2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu earned their 11^th win of the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Tochigi SC this past Sunday. The win sees FC Ryukyu’s point total climb to 43 and puts them 13 points clear of the drop zone with only a handful of games remaining. In other words, we can reasonably assume that FC Ryukyu are safe from relegation in their first season in the J2. It was also the second time in a row that FC Ryukyu earned a victory on the road, a feat they have never done this year prior to this weekend.

Match Recap

Starting 11 and reserves for both sides. Courtesy of the J League website.

There were some notable omissions from the FC Ryukyu starting 11 this week. Shinji Ono and Yu Tomidokoro were replaced by Koki Kazama and Shuto Kawai. The Shinji move was most likely necessitated after he picked up a knock last week against Verdy. Kawai, on the other hand, was a bit more noteworthy. First, it is great to see Kawai get back to full health as his speed brings a vital element to the FC Ryukyu attack (more on that later). Second, the move signaled to me that Higuchi may have game planned for needing speed to hit Tochigi on the counter if FC Ryukyu were not going to have large amounts of possession. This was certainly a shock as the starting lineup rarely changes for FC Ryukyu based on our opponent’s apparent strengths and weaknesses, rather, it changes due to injury, suspension or players experiencing a loss of form. A welcome sign nonetheless.

There was not really much to report on in the first half of this game. FC Ryukyu looked slow to start the match and were not offering much in the attack. In fact, FC Ryukyu seemed fixated on attacking down the right side but were either bogged down or would lose possession in the Tochigi deep right end. Tochigi, on the other hand, threw all they had at us in the first half and really pressed hard to get out in front. They made calls for a possible handball from Tokumoto in the box following an overhead kick but the ref was not having any of it. Tochigi nearly broke the deadlock when a header bounced across the face of goal and harmlessly out of bounds.

FC Ryukyu’s one good opportunity came from a nice little give-and-go between Kawai and Yamada but the shot from Kawai had no real power or placement behind it and the keeper had no problem saving the shot. FC Ryukyu suffered what could be a very catastrophic injury to RB, Yuya Torikai, early in the first half. A Tochigi player came down on the inside of Torika’s right boot and though he tried to continue after initially spending several minutes on the ground, he eventually succumbed to the injury and was replaced by Uehara. That is not a typo. A striker came on at RB as FC Ryukyu dressed zero defenders on the bench for this match. I would’ve thought that a CDM or MF would’ve slid into the RB role but it was our striker. This was a bit odd as Uehara rarely plays more than 15-20 minutes per match and was now going to be asked to defend, and to play for +75 minutes. In any case, both sides headed into half time at 0-0.

FC Ryukyu started better in the second half and the Tochigi attack sort of fizzled out around the 67-minute mark when their best effort that half was saved by Dany Carvajal. FC Ryukyu did really well to absorb Tochigi’s best efforts and were now primed to go on the attack. The break through occurred in the 79^th minute when Koki found Uejo in between 2 Tochigi defenders on the left side of the Tochigi 18-yard box. Uejo did really well to let the ball roll across his body and then sent a well-aimed shot past the diving Tochigi defender giving FC Ryukyu the 1-0 lead.

With only 10 minutes remaining Tochigi were now forced to throw more into attack in hopes of equalizing which played directly into Higuchi’s strategy for hitting Tochigi on the counter. Now, the Torikai injury most likely disrupted the original game plan of bringing on Uehara late, with 1-2 MFs possibly coming on for Kawai and Koki. It didn’t matter as Kawai and Uehara were both up to task and played the full 90 and 75 minutes respectfully. In fact, Higuchi never used his 3^rd sub this game which is a bit of a shame as Ramon deserved a run out after getting back to match fitness this week.

Tochigi had one more opportunity to tie the match very late in the 4^th minute of stoppage time. A Tochigi deflected shot fell to another attacker who was able to find a wide-open Tochigi attacker inside the 18-yard box. Fortunately for FC Ryukyu, the Tochigi player miss hit the shot and it was sent wide out of bounds and harmlessly away from the Ryukyu net.

FC Ryukyu did score one more time this match when Uejo bagged his second on the day for a brace. The goal was one of the best team goals I’ve seen by this team all season. The play started from a Tokumoto long pass down the middle where Yamada then back-heeled it to a sprinting Kawai, whose run down the middle caused the Tochigi defenders to pinch in thus allowing Uejo all sorts of space out wide. Kawai waited until the very end and then found Uejo with a pass who promptly slotted home his 13^th goal of the campaign.

The goal was the very last play of the game and everyone could see the importance of this win all over the faces of the coaches and players.

Box score. Courtesy of the J League website.

Man of the Match

#14, FWD, Satoki Uejo. 2 really well taken goals and so much has been said already. Honorable mentions to Dany Carvajal for keeping his 3rd clean sheet in a row on the road and Uehara for playing out of position for the remainder of the match.

Review of the keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu on Match Day 37

1. Defend set pieces from Tochigi. PASS. FC Ryukyu blanked Tochigi but had to make it interesting along the way. Ryukyu surrendered plenty of early CKs and FKs for Tochigi and did well to prevent any goals.

