Match
FC Ryukyu Mid Fielder Kazumasa Uesato: Kaz was one of Ryukyu’s better passing players and it was his initiative to try a long distance chip over the Kofu goal keeper that led to the Ikeda goal on the ensuing corner kick.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Defend the left, but watch the right on quick counters. Likelihood 3. Yes. Ryukyu seemed aware of how Kofu prefers to break down their opponents, and though Kofu had many cracks at the Ryukyu goal from the left, Ryukyu held firm.
2. Take the attack of life support and give it a jolt with a defibrillator. Likelihood 2. Sort of. It was much better than the last effort but still lacks punch.
3. Play like you’re the second-best team in the league, because you are. Likelihood 3. Indeed. Ryukyu put in a much better shift this weekend compared to the midweek at Machida. The defense was back in fine form and they secured their 6th clean sheet of the season.
4.Prediction
I tipped Kofu to take this game 2-1 and I am happy to take the L this round. Season Record 5-1-4.
5.Talking Points from Match Day 10
1. Dodging some bullets. Kofu had 3 clear cut chances to take the lead in the first half and Ryukyu were a bit lucky to escape that half level. Kofu’s first shot from a corner kick just happened to be directly at Koya Kazama who was in the right place at the right time to prevent a goal. I don’t think Taguchi would’ve been able to get down to that low hard shot headed for the corner. Ryukyu then got pulled apart on some quick passes by Kofu which allowed a free look on net for the Kofu attacker who luckily sent it right towards Taguchi. The third chance was a corner kick where the Kofu attacker either missed timed his jump, or was just slightly out of position, for which he had a free header at the Ryukyu back post.
2. Limited shots on net. Ryukyu have been getting by with limited shots on target while playing some stout defense. It didn’t work out at Zelvia and when they run into tougher competition that can light up the scoreboard, they will need to do more. Ryukyu had 1 shot on target in the first half, and it was a good one from Shintaro Shimizu, but only managed 3 total shots in the second half, all of which occurred in a span of 30 seconds. The Uesato long distance chip, the initial header from the corner kick from the chip and the rebound shot from Ikeda for the goal. Otherwise, there was roughly 51 minutes of zero shots on goal by Ryukyu in the second half.
3. Ryukyu responded well to their first loss. It was a much better performance as a whole as the passing was better and Ikeda played a much better game compared to the one at Zelvia. It won’t always be pretty when Ryukyu need to exorcise some ghosts of years past and the win was hugely significant for their promotion hopes. At lease we have seen how Ryukyu can respond in the face of adversity to avoid some of those long losing streaks we’ve become accustomed to here in Okinawa.
4. A matter of opinion on whether or not you feel Okazaki interfered with Okanishi on the Ikeda goal. I think we’ve all see similar plays called as a foul, and while it may sound a bit bias, I didn’t think there was much there from Okazaki to warrant a call. It almost seemed as if the Kofu keeper was playing for the foul instead of the ball. The ugly scenes that unfolded after the goal were not good as the entire Kofu bench surrounded the linesman in a last ditch effort to reverse the goal and the referee was always going to issue a yellow card to the Kofu keeper who was probably posturing to add more time inside of extra time.
6. Round 10 in J2
Albirex Niigata maintained their grip on the top slot by beating Ehime FC 2-0 in the lone Saturday game. Kyoto Sanga FC continues to put some distance between themselves and 4th placed Iwata with a 2-0 win at Renofa. Iwata, Nagasaki and Kofu all suffered some set backs this round while Zelvia and Akita bagged some nice wins.
Ryukyu move on to face SC Sagamihara this weekend before a massive 6-point tilt with Kyoto the following Wednesday. Often times teams may overlook their next opponent knowing that the following opponent is much tougher with match having more at stake. Ryukyu cannot afford to overlook SC Sagamihara this week as a wobble there will pile on even more pressure for Ryukyu against Kyoto. It was great to see Ryukyu get back to the brand of football that has given them the most success this season, but there is still room for improvement as they near the quarter mark of the season.
The big thing on everyone’s mind this weekend is how will FC Ryukyu respond to their first loss of the season. Ryukyu’s 8 game undefeated streak was snapped this past Wednesday at Machida with an uninspiring performance where the offense went missing for long stretches of time. Kofu enter Round 10 with a 3 game undefeated streak following a win in the midweek and two previous draws and have had their way with Ryukyu every single time. FC Ryukyu have never earned a single point off of Kofu in the four matches they have played in the J2.
Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
Previous Match Highlights
Team Previews
FC Ryukyu
Ventforet Kofu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 10 in J2
Conclusion
1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu
Favorable weather is in the forecast as the typhoon that was milling about Okinawa on Friday and Saturday has now moved on.
With the surge of COVID-19 cases in Japan, and a modified State of Emergency here in Okinawa, clubs, including FC Ryukyu, as well as those in the hardest hit areas of Japan, are not allowing visiting fans into games, and possibly no fans at all in some areas. News of “playing behind closed doors” for many of the clubs in the Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo has been floating around the Japanese media today and it looks as if this is where the entire J-League is heading. Be safe and do your part to limit the spread of CV-19 at any match you intend to attend.
FC Ryukyu: Wednesday’s game was a let down for many of the Ryukyu faithful as it was such a steep drop off in performance by Ryukyu when compared to their first 8 games. There were breakdowns in passing, attacks and communication all over the pitch which led to the drubbing at the hands of Zelvia. Basically, nothing worked all night. Ryukyu has relied heavily on defense and the strength of their goalkeeping throughout the year but when that too failed, Ryukyu were done in.
We’ve discussed on several occasions for how Ryukyu utilize crosses from the fullbacks and midfielders to score goals. Though they tried mightily do conduct the same tactic at Zelvia, Zelvia was able to sure up the back line with up to 5 defenders at a time which restricted the runs of any of the Ryukyu attackers. It didn’t help that some runs weren’t even being made to get onto the end of crosses by Ryukyu, and it also didn’t help that when they did make these runs they were often missed by the player in possession. There were far to many lateral and backwards passes on Wednesday with no real thrust made on net by the offense.
