(7) FC Imabari v (2) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

There are finally some good vibes surrounding this club and it is well deserved. FC Ryukyu sit atop the table as one of just two teams on six points having strung together back to back home wins for the first time in two seasons. But this is not the time to sit back and admire what they’ve accomplished as there is still plenty of work that needs to be done. Last week I wrote that Ryukyu had three early tests to open the season and now comes the biggest one. Granted, I thought the Iwate match may have been on equal footing as this match versus Imabari prior to the result last week, but the game this weekend is the first time this season that Ryukyu will play on the road against a strong team.

Team Previews

FC Imabari: For the Imabari preview this week we are joined by The Imabari Anchor Twitter account (@Imabari_Anchor). The Imabari Anchor account joined us this year and has been a great follow for all things about FC Imabari in English. I asked them if they could kindly provide a brief preview this week since the season is still relatively new and I don’t know much about the club. With that in mind, enjoy!

“Overall we have started the season with two fairly good efforts, but against two completely different type of teams. In the first round, Fukushima let us have a lot of the ball and we were able to punish them early on. We created many chances, but the finishes were simply too poor. In the 76th minute we did manage to score a goal, but over the course of the season not all opponents will be as kind as Fukushima. In other words, we must learn to take advantage of our chances.”

“In the second match, against Kagoshima, the conditions looked completely different (as expected). Kagoshima created many chances while also managing to effectively isolate our forwards. In the second half, Imabari eventually grew into the game and scored in the 73rd minute. The match ended 1-1 (after Imabari conceded an own goal in the 95th minute), but it was a fair result overall.”

“It is quite difficult to draw any definitive conclusions from these first two games but I think the key against Ryukyu will be to simply work the ball up to our forwards as often as possible. Both Marcus Índio and Kazaki Nakagawa are very good with their backs to goal, and with support from the midfield they can be deadly.”

Thanks for that great preview!

FC Ryukyu: Seeing how there isn’t much to draw on from just two games played this year, I thought I’d look at how FC Ryukyu has performed on the road during their time in the J-League. I also looked at the historical records for teams promoted from J3 the past four years in hopes of finding out what it will take for Ryukyu to pull themselves back into the J2 after just one season in J3.

Ryukyu fans know the team can really struggle at times while paying on the road. Ryukyu owns a historical road winning rate of 32% (52W-35D-76L) from the past nine seasons in the J.League, and despite owning one of the largest home undefeated streaks in J-League history (due in large part to their 2017-2019 seasons) they only fare marginally better at home (40%). Their highest ever away win total in any year is eight (8) which occurred in the 2018 and 2021 seasons. No coincidence that those years were Ryukyu’s best ever finishes in either the J3 or J2.

There is also no coincidence that during Ryukyu’s time in the J2 those teams that were promoted from J3 finished at, or very near the top, of the list for away victories in any given season. All four of the teams that won the J3 from 2019 to 2022 had the most away wins of any team in the league. Two of the runner-ups in those years finished second (Iwate 2021) and third (Fujieda 2022). The only real outliers were Sagamihara finishing 8th in 2020 and Gunma finishing 6th in 2019 which have been teams that were either relegated immediately following promotion or constantly flirting with the notion of relegation. It should come as no surprise to anyone that away form is one of the most important indicators for success, and longevity, for any team in any tier of the J-League.

I said at the start of the year that Ryukyu would likely need to win twenty-two (22) games this year to earn promotion outright, and that is right in line with historical win rates (55%-60%) for teams that were promoted from J3 the past four seasons. Two down and twenty to go and now knowing that Ryukyu will need to earn, or come very close, to double digit away wins to be in the discussion for promotion. That is what it is going to take. So, can FC Ryukyu do what they’ve never done before?

Round 3 in J2

(7) FC Imabari and (2) FC Ryukyu is probably the headline matchup this round with league leaders, (1) Gainare Tottori, looking to retain the top spot with their home game against (17) Ehime FC. Two other matches to keep an eye on are (3) Giravanz Kitakyushu traveling to (10) Kataller Toyama, and (14) FC Gifu hosting (6) Kagoshima United FC.

Conclusion

FC Ryukyu and FC Imabari have to yet to play against each other in the J-League but they have faced off before in the emperors cup. Both those games (2017 & 2018) were in Okinawa, both those games went to PKs, and both times Imabari came out as the winner. There was the ding-dong affair of 2017 in which ten (10) goals were scored from open play and another eight (8) during the PK portion. Then in 2018 the match had to go to extra time before PKs once more. Kazaki Nakagawa scored for Ryukyu in one of those matches but let’s hope he doesn’t add to his tally in the historical series between these two teams. Thanks again to @Imabari_Anchor for their contribution to the blog this week and good luck to to FC Imabari for the rest of the season. But for now, let’s go Ryukyu!

MD 2 Report: FC Ryukyu vs Iwate Grulla Morioka #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu moved into second place in the standings following a come from behind 2-1 victory over Iwate on Saturday night. It was a complete reversal from the last time these two teams played in Okinawa, almost exactly one year ago, with Iwate drawing first blood in the 25th minute followed by two second half goals from Ryukyu. Both Takezawa (48th minute) and Noda (81st minute) attempted to rip the stitching out of the net with both shots from close range finding their way into the top of the goal. This was a good, if not important, win for Ryukyu despite the season having just started as it marks the first time this season that Ryukyu have won back to back games, a feat they only managed to achieve once last year.

Highlights

Talking Points

1. Another plot twist for the Ryukyu lineup. We knew we were going to be without Mu Kaznazki due to suspension but Kelvin was surprisingly dropped from the team altogether. Noda returned from injury to make the bench and possibly due to the lack of forwards, Kuranuki shifted from a 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1. That seemed to work well for Ryukyu as there were not as many wayward passes and turnovers that plagued their first match with Hachinohe with the central defensive midfield pairing of Morita and Kagiyama really standing out. Two of our collegiate signings also made their debuts with Ryota Araki taking over for Nakano at Right Midfield and Shusei Yamauchi coming on for a brief substitute appearance. Araki also notched his first point of the season with an assist on the Takezawa goal.

2. Ryukyu dressed a lot of defensive players this match and is that because Kuranuki had a certain game plan in mind to blunt the Iwate attack or are we dealing with more injuries than we previously thought? I do not know but if Kuranuki wasn’t forced into shifting the lineup due to injury and more of a concerted effort, that is the type of progress you love to see. It is still to early to tell about Kuranuki, and since we’ll probably not get many injury updates anytime soon, let’s just assume it is a mix of both.

3. Are Ryukyu that good? Is Hachinohe better than expected? Is Ehime really that bad? I have no idea. Iwate looked like a different side in this game compared to their performance at Ehime. Same goes for Ryukyu after their opening match. Iwate didn’t dictate the run of play as they did against Ehime, Ryukyu did, and though my fear of Iwate pounding us on set pieces – which was confirmed while watching Iwate train the day prior in Okinawa – that never really came to fruition. Iwate had four corner kicks and a few free kicks but Ryukyu were able to snuff those out. The lone goal from Iwate came from open play and it looked like Taguchi was sitting a little to far back to deal with the shot. A shot that Dany saves every time.

Round 2 in J3

The much anticipated match between Kagoshima and Imabari ended in a draw following a flurry activity late that also included an own goal by Imabari on the very last play of the game. Continuing the trend of some late game drama was the match between Ehime and Nagano with Ehime equalizing late on after a series of rebounds and deflections. Tottori dispatched Y.S.C.C. after falling behind early and have moved into the pole position in the table while Toyama drops out of the top having lost to Numazu. Nara club notched their first point of the season while FC Osaka took all three points from Miyazaki on the road.

Conclusion

It felt really good to see Ryukyu win back to back home games for the first time since match days 18 and 20 of 2021. We are only two games into the season with a massive test next week at Imabari, but another fast start by this club (in an odd number year) would really set Ryukyu up for success. Especially considering the amount of players that haven’t featured this year, and who we think, will have an even greater impact in this league.

MD2: FC Ryukyu v Iwate Grulla Morioka #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu take on a familiar foe with a history that stretches back to 2014 this week as they host Iwate Grulla Morioka. If you recall Morioka were demoted alongside FC Ryukyu last year with both games against Iwate last season proving costly for Ryukyu. Ryukyu lost early in the year to Iwate at home and the late season victory by Ryukyu in Iwate cost us Koki Kiyotake for an extended period of time due a to facial fracture. All of which significantly contributed to Ryukyu’s demotion. Both teams started the 2023 season with wins last week but it was Iwate’s 5-1 win over Ehime on the road last round that caught many by surprise. We now have a reverse of the situation last season with Iwate the clear cut favorite in this game. A game which should provide Ryukyu an early measuring stick as to where they stand in this league.

