Category: Match Preview

Rivalry Week: Part II FC琉球

Intro

It is once again that time of year for two teams to square off who have built up a pretty good history between one another the past four seasons. I’ve written many times about this rivalry that has included the fouls, cards, penalty kicks, lopsided score lines and controversy that makes this make-shift derby all the more enjoyable. I for one hope to enjoy this in person, weather permitting, so as to see Ryukyu’s first win six weeks! Time is running out and the fixtures do not get any easier for Ryukyu. It has to start somewhere and that somewhere is in Chofu.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

Weather looks agreeable. I just hope the tropical storm around Okinawa this weekend doesn’t disrupt the team’s, or the traveling fans, transportation plans.

Click>>>> Match Day 24 Information from Tokyo Verdy

Team Previews

Tokyo Verdy: What a whirlwind season it has been for Tokyo Verdy thus far. They opened the season with eight (8) straight games without a defeat before embarking on a stretch of thirteen (13) games with only a single (1) win. That obviously got their manager to start the season relieved. Verdy do have the luxury of playing three (3) of the bottom five (5) teams in the table over the coming weeks but who knows if that will be enough to get them back in the promotion hunt. Verdy already played two teams in the relegation scrap in their past five games and only managed draws with those sides (Omiya and Iwate).

Verdy have had some interesting matches this season in which they’ve either scored, conceded or scored and conceded three (3) goals in consecutive matches. In fact, that has happened five times (Match Days 6/7, 9/10, 14/15, 17/18, and most recently 22/23). And following those outbursts of scoring Verdy usually plays in some low scoring affairs by going 1W-2D-1L. Will that trend continue this match?

Speaking of this match, FC Ryukyu has the slight edge in the series by winning three (3), losing two (2), and drawing twice (2). All three of Ryukyu’s wins came in row between 2020 and 2021 in which Ryukyu shutout Verdy in all of those games. However, Verdy has some of the biggest score lines away to Ryukyu having hit five (5) goals on two occasions. It seems when Ryukyu draw with Verdy at home, and then lose by a heavy score the following match, Ryukyu win the next time these two play. That is some loose logic there but it is the exact situation Ryukyu find themselves in this Sunday.

FC Ryukyu: A few weeks ago I suggested that FC Ryukyu could be facing another lengthy winless stretch of games. That has unfortunately come to fruition. FC Ryukyu are winless in their last seven (7) games while suffering four (4) consecutive defeats for the second time this season, and have managed just a single goal in their past four games. FC Ryukyu’s performance chart on the Transfermarkt website is looking more like an EKG reading of patient who is about to expire than anything else.

But maybe a game with Ryukyu’s main rival in J2 can help get them going in the right direction. We’ve all seen teams around the globe struggling for results only to face a rival, or play a derby match, which somehow reinvigorates a side and provides a break in the bad results. Let’s hope that is the case for FC Ryukyu on Sunday. To do that, Ryukyu will need goals, but where – and who – will they come from?

Nacho Fernandez rolled out the same lineup that his predecessor used at Fagiano Okayama the previous week with pretty much the same results. At the end of the match the manager lamented the fact that there just wasn’t enough crosses into the box and that at times it seemed his side wanted to revert back to the ways under the previous manager (as best as we could translate). I appreciated that he was visibly upset at the results and it was a breath of fresh air in the normal milk toast postgame interviews. But fiery talk is one thing, backing that up with results is another.

If Nacho wishes to see more crosses and service into the box, than he should look no further than Keita Tanaka. That is, hoping Keita – who has been seen in training – is healthy enough to start over Makito Uehara at RB. Another option would be to reintroduce Takayuki Fukumura back into the lineup, who has also gone missing from the side the past two weeks, as well as Yuki Omoto. I hope the previous Emperors Cup match with Omiya, in which two of the three players mentioned above last featured, didn’t result in any injuries that we are not aware of. By my count that makes four (4) Ryukyu defenders on the mend and short on options considering we use many of these defenders in several roles. Abe is the poster child for a match later this month, perhaps he is finally fit and ready to play this week?

Round 24 in J2

All three of the top sides are on the road this week with all matches but one, Verdy v Ryukyu, taking place on Saturday. League Leaders (1) Yokohama FC and (2) Albirex Niigata will look to extend their lead over (3) Vegalta Sendai with games against teams in the lower half of the table and with Sendai having the toughest draw against (5) FC Machida Zelvia. A match that will also be broadcast on the J-League International YouTube Channel. Click>>>> FC Machida Zelvia vs Vegalta Sendai.

At the bottom of the table it is (20) Iwate Grulla Morioka hosting (21) Omiya Ardija in game in which we as Ryukyu fans would like to see a draw but until FC Ryukyu start handling their own business, it is pointless to continue to scoreboard watching in hopes of favorable results. The Verdy v Ryukyu match will also be broadcast on the J-League International YouTube Channel this weekend. Click>>>> Tokyo Verdy vs FC Ryukyu.

Conclusion

These next two games could be considered a bit of a release from the tough fixtures Ryukyu just fought through, but nothing is to be considered easy for a team floundering at the bottom of the table. It is looking less and less likely that Ryukyu can pull off some sort of miracle winning streak considering they’ve only won three (3) times in their first twenty three (23) matches. But they could at least win two in a row for the second time this season and possibly see out some tough points on the road. This match with their quasi-heated rival couldn’t have come at a better time for Ryukyu as hopefully it provides a bit of extra motivation to shake loose a win this weekend. Come on lads!

(22) FC Ryukyu vs (6) FC Machida Zelvia #FC琉球

Intro

Let’s not kid ourselves. A lot of things need to break right for FC Ryukyu to avoid the drop. We cannot reasonably expect teams around Ryukyu in the standings to lose every week, suffer the same set of bad luck, or accrue the same set of injuries since Ryukyu have unfortunately left it super late to save the season. Not only are Ryukyu at the foot of the table following three (3) consecutive losses, they are also seven (7) points behind Iwate and Omiya in the relegation race. The tall task will fall upon newly appointed manager Nacho Fernandez and Ryukyu need to start netting positive results almost immediately. That will be no easy ask as Machida Zelvia have historically had the better of Ryukyu and who, like everyone in J2 these days, is eyeing this matchup as a get right game to gain some valuable points.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

Doesn’t it just figure that Okinawa finally comes out of rainy season, has enjoyed nice weather for the past seven days, and now on game day, splat!

Click>>> Match Day 23 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu were not able to enjoy any “new boy bounce” following the departure of Kina after the Yamagata match and are now winless in their last six (6) games with four (4) defeats. Perhaps due to the fact that Head Coach Kuranuki had already had his shot at such a bounce earlier in the season, but FC Ryukyu did name a new manager in the time between blog entries. Nacho Fernandez will oversee what will hopefully be a restoration of the club and push out of the relegation zone.

There are so many problems that require fixing at Ryukyu it must be a difficult decision for where to start for their new manager. Tactics, Lineup Selection, defending, scoring, motivation, and confidence are equally important, but so too is mental focus. Ryukyu dropped five (5) points in three (3) out of their last four (4) matches due to goals conceded in extra time. Vortis were able to equalize late with both Nagasaki and Okayama earning victories in the waning seconds of the game. Ryukyu have now conceded ten (10) extra time (both first and second half) goals inside of twenty two (22) games. That has to stop right now to avoid falling even farther behind teams just above us in the table.

Nacho has to instill a system that encourages players into taking more shots while also preventing the breakdown of defending at the back. All the while with both a depleted attacking and defending corps. We know Kusano is out until at least September and hopefully recently signed Kelvin can regain some of the form he displayed throughout his career with each match he plays. Of course, don’t hold your breath on any news of Takuma Abe returning to aide in the attack, though his return would be a massive boost to the side that is still three weeks out from seeking reinforcements in the summer transfer window.

Then there is the issue Ryukyu face in defending, and some could argue, goalkeeping. Ryukyu really don’t have the luxury of having their young defenders, Omori and Nakagawa, grow into the position as that time passed long ago. What they need is consistent solid performances while Okazaki remains out injured. Then there was the curious decision to start Makito Uehara over Keita Tanaka at right back last match. Maybe the decision was based on an injury that Tanaka picked up, and though I believe Makito can develop into a fine player one day, I will once again state that it is probably as a central defensive midfielder, and not a central defender/fullback.

Taguchi isn’t enjoying nearly the success he had last season, though he does flash at times and it probably is not all his fault with what is in front of him, but nevertheless, he has surrendered thirty eight (38) goals in twenty one (21) games. Hopefully a switch at manager may result in shaking up the lineup that includes another start for Dany Carvajal. Ryukyu have a lot of work ahead of them to find suitable ‘central’ defenders and forwards in the upcoming transfer window but must now focus on accumulating some points, however miniscule they maybe, in the near term.

