J1/J2 Playoffs Round 1 Preview: (3) Omiya Ardija vs (6) Montedio Yamagata

Intro

Omiya Ardija host Montedio Yamagata at the NACK 5 stadium this Saturday in the first round of the J1 Promotion Playoffs. The winner will advance to face the winner of the other semifinal, Tokushima Vortis versus Ventforet Kofu. Omiya had an outside shot at securing automatic promotion just a few short weeks ago but ended the season with 3 straight draws resulting in the overall #3 seed for these playoffs. Montedio didn’t do much better as they lost 3 out of their final 4 games and ended up finishing in the 6^th and final playoff spot.

Home Record for Omiya Ardija and Away Record for Montedio Yamagata

Omiya have played 23 home games all season across two competitions. I am counting the Vissel Kobe match as a home game considering it was played at Nack 5 for the Emperors Cup even though Omiya were considered the away side. Omiya hold a distinct advantage over Montedio when it comes to home vs away records in that Omiya have only lost 3 times at home all season. One of those was the 4-0 loss to Kobe which means they’ve only lost twice at home all season against J2 opponents. Care to guess who one of those losses was? BOOM! FC RYUKYU. In all seriousness, Omiya have an impressive 14W6D3L record at home with 43 goals scored while only conceding 24. If you take away the Kobe match that means only 20 goals surrendered to J2 sides and if you take the FC Ryukyu game with its 4 goals, that means Omiya conceded only 16 goals across 21 games. If I were to guess who the stingier defensive side was in this match-up, I would’ve guessed Yamagata as they were a very tough nut to crack early on this season. Still, over the last 5 home games, Omiya have averaged over 2 goals scored while only conceding a total of 2 goals to their opponents. Meaning they have really tightened up at the back. On the flip side, Montedio have averaged the same amount of goals scored on the road over their last 5 games, but they have conceded far more than Omiya when they’re the visitor.

Montedio started the 2019 season by only losing once in their first 11 road games. They then proceeded to lose 4 out of their remaining 10 road games. There is a stark contrast to how the team started out and how they finished on the road this season. In their first 11 games they scored 14 goals, conceded 8 and had 6 shutouts. Over the course of the last 10, they scored 20, conceded 17 and only shutout their opponent twice. It seems that Montedio have broken down defensively since their strong start. Nearly three quarters of all the goals they scored in the second half of the season on the road (14 of 20) occurred during a 4-game stretch against Reysol, Kagoshima, FC Ryukyu and JEF. They followed that up with losses to Kanazawa and Mito before beating Renofa on the road 3-2 to close out their road schedule. So much of their favorable road results are contained in a short stretch.

As mentioned in the introduction, both sides are entering this match in less than top form. Omiya had won 3 straight prior to their 3 straight draws to Tochigi SC, Niigata and Kanazawa. It seems the Omiya attack has ground to a halt at the most inopportune time. They’ve only scored one goal over the past 3 matches, the other being an own goal against Kanazawa. Montedio, on the other hand, have lost 3 out of their last 4 games including the home loss to Machida Zelvia on the last day of the season. Now, one could argue that Montedio would’ve rather traveled to Omiya vice Tokushima to start the playoffs but that would insinuate some match-fixing and that would definitely upset all the Kagoshima fans if it were true. Plus, rarely does trying to line up your match ups work on sports. More often than not it completely blows up in your face.

Previous Meetings this Season

Match Day 4 March 17^th 2019: Montedio Yamagata 1-0 Omiya Ardija. A Jefferson Baiano penalty kick proved to be the difference in this game after he was brought down in the box early in the first half. Each side traded some goal scoring chances but neither scored the remainder of the match. The Montedio side looked strong defensively and on the attack with Baiano and Sakano in the lineup.

Match Day 26 August 4^th 2019: Omiya Ardija 3-2 Montedio Yamagata. An absolute cracker with 5 total goals. Montedio jumped out to an early 1-0 lead before a Simovic brace in the first half put Omiya up 2-1. Montedio equalized within 10 minutes of the start of the second half before Barada from Omiya put it out of reach after a diving, punched clearance from the Montedio goal keeper fell right at his feet with a wide-open shooting lane.

Leading Scorers for Each Side

Player Injuries

Shockingly none are listed for either side at the moment. However, Jefferson Baiano, Akito Takagi and Shuto Minami havent featured for Yamagata in some time. The same could be said for Omiya players Masato Kojima, Noriyoshi Sakai and Akinari Kawazura.

Match Prediction

Though Montedio proved it could score on the road versus Omiya I think this is two totally different teams we are looking at this weekend. I think Omiya have the better of the 2 goal keepers and the Montedio defense, particularly Kuriyama, will have his hands full with either or both Simovic and Delgado. Montedio have conceded multiple goals in 4 straight games and prior to a string of 1-1 and goal less draws, Omiya had scored multiple goals in 4 straight games. Finally, Omiya’s goal scoring/conceded record over their last 5 home games seems very telling for how this one could end.

Omiya Ardija 3-1 over Montedio Yamagata.

Conclusion

Not sure if this is the tastier of the 2 matches this weekend but it should feature some goals which is always good for the neutral fan. Omiya are going to need to generate some momentum if they are to make it past some tough opponents en route to the J1 and there is no better way than by getting a multiple goal, multiple goal difference victory to start the playoffs.

“Almost Famous” Match Day 42 Report: Ventforet Kofu 2-0 FC Ryukyu 11/24/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu ended their season on a bit of a sour note this past Sunday when they fell 2-0 to Ventforet Kofu. They nearly pulled of what would have been a very famous upset on the last day of the season but were never able to score. The loss results in an overall record of 13 wins, 10 draws and 19 losses for FC Ryukyu during the 2019 campaign. For Kofu, the win books them a ticket into the promotion playoffs where they will travel to Tokushima to take on a surging Vortis side.

Match Recap

Starting Lineup & Reserves: J League website

FC Ryukyu were simply unlucky. That is all I can say. While Kofu fired the opening salvo in the first minute of the match, the better side on Sunday was FC Ryukyu for much of the match. Uehara had a shot just inches wide that would’ve put Ryukyu out in front in 18^th minute. Fukui would’ve doubled their lead, or at least opened the scoring, 4 minutes later but his header hit the post. Uejo’s FK was just a matter of inches wide or Ryukyu would’ve leveled the match in the second half. Song Sun nearly found a wide-open Koizumi in the 85^th minute from a header he brought back across the mouth of goal but a Kofu defender beat Koizumi to the ball. Finally, Kawai made an excellent break down the left when he went past the Kofu defender with his speed and his shot, which was a tricky lofted one, required the Kofu keeper to tip it over the bar or it may have ended up in the back of the net.

That is a total of 5 goal scoring opportunities that FC Ryukyu had that unfortunately resulted in 0 goals. FC Ryukyu’s dominance was evident in the possession column as they had an astounding 70% in the first half and ended the match with 69%. Ryukyu did all they could to win this game and they put in quite a shift despite the scoreline.

Kofu had 3 highlights this game and 2 of them were goals. One on a deflection that found a wide-open Soneda and the other off a counter where Uejo was rushing to cover the back line with a very nicely taken finish by Soneda for his second. But these things happen in sports, more often than you would like. It’s not always the better performing, or stronger side, that prevails in every game. Kofu made the most of their opportunities and FC Ryukyu did not, it is as simple as that.