2. Finish in front of goal. PASS. See Uejo’s two goals.

3. Pay attention on defense and defend against long balls over the top. PASS. Tochigi never attempted many of these and FC Ryukyu did defend well on Sunday.

4. Exploit the new Tochigi goal keeper. PASS. Only because we won 2-0 but we had so few shots on net that tested the keeper. There were long stretches of no offense by Ryukyu this game but they made it count when they needed too.

Match Day 37 Prediction

I said the match could end 1-0 in either direction but it was FC Ryukyu who did the business on Sunday.

Match Day 37 Takeaways

1. FC Ryukyu face a real selection crisis at RB as both Torikai and Nishioka are injured. Nishioka is out at least 3 weeks with no updates at the time of this entry on the Torikai injury. Torikai’s injury was bad enough that he didn’t want to put any weight on his foot and was stretched off, possibly all the way to the bench/locker room. We cannot expect Uehara to play RB going forward and since we rarely ever know if any of the reserve players are dealing with injuries, what is the side going to do?

I don’t think the club can recall Masutani from Okayama, who at least has RB experience, and I am not sure where Nishikawa has disappeared too after his appearances in July and August. Jumpei Arai featured in the opening match of the season but that is it as far as FC Ryukyu defenders with match day experience this season. Maybe it is time to dress the youngster, Daniel Sanches, and push Fukui out to RB, a position he has played this season due to other Ryukyu injuries. Other than that, I am not sure of the fitness levels, or whereabouts, for Miyauchi, Rion Fukui, Naito and Hanafusa, who may also not be with the club at the moment.

2. FC Ryukyu also dodged a bullet when Fukui picked up a very early yellow card. Had he been sent off at any point in the match, it would have left FC Ryukyu with only 2 defenders on the pitch. Granted, this did not happen but as we’ve all seen, Fukui can make some rash challenges at times and puts himself dangerously close to getting sent off during games. In that regards, this was a very physical match some very hard tackling occurring from both sets of players. Tochigi were guilty on more than one occasion and one of their players was lucky to only be yellow carded, not red carded, for a studs-up challenge that cleaned out the Ryukyu player.

3. FC Ryukyu’s road form has greatly improved over the course of their last 4 matches. In fact, FC Ryukyu are unbeaten in their last 4 road matches. They’ve drawn twice, and then won twice in a row with those 8 points proving to be a real difference in the short term. I have been harping on the fact that the road form of this club needed to improve or else they could be facing a relegation scrap. Well, after losing 6 straight road games, FC Ryukyu have finally done what needed to be done and earned some victories on the road. Granted, those matches were against Kanazawa, Machida, Fukuoka and Tochigi. All teams in, around and below Ryukyu in the table but that doesn’t matter as they should be beating these clubs. Again, a great turn around at a crucial time of the season.

4. The second goal from Uejo displayed so many things that it needs to be discussed more than just as goal that ultimately sealed the victory for Ryukyu on Sunday. First, and back to my soap box, I have been screaming to get more speed into the FC Ryukyu attack all year. Speed scares defenders and Kawai had their undivided attention when he was running right at the central defenders at full tilt. There was no way either one of the Tochigi defenders alone was going to match Kawai’s speed thus forcing a reinforcement to pinch in. This created acres of space of Uejo to run into and eventually finish from. We’ve seen this before from Ryukyu. If you recall the Kyoto Sanga match, Kawai’s speed allowed him to get in and around the back line and resulted in Ryukyu tying the match.

Second, it was one of the best team goals by this club all season. Aside from the aforementioned Kawai goal against Kyoto, the other one was the Tanaka finish against Omiya Ardija way back on match day 2. Finally, it is going to be nearly impossible to prevent larger clubs from acquiring the services of Uejo next year. Though he made it look easy at the end there, he still had a lot to do with the finish. The Tochigi goal keeper rightly anticipated that Kawai would ultimately pass to Uejo and he though came out to cut down the angle, Uejo has become such a lethal finisher when given time and space. He simply cannot be denied in front of goal. Look at all of the goals Uejo has scored this year and there are so many that are top quality. Finishing with flair is something all to its own.

J2 Games of Note on Match Day 37

Conclusion

FC Ryukyu welcome Omiya Ardija to town for their next to last home game this season. Omiya are coming off a shocking 3-2 defeat at home to Tokushima Vortis and likely seeking revenge against FC Ryukyu for the earlier 4-3 defeat they suffered on match day 2. It is hard to not celebrate the fact that FC Ryukyu have most likely hit the expected point total for safety without remaining at least guarded until it’s all but certain. In any event, I’d like to see the side give the fans two respectable results with their remaining home games. Generating attendance numbers in the near future will become tougher and tougher with the introduction of a new basketball stadium and baseball team in Okinawa, and though they’ve improved the numbers this year, they are not nearly at the level required to generate income that drives operating budgets and promotes long term sustainability in the upper echelons of the J League. Great win boys and see you next week.