FC Machida Zelvia: You know what you are going to get when facing Zelvia. A team loaded with attacking talent, but with plenty of questions about their defending. Zelvia also seem to be more of a ‘home’ team than one that does well on the road. Seven (7) of their nine (9) wins have come at home this season with zero (0) road wins in their last seven (7) away games.

Watching their past five games the home/road split is really evident. Losses to Tochigi SC and Oita on the road with wins at home over Akita and Kanazawa, with a draw against Kumamoto mixed in. Though Zelvia’s road form offers the slightest glimmers of hope for Ryukyu this week, let’s not forget that Zelvia own Ryukyu in the series with eight (8) wins and only a single (1) loss dating back to their time in the J3. Which coincidentally was the last time FC Ryukyu defeated Zelvia in any match (2014).

In the first meeting between these two sides Ryukyu looked good by holding Zelvia to a 0-0 draw before embarking down their current path. Granted, Zelvia did not have Dudu or Vinicius in the lineup for the opening match of the season so it must be taken with a grain of salt. Most Ryukyu fans pointed to the strong performances from young CBs Nakagawa and Omori in limiting Zelvia’s opportunities as well as shutting down the veteran striker Chong Tese. Ryukyu will need another such performance out of their defense this week if they wish to leave the match with any points.

Keys to Victory Keys to Nicking a Point 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 early. Likelihood 2. The second part of this would be to frustrate Zelvia by clogging their shooting lanes with the third, and most important, being the ability to finish the match without surrendering any late goals. The last being an almost impossible ask these days as indicated by Ryukyu’s poor record for conceding goals after the 75th minute mark games in addition to the amount of extra time goals they’ve hemorrhaged. But in the Zelvia games I watched, when Zelvia played on the road and conceded early, they seemed extremely frustrated at times when trying to score and were thus unable to recover.

2. Pressure the Zelvia back line into making mistakes. Likelihood 2. This largely depends on who is in the attacking role for Ryukyu this week as this game would have been perfect for a player of Kusano’s quality. Zelvia had several mistakes in defending, and playing out from the back, in their last five games which means there should be opportunities for Ryukyu in both the turnover category and to find space in between Zelvia defenders. That is, if Ryukyu can press, find space, find the key last passes and get quality shots on net.

Round 23 in J2

Headlining this weeks fixtures is the top of the table clash between (2) Yokohama FC and (1) Albirex Niigata. Kind of depressed this game is on the same day as the Ryukyu match as I would definitely want to tune into this one. But luckily the J-League has decided to broadcast this match to the world on the J-League International YouTube Channel and the link can be found under this paragraph. Right behind this tasty draw is the match featuring (3) Vegalta Sendai at home to (7) Montedio Yamagata who are both coming of losses and attempting to stay squarely in the promotion zone.

Click>>> J-League Int’l YouTube Channel: Yokohama FC vs Albirex Niigata

Depending on the outcomes for both the Ryukyu match and (19) Tochigi SC versus (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka game, Ryukyu could find themselves in an even deeper hole than before this round kicked off. Keeping one eye on those teams situated at the bottom of the table also sees a resurgent (20) Omiya Ardija, who are on a nice run of win one/draw one/lose one, hosting (14) Zweigen Kanazawa who have suffered two (2) defeats in their last three (3) games. The second free J-League International YouTube broadcast, and what is likely to be a staple the remainder of the year, features (8) JEF United Chiba at home to (11) Tokyo Verdy. Link is below.

Click>>> J-League Int’l YouTube Channel: JEF UTD Chiba vs Tokyo Verdy

Conclusion

So you have FC Ryukyu with only one (1) home win to date facing a Zelvia side that struggles for results on the road (two wins on the road all season). I think Zelvia is having the type of season that Ryukyu initially hoped for this year; overpowering teams in the attack, while trying to make up for the void in defense. As we’ve seen, it can get you places, but it isn’t enough to push teams over the line. Zelvia definitely have more quality in the attack than Ryukyu these days but I don’t feel these teams are separated by much. Sure, Ryukyu have conceded 20 more goals than Zelvia this season, but Ryukyu have also dealt with a rash of injuries to key players with Zelvia remaining largely unscathed. Would it be so hard to believe these teams are, or could be, two evenly matched sides on Sunday? Consecutive 0-0 score lines their past two meetings would at least indicate as much.

(22) FC Ryukyu vs (10) V-Varen Nagasaki #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu have reached the halfway point of the 2022 season and will continue on without their manager, Tetsuhiro Kina, who was relieved of his duties on Monday June 6th. Head Coach, Kazuki Kuranuki, who briefly oversaw a slight bump in performance for the club when Kina was sidelined with CV-19, will take over as interim manager until a replacement can be found. The move away from Kina was a long time coming for some Ryukyu fans and now we have to ask the question, is there enough matches remaining this season for Ryukyu to turn things around?

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

Rainy season will not die off so easily. Goodness me this looks awful.

Click>>>>Match Day 21 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Relieving the manager, which was necessary, is one thing. Accumulating points during a tough stretch of matches while being severely depleted due to key injuries is another. Ryukyu look primed to have another stretch of four (4), or more, games where they concede at least three (3) goals in consecutive matches. The last time that happened was between match days 6-9 and there are some familiar opponents over the next four (4) fixtures that caused that severe damage to FC Ryukyu.

Perhaps the best tactic Ryukyu can deploy during these times is to park the bus and hope to hit teams on the counter attack. Owning loads of possession has gotten us nowhere, and nowhere fast, and when turnovers/counter attacks occur – which they always will – our defending has been porous. You’ve all seen the stats on how effective teams have been against Ryukyu on limited opportunities.

So why subject a back line, one that is reeling at the moment, to more of the same? Simply offer more coverage, clog the attacking area, and block/clear the shots from danger. And we need to stop the hemorrhaging of goals on set pieces. There is no shame in this tactic if it can net us any positive results especially when we are missing our top scorer while struggling mightily to break down other teams.

Every team playing Ryukyu in the near term will size up their matchup with Ryukyu as a must win or get right fixture. Nagasaki have failed to defeat Ryukyu in any of the three (3) games they’ve played in Okinawa. In fact, in four (4) out of the six (6) total matches played between these sides a team has reached the three (3) goal mark. Funny that each side has scored three goals at home against the other (2019 & 2021) with the 2020 fixtures standing out as the outliers in which those games were low scoring affairs.

V-Varen Nagasaki: Like Ryukyu, Nagasaki started the season slowly, but unlike Ryukyu, they had a bit of a revival by going undefeated in five (5) games. V-Varen Nagasaki are always loaded with talent but haven’t quite finished the job to get promoted to J1. They came oh so close a few seasons ago and a lot of J-League analysts tipped them for promotion in 2021 but it seems the emotional toll of just missing out on promotion really weighed heavily upon the club last season.

Nagasaki now find themselves in a similar pattern that took Ryukyu down last year where they win one, draw one, lose one. Granted, a preponderance of Nagasaki losses come at the hands of teams currently at the top of the table but the dropped points to Omiya, Chiba, Vortis and Verdy have set Nagasaki back a bit this season. Still, Nagasaki sit just one point off the promotion playoff bracket and they need to start taking maximum points from the sides below them, as well as around them, in the standings if they wish to get up, and stay up, near the top of the table.

Despite having a nearly identical goals scored to goals conceded tally, Nagasaki has plenty of attacking talent to overpower teams who struggle to score. Cristiano continues to display a high work rate resulting in five (5) goals scored with four (4) assists that has made him a fan favorite among the J-League. Not far behind Cristiano is Edgar Junio who sits on three (3) goals and two (2) assists. Nagasaki also do much better on the road compared to playing at home with five (5) wins, three (3) of which are in a row heading into this game with Ryukyu.

I didn’t have a chance this week to reach out to @Daniel_VVN for his thoughts on this match but he did mention that Nagasaki are a bit vulnerable when it comes to defending set pieces. Luckily for him, and Nagasaki, Ryukyu are not the greatest at creating or scoring on these types of chances. For more on Nagasaki check out Daniel’s Twitter feed and blog over at @NagaSapo_EN.

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Defend as if your life depended on it. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu cannot afford another repeat performance like last week at Montedio Yamagata and that starts with preventing teams from scoring in such quick succession. There has been way too many games this season where Ryukyu’s opponents score in bunches, usually to the tune of three (3) goals in under fifteen (15) total minutes of play. We can only hope the defensive woes were addressed during training this week.