As an away fan, all we wanted to see was 1 FC Ryukyu goal. That is the most unfortunate part in all of this. FC Ryukyu were on the front foot for most of the match and looked the better side. They were not over-matched, not out played and definitely not outclassed. They were however, outscored.

Man of the Match

Ventforet Kofu. FW #11 Yutaka Soneda. Scored both goals against FC Ryukyu on Sunday.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Play Within Yourselves. PASS: There was nothing in the game that suggested FC Ryukyu had a poor performance. They were simply unlucky.

2. Frustrate Kofu. PASS: Kofu did not score until the added time of the first half and it was only after a deflection fell directly to a wide-open Kofu player. FC Ryukyu controlled the possession and tempo of this match.

3. Park the Bus. FAIL: But in a good way. FC Ryukyu’s game plan was definitely not to sit back, instead, they were attacking early and going for the win all game. Kofu had their first counter attack in the opening minute of the game and only a superb save by Ishii on the Utaka shot prevented Kofu from scoring. Kofu’s second goal stemmed from a counter attack but at that point FC Ryukyu were throwing all they could at Kofu so it is understandable.

4. Score. Fail: 2-0, enough said.

Match Day 42 Prediction

Guessed 4-1 and it ended 2-0. A respectable performance by the boys on the final match day of the year.

Match Day 42 Recap in J2

Yokohama FC earned the second automatic promotion spot with a 2-0 win over Ehime FC. Omiya’s draw at Kanazawa meant they would finish fourth. Yamagata’s shocking home loss to Zelvia means they drop down to the 6^th and final playoff spot as both Vortis and Kofu won to round out places 4 and 5.

Speaking of the shocking win by Zelvia, it staved off relegation for a side facing huge odds on Sunday with the hardest draw of all the possible relegation sides. Tochigi SC also pulled off a miracle by beating JEF on the road and climbing out of the relegation zone for the first time on over 3 months. In doing so, Kagoshima was forced down as they succumbed to Avispa 2-1. It is unfortunate that Kagoshima went down as they were the 2^nd J3 club from 2018 to be promoted along with FC Ryukyu. It’s also unfortunate because they are the first side to be promoted from J3 and relegated the very next season.

Conclusion

Despite the loss, the spirits of the traveling FC Ryukyu supporters was very high this day. In fact, I haven’t seen a crowd that lively since the Omiya match. There were definitely more supports there than I thought would actually show up and it is a testament to this club that so many people are willing to spend their hard-earned money to come see FC Ryukyu away from Okinawa.

While it is nice to reminisce about the past season, the J2 2020 season for FC Ryukyu starts now. There is less than 100 days between the closeout of the 2019 season and the opening of the 2020 season. FC Ryukyu are certainly going to lose some players this off-season and they will also be looking to strengthen the squad. I anticipate some players being released sooner, rather than later, and we should all monitor the website/twitter feed of FC Ryukyu for any new information.

Even with the busy off-season ahead of FC Ryukyu, there is still a lot of football left in the J2. There are the semi-finals of the promotion playoffs this weekend followed by the final either mid-week or the next weekend. Then there will be the remaining game between the winner of the J1 promotional playoffs and 16^th placed team in the J1 table. Not bad for a neutral fan whose season has just ended.

In the coming weeks I will release some end of the year articles as well as preview all the important matches remaining on the J2 fixture list. See you soon.

“Spoiler Alert” Match Day 42 Preview: Ventforet Kofu vs FC Ryukyu 11/24/2019

Intro

We have finally made it to the end. 42 match days compressed into 40 weeks of the J2 season. Reflecting back, it is hard to escape the fact that at one point I thought that the end, and safety from relegation, couldn’t come to soon enough. But now, I wish the season wouldn’t end. This is probably the case for every side not facing promotion or relegation and is the life I’ll need to adjust to for the foreseeable future.

The last match day of the 2019 season means the world to Kofu, yet very little more than a moral victory for FC Ryukyu. If you recall back on match day 19, it was Kofu that ended FC Ryukyu’s home undefeated streak. And they did so in very convincing fashion with a 5-2 victory. They say revenge is best served cold. Well, it will be cold in Kofu on Sunday and taking the wind out of the Kofu promotion sails would be oh so rewarding.

Kofu Weather

Hard to tell. My app says decent temperatures with rain while others say really cold. I’m going, so I’m dressing warm and couldn’t care less about the conditions. Let’s get it on!

Previous Meeting: Match Day 19 06/22/19 FC Ryukyu 2-5 Ventforet Kofu

FC Ryukyu stormed out to a 2 goal lead before Kofu came barnstorming back. Kofu pegged a goal back just before halftime and it was all they needed to begin the comeback. A Kofu goal just after the start of the second half was followed up by a Utaka goal 6 minutes later and then a 4th 7 minutes after that. Kofu added an injury time goal to push the score to 5-2 and the 36 game home-unbeaten streak ended with not much more than a thud.

Ventforet Kofu

A win and they are in the promotion playoffs. Anything less and they may need some help. This side has the fire power, the defense and the determination to make life hell for FC Ryukyu on Sunday and could very easily walk all over us and straight into the playoff rounds. This Kofu side thrives on the counter attacks and they almost beg the opposition to break themselves against a very stingy defense by forcing their opponent to throw everything they have at a side that has surrendered the 5^th fewest goals in all of J2.

Let’s be clear, this Kofu side isn’t invincible but it is the type of squad that has absolutely steam rolled FC Ryukyu in the run in of the J2 season. Kashiwa, Kyoto, Omiya, Vortis and even Verdy have absolutely destroyed FC Ryukyu and left for them for dead. So, let’s look at Kofu’s last few games and see if we can uncover any cracks.

Record over 5 games 3W1D1L, while going L-D-W-W-W in order. Tokyo Verdy absolutely took it to Kofu and probably frustrated them at every turn during their game. Damn DAZN doesn’t have highlights over 4 games old so all I had was YouTube but that was plenty. That recipe for disaster for Kofu was on full display and I hope FC Ryukyu took note and can repeat what Verdy did that day.

Kofu escaped with a draw against Kagoshima the following week when one of their players, #4 Yamamoto, made an insanely stupid challenge and was rightfully sent off with a straight red card. Kofu had an absolute gem of a goal by #25 Mori, but were pegged back after the R/C. Kagoshima had their chances but never capitalized and so the game ended 1-1.

Kofu went on to win 3 straight games against Kyoto, Fukuoka and FC Gifu. Against Kyoto they scored in the 81^st minute on a counter and then saved a PK shortly thereafter. The easily brushed aside Fukuoka and Gifu by a margin of 2 goals in each game.

I said we would look for cracks and there are a few but I’ll save them for the keys to victory.

FC Ryukyu

Undefeated in their past 6 road games, FC Ryukyu stroll into Kofu with only one thing on their mind, revenge. There is nothing else at stake for FC Ryukyu as they cannot move any higher in the table, barring an 8-goal swing between FC Ryukyu and Tokyo Verdy, and promotion/relegation is off the table. Therefore, all that is left is revenge. Revenge for the 5-2 dismantling at home the last time these 2 teams met.

