It is to early to say FC Ryukyu are off to a fast, but I would say they got off on the right foot. Their 1-0 win over Jubilo Iwata last week, while unexpected, has set FC Ryukyu up for what could be a nice start when considering their next two opponents, Renofa and Gunma. 9 points from 9 would be a very nice floor from the bottom, but first thing first, they need to get the job done against Renofa this Saturday.
Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
Match Day 1 Recap
Team Previews
FC Ryukyu
Renofa Yamaguchi FC
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Prediction
Match Day 2 in J2
Conclusion
1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information from the Club
Though it says it will be overcast the whole match, there is a chance of rain. And if we learned anything from last week, even if there is a 1-2% chance of rain, be prepared for the worst. Bring the poncho, umbrellas, and plastic coverings to keep your stuff dry in the event it does rain on Saturday.
Match Day 2 Info: Normal stuff, but good info nonetheless. Also, there is no away fans allowed yet and the club made it a point to mention NOT WEARING VISITOR SUPPORT GOODS during the match. This was a change from last week when some fans were seen wearing Iwata kits and other items inside the AA section of the stadium. The club is probably looking to avoid any problems with the league so please comply, even if you’re from Yamaguchi and living in Okinawa.
FC Ryukyu: A couple of questions we were wondering about were answered this past Sunday when FC Ryukyu defeated Jubilo Iwata. First, Junto Taguchi has become the clear cut FC Ryukyu #1 GK. Second, Tetsuya Chinen looked good in place of Yong Jick at CB. That still leaves us wondering about the statuses of Nakagawa and Motegi, both healthy (?) scratches. Ikeda did get the first goal of the season for FC Ryukyu, but if you recall, Ikeda scored a few goals early in 2020 before embarking on a 32 game goalless streak where he was ultimately replaced by Yoshio Koizumi. I truly didn’t see enough of Kiyotake to make any judgement calls just yet, so that is something I will focus on this weekend as I thought Motegi may have earned his starting spot back at LM.
Then there was the decision to dress 4 Forwards instead of any of the abovementioned midfielders. Obviously everything worked out in the end, but I think FC Ryukyu will have a better chance at controlling the tempo of this game, so we may see a different lineup on Saturday. Then again, we may not as Higuchi likes to stick with players long after he should have swapped them out.
FC Ryukyu Injuries: None listed at the time of publication.
Renofa Yamaguchi FC: I am not sure there are to many teams in J2 that had a higher turnover of personnel than Renofa did this offseason. It looks like they brought in 19 new players, while clearing another 17 off their books. Perhaps this isn’t the same team as the past few seasons, but there is no telling that any of the changes in personnel have made an impact at this point in the season. Despite some of the recent woes by Renofa, they own a pretty decent record against FC Ryukyu the past 2 seasons. They have an even 2-1-2 record, that includes the 2019 Emperors Cup match, and one of those wins was a 4-1 blowout of Ryukyu last year. Here is another interesting fact, in the past 5 meetings between these two teams dating back to 2019, FC Ryukyu has scored first in every game. With 3 of those goals occurring inside the first 15 minutes (2′,7′ & 15′).
In their last game with Matsumoto, it was Renofa who got off to a fast start but failed to crack the goal despite Yuki Kasano finding himself alone with only the keeper to beat in the 80′ minute. Then there was the almost win on the last play of the match where it looked like Renofa had scored the winner, only for it to be ruled out on a hand ball. We should expect a fast start from both of these teams on Saturday, with Ryukyu a good bet to score first.
Renofa Yamaguchi FC Injuries: Starting attacking mid-fielder Yatsunori Shimaya injured some ligaments in his ankle and will be out 4 weeks.
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. Better Mid-Field Play: Likelihood 4. FC Ryukyu couldn’t control the tempo of the game last week, and there were to many easy turnovers committed to prevent the offense from getting into a sort of rhythm. That needs to change this week.
2. Get Abe Firing: Likelihood 4. I know you’ve heard me say this before, but he is a player that can quickly change the fortunes of this team when he is firing on all cylinders. He couldn’t do much in last week’s game, but I can see that changing on Saturday.
5.Prediction
Season Record to Date: 0-0-1. I think FC Ryukyu come out firing, and continue to fire throughout the match. 3-1 win for FC Ryukyu on Saturday.
6.Match Day 2 in J2
There is an interesting mix of games this week featuring several matchups against the early season promotion candidates, and those seeking to avoid relegation. First up, and probably the matchup of the week is (1) Albirex Niigata hosting (7) V-Varen Nagasaki. Next we have (2) Tokyo Verdy hosting (9) Montedio Yamagata; then there is (3) Kyoto Sanga FC welcoming in (13) Matsumoto Yamaga FC. The (6) Omiya Ardija v (12) Ventforet Kofu should be a tightly contested affair, and then we all want to see how (18) Jubilo Iwata responds after their loss to FC Ryukyu when they face (11) FC Machida Zelvia at home.
(5) Thespakusatsu Gunma, like Ryukyu, will want to continue their fast start – as well as create a cushion between the bottom teams and themselves- when they travel to (20) SC Sagamihara. The other games with some early relegation implications are (22) Ehime FC hosting (10) JEF UTD Chiba; (21) Giravanz Kitakyushu v (16) Mito Hollyhock; and (19) Tochigi SC against (15) Blaublitz Akita.
It is to early to deem this game a must win, or even a should win game for FC Ryukyu, but it is a winnable game nonetheless. Three points on Saturday will go a long way come the end of the season and FC Ryukyu need this win with games against Nagasaki, JEF and Omiya on the horizon.
The J-League season kicked off in earnest this past weekend where FC Ryukyu hosted Jubilo Iwata in the opening fixture of 2021. Despite all the weather forecasts predicting a rather nice day to enjoy football, it was anything but with all the rain here in Okinawa. However, the wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the home crowd, or the team, as FC Ryukyu notched their first points, and first home win of the season by defeating Iwata 1-0 in front of 3,800 fans thanks to a Ren Ikeda first minute goal set up by none other than Keita Tanaka.
Junto Taguchi GK FC Ryukyu: The man was the sea wall that broke the unrelenting waves of the Iwata attack. 24 shots, 11 on target, and a little help from the framework. Junto continued the fine form he was in at the end of last season and despite my reservations, I think it is safe to say, he is the Ryukyu #1 GK moving forward.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Keep the foot on the Gas Pedal: Likelihood 3. Kind of hard to do this when they had less than 40% possession on the day. FC Ryukyu played on the back foot nearly all game.
2. Score from Set Pieces: Likelihood 2. Seeing how we created so few chances, from such little possession, there was only one clear cut chance to score from a CK, that Chinen sent wide.
4.Takeaways from Round 1
1. FC Ryukyu looked well organized at the back. This despite all the talk of attacking football by the manager. The combination of Okazaki and Chinen worked to perfection and Taguchi has probably earned DAZN first team honors this week with his performance. We will have to wait and see if this trend continues as I think when the game opens up to Ryukyu, so too will our defense to our opponents. The fact that Ryukyu were under constant pressure meant they had to compact their defense and play out from the back, but even then, the Ryukyu attackers didn’t help the cause with turnovers on their end that turned into quick counter attacks by Iwata.
2. Some of the questions surrounding the team were answered yesterday. First, Taguchi is the preferred #1 over Dany Carvajal at the moment. Second, and much to my dismay, Ikeda was given the nod over Nakagawa at CAM. We saw this early last year before Koizumi came on to usurp Ikeda, but Higuchi’s faith in Ikeda turned out to be correct as he was the lone goal scorer on the day. Third, Yong Jick was left out of the lineup and Chinen looked very good in his place. Finally, Higuchi dressed 3 reserve forwards in Uehara, Shintaro and Akamine. Considering the depth we have at MF, this was a bit of a shock. Maybe he expected to need the services of so many attacking players if Ryukyu were to chase the game, but that never happened.
3. We finally saw a Central Defender rise to meet a header on a CK. Chinen came close to pushing the score line to 2-0 on a set piece but it was sent wide. However, it was encouraging to see a central defender get involved on a limited number of set pieces, and I haven’t seen a header with that much aggression behind it in quite some time down here.
4. There were some missed chances that could’ve made all the difference yesterday. Ryukyu narrowly dodged some bullets when Iwata hit the woodwork, and Shintaro had a golden opportunity to seal the game late on for Ryukyu only to come up short. He took possession of the ball just inside the halfway line of Ryukyu, turned on the jets, and somehow made it all the way into the Iwata 18-yard box untouched and alone on goal. Unfortunately, the finish wasn’t nearly as spectacular as the setup, as the shot was stopped by the Iwata keeper. I guess we got a small glimpse into the streaky nature of this player.
5. Prediction
I thought this game would’ve ended 2-2, instead, it was 1-0 to FC Ryukyu. Season record 0-0-1.
6. Match Day 1 in J2
V-Varen Nagasaki asserted themselves early against Kanazawa, and then hung on late to win. Akita lost in their J2 debut match, as did Sagamihara, with the grudge match between Zelvia and Yamagata ending 1-1. Perhaps the warning signs are already there for Kitakyushu and Ehime as they were soundly beaten in their opening fixtures.
It is always nice getting that first win, that first home win, and it is even better when it is on opening day. Iwata was a far better side in the attack yesterday, and thanks to a bit of luck, were kept off the score sheet. Iwata were one of the teams I mentioned in an earlier blog that FC Ryukyu had failed to beat, and would need to beat, if they wished to achieve the lofty target of 80 points. Time will tell and I will keep a log of all the points over, and under, expectation that Ryukyu net in 2021.
The win on Sunday has really put FC Ryukyu in a nice spot to take 9 points from their first 3 matches of 2021. A fast start, similar to the one we saw from Ryukyu in 2019, could provide the same type of cushion from those teams facing relegation come the end of the season. If memory serves me, FC Ryukyu are now undefeated in games that are broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel dating back to 2019 with a 3-1-0 record. Well, job done and now it is on to Renofa Yamaguchi this Saturday.
Welcome back! And it is really good to be back. The crazy 2020 season meant we had a shortened offseason compared to years past and I hope it finds you, your friends, and your loved ones, doing well in these difficult times. FC Ryukyu will kickoff the 2021 campaign against Jubilo Iwata, last season’s 6th place finisher, and a team who is looking to get back to the J1 after suffering relegation in 2019. For Ryukyu, it is a season filled with many questions that will hopefully be answered – in a positive way- in short order.
Weather Forecast& Match Day Info from FC Ryukyu
Review of Last Season’s Matches
Team Previews
FC Ryukyu
Jubilo Iwata
Keys to Victory
Match Prediction
Round 1 in J2
Invaluable Resources of the J-League English language community
Conclusion
1.Weather Forecast & Match Day Info from the Club
Not at a bad forecast for opening day. It maybe a little bit hotter than some of you are used at this time of the year so stay hydrated (Water, Orion, or other).
These two sides played to a 2-2 draw in their first ever meeting. In that game, FC Ryukyu squandered the lead on two occasions with the Lukian goal at the 86′ proving to be the equalizer.
On MD 36, Jubilo Iwata blew FC Ryukyu away to the tune of a 3-0 score line.