Higuchi kept the same lineup from the win over Verdy the previous weekend but did use all 5 substitutes in an attempt to change up the flow of the game. Obviously it didn’t pay off and now Higuchi and Ryukyu are faced with enacting some sort of squad rotation for the Kofu match as some players looked tired at the end of the Machida game. It starts near the top as Kazaki Nakagawa has finally featured for the first time all season and with a drop in the play from Ikeda this week, it might be a good time to see what Nakagawa can add to the attack from the start of a game.
There shouldn’t be any changes to the back four though Numata could definitely use a breather. That means Higuchi should deviate from his normal stance of dressing 4 forwards, Abe, Uehara, Akamine and Shimizu, and consider dressing Motegi (MF) and possibly Reo Yamashita (LB) to spell the tired legs of our players. Ryukyu gambled at Zelvia by sticking with the lineup they’ve played all season and it simply didn’t pay off. Now they need to adjust slightly in the short time between games so as to avoid fatigue, burnout and risk of injury to some of the senior players in the squad.
In any event, what is needed is a massive injection of offense. Abe continues to execute the hold up play that makes him a vital cog in the Ryukyu offense, but isn’t getting the service a striker of his quality deserves. Kofu has scored 6 goals over their last 3 games and while the defense and Taguchi need to regain a bit of the confidence that was lost this past round, the offense needs to switch on and carry the load for Ryukyu this game.
Ventforet Kofu: Kofu enter this round on a slight upward trajectory compared to Ryukyu who are attempting to arrest their recent slide in the midweek. Kofu have an impressive four wins from four over Ryukyu in their recent history. Kofu was the side that ended Ryukyu’s home undefeated streak in 2019 and have outscored Ryukyu 10-3 in all the games played between the two sides.
Kofu started the year fast by drawing once and then winning three in a row. Then they ran into some tougher competition in Machida Zelvia and V-Varen Nagasaki where they lost twice in a row. They got back on track with two consecutive draws with Giravanz Kitakyushu and Matsumoto Yamaga FC before grabbing their first win in a month when they beat SC Sagamihara on Wednesday.
Kofu faced many of the same problems that Ryukyu did in their match with Machida with their attack being completely snuffed out. They allowed a quick goal to Nagasaki before pulling one back on a nice back post set piece but after ringing the post a few times, Kofu allowed Nagasaki to score from a set piece near the end of the game. Kofu took the lead over Kitakyushu on a fast break where Izumisawa rounded the keeper but returned the favor to Kitakyushu by allowing them to execute their own fast break leading to the equalizer. Kofu came close a few times to netting the winner but either hit the post or narrowly missed the target from close range.
In the rain soaked match at Yamaga, Kofu found themselves down early but equalized in the 16th minute and followed it up with another excellent back post header from a set piece. They then added a third goal just four minutes later. Everything was looking good while leading 3-1 but some panicky defending led to a Yamaga goal and then it was Kofu’s turn to have their keeper rounded on a fast break where Kunimoto Suzuki grabbed his third goal of the game which resulted in a draw. The two first half goals by Kofu were all they needed to swipe aside Sagamihara in the midweek.
While the box scores may indicate Kofu have turned a corner and are headed in the right direction, if we take a close look at the last five games there is a bit of pattern that may boost Ryukyu’s chances. The losses were suffered at the hands of two teams currently in the top half of the table with each of the draws were come from behind where Kofu allowed their opponents back into the match. SC Sagamihara sit near the bottom of the table so that is in line with the results that Kofu have achieved to date. But the script for this match reads much like the past match at Zelvia for Ryukyu so it may provide a little confidence to Kofu.
4.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. Defend the left, but watch the right on quick counters. Likelihood 3. A vast majority of Kofu’s attacks flow through the left side of their offense, primarily Izumisawa. He has orchestrated many of the crosses, or has taken part in the build up play, that have led to Kofu’s goals. When on the counter attack Kofu streak quickly down the right so Numata is going to have fitness test on Sunday if Kofu breakout of any Ryukyu press. It will also require the CBs and MFs to keep a close eye on their marks as those players drift towards the back post, when Kofu is in possession down the left, as this is their signature goal these days.
2. Take the attack of life support and give it a jolt with a defibrillator. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu have scored 4 goals in their last 4 games but have been shutout twice in that time. We really need to get Abe firing again and that means better passing in the attacking end and acting like more of a threat across all three attacking lanes. Perhaps Nakagawa can breathe some life into the side, especially as the Ryukyu last line of defense was so easily penetrated last round.
3. Play like you’re the second-best team in the league, because you are. Likelihood 3. It’s all about confidence right now. May have lost it for a bit but it is time to regain that swagger that netted us five wins in a row and eight games undefeated. Let’s brush off the recent loss and get back to winning football.
5. Prediction
Considering that Kofu haven’t scored less than 2 goals in any game against Ryukyu but just once, and with their recent goal scoring outbursts, coupled with Ryukyu’s goal scoring drought and overall poor record against Kofu, it is hard to tip Ryukyu as winners this week. Hoping for a better outcome but not making the same mistake I did in the midweek to a similar type of opponent. Kofu win 2-1. Season Record 5-1-3.
6. Round 10 in J2
Times Listed are in JST
The lone Saturday game should be a good one. (1) Albirex Niigata, fresh off their last minute equalizer, travel to a resurgent (16) Ehime FC who haven’t lost since their managerial change. (3) Kyoto Sanga, (4) Jubilo Iwata and (5) Zweigen Kanazawa, and to some extent, (6) Ventforet Kofu have favorable matchups to exploit the promotion race.
It will be (22) Matsumoto Yamaga FC hosting (13) Thespakusatsu Gunma on the free J-League broadcast this round.
As Ryukyu near the quarter mark of the season there are still some questions for which we need answers. Mainly, can the offense get going? As noted earlier it will be interesting to see how Ryukyu respond to their first setback of the season against a team that has always had the better of Ryukyu, so let’s hope for a positive response on Sunday.
FC Ryukyu tasted defeat for the first time this season when FC Machida Zelvia blew apart FC Ryukyu 3-0 this past Wednesday evening. Though losses are inevitable in any season, the one yesterday was particularly hard for some FC Ryukyu fans as the team’s performance in that match was the worst they’ve seen out of this side all year.