Kinain’ Ya Around

The release of Kina officially brings this section to a close but that doesn’t mean I won’t incorporate some of the intent contained throughout this section in future FC Ryukyu team previews. To state the obvious, this is the worst start to any season for FC Ryukyu since joining the J2. Regardless of the outcome on Saturday Ryukyu will finish with the least amount points, wins, goals scored, while conceding the most ever goals and losses at the halfway point of any season. The writing really has been on the wall for sometime if we look at Kina’s career stats while in charge of FC Ryukyu. Kina amassed five (5) wins, nine (9) draws, and eleven (11) losses in twenty five (25) games as manager for Ryukyu in J2 league matches. That was good for a 20% win rate in all games while earning 32% of the total points available.

A further breakdown of the scoring in those matches tell us that: Ryukyu have been shutout six (6) times, scored a single goal ten (10) times, scored twice six (6) times, and only reached the three-goal plateau, though never exceeding more than three goals, just three (3) times. Conversely, Ryukyu have only shutout their opponents three (3) times, conceded a single goal just eight (8) times, conceded twice in games eight (8) times, allowed three goals three (3) times and have been hit for four (4), or more, goals three (3) times. Was the problem the system, the players or the management? I guess we’ll find out shortly.

Round 21 in J2

No fixture jumps out to me so you’d be better off listening to the @JTalkET podcast to find out which games look tasty this week.

We are treated to two free broadcasts this week on the J.League International YouTube channel. First, it will be our boys taking on Nagasaki at home on Saturday, followed by (15) Tokyo Verdy at home versus (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka on Sunday.

Click>>>> JLeague Int’l YouTube broadcast of FC Ryukyu vs V-Varen Nagasaki

Click>>>> J.League Int’l YouTube broadcast of Tokyo Verdy vs Iwate Grulla Morioka

Conclusion

It was a very active week for FC Ryukyu, one that has seemed to breathe some much needed life back into the supporters, and more importantly, the club. It started with the release of Kina on Monday, followed by the release of a the new 3rd kit in the midweek and ending with the signing of Brazilian forward Kelvin on Thursday. All good signs moving forward but how quickly will the first and last bit of that news pay dividends? The clock is ticking.

(6) Montedio Yamagata vs (21) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu face an uphill battle when they travel North to Yamagata this Sunday. To be fair, every game remaining may seem like an uphill battle for a team that has been riddled with injuries and shell-shocked by late goals resulting in crucial points dropped. This games kicks of five (5) tough fixtures in a row for Ryukyu which also happens to coincide with that time of the year when Ryukyu are prone to slumps. A mid season slump feels like a yearly occurrence for the club, usually due to key injuries in the squad, and if Ryukyu were to suffer another slump this season, it would likely be the next to last nail in their relegation coffin.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

Traveling fans will have some nice weather to enjoy this weekend.

Click>>>> Match Day 20 Information from Montedio Yamagata

Team Previews

Montedio Yamagata: Montedio Yamagata, like they seem to do every year, started a bit sluggish before embarking on a run of nine (9) games unbeaten that included a streak of five (5) wins in a row. I would love if Ryukyu could pull of a winning streak like that, but for Yamagata, these streaks never really result in promotion. Maybe that will change this year?

Yamagata might have a tough time getting over line now that, like FC Ryukyu, they’ve lost their top scorer for an extended period of time. Yoshiki Fujimoto was on seven (7) goals this season before succumbing to a season ending ACL injury. Like Ryukyu, Yamagata will be heavily invested in the transfer window this summer to try and find a replacement. Unlike Ryukyu, they likely they have the finances and clout to replace their lost striker with a talented player.

Yamagata’s lone loss in the past two months came at the hands of Albirex Niigata last week to the tune of 3-0. They did also lose their Emperors Cup match with Thespakusatsu Gunma in the mid-week 1-3 so perhaps there is the smallest of chances that Yamagata are reeling at the moment. But I think this matchup presents a “get right” game for Montedio to get back on track for the promotion playoff race as Ryukyu have never won at Yamagata. In 2019, an 88th minute goal from Yamagata wiped out an earlier Takuma Abe PK goal. In 2020, Yamagata destroyed Ryukyu 3-0. However, in 2021 it was Ryukyu’s turn to play spoiler as they scored a late goal to end that match in a 2-2 draw.

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu are coming off a heartbreaking draw at home last Sunday against Tokushima Vortis (3-3) and a mid-week Emperors Cup loss (1-4) to Omiya Ardija. Both games were at home so those fans that did venture out were at least treated to eleven (11) goals inside of a few days. Ryukyu have some serious questions heading into one of their toughest matchups with injuries continually piling up. Luckily, Ryukyu escaped any further damage to players in the EC match with Omiya despite playing some of the regular starters. But then there was the news on Thursday that Yuki Kusano, Ryukyu’s top scorer, will be out three (3) months with a torn MCL. A crushing blow to our hopes and dreams for avoiding relegation.

There will be a new center-back duo playing this match as Yong Jick went off injured during the Vortis match which leaves Ryukyu with just a couple of healthy defenders. The obvious choice would be the Numata/Omori pairing with So Nakagawa in reserve. Omori did play the entire match on Wednesday in an attempt to get him so game experience heading into a brutal run of fixtures for Ryukyu. On the other hand, Nakagawa played sparingly compared to Yusuke Murase who made just his second ever appearance for the club, the other being last year’s Emperors Cup match with Matsumoto Yamaga. It is hard to say if any of the central defenders had a decent game on Wednesday considering we conceded four (4) goals.

It is what it is until players return from injury or we acquire some players in the transfer window next month. Speaking of depth, we got a long look at some of the players that rarely feature for FC Ryukyu against Omiya. Van Luan Pham, the on-loan player from Saigon FC, arguably had the best shift for Ryukyu that night. The defensive mid-fielder more than held his own, was involved in some nice build up plays (though rarely passed to by some of his teammates) and was an absolute spark plug you covet from a central defensive midfielder. I am not sure of how many ‘regulars’ Omiya deployed that match to accurately gauge Pham’s abilities at the J2 level, but I think he did enough to at least warrant dressing for some of the senior matches going forward. This is especially true considering Ryukyu also lost central midfielder, Kazuto Takezawa, to a shoulder injury for the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, many of the other players we would’ve liked to seen play, or liked to see them do something, were not able to during a game largely controlled by Omiya. With Ryukyu’s next five (5) games coming against some tough opponents, does Ryukyu have enough healthy players to garner some results and prevent a mid-season collapse that would all but dash any hopes for avoiding relegation?

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. Concede fewer goals than Yamagata. Likelihood 1. Tough place to be in as a Ryukyu fan these days when you’re team is desperate for results and having to do it shorthanded. Good luck boys.

Kinain’ Ya Around

Ryukyu have only lost once in their last five (5) games, twice in their last eight (8), but there has been too many matches that have ended in draws (4). No doubt this is due to Ryukyu surrendering eight (8) goals after the 75th minute this season. Ryukyu have been outscored 19-10 in the second half of games with the unthinkable stat of conceding four (4) goals in extra time of the second half. Their first half performance is only slightly better with a 16-13 goals conceded to scored ratio, but they’ve also conceded four (4) goals within the allotted extra time of the first half! Killer to Ryukyu, momentum swinging for our opponents. In nineteen (19) games this season Ryukyu have managed only one (1) extra time goal in either half. And perhaps this is why teams really walk all over Ryukyu in the later stages of games.

Round 20 in J2

No top of the table clashes this week but plenty of games with teams next to one another in the standings. The top three sides (Sendai, Niigata, and Yokohama) have extended their point lead to nine (9) at the top and all have games against teams in currently in the mid table. Teams ranked between fourth and fourteenth – separated by just four (4) points – are likely to see the continued churn in that part of the table.

At the bottom, where we as Ryukyu supporters are most concerned, sees (21) Iwate at home to (9) Ventforet Kofu. Iwate have lost thee (3) in a row and have yet to win at home this season with Kofu having drawn their last five (5) matches with four (4) consecutive 1-1 score lines. (20) Omiya Ardija are also at home to (16) Mito Hollyhock. Omiya are coming off two (2) wins and a draw in their last three (3) games, including the Emperors Cup, with Hollyhock suffering three (3) straight losses in all competitions. The round 20 free broadcast on the J.League International YouTube channel will feature (1) Yokohama FC hosting, and wait for it, (14) Tokyo Verdy again. Click>>>> J.League Int’l YouTube Channel.

Conclusion

Ryukyu just have to go out and defeat a team they’ve never beaten, but one they’ve had some limited success against (2 draws) on the road, without their top scorer and a makeshift back line. Drinks on me everyone!