Cover photo from J League.

“Green with Envy” Match Day 36 Report: FC Ryukyu 1-5 Tokyo Verdy 10/12/2019

Intro

Not the sort of performance you were hoping for coming off of 5 games unbeaten by FC Ryukyu but nonetheless, the side suffered another heavy defeat, this time in front of the home crowd of 4,800 on Saturday. The loss, while infuriating, does not put FC Ryukyu in any worse of position than they started match day 36. While that may sound encouraging, it seems the team took a big step backwards on Saturday night with that performance and I hope its simply a one-off rather than indicative of future performances.

Match Recap

When you are pasted 5-1 at home there is not much to report on, however, I am sure it was enjoyable for both the neutral and casual football fan with all those goals. The overall sense I gleaned form the match was that FC Ryukyu were not able to capitalize on their opportunities whereas Tokyo Verdy did just that. Verdy’s first goal came in the 25^th minute of the first half but FC Ryukyu had lenty chances of their own and were never outmatched by the Verdy defense. Again, it was just poor finishing in front of goal that sunk this side on Saturday. Yu flashed just high of the goal and then in typical fashion of matches like this one, Verdy hit us on a counter for a 2-0 lead.

Most of Verdy’s goals this past Saturday followed a very distinct pattern. Verdy were able to pull apart our defense with quick, accurate passes back across the pitch to change the direction of attack. FC Ryukyu could simply not recover in time to defend against the open attacker which lead to wide open looks on net. The second Verdy goal saw Torikai getting caught flat footed on a run by a Verdy attacker followed with a long over the top ball that Koike was able to get underneath and rip past our defense for a breakaway on Dany. The second Verdy goal was followed in quick succession by a 3^rd when once again, the Ryukyu defense was caught out and though Dany may have done better to get a hand to it and deflect it away from goal, the ball went slightly underneath his arm and into the bottom left corner of goal.

FC Ryukyu came out strong to start the second half and Uejo scored one of the goals of the year from a shot from distance. It was the type of shot that left the Verdy Goal Keeper completely stunned and immobilized as he assumed it was going high over the bar. Instead, the ball had so much dip on it, it went over the keeper and just inside the cross bar where it bounced off the crossbar and into the bottom of the net. Simply amazing. Uejo also had another opportunity from distance that tested the Verdy keeper and he made an awkward save on it to basically chest it out of bounds so I assume there was some swerve and dip on that shot from Uejo as well.

While that gave a flicker of hope for the home crowd, that flame was extinguished very quickly by a Verdy goal 4 minutes later on a counter attack and the fifth in the 69^th minute. The match ended 5-1 and there isn’t much more to recap.

Starting Lineups & Subs for Match Day 36. Courtesy of the J League website.

Lots of red on the right (wrong!) side. Courtesy of the J League website.

Man of the Match

#19 MF Junki Kokie of Tokyo Verdy. Bagged a hat-trick and was devastating to the Ryukyu defense.

Review of FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory for Match Day 36

1. Score from Corner Kicks. FAIL. Obviously since our only goal was from the open run of play by Uejo. However, FC Ryukyu looked better on corner kicks with deliveries from both Koya and Shinji. Their delivery is far better than I have seen on these normal set pieces and hopefully FC Ryukyu will be able to grab a goal or two from a CK in the near future.

2. Hammer Verdy on the Counter Attack. PASS. Uejo’s goal began with a Verdy giveaway in their end and FC Ryukyu were able to hit them on the break. The irony is, Verdy were more aggressive and more lethal in their counter attacks all night.

Match Day 36 Prediction

Of course, predict a FC Ryukyu 2-1 victory and get rewarded with a 5-1 drubbing.

Match Day 36 Takeaways

1. The defensive performance was particularly poor on Saturday and watching Verdy pull us apart on what seemed to be “training ground practice stuff” was hard to watch. Ryukyu defenders were often caught flat footed and Verdy were able to exploit that with deep runs past our defenders and onto long over the top balls. Ryukyu didn’t have the speed to match Verdy and this resulted in several breakaways and free looks on net. Also, the Ryukyu defenders would pinch in and leave our flanks exposed to runs, passes and crosses. Verdy showed the rest of the league how to quickly and repeatedly unlock our defense so this needs to be addressed in the near term before we see out the season with 6 straight losses.

2. Tokumotu did his bet, the combo of Pariaba and Klebinho were too much for one man to handle. In fact, he wasn’t getting much help over the top. It was a good battle to watch but we need some better defending from our mid fielders.

Match Day 36 around J2

The typhoon forced some matches to be abandoned or rescheduled and there were some interesting results this past extended match day 36 weekend.

*Still a ton to play for the top 9 sides in the table. Courtesy of J League website.*

Coming down to a photo finish at the bottom. Courtesy of J League website.

Conclusion

Best to erase this loss from everyone’s memory and move on. FC Ryukyu have 2 home game remaining against Omiya and Kyoto and hopefully we’ll be able to celebrate this sides one last time at home with a win but it looks like a long shot at this point. However, we could, and should, be celebrating some FC Ryukyu road wins the remainder of the campaign. FC Ryukyu are on the road this Sunday against Tochigi SC in a very winnable game that would once again seal safety for the boys.