3. Team Previews
FC Ryukyu: This is going to be a critical season for FC Ryukyu for a couple of reasons. Already operating on one of the lowest budgets in all of J2, Ryukyu did little to bolster a side that finished 16th in spite of their highest ever point total in J2. FC Ryukyu has committed to Higuchi, and If the team doesn’t finish higher than last year, or happens to drop completely out of J2, there will be no consolation in the firing of our manager. We all expected the departure of Yoshio Koizumi in the offseason, but the loss of Shuto Kawai was also a tough pill to swallow. Ryukyu first reached out to Fagiano Okayama for 3 replacements; FWDs Shintaro Shimizu and local boy Shingo Akamine, and they also added an attacking mid fielder in Koki Kiyotake. It has been said that Kiyotake has a penchant for the flair, but can also be quite streaky at times. Ryukyu then added Mizuki Ichimaru on a permanent (1 year) deal after his loan from Gamba Osaka last season. I think this was a good move for a side that is aging at CDM, but Ichimaru has yet to reach his full potential. Ryukyu next brought in 3 college players to go along with the return of Ramon from loan, and the re-signing of 22 players from last season’s squad.
Two of the biggest signings for the club were the return of Kazaki Nakagawa on loan from Kyoto Sanga FC, and Sittichok Paso from the Thai League side, Chonburi FC. We will need to wait a few weeks to see Paso at training, but the Nakagawa signing provides a bit of cover from the Koizumi departure, as well as a lot of hope for the Ryukyu attack. However, one area that FC Ryukyu failed to address, and which has been their achilles heel the past two seasons, is the defense. Ryukyu have been an attacking team ever since Kim Jong Song took over in 2016, but this season will largely be determined by the performance of their defenders.
It is really anyone’s guess as to who will comprise the starting 11 for Ryukyu on Sunday since no one was able to attend the preseason training matches to see first hand how this team was set up. Ryukyu may not possess worldly talent up front, but they have a lot of quality players to choose from. Last year’s leading goal scorer, Takuma Abe, will likely start at FWD, with some combination of Koya (last year’s leader in points), Nakagawa, Kiyotake, and Motegi joining him. It will be interesting to see how Motegi responds to a lost 2020 season from CV-19. Behind him, the only real question is whether or not Ichimaru did enough in the preseason to unseat either Koki Kazama or Kazumasa Uesato at CDM. Next, we will see who won the goal keeper competition between the incumbent, Dany Carvajal, and Junto Taguchi who seemed to be Higuchi’s top choice down the stretch last season with several strong performances.
What isn’t in question though, is who will be starting in defense for Ryukyu. Keita Tanaka, who reinvented himself as the starting right fullback/wingback, will be joined by Keigo Numata on the left. Then there is the likely pairing of Lee Yong Jick and Ryohei Okazaki at CB. Or what I like to call, FC Ryukyu’s ‘Critical Vulnerability.’ If teams are able to stifle the Ryukyu attack, better known as the ‘Center of Gravity’ from which this team derives all of their strength, then we are in for a bumpy ride. I may have been a bit harsh when judging Yong Jick last season, as he was played out of position from the start, and prone to making mistakes, but I have no idea what to say about Okazaki. Who, is also getting up there in age without asserting himself at this level.
I will close this section with a couple of quotes. The first is from Yasuhiro Higuchi from the recent event the team hosted for their sponsors and season ticket holders this past weekend. “I would like to stick to our style and produce results based on what I have accumulated so far. Defensive soccer does not suit the blue sea and blue sky of Okinawa. I want aggressive style to fascinate the viewers of soccer.” Obviously time will tell just how well this quote ages, but in the meantime….
“Damn the Torpedoes. Full Speed Ahead” – Vice Admiral David G. Farragut
Jubilo Iwata: Slightly challenging to write a preview for a team that has yet to take the field this season. In the three preseason games I could find for Iwata; they went a 0-2-1. They drew against both Azul Claro Numazu and Shimizu S-Pulse, with a 2-6 loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima mixed in the middle. They only managed 3 goals this preseason, with one coming from an U-18 player. While that may offer some hope for us Ryukyu fans heading into the opening round, I still think Iwata are to good to simply overlook.
They will be lead by new signing, Fabian Gonzalez, from the Colombian Top Tier where he bagged 2 goals and 3 assists. Gonzalez takes over for their striker from last season, Lukian, who seems to be dealing with the same herniated disc issue that saw him miss the final weeks of the 2020 season. Joining Gonzalez up top in Iwata’s 3-4-3 formation will be Koki Ogawa, and Kotaro Omori. Ogawa scored 9 goals and added 2 assists last season, with Omori adding in another 4 goals and 8 assists.
Behind the strike trio sits Masaya Matsumoto and Daiki Ogawa who combined for 3 goals and 6 assists. In the central midfield, Iwata will once again pair their captain, Kosuke Yamamoto, with J-League legend, Yasuhito Endo. Yamamoto scored one goal with four assists across 41 games last season, but it was Endo’s 2 goals and 2 assists in only 15 games for Iwata after coming over from Gamba Osaka, that was more impressive. There is little doubt about where the Iwata attack starts, and Endo in particular, could easily carve up the Ryukyu back line.
At the back it will be Hiroki Ito, and Norimichi Yamamoto, on the flanks, but I am not sure if Yasuyuki Konno will be asked to drop back into the central defender role from his central defensive mid field position. Perhaps this was on purpose last season with Iwata pushing 7 players into the attack with Konno left to cover the two CBs. Finally, in net, it will be Naoki Hatta who allowed 30 goals in his 27 appearances last season.
Besides Yamamoto and Gonzalez, Iwata brought in Yuki Otsu from Yokohama F Marinos; Yuto Suzuki from Kawasaki Frontale; Kato – a LB – from the Finnish leagues, Kanuma from SC Sagamihara, and a university signing. Otsu has never been a prolific scorer during his time in the J-league so perhaps he is better known for his set up play and defensive skills. However, Suzuki made the most of his time at Matsumoto Yamaga last season where he scored 3 goals and set up another 6. Perhaps Suzuki pushes Ogawa or Matsumoto from the starting 11 of Iwata.
4.Keys to Victory
For those of you that are new to the blog, I employ a scale that rates the chances FC Ryukyu will execute any of the keys to victory that I come up with. I usually take into account the recent performances by both sides heading into the match, and then put my own spin on things.
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. Keep the foot on the Gas Pedal: Likelihood 3. Seeing how this is the opening fixture, and we have no data points as of yet, there are very few keys to victory that I can think of right now. FC Ryukyu will have to be one of the most aggressive, possession based, teams in the J2 in order to cover the back line and stave off relegation. We certainly have the horses to do it, but these guys have had little time together so we may not see the attack fully clicking for some time. Also, Higuchi needs to be extremely efficient this year when it comes to the timing of his substitutes. Something we haven’t always seen in the past.
2. Score from Set Pieces: Likelihood 2. This was an area where Ryukyu struggled last season as there were few goals from either Corner Kicks or direct Free Kicks. If FC Ryukyu are under a consistent barrage on Sunday, their only chance of stemming the tide will be from goals on set pieces. While it is likely that our CBs may account for some of the goals scored against Ryukyu on Sunday, it sure would be nice to see them involved in the scoring for Ryukyu this weekend.
5.Match Prediction
As some of you may know, I participate in a weekly pick em’ league over that Transfermarkt.com web site with fellow J-League fans. If you are interested in joining in, please contact @Tobias and he will get you set up. On that note, I do have a rather poor track record when it comes to predicting the outcome of games, and their associated scores. However, it is quite fun to make these weekly ‘dart throws.’
FC Ryukyu have the ability, albeit at times, to play really well against much stronger competition. I wish I could say that it is when they are at home, but that isn’t the case 100% of the time as sometimes they put in quality performances on the road, with a good bit of poor performances against lesser competition everywhere. I feel this match will end in a 2-2 draw as FC Ryukyu will be aided by it being the home opener, and Jubilo Iwata will also be learning to play together for the first time this season.
Everyone’s predicted league winner, V-Varen Nagasaki, open the season at home against Zweigen Kanazawa, with fellow predicted front runners, Kyoto Sanga FC, traveling to newly promoted SC Sagamihara. Matsumoto Yamaga FC, who some may consider for a promotion slot, are also on the road facing Renofa Yamaguchi. Fellow promoted J3 side, Blaublitz Akita, will play their first game ever J2 game – after missing out on automatic promotion in 2017 due to a lack of a J2 license – when they travel Thespakusatsu Gunma. However, the game of this round will be FC Machida Zelvia, some people’s darkhorse team of 2021, hosting another potential promotion candidate, Montedio Yamagata, at the newly renovated Machida Gion Stadium.
Well, well, well. You all are in for a treat. FC Ryukyu and Jubilo Iwata are gifted the curtain raising broadcast of 2021 on the J-League International YouTube channel. Enjoy!
7. Invaluable Resources of the J-League English language community
Per a new tradition started last year, I’d also like to include some of the other great content (in English) for the J-League. The @JTalkET podcast is THE SOURCE for all the goings on around the J2 & J3 leagues. It is in an invaluable resource for those of us whose first language isn’t Japanese. If J1 is more your speed, then the J-League English Podcast that started it all is what you want. Head over to the @JTalkPod and they’ll get your sorted. Available on Apple, Spotify, Podbean, and YouTube. They also have great perks if you are a Patreon.
@JSoccerMagagazine has over 25 years of writing about J-League football in English and produces a great reader available in hard or soft copy over at jsoccer.com. Also a purveyor of J-League kits at @JLeagueShirts.
@J_League_EN is the official English Twitter account of the J-League and provides the information regarding the free weekly broadcasts on YouTube. JLeagueInternationalYouTube.
The table below are some of the other great writers, blogs, podcasts and people of the J-League English language community.
Short of your team lifting the champions trophy at the end of the year, there isn’t a more exciting game than the home opener. Mainly because we have built up so much anticipation for the new season these past few weeks that is filled with hopes of our team winning it all, or at the very least, putting in a strong season to build upon. And we also all realize that these feelings could quickly dissipate in an abrupt manner by Golden Week here in Japan. But for now, the excitement for the FC Ryukyu opener is palpable, and I am really looking forward to this one. So sit back and enjoy the FC Ryukyu, or the team you support, opening weekend.
FC Ryukyu wrapped up their final preseason match this Sunday and will now transition into the 2021 regular season. This was the first time that fans were not allowed to attend any of the preseason matches or practices, and considering there were no match sheets produced for the team’s games, there are still plenty of unanswered questions for this squad.
I am not sure how many of you interpret results from the preseason, but I usually like to see the team win at least 1 game, and have some solid performances against tougher sides who traveled to Okinawa for their preseason camps. I also hate seeing any news pertaining to injuries to the squad and fortunately enough, there were no injury news releases this preseason. There are 6 days before the home opener so there is a chance that some press releases may trickle down, but it looks as if the side escaped any major injuries heading into the season.
Overall Preseason Record: 2W1D3L GF: 33 GA: 19
Training Match 1: 1/30/2021 FC Ryukyu (8) v (0) FC Ryukyu U-18s. Nothing needs to be said about this one.
Training Match 2: 2/04/2021 FC Ryukyu (0) v (3) Shonan Bellmare. In their first real test of the preseason, Ryukyu were blanked by the last placed team in J1 from 2020.
Training Match 3: 2/06/2021 FC Ryukyu (1) v (8) Nagoya Grampus. This game was broken up in to 3, 45 minute, periods. The opening period ended 1 all, before the wheels really fell off. There was also some chatter on Twitter that a majority of our U-18s played the final third period where they surrendered 5 of the 8 goals on the day.