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: The first three games of the season represent an interesting test for Ryukyu. First, we wanted to see how Ryukyu would play under Kuranuki, with many new players, and with expectations set pretty high. Ryukyu did win, which is the most important thing, but didn’t look all that spectacular in the process. That is fine for the moment as I’d rather Ryukyu gain a little confidence while easing some of the early season pressure on the squad. Second, Ryukyu face an old rival who is brimming with confidence following their massive road victory last week. Ryukyu responded to the early pressure from Hachinohe, achieved a breakthrough before halftime, played well to start the second half, but sort of faded down the stretch (aka what we saw a lot of last year). Let’s see how Ryukyu respond against a team that looked very strong throughout the entirety of game last week. And finally, looking ahead to next week, Ryukyu will play their first match on the road this year against FC Imabari who are one of the favorites for promotion this season. These games could reveal a lot about how Ryukyu will fare in J3 this year.

Last week we got our first look at the Ryukyu lineup for the 2023 season. While me may feel secure in assuming that FC Ryukyu will deploy a 4-4-2 formation under Kuranuki, I wouldn’t be so confident in assuming that exact set of players from last week will feature all season for Ryukyu. Not just due to injuries that some could pick up throughout the campaign. It came as a bit of a shock to see the absences of both Kiyotake and Noda, which included 18-year old Jitsuki Tsuha on the team sheet, in the lineup last Saturday. It was only revealed in a fan event pre-match that Noda is currently dealing with some lower extremity issue that may keep him out of the lineup and one must wonder, how many players are actually match fit for Ryukyu right now?. Noda’s, and possibly Kiyotake’s, injuries couldn’t come at worse time for Ryukyu with Abe and Sulley already missing, and now with Mu Kanazaki suspended for this match following his Red Card last week.

That means Ryukyu are down to just two healthy forwards, Hitomi and Kelvin, entering this game with Iwate. Perhaps we see the return of one of our forwards this week as both Kiyotake and Noda were spotted at training, but if we don’t, that puts a little extra pressure on Hitomi and Kelvin to get Ryukyu on the scoreboard early and often this Saturday.

Speaking of Kelvin, what a goal last week! He took some exquisite touches to round a few defenders before slotting the shot in the lower corner. But that is kind of where the Ryukyu offense started and stopped against Hachinohe. A lot of this could be contributed to what could’ve been a makeshift lineup based on recent injuries picked up in training, but if Ryukyu wish to walk away with a win this week, they will need to fix the disjointed passing that killed off so many offensive drives last match.

Aside from the bright start to the season from a rejuvenated Kelvin was the defending by Ryukyu. The CB pairing of Muta and Mori did well in dealing with the limited attack from Hachinohe, and though we thought the same thing about our defense after the opening fixture last year (we know where that led) I am again encouraged by a good defensive performance to open the season, but we’ll reserve judgement on that topic for a later date. I am slightly concerned about the health of Muta who was seen taking a boot to the face to end the match (thanks to @Shukyu_Complex for capturing that screen shot) and we all know how secretive clubs can be when releasing injury updates. On the other hand Muta didn’t look any worse for wear and was seen post match giving the ref the business, more like a healthy ration of shit, for missing that foul. Let’s hope that both Muta and Mori are out there on Saturday as Ryukyu will definitely be up against it this week with a far more aggressive attacking team.

Iwate Grulla Morioka: The return of Lee Yong Jick! No, that isn’t the major headline this week though plenty of dismissive wanking gestures are probably in store for Saturday. Neither is seeing two sides who were relegated from J2 last year as a potential clash of two strong teams who are undefeated, both favored for promotion, and sit near the top of the table. The headline is Iwate enter this game full of confidence having demolished Ehime FC last week, doing all their damage before Ehime could even register a goal, and who will look to continue their strong start against a Ryukyu side that is still trying to find their way in this league.

Iwate had three players with at least two points last week: Tsuyoshi Miyaichi (2 goals), Kaili Shimbo (1 goal and 3 assists), and Sota Kiri (1 goal and 1 assist). Four of the five goals Iwate scored came from set pieces where Miyaichi looks very dangerous as both his goals were of the headed variety. Ehime did not seem to offer much resistance in this match as Iwate looked in complete control in almost every area of the pitch. Heck, the score line could’ve been even higher had not two of Douglas’s shots require a good save by the keeper and the luck of the post.

I think the type of performance Iwate put in versus Ehime was what we as Ryukyu fans were hoping to see out of Ryukyu against Hachinohe. Free flowing attacks, excellent movement of the ball, pinpoint accuracy on set pieces and lethal finishing. Needless to say the Ryukyu back line will have their work cut out for them this week in trying to keep Iwate off the scoresheet.

Round 2 in J3

Round one may have showed us that the teams many expected to win, did in fact win, and that some of the teams that were expected to struggle, did in fact struggle. The J3 debutants, FC Osaka and Nara Club, each lost to two of the favorites for promotion in Kagoshima and Matsumoto. Imabari won 1-0 at home like FC Ryukyu, albeit against what some would consider a stronger opponent in Fukushima, with both Nagano and Toyama also earning victories. A couple of sides dropped an early 6-pointer with Numazu losing to Sanuki and Sagamihara falling at home to Tottori. Perhaps the snap shot of the table at this very moment won’t move all that much throughout the season?

Round two sees a slew of fixtures pitting teams at the top of the table against one another as well as teams at the bottom of the table squaring off. On Saturday we have (1) Iwate v (7) FC Ryukyu but another early season test for two contenders for promotion will be (5) Kagoshima United FC hosting (7) FC Imabari. On Sunday (2) Matsumoto Yamaga FC and (2) AC Nagano Parceiro both face teams in (10) FC Gifu and (20) Ehime FC who are looking to rebound from their results last week. And we could also see (4) Gainare Tottori and (5) Kataller Toyama stay near the top of the table as they face (13) Y.S.C.C. and (15) Azul Claro Numazu.

Continuing the trend of some important early season 6-point matchups there is (18) Tegevajaro Miyazaki hosting (13) FC Osaka, (18) Nara Club hosting (15) Vanraure Hachinohe, and (12) SC Sagamihara at home to (15) Fukushima United on Sunday.

Conclusion

Facing a confident opponent, dealing with some injuries to key players, and lacking a bit of offense at the moment, Ryukyu are in for a very tough match against Iwate. But this is what we should expect this season as Ryukyu cannot be considered favorites in many matches just because they dropped down a tier. This isn’t the same type of thing we see when J1 sides drop down to J2, this isn’t the same Ryukyu side from 2022, and this Ryukyu side in J3 still has a lot to prove. “Nothing to it but to do it” as they say. Let’s go boys!

Match Day 1 Report #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu started their 2023 season with a 1-0 win over Vanraure Hachinohe on Saturday. The lone goal this game came from Kelvin after a series of nice touches to round a few Hachinohe defenders before depositing the shot in the lower corner of the goal. And that was really all the excitement in this match as neither side seemed capable of completing passes in the oppositions’ end or generating much offense.

Highlights

Talking Points

1. Some questions that I posed in the last entry were answered. Most notably as far as who would start in goal: Higuchi; formation, 4-4-2; our CB pairing and who wasn’t healthy to make the squad. Higuchi appearing in net to start the first game wasn’t really a shock in that you felt that was coming. Not sure why he got the run out for the first game after the strong end to the season Dany provided the club. But that is where we are and you can assume what you like, I know I will, as to why that decision was made by Kuranuki. In the end Taguchi earned a clean sheet but that was based more on the inability of Hachinohe to break our lines or put quality shots on net.

Hitomi started up top, which was surprising, as we all figured it would be the 2023 captain, Noda, leading the line. However, it was revealed in an interview with fans pre-match that Noda is dealing with an unknown, undisclosed, knee injury that will keep him out for who an undetermined time. In what was some of the best questioning, albeit accidentally, by any reporter/MC for a club, Noda disclosed he was dealing with an injury and working his way back to health. We really need more of these type of questions both pre and post match from any reporters to gain some insight into this club.

Another shock exclusion was Kiyotake from the lineup. While I was not able to hear if he too is dealing with an injury, one can only assume he is as why would we be excluded from the lineup? I get that sometimes you need to strike a balance between the best players and the best lineup, but I think Ryukyu are dealing with a minor injury crisis at the moment.

2. Kelvin looks like the real deal and well on his way of notching twenty goals, or at least twenty points this year. Kelvin was all over the pitch making plays and creating chances and of course was rewarded with one of the best goals we’ve ever seen here at FC Ryukyu. Unfortunately he was really the only one doing anything on offense for the club on Saturday. Seeing how FC Ryukyu were reduced to starting so few of what some would consider “regulars” of the club, if teams can isolate, and eliminate, Kelvin from games, our offense will likely grind to a halt.

3. Our defense held, but Ryukyu still faded late in the match. While the first statement is a welcome sign with the defense dealing with crosses/chances the fact that Ryukyu, as a whole, seemed to disappear late in the match is concerning. Ryukyu were notorious for this last season, and luckily escaped with all 3 points on Saturday despite Hachinohe’s late charge. Fukumura, unlike his predecessor at LB Numazu, was able to display some speed when closing down attackers that broke loose. Ryukyu dodged a bullet when Yu was called for a handball just outside the box in the 84th minute and once more near the end on a dangerous header. This team needed a confidence boosting match – in which they don’t surrender a late goal – and got it. But the team was under to much pressure at the end and better teams in this league will find a way to crack our net if Ryukyu are not careful.