“Lordy, Lordy, Look who’s at 40!” Match Day 35 Report: Avispa Fukuoka 0-1 FC Ryukyu 10/5/2019

Intro

It took 217 days and 2 hours but FC Ryukyu have finally won their second road game this season. FC Ryukyu sealed the win via a 90^th minute goal by none other than Uehara. Uehara has scored some huge goals for the club this campaign, and his latest helped put to bed one of the longest winless runs by any J2 side away from home this season. However, the job isn’t done and FC Ryukyu need to see out the upcoming fixtures to guarantee their safety.

Match Recap

FC Ryukyu came out quickly and controlled a majority of the play in the opening 20 minutes of the first half. The only problem was the FC Ryukyu attack couldn’t break down the Avispa back line and often our attacks would stall out near the top of the 18-yard box. Then the momentum swung in the direction of Fukuoka beginning in the 23^rd minute.

Fukuoka really enjoyed acres of space with plenty of time down our right side, their left and had four attempts from there within 7 or 8 minutes. They nearly opened the scoring had it not been for the cross being slightly behind the Fukuoka attacker, who was alone on goal. The give-and-go passes Fukuoka were executing in this stretch really opened up the shooting lanes and Ryukyu were lucky that the shots were either miss hit or off target. Fukuoka were also a bit lucky in this half to not have a player sent off.

Their forward #9, Yang Donghyen was lucky not be carded after a heated exchange with the referee. Yang was lucky the referee showed tremendous restraint because technically this infraction warranted a yellow card. Yang was also involved in a horribly timed challenge in the opening minutes that should’ve seen his first yellow card. Regardless, the game proceeded on and Dany Carvajal was called into action to maintain the 0-0 score line.

Dany made 2 really nice saves within a span of 2 minutes to keep the score level. The first save included a save from the initial shot and then recovery to collect a deflection that was heading in for an own goal. The second, was one of his best this season when Fukuoka once again had a free look on net and despite Dany diving in the opposite direction, he got an arm to the shot to deflect it out of bounds for a corner kick. The half would end 0-0 thanks to this man.

Much how the first half ended with Fukuoka on the front foot, the second half started the same way. Tokumoto had a great opportunity to put FC Ryukyu in front when he was left wide open down the left side and alone in the box with only the keeper to beat in the 61st minute. It seems Tokumoto opted for power over placement with the shot and the hard struck ball went straight into the side netting. Though Ryukyu failed to score at that moment, it resulted in a shift of momentum back in Ryukyu’s direction.

The introduction of Koizumi quickly saw an uptick in chances for Ryukyu. Ryukyu were flashing in front of goal but couldn’t get anything on net or past Serantes, who had already made a tremendous first half save on Koya. Uejo was fouled inside the box but a call by ref never came so the game headed into the last 10 minutes plus stoppage time.

Right after Uehara came on in the 80th minute, Yamada had a free look on net from the left side. However, his shot, much like Tokumoto’s, missed and the score remained level. It wasn’t until the 89^th minute when a Fukuoka player mishandled a clearance with his hand leading to an FC Ryukyu free kick deep in Fukuoka territory.

The free kick was unspectacular but when Fukuoka attempted to clear it from danger, it fell to Kazama who recycled the ball back into the box where there players from both sides everywhere. After the ball took a few deflections, it landed at the feet of Uehara who was alone near the 6-yard box and sent a low screamer to the bottom right corner of the Avispa goal past the diving Serantes. Ryukyu would now need to see out the remaining stoppage time in order to achieve their first victory on the road in well over 7 months. Luckily there was only 3 nervy minutes of stoppage time though Fukuoka never really threatened the Ryukyu goal and then bedlam ensued, at least from where I was watching the match.

Man of the Match

Dany Carvajal GK FC Ryukyu. Dany recorded his second shutout in consecutive weeks and was one of the main reasons why FC Ryukyu were able to walk away from Fukuoka with all 3 points. There were 2 highlight reel saves that everyone should watch for validation of Dany’s performance on Saturday.

Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1. Exploit Avispa’s weakness at defending passes emanating from our deep lying MF. FAIL. FC Ryukyu attempted only a handful of these and none were on the mark. Avispa really packed it in at the back and made life difficult for the FC Ryukyu attack.

2. Pressure the Avispa back line with quick passes. FAIL. FC Ryukyu just couldn’t unlock the stingy Avispa defense on Saturday. The Ryukyu attack would often become to narrow and bog down near the top of the box. There were too many attempts at dribbling through the defenders instead of passing around them this past week.

3. Finish off drives with goals. FAIL/PASS. FC Ryukyu were never really able to finish off drives due to the fact that they only had 3 opportunities in front of the Avispa goal. The lone goal came from a recycled set piece near then end of the match.