Training Match 4: 02/10/2021 FC Ryukyu (3) v (3) Thespakusatsu Gunma. This one was broken up into 4 quarters of 45-35-45-35 minutes each. Ryukyu won the opening round 1-0; drew 0-0 in the second; lost the 3rd 0-2, and won the 4th 2-1. No idea when, or how long, many of our projected starters featured in this game, but not the greatest of results against a team who finished just 1 point behind us in 2020. At least Abe found the net for his second preseason goal, the first occurring against Nagoya, which means he is back to full health after last season’s mysterious ailment.
Training Match 5: 02/14/2021 FC Ryukyu (4) v (5) Vanraure Hachinohe. Three 45 minute periods where Ryukyu won the first period 1-0; lost the second 0-2; and drew 3 all in the third. Not a great result here either, but again, no way of knowing how the squad was set up.
Training Match 6: 2/21/2021 FC Ryukyu (17) v (0) Kaiho Bank SC. Sure, a total demolition of a Kyushu Soccer League side. Cannot, and should not, read anything into this game.
Removing both the U-18 and Kaiho Bank SC games, this wasn’t a great set of results in a preseason for FC Ryukyu. They were basically outscored 8-19 in the 4 games that meant something. Maybe we didn’t want to show to much against a division rival in Gunma; maybe we rotated players regularly while they built up their match fitness; maybe Higuchi experimented with several sets of players in order to find the right combination heading into 2021; maybe none of this matters.
In spite of these results, we are still left wondering about some of the key position battles heading into the regular season. Did Dany Carvajal beat out Junto Taguchi to retain the #1 GK slot? Who has taken over for Koizumi at CAM? Is it Nakagawa, Kiyotake, or Ikeda? Has Motegi returned to full fitness and reclaimed the starting LM position? Will we see Ichimaru starting along side Koki each week, thus relegating the Captain Uesato to a reserve role? It is also hard to to tell, who among the squad, had really strong, or really weak, preseasons.
Other News from the Club
FC Ryukyu signed Sittichok Paso from the Thai League’s Chonburi football club. Paso has played in the J-League before when he was a teenager with Kagoshima United FC. In 14 games last season, he scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist out of the central attacking mid field role. He won’t be with the club for at least a few more weeks while he secures his work Visa as well as clears the country’s, and J-League CV-19 protocols. Even then, he has a long road ahead of him to playing time as FC Ryukyu have a wealth of talent in the CMF role and up top at FWD.
The club also announced a partnership with Saigon FC from the Vietnamese first division. They have a similar agreement in place with the Taiwan Premier league as laid out by the JLeague’s Asian strategy. I am not sure if we’ll see any player movement to FC Ryukyu this year, but at the very least, an increased exposure of the club in this country.
Finally, the team released their official LINE account that will provide updates, match day information, programs, free giveaways and stuff pertaining to COVID-19. If you wish to add them to your LINE contacts, click the link below to acquire the QR code. Keep in mind, it is in Japanese so you’ll need a translation tool if you wish to read the announcements in your native language.
Well that about does it for the 2021 preseason for FC Ryukyu. I mentioned in the previous entry that Higuchi has laid down the challenge of achieving 80 points this season. While the league may seem wide open, I would rather see this side achieve slightly better results than last year that prevents them from becoming one of the four relegated teams. See you all later this week with the first match day preview of 2021.
This year’s schedule preview will look a little different compared to the past entries. While I will still provide my thoughts on the perceived toughest, and easiest, parts of the FC Ryukyu schedule, I will breakdown the schedule based on each opponent. Hopefully, there will be no interruptions to the schedule similar to what we all witnessed last season with COVID-19.
JUBILO IWATA: Match Day 1 (H) & 31 (A). Career Record: 0-1-1
FC Ryukyu open their season against an opponent they’ve only faced on 2 occasions during their history. In their first ever meeting, FC Ryukyu surrendered a 1 goal lead on two separate occasions which saw the match end in a 2-2 draw. Later that season, Ryukyu traveled to Iwata in the mid week and were blown out 3-0. Iwata has stabilized after the drop from J1 in 2020 and this will be a very tough opening test for Ryukyu.
RENOFA YAMAGUCHI FC: Match Day 2 (H) & 37 (A). Career Record: 3-1-5
The last place team of 2020 destroyed FC Ryukyu in their opening match 4-1, and that was after FC Ryukyu opened the scoring in the 7th minute. The return fixture in Okinawa saw Ryukyu eek out a 1-0 victory stemming from a divisive handball call that Koki Kazama converted for his first goal of the year. Renofa will once again be in the thick of the relegation battle with the Match Day 2 fixture probably allowing Ryukyu to recover from a rough opening weekend. In that same vein, Renofa will look to secure points against Ryukyu in the return leg as that will be one of their last, best, opportunities to notch points if they are indeed facing relegation.
THESPAKUSATSU GUNMA: Match Day 3 (A) & 30 (H). Career Record: 3-0-1
Ryukyu and Gunma split the series last year with each winning 1-0 away from home. Gunma finished just 1 point behind Ryukyu in the table last year and surprisingly, had a far better away record than at home, earning 30 of their 49 points on the road. The first match this season could see Ryukyu secure their second win of the season with the return fixture coming on the heels of two tough tests, and just prior to another three challenging fixtures for FC Ryukyu.
V-VAREN NAGASAKI: Match Day 4 (H) & 28 (A). Career Record: 5-1-6
Ryukyu’s toughest test to date will be their Match Day 4 test against everyone’s pick to earn promotion in 2021. Ryukyu earned a 1-1- draw in some of the poorest playing conditions imaginable in the opening round for these teams last year. And then Ryukyu went on to put a serious dent in Nagasaki’s promotion hopes late in the season when they won 1-0 on Match Day 34. In the past 2 seasons, FC Ryukyu have defeated Nagasaki twice, with each side trading 3-2 victories at their home stadium in 2019. For some reason, Nagasaki is one of the teams that Ryukyu always seem to play well against. They will need to continue that trend in 2021 if they wish to reach the lofty expectation of 80 points as laid down by Higuchi in his remarks last month.
JEF UNITED CHIBA: Match Day 5 (A) & 39 (H). Career Record: 0-0-5
Whereas Nagasaki are team that Ryukyu play tough, JEF is the exact polar opposite. Since Ryukyu’s rise to the J2 in 2019, they have failed to earn a single point off of JEF, and even more troublesome, they have yet to score a single goal against JEF. This, despite all the flak JEF receives for doing JEF stuff. In order for Ryukyu to reach 80 points, they will need to reverse this trend, but that seems highly unlikely as this team, more than any other in the league, has Ryukyu’s number.
OMIYA ARDIJA: Match Day 6 (H) & 23 (A). Career Record: 3-0-1
The Omiya game on Match Day 6 puts an end to an interesting run of 3 games for Ryukyu, as noted by their records against Nagasaki and JEF, as Omiya are team that Ryukyu light up for multiple goals every time they face each other. Ryukyu have scored no less than 2 goals in any game they’ve played against Omiya, and I think we all recall the 5-0, and 3-0, hammerings Ryukyu put on Omiya last season during internationally televised games on YouTube. I am not sure that trend can continue as Omiya parted ways with Manager Takuya Takagi in the offseason, the arbiter for so many of these destructions, and it is too fluky of a run of results to be sustainable. But you never know.
FCMITO HOLLYHOCK: Match Day 7 (A) & 25 (H). Career Record: 3-0-1
Mito are another team that FC Ryukyu own a favorable record against. Last season Ryukyu defeated Mito twice; a thrilling come from behind victory thanks to two late Shinya Uehara goals, and the ‘Ice Bowl’ of 2020 where Ryukyu won their last game of 2020 during the third ever coldest game on record for the J-league. Ryukyu have been quite adept at siphoning off talent from Mito these past few seasons, possibly due to the connections of their former team president, but there were no such moves this offseason. Mito scored the most goals in J2 last season, but they also surrendered the 4th most. I am not sure they did enough to address those issues at the back, but they certainly loaded up on attacking players to paper over those cracks.
TOKYO VERDY: Match Day 8 (H) & 40 (A), Career Record: 2-1-1
FC Ryukyu defeated Verdy twice last season, 1-0 & 4-0. The first game was a tense back and forth game that was put to bed from an Takuma Abe PK after a Verdy player lashed out with a kick to Uehara’s midsection as they lay on the ground in the 18-yard box. The return leg saw Koizumi (sheds a tear) score a brace. The only loss Ryukyu suffered at the hands of Verdy was a 5-1 beat down at home in 2019 where Verdy marked the special occasion with t-shirts commemorating Junki Koike’s hattrick. Maybe last year was a bit of payback for that nonsense. The two fixtures against Verdy will come at crucial times for FC Ryukyu as we could see them them trying to right the ship on Match Day 8 after a tough run of fixtures, with the return leg on MD 40 representing one of the last best chances for Ryukyu to secure points at the end of 2021 season.
FC MACHIDA ZELVIA: Match Day 9 (A) & 36 (H). Career Record: 4-4-10
Dating back to their time in the J3 in 2014, Ryukyu have only beat Zelvia once. And that was 7 seasons ago. I think most are tipping Zelvia as this years’ Darkhorse team, and I think FC Ryukyu will become privy to that fact on MD 9. Zelvia defeated Ryukyu twice last year with a 4-2 win at home, the only game that FC Ryukyu have scored more than 1 goal against Zelvia, but really shouldn’t count as one of the goals was an own goal by Machida; who, were already in cruise control after 4 first half goals. The latest insult to injury was the 1-0 defeat of Ryukyu at home on the final match of 2020. A positive result in the final leg on MD 36 may provide some relief in the face of a relegation battle, whereas an unfavorable result may push us farther down the table.
VENTFORET KOFU: Match Day 10 (H) & 33 (A). Career Record: 0-0-4
Yet another team that Ryukyu never fare well against. Stacking Zelvia and Kofu back-to-back for Ryukyu means we could see them lose two games in a row for the first time this year. In 2019, Ryukyu had their home undefeated streak snapped when Kofu came back from a 2 goal deficit to defeat Ryukyu 5-2. Kofu then defeated a depleted Ryukyu squad 2-0 to end the 2019 season. In 2020, Kofu beat Ryukyu 2-0, and 1-0, meaning Ryukyu have neve scored at the Yamanashi stadium. Let’s just hope Ryukyu aren’t desperate for points when MD 33 comes around as it seems highly unlikely that Ryukyu will even earn a draw away from home.
SC SAGAMIHARA: Match Day 11 (A) & 22 (H). Career Record: 5-6-3
Ryukyu’s first game against a promoted side, and an opponent they are very familiar with during their time together in J3. SC Sagamihara finished second in J3 in 2020 and the last time these two sides met was back in 2018. A year in which FC Ryukyu defeated Sagamihara 5-2, and 5-1. Obviously these are markedly different sides now, but the story, hopefully, should remain the same for Ryukyu in 2021. Their first test on MD 11 should provide a nice change of pace for Ryukyu, whereas the return fixture on MD 22 may add to a nice little run of positive results. In any event, FC Ryukyu will need to secure 6 points from Sagamihara to keep pace, as well as put some distance between them and the drop.
KYOTO SANGA FC: Match Day 12 (H) & 29 (A). Career Record: 1-1-3
Kyoto are another one of the promotion candidates in 2021 and it has been a mixed bag of results for Ryukyu when it comes to this opponent. In 2019, they fought hard to earn a draw before succumbing to a 3-0 loss in the second fixture. In 2020, they lost 1-0 on the road, but recovered nicely after surrendering an early goal in the return leg, by going on to win 2-1 for their first, and only, win against Kyoto. A favorable result in the first fixture would be great, as they face both Nagasaki and Kyoto in consecutive back-to-back weeks near the end of the season.