4. Perhaps Ryukyu wouldn’t have been in that tight spot if not for Mu Kanazaki earning two yellow cards, and subsequent red card, inside one half of football. It seemed Mu wanted to get on the refs “shit list” early and often with his fouls and extra curricular discussions with said referee. Mu had one, maybe two, chances to put this game out of reach but it seemed frustration set in and in turn some ill advised challenges followed. Mu may have been fouled in the box earlier on what could’ve lead to a PK but all the aforementioned extra curriculars probably attributed to the refs decision to having seen enough of Mu on the day. Again, Ryukyu escaped with a bit of luck, but for a team that struggled with conceding late goals last season, as well as fading in matches, Ryukyu cannot afford to invite any extra pressure while attempting to instill some confidence in the defense. This also means Ryukyu will have one healthy forward, Hitomi, next week against Iwate.

5 This was a sloppy game from both sides. It seemed neither side could string together consecutive, mainly three, passes in a row to sustain some sort of offensive thrust. There were multiple, drive killing, turnovers from both teams. Both sides were able to have a few successful movements strung together but as a whole it was a tough watch for any fan. In the case of Ryukyu they need to cut down on the wasteful passing that put them up against the break but that may have more to do with who is healthy than who is starting. Ryukyu would do well to get Hitomi more involved as the lone ball into the box by Ryukyu that was asking to be buried only found its way to Takezawa.

Round 1 in J3

A single draw from all the matches might stand out a bit but it was Iwate’s destruction of one of the dark horses for promotion in Ehime that really jumps off the page. Kagoshima waffled a bit to start but had a strong comeback win against new joins FC Osaka with pretty much every early season favorite earning a victory this weekend. And so we begin.

Conclusion

Getting the first win of the season was an important first step in the right direction for FC Ryukyu. They still leave a lot to be desired when it comes generating some offense but that may come in time when players get back to fitness. It is not always about how you start, it is how you finish. We are sure to get that litmus test next week against Iwate Grulla Morioka who are the hottest team in J3 at the moment.

MD 1: FC Ryukyu v Vanraure Hachinohe #FC琉球

Intro

We are back for the fourth year of this blog but under very different circumstances from when I started this thing. FC Ryukyu are competing in the J3 for the second time, first time since 2018, after crashing out of the J2 in 2022. Some might say this is familiar territory for Ryukyu considering they spent five (5) seasons in J3 before earning promotion, but I’m sure the J3 has changed quite a bit since the last time Ryukyu were here. The task is simple: promotion. The path, however, will not be easy. Ryukyu have a new manager, new players, new sporting director with some familiar faces still in the squad, but face a bevy of questions concerning their set up, tactics, ability to perform under pressure and the overall strength of their competition this year.

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: The landscape of the J3 has changed a lot since the last time FC Ryukyu plied their trade in the third tier of Japanese football. Gone are the whipping boys of the U-23 sides from FC Tokyo, Gamba Osaka, and Cerezo Osaka that provided a tasty three-points-as-long-as-you-don’t-mess-it-up-matchup. Akita, Fujieda, Gunma are all playing in the J2 and best of luck to them (really just Akita). There are some familiar faces from seasons past in FC Gifu, Kagoshima United FC, Giravanz Kitakyushu, Ehime FC, Matsumoto Yamaga FC, and Grulla Iwate Morioka. There are some teams Ryukyu hasen’t seen since 2018: Gainare Tottori, Fukushima United, Azul Claro Numazu, AC Nagano Parciero, Kattalar Toyama, and Y.S.C.C. Finally, a bunch of new teams FC Ryukyu will face for the first time ever in: FC Imabari, FC Osaka, Nara Club, Kamatamare Sanuki, Tegevajaro Miyazaki and our Match Day One opponents, Vanraure Hachinohe.

So where do FC Ryukyu fit inside that lot this year? Great question and we all know that Match Day One rarely tells us much about any club. You’ll recall the fast starts from Ryukyu in 2019 and 2021 that had us all believing survival in J2 could happen (it did) and promotion is a real possibility (it was not). That means we may not know much about this side until about the 1/4 mark of the season and hopefully by then we are seeing a true contender and not some plastic pretender. All eyes will be on new manager Kazuki Kuranuki, the starting eleven he rolls out, the formation, the tactics, and the in-game management to start the 2023 campaign.

FC Ryukyu have a condensed timeline this year, 38 games in J3 compared to 42 in J2, to pull themselves back up to J2. That means the club, which last year displayed an inability to adjust to the shifting landscape of J2 and make the timely/necessary changes at the top, must not make business decisions personal to their detriment. If Kuranuki is not up to task, he must go, and must go early so as to preserve enough time to recover and secure promotion. And though we are speaking of promotion only, relegation must not be ignored as this is the first year that promotion/relegation exists between J3 and the Japan Football League (JFL). I don’t want to show the “Fuck Around and Find Out Graph” to hammer this point home, and hope I never have to, but keep that in the back of your minds throughout the year.

That is where I am at as a Ryukyu fan these days following the fallout from last season. While I cannot speak for many of the other longtime supporters of the club, I feel they maybe thinking the same things. Restore the faith of the supporters through deeds and actions in the form of home wins (only 3 last season) and promotion. Funny how promotion is always a goal but seems to have taken on the notion of survival for FC Ryukyu these days. Especially with OSV breathing down Ryukyu’s neck as a newly promoted JFL side.

Onto the task at hand which is an opening day victory. Ryukyu had four months, two months of training after camp opened, to prepare for this game and one in which they need to make an early statement. That statement is getting Ryukyu out of the gate on the right foot. None of the supporters have the patience to watch more “Kina Ball” in the form of doing nothing with loads of possession, lacking creativity to create chances, and the absolute coup de grace, surrendering goals after the 75th minute and stoppage time resulting in dropped points.

OK. Time for some positivity. We still have Dany and to be quite honest, do you really bring a player of his quality back to a squad in the J3 – needing promotion – just to watch him rot on the bench? I don’t know but I am glad we have Dany on the books. Koki Kiyotake is back as well and if he can stay healthy, and at Ryukyu the whole season, he could be in for a massive (aka J3 MVP) season. Kelvin, after a good half season under his belt last year, and back to full game speed following the required recovery time from a previous knee injury, could be lethal for this team. Takuma Abe, just have to wait and see here. Sadam Sulley, are you kidding me? This dude could obliterate any of these teams, but patience might be required when expecting his debut this year as he to is recovering from a late season injury. Takuya Hitomi could breakout early as one of our best young players while some of our strikers get back to health. Yu Tomidokoro on set pieces again? Mmmmm, that sounds good, I’ll have that!

Vanraure Hachinohe: These two teams have never faced each other in any tier of Japanese football. With that in mind I guess all I can provide is a brief history about Hachinohe. Founded in 2006 after the merger between the Hachinohe Kogyo SC and Nango FC clubs, Hachinohe spent eight (8) years in the Tohoku Soccer League before achieving promotion to the JFL for the 2014 season. Hence the reason they and Ryukyu have never met as 2014 was the inaugural season in the J3 for FC Ryukyu. Another strange coincidence is that both Ryukyu and Hachinohe achieved promotion to the next tier of Japanese football in 2018 with Ryukyu winning J3 and promotion to J2 and Hachinohe earning promotion to the J3 after finishing third in the JFL. Assume Hachinohe’s promotion was based on the archaic J-League rules of licensing, stadium capacity and whatever else the gatekeepers of the J-League promotion board deemed worthy.

Hachinohe finished tenth (10th) their first year in J3, followed by two consecutive seasons near the bottom of the table in 2020 and 2021, while last year again finishing tenth (10th). 2019 was their best year when it came to scoring goals as Hachinohe bagged forty-nine (49) that season before a slight drop off in 2020 with forty-two (42), followed by a dramatic decline to only twenty-four (24) goals scored in 2021 with a marginal improvement up to thirty-two (32) last season. 2019 and 2022 were also Hachinohe’s best win tallies at fourteen (14) yet surprisingly only managed one (1) draw in 2022 enroute to their worst ever loss total of nineteen (19). I guess this indicates that so far Hachinohe has been a lower to mid table team their entire time in J3.

What to Watch MD 1

Lineup Selection, tactics, game management and the result. All of which are unknowns right now at FC Ryukyu. Who is healthy enough to start or feature? I have to assume we will not see Abe and Sulley MD1 with the knowns of Sho Hiramatsu and Shiryu Fujiwara both out with broken foots until April.

Will Taguchi start over Dany? I hope not but I feel this is coming and I am trying to prepare for what happens next if Taguchi does indeed start. Root for him to fail which means my club fails in turn, or hope he does well and see one of my favorite, and one of the club’s best players go unused because we finally have a defense in front of our goalie? Not the greatest thought experiment for any fan.