Though FC Ryukyu are undefeated in their past 6 road games, the home record tells a different story and one that cannot be discredited headed into the final match day of 2019. Blown apart for 3 straight losses with a massive goal differential, the road-shockingly-has become the “safe place” for FC Ryukyu at the end of the season.

FC Ryukyu will face their toughest test away from home since the Tokushima match where they lost 6-1. Kofu are a formidable side that has surrendered only half of the total amount of goals FC Ryukyu have all year. They have speed and pace and Kofu will press our back-line into making foolish decisions and rash challenges. FC Ryukyu do have one advantage though, and that is they don’t have to play with any pressure whereas Kofu have it all to do on Sunday as they need a win. A draw may see them slip out of the top 6 and miss the playoffs all together\ so they will be gunning for a win.

FC Ryukyu should see the return of Uejo to the lineup and this is extremely important heading into the final match day. I think Uehara’s height and skill up top combined with Uejo’s knack for scoring goals, Kawai’s speed and Koya’s maturity, could prove to be the difference. I am on the fence on whether or not a return to the lineup of Nishioka will improve the defending as Song Sun’s speed may help to counter the Kofu counter attacks. Unfortunately, Song Sun cannot match the strength of Utaka but his only purpose should be to prevent Utaka from breaking free on the FC Ryukyu net.

Player Injuries

Ventforet Kofu: FW #10 Dudu. Torn hamstring for one of the leading scorers for Kofu but he hasn’t featured for them in over 2 months. No timeline for his return and it would be a surprise to see him out there this weekend.

FC Ryukyu: Nishioka’s injury situation is muddled as he is well past the 3-week mark for return so we’ll once again have to wait about 2 hours prior to kickoff to see what lineup Higuchi has chosen and who has made the reserves.

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Play within in yourselves. This is surely going to be a charged atmosphere around the stadium as many of the Kofu faithful are fully expecting a win and berth into the playoffs. This means there is going to be a rather large crowd on hand despite the calls for inclement weather. FC Ryukyu would do well to play relaxed, don’t force passes into tight windows with low probability of success that can start a Kofu counter and most importantly, do not chase the game. Allow the opportunities to come to them through the actions of their opponent trying to crack the game open.

2. Frustrate Kofu and make them deal with the mounting pressure of trying to score. There are times in sports where you can see frustration all over the faces of the players on the superior side when having little success against a lesser opponent. Every missed shot, errant pass and giveaway tomorrow will draw looks of frustration and anger from the Kofu players as many expect them to completely wipe the floor with FC Ryukyu. The longer the game draws on where these two teams are tied, or even in the unlikeliest of situations where Kofu is trailing, will only increase the tension and pressure on Kofu team and make it very hard to score.

3. Park the Bus. An absolute cowardly and cheap way for lesser sides to earn points against stronger opponents. But not so fast, there is a compelling reason for this notion. Kofu are excellent on the counter and are set up well to run into yards of free space on the breaks, but they lack creativity when attempting to break down sides with numerous defenders in the area. So that means the FC Ryukyu defense, and it’s defending mid-fielders, should not push so deep into the attack. Defend, delay and wait for reinforcements to arrive that can support our back line. Trust me, FC Ryukyu has plenty of speed to hit back at Kofu on the counter and score a goal of their own.

4. Need to score. You could file this in the “no kidding” column but Kofu’s goal keeper, Kawata, has been outstanding as of late and has made some spectacular saves these past few weeks. Weak shots will not test this keeper. FC Ryukyu will need Uehara and Uejo to be in top form on Sunday if they are to have nay chance of ruining Kofu’s promotion aspirations.

Match Day 42 Prediction

Kofu has it all to do and can light up the scoreboard with the best of them. Knowing the massive uphill battle FC Ryukyu face on Sunday, I’d leave Kofu a happy man having been able to celebrate a single goal by FC Ryukyu. 4-1 Kofu.

Important Fixtures around J2 on Match Day 42

Kashiwa Reysol have already won the J2 title so that just leaves the battles for the second automatic promotion position, the remaining 3 spots for the promotion playoffs and of course, the final relegation slot. Plenty of drama on the final match day and that makes this weekend really great for the neutral fan.

Omiya have the much tougher draw facing a tougher opponent on the road. Two consecutive draws against Tochigi and Niigata have seen Omiya drop out of the number 2 spot and these two sides drew 0-0 the last time they met. Yokohama FC are undefeated in their last 4 matches and haven’t lost at home in 8 games. Ehime FC haven’t won on the road in over 3 months and haven’t earned a point on the road in over a month and a half.

There is a lot to unpack for the 5 teams jockeying for the final 3 playoff spots. Yamagata, Tokushima and Kofu all have the favorable draws at home against lesser opponents. Kyoto requires Kashiwa to be in cruise control and not really care about a result while also needing help from FC Ryukyu. Mito need the most help and face the toughest draw when they welcome Okayama, the team directly below them in the standings, this weekend.

Kagoshima haven’t won on the road since late August but do have 2 draws during that time. Fukuoka have lost 3 straight, but have won 2 out of their previous 3 at home recently. Tochigi SC have earned 9 points from their past 7 games but they are undefeated in their last 3 games (2 wins and draw). The most recent win came on the road against Nagasaki. JEF have only won 3 games since August but two of them were at home. They are undefeated in their last two home games (1 win and 1 draw). Machida are in real trouble as they face the toughest opponent, who themselves, is looking to lock in their playoff seed.

Match Day Information

Conclusion

We have come to the end of the 2019 season. It has been a great season for the club considering both their successes and failures. They faced several uphill battles; smallest operating budget in J2, terrible weather at a majority of their home games and of course, the transferring of several talented players out of the club. We should all take a moment on Sunday to celebrate these men and their achievements regardless of the outcome against Kofu.

There is no doubt that Kofu are a much stronger side looking to book their ticket at a chance of playing J1 football in 2020. It reminds me of the time when FC Ryukyu wanted to win the J3 championship at home against Thespakusatsu Gunma. We all know how that ended and FC Ryukyu wouldn’t be denied that day. We may see that exact same scenario this Sunday.

Regardless, I am not there in Kofu needing a win by FC Ryukyu, rather, I am there to send the boys off this season and thank them for a wonderful year full of great memories. I implore all that read this or retweet this to come to Kofu on Sunday – despite the terrible weather forecast- and enjoy the 2019 FC Ryukyu side one last time. Chances are we will not see some of these players in 2020 and they deserve the very best from their supporters.

Good Luck to FC Ryukyu, save travels for anyone making the journey and most importantly; let’s have that magical feeling we all experienced in Omiya one more time!

“Lucky #13” Match Day 41 Report: Ehime FC 1-2 FC Ryukyu 11/16/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu won their 4^th road game in a row – I still cannot believe I am typing that- in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 win over hosts Ehime FC. Ryukyu is undefeated in their last 6 road games with 4 wins and 2 draws dating back to the Kanazawa match in mid-September. FC Ryukyu moved up to 14^th in the table on 49 points but the victory meant more for the fans that it does for the overall outcome of season standings. FC Ryukyu have reached 13 wins and more importantly, will not lose more than half of their total contests in their inaugural J2 season. Truly a job well done.