EHIME FC: Match Day 13 (A) & 34 (H). Career Record: 3-1-1
FC Ryukyu own a really good record against Ehime FC as the lone loss occurred during a 2011 Emperor’s Cup match. Since then, Ryukyu have gone on to remain undefeated against Ehime by sweeping the 2019 fixtures, and earning one win, and one draw in 2020. The win last season was to the tune of a 6-0 score line. Ehime are probably in a similar place, if not worse off, as last year and Ryukyu simply need to get the job done as they’ve done in the past. Ehime, is a strong contender to finish dead last in the J2 in 2021.
TOCHIGI SC: Match Day 14 (H) & 42 (A). Career Record: 3-5-6
Tochigi SC had a nice run in to end the 2020 campaign since they were one of the stingiest defenses in all of J2. But they’ve ceded some of that talent in the offseason and it will be interesting to see how they recover. In 2020, Ryukyu drew 2 all with Tochigi on MD 13, and it was an impressive draw considering that Tochigi only allowed their opponents to score more than 1 goal in any game just once up to that point. The 4-1 loss away at Tochigi was anything but impressive. Tochigi’s biggest problem last year was their lack of goals scored. They surrendered 39 goals, but only scored 41. I am not familiar with all the names they brought in this year to remedy those issues, but losing starting CB Tashiro to Sagan Tosu, will probably prevent Tochigi from being one of the better defensive sides in J2 this year. The last game of the season for Ryukyu away at Tochigi is likely an important one.
MONTEDIO YAMAGATA: Match Day 15 (H) & 26 (A). Career Record: 0-2-3
Things started out promising for Ryukyu against Yamagata in 2019 when they earned two draws, but 2020 was an unmitigated disaster. Ryukyu lost both their games against Montedio by a score line of 7 goals conceded, 1 goal scored (1-4 & 0-3). One nice thing about this year’s schedule is that Ryukyu will not have to face Yamagata in any adverse (cold) weather conditions based on the timing of these games. That is about the only positive spin I can put on this as Ryukyu have their work cut out for them if they wish to net anything positive from this year’s fixtures.
ALBIREX NIIGATA: Match Day 16 (A) & 41 (H). Career Record: 1-0-3
FC Ryukyu defeated Niigata for the first time in their history on MD 15, but since that time, Ryukyu have lost every game to Niigata, and have been shutout each time. Their first tilt on MD 16 will occur at the tail end of a brutal stretch of games for Ryukyu, whereas the return leg is Ryukyu’s final home game of 2021. Niigata will have another strong attack, and though I have some fond memories of Koji Suzuki when he was with Ryukyu in 2019, I also recall him tearing the back out of the Ryukyu nets when he played for Zelvia in the J3. Niigata may once again start strong and fade just after the halfway point, so hopefully Ryukyu can catch them on their downward spiral at the end of the season.
BLAUBLITZ AKITA: Match Day 17 (A) & 27 (H). Career Record: 10-6-10
FC Ryukyu has played no other team in the J-League more than Akita. Dating back to their time in the JFL, Akita notched 8 of their 10 total wins to date. However, they’ve only beaten FC Ryukyu twice in the last 6 seasons. While Akita were impressive during their J3 championship run, it is fair to wonder how much they lost in the offseason, as well as what they may have added. I think they’ll get a bit of the “new boy bounce” but may struggle as the season progresses.
GIRAVANZ KITAKYUSHU: Match Day 18 (H) & 24 (A). Career Record: 3-3-4
Giravanz were a bit of a surprise last season but have seen a massive talent drain in the 2021 offseason. Ryukyu got drilled 4-0 the first time these teams met on MD 3, and then both teams played to a 1-1 draw on MD 35. Since 2017, the series between these two teams is an even 2-2-2 split. Considering Giravanz’s recent departures, I think FC Ryukyu have a good chance at taking maximum points off this squad on both match days. The games surrounding each match against Giravanz next year are also very favorable so we could see an impressive run by Ryukyu when these two sides lock horns in 2021.
FAGIANO OKAYAMA: Match Day 19 (A) & 32 (H). Career Record: 1-2-3.
Whereas Kitakyushu were a bit of a surprise in 2020, Okayama were a bit of a disappointment. Okayama made a flurry of signings last offseason that included Satoki Uejo and Shuhei Tokumoto from FC Ryukyu. Two of our best players from 2019, and they still had prolific scorer, Lee Yong-Jae, on the books. But Okayama couldn’t tie it all together with all the injuries and ended up finishing as one of the lowest scoring teams of 2020. Ryukyu took advantage of their plight by defeating Fagiano 2-1 and the drawing 1-1. The first game for these two teams comes at the end of an easy (perceived) stretch of games for Ryukyu, with the second leg being sandwiched in between two tough fixtures for Ryukyu. I doubt that Fagiano will be as weak as they were in 2020, so these games will be a good indicator for just how far Ryukyu have come, or fallen.
MATSUMOTO YAMAGA FC: Match Day 20 (H) & 35 (A). Career Record: 3-0-3
Ryukyu did the double over Yamaga last season with 6-1, and 2-0, victories. Yamaga repaid the favor by plucking one of our better, and definitely fastest players, in Shuto Kawai. Though some teams can make a quick return to the top tier after relegation, others, like Yamaga, take a few seasons to get back to where they once were. Both of these match days fall in favorable spots for Ryukyu and I hope we can take advantage of the scheduling.
ZWEIGEN KANAZAWA: Match Day 21 (A) & 38 (H). Career Record: 5-3-7
Ryukyu have failed to defeat Zweigen in the J2, with their last victory dating back to 2014. In fact, a majority of Ryukyu’s wins over Zweigen occurred in the JFL. Zweigen finished one point behind Ryukyu and the teams shared a nearly identical record for goals scored/conceded last year. I think some out there believe Zweigen are in for a rough year, but seeing how we haven’t had much success as of late against them, I am not overly optimistic. Once more, the scheduling of these games is favorable for Ryukyu, but like so many other games against teams in and around Ryukyu in the table, it will be a measuring stick for success.
The Good: Match Days 21-25; Zweigen, Sagamihara, Omiya, Giravanz and Kitakyushu.
The Bad: Match Days 31-33; Jubilo, Fagiano and Kofu.
The Ugly: Match Days 28 & 29; On the road in consecutive weeks against Nagasaki and Kyoto.
Of Note
FC Ryukyu have 3 mid week games and 1 game on a Monday. They will be on the road for 3 out of the 4 of those games.
Ryukyu have 3 sets of back-to-back home, and back-to-back away games this year. However, two of the double stacked road games occur during a stretch where FC Ryukyu will be on the road for 5 out 7 weeks. Though the start of that run coincides with the Olympic break in July/August.
Ryukyu open with 3 home games in 5 matches, and end the season the same way.
The Drive to 80 points
Higuchi made a comment last month at the new season press conference where he said he wants this side to achieve 80 points this year. Obviously many teams declare their desire for promotion but never come remotely close. 80 points would be a 30 point increase from Ryukyu’s highest ever total in the J2. 80 points is what Nagasaki achieved last year, who just missed out on promotion, and we all know the quality that resides in that team. Do you think we can say the same about FC Ryukyu?
The lone marquee signing was bringing back Kazaki Nakagawa on loan from Kyoto, but we also saw another supremely talented player, Yoshio Koizumi, depart. I have little doubt that Ryukyu will be an all out attacking club, one that eschews defense for the sake of goals, but I am not sure we get to 80 without a huge reduction in goals conceded, and simultaneous uptick in matches won. Relying on two, aging, projects at CB, is not a recipe for success in my opinion.
The final thing we should consider is all the teams that FC Ryukyu have failed to beat during their time in the J2: Kofu, JEF, Zweigen, Yamagata, Zelvia, Kitakyushu, and Iwata. It would be these matches, along with not dropping points against perceived weaker teams, where Ryukyu would need to garner the 30 points they covet. No easy task as it would mean FC Ryukyu need to surpass their single season (2018) win total of 20, and be closer to 23/24 wins. An increase of roughly 9-10 wins from the past 2 seasons in the J2.
Members of the team are currently taking their PCR tests ahead of the opening of training camp in just a few days so let’s take a look at the players FC Ryukyu will deploy in the upcoming season. Keep in mind, Ryukyu could still sign a few players in the days leading up to camp, or even after, as well as send some of the players out on loan.
Goal Keeper
Name
Age
Career Games Started
Years at the Club
Dany Carvajal
32
65 (J.League Only)
3
Junto Taguchi
24
37
2
Kosuke Inose
20
1
3
Keisuke Tsumita
27
8
6
DanyCarvajal became the incumbent starter after he arrived at FC Ryukyu from Mito Hollyhock in 2019, and he played some remarkable football before an ankle injury, that ultimately required offseason surgery, derailed his 2019 campaign. Dany followed up his inaugural season at Ryukyu by starting in 28 of 42 matches in 2020. But a strange turn of events led to his demotion at the end of 2020 where he only played in 2 of the last 10 games. I presumed that Dany was under contract with Ryukyu through the 2022 season, but that wasn’t the case when his contract was renewed at the beginning of the month. I believe Dany will open the season as the starter and could have a resurgent 2021 campaign.
Junto Taguchi signed from Albirex Niigata last offseason and quickly found himself in the starting role with Dany out injured. Taguchi hadn’t started any games in 2019 and the rust was evident in his first game where he surrendered an early goal and committed a nearly fatal turnover. Taguchi was able to recover from that rough opener and then found himself the 1st choice keeper to close out the 2020 campaign. The battle between him and Dany for the Ryukyu #1 GK spot will be the most hotly contested position battle in this squad all year.
Kosuke Inose has only ever featured one time for FC Ryukyu. And that was back in 2019 when he filled in for an injured Dany, and ineligible Ishii, against Mito Hollyhock where Ryukyu lost 3-1. Inose shouldn’t trouble Dany or Taguchi for playing time this year and is likely to avoid a loan out of the club.
Keisuke Tsumita has been with FC Ryukyu since 2016 but has never featured in a match since his inaugural season. A mere depth piece in the event that we lose the top 3 GKs, I wouldn’t expect any appearances for Tsumita outside of a reserve appearance in a cup competition. He is a strong candidate for a loan move.
Defenders
Name
Pos.
Age
Career Goals
Career Assists
Years at the Club
Keigo Numata
LB
30
15
21
2
Reo Yamashita
LB
22
0
0
1
Lee Yong Jick
CB
29
18
7
2
Tetsuya Chinen
CB
23
1
1
2
Ryohei Okazaki
CB
28
0
1
3
Yusuke Murase
CB
22
0
0
1
Keita Tanaka
RB
31
45
28
6
Yuya Torikai
RB
32
37
33
3
Felipe Tavares
RB
26
0
0
2
Makito Uehara
RB
22
1
0
2
Ryoji Fukui
DF
33
9
5
3
Keita Tanaka was without a doubt one of the most important players for FC Ryukyu in 2020. He reinvented himself as an RB which in turn rejuvenated the Ryukyu attack. Tanaka enjoyed his best statistical season in the past 3 years when he scored 2 goals and added 6 assists. Those were the most assists he’s contributed in any campaign and he has an absolute stranglehold on the starting RB position heading into 2021.
Lee Yong Jick signed from Tokyo Verdy in 2020 Lee went on to start, or feature, in 38 of FC Ryukyu’s 42 games in 2020. I was excited to see FC Ryukyu add a player with his height, but Yong Jick failed to score from a set piece, or open play, which is perplexing. As a whole, I don’t think FC Ryukyu were great from set pieces in 2020, but I rarely saw Yong Jick attempt to stick his head in there while towering over the competition. Yong Jick was also plagued by some shaky play in defense that resulted in several goals for the opposition. He will enter 2021 as one of the starting 2 CBs for FC Ryukyu.