(21) FC Ryukyu vs (14) Tokushima Vortis #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu need to put their recent loss to Omiya in the rearview mirror and focus on Tokushima Vortis right now. Time is definitely not on the side of Ryukyu anymore as they quickly approach the halfway point of the 2022 season on just fourteen (14) points. Short of a miracle winning streak to push Ryukyu up the table and closer to forty points, which seems all but a pipedream at the moment, we need to collect points in as many games as we can. The best Ryukyu can hope for in the interim is to keep within striking distance of Omiya and Iwate to keep this a three horse race for relegation.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

We may actually see the sun in Okinawa for the first time in six days! But you still need to prepare for wet weather.

Click>>>> Match Day 19 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: I really have no idea what to write about for the Ryukyu team preview this week. Too many times we’ve talked about Ryukyu holding loads of possession and failing to score. Something that plagued us against Omiya. We’ve talked about the team’s inability to finish despite the aforementioned possession. Clearly indicated by the fact that Ryukyu have only scored more than two (2) goals in a game four (4) times this season, while conceding more than two (2) goals ten (10) times in eighteen (18) games. So what should we talk about then? Injuries? Sure.

Kusano’s injury is absolutely catastrophic, and since we have no idea what he is dealing with – perhaps to let whatever swelling that may have occurred in his knee to subside so they can get an accurate MRI – we can only hope it is not a lengthy injury. But then again, we never heard anything from the club about the injury (probably a pulled hamstring) that Abe has been dealing with the past twelve (12) games. We could really use Abe back in the near term, that is, until Kusano returns, or we sign a striker on loan. Compounding the current crisis are the injuries to our central defense in which we have a patchwork back line, though to their credit, is doing enough to at least put Ryukyu in a position to win some games. They are certainly not the reason why we lost at Omiya.

That loss last Wednesday stems directly from sloppy play – balls passed out of bounds, wild shots, careless turnovers – and a lack of understanding what to do when near the oppositions goal. Ryukyu have not improved at all on defending, or attacking, set pieces this year which seems a very simple thing to fix throughout training. The constant rotation of players week in, week out, has yet to produce a solid lineup and the injuries certainly don’t help. But we are also talking about a team loaded with veterans and experienced players, not a team full of rookies making their J2 debut.

What we need is an on field general to start getting in the asses of some of these players when play begins to dip. Someone needs to be more vocal out there to get the boys back in line and that starts with the captain. Taguchi currently wears the captain arm band, which could change if Okazaki returns this week, but other than setting his back line, how can he influence play at the top? At this point our only real hope is we haven’t totally capitulated and for an outfield player to assert themselves, outside of just their play, to lead this team. But who will that be?

Tokushima Vortis: Tokushima are not finding life in the J2 as easy as when they departed it back in 2020. They started off the year undefeated in their opening eight (8) fixtures but with only one (1) win to their credit. After suffering their first loss of 2022 Vortis rebounded with a pair of wins and a draw but still found themselves in the lower half of the table with fellow demoted side Oita Trinita, a place that Vortis currently occupy.

Over their last five (5) games Vortis had one (1) win, two (2) draws, and two (2) losses. They suffered consecutive losses for the first time all season when they were handily beaten by Yokohama FC before pulling one back in stoppage time, and then were shocked at home the following week when Tochigi SC beat them 1-0. This past Wednesday night they only managed a draw against Kofu after taking the early lead and even with Kofu having a man sent off in the second half. But lets not kid ourselves as Vortis are a very good defensive side having conceded only eleven (11) goals all season which is good for best in the league.

Another feather in the defensive cap of Vortis is the nine (9) shutouts in eighteen (18) J2 games played this season. That includes five (5) games with nil/nil score lines. Vortis maybe very good at shutting down the opposition’s attack, but they also struggle to find the back of the net as they’ve been shutout two other times for a total of seven (7) this the year. A bit like Tochigi SC last year, who we beat at home in 2021 despite their impressive defensive record. Still, I’d gladly switch struggles with Vortis at the moment as they are likely to figure out the problem in the attack long before they breakdown at the back.

Tokushima also have nearly identical home/road splits for wins, draws, losses and goals scored/conceded. I thought they looked a bit shaky in two of their past road matches but they turned things around against Kofu before surrendering a needless PK. Finally, forward Shota Fuji may lead the team in goals with five (5), but the Vortis attack funnels through one man, MF Kazuki Nishiya. Kazuki is so heavily involved in much of the Vortis build up play that if Ryukyu can somehow take him out of the game, tactically not physically, they could easily grind the Vortis attack to a halt.

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. Execute shots from distance, pepper Vortis with crosses into the box, and for god’s sake, score from a set piece. Likelihood 1. Right, three things Ryukyu haven’t done all year and have struggled with all season. But these type of ‘long balls’ into the box maybe the only defensive weakness to this defensively strong Vortis team. Vortis can deal with the up close pressure pretty well barring some deflections, but if we dance around with possession looking for the perfect pass to unlock the Vortis defense, we will lose. If we try more of the long game approach as outlined above, like Gunma and Tochigi did, we may actually walk out of the ‘Tapista’ with points (or a win) on Sunday.

Kinain’ Ya Around

Maybe I got a little out in front of my skis last week when I assumed Ryukyu were primed to take the leap above Omiya and move up in the table. After doing a little research on transfermarkt, a phenomenal website by the way, I came across some stats that are really worrisome. Since 2019, FC Ryukyu have gone 6-3-10 (W-D-L) against teams in the relegation zone. If you include the loss to Iwate this year, though not in the relegation zone at the time of the match, as well games against teams who were in similar positions as Iwate when they faced Ryukyu earlier in the season, Ryukyu’s record stands at 7-3-12 (W-D-L). Which equates to winning about 1/3 of those games.

FC Ryukyu have zero (0) wins against teams that are either currently, or were once inside the relegation zone this season. They have suffered five (5) losses with what seems to be only a few games left this season against teams facing the prospect of relegation. Granted, anything could happen during the remainder of the campaign but Ryukyu haven’t defeated a bottom side since Matsumoto Yamaga on Match Day 35 last season. Ryukyu have only had one (1) season in which they had a winning record against the relegation sides and that was 2020 when there was no relegation so I had to use stats against the bottom four clubs that year. To sum this all up, Ryukyu struggle, regardless of Ryukyu’s position in the table at the time of matches, to defeat the bottom sides of J2 in what could’ve/should’ve been winnable and were must win games.

Round 19 in J2

(1) Vegalta Sendai could do all the teams currently in the relegation battle a favor, expect Tochigi of course, by defeating back-to-back winners (19) Tochigi SC. (3) Yokohama FC is in the same boat as Sendai, and looking to keep pace up top, when they host (18) Renofa Yamaguchi who are winless in their last four (4) matches. It would also be nice if (10) Zweigen Kanazawa continued their winning ways by defeating (22) Iwate Grulla Morioka. Writing those past few sentences makes me regret the loss to Omiya even more with how the schedule shakes out this week.

The top of the table clash that some neutral fans may enjoy will be the game between (2) Albirex Niigata and (4) Montedio Yamagata. Niigata have eight (8) wins in their last eleven (11), but Yamagata is undefeated in their last nine (9). It should be a good game to watch. And finally, there is the J-League International YouTube broadcast featuring (12) Tokyo Verdy at home to (20) Omiya Ardija. This is Verdy’s sixth, and final, match (at least this month) on the YouTube channel where they’ve won once (1), drawn once (1), and lost three (3) times. It will also be Omiya’s first game with their new manager Naoki Soma in charge. I am a bit conflicted here because Verdy is one of Ryukyu’s main rivals, and one that I enjoy watching lose at any point in the season, but we also need Verdy to win in the event that Ryukyu earn, or drop, points at home this round. Click>>>> J.League International YouTube Channel.

Conclusion

I just have that strange feeling that this game could end 0-0 on the heels of some lackluster offensive performances, or one team blows the other out in an unexpected (or expected) manner. Whatever the case maybe for Ryukyu on Sunday the fans need an uplifting performance out of their team as life is pretty drab around Okinawa these days with the CV-19 virus raging, rainy season pounding the island, and Ryukyu in the relegation zone. At least the Ryukyu Golden Kings are vying for another championship.

(21) Omiya Ardija vs (20) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Let’s get it on! Ryukyu play their second match against a team near the bottom of the table this month and it a massive 6-pointer with Omiya Ardija. FC Ryukyu have only lost once in their last six (6) games while riding a three (3) game unbeaten streak. Omiya have failed to win in their last four (4) games while suffering consecutive defeats to Iwate and Sendai the past week. These are the type of games that Ryukyu need to win and neither side wants to leave this match without all three (3) points. The match might not have the shine of the games between teams at the top of the table, but it will have its own type of fireworks for us to enjoy.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

Cool and breezy with the slightest chances of rain. But then again, I’ve been wrong before.