Match Day Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 9 in J2
Conclusion
1. Match Day Highlights (or lowlights depending on your perspective)
FC Machida Zelvia GK Koki Fukui. Fukui earned his second clean sheet during Zelvia’s second consecutive 3-0 victory. Granted, he wasn’t asked to do much but a clean sheet is a clean sheet nonetheless.
3.Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Short passes in the Zelvia box. Likelihood 2. Absolutely not. In fact, Ryukyu hard a time connecting on any of their passes anywhere on the pitch.
2. Play to your strengths. Likelihood 4. Most certainly not. Ryukyu allowed the same amount of goals they’ve conceded all season in just a single game last night.
3. Finding the right mix in the squad rotation. Likelihood 2. There was no rotation in the squad outside of Kazaki Nakagawa getting his first run out of the season. We may see some changes the next match.
4. Prediction
Went with a 2-1 victory for FC Ryukyu and it wasn’t even that close. Season Record 5-1-3.
5.Talking Points for Match Day 9
1. Just a bad day at the office. FC Ryukyu were sloppy in possession, looked lethargic at times, and lacked communication yesterday. Takahashi was able to slip past Kiyotake for Machida’s first goal; Ren’s inexcusable back pass that led directly to Machida’s second goal; and then the breakdown at the back that led to Machida’s final goal. I am not sure what happened to FC Ryukyu in the first half as it looked like they were just standing still, or flat, for a better part of it. Then there was the passing by Ryukyu. They could never find that third pass to set the attacks loose. Either because no one was making any runs, or no one wanted to risk a turnover, but it wasn’t good. When Ryukyu did finally decide to pass, it was usually a lateral or back pass.
2. Ryukyu can no longer assume they can paper over the cracks in the attack with a stout defense. When Ryukyu were forced to go hunting for a goal, there was nothing there. They lacked creativity and vision when players did make runs and instead they opted for the aforementioned back pass instead. Ryukyu managed four shots on net in the first half with Kiyotake’s the most dangerous. But mustered only 3 shots in total the second half. Watching Numata just send crosses into the box that were either at the perfect height for the keeper to collect, or there was no one there attempting to get on the end felt a little bit like crossing for the sake of crossing. Now that Nakagawa has some game time under his belt, perhaps it is time for a switch at CAM. When Nakagawa was in that spot two years ago, the entire offense opens up as now they are a threat to score in all three lanes. They really need some central thrust moving forward.
3. Dropped points. Machida didn’t even field their strongest team yesterday and still managed to demolish Ryukyu. Machida were without their two best strikers and it made no difference. Ryukyu have now failed to beat Machida in their last 9 matches and have lost 3 in a row to them. Though, when Ryukyu did lose to Zelvia last year, they were able to rebound with a win in the following match.
4. Streaks ended. FC Ryukyu’s undefeated streak of 2021 comes to an end at 8. Ryukyu also lost for the first time ever on the J-League International YouTube broadcast. Oh well, means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
6. Round 9 in J2
A 92′ minute goal by Kazuhiko Chiba prevented Albirex Niigata from suffering a similar fate to FC Ryukyu and earned Niigata a vital draw on the road to Tochigi. Elsewhere, everyone under Ryukyu: Kyoto, Jubilo, Kanazawa, Nagasaki, and Kofu won, which means Ryukyu’s lead over Kyoto is down to just 3 points.
There is no time to dwell on the past as Ryukyu now face another team they have failed to beat during their time in J2 this weekend. The team, and the fans, need to regroup and prepare for what is surely another stiff test for FC Ryukyu at home this Sunday to Ventforet Kofu.
FC Ryukyu travel to Machida Zelvia on Wednesday for their first of four midweek fixtures in 2021. FC Ryukyu have failed to beat Zelvia in their last eight meetings managing only 1 win and 2 draws in the 10 games these teams have played since entering the J3 back in 2014. The next big test for Ryukyu will be finding the right mix of squad rotation and defeating an opponent who has always had your number.
Weather Forecast & Match Day Information
Match Day 8 Highlights
Team Previews
FC Machida Zelvia
FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 9 in J2
Conclusion
1.Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club
A very pleasant evening to watch football.
It looks like visiting FC Ryukyu fans will be able to attend. Please not that there is no advance entry to hand banners.
FC Machida Zelvia: Zelvia have failed to win any of their home games this season and to be quiet honest, look a far better side when playing on the road compared to playing at home. Prior to the match at Nagasaki this weekend, Zelvia had only managed 1 goal in their previous four games. Zelvia seem to yo-yo between strong performances and very tepid ones. Many people viewed Zelvia as this seasons dark horse with the caveat that it would be their defending that lets them down. Unfortunately for Zelvia, they have been without the strike duo of Chong Tese and Dudu as Tese has picked up an injury that will see him miss at least 4 weeks with Dudu just completing his 14 day quarantine at the J-League bubble. I am not sure how quickly he will be incorporated into the squad but it seems likely that Dudu will get some playing time this Wednesday if he is fit.
Over their last five games Mito have won two matches while losing the other three. As mentioned earlier, the wins came on the road at Kofu and Nagasaki with losses occurring to Mito Hollyhock, Kanazawa and Kyoto Sanga. Mito found themselves in an early hole at Mito when two wind aided balls ended up allowing the hosts to jump out to a 2-0 lead by halftime. The final goal of that game was after a Zelvia turnover sprung Nakayama in the counterattack to which he finished superbly. At Kofu Zelvia looked much better and scored the games only goal in the third minute. Zelvia had control for most of this game with Kofu offering only about 20 minutes of any action in the Zelvia end.
Following that strong performance Zelvia looked dominant against Kanazawa but were unable to find the back of the net. All those missed chances ended up costing Zelvia as they were done in by an own goal in the 89th minute and went on to lose 1-0. The Zelvia defense had their hands full against Kyoto but still allowed Zelvia to stay in the game after they surrendered the lone goal of the match in the first half. Then, everything seemed to change at Nagasaki this week.