Ryohei Okazaki signed for FC Ryukyu in 2019, and similar to Yong Jick, contributed little on set pieces while becoming a liability in defense. Okazaki featured sparingly in 2020 while he recovered from a multitude of injuries, and I cannot fathom why Higuchi has so much faith in this player. Both he and Yong Jick are nearing 30 and haven’t turned into the defensive force that many believe they could be. CB is undoubtedly the weakest link in the team heading into 2021. It sure would be nice to see two of our tallest players become more involved on set pieces, but I am hesitant to believe they actually will.
Keigo Numata joined Ryukyu in 2020 from Zweigen Kanazawa and took over for the talented Tokumoto who departed for Okayama. Numata, like Tanaka, enjoyed one of his finest seasons on record. In fact, his 3 goals and 7 assists were the most points in a single season for Numata. Keigo featured in 39 contests in 2020 but there where visible cracks at times, specifically in his fitness. This is understandable considering the role our full backs fulfill in Higuchi’s 4-2-3-1, plus we had no true back up to provide any rest for Numata. I would expect Numata to have another good campaign next year as our starting LB.
Yuya Torikai returned to FC Ryukyu in the summer of 2019 and was the starting RB for Ryukyu in 2020 before a drop in form, and the emergence of Tanaka, saw Torikai drop completely out of the lineup. Torikai has only amassed 5 points in the past 4 seasons combined and he didn’t add a single point last season. Torikai’s contract renewal should be viewed as nothing more than a depth signing in the event of several injuries to our back 4. He can also fill in at MF/Winger is needed so his versatility is what keeps him around.
Makito Uehara was a special designated player for FC Ryukyu back in 2020 but will compete for playing time with both Tanaka and Tavares in 2021. He was unknown to many of us until he announced his presence with a thunderous goal against Omiya Ardija. Makito has many of the traits you like to see in a defender but is still a little raw and needs more playing time to refine his craft. I’ll say this again for thousandth time, I think Makito could be an absolute beast if he was able to switch to a CDM role instead of trying to compete for playing time in a packed RB depth chart.
Felipe Tavares came to FC Ryukyu from Sociedade Esportiva do Gama in Brazil’s Serie D last year. Tavares ended up starting the first game of the season for FC Ryukyu at RB where he put in a decent shift, created several chances and dead ball kicks, and nearly scored from a set piece when his header hit the frame. After that performance, along with the lengthy break in the season, Tavares all but disappeared until a few cameo appearances near the end of 2020. He will find it difficult to usurp Tanaka, or even leap frog Makito, on the depth chart, but I think he could develop into a fine player for Ryukyu. Heck, he was more involved on set pieces in his lone start than any of our CBs the past 2 seasons.
Tetsuya Chinen is someone we all need to keep a close eye on in 2021. He has the frame, attitude, and desire that you covet in a CB, despite the fact that he is smaller than your prototypical central defender. He has better burst and long distance speed than the incumbents, is far more aggressive, and isn’t afraid to stick his nose in tough areas to win contested balls in the air. I am very excited about his long term prospects here at Ryukyu and when either Yong Jick or Okazaki falter, or are injured, Chinen will be the next man up at CB. He has already matched both Yong Jick’s and Okazaki’s point totals from the past few seasons in fewer than 12 games.
Ryoji Fukui is one the most versatile players on the FC Ryukyu roster. Fukui can fill in at so many positions across the back line, as well as in the MF, which is why he remains on the team in 2021. You always need to hold your breath when Fukui goes in for a challenge, and he can be consistently caught of position when defending, but he is rarely injured which must be why Higuchi keeps him around. Fukui will appear when injuries or suspensions warrant it.
Yusuke Murase & Reo Yamashita join FC Ryukyu from college, and like Ren Ikeda and Tetsuya Chinen in the past, could find their way into playing time in their first year at the club. FC Ryukyu have been able to find talent in the unlikeliest of places in the past, and while these two have a long road ahead of them for playing time, it is not unfathomable that they get their chance. I haven’t seen any film on either of these players but both are intriguing.
Central Mid Fielders
Name
Age
Career Goals
Career Assists
Years at the Club
Kazumasu Uesato
34
30
20
3
Koki Kazama
29
27
30
3
Mizuki Ichimaru
23
1
15
2
Lee Ji Seong
22
0
0
2
Kazumasa Uesato is the current captain of FC Ryukyu and despite his age, is also one of the most important players on the current roster. Uesato doesn’t possess the speed he once had, but he still has precision passing, lethality in free kicks and directs the attack from his central mid field role. It is a shame we could never sign a player of Uesato’s caliber in his heyday, and while this could very well be his last year at Ryukyu, his offseason signing was so vital to the success of this team.
Koki Kazama has signed on for his third season at Ryukyu, and while last year was marred with injury and a drop in playing time, he, along with Uesato, play a crucial role in the attack as well as on set pieces. Both Koki and Uesato will have a hard time fending off Ichimaru, but based on recent history, Koki is likely to start along side Uesato at CM to open the year.
Mizuki Ichimaru is at the crossroads of his career. Mizukui was a product of Gamba Osaka’s youth system as well as having brief stints at FC Gifu, the Gamba Osaka U-23s, and a loan to Ryukyu, before joining FC Ryukyu permanently this year. The big question is; can he finally put it all together and become the highly touted player he was thought to be? Well, there is no better place to figure that out than Ryukyu, and Ihcimaru will certainly get his shot in 2021. He is only a few solid performances, and free kicks, away from taking one of the CM spots permanently.
Lee Ji Seong is an unknown commodity. Signed in 2020 with a little hype, he never dressed and could very well take the same path of so many other players we’ve signed who will never feature. He certainly has the temperament for a CM, but he returned home in the middle of the lay off due to CV19, understandably, and was never seen again until the final team photo in December. I am not sure if the language barrier plays a part in his apprehension to stay, but that too is also understandable. Maybe if things were different he could flash but there is no indication he will be with the team for 2021. To be honest, I never know the length of the contracts we ink with college players so he could be under terms for a while longer. Does anybody outside of J1 know honestly know?
Attacking Mid Fielders
Name
Pos.
Age
Career Goals
Career Assists
Years at the Club
Koya Kazama
RM
27
41
30
3
Yu Tomidokoro
LM/RM
30
33
36
9
Shunsuke Motegi
LM
24
14
9
2
Ren Ikeda
CAM
23
4
3
2
Koki Kiyotake
CAM
29
48
23
1
Kazuki Nakagawa
CAM
25
21
15
4
Ramon
RM
22
0
3
2
Sho Sawada
RM/LM
17
0
0
1
Koya Kazama was the leading scorer for FC Ryukyu in 2020. Koya reached double digit goals for the first time in his career, and he also registered the most assists (7) he has had in any given season. Koya was the first Ryukyu player to score a hat-trick in a game since Yu Togashi in 2017. It was really great news that FC Ryukyu were able to retain the services of Koya after such a stellar season and he could be in for an even bigger season this year.
Kazaki Nakagawa returns to FC Ryukyu on loan from Kyoto Sanga FC and will immediately challenge for the central attacking midfield position vacated by Yoshio Koizumi. Those familiar with Ryukyu know the history and accolades that Nakagawa achieved during his first 3 years at Ryukyu. They will also recall the shock and disappointment of his departure in early 2019 after leading Ryukyu to a 3-0 start while adding 3 assists. Nakagawa has only played in 20 games since his departure, so he will need some time to regain his top form.
Shunsuke Motegi had a rough past season due to COVID-19. Motegi joined Ryukyu from Mito Hollyhock in 2020 with much fanfare and promise. Motegi featured in 8 games prior to testing positive for CV19 where he scored one goal, and added one assist. However, Motegi only appeared in 13 games after returning from CV19, but only started in three of them while failing to register a point. Hopefully Motegi is fully recovered and ready to take his place in the starting 11 at LM.
Koki Kiyotake joins FC Ryukyu after scoring 3 goals in 20 games for Tokushima Vortis in 2020. Kiyotake will immediately challenge for the starting CAM role, and similar to Nakagawa, is only a few seasons removed from his best statistical output. Koki scored double digit goals in back to back seasons at Kumamoto and JEF, and came close to hitting the 20 point mark. One thing we’ve seen from players that have lost their place at their former clubs and then go on to join Ryukyu, is that they can have a bit of a late career renaissance. When Ryukyu made their thrust up and out of J3 in 2018, it was on the backs on three excellent MFs. Could this be the case in 2021 with Koya, Nakagawa and Kiyotake?
In Ren Ikeda’s first season at Ryukyu, he scored 4 goals and added 3 assists. It was an up and down season for Ren as he initially started out as the CAM before losing that job to Koizumi. Ren scored 2 goals within his first 8 games but then went on a stretch of 18 games without a single point, and 32 games without a goal. Ren was asked to fill in at multiple positions across the MF as well as at FWD last season so this most likely left him unsettled and unable to get into any rhythm. He faces a massive uphill battle to regain the starting CAM role and I am not sure he can unseat any of the starters on the flanks. If Ryukyu remains injury free up to the summer transfer window, a loan move away from Ryukyu may do him some good.
Mr. Ryukyu, Yu Tomidokoro, returns for his 9th season with the club. Yu has struggled to crack the starting 11 on a consistent basis since Ryukyu joined the J2, and a hamstring injury ended his 2020 season after appearing in 16 games without scoring a single point. Yu is two seasons removed from his best ever statistical season but I am not sure he will ever get back to those lofty heights. Yu was unquestionably the best spot kick taking player Ryukyu has ever fielded, but is rarely asked to take free kicks these days. Even when he was healthy in 2019, he took so few kicks compared to Uesato and Koki, but did score an absolute cracker from the spot. Yu will likely feature as a substitute for most of the season, but there is a chance he could challenge Motegi for the starting LM spot.
Ramon came to FC Ryukyu in the summer of 2019 when the team was in desperate need of reinforcements. Ramon started 2 games, played in 9 total games, and added 2 assists in the fall of 2019. Ramon was then loaned to Gainare Tottori for the entire 2020 season, but played sparingly before a hamstring injury ended his season. From what I saw of Ramon in 2019, he is a powerful player who is not easily moved off the ball, and he reminds me a lot of Koizumi with his style of play. If Ramon stays with Ryukyu in 2020, I think he has a real shot at making an impact and possibly forcing his way into the lineup.
Sho Sawada joined FC Ryukyu in November of 2020. If he stays with the senior team, he will be the youngest player at 17, and would be the youngest player to ever play for the club. I have nothing more on this player other than, in the brief history of FC Ryukyu, they have signed one other player from Spain. His name is Kazaki Nakagawa.
Forwards
Name
Age
Career Goals
Career Assists
Years at the Club
Takuma Abe
33
73
37
2
Shintaro Shimizu
28
32
11
1
Shinya Uehara
34
35
20
3
Takuya Hitomi
23
1
0
2
Takuma Abe will return for his second season at Ryukyu after scoring 13 goals and adding 2 assists. This was the first time since 2012 that Abe reached double digit goals and it looked as if he would push for more goals before a very strange set of events saw Abe miss the final 7 games of the season. Perhaps this was due to fatigue from playing in nearly every match up to that point, but no news was released by the club to indicate that Abe was dealing with any ailment. Abe looked really good during last season and is still a very potent player. He scored several highlight reel goals last season and the same will be expected of him in 2021.