Ryunoske Noda is our captain and likely the starting striker. Knowing full well we need a double digit goal scorer and a few double digit point players to succeed, where will the goals come from? Can Noda produce as is required for that position in a make or break season at age 34 having only scored a maximum of 6 goals in any year (2013) of his career? Can recently signed Mu Kanazaki, also 34 years old, regain some of the scoring magic from his 2017 & 2018 seasons?

What is our defensive set up and have we learned any hard lessons from the past four seasons in J2 knowing that relying solely on the offense to carry the day is not the key to success? The so called “exciting football approach” that many at the club promote each season that never really came to fruition outside of the early parts of the 2021 season. What will we do on set pieces? Some of these are more year-long than just week-one questions but you get my drift.

Round 1 in J3

There is no doubt every club wants to get off to a fast start with a MD1 win. But all these clubs are a relatively unknown to me and though each season teams rise and fall, who truly are the teams tipped for promotion/relegation in J3? Would you’ve tipped FC Ryukyu for relegation in 2022 after a 9th place finish in 2021?

Kagoshima (tipped by many), Yamaga (loads of pressure to get there), Imabari (loaded up in the offseason transfer window), Nagano (finally! but on the rise?), Ehime (?) are expected to be in the conversation for promotion. Gifu, a team in rebuild mode could be a surprising team with the likes of Tottori, YSCC, Numazu, Sagamihara, and new joins Nara and Osaka just looking to hang on for survival.

Conclusion

It has been 132 days since we last saw FC Ryukyu take the pitch. On that day they did at least manage to eek out a home win on the final match day of the season. Though it was bittersweet considering Ryukyu were already relegated at that point and had won just three (3) home games all last year. A home win on Saturday would go a long way to appease/assuage the loyal Bengara “sappo.”

I haven’t been this anxious for a home opener since 2019 so I am really looking forward to this one. See you out there in full support and in full voice finally, and thankfully!!!!

2023 FC Ryukyu Season Preview #FC琉球

Intro

The start of the 2023 season is just a few weeks away for FC Ryukyu where they will find themselves competing in the J3 for the first time in four (4) seasons. Quite the journey for a team that operates on one of the smallest budgets in the league and who many tipped – year in and year out – to drop from the J2 in each of their four seasons. All of that is in the past and now FC Ryukyu will attempt to climb back up to J2 within one year. No easy feat considering it has only been done once (Oita Trinita 2015) since the inception of the J3.

Transfer Dealings

OUT: FC Ryukyu released a total of twenty one (21) players this offseason. Kazumasa Uesato and Shinya Uehara retired. Yuki Kusano (YFC, now Mito), So Nakagawa (Iwata), Rio Omori (FC Tokyo), Sittichok Paso (Chonburi), Van Luan (FC Saigon) and Hong Quan (FC Saigon) all returned to their parent clubs after their loan spells at Ryukyu. And then Ren Ikeda (Oita Trinita), Ryohei Okazaki (Tochigi SC), Lee Yong-Jick (Morioka), Keita Tanaka (Tottori), Takashi Kanai (Sanuki), Keigo Numata (Renofa), Yuki Omoto (Kumamoto), Kosuke Inose (Sagamihara), Sho Sawada (Portimonense U-23), and Kohei Kato (FK Jezero) all departed the club to sign for other teams.

Losing Ikeda, Kusano, Tanaka, and Omoto hurt the most but I didn’t think Ryukyu were going to be able to retain Kusano unless they remained in J2. Ikeda was a promising player for Ryukyu having notched seven (7) points in each of his first two (2) seasons before managing just one (1) goal, and one (1) assist in 2022. Ikeda was on a blistering pace in 2021 when he had six (6) goals and one (1) assist by Match Day 18 before a fractured back derailed his season. There was no telling how good he could’ve been that year had he not suffered that injury, or, how good he can be away from Ryukyu.

Tanaka’s release came as a bit of shock considering he has been a long serving steward at the club. Here is another example of a player who thrived in 2021, fell off statistically in 2022, and then somehow fell out of favor with Nacho to close out the 2022 season. Think a lot of why some players regressed in 2022 can be tied directly to Tetsuhiro Kina’s time in charge and not Nacho.

One thing that should stand out in everyone’s mind is the concerted effort by the club to completely clear out a majority of the defenders on FC Ryukyu’s roster. Ryohei Okazaki seemed like a project player brought in by Yasuhiro Taguchi in 2019 as he had played just seventeen (17) senior games in the four years before his arrival. Okazaki managed thirty nine (39) games in his first year at Ryukyu but numerous injuries reduced him to fifty seven (57) appearances in the last three years combined. I am not sure if he was ever that good, having been present for two seasons when Ryukyu were hemorrhaging goals, and only enjoyed his best season in 2021 when he was paired with Tetsuya Chinen. In that same vein, Lee Yong-Jick was another project player when he arrived in 2020 but Higuchi attempted to convert him from an attacking player into a defender which was a large ask of the player. Yong-Jick is a passionate player, just not a great defender and his departure only helps the club. It will be fun when he returns this season in a Morioka kit as his relationship with the Ryukyu fans really soured at the end of 2022.

Finally, the departures of Sawada and Inose, while maybe under the radar because of their limited appearances for Ryukyu, have just as much impact to the club as some of the more marquee names that signed for other teams. Sawada and Inose just found themselves buried on the depth chart but for a club that needs time to recover in J3, and build a stronger foundation for a push upwards, I thought these two young players could’ve been a big part of this team’s future. Guess we’ll just have to watch their development from afar.

IN: Fourteen players were added to the ranks at FC Ryukyu this offseason but it was the ability of the club to retain the services of many of the veterans that will have the greatest impact this year. Yusuke Muta (CB) was brought in from Morioka in what looked like a trade considering he and Yong-Jick swapped clubs at nearly the same time. There is no doubt that Ryukyu will anchor their defense around Muta but he is the only veteran central defender we signed from any of the three tiers in the J-League. Shusei Yamauchi, Ryota Araki and Yuri Mora seem like the other three center backs on the roster who all arrived from University. Keiji Kagiyama came over from Ococias Kyoto from the Kansei Soccer League (5th Tier) but must’ve made a serious impact already as he was named a vice-captain for the 2023 campaign. I still don’t know his position, FB, WB, or CB, but Ryukyu – a team consistently plagued with key injuries each season – seem razor thin at central defenders heading into 2023. I am not shocked considering they only pay lip service to recognizing the needs for defending but continue to load up on attacking players every offseason.

Ryukyu also added Takayuki Takayasu (Kanazawa), Rin Morita (Vortis), Sho Hiramatsu (Shonan), Shiryu Fujiwara (Vortis), Haruto Shirai (Okayama) and Sho Iwamoto (University) this winter with Shirai being the most seasoned player having notched thirteen (13) goals and two (2) assists across five seasons in the J2 and J3. The club also added a few young players from Korea in Ji-wan Jeon (GK), Eun-soo Jo (MF) as well as promoted one of their U-18s in Jitsuki Tsuha but as I mentioned earlier, the success of the club this season will be based largely on the contributions from the key veterans Ryukyu retained in the offseason.

RETAINED: Starting from the back Ryukyu were able to keep the services of both Dany Carvajal and Junto Taguchi in goal. Taguchi re-signed very early with Dany’s signature occurring near the end of the club’s transfer dealings. That was a shock considering that Dany was linked with larger clubs (V-Varen Nagasaki), or at least there was speculation, and despite the heroic efforts he has contributed to the club during his time here, he always seems second choice to Taguchi after he was usurped following a horrific injury in 2019/2020. Taguchi enjoyed a fine season in 2021 when Chinen was in defense but was disaterous, as was the whole the club, during 2022. Dany doesn’t always require a great defense in front of him and you have to wonder if Ryukyu have a great defense this season and whether Kuranuki has already decided on the Ryukyu #1. Taguchi being named a vice-captain this year only adds to the speculation that he will get the start over Dany to open the season which makes little sense considering the form Dany was in to close out the 2022 season where he provided the spark that at the very least earned Ryukyu some crucial points and a chance at avoiding relegation.

The only two (2) defenders that Ryukyu kept on the roster following 2022 are Makito Uehara (RB) and Takayuki Fukumura (LB). Despite all the playing time last season it felt a bit like Uehara regressed as a player. No doubt he has some of the tools you would covet in any defender, but his ability to read games, react to plays, and just all around defending was not that great. Nacho may have preferred him to Tanaka based solely on Uehara’s height, but if he cannot improve on his defending then Ryukyu have a problem. Who knows, there were a few RBs brought in this offseason to push Uehara out of the RB slot and possibly into a central defending role, but that is an even more dangerous prospect than having him stay at RB. Fukumura will look to fill the void at LB that has been ever present since Shuhei Tokumoto’s departure for Okayama following the 2019 season. Numata started his Ryukyu career pretty well by contributing some goals and assists in his first two seasons but was also plagued by some poor defending and lack of offense last year.