Ranko Popovic switched back to a 4-4-2 from the previous weeks 4-4-1-1 and Zelvia got off to a fast start once more. Two goals by Kaina Yoshio pushed Zelvia out front before a Hasegawa goal just two minutes after the second Yoshio goal put the match out of reach for Nagasaki. Once more Zelvia looked a different side when leaving the friendly confines of the Machida GION stadium, and though the offense went missing for a long stretch for Zelvia, they were able to breakout in a big way this weekend. Adding a good attacking player like Dudu into the mix is sure to help. But Zelvia, like Ryukyu, rely on some older veterans to prop the team up and they too will have to contend with some squad rotation this week.
FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu own a rather poor record against Machida Zelvia having won only once in their past ten matches, and that win came all the way back in 2014 during FC Ryukyu’s inaugural season in the J3. In the six games where Ryukyu have traveled to Machida, they’ve been outscored 11-4. Last season, Ryukyu lost the opening fixture 4-2 thanks to four first half goals by Zelvia. The score line was only brought close by a Zelvia own goal and late strike by Takuma Abe after the game was well out of hand. During the curtain closer for the 2020 season Ryukyu were defeated 1-0 at home by Zelvia in a very uninspiring performance.
But, this is a season unlike any other with Ryukyu putting to rest many of the ghosts that have haunted them from past seasons. The strength of this club is their defense as the offense has yet to get on track this year. That is not to say they are struggling for goals as everyone is chipping in these days, it’s just not at the level we’ve come to expect from a club predicated on attacking football. Abe has done so well this year in all facets of the game and it would be great to see him back on the score sheet after a slight absence these past three weeks.
I think Ryukyu have benefited greatly from a more relaxed schedule this year compared to last season and it has allowed many of the veterans the recovery time between matches that they sorely missed in 2020. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Higuchi conducts the squad rotation with three games inside of eight days. I wouldn’t expect many changes, but utilizing substitutes earlier and possibly giving a run out to Motegi, Makito Uehara, Shinya Uehara and Akamine needs to be done to keep the squad fresh.
These next two fixtures are massive for Ryukyu if they wish to keep the field at bay. Their current lead over third placed Kyoto Sanga FC is just six points and Kyoto are starting to generate some serious momentum. Defeating an opponent that you have a historically poor track record against is the next step that the Ryukyu needs to make on their way to 80 points.
4. 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. Short passes in the Zelvia box. Likelihood 2. Zelvia are not the most impressive defensive unit in the league and a single goal maybe all that is needed for Ryukyu to see out a win on Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean they can take this opponent lightly as Zelvia have bested Ryukyu nearly every single time. Zelvia have conceded from crosses this season, but are far more susceptible to the short passes in and around the box. Ryukyu will need a strong performance out of Ren Ikeda and Takuma Abe as they can wreak havoc on the Zelvia back line with penetrating runs and quick changes in direction when in the oppositions box.
2. Play to your strengths. Likelihood 4. A short week on the road could mean a low scoring affair, a situation that Ryukyu are very comfortable in, and another defensive masterclass by the CB pairing of Chinen and Okazaki, along with Taguchi in net, is exactly what Ryukyu need this match. Zelvia’s offense wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders this year, but it is starting to generate some thrust. Blunting the Zelvia assault will allow FC Ryukyu to continue to play the style of football they’ve become accustomed to this season.
3. Finding the right mix in the squad rotation. Likelihood 2. Higuchi may not make any changes to this side for this match but that could have an effect later on this week when Ryukyu return home to face Kofu. Ryukyu currently roster four forwards each match so allowing Akamine to start this week may not be a bad idea. Yu and Koki Kazama seem to rotate fairly regularly and hopefully Ichimaru can spell Uesato for longer stretches over these next two games. We should not tinker with the current CB pair but Yong Jick coming in for either of the central defenders so as to keep them fresh is the smart move. Makito Uehara could provide some relief to Tanaka but it will be interesting to see how Higuchi addresses the left back position. Numata will almost certainly need a break these next few games and that means it comes down to either Fukui or Reo Yamashita, who looked good in his lone appearance in the J-Elite League last month.
5. Prediction
Zelvia have been shut out three times this year while Ryukyu have five clean sheets. Zelvia have hit the three goal plateau twice this season compared to FC Ryukyu’s one. Any changes to the Ryukyu squad might have some consequences, and though it is a bold move to predict a win for FC Ryukyu, who haven’t defeated Zelvia in well over seven seasons, that is what I am going to do. 2-1 win for Ryukyu in the midweek. Season Record 5-1-2.
6. Match Day 8 in J2
All Times Listed are JST
(1) Albirex Niigata will look to retain the top spot for another week when they travel to (10) Tochigi SC who are currently on an unbeaten run of 5 games. (3) Kyoto Sanga FC and (4) Jubilo Iwata will continue to chip away at the leaders with favorable matchups at (11) Tokyo Verdy and home to (15) Omiya Ardija respectively. Other interesting matches this round include (5) Zweigen Kanazawa hosting (8) Blaublitz Akita and the resurgent (22) Ehime FC hosting (16) Renofa Yamaguchi FC. It’s not quite time to push the panic button for (12) V-Varen Nagasaki, but another performance like this past weekend will at least warrant removing the safety cover for the panic button.
It is FC Ryukyu’s turn to appear on the free J-league International YouTube broadcast so please tune in and enjoy from around the world. Or at the very least, use a VPN if you live in Japan and you do not have a DAZN account. Click the link below the infographic to get the YouTube page for the match.
Well strap yourselves in for this one as FC Ryukyu will need to exorcise some serious demons to retain one of the two promotion slots in J2. It has been nothing but disappoint for Ryukyu when they play Zelvia so it will be really encouraging to see them net any points away from home on a short week. A win would show that this team has really turned aa corner in their development and provide a massive boost to the overall morale of the team.
As advertised, it was an eventful evening yesterday. FC Ryukyu held serve with Albirex Niigata by winning 2-0 at home over Tokyo Verdy. Ryukyu and Verdy were once again involved in some sort of fracas in their opening match of the season against each other, where Yuhei Sato was red carded in the first half providing a massive advantage to Ryukyu the remainder of the match. It is the second red card in three games for Verdy when playing Ryukyu and this is turning into a rivalry on par with one might see in the bigger leagues where two teams just detest each other. I like it!
Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 8 in J2
Conclusion
1. Match Highlights
2. Man of the Match
FC Ryukyu CMF Yu Tomidokoro: Yu drew both fouls that led to the Verdy Red Card and Penalty Kick. He then converted the PK for his first goal in 23 months.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Exploit the chaos and ensuing confusion. Likelihood 4. Early on Ryukyu were able to create some chances for themselves but once Verdy had a man sent off in the first half, Verdy resorted to all out defending which limited Ryukyu’s ability to take advantage of the disarray that might otherwise have been present.
2. Cut out the Verdy short passes around the box. Likelihood 3. Verdy really weren’t doing much prior to their sending off and therefore weren’t able to play to their strength after.
4. Prediction
Tipped this one to end 3-1 in favor of Ryukyu and they did end up winning by a 2 goal margin. Season Record 5-1-2.
5. Match Day 8 Talking Points
1. Misses by both sides. There were plenty of opportunities for both Ryukyu and Verdy to jump out to an early lead but all the shots seemed to sail high and wide. With the exception of one Kiyotake shot that called the Verdy keeper into action. Abe had a couple of chances throughout the game but either miss timed his jump or was in the wrong spot to get onto the end of the ball.
2. Forget the spectacular if you cannot do the practical correctly. Up to the Verdy Red Card, Ryukyu were struggling a little bit to get the offense going. Kiyotake’s back heel to nowhere nearly set Ryukyu back and though it may have been a way to jump start the momentum, no one was expecting it leading to a turnover and counter by Verdy.
3. The Tanaka goal shows us just how good Ryukyu are at quickly changing the sides of the attack. It should also be noted, like many of the boys over at the @JTalkET state weekly, how important Abe is to this side even when he doesn’t get on the score sheet. Abe maintained possession in the Verdy end, found Numata, who picked out Kiyotake, who then laid it off to the wide-open Tanaka for Ryukyu’s first goal.
4. Maybe it’s time we try the old “Route 1” attack on net. I understand that is trendy to be hypercritical of your side, even when they are producing results, so excuse me on this one. Ryukyu are very good at sending in crosses these days. Most of their goals result from these passes, but yesterday Verdy was able to snuff out a lot of these out and Ryukyu didn’t bother to switch to the frontal assault right up the middle. As more and more tape on Ryukyu becomes available, teams will begin to figure out how to stop Ryukyu, and though they are quite adept at changing directions quickly, it would help to have the middle of the pitch attack in the locker when required.
5. Verdy’s Red Card was just dumb. I have no idea what Yuhei Sato was thinking when he went in for Yu’s family jewels but it certainly tipped the scales in favor of Ryukyu afterwards. Sato was probably complaining more about his stupidity for putting the spikes into the groin of Yu than the Red Card as he really had no business putting up any type of protest.
6. You are never awarded style points in this league. Once Verdy went down to 10 men everyone expected Ryukyu to dominate possession and the scoring. It is not as simple as in hockey with a man advantage, as the opposition can compact the defensive area and close out many of the shooting lanes while they absorb the siege from the other side. Ryukyu had a ridiculous number of corner kicks (13) and free kicks (13) yesterday but had to rely on a PK to put the game out of reach. Oh well, winning ugly is still winning and the 3 points is all that really matters in the end.
7. A slight let off by Ryukyu at the end. It is easy to get complacent when you’re up by 2 goals with a man advantage and Ryukyu were bailed out by a Verdy offside call and near miss at the end. The highlights suck for showing the offside call but I believe the shot was redirected by an offside player for Verdy though they nearly scored just a few minutes later from a set piece.
8. Getting goals from all over the place is another benchmark for a quality side. Ryukyu just find a way to get the job done. Everyone is doing their part to keep a clean sheet, score goals and see out wins. They are a really exciting squad to watch these days.
6.Round 8 in J2
Albirex Niigata are still top after a second half goal saw them through over Zweigen Kanazawa 1-0 on Saturday. Kyoto Sanga blew the doors off Kitakyushu 6-1 and have officially begun their ascent to the top of the table while V-Varen Nagasaki stumbled at home losing 3-0 to Machida Zelvia. Ehime grabbed their first win of the campaign over Omiya as the managerial change is starting to pay off for this side. Finally Matsumoto surprised everyone with their come back draw against Kofu and Blaublitz Akita continues to pile up crucial points this year.
FC Ryukyu have their first of four mid week matches this season when they travel to Machida on Wednesday night. Ryukyu face two teams in a row, Machida and Kofu, that they have never beat during their time in the J2. So you know exactly where any points earned against them will fall in the Points Over Expectation Table.
Machida are coming off a big win at Nagasaki despite missing their best two attackers in Chong Tese and Dudu. The games against Zelvia and Kofu in short succession will be a stiff test for one of the older sides in the league who are benefiting from a relaxed schedule compared to 2020 but Ryukyu have shown the ability to respond to adversity all season.
FC Ryukyu have the opportunity to take the pole position in J2 this weekend with a win over Verdy and anything but a win from Albirex Niigata. The matches between Ryukyu and Verdy have been quite festive these past two seasons and I see no reason for that to change this weekend. But much like Omiya, who Ryukyu defeated and shutout last season, and then drew at home this year, Verdy were shutout by Ryukyu on both occasions last season. Is another draw in store for Ryukyu or can they continue their winning ways?
Weather Forecast & Match Info
Match Day 7 Recaps
Team Previews
FC Ryukyu
Tokyo Verdy
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 8 in J2
Conclusion
1.Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club
Looks like it will be raining up to and through the first half. Just in time for the wind to pick up. Besides bringing those ponchos and bags to protect your valuables from the rain, you may want to consider a change of clothes, especially for the kids if their soaking wet as that wind could really get to them. Also, please remember to social distance at the gate, food vendors, seats and restrooms.