4. Defend against Fukouka’s tendency to attack down their right side, FC Ryukyu’s left side. PASS. But only because Fukuoka found fertile hunting grounds down the left side of the Ryukyu defense. All of Fukuoka’s quality chances started down our left and you could see Fukuoka attempting to send a long cross into the box with the intent of having the striker head it back across goal or back out to waiting attacker in 6/18-yard box. Luckily for FC Ryukyu, Fukuoka were never able to capitalize on any of these attempts.

Match Day Prediction

I predicted 1-1 and was once again proven wrong. However, Fukuoka had their opportunities and nearly got on the score sheet on Saturday but all we care about is the 3 points.

Match Day 35 Takeaways

1. A Win, finally! This was a huge boost to the clubs hopes of staying in the J2 for next season and it has put some serious pressure on the teams below them in the bottom 3. It was nice to see Ryukyu break a ridiculously long win-less streak on the road and hopefully this will propel them throughout the rest of the season.

2. FC Ryukyu may have lost Shinji Ono to an ankle injury after the mid-fielder picked up a knock on his ankle late in the first half. The injury was severe enough to warrant a half time substitution by Higuchi and Shinji was seen with a large ice bag taped to his ankle on the bench.

3. It seems Highuchi is content with bringing on Kazama for Shinji and Uehara for one of the FC Ryukyu attackers in recent matches. And why not, as it has proven fruitful. This means FC Ryukyu only have 1 opportunity per game, to bring on an attacking player such as Kawai, Ramon – if match fit- or even Koizumi. It also means that FC Ryukyu cannot get a good look at their younger players with such limited opportunities late in games. At some point, FC Ryukyu will be safe from relegation and need to start seeing what they have in the reserves for the 2020 season because this will greatly influence their approach to transfers this off-season. Personally, I’d like to see what the attacking line of Uejo, Kawai, Koizumi and Koya could produce before 2 of those players return home. I think we can all assume with a great deal of confidence, that FC Ryukyu are likely to lose Uejo to a J1 or larger club this off-season and therefore, the club really needs to take a hard look at their prospects with the remaining games this season.

Match Day 35 around the J2 League

About 10 teams still vying for promotion to J1 with 7 matches remaining. From the J League website.

Different story down at the bottom with FC Gifu in real trouble, Tochigi looking to drag Kagoshima down, who, are trying to avoid relegation in their first J2 season. J League website.

Conclusion

It felt really good to watch FC Ryukyu finally earn all 3 points on the road. The experience was made even more memorable, as I was able to watch the match in the company of several FC Ryukyu fans at a public viewing party. I have attended a couple of these events throughout the season, along with some away matches, and they have felt more like funerals vice a party atmosphere. But all of that is in the past and FC Ryukyu sit at 40 points with a chance to end the season on a high note. Though we sit 10 points shy of the halfway mark in the table (11th place), it is not out of the realm of possibilities for FC Ryukyu to claw their way back up to the top half of the table. There is no doubt that the club have generated some serious momentum following a run of 5 games unbeaten and with a little more luck, we could find ourselves in a part of the table that we haven’t seen for some time.

“Status Quo Intact” Match Day 34 Report: Machida Zelvia 0-0 FC Ryukyu 9/29/2019

And the streaks continue! Machida Zelvia are still without a win at home and FC Ryukyu are still without a win on the road since March. Impressive or Depressing?

There really is not much to summarize from the 0-0 draw that played out this past Sunday. Both Zelvia and Ryukyu looked dominant during parts of the match and it really was a game of missed opportunities by both sides. Zelvia created some trouble for our back line and their best chance rang off the post. Ryukyu’s best chance came off a header where Uejo went horizontal on a shot that ended up being saved by the keeper. Had he struck the ball down there is a chance it could of crept by the keeper on the bounce but it’s hard to criticize a guy who’s making a tremendous effort from that height, with little prep time for where he wants to place the shot.

Man of the Match

Dany Carvajal. The FC Ryukyu GK kept a clean sheet for the 4^th time this season and the draw extended FC Ryukyu’s current unbeaten run to 4 games. Dany made some quality saves throughout the game and is large reason why FC Ryukyu were able to secure a point on the road. His good form will be key to the club’s success in the coming weeks.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Play the match exactly as you did against Yamagata. FAIL. FC Ryukyu failed to score against an inferior opponent on the road as has been the case many times this season. They created some opportunities but should’ve really departed Tokyo on Sunday with all 3 points.

2. Continue the penetrating runs and precision passing from our deep lying MFs. FAIL. Didn’t see much of this at all during the match. This could be attributed to Zelvia anticipating this type of play by Ryukyu and defending against it, or, FC Ryukyu not wanting to get caught on the counter. Either way, it was shame as the FC Ryukyu bench has some speed that can exploit defenses and is necessary for each game going forward.

Match Prediction

I said 1-1 and it ended 0-0. Not much else to say on that.

Key Takeaways from Match Day 34

1. FC Ryukyu are unbeaten in 4 and this their longest unbeaten run since the start of the season. That is huge as most of us were probably anticipating fits and spurts for points going forward. Mainly in the form of the occasional win but every little bit helps. But yeah, a win on the road would be oh so nice.