Another surprising retention by the club was that of Koki Kiyotake. The midfielder has reached double digit points in each of his two seasons at FC Ryukyu. The timing of his injury last season (fractured face), like so many key players last year, really sucked the life out of this club. I am sure he could have easily stayed within J2 on another club and I feel he is set up for a big 2023 season. The only question becomes how long we can retain Kiyotake’s services if he does indeed set the league on fire. Yu Tomidokoro, Kelvin, Katusya Nakano and Kazuto Takezawa will all be joining Kiyotake in the Ryukyu midfield. Kelvin contributed a goal and an assist in his first season at Ryukyu but was coming on very strong at the end. Nakano had a really good season last year where he chucked in six (6) goals and five (5) assists across all competitions. Yu and Takezawa’s contributions were quite limited with Takezawa seeing far more playing time than I would have expected. Takezawa had a strong opening game of the 2022 season but I am not sold on the player, at least not yet. We will finally get to see who, from the current players we retained, are truly J2 or J3 caliber.

Finally we make it to the most exciting part of the roster, the forwards. Takuma Abe, Sadam Sulley, Ryunosuke Noda and Takuya Hitomi have all returned. I would have to say that is a lot of firepower up top for Ryukyu. But that has never really been an issue here, the issue has been the ability of the club to provide the service the players of this quality possess in order to score goals, as well as an overreliance on the offense. We all know what Abe can provide when healthy, which has been an issue, and even more so now following a tear in his Achilles tendon last season. It is safe to wonder if father time is catching up on the veteran striker. Abe, like Kusano and Kiyotake, suffered his injury when Ryukyu needed each of them the most which started a seven game goalless drought by the club that ultimately led to the relegation. Noda, named team captain for 2023, will likely lead the line to start the season. Great in the air but not so great with the ball at his feet. If we intend to hinge our attack on this player, then we need far better crosses into the box. Sadam Sulley, yet another player I feel the club could lose in the summer transfer window, could absolutely barnstorm this league if provided the aforementioned service and opportunities. He too is recovering from injury but when healthy, adds a serious element to the Ryukyu attack. And that brings us to Hitomi.

I tweeted some time ago that I have the same feeling about Hitomi heading into this season as I did about Yoshio Koizumi before he busted out in 2020. Hitomi flashed some skill in 2020 with a nice goal before going on loan all of 2021 to Nagano Parceiro and then returning to Ryukyu in 2022 where he notched three of the nicest goals the team scored all season. He is just twenty five years old and if given enough playing time, which he may to start the season with two of the teams strikers recovering from injury, we could witness another one of those young talented players that breakout and eventually move on from the club.

STAFF: Kazuki Kuranuki was signed on as manager just five days after the end of the 2022 season as an internal hire by the club. The same type of move the club made in 2022 when they hired Kina from within following his end run in to the 2021 season. However, Kina had at least eight (8) games managing at the senior level compared to just two (2) of Kuranuki. Those two matches came as a caretaker between Kina’s CV-19 diagnosis and the firing of Kina and hiring of Nacho. That does not tell us a lot about Kuranuki as one cannot glean much information during his stint as an interim manager as there really isn’t much impact he can have based on the current squad and tactics he was overseeing in two disjointed games.

Managing Expectations for 2023

Keishiro Kurabayashi, president of FC Ryukyu, stated the club will return to J2 in just one season. A sentiment echoed by Captain Noda just this week. heck, they still clamoring about making it to J1 with the large hurdles of escaping J3 and getting promoted from J2 directly in front of them. Now, I know a lot of us are accustomed to the typical bluster and empty promises by clubs every offseason, which rarely result in someone being held accountable, but promises like this one are up for far more scrutiny come seasons end if those promises are not fulfilled.

The only things we have to base any judgement on the club prior to the start of the season are the moves they made in the offseason. And you have to ask yourself, what have they signaled to us as supporters in the form of their words and subsequent actions? So far the club has hired within, a move that proved catastrophic last year, hired a sporting director that orchestrated the dismantling of Sagan Tosu’s finances, and brought Kina back to the club after overseeing the calamitous campaign that got Ryukyu relegated. The club cannot act, or react, as slowly as they did in 2022 when problems arise and when change is necessary for survival/promotion. That means the timer has already started for Kuranuki who must have a shorter leash than was afforded Kina last season.

Various members of the club stated that they want to play exciting football here in Okinawa to draw in fans and improve the standing of the club in the community and the J-League. I am not sure that is the answer. Winning on a consistent basis draws people in, not perceived exciting football in the form of lots of goals that may end in heartbreak more than it does in glory. That also means not conceding so many goals late on in games that result in dropped points. Again, what did the team signal to us in the form of defensive signings this offseason to insure we don’t repeat the same mistakes of 2022?

What is going to take to see Ryukyu promoted following the 2023 season? 20 wins? Maybe. Considering that is what they had back in 2018 when they won the J3 but that was inside just thirty two (32) games. I would say that 20 wins is a mark that must be hit to put this team in the conversation for promotion. Avoiding injuries to key players throughout the year? Of course. Though injuries are inevitable, and last year they came in waves for our key players. Ryukyu always seem to have a yearly injury crisis that results in a dip in performance and reveals to everyone that our squad depth is based completely on the number of players we roster, not their skill.

How about having multiple players hit double digit points like when Kazaki Nakagawa (16g 10a), Yu Togashi (16g 4a) and Yu Tomidokoro (10g 7a) tore the ass end out of the J3 in 2018? An absolute certainty! Players must stay healthy, attackers must receive the required service they deserve and Kuranuki must find the balance within the squad while employing the right tactics married to the correct in-game adjustments that some of his predecessors could not.

Has the preseason told us anything? Not a lot. All we know is Ryukyu has trained, training matches have taken place and there has been some injury news. Sho Hiramatsu and Shiryu Fujiwara both suffered broken foots in the first training game of the preseason and will be out until April. Not starting off on the right foot. No pun intended. But more importantly, why has the club been so secretive about releasing any information about these games despite so many other clubs in the tiers of the J-League doing the opposite and even broadcasting games? As @FLManInJapan remarked, “They can only be hiding something.” I’ll leave that up to you decide whether that is a good or bad thing and we’ll all find out soon enough in just a few weeks.

I cannot state with any confidence that FC Ryukyu will be promoted in 2023. More like guarded optimism. I do not know much about the teams in this league and base a lot of what could happen this year on the great information passed by @GoGoOmiyaArdija on his J-Talk Short Corner J3 preview podcasts. I do think we have a lot of good players, are loaded in the attack, will ask Dany (hopefully) and Muta to quite literally be the last line of defense in our attempt to blow teams away. But this club needs to restore the trust of its fan base in the from of wins and promotion.

2023 Predictions

1. Yu Tomidokoro returns to set pieces. Yu has been so good on set pieces but really took a back seat to Kaz Uesato, and others, the last four years. He could be a difference maker for Ryukyu this year and one that has been sorely missed the past few seasons. Wouldn’t it be great to see a player in his twelfth season at the club provide some electric goals and help secure promotion for FC Ryukyu for the second time? And then possibly slide over to OSV to finish off his career?

2. Sadam Sulley reaching double digit goals. He has that in him for sure.

3. Takuya Hitomi reaches double digit points and is the best young (sort of young) player on the team.

4. Koki Kiyotake is the 2023 team MVP and in the J3 best eleven if he plays a full season with Ryukyu.

5. Kelvin reaches double digit points.

6. Taguchi starts the 2023 season, but Dany closes it out enroute to promotion.

Conclusion

That is it for the season preview. Plenty of questions remain with the expectations of promotion weighing heavily on the minds for both the club and its supporters. See you out there!

(21) FC Ryukyu vs (5) Oita Trinita #FC琉球

Intro

Well my friends we have reached the end of a very disappointing season for FC Ryukyu. Their loss last week at JEF, coupled with Gunma’s win (which is all that really mattered), has relegated FC Ryukyu to J3 next season barring some sort of miracle. That miracle being Iwaki being denied a J2 license for 2023 and FC Ryukyu finish in 21st place. I personally don’t think that is going to happen as indicated by Nacho’s (probably based on managements input) to resign at the end of the season. In other words, I believe the power brokers at FC Ryukyu already knew that Iwaki will be awarded the license and J3 football is in store for FC Ryukyu next year.

Weather Forecast and Match Day Info

The weather forecast for tomorrow is terrible. It is in keeping with how much of the season has gone in that we are playing under poor weather conditions. Does it really matter? No. It just sucks having to fight the weather and a terrible home record all year.

Click>>> Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu Preview

What can I possibly put here this week? What is there for FC Ryukyu to build on following this season heading into 2023? Answer: Nothing really. The signs were there all season for the exact situation that FC Ryukyu find themselves in going into the last game of the season. I am going to treat this section as more of Q&A between myself with some of the questions I believe many of the supporters of this club are currently asking themselves, but Nacho’s departure in the midweek has taken at least one of those questions off the table.

What were the early indications, or consistent indications, this club was doomed for relegation this season? There were many. Ryukyu opened the season with just one (1) win in their first fourteen (14) matches, nine (9) of those games ended up as losses. How Kina wasn’t relieved during that stretch is simply amazing. There were eight (8) games this season in which Ryukyu surrendered a lead resulting in a loss compared to just five (5) games in which FC Ryukyu clawed back into the match for either a win or a draw. Not to mention the dubious Ryukyu track record for surrendering goals late in games.