FC Ryukyu will allow visiting Verdy fans to attend this match as the tickets were already sold but they will not be allowing visiting fans into the stadium on Match Days 10 and 12 under what they are calling a “period of priority measures.”
FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu own a 2-1-1 record against Verdy with the two wins occurring in 2020 when Ryukyu shut out Verdy twice. Who can forget that first win when Shinya Uehara was kicked in the gut by Shohei Takahashi late in the game leading to an Abe PK and ultimately a Ryukyu win. Then Ryukyu blew Verdy away 4-0 at home thanks to two first half goals by Yoshio Koizumi (sheds a tear). But in 2019 it was a different story altogether.
Ryukyu drew 1-1 in their first ever meeting thanks to Dany Carvajal stopping a PK after he bloodied his nose on the foul, and the spectacular finish by Uesato on the volley deep into stoppage time. The return leg was far less exciting, more like excruciating, when Verdy smashed Ryukyu 5-1 in Okinawa. Junki Koike bagged a hat-trick that game and Verdy, with possibly nothing to celebrate in years, commemorated the momentous occasion by making t-shirts in honor of the hat-trick. Perhaps 2020 was a bit of payback for FC Ryukyu.
Through Ryukyu’s first seven games they are averaging 11.5 shots, 6 of which are on target, and 49% possession. They’ve had two games where they only mustered 2 total shots on net, Iwata and Omiya, otherwise they have been pretty consistent around 8 shots on target per game. A vast majority of Ryukyu’s goals this year have come from crosses where Verdy has been anything but spectacular in defending those plays. What I like to see is that different players are getting on the score sheet and starting to gain some confidence. Kiyotake had his breakthrough last week, thanks to Keita setting him up perfectly, and Shimizu grabbed his second goal of the campaign. It has been a bit of a dry spell for Abe these past few rounds but all that could change on Saturday.
One thing that cannot afford to change is the defensive wall Ryukyu have been putting up this season. FC Ryukyu are the best defensive unit in the J2 (not a typo) having only conceded three goals. Chinen, Okazaki and Taguchi will likely be busy this weekend as Verdy are averaging 15 shots, 12 on net, over their last two games. While Ryukyu may not fear Verdy bombing in crosses they do need to be very cognizant of the short passes Verdy use in and around the box to create space and shooting lanes.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that bad blood exists between these two sides, though someone from Ryukyu every year seems to be involved in some sort of fracas, but these games are turning into a nice set of hotly contested matches. Ryukyu enter this game much like they did two weeks ago against Omiya where Ryukyu are coming off a nice road win while their opponent is coming to town on the back of some recent strong performances after a rough start to the season.
Tokyo Verdy: After a rocky start to their season, culminating with a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Albirex Niigata, Verdy has course corrected and pulled themselves out of the relegation zone with two consecutive home victories. When Verdy was setting up in a 4-3-1-2 formation they looked disorganized at the back and were providing ample turnovers for their opponents to capitalize on. But they switched from a 4-3-2-1 to a 4-1-4-1 this past round against Renofa and looked much more in control of the game than they have in quite some time.
In their last five games Verdy own a 2-1-2 record with a draw against Zelvia; consecutive losses to Kanazawa and Niigata; and then consecutive wins over Mito and Renofa. Verdy looked sluggish in defense against Machida Zelvia and allowed the hosts to jump out to a 2-0 lead until a PK brought Verdy back into the game followed by the equalizer when Junki Koike caught the Zelvia defense napping. This time it was Verdy’s turn to jump put to an early lead against Zweigen with a 4th minute goal by leading scorer Koike, but then the wheels came off for Verdy.
Zweigen went on to score 4 goals by exploiting Verdy turnovers and confusion before Verdy responded with a late goal when the game was well out of hand. If the wheels fell off against Kanazawa then the entire car exploded at Niigata with the aforementioned seven goal shellacking. All the problems from the Zweigen matched carried over into this one and Verdy looked more like a team that was thrown together at the last minute destined for a local derby at Y.S.C.C. than a J2 club.
Luckily Verdy’s schedule eased up when they returned home to host Mito and Renofa. Verdy again scored early in the Mito match, survived the Mito barrage in the first half after Mito equalized, before digging out the winner in the second half. Hideki Nagai made a decision to switch the formation against Renofa, and that almost looked like another disaster when Renofa nearly scored in the 4th minute before actually going in front of Verdy in the 11th minute. But Verdy responded with a goal of their own two minutes later and then another in the 24th minute. They capped off the day with Junki Koike’s 6th goal of the campaign to walk away 3-1 winners.
Despite the recent Verdy resurgence, they are still the worst defensive side in the league conceding 17 goals this season. A majority of those goals came against Niigata, but even had Verdy managed a lower score line at Niigata it may not have done much to their overall total. Verdy have conceded 5 more goals then the next two teams, Nagasaki and Ehime who have each conceded 12. The players to watch out for on Saturday are Junki Koike and the Sato brothers, Yuhei and Ryoga (I don’t think they are actually brothers). Junki and Ryoga account for 2/3 of all the goals Verdy have scored this season and Yuhei is the leading assist provider in the side.
4.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. Exploit the chaos and ensuing confusion. Likelihood 4. Verdy may have slightly improved defensively this past week but that was against Renofa Yamaguchi. At Niigata and against Kanazawa, two sides who are playing much better than Renofa, Verdy was in shambles at the back. Players looked confused on where to run to and who to mark and they were guilty of turning the ball over in their own half multiple times. There was one goal in the Machida game where Verdy had 8 defenders inside the 6-yard box, couldn’t get to the rebound in time, and allowed the Zelvia player a free shot on net from just inside the 18-yard box. That wasn’t even from a set piece. Verdy may have enjoyed a modicum of success against Renofa but I don’t think they have turned the corner on these mistakes just yet.
2. Cut out the Verdy short passes around the box. Likelihood 3. This is the lone strength of Verdy as a majority of their goals stem from short passes that quickly open up the opposition’s defense. That means Chinen, Okazaki and our two central midfielders need to be spot on when attempting to intercept passes, making challenges, as well when they are watching the attacking runs from Verdy players.