Click>>>> Match Day 18 Information from Omiya Ardija

Team Previews

Omiya Ardija: Omiya have been inside the relegation zone around the same amount of time as Ryukyu. They didn’t earn their first win of 2022 until Match Day 9, then experienced a bit of bump in performance when they went four (4) games undefeated (2 wins and 2 draws), before losing two (2) games in a row. Omiya has also been hit hard by the injury bug this year as they’ve lost both of their top two goalies in Yuta Minami (Achilles Tendon Rupture) and Tomoki Ueda (Patellar Tendon Rupture) for the season, and most recently FWD Seiya Nakano (hamstring). This has thrust Ko Shimura, on loan from Giravanz Kitakyushu, into the starting role where he has already conceded five (5) goals in two games.

Omiya won once, drew twice, and lost twice in their last five (5) matches. The 2-1 victory at Zweigen Kanazawa pulled Omiya out of the relegation zone for the first time since Match Day 4, which was further aided by the draws the following rounds at Tochigi and Nagasaki, but found themselves in familiar territory once again with consecutive home losses to fellow relegation team Iwate and most recently Sendai. The Iwate match was a rescheduled game due to CV-19 in which Omiya actually played three (3) consecutive matches on the road prior to Iwate and Sendai followed by what will now be three (3) consecutive home matches ending with Ryukyu.

The schedule doesn’t get much easier for Omiya moving forward as they will play Tokyo Verdy after the Ryukyu match and then play their sixth game in under three (3) weeks when they travel to Okinawa to play FC Ryukyu again, but this time for the Emperors Cup. The cup competition could be a major distraction for both sides who are trying to battle their way to safety while dealing with major injuries at the moment.

Omiya’s top three point leaders this year are: FWD Atsushi Kawata (6 goal & 1 assist), MF Shinya Yajima (3 goals & 1 assist), and MF Masaya Shibayama (5 assists). But none of these players have seen the score sheet since Match Day 13. Similarly, Ryukyu are likely to be without their top scorer in Kusano which may even things out a bit for the two teams tomorrow night.

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu are in the midst of their best stretch of results this season. Two (2) wins and one (1) draw in their last three games has resulted in Ryukyu finally moving off the bottom of the table, albeit on goal differential, but a mentally significant point nonetheless. This is a hugely important match for Ryukyu right now and unfortunately they’re likely going into this match at less than 100%. Yuki Kusano, FC Ryukyu’s leading goal scorer, was subbed off with an injury to his left knee last match and with such a quick turn around between fixtures, it is unlikely that he features for Ryukyu in the midweek.

That means the combination of Shinya Uehara and Ryunosuke Noda will lead the Ryukyu attack. Ryukyu are also unlikely to see the return of Takuma Abe (now going on eleven matches since he last featured, and still no word on his status) and Ryohei Okazaki. This probably means we will see Takuya Hitomi in a reserve role at forward with Keigo Numata returning to play CB alongside Lee Yong Jick. Ryukyu really need the offense to show up tomorrow, and more importantly, have it driven through Kiyotake and Ikeda with Kusano out. Uehara and Noda seem to be a like-for-like with each other’s playing style but I’d give the slight advantage to Uehara in the aerial department, with Noda being slightly better with the ball at his feet. Either is capable of putting it in the back of the net so long as we can provide the service to them.

It is a whole other story on the defensive side of the ball for Ryukyu as the preferred deployment of Numata over Omori at CB must be based on the need for a veteran presence along side Yong Jick and not one based solely on skill. Numata faired decently in his CB debut, and will need to do so again if Ryukyu are to grab all three points, in addition to Yong Jick going the full distance on Wednesday night. Yong Jick’s play has improved the past three weeks and we need to find a capable defensive partner for him in the absence of Okazaki.

I cannot emphasize the importance of this game enough for Ryukyu. A win would provide a three (3) point cushion over Omiya, and with Iwate playing Yokohama FC, a win could provide a three (3) point cushion from the relegation zone. Ryukyu won’t catch Tochigi, even if Tochigi lose, but it brings them just a little closer to possibly dragging Tochigi down the table. It has to be three (3) points for Ryukyu on Wednesday night.

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. Win the set piece battle. Likelihood 2. Omiya seems very capable in attacking set pieces, particularly corner kicks, but struggles at defending those same type of set pieces. Ryukyu don’t really earn, or capitalize, on set pieces (CKs) but this one area could make all the difference tomorrow.

Kinain’ Ya Around

In what could be Kazuki Kuranuki’s last game in charge of Ryukyu before Kina returns, Ryukyu need one more positive result inside this brief, temporary, “new boy bounce.” So far the results have been good under Kuranuki as some of things that plagued Kina’s coaching style this season – specifically opponents easily adjusting to the Ryukyu game plan mid game and Ryukyu failing to make subsequent adjustments – have largely gone away the last two weeks. Ryukyu played within themselves last week against a strong Kofu side despite having little offensive production. They seemed content on taking what was given to them by Kofu, parked the bus a little bit after taking the lead, and nearly pulled off the unthinkable. Ryukyu will need a similar type of performance this match if we wish to leave Saitama with all the points. And I think Kuranuki is up to the task.

Round 18 in J2

League Leaders (1) Vegalta Sendai headline this round’s matchups when they welcome in (6) Fagiano Okayama. But since Ryukyu are squarely inside the relegation battle, I will focus on the games for teams near Ryukyu in the standings. (22) Iwate Grulla Morioka host (3) Yokohama FC in what should be a very tough matchup for the hosts, and one in which we’d (Ryukyu fans, and Omiya fans) like to see YFC win. This only adds fuel to the fire for the Omiya/Ryukyu game as the winner could potentially move ahead of the bottom two sides. (19) Tochigi SC will face (4) FC Machida Zelvia at home in another tough matchup for a bottom four side. Tochigi surprised everybody last week with their win over Vortis but a slip up here, coupled with wins for any of the bottom three teams, would pull Tochigi further into the relegation scrap.

It maybe a bit premature to look at the games concerning JEF United Chiba as they are six (6) points ahead of the chasing pack but they do have a difficult draw at (7) V-Varen Nagasaki this round. The free broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel will once again feature (11) Tokyo Verdy this time hosting (17) Zweigen Kanazawa in a game that some of the fans from the bottom four teams will at least monitor the score tomorrow evening. Verdy went undefeated to open the season but have only managed a single (1) win in their last nine (9) matches. This game is quickly shaping up to be one of two evenly matched teams, not on paper but based on recent performances, squaring off for the international audience. Click>>>> J.League Int’l YouTube Channel.

Conclusion

Got to have it on Wednesday. Nothing more needs to be said.

(22) FC Ryukyu vs (6) Ventforet Kofu #FC琉球

Intro

Finally some momentum. And this game will be a real test to see how far Ryukyu have progressed as Ventforet Kofu are undefeated in their last four (4) with only one (1) loss in their last eight (8). Kofu, and their fans, definitely come to town with three points on their mind, and why shouldn’t they? They’ve experienced nothing but success against Ryukyu in the past three seasons and now face a Ryukyu side in the midst of a relegation battle. Ryukyu, on the other hand, have done something remarkable by winning two in a row thanks to two clean sheets. Can Ryukyu do the unthinkable and win three games in a row?

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

Not a bad forecast for it being the height of rainy season in Okinawa.

Click>>>> Match Day 17 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: For those of you expecting (hoping) FC Ryukyu will win their third game in a row, let me offer this stat. Since they entered the J2 in 2019, Ryukyu have only won three (3) games in a row twice. And yes, you guessed it, those were during the fast start years of 2019 and 2021. Outside of those fast start seasons, and well into the season since that is where we are at the moment, FC Ryukyu have a record of 0-1-6 following a two (2) game winning streak. Not great. But then again, we are in some unchartered territory these days so anything is possible.

If they hope to reverse that trend then they will have to do it against a side in which they’ve only notched one (1) win in the six (6) matches they’ve played. Granted, that lone win did come at home – where this game will be played – but was also inside the early part of last season when FC Ryukyu were beating everyone. A third win in a row largely depends on Ryukyu executing a repeat performance of the last two weeks.