Shintaro Shimizu joins FC Ryukyu after spending 2020 with Fagiano Okayama where he scored 3 goals in 24 games for the club. Shimizu has bounced back and forth between Omiya Ardija, Mito Hollyhock and Fagiano Okayama since he came into the league in 2013 and his best ever year was 2019 with Mito when he scored 8 goals and added 2 assists. Shintaro doesn’t have any single season that can compare with Abe, but he also doesn’t have nearly the same amount of games played. Perhaps Shintaro can make something of himself here at Ryukyu like so many others have done in the past. But it certainly helps having another experienced, and younger, striker in the squad.
Shinya Uehara returns for his 3rd season at Ryukyu, and his 13th season overall. Uehara scored the most ever goals in a single season for his career last year at Ryukyu. His 6 goals, and 3 assists, was the most points he’s accumulated in any season since 2013 and though he is not asked to play the role that Abe fulfills, Uehara plays a vital role in the side. Uehara is an excellent late game sub that can get himself into scoring position and contribute meaningful goals. The Mito and Tochigi games stand out from last year and there were the goals he scored against Niigata, Yamagata, Kanazawa, and Fukuoka in 2019. It is truly amazing to go back and see the timing of Uehara’s goals since he’s joined Ryukyu and I would expect more of the same from him in 2021. That is, if he can stay healthy, something Uehara has struggled with during his time at Ryukyu.
Takuya Hitomi signed with FC Ryukyu from Rissho University in 2020. Hitomi missed a large part of the season while recovering from knee surgery before appearing in 9 games and scoring 1 goal. There is a lot to like about this player, but he is the future for this team, not the present. He needs time to mature against this level of competition so I would expect Hitomi to fulfill a reserve role with an occasional spot start in cup competitions. Keep in mind, that both Abe and Uehara have dealt with injuries this past year so Hitomi’s path to playing time isn’t nearly congested as some of the other younger prospects on the team.
This was FC Ryukyu’s second season in the J2, and while there were some lofty expectations for this club, mainly on the part of the fans, but also from some of the management, the improvements were minimal, and the direction of the club is not trending in the right direction. Remember, four teams from the J2 will be relegated in 2021, and though FC Ryukyu have found themselves well out of the danger zone these past two seasons, we are ceding too much talent each season to be anything more than hopeful dreamers.
Chart 1 illustrates the small improvements I mentioned in the introduction. Here we can see that FC Ryukyu vastly improved their goals conceded from 2019 (80) to 2020 (61). A positive sign indeed considering they were the worst team in goals allowed in J2 in 2019, whereas they finished 17th this year. Better defending? Possibly, Better Goalkeeping? Sure. But I attribute much of this to having a relatively settled back 4 compared to 2019. Tanaka and Numata were constants in the lineup, as well as Yong Jick. I don’t think Yong Jick is the long term answer at CB, but we at least have an exciting prospect in Chinen who will be called upon early and often in 2021. Tanaka’s presence on defense added a bit of aggressiveness that FC Ryukyu have lacked in the past and it was amazing to see the impact of Tanaka’s transition, both for the team, and in his individual play in 2020.
You can also glean from this chart that FC Ryukyu only made improvements in their total points, and goals scored, by +1 each. In 2020 FC Ryukyu scored 4 goals or more in 4 games compared to just once in 2019. Those four games (5-0,6-1,4-0 & 6-0) represent 36% (21 of 58) of all the goals scored by FC Ryukyu in 2020. In 2019, FC Ryukyu were kept off the score sheet 9 times, in 2020, that number jumped to 12. That is a bit alarming for a side that prides itself on attacking football. But FC Ryukyu doubled their total shutouts of their opponents from 5 to 10 in 2020. That really isn’t painting this team in the best light but it does mean that we were far better defensively this year than we may have initially thought.
Chart 2 takes a deeper look into the results from each of the past seasons. As mentioned earlier, FC Ryukyu did improve their point total this year, but did so with only 1 more win than 2019. FC Ryukyu may have won more games on the road in 2020 – which is an important marker for measuring a team’s success- but they also lost more games on the road compared to 2019. Match Day 2 in 2019 saw us win our first ever J2 road game, but it would take us until Match Day 35 of that year before we’d win another. While FC Ryukyu were more balanced in their road wins throughout the season this year, getting your doors blown off at Giravanz, Renofa, Machida and Tochigi – all games we surrendered 4 goals – isn’t that great. All told, FC Ryukyu surrendered 4 goals in a game on 5 occasions this year which matched their total from 2019.
In the end, all I can say is this; FC Ryukyu just took a different path to end up in the same place they did last year. 2019 started fast, whereas 2020 started slow for FC Ryukyu. Each each season had a bit of a slump between Match Days 16 and 30, and each had strong finishes; 2019 5-3-4; 2020 5-2-5.
FC Ryukyu 2020 MVP
MF Yoshio Koizumi: There was no better player in this side that put forth a consistent effort from game to game, and book end to book end this year. Sure, Koya, Abe and Tanaka each were close to earning this honor, but Koizumi was just scintillating to watch and stood out against so many of his peers. He will be sorely missed, but he was a joy to watch in his first full season at FC Ryukyu. Imagine how much better he could’ve been had Higuchi stuck with him in 2019 after his debut against Tokyo Verdy in early March when he flashed his talent for a brief moment? That certainly was enough to catch my eye.
FC Ryukyu 2020 Comeback Player of the Year
RB/MF Keita Tanaka: No doubt as to who this was going to be. Tanaka reinvented himself as a fullback and his contributions to this team were immense. Tanaka doubled his goals (2) and assists (6) tally from 2019 and was shockingly good in defense. It goes to show, talent will get you so far, but desire and effort can make all the difference.
The early candidates for this award next year are Shunsuke Motegi and Yu Tomidokoro. If we retain them of course. Motegi’s season was cut short by CV-19 and he looked extremely talented in his limited time early in 2020, and Kawai’s departure definitely opens the door for Motegi to take over the LM role. Yu, like Motegi, lost this past season to injury but the more departures at MF that FC Ryukyu suffer in the transfer window, the more Yu will be pushed back up the depth chart.
FC Ryukyu 2020 Young Player of the Year
GK Junto Taguchi: Not as young as you might like, but at 24, and recently signed for another season, Taguchi played really well in his starts for FC Ryukyu. Taguchi won 5 games, drew 3 times with 6 losses in his 14 appearances for FC Ryukyu while recording 5 shutouts. He is not as young as you may want in a prospect, but comparatively speaking, he offers some nice upside for FC Ryukyu moving forward and has caused quite a stir here in Okinawa by creating a bit of controversy at the GK position with the incumbent, Dany Carvajal.
The two players you need to watch next season that could win this award in 2021 are CB Tetsuya Chinen, and RB Makito Uehara. Chinen is not nearly as raw as Daisei Suzuki was in his starts this year, and plays with far more intensity and skill than Yong Jick. Only injuries and CV-19 prevented Chinen from becoming the #2 CB for FC Ryukyu this year. Uehara is another exciting prospect. He has size, speed, burst, tenacity, power and skill, but is probably better suited at CDM than RB with this team. That laser beam goal he scored against Omiya on Match Day 30 brought me out of my seat and put me on notice. We will need a replacement for Uesato soon, and Uehara certainly looks the part. It will largely depend on whether Higuchi, and the new strengthening coach, Takuya Jinno’s, can recognize what they could have in Uehara, and make the switch to CDM.
More Charts and Stats
Top 5 Games for FC Ryukyu in 2020
It would be easy to just add the biggest win totals for Ryukyu to this section, but there were several key games for FC Ryukyu throughout the year that didn’t finish with such lopsided score lines. Here are the top 5.
#5 Match Day 34: V-Varen Nagasaki 0-1 FC Ryukyu. A completely unexpected performance by FC Ryukyu against a superior side in Nagasaki that derailed their promotion hopes. The Ikeda to Koizumi, to Ikeda, to Kawai finish!
#4 Match Day 29: FC Ryukyu 2-1 Kyoto Sanga FC. Kyoto’s season wasn’t quite cooked at this point, but FC Ryukyu responded to a 4′ minute goal from Kofu by two of their own in the second half from Koya and Abe.
#3 Match Day 13: FC Ryukyu 2-2 Tochigi SC. FC Ryukyu were faced with the stiff prospect of cracking a Tochigi defensive back line that had surrendered the fewest goals in the league up to this point. Despite an early Tochigi goal, Dany Carvajal was in fine form before Shinya Uehara came on and equalized for Ryukyu. Tochigi SC responded shortly after that equalizer to push the score line to 2-1, before Uehara answered the call once more with another equalizer in the 87′ minute. Up to that point, Tochigi SC had only surrendered more than 1 goal once in their previous 12 games.
#2 Match Day 9: Fagiano Okayama 1-2 FC Ryukyu. FC Ryukyu had not won a game all season, and once again surrendered an early goal. Then Uesato nailed one from the dead ball spot with Abe adding the finishing touch in the 84′ minute to give FC Ryukyu their first win of 2020. On the road of all places.
#1 Match Day 20 FC Ryukyu 3-2 Mito Hollyhock. Yoshio Koizumi opened the game with a beautiful first half goal before two Mito second half goals. FC Ryukyu looked all but done before Uehara once again came on and scored 2 goals in the final 6 minutes. One of which was deep in stoppage time to give FC Ryukyu the victory.
Leaning forward into 2021
We are in the middle of the “exodus” part of the transfer season for FC Ryukyu were many of our talented players will depart for larger clubs, and larger contracts. In fact, we’ve already lost Koizumi (Urawa) and Kawai (Yamaga), while letting Shinji Ono and Yamaguchi (AC Nagano) sign elsewhere. These players will not be the last to leave, and I stated that we should all be prepared for the “catastrophic failure” event where we see Koya Kazama leave FC Ryukyu before the transfer window closes. Thus essentially ripping out our attacking midfield that contributed to so many goals in 2020 before we set foot on the pitch in 2021.
This is life as we know it as FC Ryukyu fans. We neither possess the money to retain, or sign, top talent in their prime. We simply find talent, nurture it, develop it, and then let it depart when we cannot afford it anymore. But maybe we shouldn’t look at these early departures as a bad thing. Those that have left, or will leave, never got this club above 16th place all season so maybe we know what we’re doing. There is no doubt that some of the departures are talented, Koizumi for sure, but they lacked other playmakers around them that would justify paying a high price to retain them at the cost of not filling the other holes in the lineup.
Conclusion
That ties a bow on the 2020 season for FC Ryukyu. After we find out all the comings and goings for 2021, I’ll write up a brief transfer summary next year. For now, stay safe, please be smart about how you conduct your daily lives in these unpresented times with CV-19, and enjoy your New Year celebrations responsibly.
The final installment of this series will look at the FC Ryukyu forwards and goalies. FC Ryukyu entered the year with only 3 strikers on the books, but never had more than 2 of them healthy at any one point. In goal, there was a 2-1 split for games played between Dany Carvajal and Junto Taguchi. But it was the decision to start Taguchi over Dany in 8 out of the last 9 games that really raised some eyebrows down here.
Forwards
Takuma Abe: Abe made 31 appearances, scoring 13 goals and adding 2 assists, before succumbing to some unknown injury that prevented him from completing the season. Signed from Vegalta Sendai in the offseason, there were many questions surrounding the then 32-year-old striker. Namely, had his skills diminished? Abe hadn’t reached double digit goals since 2012 when he was with Tokyo Verdy, but one thing we should understand about FC Ryukyu, more importantly, the system Higuchi employs, is that the man up top will have plenty of chances to score.