Match DAY 41 Recap

As expected with two evenly matches squads, the game was back forth and rife with opportunities. FC Ryukyu made several changes to their starting 11 this week. First, they swapped Uehara for Song Sun at RB and then moved Uehara to striker as it seems Yamada was either suspended or hurt (or sent home from his loan spell). FCR also moved Tomidokoro back into the squad as Uejo served his 1 match ban for yellow card accumulation.

FC Ryukyu controlled a majority of the possession during the match, somewhere in the high 50% range and were afforded several opportunities early on. None of which were converted. In fact, it was Ehime FC who got on the board first with a 14^th minute goal from Kawamura. As I mentioned in the preview, FC Ryukyu needed to watch 2 play-makers in the Ehime side, #39 Shimokawa and #7 Kondo. It was a cross by Shimokawa into a dangerous area in front the of the Ryukyu goal that opened the scoring. I initially thought that Ishii should’ve done better, but after looking at the goal several times, there wasn’t much more he could do. He slid out at the correct time but the Ehime player made contact with him thus causing a deflection to fall into the path of the onrushing Kawamura, who easily rounded the pile of bodies in front of net and scored a wide-open goal. Could the ref have called interference with Ishii? Possibly, his angle and direction of slide would’ve allowed him to corral the ball had he not been interfered with but nevertheless, FC Ryukyu were down 1-0 early. Keep in mind, Ehime were shut-out in 4 of their previous 5 matches so this was a huge boost to this sides chances for earning a favorable result.

It would be way to harsh to criticize Song Sun on this play despite the wide real estate he afforded Shimokawa to make the pass. Song Sun is not an RB. In fact, he was seen drifting deeper and deeper into the attacking third early on this match. Of course, this is the tendency for a player who’s only played in the attacking mid-field role his whole career. You could see one of the central defenders of FC Ryukyu screaming at him to get out wide and cover Shimokawa but it was already too late when Song Sun recovered as the cross was delivered. Just like many of us that are asked to perform tasks outside of our normal work duties, Song Sun did the best he could in the limited training sessions and game time he had last week in preparing for this change of position. More damming to the side is the question of, what is going on at the training ground if we can only dress 3 healthy defenders the past 4 weeks?

I mentioned in the previous paragraph about #7 Kondo being the only other player FC Ryukyu should be mindful of during the match and boy did he make his presence known. He nearly doubled the Ehime lead in the first half when his pace allowed him to get past the Ryukyu defense on a counter with a clear break away on net. Luckily his finish wasn’t that spectacular or this game could’ve turned out much differently for FC Ryukyu. FC Ryukyu would head to half time down 1-0 but by no means were they over-matched.

FC Ryukyu upped the tempo in the second half and were knocking on the door for a goal to get them back in the match. The break through occurred in the 66^th minute when a Tokumoto cross found Uehara at the edge of the 6-yard box on the left side of the Ehime goal keeper. The cross itself was sent into a dangerous area with great precision but it was slightly short and took an awkward bounce. This actually proved fortuitous for FC Ryukyu as Uehara judged the cross exceptionally well and hesitated a bit when the Ehime defender kept moving forward. This resulted in a wide-open shooting lane for which Uehara hit one of his signature headers back across the goal keeper. In what seemed to be an eternity, the ball slowly bounced past the keeper and into the side netting just inside the right post of the Ehime goal. FC Ryukyu had equalized and Ehime were now back on their heels and reeling.

FC Ryukyu really dominated the remaining 20 minutes or so and were creating several dead ball opportunities. Unfortunately, none came to fruition and in fact, it seemed we squandered a majority of these chances with poorly taken kicks. FC Ryukyu had introduced both Koizumi, and Ramon into the side in exchange for Yu and Koya but this was counter to what i had hoped for in order to see what these players offer in an extend appearance. These are electric players with quickness, pace and in the case of Ramon, power. I really like the way the attack functions when these players are in the lineup and I hope we are starting to see the future 2020 attacking midfield for FC Ryukyu take shape.

In the 89^th minute, a pass from the golden locks of Koizumi, found a wide-open Kawai just atop the 18-yard box. Kawai showed great maturity and development by allowing the ball to roll across his body, dragging Okamoto across net to cut down the angle and then released a snap shot back across goal leaving the Ehime keeper no chance. Absolutely breathtaking and exciting. Too bad my infant son was sleeping as I could only let out a minor fist pump instead of an all out scream. Ryukyu were up 2-1 with only about 4 minutes in stoppage time remaining and in complete control. Ehime had one last gasp but nothing came of it and the boys from Okinawa were victorious once again.

Man of the Match

Shuto Kawai. His speed proved too much for Ehime FC as he was all over the place wreaking havoc. His goal, which was his second road-winning goal in a row, was a thing of beauty. Kawai has now amassed 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games. He is, and needs to remain, the staring LM for FC Ryukyu in 2019 and beyond.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Finish in front of goal. PASS: Uehara and Kawai made up for some of the poorer efforts early on.

2. Work hard for set pieces. PASS/FAIL: FC Ryukyu had an abundance of set pieces in the latter stages of the second half but the deliveries were not good. Several players stepped up to take corners and the set pieces but nobody had any luck yesterday.

Match Day Prediction

I said 2-2 and it was close had Kondo from Ehime connected on that counter attack in the first half.

Match Day Takeaways

1. We did see some playing time for likes of Koizumi and Ramon but not nearly enough. I will maintain this stance even when we play Kofu next week as a win is merely a moral victory at this point. I wouldn’t care if we saw whole sale changes across the squad next week but I doubt that as we have few healthy defenders to begin with. Who knows, maybe we see Sanches out there next Sunday. And why not, there is nothing to lose but a meaningless remaining fixture.

2. Kawai is the real deal. If we can retain him, Koya and get the likes of Koizumi and Ramon involved for 2020 then I really like our chances for improving on a 14/15^th place finish in 2019. It will take time for that front 3 to gel but their combination of burst, pace, power and in the case of Koya, maturity, could be hugely beneficial for this club next season. Now we just have to wait on the transfer market to see what direction FC Ryukyu goes.

Around the J2 on Match Day 41

Kashiwa Reysol were officially crowned the 2019 J2 champions and will make an immediate return to J1 for the 2020 season. Congratulations to them and best of luck in 2020. I am not sure if teams in the J2 conduct the “guard of honor” when the champions walk out for their remaining fixtures in the season and know for sure it doesn’t happen in J3. Would be nice to see.

Yokohama improved their chances of automatic promotion with a 1-0 victory over Okayama whereas Omiya stumbled again drawing 1-1 with Niigata at home. Yokohama may get the auto promotion as they face Ehime at home with Omiya needing to beat Kanazawa on the road.

Yamagata, Tokushima, Kofu, Kyoto and Mito are all still in the hunt for a promotion playoff spot. Really wide open with a wild end of season weekend forthcoming. FC Ryukyu are certainly going to see a full Kofu squad go all out for the win next week. God I’d love to be spoilers for their season and you know exactly why.

Tochigi SC won 1-0 over Nagasaki but so did Kagoshima over promotion seeking side Mito in a shock result. If Tochigi win and Kagoshima lose next week, Kagoshima will be relegated. Both have favorable draws to end the season.