The fact is we need Kusano, Kiyotake, and Ikeda to get into a rhythm as we cannot rely solely on Kusano scoring each match to see out wins because that has happened on several occasions this season, only to be let down by the defending in the end. We need others to step up, especially when we are razor thin at CB these days, so we can continue to take some pressure off the defense. But who? Tanaka cannot fire in crosses from his current position on the bench; we rarely win set pieces – or corners – in dangerous areas; and we rarely get our two central defenders involved on set pieces inside the opposition’s box. I think we need to rethink how we attack teams in order to put us into advantageous situations and not simply rely on luck to see us through. The only thing we have to lose is J2 next year, which should be enough to make us as dangerous as a cornered animal.

Ventforet Kofu: Kofu started the season slow with only one (1) win their opening eight (8) fixtures. Where have I seen that before? Never mind. They then embarked on a four (4) game winning streak that propelled them into the sixth spot of the table. A position, despite some recent wobbles, they still maintain as of match day 17.

Kofu have two (2) wins, two (2) draws, and one (1) loss in the past five (5) matches with wins over Verdy and Gunma; draws with Tochigi and Renofa; and the lone loss suffered at the hands of Mito Hollyhock. One thing that immediately jumps out about this Kofu side is their speed up top and relentless pursuit of rebounds in the box. That kind of makes them a forward leaning side that are extremely vulnerable at the back, which, seems to be the team’s Achilles’ heel at the moment.

Kofu had several moments where they were hitting their opponents on either counter attacks or straight from the center of the pitch with long breakaways. But they also looked extremely poor when playing it out from the back with a bevy of costly turnovers, or simply allowing the opposition to exploit their weakest position in the team. There is no doubt that Ryukyu must respect the speed of Kofu in the attack, but not fear it, because the Ryukyu attack needs to find away to create havoc within the Kofu back line that could lead to turnovers and goals. That also means Ryukyu players in the starting eleven that may not enjoy tracking back in games really need to this game. And since the Kofu attack seems to come in multiple waves, Ryukyu cannot be caught ball watching the initial shot as the on-rushing attackers from Kofu will certainly be there to pounce on any rebound.

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. Take the game to Kofu. Likelihood 3. No frills or messing about here just dictate the terms of play inside the Kofu 18-yard box. We are keen to own loads of possession, yet do very little with it. Change that. Take risks, create chances, ask questions in dangerous areas and let’s see what happens. Otherwise, it is more of the same old drab that got us to where we are right now.

2. Someone steps up in central defense. Likelihood 2. We looked so good to start the season with Nakagawa and Omori in central defense, but that denigrated into something completely different as the season wore on. Perhaps Nakagawa is injured, but we cannot gamble by throwing Makito Uehara to the wolves and think he’ll be OK out there. Yong Jick had a great game last week, but we need consistent performances out of the senior man in defense, not just a singular good game. Ryukyu will have to contend with loads of speed and counter attacks from Kofu, which means defending has to be a total team effort, and we better have the horses out there on Saturday to do it.

Kinain’ Ya Around For Whom the Bell Tolls

Kina gets a bit of a reprieve as he was absent for last weeks win as he will be for this weeks match with Kofu after succumbing to CV-19. However, it still seems that Kina can do no wrong. How he is still here is beyond me. Sure, he was in charge when we won our second game of the season, in week 15! But was it just me or did the entire club enjoy a relaxed, worry free environment last week to earn their third win?

Now humor me as we venture down this loosely cobbled path of logic. We all know that sometimes clubs can experience a bit of a ‘bounce’ when there is a managerial change. Ryukyu saw this last year when we switched from Higuchi to Kina, and we are witnessing it right now with FC Gifu and to some extent, Omiya Ardija when they added Hiromi Hara as head of the Omiya Football headquarters. In the games following these moves, each club experienced a change in fortunes. Some were brief, and some are still going, but how important were those changes for the clubs this season?

In the case of Omiya, it pulled them off the bottom of the table. Something Ryukyu desperately need to do these days. And right now, Ryukyu are in the midst of the slightest of ‘bounces’ with head coach Kazuki Karanuki taking over duties in Kina’s stead. How huge would it be for Ryukyu if we had two, even three (possibly serving as coach for Omiya with such a quick turnaround in fixtures) games with wins and or points? The change may only be temporary, and the bounce brief, but it could be enough to pull us up a little bit and provide vindication that a change in manager is needed. This is especially true if Ryukyu go straight back into the trash bin upon Kina’s return. Just saying, think about it.

Round 17 in J2

We all know that the real excitement in any season is watching how the relegation battle plays out, bit of recency bias down here these days for sure, and not just the boring promotion race (though I do miss that dearly) where a couple of teams pull far away from the pack. The sheer look of disappointment and frustration written across many teams, coaches and their fan’s faces make the battle for survival all the better. However, I should mention that there is a very nice top of the table tilt between (3) Albirex Niigata and (2) Yokohama FC this week that could see those teams swap positions or YFC extend their lead to six (6) points in the automatic promotion zone.

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at those teams struggling at the foot of the table. (19) Tochigi SC, who haven’t won in nine (9) games, travel to (11) Tokushima Vortis. Vortis are coming of consecutive losses (1 in J2, 1 in the Levain Cup), are looking to rebound, and are the best defensive side in the table based on goals allowed while Tochigi is one of the worst scoring sides in J2. (20) Omiya Ardija host (1) Vegalta Sendai after losing to Iwate in the midweek while down their starting GK. Omiya will have played two (2) games inside of a week when Ryukyu come to town so perhaps they rest some players (aka rollover) in order to prepare for the all important 6-pointer with FC Ryukyu next Wednesday. Perhaps Ryukyu does the same this week??

Then there is (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka, who usurped FC Ryukyu in the standings with their 1-0 win on the road at Omiya on Wednesday and who travel to (17) FC Mito Hollyhock. Prior to that victory Iwate were on a seven (7) game losing streak and now they face a Mito side who has won (3) out of their last six (6) games. Omiya and Ryukyu have the toughest path to points this week with Tochigi a close second, followed by Iwate who looked far better against Omiya than they have in recent weeks. But that’s just it, teams down here always seem to look good against each other, which needs to be taken with a grain of salt when jumping to conclusions for any side at the bottom.

The free broadcast this week will feature (8) Blaublitz Akita hosting (9) Tokyo Verdy. This will be Verdy’s fourth appearance on the free broadcast this month, with still two (2) more to go. Perhaps Verdy can make it three consecutive losses in a row on the channel. Click>>>> J.League Int’l YouTube.

Conclusion

I am glad we won our first home game of the season last week as weekly blog entries felt more like obituaries than posts in recent months. But now we need do something different, and that is to win a third game in a row deep into a season marked by strife and setbacks. I’ll be there, the Ryukyu Army will be there, will you join us in spirit?

(22) FC Ryukyu vs (7) Zweigen Kanazawa #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu have not earned a single point during this opening stretch of six games inside twenty three days. They may have ended a four game losing streak with a draw at home, but they are already two games deep into yet another losing streak. There just seems to be so many things going wrong these days at FC Ryukyu and there isn’t one, two, or three, simple solutions to the bevy of problems facing the team. Sure, a win would help, but would it only paper over the large existing cracks? We cannot stop other teams from scoring while we ourselves cannot score even a single goal in games. How can you fix that and how can they recover? The likely answer is, you may not be able to. But then there is Zweigen Kanazawa, who, are feeling pretty good these days as they are undefeated on the road and knocking on the door of the promotion playoff zone.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

Hopefully the thunderstorms and rain clear out before kickoff. If not, it will only add to the misery.

Click>>>> Match Day Info from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu enter this match having lost their last two games while also losing six (6) of their last (7) games. Ryukyu haven’t won since match day four which is now over a month and half ago. We were shutout the last two games and the offense, if there ever really was one, has ground to a complete halt. It is an absolute night and day difference compared to this time last season when Ryukyu were one of the best defensive units in J2. This season, they are the absolute worst.

FC Ryukyu have surrendered multiple goals in every game this year but two. One was just recently at home to Gunma but Ryukyu have failed to record a single shutout of their opponent since week one of the 2022 season. To make matters worse, Ryukyu have only scored multiple goals in games three times of which two resulted in a loss and a draw. So not scoring, and cannot stop others from scoring. I don’t know if there is a solution to their woes as the changes that have been made, with whatever healthy personnel we have left, has not worked. We may just need to prepare ourselves mentally for a season in which nothing will go right as we fall back into the J3.

And that sucks! It was great seeing Ryukyu earn promotion in 2018, but now it seems that if they cannot do it on skill, luck, and a limited budget, we are probably best suited for lower league football. Averaging less than 1,700 fans per game is not sustainable for a club with any ambitions. In fact, it is likely a contentious point within the ownership and management of this club that they cannot seem to grow attendance here in Okinawa despite all their efforts. Corona killed the buildup they were attempting to achieve after 2019, the new Ryukyu Golden Kings stadium is a far better sports venue than what FC Ryukyu currently possess, and there has been almost no update on the status of their new stadium in Naha. If we drop, would anyone approve funding for a new stadium here in Okinawa during these cash strapped times?