FC Ryukyu surrendered thirty-five (35) of their goals this season in the second half, sixteen (16) of those occurring in the 76th minute or later. Compare that to just nineteen (19) goals scored for FC Ryukyu in the second half of games without even scoring a single goal in stoppage time. Ryukyu were the only team in J2 to have failed to score in stoppage time at the end of matches this season.

Ryukyu’s longest undefeated streak this year was just five (5) games with only a singular instance where FC Ryukyu won consecutive matches. Of course there was the absolute dagger to the heart for this club in the last quarter of the season where they won only one (1) game in ten (10) matches that included a goal-less streak of seven (7) consecutive games. But that speaks to a much larger problem at this club than just statistical analysis.

FC Ryukyu were marred by poor coaching, injures to key players, untimely CV-19 infections, and perhaps an inability of the players to adapt to a new coaching style under a foreign manager. The loss of Kusano for 3.5 months in the heart of the season sucked the life out of the already limp FC Ryukyu attack. Kiyotake’s face fracture at Iwate during another crucial stretch of games hurt and then the Takuma Abe Achilles injury being the catalyst to kick off Ryukyu’s run of goal-less games.

For as much as I have complained about the refereeing and overall lack of good luck for the club this year, FC Ryukyu did very little to put themselves in any sort of position to generate any luck. Keep in mind that two (2) of our seven (7) wins can be attributed to Own Goals by our opponents. There were definitely a few missed calls by the referees this season, none more crucial than the one last week where Ikeda was fouled in the box but play continued and JEF scored on the counter, but even a draw wouldn’t have mattered. To that end, FC Ryukyu surrendered a league leading ten (10) PK opportunities this season and were tied for second to last with only being awarded two (2) PKs all season. Simply put, the offense didn’t really do much in the opposing end compared to the defense that was prone to being caught out of position, leading to fouls on the opposition in our own end. How many times did we see FC Ryukyu go forward only to arrive there with no idea what to do?

Finally, Ryukyu obviously finished near the bottom of many statistical categories when it comes to goals scored and conceded this season which is largely due to the injury crisis we faced, along with the coaching throughout the season. There is no doubt that FC Ryukyu has some talented players but they were never able to put it all together at any one moment this season leading to such disjointed and disappointing results.

What do you think will happen next season? It is still too early to tell but I would expect a mass exodus from the club, players and staff, when it becomes apparent that the wage bill needs cut while operating on a much more restrictive budget. We all may hope for some of the players to return next season but can the club even afford them now? Could they ever? Who of them would you want to return before we turn into FC Retirement Community vice FC Ryukyu. I wouldn’t expect much difference in attendance levels, though some of the fans we picked up along our J2 journey are sure to leave, as we rarely crested the 2,000 mark all season. The gameday atmosphere will be much more subdued which can be somewhat salvaged if the J-League finally allows cheering throughout the stadium and drops the mask policy currently in place.

Can FC Ryukyu make a quick return to J2? For those of you out there thinking that FC Ryukyu can make a quick return to the J2 after 2023, lets look at the history for those teams that have been relegated since the inception of the J3 in 2014. Out of the fourteen (14) clubs that have been relegated to the J3 since its formation, only one (1) club has ever been relegated and then promoted back to J2 the following season. That honor belongs to Oita Trinita who were demoted following 2014 and won the J3 in 2015. Tochigi SC joined them in relegation that same season but lost in the 2015 J2/J3 playoffs, a tournament that has since been scrapped, and then were promoted back to J2 following their second season in J3 when Akita didn’t own a J2 license as league champions.

Thespakusatsu Gunma is the only team to spend just two (2) seasons in the J3 following relegation. Roasso Kumamoto and Giravanz Kitakyushu each spent three (3) years in the J3 and then it gets a bit frightening. Kitakyushu has since returned from their brief spell in J2 and look set for their second consecutive season in J3. SC Sagamihara and Ehime FC will also enjoy their second season in J3 following their demotion in 2021. Only Montedio Yamaga (relegated in 2021) has a chance of clawing back out if they can sneak back into the promotion zone, which would make for just the second ever instance of a team being relegated and then promoted. FC Gifu and Kagoshima FC will be back in the J3 for their fourth (4) consecutive seasons next year and then there are the two teams, Gainare Tottori and Kataller Toyama, who were demoted following the 2013 and 2014 seasons in J2, and who will be enjoying their 10th and 9th consecutive seasons in J3.

Knowing that it is extremely rare for clubs to rebound quickly, where do you think FC Ryukyu fits in among the teams above? Seems we could be enjoying J3 football here in Okinawa for at least three (3) to four (4) years before we make it back to J2. Maybe even longer, maybe even JFL if there are not drastic changes (at the top) for this club.

What should we look forward to this weekend? FC Ryukyu need to get a look at some of their fringe players against a good Oita team that is likely to be at full strength. We need to see these players against good J2 competition to see who is worthy of receiving a contract next season and who simply is not good enough for this level.

Round 42 in J2

Everything is pretty much finished at the bookends of the table. (1) Albirex Niigata are the champions and (2) Yokohama FC will be joining them in J1 for 2023. (21) FC Ryukyu and (22) Iwate Grulla Morioka are relegated to J3 barring the aforementioned scenario with Iwaki and pending their results this round.

(3) Fagiano Okayama has secured ‘home field advantage’ throughout the promotion playoffs but there is still a little bit to play for amongst the teams currently inside, or just outside, the playoff bracket. (4) Roasso Kumamoto sits one point above (5) Oita Trinita with Kumamoto playing at home against Yokohama FC and of course Oita traveling to face FC Ryukyu. Both teams will likely be at full strength for their games as each is aiming for a win and a loss by the other. Oita still has another way to leap frog Kumamoto if they draw with Ryukyu, and Kumamoto lose, as they would go through on goal difference.

Click>>> Tokyo Verdy v Fagiano Okayama

(6) Tokushima Vortis has the toughest fixture this round for any of the teams involved in the playoff race as they travel to (8) Montedio Yamagata who are just one point behind Vortis in the standings. An obvious win or go home situation for both teams and they’d like a little help from (12) Blaublitz Akita who are playing (7) Vegalta Sendai at home. These games should make for some exciting football to watch during the final slate of games this season.

Click>>> Montedio Yamagata v Tokushima Vortis

Conclusion

Tomorrow will bring a close to what has been a generally tough season to endure for FC Ryukyu fans. There were so few moments of joy, far outweighed by the disappointing ones, and one that leaves the club in a very precarious position heading into 2023.

For me, my journey with this club will continue. I haven’t decided on whether or not I’ll renew my season pass for what will be my tenth season supporting FC Ryukyu, or, I’ll just casually attend games under the limited covered seating inside the stadium so as to avoid the elements. I’ll continue to blog, but how often is still undecided, as this is one of the best spaces for me to portray my thoughts and feelings about FC Ryukyu, even if no one is listening and reading.

I look forward to seeing you all next season and best of luck throughout the rest of 2022 and into 2023.

FC Ryukyu vs Yokohama FC #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu fell 0-1 to Yokohama FC on Saturday night putting them on the brink of relegation. Ryukyu didn’t play bad on Saturday considering they did not conceded a goal from open play, but Ryukyu were really short on attacking players to push anything on net with Sadam Sulley, Yuki Kusano and pretty much every other striker we roster absent this weekend. The goal Ryukyu did conceded came from a PK following a ‘rather soft’ PK call from the referee and there was really only a couple of chances from Ryukyu (Ren Ikeda) to possibly level the match.

Match Highlights

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen

1. A fast start with multiple goals. Likelihood 0. Not sure anything needs to be said.

Match Day 39 Takeaways

1. It seems there is no real point in doing this portion of the blog as things really don’t matter knowing that many of the players, and possibly coaches, will not be returning next season and outside of a few strong performances by individual players, there isn’t anything positive to carry over into next year. Ryukyu could be officially relegated before they kickoff next Sunday if Omiya Ardija win this Wednesday and Gunma wins on Saturday. Even if Omiya were to lose in the midweek they still get another crack at it on Sunday when they host Renofa Yamaguchi. The only chance for Ryukyu is to win every remaining match (hard to do when you ain’t scoring goals), and hope to finish higher than Iwate while having Iwaki win the J3 but denied a J2 license. In other words, it is over.

2. Kaz Uesato returned to the lineup for the first time in three months and made what could be his final appearance in a Ryukyu uniform. The fact that many of the players who would normally feature for Ryukyu were not on the lineup card, for whatever reasons, sends a signal to me at least; that it is over, and we might as well get a look at some of the players who rarely featured this season heading into the offseason.

3. Dany Carvajal and Ren Ikeda both had strong performances. Not sure there was much Dany could do on a PK where it looked as if Ogawa stopped his momentum and wrong footed Dany but if the referee was going to award a PK in the first place, it was unlikely he’d call something like that on Ogawa. Outside of that Dany was making save after save to keep Ryukyu in the match. Ren was doing well to unlock parts of the YFC defense and his run in the 71st minute to get into a position to score was quality. A chip instead of a low shot probably would’ve been the preferred method but there is always a chance that a YFC player could’ve cleared the chip if it was moving to slow.