FC Gifu were officially relegated with their loss to Kofu and any of you who saw the video clip on twitter of the young Gifu fan crying truly understand what promotion and relegation means to a team’s fans. That is why all we ever ask as fans is that players go out there every week and put in a shift.

Conclusion

All in all it will be a very drama filled weekend to close out the J2 season. FC Ryukyu will play their final match away at Kofu, who themselves, are looking to book a ticket into the promotion playoff round. I said that I hoped FC Ryukyu could grab one more win to close out the season for their fans and they did just that this past Saturday. Now, be smart, put pride aside and get some younger players the much needed match day experiences against a stronger foe who is certainly going to go all out for the game. The 2020 season starts now.

“Penultimate Pride Game” Match Day 41 Preview: Ehime FC vs FC Ryukyu 11/16/2019

Intro

With almost nothing but pride on the line, FC Ryukyu will square off against Ehime FC this weekend. Neither team can advance much higher than 2 spots in the table if they win their final 2 matches and both should probably focus on getting some match day experience for those players in the reserve that have rarely featured all season. But who knows? This is the J2, and anything could happen out there tomorrow.

Weather Forecast

Looks like great weather for those that are traveling to Matsuyama City tomorrow.

Last Meeting: Match Day 3 3/10/2019 FC Ryukyu 2-0 Ehime FC

Koji Suzuki scored his 5^th goal of the season while Uejo added his second goal in as many games. FC Ryukyu dominated the game and won 2-0 on a blustery, overcast day in March at the Tapista.

Ehime FC

Ehime FC look very similar to FC Ryukyu at times. They can have some defensive lapses and have had trouble finishing in front of goal. While it is true that some of their opportunities the past 5 weeks were unlucky, many of their shots were right at the opposing goal keeper. Ehime have been shut-out in 4 of their last 5 matches while conceding several set pieces along the way. There was also the strange phenomenon during these games where their goal keeper, Okamoto, would be out of position and invite the super long shots from just behind, or inside, the half way line. In fact, Okamoto conceded 2 goals from long distance against Yamagata when you would assume that one was already one too many. There hasn’t been anymore of these shots against Ehime recently and I can only assume that the coaching staff addressed this issue on the training ground.

Ehime do not have many standout players on the roster but there are two of note. First, DF #39, Shimokawa can provide some nice service to the attacking players from his LWB position. On the receiving end is usually, MF #7 Kondo, who has some very nice burst and pace to get on the end of passes/crosses. Other than that, no one really jumped off the screen as someone who FC Ryukyu should be concerned with tomorrow.

FC Ryukyu

It has been quite a run-in to end the season for FC Ryukyu where they have some traded their road struggles for struggles at home. FC Ryukyu were unable to win, or draw, any of their three remaining home games this season. A bit strange considering this was the side that set the J League home-undefeated record this season. But there is no time to dwell on the past as FC Ryukyu finish the 2019 campaign with road games against Ehime and Kofu, and are in really good form on the road at the moment.

In fact, FC Ryukyu are undefeated in their last 5 road games with wins over Tochigi, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka and added draws against Machida and Kanazawa. These are all sides in and around FC Ryukyu in the table and therefore lends some hope that FC Ryukyu will be able to secure one more win before the season ends against a similar side in Ehime.

While a win would be great, the true goal would be to get some playing time for the younger players in the reserves. There are 2 meaningless games remaining this season. And I say meaningless as FC Ryukyu face neither relegation nor promotion in 2019. They can only advance 2 spots higher in the table and really need to see what they have in the squad for the 2020 season. 10/15/20 minute “run-outs” will not allow for an accurate assessment of these players talents as they may see very little of the ball during these appearances. It is better to give them 60-75 minute appearances to see what they can do. As much as I’d like a win, I’d rather see these players develop thus providing some rudder steer to the management prior to the upcoming transfer window this off-season.

Injuries

FC Ryukyu: As noted from the past weeks, FC Ryukyu will be without Carvajal, Torikai and Shinji Ono. Kawai was carted off last match so I have no idea if he is healthy enough for this match.

Ehime FC: Ehime have been without Yoshida Makito since August and he had chipped in 3 goals and 1 assist prior to his injury. More importantly, Ehime will be without the services of their starting RWB, Naganuma, who is on U-22 duty for the Japan National Team. Naganuma has provided 5 assists this season so this should further hinder the Ehime attack tomorrow.

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

Much like Tochigi and Yamaguchi, there is no secret to beating sides around you, and below you, in the table.

1. Finish in front of goal. Ehime has an issue with this and has been shut-out in nearly half (19) of their games this season. A one goal lead maybe enough but a 2-goal lead could put it out of reach. Though Ehime have scored 2 goals or more on the same number of occasions this season. Their recent form is more telling I believe.

2. Work hard for set pieces. Ehime struggles defending set pieces and are prone to giving up the occasional PK with questionable defending. Press the back line and work the outside channels with speed to get in behind their defense.

Match Day 41 Prediction

2-2 Draw. This could be an emotional day for Ehime as it is their last home game of the season against an evenly matched opponent. At least their will be goals.

MATCH DAY 41 VIEWING PARTIES IN OKINAWA

Match Day 41 Information

http://www.ehimefc.com/game/game1813.html. Lots of good information, and in English as well, for the traveling fans. Stadium access, parking, taxi/bus and a lot more. Quite impressive I must say.

Conclusion

We are nearly done with the 2019 season and it has been an exciting, up and down season for FC Ryukyu with very high highs, and very low lows. As previously stated, this match represents FC Ryukyu’s best chance at securing one more win this season but is also an opportunity for them to sacrifice points for match day experience for their reserves. In either case, I will be looking forward to the match tomorrow like many of you so good luck, and I’ll see you next week in Kofu.

“Soured Curtain Call” Match Day 40 Report: FC Ryukyu 0-3 Kyoto Sanga FC 11/10/2019

Intro

The final home game of the 2019 J2 season for FC Ryukyu ended in a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Kyoto Sanga. Not the type of ending that the club, nor its fans, were hoping for. Nonetheless, the boys from Okinawa achieved some marvelous results during their 21 home games this season that included wins over Mito and Tokushima with dramatic draws against Kashiwa and Yamagata. The only thing that was regrettable on Sunday was that FC Ryukyu failed to score a goal and give the home crowd something to celebrate.

Match Recap

FC Ryukyu looked up for the match for must of the first half despite some of the poor passing and cheap giveaways they execute din the first 10 minutes. In fact, FC Ryukyu had most of the possession, 64%, and three of the best opportunities from Tokumoto, Uehara and Koya. Kyoto hit the post in the 25^th minute but other than that, it was al FC Ryukyu early on. The fact that FC Ryukyu didn’t score from a golden opportunity when Yamada had s shot blocked, really hurt this sides chances of achieving a favorable result on Sunday.

FC Ryukyu came out fast to start the second half and had Uejo made a better decision with his pass in the 58^th minute, FC Ryukyu could’ve been up 1-0. Instead, Uejo’s pass was slightly behind Tokumoto and the subsequent shot off target. From this point forward, Kyoto took over the match.

Kyoto had several misses before Fukui committed a foul in the box resulting in a PK for Kyoto. Kyoto converted for the deciding goal and the spirits of FC Ryukyu were broken. FC Ryukyu quickly surrendered another goal off a CK when they were caught ball watching and then Son Sun was over powered in the 85^th minute by Koyamatsu. Despite the 55% possession that FC Ryukyu enjoyed all night, they could never get past the Kyoto goal keeper.