Things are not going to get any easier for Ryukyu in the near term as they face two opponents inside the top half of the table within three days of one another. As I said the other day, it looks highly unlikely that Ryukyu will earn their first home win of the season this week, and likely not for a long period of time. They need a serious injection of offense to overcome the deficits they place themselves in each week and I for one have no idea where that is going to come from. Paso & Vinicius time? Why not? We’ve tried everything else to no end these past few weeks.

Zweigen Kanazawa: Zweigen are in really good form these days as they’ve only lost once in their past seven (7) matches. Like Ryukyu, Zweigen have yet to win at home in the opening quarter of the season, but they haven’t lost on the road all season. In their last five (5) games Zweigen own a 2-2-1 record with wins over Oita and Tochigi, draws with Kumamoto and Mito, and the lone loss to Ventforet Kofu. But instead of me providing you a limited perspective as an outsider, James Taylor of @kanazawadreamin’ and the host of the @JTalkET podcast has kindly agreed to provide a much richer insight into Kanazawa this week.

“It’s been a good start to the season for us, especially away from home. I think we’re set up to counter attack and so far, it’s worked most of the time. At home, performances have been reasonable but the results haven’t followed yet. The standout players in my opinion have been the full backs, Yuto Nagamine on the left and Riku Matsuda on the right. Nagamine is in his first full season and has been pinging in excellent crosses for the likes of Yohei Toyoda. Matsuda clearly learned a lot in a difficult 2021 and is putting it to good use, contributing more to the attack but also committing fewer mistakes in defense. “

“Winger Sho Hiramatsu is playing well, has a couple of goals and seems to be in high confidence at the moment. Masamichi Hayashi is our top scorer, while Honoya Shoji is keeping things tight at the back. I would be very surprised if our away form continues in this vein for much longer, but I also expect our home results to pick up. I think we’ll still be top half come the halfway point of the season, but I think a playoff push will be out of reach this year.”

For Whom the Bell Tolls

I ran a poll this weekend asking when people thought Ryukyu would make a change at manager. A lot of people felt it would be at the conclusion of the Zweigen Kanazawa match pending another disappointing result. Still, a fair amount of people believe there will be no change and you can’t count that reality either. A change at manager in the midweek would force one of the coaches into a caretaker role with such a short turnaround before the Niigata match in just two days time. Ryukyu will now play four (4) games in eleven (11) days so ay change will likely see a caretaker in charge for the duration of those matches, or no change at all.

Are we looking at potential candidates to replace Kina? Have we reached out to them to gauge their level of interest in managing a J2 side at the bottom of the table requiring a massive overhaul in the way they prepare and play matches? I hope there is someone out there qualified enough, and motivated enough, to accept the position if the management finally decides that enough is enough. But for now, all we can do is hope and pray that Ryukyu turn things around internally despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Round 12 in J2

A clash near the top of the table is this weeks standout fixture with (1) Yokohama FC taking on the not so distant but still not a derby (5) Machida Zelvia. Elsewhere we have (2) Vegalta Sendai taking on (13) Roasso Kumamoto who are undefeated in their last three games, and (3) Tokyo Verdy taking on (9) Ventforet Kofu who are on a three game winning streak themselves.

Likely that there is no change at the bottom of the table as all three sides at the bottom take on teams sitting inside, or very near, the promotion playoff portion of the table. The free J-League International YouTube broadcast this week will feature (10) Tokushima Vortis taking on (15) Montedio Yamagata at home. As always, the link can be found under the picture.

Click>>>> J-League Int’l YouTube Channel

Conclusion

Thanks again to James for providing that piece on Kanazawa during a short week and busy schedule. I think Zweigen’s fine road form will notch another victory in their belt this week as Ryukyu have done more for the tourism industry in Okinawa this year than any go-to campaign could ever accomplish. Come, enjoy the lovely island, take in a bit of culture, enjoy the food, watch a match, and as a parting gift, your team can leave with all three points.

(5) Vegalta Sendai vs (22) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu find themselves in the middle of one of their toughest stretches of games this season, with many fans questioning the longevity of their beleaguered manager Kina, while rolling out some rather uninspiring performances the last six weeks. A couple of weeks ago I talked about the importance of looking at results of the team both preceding and following lengthy losing streaks. Ryukyu snapped the losing streak at four games, but seem to be headed down a similar path once more. On the other hand, Sendai are looking to rebound from their recent loss and continue their push upwards inside the promotion zone.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

Decent weather forecast with no calls for rain. Over to you @tpen18

Match Day Info from Vegalta Sendai

Team Previews

Vegalta Sendai: Sendai started the season out in good form by going undefeated in their first five matches. Since then, they’ve suffered three losses, with a pair of wins, in their bid to make it back to the J1. They lost last week at Yokohama FC after securing the lead in the first half. But a pair of goals from Koki Ogawa within a span of four minutes swung the momentum in Yokohama’s favor.

Sendai’s two wins also saw them scoring early in games but they were able to hang onto leads in those matches. In the losses prior to the pair of victories Sendai surrendered three (3) goals in consecutive weeks. Their performances seem to be a bit all over the map this season, but I’d take that any day compared to what we are experiencing here at Ryukyu. Sendai have recorded three shutouts this season, but none since match day 4. They’ve also allowed their opponents, in which some could have been meaningless times of the match, to score two or more goals five (5) times. This is likely a very nice ‘get back on track’ game for Sendai with an opponent not offering up much resistance these days.

FC Ryukyu: “Uh-Oh, we’re in trouble. Somethings come along and burst our bubble. Yeah-Yeah.” I cannot get that 90s JPOP song out of my head the last few days and it seems frighteningly poignant. Ryukyu are 0-1-4 over their last five games in which they’ve surrendered sixteen (16) goals while scoring seven (7) of their own. The only question these days seems to be how bad games will end for Ryukyu? Sure, stranger things have happened but based on past performances any outcome this weekend that isn’t disappointing seems a long way off.

The Hot Seat For Whom the Bell Tolls

Though all of Ryukyu’s troubles may not fall squarely on the shoulders of Kina, he will likely be the one that has to answer for the failings of the club. That is, if Ryukyu decide to move on. Clearly things are not going according to plan with the 1-2-7 record being the biggest indicator. How much longer will we need to wait for change? If change doesn’t occur, then what are we led to believe as fans? The clock is ticking and the window to recover the season is slowly closing. Perhaps Kina has been told by management that if he doesn’t win the next few games, he will be gone. But then again, we no nothing of the internal discussions at the club.

Round 11 in J2

A couple of matches already kicked off this week’s schedule with Zweigen Kanazawa defeating Oita Trinita on the road and Tokushima Vortis defeating Iwate at home to the tune of 5-0. There is another game kicking off today with Roasso Kumamoto hosting Fagiano Okayama before the big slate of games on Saturday. The lone Sunday game features Thespakusatsu Gunma hosting Blaublitz Akita which just so happens to be the free J-League International YouTube broadcast.

Click>>>> JLeague Free YouTube Broadcast

Conclusion

Not really expecting a lot from this game but I would like to see some aggression, passion, and a general sense of frustration at the way things are going from some of our players. I do care about whether or not we win, but if we don’t, I’d be perfectly content seeing a player run through a Sendai player, dusting him, just to earn a straight red card. At least we’d know they are alive and pissed off about their current situation.

(21) FC Ryukyu vs (6) Thespakusatsu Gunma #FC琉球

Intro

This game for Ryukyu begins a stretch of matches where they will play six (6) games inside of twenty three (23) days. Make no mistake, this is a hugely important run of games for both Ryukyu, and their manager Kina. Because if they don’t come out of this with a decent amount of points, then we may see the earliest managerial change for in the history of Ryukyu. On the other hand, Gunma is enjoying one of their better starts in the J2 this season on the back of some impressive defensive performances. They are probably feeling pretty confident this week and will look to continue their current winning streak against a side that has yet to win at home all season.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

Cloudy, no too hot, but always the prospect of rain on Okinawa despite the low probability of it actually raining. I usually try to post these previews about 48 hours out from the match and though I’ve been wrong on the weather before, rightfully called out on this – thanks @stuartcw and sorry about the YFC weather lol – if I could predict the correct weather I’d also predict our scores each week. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst is the safe bet.