5.Prediction
Verdy have been piped for multiple goals against stronger opponents this season. We won’t see the Verdy floodgates thrust open like we did when they played Niigata, and Verdy are still one of the top scoring sides in the league, but I am going for broke and say FC Ryukyu take this one 3-1.Season Record 4-1-2.
6. Round 8 in J2
All Times Listed are in JST
(1) Albirex Niigata versus (3) Zweigen Kanazawa is the standout match this round. (3) Kyoto Sanga FC, (5) Jubilo Iwata, (6) Ventforet Kofu and (7) Blaublitz Akita are looking to make up ground on the leaders with some very favorable matchups this week.
The J-league International YouTube free broadcast this week features (12) Fagiano Okayama hosting (11) FC Mito Hollyhock. Fagiano are coming into this match having pulled out a very late draw against Ehime FC last week whereas Mito enter the round having lost their last two games.
FC Ryukyu are off to the best start in their history and really need to keep their foot on the gas in this one. For their part, Verdy are a side that can light up the score board (on both sides) at any given moment. Strap yourself in for what should be an exciting game between these two sides that history has shown is anything but boring.
FC Ryukyu continued the hot start by winning their sixth game of the season 2-0 at FC Mito Hollyhock. The win keeps Ryukyu squarely in second place as well a pushes them six points clear of third place Kanazawa and Kyoto. It was also Ryukyu’s fourth clean sheet of the season, a total which took them until match day 27 last year to reach.
Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Match Day 7 in J2
Conclusion
1. Match Highlights
2. Man of the Match
FC Ryukyu GK Junto Taguchi: Taguchi was called upon early and often and did really well to keep Mito off the scoreboard. That is Junto’s fourth clean sheet this season, almost equaling his mark of 5 clean sheets from 2020.
3.Review of the Keys to Victoryfor FC Ryukyu
1. Chinen wins the battle over Nakayama. Likelihood 4. I would have to say yes since Nakayama was kept off the score sheet. But there were some plays where Nakayama did get the better of Chinen. Nakayama had a clear chance on a breakaway in the first half but that was really about it.
2. Let it rip. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu had more shots on target this game than they had total shots from last week. Unfortunately Abe couldn’t get in on the scoring.
4. Prediction
Predicted a 2-1 win and it finished 2-0 in favor of Ryukyu. Notched another win. Season Record 4-1-2.
5. Talking Points from Match Day 7
1. Ryukyu have finally scored from a set piece. Koya was able to pick out Shintaro Shimizu on a corner kick in the 60th minute for the opening goal. It was well placed by Koya and Shintaro did well to get to the cross and get his head to it. It wasn’t the best-looking header, as it came off the back of his head, but it was effective. It pays to stick your nose into traffic from time to time.
2. Tanaka is on fire. He once again grabbed an assist with a beautifully placed cross behind the Mito defenders, just in front of the Mito keeper, that Kiyotake was able to get on and push the score line to 2-0. This is the third time in as many games that we’ve seen Tanaka accurately pick out an attacking player and is a huge reason why Ryukyu sit second in the table.
3. Taguchi is playing his way into a J1 contract. He made some spectacular saves on Sunday when Ryukyu needed him the most. First there was the breakaway by Nakayama following a brutal Ryukyu turnover in the middle of the pitch. Then there was the save early in the second half where Taguchi parried the shot out of danger and then closed down the attacker on the ensuing rebound. If he keeps this up, which we all hope he can, he may garner the attention of some larger clubs in need of reinforcements between the sticks come August.
4. Ryukyu almost gave the game away with some of their missed chances. Coming into the game many of Mito’s former opponents missed several chances to score which allowed Mito to take control of games and see out some wins. It was looking if Ryukyu were going to follow suit after Abe missed a clear-cut chance in the first half where the Mito keeper made a nice (reactionary) save. Then Abe took a heavy first touch on a breakaway early in the second half that allowed the keeper to cut down the angle and prevent Abe from taking a shot on net. For their part, Mito missed at least three chances themselves by sending the shots off target.
5. We finally saw the return of Shunsuke Motegi. It was great to see Motegi out there and he looked spry for the first time in over a calendar year. He nearly scored in stoppage time when he out ran the defender and put a rocket shot on net that the Mito keeper simply threw his hands up in self defense to keep it out of the net.
6. Ryukyu were once again out shot, and out possessed. This is just their style of play this season but they were a little sloppy when in possession as there were some ugly turnovers and inaccurate passing. They need to tighten that up as stronger sides will punish them more severely than those teams farther down the table.
6.Match Day 7 in J2
Albirex Niigata was able to maintain their grip on the top slot after they defeated Montedio Yamagata on the road 2-0. Zweigen Kanazawa’s 1-0 loss to JEF United Chiba, coupled with a win by Kyoto Sanga FC, sees them level on points with Kyoto for 3rd place. Elsewhere, V-Varen Nagasaki continues to climb back up the table while the most entertaining game of the weekend occurred at Ehime who played to a spirited 2-2 draw with Fagiano Okayama.
And the beat goes on! We haven’t seen this brand of football out of Ryukyu since their title winning season of 2018. But there is still a long way to go before we can start patting each other on the back as Ryukyu have not won anything yet. They are keeping pace with leaders Niigata, and putting some distance between themselves and the field, but they must continue to beat teams through solid performances on the road like this past match. Next up for FC Ryukyu is a home match with Tokyo Verdy who come to Okinawa sporting a two game winning streak.
FC Ryukyu had their winning streak stopped at 5 last weekend but will look to overcome that minor wobble when they travel to FC Mito Hollyhock on Sunday. Ryukyu own a good record against Mito having defeated this opponent three out of four times since joining the J2. The last time these two sides faced off it was in the 3rd coldest game ever recorded in the J-League last December and it was also the last win of the season for FC Ryukyu. Ryukyu’s lone loss to Mito occurred in 2019, also at Mito, when FC Ryukyu were forced to start their third choice keeper with an injury to Dany Carvajal and loan restrictions for Ishii. It is time to see how FC Ryukyu respond to their first, albeit minor, set back of 2021.