2. It almost felt if either side were playing “not to lose” this past Sunday despite some of the near misses. The Kazama substitution for Shinji – which is what has occurred nearly every match to date- seemed like Higuchi never really wanted to go for the win and expose himself or our defense. Kazama is one of the Ryukyu CDM and with Koizumi starting, and both Ramon and Kawai match fit, why not put in an extra attacker and try to get something out of this match?

3. Neither side was luckier than the other on Sunday. Zelvia hit the post and Ryukyu nearly won the match on the last play when a header from a CK was just wide of the Zelvia left post. Guess what I am trying to say is that both sides will fell as if they let 3 points slip away on Sunday.

Conclusion

FC Ryukyu’s October schedule includes an away match to 18^th placed Fukuoka this week, followed by a home game against Tokyo Verdy (13^th place), a trip to 21^st placed Tochigi SC and then their next to last home game this season against promotion seeking side Omiya Ardija. On one hand, there are plenty of revenge game narratives this month as FC Ryukyu beat 3 out of the 4 sides they face this month as well as earned a late game draw against Verdy from a spectacular Uesato shot. On the other, there is also plenty of opportunity for FC Ryukyu to solidify their place in the J2 for 2020 with some favorable results. 5 points from the 4 matches would put FC Ryukyu at 42 points which has been touted as the magic number this year. Of course, as you all know by now, all that needs to happen is for FC Ryukyu to win a game or two on the road.

Photo Credits

Cover: William Gallagher from the FC Ryukyu Kanto Area Foreign Supporters Group

Dany Carvajal from JLeague website

“Hard Days Knight” Match Day 33 Report: FC Ryukyu 3-3 Montedio Yamagata 9/23/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu engineered a thrilling comeback against #2, Montedio Yamagata, this past Monday that also propelled FC Ryukyu back up to 15^th place in the J2 table. The draw also keeps FC Ryukyu 8 points clear of the drop zone with 9 games remaining. It was a vital point considering that many results in the league did not go FC Ryukyu’s way this past weekend. Draws by Fukuoka, Chiba and Zelvia, coupled together with a Tochigi victory over Kagoshima resulted in FC Ryukyu dropping to 18^th in the table at the time of kickoff. While many, including this author, didn’t give FC Ryukyu much of a chance at earning a positive result in the match, it was encouraging to see the side play much better than they did in the previous month.

First Half

The opening 15 minutes of the match saw FC Ryukyu and Yamagata trading chances but Yamagata’s were far more accurate than those of FC Ryukyu. Ishii, who started in place of the injured Dany Carvajal, was called into action twice in the first 11 minutes. On the flip side, Uejo’s two shots from distance, where way off target and never troubled the Yamagata keeper. In the 30^th minute, FC Ryukyu achieved a breakthrough when they opened the scoring from on-loan striker, Hiroto Yamada.

Considering that Yamagata had shut out their opponent in half of their games this season, this was a significant goal. Hiroto got on the end of a long through ball by Yuya Torikai following a darting run through the Yamagata central defense. He then took a nice touch on the ball inside the 18-yard box, dragging the ball back across the defender while simultaneously pulling the Yamagata goal keeper out farther to cut down the shooting angle. Yamada then shot back across Kushibiki, who had all his weight on his right side, and Kushibiki could only extend an arm to the shot which deflected into the right corner of the goal.

The remaining 15 minutes or so of the half saw a surge in opportunities for Yamagata as they attempted to quickly equalize. Neither side would score despite Yu’s shot hitting the post in the 41^st minute. The half would end FC Ryukyu 1, Yamagata Montedio 0.

Second Half

FC Ryukyu started quickly and nearly doubled their lead in the 47^th minute when Koya was able to round the keeper but had his shot stopped by a diving defender. In fact, Koya had 2 more chances over the next 10 minutes to increase our lead but they were either blocked or saved. Yamagata then equalized in the 56^th minute which proved to be one of the top goals scored in J2 for this round. The shot, similar to the one that Yamada scored, saw Ishii going one way when it was drilled in the opposite direction making it difficult for any GK to recover and then stop. Despite this goal, FC Ryukyu didn’t play like a side that was 13 spots below Yamagata in the table and in fact, they controlled large parts of the game and looked composed when countering the Yamagata attack. However, the real fireworks would occur in the last 15 minutes of this match.

“The Fireworks Show“

The “show,” got started in the 74^th minute when Fukui rose for a cross on the Ryukyu net and his extended arm deflected the ball out of bounds. There was no initial call for handball on the pitch by the referee, but after some Yamagata calls for appeal and conferring by the officials, a PK was awarded. FC Ryukyu were very lucky to escape with just a PK call going against them considering that Fukui was already sitting on a Yellow Card. This game would’ve ended a lot differently had Fukui been shown his second yellow reducing FC Ryukyu to 10 men. Jefferson Biano stepped up and drilled the PK home for a 2-1 Yamagata lead. Yamagata then added to their lead from an Own Goal after another botched play by a FC Ryukyu center back. This time it was Okazaki’s turn to go sliding into a cross, that Ishii could’ve collected, but instead was redirected into the back of the net. Whether it was a lack of communication on the part of Ishii, or recognition of time, space and distance by Okazaki, it was 3-1 Yamagata with only 9 minutes and stoppage time remaining in the game.