Man of the Match

Kyoto Sanga FC Koyamatsu MF: First, I truly love this player’s pace, tenacity and strength. I dream of day when FC Ryukyu could sign a player with all these tools, and I guess, you never know what could happen. His ability to hold off a pacey player in Song Sun and then basically shrug him off to open up a shooting lane was simply amazing.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Pester the Kyoto Defense with Speed: NO GRADE. FC Ryukyu did at times and had plenty of opportunities but converted none of them.

2. Be Mindful of the Kyoto Counter Attack: PASS, but only because Kyoto failed to score. There were plenty of near misses and opportunities for Kyoto to bang one in on the counter and FC Ryukyu only escaped with some favorable post strikes, near misses and off sides calls.

Match Day 40 Prediction

I said 3-1 in favor of Kyoto and it was nearly achieved.

Match DAY 40 TAKEAWAYS

1. The Uejo, Ramon, Kawai combination looked really good and if Higuchi wasn’t so dogmatic in his approach to the lineup selection with nothing on the line, it be really exciting to see this combo the last 2 weeks.

2. There is nothing left to play for except pride, maybe player and coaching bonuses, but nothing more. It is high time we saw the younger players in the squad start in order to see what we have for the 2020 season. Higuchi needs to make some serious changes to the lineup considering results no longer matter.

3. There were very nice scenes at the end of the match at the “Tapista” with Higuchi, Mr. Mikami and Uesato all offering words of gratitude. The fact that FC Ryukyu had their 4/5th largest crowd all season was touching and I hope they average around 5-6,000 next year. To be honest, if they want J1, they need the ticket sales for revenue and salaries and we are miles away from there for now.

4. Also, very nice to see banner, and support from the club, to restore a very iconic and important symbol of Okinawa on Sunday.

Conclusion

Thus, ends the 2019 campaign at home for FC Ryukyu. Overall, they finished with 8 wins, 5 draws and 8 losses at home. It is a mixed bag of results in my opinion. There were dramatic come from behind games to earn wins as well as games that simply got away from this side. Everyone enjoyed the goals and it was a shame that Shinji Ono could never orchestrate one prior to his season ending injury.

The home slate had all the ups and downs one would expect in the J2 and I hope the 2020 season is as memorable as the 2019. But fret not, the season still has 2 fixtures remaining and I’d love to see this side end on high note. Particularly against the Kofu side that ended the home undefeated streak so long ago.

“One More Time” Match Day 40 Preview: FC Ryukyu vs Kyoto Sanga FC 11/10/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu will play their last home game of the 2019 J2 campaign this weekend against Kyoto Sanga. Ryukyu find themselves in the middle part of the table after a late season surge propelled them out of the relegation scrap. Kyoto, on the other hand, find themselves tumbling out of the promotion playoffs and the recent loss to Kofu sees them just underneath them in the overall standings. Kyoto need a win and FC Ryukyu would like to end the home slate with a win. It should be an exciting match.

WEATHER FORECAST

Perfect weather to end the 2019 season at home.

Kyoto Sanga FC

I feel that Kyoto really miss their veteran defender Ishibitsu as Kyoto’s defense has become their Achilles heel of late. Too often this side allows opponents to overtake them near the end of games or provides the opportunities to their opponents to even the score. Kyoto nearly allowed Ehime to win late and were then caught flat footed against Renofa when they were complaining to the referee about a foul. They looked really good against Yokohama FC after switching to a 4-3-3 but were decimated by Niigata 3-1 the following week. Finally, they lost to Kofu with a late goal in the 82’.

Kyoto are by no means a bad team, rather, they are just struggling for consistency against sides they should have beaten. All the pieces of their lethal attack are still in place but they are struggling for form at the back. The loss to Kofu was suprising since Kyoto hadn’t lost at home since match day 7. An impressive run of 15 games unbeaten. On the road, it is a very differnt story for Kyoto. They have won 3 times, drawn once and lost 6 times in their past 10 matches. In fact, they have lost 6 out of their last 7 road games.

There is only 9 possible points remaining this season and with matches against FC Ryukyu, JEF and the Reysol; Kyoto desperately need these 3 against Ryukyu. They really do not want to wait until the final match day to try and sneak back into the promotion playoffs against a Reysol side who may be vying for the title that day.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu have earned 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses over their past 10 games. The 15-point surge provided a much-needed boost out of the relegation scrap and into the comfort zone for J2 football in 2020. The tandem of Kawai and Uejo have been absolutely phenomenal over this stretch. I think FC Ryukyu have found their attacking LM for the future in Kawai and we can only hope that Uejo is signed to a long-term deal. Truth be told, I think we’d all be happy to see him depart for a much larger club as the ascending talent needs to shine on the big stage. Until then, let us enjoy both of these players talents and the goals they create.

While there were no major changes to Ryukyu lineup stemming from the Torikai injury at RB, FC Ryukyu may see the return of Nishioka to the lineup on Sunday if he is back to full health. It must be said that Uehara has filled in admirably and it hasn’t been a huge drop off from in defending as some may have expected.

Seeing that this is the final home game of the campaign, I hope FC Ryukyu end the season on a high note. While there has been a massive shift in the fortunes of this team when playing on the road, the home form has suffered to the tune of 3 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses in their past 10 home games. Though Kyoto are struggling for form, they are by no means a wounded animal that we can easily put out of their misery. It will take a total team effort on the part of FC Ryukyu this Sunday to bring home the win on Match Day 40.

Injuries

FC Ryukyu: Carvajal, Shinji and Torikai all out for the season. May see the return of Nishioka to the lineup this week if he has recovered and performed in practice.

Kyoto Sanga: DF, Ishibitsu is done for the season.

Keys to VICTORY FOR FC Ryukyu on Match Day 40

1. Pester the Kyoto defense with speed. Ryukyu can overwhelm the Kyoto back line with both Uejo and Kawai which should open up some space for Yamada and Koya to operate.

2. Be mindful of the Kyoto counter attack. It seems that Kyoto are set up really well their blend of power and speed in their attack and can really make life difficult for opponents when countering. They have scored several goals over the course of the past 5 matches in this manner and could easily bag a few more on Sunday if FC Ryukyu are caught napping.

Match Day 40 Prediction

Kyoto Sanga 3-1 over FC Ryukyu. I believe we will see a final curtain call for Uejo but the Kyoto attack against our back line may be too much for us to overcome.

Match Day 40 Information on FC Ryukyu website

http://fcryukyu.com/news/21608/

Games of Note on Match Day 40

Tokushima Vortis vs. Yokohama FC seems to be the top draw this weekend with both teams in the heart of the promotion playoffs.

All 3 of the bottom sides face strong competition and an FC Gifu loss will se them relegated to the J3.

Conclusion

It seems these two sides are evenly matches when it comes to the recent 10 games played at home/road. They both own identical records for those 10 games. Something has to give this weekend and I hope to see our boys come out on top.

I recall way back in March, when this team was firing on all cylinders, that the end of the season seemed so very far away. Well now it feels like it got here way too quickly. There are only 3 matches remaining this season and only 1 of those is a home game. I am sad that I will be unable to attend the final home game of the season but I am so happy to have enjoyed so many great memories at the Tapista this season.