Weather Forecast & Match Info
Match Day 6 Recaps
Team Previews
FC Mito Hollyhock
FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Match Day 7 in J2
Conclusion
1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information from Mito
FC Mito Hollyhock: Mito have an even split of three games won, three games lost, this year. They fare slightly better at home owning a 2-1 win/loss record while outscoring their opponents 7-2 at the K’s Denki stadium. They have gone 3-2 over their last 5 games with big consecutive 3-0 wins over FC Machida Zelvia and Matsumoto Yamaga FC. But they also lost their most recent game to Tokyo Verdy 2-1 on the road.
While I was watching the recent highlights of Mito, I found myself asking the question; Are they a better defending team than last year, or have they just been lucky? Last season Mito had the dubious honor of being the highest scoring team, as well as the fourth worst at conceding goals (Something I’ve seen from Ryukyu in my time down here that’s for sure). From what I saw in the highlights, the defense hasn’t really improved all that much. They can be caught out of position, prone to turnovers, guilty of making mental mistakes and just all-around sloppy play. They have survived mostly on luck based on how many shots I saw from their opponents hitting the woodwork or narrowly missing the mark.
Speaking of luck, Mito jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over Zelvia thanks in part to a fluke goal that was originally a cross which ended up being caught up in the wind, and another being a clearance from the Zelvia keeper – that really shouldn’t have been put that high into the air in that wind – which ended up putting Mito on the quick break to score just before halftime of that game. Granted, the Mito player had it all still to do when he had the ball at his feet but it should have never come to that.
Against Verdy Mito surrendered an early first half goal (2′) before looking the dominant team in the first half controlling all the momentum, scoring the equalizer, but couldn’t find the go ahead goal heading into halftime. Then Verdy took control of the game in the second half and bagged the eventual winner in the 73rd minute.
The player to watch out for on Sunday is their captain and forward, #9 Masato Nakayama. He is on a hot streak as of late having scored 4 goals and adding 1 assist in his past 4 games. While Mito’s overall play reminds me a lot of Ryukyu the past two seasons, Nakayama reminds me a lot of Abe as they play a similar style of football and Nakayama can also provide support to the attack with his work rate and holdup play.
FC Ryukyu: Though their 5-game winning streak was snapped last week, Ryukyu are still undefeated sitting second in the table and are one of the best defensive sides in the J2 this year. The resurgence of Okazaki, and emergence of Chinen, coupled with Taguchi playing some of the best football he’s ever played, make Ryukyu a formidable opponent. Yes, we’d all love to see them score like they did in 2020, but I don’t think that is their style of play this season.
There haven’t been any games this year where Ryukyu have gone out and dominated the possession and chances like they did in 2020. They are more comfortable allowing the game to come to them in a bend-don’t-break sort of way and if required, ratchet up the pressure when they fall behind like they did at JEF United Chiba. However, I am not sure that would’ve worked this past round against Omiya had Ryukyu fallen behind as Ryukyu generated very little in the way of chances and accurate shots in the second half of that game.
Ryukyu have relied heavily on crosses into the box from the right and left sides, but when they miss on those chances, and are frustrated by large numbers of defenders in and around the box, their momentum bogs down. Ryukyu had plenty of chances to take the lead in the first half last week but missed the mark on every single one. Hopefully their aim is better this week as we’ve seen Mito take advantage of similar sides when those sides fail to capitalize on golden opportunities.
Of all the games to date, this one stands out as the one where Abe could do the most damage. Abe’s ability to create space in the box, as well as his ability to find open attackers just outside of it, should see our talisman get on the score sheet often on Sunday. There is no defender from Mito that can corral Abe so he just needs the accurate service from the other attacking players to turn him loose.
4. 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. Chinen wins the battle over Nakayama. Likelihood 4. For those of you out there that love a good battle between a dominant CB and an in form FWD who are coming off some of their best games, then look no further than what is in store this week. Chinen has proven to be Higuchi’s choice for man-marking the opponent’s striker as he has the speed, power and most importantly, temperament to handle the task. Chinen has yet to face a forward like Nakayama this season, though he did briefly late against Nagasaki, so this will be his first full test of 2021. For his part, Nakayama has been in top form and is a seasoned veteran who can find the weaknesses of any young defender. This should be the “game within a game” to watch on Sunday.
2. Let it rip. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu cannot expect to leave this game with all 3 points if they don’t take more shots on net. Omiya executed their game plan well but I cannot see Mito being able to do the same at the back. FC Ryukyu need to increase their shot count, and accuracy of said shots, and then pounce on the loose balls when Mito defenders are caught flat footed.
5.Prediction
FC Ryukyu have averaged 2 goals scored on the road this season. Mito have yet to be shutout this year. Mito may own a far superior goal differential at home compared to on the road this year but I feel FC Ryukyu edge FC Mito Hollyhock 2-1 this round. Season Record 3-1-2.
6.Match Day 7 in J2
Both (1) Albirex Niigata and (2) FC Ryukyu have interesting road tests against (16) Montedio Yamagata and (7) FC Mito Hollyhock. (3) Zweigen Kanazawa will look to close the gap between them and the top two sides when they host (21) JEF United Chiba who are coming of two consecutive 2-1 losses. Elsewhere, (14) V-Varen Nagasaki are looking to shrug of their sluggish start by bagging their second win in a row over (13) Thespakusatsu Gunma who sit just one spot above them in the table. (11) FC Machida Zelvia versus (4) Kyoto Sanga FC has some early table jockeying for position implications.
Times Listed are JST
The entire free J-League International YouTube broadcast schedule for April is listed below. Click the link to get to the channel.
FC Ryukyu have shut Mito out on two occasions and have shutout their opponents three times in 2021. But no J2 team has been able to shutout Mito this season. Much like how FC Ryukyu have been exorcising some ghosts of years’ past, Mito is probably wanting to do the same this week. In 2019 it was FC Ryukyu who handed Mito their first loss that year, that despite recording 8 clean sheets while only surrendering 5 goals in the previous 12 games. Is it time for Mito to extract some revenge by handing FC Ryukyu their first loss of 2021? Or, is it time we see FC Ryukyu rise to the occasion to remain undefeated through their first seven games? Guess we’ll find out on Sunday.
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