It was now time for Shinya Uehara, who came on just 1 minute prior to the own goal, to make his presence felt for FC Ryukyu. FC Ryukyu were awarded a corner kick in the 83rd minute. On the ensuing cross, Uehara rode for a header and was fouled badly in the box. FC Ryukyu were awarded a PK, to which Koki Kazama stepped up and scored. If you recall from their previous meeting, FC Ryukyu were awarded a PK that Kushibiki first saved, then was yellow carded for coming off his line too quickly, and then Koji Suzuki scored on the second attempt. Whether or not that weighed heavily on the mind of Kushibiki, or he simply guessed wrong, he was sent the wrong direction by Koki who sent the shot home with some authority.

Just as it seemed as if this game where going to end 3-2 in favor of Yamagata, Yamada controlled nicely placed cross that he was able to pass to a waiting Uehara near the top of the box. Uehara then sent a blistering shot on net that just tucked inside the right post providing FC Ryukyu the 91^st minute equalizer. Another one of those unbelievable moments as Yamagata had only surrendered 3 goals in a match twice all season, compared to the 8 times of FC Ryukyu. FC Ryukyu had one last chance to win the match when a rebound almost fell to a wide open Uejo in the box but he was a bit off balance and the ball bounced off his foot. Final score, FC Ryukyu 3-3 Montedio Yamagata.

Men of the Match

Normally this section is reserved for one individual but there were 3 standout performances on the night. First there is the FC Ryukyu goal keeper, Ishii. Despite the fact that FC Ryukyu conceded 3 goals, only 1 was from open play. The other 2 were a PK and an Own Goal. Ishii really played an excellent game and kept FC Ryukyu in this match up to the point where his central defenders let him down. He was making save after save and really frustrated the Yamagata attack on Monday night.

Hirota Yamada is credited with a goal and assist on Monday. It was his opening goal that allowed FC Ryukyu to play a little more relaxed while forcing Yamagata into an attacking style of play. It was also his crucial controlling of a cross and then subsequent assist to Uehara that gave FC Ryukyu the equalizer.

Shinya Uehara scored his second game tying goal in as many games. If you recall, he also earned the equalizer against Kanazawa on the road in round 32. Uehara was also the player who earned the late PK for FC Ryukyu when he was fouled rising to meet a cross.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Play with Reckless Abandonment: PASS, though, maybe not in the intended manner. FC Ryukyu displayed composure the entire match and actually forced Yamagata to play outside of their comfort zone. They often looked more physical than Yamagata and this may have surprised their opponents. The only part that was truly reckless was that of our defense.

Match Day Prediction

Yamagata 3-0. I truly enjoy getting these predictions wrong when it is a favorable outcome for FC Ryukyu and truly despise when I get them correct with less than favorable results. I am happy in this case.

Match Day 33 Takeaways

1. Let’s start with the bad. The central back pairing of Okazaki and Fukui was hard to watch on Monday. Fukui made a mistimed challenge in the 8^th minute that resulted in a wide-open look on net for Yamagata requiring a tremendous save by Ishii. Fukui’s 36^th minute challenge resulted in a yellow card and was one he shouldn’t have attempted. He then came out on another mistimed challenge that saw the Yamagata attacker pass the ball by him and into an open shooting lane that Yamagata was able to capitalize on for the score. He then committed an overt handball that he was very lucky not be carded on resulting in a PK for Yamagata. Okazaki committed the own goal and all the problems that have existed for the FC Ryukyu defense were on full display Monday. Teams are able to moves and pass seamlessly in and around our defenders. This is just the reality we live in for the remainder of this season and one that I hope is changed for next year.

2. The good. This lineup has really gelled nicely. It was very encouraging to watch midfielders making long passes to on rushing attackers and there will certainly be goals later on if they keep this up. Despite being on the receiving end of some heavy losses this season, FC Ryukyu looked very composed and very relaxed against a superior opponent. This is extremely important heading into a stretch of games where favorable results mean everything for this side. Just to reiterate, this side looks markedly better than the last few times I’ve seen them play and with a much more balanced and purposeful attack.

3. More of the good. Koya Kazama put in a phenomenal shift and it is easy to see why a seasoned J2 player like that is crucial to the success of FC Ryukyu this season. I’d love if we were able to keep him for next season.

4. We will end with the ugly. The Yamagata Striker, Shuhei Otsuki, was committing some ugly fouls early on that could’ve resulted in a yellow card. He was often seen leading with his arm/elbow into headers and then committed a blatant red card foul in the 59th minute. Granted, Shuhei looked as if he was fouled by the Ryukyu players but he then kicked Yuya Torikai in the groin area, right in front of the referee. The referee then awarded yellow cards to both players. This was a disgusting act and one that I hope doesn’t go unpunished by the league.