I hope there is great weather and greater football this Sunday to help generate more season ticket holders for the 2020 season. Enjoy it everyone as it is well over 100 days before we see this side play at home again.

“Bookend Beat-down” Match Day 39 Report: Renofa Yamaguchi 1-2 FC Ryukyu 11/3/2019

Intro

3 wins in a row on the road for FC Ryukyu. FC Ryukyu have won 3 games in a row, on the road. I’d like that to resonate for a minute. Quite an amazing feat considering their record up until the Fukuoka match. FC Ryukyu have now earned 46 points this season while providing some memorable moments to their fans in the twilight part of the 2019 season.

Match Recap

Please understand that while I am out of the country, I am unable to watch the full 90’ game on DAZN in order to provide an accurate assessment of the squad. Instead, I am completely reliant on the YouTube highlights. With that in mind, here is what I saw:

First Half: It seemed that FC Ryukyu dominated large parts of the first half. Uejo opened the scoring early, the 2’ with another quality goal, and FC Ryukyu had several good opportunities to double, almost triple, their lead over Renofa. However, Renofa scored and leveled the game just before half time

Second Half: There were zero, I mean literally zero, highlights of this half outside of the culminating event in the 93’. I cannot say which side looked better, performed better, or, who had the best opportunities on net. The most exciting part was the Kawai goal that sealed the FC Ryukyu victory in the 93’. Uejo did all the hard work to maintain possession and then find Kawai with a pass. And Kawai responded in kind with a beautifully taken shot that curled around the GK and into the net. Kawai is awesome, enough said.

Final score: Renofa Yamaguchi 1-2 FC Ryukyu.

Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu FWD #14, Satoki Uejo. The opening goal, which was further indication that this man will not be here next year, was another quality piece of finishing on the part of Uejo. Uejo also added an assist on the Kawai goal with a nice little hold up play, using his strength to hold off defenders; then incredible balance to maintain possession, culminating in a softly laid off pass to a streaking Kawai for the final goal.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. A win is nice, but dresses some younger players: PASS. Ramon and Song Sun finished out the match. How they performed is another story, and is one that I’ll need to review later.

2. Play your game: PASS. FC Ryukyu did this, and more, this past weekend. Seems they frustrated Renofa at every turn.

Review of Match Day Prediction

2-1 Renofa: FAIL

Match Day 39 Takeaways

1. Not enough data to tell at this point.

2. Kawai looks solid, please retain his services for 2020 and beyond.

Conclusion

That must’ve been exciting to watch live as a visiting fan. To see a last-minute winner, while always spectacular, which is made even more special on the road. This side has really turned it on as of late. I hope that form continues this weekend against Kyoto Sanga FC as I’d love to see this side end the home slate with a win.

“Fountains of Youth” Match Day 39 Preview: Renofa Yamaguchi FC vs. FC Ryukyu 11/03/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu enter match day 39 after suffering a 3-2 home defeat to Omiya Ardija. Despite the loss, FC Ryukyu looked very good in the match and it was a shame that the second largest crowd we’ve had all season, couldn’t see the side pull out a positive result. Renofa Yamaguchi enter match day 39 undefeated in their last 5 and looking to end the season on a positive note. It seems Renofa is finally earning points as many suspected they would’ve to start the season. It matters not, as they are too far from the promotion playoffs to get into the conversation. FC Ryukyu on the other hand, have secured themselves J2 football in 2020 thanks in large part to Kagoshima United FCs win over FC Gifu mid-week.

Yamaguchi Weather Forecast

Renofa Yamaguchi

As mentioned earlier, Renofa re undefeated in their last 5 games. 4 of those matches were against teams near the bottom of the table but they did have a nice 1-0 win over Kyoto on the road a few weeks ago. Renofa easily swept aside Fukuoka 2-0 and followed that up with a 1-1 draw against FC Gifu where Yamaguchi scored very late to break the hearts of the FC Gifu fans in attendance. They played surprisingly well against Kyoto and really choked out their opponents attack in that match. They then somehow allowed Kagoshima to dictate large parts of their match in which it ended in a goalless draw. Finally, Renofa defeated JEF 3-2 due the JEF Goal Keeper having another famous “JEF Howler” that proved to be the difference in the score line.

Really hard to scout a team that plays to the level of their coemption each week. This means they will play well against tougher sides but allow those beneath them in the table to stay in matches with a chance to defeat Renofa. I guess that’s the very definition of a mid-table side.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu are guaranteed J2 2020 football as they are 13 clear of the bottom 2 sides, Tochigi and FC Gifu, with only 4 games, and 12 possible points, remaining. FC Ryukyu should take a hard look at their reserves over the next 4 weeks to see what they have before entering the J League window transfer window in a few weeks. This will require some hard decisions and I am not sure the club is going to execute all of the following but here are my suggestions.

First, with Dany hurt and Ishii on loan from Mito, it is time we Inose and Tsumita playing time. Chances are that one of them is likely #2 in 2020. Match day experience will go a long way for goalies. Second, we need to get starting time for all the non-loan players in the side and that includes those that haven’t dressed in a match this season. There is no where to go for FC Ryukyu this year. We will likely finish around 15-17 in the table and while position is nice, it is not important. Instead, focus on trying to win the last home match against Kyoto next week and end the season in Okinawa on a high note for the fans and community.

But back to the matter at hand. We need to see more of Kim Song Sun, Kozumi, Ramon, Sanches and Gibo during the remaining fixtures. They have appeared periodically and then disappeared for even longer stretches of time.

Injuries

FC Ryukyu: Several; Dany, Shinji Ono and Torikai are all done for the season.

Renofa Yamaguchi FC: Reporting none of any significance.

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1. A win is nice, but I’d rather see players who rarely dress for FC Ryukyu feature in the squad this week.

2. Play your game. There is no secret to beating Yamaguchi.

Match Day 39 Prediction

Yamaguchi 2-1

Important Fixtures in J2 for Match Day 39

Seeing how I published the blog late this week, there were already some big games that took place. Omiya defeated Reysol, Mito beat Yamagata and FC Gifu are truly done with a 7-0 defeat to Vortis.

Conclusion

The season is winding down and while there is always pride to play for in the final games of the season, it is important to get those players who rarely feature the all-important match day experience. This will aide in lining up transfers for 2020 and allow the club to see the strengths and weaknesses of their bench. I will not be able to watch the game as I am traveling and unable to access DAZN so the match day report will based solely on the highlights I can watch on YouTube. Good luck to all that travel to Yamaguchi.

“Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained” Match Day 38 Report: FC Ryukyu 2-3 Omiya Ardija 10/27/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu lost a hard-fought battle to Omiya 3-2 this past Sunday at the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium. Though the boys were not able to earn a positive point on the day, take nothing away from their performance. They played really well against a side seeking promotion. I think we all need to have some expectation management for the remaining 4 matches this season when it comes to FC Ryukyu. We will probably be without Dany Carvajal due to his lingering ankle injury that he picked up against Yokohama, as it probably has never fully healed. Why else would he not be out there after playing the full 90 versus Tochigi SC? I am assuming he’s played through tremendous amounts of pain and setbacks to get FC Ryukyu to this point and it has just become to much. Maybe he picked up an injury during practice but I’ve seen too many of Dany’s type of injury in the NFL to believe anything less and feel he was rushed back to service without proper healing time. But we’ll await word from the club as to what actually occurred. In any case, he was an absolute warrior for this club this season. Also, FC Ryukyu are likely without a true RB for another 2 weeks until Nishioka returns. Shinji Ono may also not feature again for this side with his own ankle injury and that would be terrible. But do not fret, the team is relatively safe and as I’ve said on numerous occasions; it is time we get a look at some of the youth in the squad with the remaining fixtures as we are already playing the 2020 season. If you think we’re not, then you do not understand sports.

Match Recap

FC Ryukyu could not have asked for a better start. Within the first 90 seconds the boys were on the board following a beautifully taken Uesato FK. Uejo earned the FK at the 13 second mark, and I was shocked that Omiya was caught flat footed again. Finally, and you all know what I mean when it comes to Uesato’s FKs (usually blasts into the wall), this time Uesato curled it over the top leaving the Omiya GK no chance. A dream start for the side not expected to do much on the day. Now, there was definitely a feeling that FC Ryukyu would eventually concede but at least we wouldn’t be blanked on the day. Also, Omiya’s cracks were on full display, and though they may well be promoted, they’ll have a tough 4 weeks ahead to ensure automatic promotion.

Omiya did respond, albeit 16 minutes later, when a Fukui giveaway let to a goal from Delgado. Then to make matters worse, FC Ryukyu failed to properly clear the garbage in front of their net and in the 43rd minute, a shot curled past Ishii for a 2-1 Omiya lead. FC Ryukyu headed into half time down 2-1 with many in the stadium of thinking the flood gates were about to open.

FC Ryukyu again started fast and were rewarded with another quick goal. This time, it was the efforts of Kawai, whose speed proved too much for the Omiya RB. He easily rounded the RB and then sent a dangerous low hard cross across goal were a diving Yamada pushed it past the Omiya GK to level the match. I pretty much came out of my shoes, and the stands, screaming that this is what Kawai does, day in and day out, and needs to be in the lineup all the time.

FC Ryukyu did well to resist the remaining Omiya pressure and too be honest, FC Ryukyu controlled a large amount of possession in the remaining minutes. Bedlam nearly ensued when Uejo finally had his first free look on net, but unfortunately, his shot hit the post and bounced out of bounds. Then, as many were dreading, Omiya scored late. A cross from Shinozuka found a streaking Simovic, who was able to get a foot to the cross and redirect it past a diving Ishii. Then, out of nowhere, the heavens opened up and it began to poor outside. FC Ryukyu tried mightily but couldn’t respond to the late Omiya goal and thus lost 3-2.

Man of the Match

#13 MF, Shuto Kawai. The man was simply awesome on Sunday. He needs to be a major part of FC Ryukyu’s 2020 plans, especially with the impending departure of Uejo, and we’ll really value/need his speed. He has now bagged 2 assists in 2 straight games and his speed, skill, and overall play is exciting to watch.

Match Day 38 Takeaways

1. An Omiya supporter, and friend of mine, said that Higuchi is too dogmatic when it comes to lineup selection and substitutions. My friend said he watched him at Omiya, prior to Higuchi’s trifecta at Yokohama, and he echoes my sentiments. Omiya made all 3 of their substitutions before FC Ryukyu made 1 this past match. We saw what Omiyta wanted to do, and had every opportunity to counter their moves with speed or skill, but instead we did nothing. In fact, we left the 3^rd substitute on the bench once more. Are FC Ryukyu not monitoring fitness levels of the players? Do they not track how many top speed sprints and runs each player makes before he’s not at optimum output? Criminal and unforgivable as we should’ve brought on an extra player to provide defensive cover.

2. There is no hiding the fact that we could easily end the season on a 5-game losing streak. We have lost Dany for the year, Shinji might be on the shelf, we have a makeshift back 4; though Uehara did a great job as a replacement player-playing out of place- but what is going on in the locker room/training ground? If Higuchi prefers Uehara over any one of the defenders in the reserves, then why do we keep any of them on contract? Are they hurt? Are they not that good? Are the training tactics/techniques so brutal that FC Ryukyu have too many injuries to overcome consistently to roster a full lineup? FC Ryukyu cannot afford to continue along this path with what seems to be only 16 players available for any given match. There is an underlying issue here that I will never fully unearth and one that seems to be a cancer for this side.

Reviews of the keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Start fast & Build a Multiple Goal Lead: PASS: Yeah, we never got out in front but we got out to fast starts, twice in each half.

2. Do not conceded many set pieces: PASS. Omiya didn’t score from a set piece.

3. Pick your poison: PASS. Yes, Omiya pressed us early, then trailed off where FC Ryukyu took control. No issues here as the boys did what was asked and responded well to each Omiya tactic.

4. Win the battle down our Right and Win the Match: FAIL. The last goal from Omiya came from this spot. In fact, we gave Shinozuka a ton of space, and freaking respect as if he was something special, who promptly sent a cross into the 18-yard box, to which, Simovic easily got past Okazaki’s halfhearted attempt at a clearance. Okazaki should’ve dived and got his head in there and at the very least, drawn a foul.

5. Clean up the Garbage in the Box: FAIL. The second Omiya goal is indicative of not clearing rebounds and/or stopped shots properly.

6. The Contrarian Play: Many factors were against this ever occurring. The most evident being that we’re not privy to injuries for FC Ryukyu. But most importantly, there is zero testicular fortitude in the head coach to just go for it any given week.

Match Prediction

I said that 2-1 was respectable and 3-2 is even more so. FC Ryukyu never looked outmatched at any point. Chins up, heads up, as this was a great performance for a side up against it.

Recap of the Notable J2 fixtures on Match Day 38

Conclusion

OK, FC Ryukyu lost. That is an inescapable fact. However, I enjoyed the heck out of my last 2019 Home Match for FC Ryukyu. The walk to the stadium; pre-game flag hanging; talking to Mr. Mikami pre-match; interacting with fans; seeing Bando; meeting people from Omiya and other FC Ryukyu fans from the main land; talking to support staff of FC Ryukyu; watching a great game; and of course, cheering the boys on the way out as they were true warriors on Sunday. It was all special. Good thing that I only have to wait about 120 days to experience that feeling again, but the season is not over, and I get to see the boys one more time in Kofu, which means the 120 is actually closer 96 days. I enjoyed seeing Stuart and Dave, and interacting with so many Omiya fans. Must’ve caught many of the FC Ryukyu and Omiya supporters off-guard to see opposing team fans having such a good time together. Well, football should bring people together, not divide them.

So what is next? FC Ryukyu have Renofa Yamaguchi next week. FC Ryukyu had to come from behind to draw with Renofa in the midst of their 36-game home unbeaten streak back in March and then Renofa beat Ryukyu, in Yamaguchi, during the Emperor’s Cup. Renofa most recently came from behind to beat JEF 3-2 at home so this will be a good test for FC Ryukyu.

Oh, FC Ryukyu’s 8,000 fans this past week meant that we only need roughly 3,000 to make the 100k mark set by Mr. Mikami. Easily do able.