Abe scored in his second ever game for FC Ryukyu, and had two separate stretches where he scored in 4, and 3, games in a row. Prior to his unknown ailment, Abe had played in nearly every game for Ryukyu and looked to be on pace for +15, if not 20, goals. I stated at the beginning of the season that FC Ryukyu were extremely thin at FWD, and the sheer number of matches in such a short span certainly took its toll on Abe. Perhaps it wasn’t an injury that took him down, it could have just been a case of dead legs.
Whatever the case, Abe was in excellent form for this club in the games he did play. Besides scoring some fantastic goals; like he did against Fukuoka on Match Day 2 by going at it alone for 70 yards and beating Serantes; Match Day 12 with his signature left footed tap in; or his best game – and ultimately the last he’d score in- against Omiya with a brace where one was another left footed tap in from a long cross.
Shinya Uehara: Shinya, like Abe, was not on the roster for long spells of the season. When he did feature, it was always in a substitute role. This is a far cry from how he finished 2019 where he was filling in at RB, and playing the full 90’, due to so many injuries. But when Shinya did come on, he played the role of a “super sub” as his goals would tilt games in favor of FC Ryukyu.
Shinya notched a brace in 2 of the games he came on as a sub. And his penchant for scoring timely goals is incredible. Against Tochigi SC on Match Day 13, Uehara came on to score two times after the 75’ to level the game twice. Then against Mito on Match Day 20, he scored 2 goals in the final 6 minutes to give FC Ryukyu the win.
Takuya Hitomi: Like Ikeda, Hitomi joined from a University in the offseason but was sidelined for the better part of 8 months following knee surgery. He returned to the team on Match Day 24 but did not feature until Match Day 26. Hitomi scored his first ever goal for Ryukyu on Match Day 39 against Okayama, but was only ever included in the starting 11 once in 2020. But there is a bit of optimism surrounding this player as he possesses some nice traits, and flashed some talent in his limited opportunities. If anything, Hitomi looks more natural in the striker position than Ren Ikeda, and we may need Hitomi to start up there if FC Ryukyu hemorrhage a ton of talent in the offseason.
Keep: There is no question we need to keep all 3 of these players since FC Ryukyu have little depth at the position. Abe and Hitomi could split starts throughout the year to stay fresh, and we already know how effective Uehara is in brief appearances as an aerial threat and poacher inside the box. FC Ryukyu undoubtedly need to acquire a fourth striker in the offseason as none of these players showed they can stay healthy for a full season, but I feel Abe has plenty left in the tank for at least one more season at FC Ryukyu.
Goal Keeper
Coming into the season, Dany Carvajal was the clear first choice keeper for FC Ryukyu. Junto Taguchi was signed from Albirex Niigata to be the backup, but ultimately usurped Dany at the end of the season. The situation that FC Ryukyu faces moving forward at goalie has both good, and bad elements to it. There is nothing wrong with a little competition, but you also don’t want to take it too far where it engenders discontent among the ranks.
Dany Carvajal: Dany was not able to start the season for FC Ryukyu as he was still recovering/rehabilitating from ankle surgery in the offseason. He did return at the restart of the season and ended up playing in 28 total games. Dany began 0-1-2 in the first three games against Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, and eventual champions, Tokushima Vortis. That rough start prompted Higuchi to make a switch to Taguchi, who did not fare any better in his next two starts going 0-1-1.
For the season, Dany’s record was 9 wins, 5 draws, 14 losses, while registering 5 shutouts. Unfortunately, none of those shutouts occurred against the top competition in the league as they were against, Verdy, Gunma, Renofa, and Omiya twice. Dany seemed to be relegated to the bench after the 2-0 loss to Zweigen on Match Day 38, and never featured again this year.
That was a bit harsh to stomach considering Dany played really well in some games, and at times, he was let down by the players in front of him. Both offensively, and certainly defensively. He also had a bit of bad luck on several occasions were shots were deflected, or tipped, which caused them to change direction, and get past him. Sure, these things happen to all goal keepers, but when the coach is waffling between who to start, and who to sit, these little things do not help.
Junto Taguchi: Taguchi had bounced around between 4 clubs before settling in at Ryukyu this year. Prior to joining Ryukyu, Taguchi only made 2 starts for Albirex Niigata in 2018, with zero appearances in all of 2019. He was the first-choice keeper at Fujieda MYFC in 2017 when he was on loan from Yokohama F. Marinos, where he recorded 6 shutouts in the J3.
Taguchi’s first game was one to forget. First, FC Ryukyu surrendered a goal within the opening 30 seconds of the match, not all Taguchi’s fault, but then he made a mental mistake which nearly cost Ryukyu. If it were not for Yong Jick, of all people, bailing Taguchi out after his giveaway, things could’ve ended much worse. Taguchi still had the trust of Higuchi when on Match Day 5 he earned the start and drew with Nagasaki. But after Match Day 6, Taguchi wouldn’t start until a rest day for Dany on Match Day 22.
Higuchi opted for Taguchi moving forward after Match Day 34, which was a bit strange considering that Dany had won 4 of the previous 7 games before this switch. But it was the Nagasaki game that was a turning point for both Taguchi, and the team. Taguchi would then go on to start in 8 out the last 9 games for Ryukyu earning a 4-2-2 record. He recorded 4 of his 5 total shutouts in that run, and I have to say, he looked good in doing so. If you’re wondering, Taguchi’s shutouts came against: Yamagata, Nagasaki, Verdy, Ehime and Mito.
The Way Forward: Dany is under contract through 2021. Taguchi just renewed his contract with FC Ryukyu today. Both are quality keepers, so there will be serious competition for playing time next year. It was hard to tell if Higuchi was attempting to play the “hot hand” with his selections at the end of the season, or, if he prefers Taguchi over Dany. Dany has definitely recovered from the ankle surgery, and was playing some inspired football at times, even when it seemed that others around were not. But Taguchi’s strong finish speaks volumes at this point. Here is the rub, as they say. FC Ryukyu doesn’t have the strongest defensive unit in front of these guys so it is hard to get a true gauge on just how good they both could be.
We all have seen what happens when the #1 GK goes down. Usually, it is a steep drop off in talent with the second choice, so FC Ryukyu are some what blessed with 2 keepers that can play at a relatively high level. It will be interesting to see how Higuchi selects his keeper for each match next year. And this is something to follow in the weeks leading up to the start of 2021.
Conclusion
That does it for the player series. I will be back after the Christmas break to wrap up the season as a whole. Please enjoy your Holiday, and I know that may not be easy in these difficult times. If you’re feeling alone, isolated, or depressed, please reach out to someone. And if you have no luck, feel free to reach out to me in my DMs on Twitter. I’d be happy to chat with you or even share a beer over Zoom.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all, Stay Safe.
Part 2 of this series will look at the FC Ryukyu midfield. Heading into 2020, midfield was considered the strongest positional group for this squad, and it didn’t disappoint as two of our best players, Yoshio Koizumi and Koya Kazama, highlight this section.
Yoshio Koizumi: There is no better place to start as Koizumi was hands down our best player in 2020. He was such an integral part of the attack, that his impending departure will seriously hurt this club for quite some time. Koizumi was a bit of an unknown heading into 2020 but quickly rose to prominence once given the opportunity to shine. His stats may not seem all that impressive when compared to fellow MF, Koya Kazama, but it was Yoshio’s contribution as a playmaker that really sets him apart from his teammates.
Koizumi possesses excellent balance, touch, and vision. He is strong in possession, creative, and can unlock any defense with his excellent passing. He also has quite a knack for goal as he finished third on the team with 6 goals. There are so many highlights of his passing that I cannot include them all. One of Koizumi’s best performances occurred against Tokyo Verdy when singlehandedly put on a clinic with 2 first half goals. It is a rarity that a club can have two excellent central attacking midfielders pass through their ranks in a short span of 3 seasons. But that is exactly what happened for FC Ryukyu with Koizumi and Kazuki Nakagawa. Koizumi is destined for greater things, and though it will be tough to see him leave, I look forward to seeing him ply his trade on a much greater stage.
Koya Kazama: Koya had a resurgent year after fully transferring to FC Ryukyu from FC Gifu this past offseason. Koya ended up leading FC Ryukyu in points with 10 goals and 6 assists. A majority of that scoring took place over a stretch of 2 games when he scored 3 goals and added 3 assists. But make no mistake, Koya was an integral part of the FC Ryukyu attack.
At the start of 2020, both he and Yu split time before Yu’s injury paved the way for a full-time role for Koya. Considering that he is three years younger than Yu, Koya should be starting at RM for the foreseeable future (hopefully). He is better in the attack than Yu, but he’s never asked to take freekicks like Yu. He may have the occasional rough patch from time to time, but he is veteran player that we need to keep.
Shuto Kawai: The fastest player in the squad lost a step this year when he suffered an early ankle injury. That injury resulted in a slow start for Kawai where he failed to register a point until match day 18. Though he didn’t have the breakaway speed that set him apart last year, Kawai still has an impressive burst and short distance speed to wreak havoc on defenses. Kawai scored 4 goals in 2020, of which two were of the winning kind. The screaming goal against Tokyo Verdy, and the one he snuck through and around the Mito defense, stand out as some of his best work. Kawai can set up so many goals with his speed by getting around the flanks of the oppositions defense which is evident by his 4 assists.
Ren Ikeda: Signed from Takushoku University this past offseason, Ren quickly found himself as the starting CAM behind Abe on opening day. That came to an end after the emergence of Koizumi in mid-July as Higuchi faced a similar problem as he did with both Koya and Yu. And that was, how can we get both Ren and Koizumi in the lineup at the same time? Ren made some occasional starts at CM with an injury to Koki, along with up top when both Abe and Uehara were out, but never looked comfortable making those adjustments. That resulted in Ren going through a dry spell of 28-games without a goal while seeing his playing time dwindle. He was able to snap that goalless streak on Match Day 40 and then went on to score in consecutive games for the first time all season.
I was never sure how a player would adjust to the J2 from the university level, but it didn’t seem to faze Ren. And is something FC Ryukyu should consider in this depressed income offseason with other signings. I don’t know where Ren fits in next year, barring numerous departures, as he is not the same type of player that Koizumi is, but many are not. He is likely to get another crack at the CAM role to open the year, but that will largely depend on the competition for the spot.
Kazumasa Uesato: The FC Ryukyu captain started, or dressed, in all 42 games for FC Ryukyu this year. A remarkable achievement for the 34-year-old Uesato who maintains a high fitness level. Often seen running laps after matches. Uesato serves a vital role for this team with his passing and defensive play in the central mid-field, but it is fair to wonder how much he has left in the tank. There is no doubt that FC Ryukyu are a better attacking unit when he is in the lineup, and he can still be called upon to take free kicks, but he is at the age where we could see him walk away, or be out right released. That is a harsh statement as he’s been quite good for the club the past two seasons, and we don’t really have an answer as far as who would replace him. It is just based on what I’ve seen from similar players in his situation around the J-League.
Koki Kazama: Koki missed roughly ¼ of the season due to injury but came back strong to finish the campaign. He pairs nicely with Uesato in the middle and it would be devastating to lose both of these players this offseason. Koki is not asked to score many goals, in fact, neither of the central midfielders are asked to do that. They are there to support the attack and cover the central defenders. However, Koki does take a fair number of free kicks, and he is quite good from the dead ball spot. If Koki departs, along with Uesato and Yu this offseason, Ryukyu will be hard pressed for free kick takers.