4. Seven games in a row without scoring a goal. Ryukyu do that in their remaining three fixtures and that would almost have to be some sort of record for consecutive goal-less games in the J2. 10-games without a goal would equate to nearly 1/4 of the season and while that may not be so bad across the span of 42 games, it is something totally different when it is in consecutive games to close out a season while in a battle to avoid relegation. If Ryukyu do not score in the last three games it would bring their season total to 18 games in which they failed to score which would be nearly 50% of the season. A far cry form the ‘attacking style of football’ that was Ryukyu the past few years.

Round 39 in J2

Up Top: (1) Albirex Niigata’s 1-1 draw with (7) Montedio Yamagata has all but assured Niigata automatic promotion barring a 14 goal swing between them and Okayama over the last three games. (2) Yokohama FC just needs one more point to guarantee their promotion.

Promotion Playoff Zone: (3) Fagiano Okayama has booked their ticket to the playoffs with (4) Roasso Kumamoto and (5) Oita Trinita each needing just a couple of points the next round(s) to book theirs. (6) Vegalta Sendai have to fend off (7) Yamagata, (8) Vortis, (9) JEF, and (10) Nagasaki for at least another two weeks before they can be assured of a slot in the playoffs.

Down Below: (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka, who I have said the past few weeks still has a lot of fight in them, earned a last second draw with (15) Renofa Yamaguchi and are at least in a position to possibly catch (20) Omiya Ardija and (19) Thespakusatsu Gunma. Iwate’s game against Gunma is likely the relegation decider for both of those teams. Omiya could be dragged back in as they probably have the hardest remaining fixtures of either of these three sides.

Conclusion

Just three games remaining for Ryukyu before we drop the curtain on the 2022 season. At this point I am just hoping to see Ryukyu break this ridiculous goal-less streak, grab one more win, hopefully at home on the final gameday of the year, and then head off into the offseason. It certainly won’t be easy with their next three opponents but hopefully by Match Day 42 Oita has locked themselves into a playoff spot and will rest a few players that could potentially lead to a Ryukyu win. See you in a few days.

(22) FC Ryukyu vs (2) Yokohama FC #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu are running out of time and opportunities to stave off relegation following a run of seven (7) games without a win in which they’ve failed to score even a single goal in their previous six (6) matches. Ryukyu will now face the toughest run in of fixtures for any of the bottom three (3) sides in J2 with matches against Kanazawa, JEF, Oita, and this week’s opponent, Yokohama FC. Two of those teams are inside the top six of the table with automatic promotion looking likely for Yokohama FC. Seeing how promotion has not been guaranteed just yet, expect YFC to play at full strength against a Ryukyu side that is on life support at the moment. Finally, we will be joined by the Yokohama FC Foreign Supporters Group this week to provide their perspective on YFC.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

Looking quite nice for our next to last home game.

Click>>> Match Day Info from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: The chances of FC Ryukyu staving off relegation are getting slimmer each passing round. Whether you still believe there is a chance, or you have resided to the fact that relegation is going to happen, you need only look at the recent run of form of Ryukyu to see that the chances of escape are quite grim. Ryukyu have failed to score even a single goal in any of their last six (6) matches resulting in numerous crucial points dropped when points were (are) at a premium.

Do Ryukyu somehow find a rich stream of form to close out the season and somehow earn enough points to avoid the drop? Or do we expect just more of the same against much tougher competition to close out 2022? Do you believe that those teams around us in the standings will continue to lose while Ryukyu inch their way to safety? Do you think Iwaki FC won’t be granted a J2 license come seasons end thus resulting in only one (1) team in J2 being relegated? Very tough questions to grapple with as a Ryukyu supporter these days.

This by no means equates to disbelief in the players or should be construed as a lack of support to the team. It is simply looking at the facts. Many times this season I’ve seen plenty of FC Ryukyu supporters across social media vowing to do better following each match. But I would argue that we supporters do exactly what is expected and that is to show up every week. Especially in an environment devoid of any real atmosphere thanks to the slow rolling out of allowing cheering back at the stadiums by the J-League.

Sure, we can refrain from voicing our frustrations at the players following the match but seeing how supporters in the J-League have limited power, and an even more limited platforms to engage with the clubs, it makes voicing your frustrations challenging. It is not as if not showing up to home games would send a clear message to the club that the supporters are not happy as I doubt they would notice a few dozen fans missing from the stands with such low attendance levels any given week.

Perhaps it is a just a thing to not question those in charge and to let things play out as they may. But look at where that has gotten Ryukyu. Gone are the days when the club would engage with the head of the supporters thanks in large part to CV-19, which is likely still being used as an excuse. But there should be no hiding from how this season turned out nor the hard questions that need to be asked/answered. Questions that would probably get you banned from any post-game press conference.

While I have my own opinion on where I think FC Ryukyu will finish this season I still want to see this club win at least one (1) more game at home. It may not matter in the end but a win(s) would be for the fans that have only witnessed three (3) victories at home in the last calendar year. I think we all know that a majority of the supporters will be back next season, and we all know that is likely in J3, so therefore provide us as fans something uplifting to carry us through what will be an arduous offseason.

Now, onto the game at hand. FC Ryukyu will need to put Sadam Sulley back up top this week, after Nacho mysteriously left him on the bench all last week, as Yuki Kusano cannot feature against his parent from which he is on loan. It may not make a difference who is up top if FC Ryukyu cannot find a way to provide the strikers any service. I think it is high time we went back to Tanaka at RB to see if we can shake something loose and we really need Ren Ikeda to drive what will probably be a limited attack, with even more limited goal scoring opportunities, on Saturday.

Yokohama FC: This week we are joined by the Yokohama FC Foreign Supporters (@YokohamaFSG), who are brand new to the scene and who were kind enough to agree to answer a few questions about their origin and the state of YFC heading into the end of the season. As someone who ventured the same path a few years ago, I am really excited to welcome someone new into the fold and to provide them another forum to express their views on the club they love and support.

1. What brought you to the J-League and Yokohama FC (experiences as a fan here in Japan)? And what prompted you to start a Foreign Support group for the club?

“I’ve been casually following the j-league for a while, but with work commitments taking me in and out of Japan it’s been difficult to go see some games. Work has changed somewhat and it gave me the time to really focus on a team. I wanted to support a team that I could really get behind. While FC Tokyo is geographically the closest team I had more of an affinity with Yokohama since it’s my wife’s hometown.

Instantly the model of YFC was particularly attractive, as was the stadium. I’ve been going on and off to the stadium all this season. I’ve noticed a few foreign supporters but often been too shy or with my wife to approach them. So I thought I’d create a supporters group to try and gather us together. I’ll probably need to get over my shyness in person to let them know! So far in the world of Twitter it’s been really receptive, I just hope to be able to transfer that onto the terraces!”

2. YFC are in a strong position to make a return to the J1 next season. What do you think the club has learned from their relegation and possible quick return back to the top tier of Japanese football?

“I think the jump up to the J-league was a big learning curve for the club. The gulf in finance, and quality of players was stark. This year, I think our squad is more experienced and it’s so important to have that squad experience there. I think it’ll be a difficult task, and unless we get bought out or have a sponsor that doesn’t interfere with the structure, it would be difficult to compete with the bigger clubs. But I think we’re a plucky team and we certainly have the skills to make a good go of it. They remind me of those teams back in the UK – too strong perhaps for the championship but not wealthy/strong enough for the premiership either. I think the club will probably look at IT pragmatically, try to compete with the teams around us, and nick a few points against the stronger teams.”

3. Koki Ogawa has been brilliant this season and is leading the league in goals. What are some of the other players in the squad that have contributed greatly to YFS’s success this season? Your goalie, Svend Brodersen, took a nasty knock last week and suffered a concussion. How is he doing these days and would you expect to see him out there on Saturday? Any notable injuries or issues the squad is dealing with at the moment?

“Certainly Ogawa and Brodersen have been invaluable to us. Hasegawa has also been really good with his leadership too. Brodersen is doing well and feels completely fine, so I’d expect to be seeing him on the weekend. He really is a solid foundation for the team. No notable injuries, but that time of the year were they’re looking a bit leggy. We might be certain to get promoted but if we seriously mess up than there’s a possibility of the playoffs.”

4. YFC do have a set of tricky fixtures ahead of them to close out 2022. FC Ryukyu presents a bit of a trap game, though I wouldn’t go as far as to say we pose any real threat; followed by Oita Trinita fighting for a playoff spot; a bit of a resurgent Zweigen Kanazawa; and finally, Roasso Kumamoto who are also vying for a playoff spot. Do you think YFC can catch Albirex Niigata at the top of the table while keeping Fagiano Okayama at bay?