Click>>>> Match Day Info from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: By the time this run of games is over, Ryukyu will have played more than one-third of their matches this season. Can we realistically expect Ryukyu to earn double digit points over their next six games? Would we consider it a failure if they didn’t? It will be no easy task as Ryukyu’s next four games are all against teams currently ranked 4-7 in the table, followed by one of our longest road trips of the season during the mid week, and finally against a team inside the top 10 that is enjoying the new boy bounce in the J2. It seems like a very large ask of Ryukyu to earn a decent amount of points over the next three and half weeks.

There is no doubt we are in a bit of striker injury crisis at the moment but that is not to say that Kusano cannot do the job while awaiting the return of those who are injured, or so we suspect are injured sine we have no news from the club on their status. Kiyotake has also been playing really well on the offense side of the house but has that unfortunate thing going for him where he seems to be indirectly involved in the areas where the opposition scores their goals against Ryukyu. Kanai played well against Yokohama FC, obviously as he scored our only goal and had another lovely chance, and perhaps that is because we cannot find a way to get both Ikeda and Kiyotake into the lineup at the same time. Ikeda never looked comfortable playing out wide in the 4-4-2, and is better suited as a CAM, but Kiyotake is doing so well there these days it is hard to imagine him being unseated if we stick to a 4-2-3-1.

One thing for certain was we definitely needed to see a change at LB as I think the days of Numata as a regular starter have come to an end as what we really need there is a little more pace and stamina to support us on both ends of the pitch. Now, what do we do in the central defending areas of Ryukyu? We made a change in central defense following the loss to JEF when the young duo of Nakagawa and Omori were replaced with a combination of either player and Okazaki, but we do not know if that was due to injury or lack of confidence in those players by the manager. We haven’t even seen Nakagawa since the Renofa match and Omori seems to only be an emergency central defending substitute at this point.

Sure, Yong Jick has put forth the effort, but as I said at the start of the season, we cannot replace Chinen’s skill, but we can replace his tenacity and drive. And I believe that is what we have with the young defenders on loan. The problem is we (Kina) haven’t shown any faith in these players through the growing pains that will naturally occur to allow them to develop into better players. And to what end? It is not as if we are shutting down teams on a consistent basis to see out leads for wins with our current central defending pair. A change at CB must be made to allow Omori and Nakagawa to develop, which will not be an overnight change, as we already know what we’ve got back there these days based on the last five games. Then again, Nakagawa may be injured and since the club has released zero injury news this season for any of our players and therefore this might just be wishful thinking.

Thespakusatsu Gunma: Gunma started the season with a win and two draws before a streak where they had two straight games with a 1-0 score line (1 loss and 1 win), followed by consecutive 2-3 defeats, but then won two (2) games in a row heading into their matchup with Ryukyu. All four of Gunma’s wins this season have been by one (1) goal and they have already recorded four (4) shutouts this season. Gunma are a team similar to Okayama in that they haven’t scored a lot of goals – zero games with more than 2 goals scored – but they certainly don’t surrender a lot either.

Gunma has three (3) wins and two (2) losses over their last five games. In two of those losses they surrendered three (3) goals in consecutive matches. Which is roughly three quarters of the entire goals they’ve conceded all season. Masatoshi Kushibiki was outstanding in net versus JEF where he made save after save to give Gunma the win after an early 7th minute goal. Gunma’s defending let them down the following week in which Niigata jumped out to a two goal lead within the opening twenty minutes. This was followed by both sides trading goals and then a stoppage time goal by Gunma to finish 2-3.

It was almost a similar story the following match against Nagasaki where Gunma found themselves in similar territory being down two goals by the twenty minute mark. But Gunma were able to draw level midway through the second half before a mishandling of a Cristiano shot by Kushibiki found its way over the line. Gunma were able to turn things around after the two heavy losses in quick succession the following week against Mito. Gunma opened the scoring before a handball by one of their defenders allowed Mito back in the game with a PK goal. Gunma utilized some excellent penetrating runs from their attackers, which seems to be an enduring trait of this side, to grab an 80th minute goal for the win.

Gunma’s most recent win came on the road at Morioka where Kushibiki regained the good form he was enjoying against JEF when he made a beautiful double save to keep the score level before an 89th minute goal secured the victory for Gunma. So what can we expect from Gunma this match? If you fail to run at them, in order to find space in their defense, an instead opt to slowly build your attack, Ryukyu will most likely suffer the same defeats of JEF, Mito and Morioka. Gunma looked good defending set pieces in some of their recent games and if Kushibiki is once again in form, it will make life very difficult for Ryukyu. If you attack them like Niigata and Nagasaki did, with diagonal passes and quick changes in direction, we should be able to create enough chances on net to score goals. But keep in mind, the same things can be said about Ryukyu’s defense and we could easily see Gunma tearing apart our backline with the quality runs into the box by their attacking players.

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. Maintain Focus. Likelihood 1. Definitely the most important one as when Ryukyu check out of games, goals are scored, momentum is lost and points are dropped. Ryukyu’s preferred style of playing it out from the back seems to invite more pressure on a team that already concedes loads of possession and chances to the opposition. In fact, it feels as if there are large stretches of games where Ryukyu barely touches the ball and affords their opponents multiple chances on net with no Ryukyu answer in return. Starting fast and finishing strong our extremely important in games, but right now it seems that Ryukyu need to win the middle third of matches where they seem to be the most vulnerable right now.

The Hot Seat

Last week I wondered if Ryukyu failed to win against Okayama, would it be their worst start to any season since joining the J-League in 2014? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding yes. Even if Ryukyu win the match on Saturday, it is their lowest point total in the opening ten fixtures of any season and the first ever season to register less than double digit points by this point of a season. Also, a win would only tie the least amount of wins in the opening ten fixtures for any year they’ve spent in the J2.

Ryukyu’s lowest win total to open any season was two (2) back in 2020 but they did manage to earn ten (10) points by their 10th game in a non relegation year. Ryukyu’ previous point totals in ten matches since 2014: 11 points (2014 and 2015), 18 points (2016), 13 points (2017), 15 points (2018) while in the J3, but the stakes were not nearly as high as there was no fear of relegation, and the competition was not nearly as tough. Ryukyu grabbed four (4) wins from their opening four (4) fixtures in 2019 and had reached sixteen (16) points by match day ten, but managed only five (5) more wins the rest of the season. And we all recall the blistering pace Ryukyu were on in 2021 when they had twenty four (24) points by match day ten. Basically, Ryukyu are in some unchartered waters these days.

The point mark that usually symbolizes relative safety in the J2 hovers between 40-42 points. 2020 was an anomaly as there was no relegation that year but that total would’ve needed to be closer to fifty (50) points. Ryukyu currently sit on five points and don’t necessarily end seasons on the highest of highs. In fact, we usually succumb to a mid season slump which, if were repeated this year, would be the final nails in our coffin. There are thirty three (33) games remaining in which Ryukyu must somehow make it to at least 42 points. And when you are struggling for wins at this point of the season, there is no such thing as a let up in your schedule based on your opponents current standing in the table.

The next six (6) fixtures should really determine the fate of Kina as it is probably too condensed of a schedule to make a managerial change inside of that run of games, but does leave enough (hopefully) time in the fixture list to find a suitable replacement. Any replacement will likely need at least 5-7 games to install their system but will still have the opportunity to seek reinforcements in the summer transfer window. That is assuming the club is thinking the same thing and preparing to do as such.

J2 Round 10

So we get a taste of a top of the table clash between two of last seasons relegated teams when (1) Yokohama FC take on (4) Vegalta Sendai at home. And it also happens to be the featured match of the week on the free J-League International YouTube channel. What a treat! For the rest, it seems like a pretty straight forward fixture list of teams in the top half of the table against those in the bottom half with a few games interspersed among teams close to one another in the table. (17) Tokushima Vortis lost their first game of the season last week, have not scored a goal in four (4) games and face (20) Mito Hollyhock on the road in a game that some Ryukyu fans will probably be keeping a close eye on the results.

Click>>> Yokohama FC vs Vegalta Sendai

Conclusion

We can hope, pray, and wish Ryukyu to victory all we want as fans but at the end of the day it comes down to the physical and mental preparations of the team as well as the desire and will of each member of the squad to succeed. Players may have great performances individually, but the entire team must put forth a good effort this weekend. Turnovers are inevitable in any game, but cannot be costly due to players losing focus. Conceding goals will happen, but cannot be treated as if we’ve already lost the game. Leads can, and have been, lost in games so we should never get complacent regardless of the score line. What we need is for a few veterans, on a team full of veterans, to take charge on both ends of the pitch. Yeah, the low point total sucks, but you need to start the climb up and out somewhere. We put our foot on the first rung of the ladder last week. Let’s take the first step up it this week.