Mizuki Ichimaru: The lone summer transfer for the club featured in 28 games as both a starter and reserve. He only chipped in one assist but can play either role currently occupied by Uesato and Koki. @bloggamba and I had a conversion over Twitter where I said that the jury is still out on him as he never really impressed at all during his tenure at Ryukyu. @bloggamba replied, by stating that “Ichimaru was a highly rated player at Gamba, and can be good from the dead ball spot.” If that is truly the case, maybe another year at FC Ryukyu will finally unlock his potential. If we end up losing some of our players, we may be forced to put Ichimaru on free kicks.
Kazuki Yamaguchi: Brought in from Shonan Bellmare in the offseason, Yamaguchi was supposed to add the element of speed to the attack. Unfortunately, like so many of the players to round out this list, Yamaguchi suffered an injury midway through the season that derailed his season. He initially started down the right, but then bounced around between all 3 attacking midfield positions the rest of the year. If he is retained for 2021, it will be interesting to see if he battles it out with Ren for the #10 role, or takes over for Kawai if Shuto departs. I wouldn’t expect Yamaguchi to ever crack the double digits for goals, but he could have a role as speedy replacement playmaker late in games. His diminutive size puts him at a slight disadvantage, but it would be his speed and passing, if the latter develops, that could allow him to crack the lineup on a consistent basis.
Shunsuke Motegi: Motegi was one of the club’s biggest offseason signings when he joined from Mito this past winter. Many, including me, thought he would be lethal with Abe up top, as well as on set pieces. The lengthy layoff due to CV19 disrupted Motegi from getting into any consistent groove, and then to add insult to injury, Motegi himself caught CV-19 causing him to miss extensive time. Shunsuke only started three games after his return from CV19 in September, and was not on the bench the entire last month of the season. Something is not right with this situation, or his recovery. We saw Chinen return from his CV19 absence, but there must be some lingering affects from CV19 for Motegi that could jeopardize his playing career. That is a shame as he is a young talent, and certainly one FC Ryukyu will need to call upon in 2021.
Yu Tomidokoro: Yu only featured in 18 games before an injury ended his season. Yu started 7 games in 2020, at various midfield positions, but was clearly outplayed by some of the better midfield talent in the squad. He wasn’t even asked to take many free kicks, which as you may know, is his specialty. Yu is the longest tenured player at the club, and no one wants to see him leave. But Yu will have to fight extremely hard, at 30 years of age, to find his place in this squad next season.
Shinji Ono: Shinji made only one start for the club back in July, and it lasted all of 7 minutes before he picked up an injury that required 4 months to heal. He made substitute appearances throughout the season, but was never able to contribute anything meaningful in the form of goals or assists. There were a few close calls, but nothing every materialized. Failing to provide at least one assist was hard to watch as he still possess the vision and passing acumen to find open players, even when they aren’t quite open yet. Shinji may be more valuable to the locker room and training sessions than the actual pitch, so there is something to be said about keeping a player like him around for a few more seasons. Shinji made no mention of retirement, so I would expect him to return to this team in 2021.
Keep: Koya, Kawai, Yamaguchi, Koki, Ichimaru, Motegi, Yu, and Ikeda. I purposely left Koizumi off this list as he is likely to leave with the recent transfer rumors circulating around Japan. This situation is no different to the one FC Ryukyu faced last year with Uejo, so the only thing we should do is support Koizumi’s move, or celebrate his return. There is no one in this group that should be let go as FC Ryukyu require the depth and talent that these players offer.
If They Wish to Return: Uesato and Shinji. These are the two oldest members of the midfield corps, and as elder statesman of the league, it should be their choice as to whether they wish to return, or move on.
Catastrophic Failure: There is one scenario that I fear, and one that could very well come to fruition. And that is, we lose all three of Koizumi, Koya, and Kawai in the offseason. We already discussed Koizumi, but Koya played really well after a few shaky seasons, is still young, and has certainly caught the attention of other teams around J2 with his strong finish to 2020. Kawai was linked to a move away from FC Ryukyu in the early part of 2020, and he too could be lured away with a higher paying contract from another J2 team. This is an awful thought, and would absolutely cripple the FC Ryukyu attack, but it is not something we should take lightly.
****Update****
FC Ryukyu resigned defenders Tetsuya Chinen and Ryohei Okazaki on 12/22/20. They will also receive midfielder Ramon back from his loan spell at Gainare Tottori.
This will be a 3-part series covering the defensive, mid field, and forward and goalie positions. I open this series by taking a look at the back line of FC Ryukyu. I will provide a brief synopsis for any player that featured for FC Ryukyu this year, as well as my thoughts on who we should try to retain at the end of each section. With that in mind, let’s get started.
The Center Backs
Lee Yong-Jick: Lee was the preferred 1st choice CB for Higuchi all season as indicated by his 37 starts, and 1 substitute appearance. CB is not Yong-Jick’s natural position and I suppose that is why he was often out of position, in addition to making some ill-advised, ill-timed challenges that quickly led to the opposition breaking on net with numbers. Yong-Jick’s most memorable moment occurred during his first ever game for the club when he prevented a 2nd JEF UTD Chiba goal from a Taguchi turnover, by sprinting back to his own net and heading the shot away. Yong-Jick was also not much of weapon on set pieces despite his obvious height advantage. He scored 0 goals and provided 1 assist this year. I am not sure how the club is going to proceed with Lee in the offseason but I could see him returning for 2021.
Daisei Suzuki: Suzuki transferred to FC Ryukyu via a loan from Tokushima Vortis in the offseason but I believe that he joined on a permanent deal shortly after the season restart this summer. Suzuki appeared in 20 games while dealing with some injuries and drops in form. Make no mistake, Suzuki is a raw player and never really progressed in spite of all the playing time he received this year. Like Yong-Jick, he is prone to turnovers and mental mistakes. He does possess some aggressiveness and speed, but if he is to develop any further, he’ll need better coaching and probably some added muscle.
Tetsuya Chinen: Chinen is the fastest CB that FC Ryukyu have in the lineup. He is also the strongest, though a mid-season break with CV-19 took a bit out of him, which is to be expected. He is quick to close down players, can put in good challenges when called upon, and can score goals. His only knock is that he isn’t as tall as some of the other CBs in the league, but that can be overcome with his speed and technique. If I were to tip a player that should be in the starting 11 next year, it would be Chinen so look for him to improve on the 11 appearances he made in 2020.
Ryohei Okazaki: Okazaki only featured 5 times for FC Ryukyu this year but that was due to lengthy absences stemming from multiple injuries. We all should remember Okazaki from 2019 and a lot of those memories were not that good. But Higuchi has faith in this player, and seems to think he can one day develop into an integral part of the Ryukyu defense. Like Suzuki, Okazaki needs better coaching and technique to progress or he will become more of a liability, than asset, in defense.
Ryoji Fukui: Fukui is your prototypical Swiss Army Knife in that he can play all 4 defensive positions. He still possesses a bit of speed to close down attackers, when chasing them that is, but his tackling always makes you hold your breath as it borders on reckless. Luckily, Fukui came out on top this year as he wasn’t sent off, but he had a few close calls. Fukui turned 33 this year so I am not sure how much longer he is going to be around.
The Full Backs
Keita Tanaka: The hands down 2020 comeback player of the year for the club, Tanaka was arguably one of our best players. Tanaka played in 34 games, added 2 goals and 6 assists, but it was his switch to RB on Match Day 5 that stands out as his biggest contribution. Ryukyu had plenty of talent in the midfield and it was always going to prove difficult to shoehorn in all of them barring injury. This type of switch will not work for every player, but Tanaka has the temperament, skill, and tenacity that few others possess. He is extremely aggressive in the attack and in defense, has a great shot, and is an excellent passer. His partnership with Koya down the right really allowed Higuchi’s attacking style to flourish. Tanaka has been a stalwart at FC Ryukyu for many years and I hope to see him again in 2021.
Keigo Numata: Signed from Kanazawa in the offseason, Numata had the task of replacing Tokumoto at LB. Numata ended up playing in 39 games where he scored 3 goals, at least two were from headers, and provided 6 assists. There were a few times where it looked like Numata’s fitness let him down, but that is expected with an older player who played nearly every minute of every game. Maybe with a lighter fixture schedule in 2021, Numata will be a little fresher and offer slightly more, but that is anyone’s guess.
Yuya Torikai: Yuya was the starting RB to begin the season but was eventually usurped by Tanaka. Torikai rejoined FC Ryukyu in the 2019 summer transfer window and bolstered the side in the midst of several poor results. This year, he wasn’t nearly as valuable and has become expendable with Tanaka’s emergence at RB. At 32, with a decline in performance and the talent at RB on the current roster, we may see his departure.
Makito Uehara: The younger Uehara is the best young prospect in defense for FC Ryukyu, and possibly the team. Uehara featured in 15 games and scored a thunderous goal against Omiya. Like several players requiring better coaching, Makito is raw but has far more skills and traits then those of his defensive counterparts. He is tall for a fullback, and has a nice burst to add to his long-distance speed. I don’t think he is a true fullback, as we never saw the touch that someone like Tanaka and Numata possess. Uehara, as I’ve said all year, could be a phenomenal central defensive mid fielder that could handle many of the stronger CBs in J2. He is good at tackling, strong enough to win contested challenges, and could win aerial battles. It would be a shame to let his talents become wasted behind the much better fullbacks of Tanaka and Tavares, so a switch to CDM could really benefit him and the club.
Felipe Tavares: Signed from Brazil in the offseason, I though Tavares would push for a starting role. He did start the very first game of 2020, looked good in both the attack and defense, but then strangely disappeared from the lineup for well over 10 months. Thanks to Tanaka’s emergence as a crucial part to Higuchi’s attacking philosophy, I don’t think we’ll see Tavares making many starts outside of an occasional rest for Tanaka. I still think he needs to be rostered in 2021 as he can be an asset on set pieces, but he doesn’t not have the touch that Tanaka offers.
2021 Outlook
Keep: Tanaka, Numata, Chinen, Suzuki, Tavares, Uehara, and Yong-Jick. Yong-Jick never really figured out the CB role this year but he did stay healthy enough to play nearly every game. Maybe he’ll figure it out next year, but at age 30, it is unlikely. He, along with several other players, can probably be kept at relatively low wages, but that means we should be spending on some better defenders in the offseason. Tanaka and Numata are likely to open the season as our starting fullbacks with Tavares and Uehara as prospect players. We may one day see the partnership of Chinen and Suzuki at CB, but for now, they fall into the developmental category.
Let them Walk, or,Retain at low costs: Okazaki, Torikai and Fukui. Fukui offers limited upside but can play across multiple positions and fill in as injures mount. Torikai is likely to move on as he is well behind the other RBs currently rostered and 32 years of age. Okazaki has never developed into an effective CB and at 28, can be safely let go.
Gut Feeling: Despite the reduction in goals allowed from 2019 to 2020, defense is our top priority this offseason. The position can no longer be ignored for sake of attacking football. Yong-Jick, Okazaki, and Fukui will likely be retained as they are favorites of Higuchi. Suzuki, barring a return to Vortis, will also stay. FC Ryukyu have a strange way about them when it comes to foreign players so we could see the departure of Tavares for no reason. There seems little risk of losing Chinen, Uehara, and Numata, but any team could be keen to acquiring the services of Tanaka. His long standing history with the club may seem forgo any offers from other clubs.
That is it for our defenders. We will look at the midfield position in the second installment of this series, and hopefully I have that published before there are too many contract cancellations or renewals.
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