” I think it’s a really difficult end to the season. All those teams can be really tricky to play, because they all have a strong reason to get something from the game. At the moment Niigata and Okayama are looking really strong. I can’t imagine them dropping many, if any, points so the pressure on us is really strong. Especially we’ve, until relatively recently, had a run of rather mediocre games. The last home game against Kofu we looked leggy and lacked the finishing, while we kept giving the ball away unnecessarily. I’m a man city supporter back in the UK, and supporting them since Maine road days has given me a greater level of pessimism I’d imagine. We’re second for a reason and I think we can end the season strong! “

“With regards to your second point – I definitely think we’ve learnt a lot, but it’s hard to see us doing really well in that strong league – what do you think?”

Think it’s a progression at each level you move up, or down. When going up, survival first and foremost, and then incremental building towards to the top. When you go down, it is probably how you respond to the previous season’s failures and adjustments to the assumed financial losses/troubles at a lower level. In either case it’s really how the club management builds, or unfortunately, craters a team with their business, managerial, and personnel decisions. I think there’s enough players there at YFC to recall the struggles of J1 and you all could rebound much like Reysol did in 2020 after they won the J2 in 2019.

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. A fast start with multiple goals. Likelihood 0. How else can you beat one of the top teams in the table without knocking them back on their heels quickly and forcing them into making some mistakes. Multiple goals would be a drastic change of pace for this side but Ryukyu cannot sit back and absorb the pressure from YFC only to have a limited response in the attack. Need to go for it.

Round 39 in J2

Up Top: League Leaders (1) Albirex Niigata head out on the road to kick things off this round where they will face (7) Montedio Yamagata. Niigata will look to extend their lead at the top with Yamagata on the outside looking in at the promotion playoff zone at the moment as they are four (4) points behind (6) Vegalta Sendai.

Promotion Playoffs: (3) Fagiano Okayama, who have won eight (8) out of their last ten (10) matches head to (16) Zweigen Kanazawa who have turned things around following a shaky drop in form and who have now only lost once (1) in their last seven (7) games. Elsewhere it is (4) Roasso Kumamoto hosting (15) Blaublitz Akita and the abovementioned (6) Vegalta Sendai hosting (12) Tokyo Verdy.

The biggest game concerning those teams in and around the playoff zone is between (5) Oita Trinita, having only lost one (1) time in their last seventeen (17) games, and (8) V-Varen Nagasaki who, after reaching the playoff zone, have now lost three (3) of their last four (4) games. Nagasaki has to be viewing this match as a must win or it will likely end their promotion dreams yet again.

Down Below: (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma host (19) Omiya Ardija in what could be the final nail in the FC Ryukyu coffin if Gunma were to win, and Ryukyu were to lose. Come on Omiya! (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka will head to (14) Renofa Yamaguchi who demolished Gunma last week so let’s hope for a similar set of events to play out on Sunday in Yamaguchi.

Free J-League International Broadcasts: Well would you just look at that. FC Ryukyu vs Yokohama FC headlines the first of two free broadcasts this weekend in what could be Ryukyu’s final appearance on the J-League International YouTube Channel if they are demoted. Click>>> FC Ryukyu v Yokohama FC

The second match will showcase Vegalta Sendai at home versus Tokyo Verdy on Sunday. Click>>> Vegalta Sendai vs Tokyo Verdy

Conclusion

Simply put, FC Ryukyu must win this game, and the next, and the next after that. If Gunma extend their lead anymore over FC Ryukyu we will be relegated before we set foot on the pitch at the Fukuda Denshi Arena in Chiba. Despite the long odds facing Ryukyu I am looking forward to this match as it will be the first time that all members of my supporter group, the Ryukyu Army, will be attending the match at the same time. It is truly going to be a great weekend. I would also like to thank the Yokohama FC Foreign Supporters for their excellent contribution to the preview this week, please give them a follow on Twitter, and I wish them continued success throughout their J-League journey.

Now Come On Ryukyu, Let’s Fucking Do This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tochigi SC vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu were shutout once again drawing with Tochigi SC 0-0 on Sunday evening and have now earned just four (4) points from a possible twenty-one (21) in their last seven (7) matches. This collapse at the end has almost certainly sealed their fate as one of the two (2) clubs to be relegated back to the J3 for 2023. FC Ryukyu were on a nice run of form heading into Match Day 34 with Blaublitz Akita as Ryukyu had only lost once in their previous nine (9) games and were scoring multiple goals. I have no idea what has caused this unfortunate turn of events that has seen Ryukyu revert to their earlier form that plagued this club to begin the season. Despite some heroic efforts by Dany Carvajal to keep Ryukyu in matches, Ryukyu have been uninspiring in the attack this last quarter of the season.

Match Highlights

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen

1. Score a goal? Likelihood 1. Obviously I set the likelihood of this occurring to high for this game. That is now six (6) games in a row that FC Ryukyu have failed to score a goal. That is two more games than their previous streak of four (4) games without a goal which occurred back in 2014.

Match Day 38 Takeaways

1. I thought FC Ryukyu were aiming for a strong second half to possibly overpower what could’ve been a tired Tochigi team that played in the midweek with their initial lineup selection. Tanaka, Sulley, Hitomi, and Kelvin were all in the reserves but it was only Sulley who didn’t see a single minute of action last night. That is perplexing as it is vexing for one of the better players we currently roster. It made little difference as Ryukyu failed to do much in the attack and it seemed the side reached a point in the match where they figured it was better to get a point instead of all three points when Yong Jick was brought on as one of the last substitutes.

2. Tochigi wasn’t much better in the attack compared to Ryukyu if you just look at the stat sheet. But they created the more dangerous types of chances that could’ve led to goals where Ryukyu offered 1-2.

3. There was an interesting side note following the match when it appeared Lee Yong Jick had a bit of an outburst at some of the traveling supporters who voiced their frustrations at the team. First, I do not condone attacking the members of the team and calling them out. Sure, we are all frustrated and at times the team may need to hear that their efforts were not good enough on any given day but not knowing what was said, and having never witnessed something like this during my time as a supporter, it shouldn’t have come to the team and supporters turning on each other.

Second, this game was emotionally charged for everyone involved. The players certainly realized what was at stake, and realized what was lost when they failed to achieve the outcome that we everyone was hoping for. The fact that something like this happened only shows that both the fan(s) and Yong Jick were looking for a reason to voice their frustrations, and both showed their lack of emotional intelligence. If you are upset at how things have transpired and feel strongly enough to voice your concerns, do it in a healthy, productive manner. Granted, we as J-League fans may be quite limited in the ways in which we can send a message to clubs, but that shouldn’t prevent any of us from trying. If anyone is guilty of letting their emotions getting the best of them, it is the management who made an ’emotional decision’ to retain Kina in what should have been a clear ‘business decision’ to terminate him much earlier.

Finally, Yong Jick has been seen throughout this season voicing, and displaying a demeanor that really shows his displeasure at how Ryukyu were playing and earning results. That is great to an extent. The team definitely required some emotional leadership at times but at the end of the day we know it isn’t the fans out there achieving those results, it is the coaches and players. And if you’re upset, great, take it on the pitch and show us with your actions. All the posturing and harsh language means nothing if it cannot be backed up with results. And it hasn’t been backed up. I appreciate that everyone is out there trying and giving their best, perhaps it just isn’t good enough, and perhaps the best thing that can happen now is a total break and a complete rebuild at the club. I hope this stain on the club doesn’t distract the fans, or the leadership of this club, in fixing what was broken following the 2022 season.

Round 38 in J2

Up Top: (1) Albirex Niigata and (2) Yokohama FC both won this round to continue their push for automatic promotion. There was a scary moment during the YFC match when the YFC goalie, Sven Brodersen, was struck in the head from a diving Niigata player that eventually led to him being transported to a local hospital. The good news is he sustained no serious injuries but did receive a concussion.

Promotion Playoff Zone: (3) Fagiano Okayama had a ‘statement’ win over (6) Vegalta Sendai which should pretty much guarantee the side a slot in the playoffs as well as the top overall seed. (5) Roasso Kumamoto won again on the road to push themselves four (4) points clear of (5) Oita Trinita and nine (9) points clear from (7) Montedio Yamagata and (8) V-Varen Nagasaki. Oita scored a last second goal at home to defeat (17) Ventforet Kofu which sees them leap frogging Vegalta Sendai in the standings.

Down Below: (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma were demolished 1-6 at home to (14) Renofa Yamaguchi in a game which could’ve ended 1-8 had Renofa not struck the post and crossbar. (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka were defeated 1-3 by (16) Zweigen Kanazawa but the real story is that with so many things breaking (22) FC Ryukyu’s way this week, like it has at certain times this season, it was Ryukyu’s inability to garner a result that pretty much has sealed their fate for this year.

Conclusion

There are four (4) games remaining this season so those of you that haven’t had a chance to see Ryukyu in person, while they are in the J2, better get out there and do so before the curtain drops on what has become a bitterly disappointing campaign. When the dust settles after this season I just wonder what we will hear from club officials regarding the collapse, and who once asked us to remain patient as the season is long, and has many twits and turns. The season has been a long for us fans and we are not happy with the results, definitely not angry at the coaches and players, but do want answers and action from the management.