Conclusion

FC Ryukyu head into a stretch of 3 games out of 4 on the road. This would normally be concerning considering the FC Ryukyu road form, but there were a lot of encouraging signs from this side the past 3 weeks. FC Ryukyu have earned 5 points from a possible 9 and kept themselves out of the J2 basement. Also, the road games are against 19^th placed Zelvia, 18^th Fukuoka and 21^st Tochigi. The lone home game is against Tokyo Verdy and therefore all of these fixtures could, and should, be considered winnable for FC Ryukyu. If they grab wins and draws then we can all relax heading into the last 5 rounds of the J2 season.

Player Photos and Game Recap are from the JLeague website. jleague.jp/en/match

Cover photo courteous of @tidashokudo

“Hard 1 Done!” Match Day 32 Recap: Zweigen Kanazawa 2-2 FC Ryukyu 9/14/2019

Intro

2-2 was the final and it was a hard earned, well earned, possibly gifted point this weekend but the point is all that really matters in the end. FC Ryukyu are now at the point where results matter more than the form in which they were awarded. “By Hook or by Crook” is a famous saying and the countdown to J2 football in 2020 is now on. If FC Ryukyu can maintain their 10-point lead over bottom side Tochigi SC than the boys will be safe from relegation within 6 weeks of this entry. If not, hang onto your butts as it will get very dicey later on.

Match Recap

FC Ryukyu came out in their typical 4-2-3-1 with Shinji Ono taking up a CDM position. However, Ramon, Uejo and Koya led the attacking MF. It didn’t long for Kanazawa to ask questions of the Ryukyu back line from set pieces and it was Dany Carvajal who had the save of the match (actually for all of J2), when he first stopped the initial shot from the CK and then pulled the next shot from out of the air before it could fully cross the goal line. It was the second time in 3 weeks where FCR would be involved in some sort of goal line controversy but who cares, it was their turn to be on the rewarding end for once. It was all for not though as Kanazwa were able to rip the Ryukyu back line wide open 9 minutes later with two very nice passes that ended with Clunie’s deft little flick over his fellow countryman Dany giving Kanazawa the early 1-0 lead. Ryukyu nearly equalized a minute later before a phenomenal pass from Ramon sent Uejo free on net to which the Okinawa native slotted home is 10^th goal of the campaign in the 37th minute. For what it’s worth, I hope for 2 things for Uejo. First, I hope that FC Ryukyu have or can sign him before some larger club gets him on a free transfer since it was FC Ryukyu that provided the platform for Uejo to succeed and the club should bea warded financially. Second, I hope he goes outside of Asia to ply his trade as this would be massive for an Okinawa born player.

Kanazawa grabbed the 2-1 lead from yet another Fukui mishandling of the situation. I’m starting to think the cheers for Fukui in Mito where not the welcoming back of a former player kind but rather the thank goodness he left town. In any case, Ryukyu were once again down on the road. Uehara was able to salvage a draw for FC Ryukyu from a Tanaka cross, that should’ve been cleared by the Kanazawa captain, but instead he bottled and allowed Uehara to slot home the equalizer. The match saw a few more dramatic twists and turns that included a shot off the post by Kanazawa that would’ve sealed the game but the local lads earned a point and pushed the magic number of matches and points to 6/10.

Review of the Keys to Victory

1. Maintain a steady presence at the back: FAIL or PASS. Steady as in nothing has changed, we are terrible back there.

2. Minimize mental mistakes: UNDECIDED. Looked good for parts of the game but there were certainly nervy and punishable mistakes made by our side.

3. Cover the back line: FAIL. Cannot protect them from set pieces and counters. Nothing we can do but hold on and wait for a change next season.

4. Exploit the confusion in the Kanazawa back line. PASS! With flying colors. Ramon’s and Tanaka’s unlocked the back line and led to both goals.

Conclusion

Oh, what could’ve been with the likes of Koji, Uejo, Ramon, Nakagawa and Koya up front. But alas, it will never be so all we can do is hope for J2 football in 2020, a decent finish that increases the fan base and some reinforcements this off-season. For now, its Yamagata on Saturday with a 10-point lead on the relegation zone. See it out lads.

“Bittersweet” Match Day 28 Report: FC Ryukyu 1-3 Yokohama FC 8/17/2019

Intro

I apologize for the lengthy delay in getting the match day report out for this past week but I’ve been preoccupied with my favorite past time, fantasy football, as it is the height of American Fantasy Football Draft season. With that in mind, I’ll offer the following observations from the 3-1 defeat that FC Ryukyu suffered this past weekend to Yokohama FC.

The Good

12,000 people showed up to see the debut of Shinji Ono, and possibly Ramon, this past Saturday. It was the single largest crowd to ever attend an FC Ryukyu match. It is unfortunate that atop the list of the most attended matches in the club’s history will sit a 3-1 defeat.

The crowd was really into the match and it was truly great scenes surrounding the stadium as well as inside the grounds.

Uejo is starting to score with a regularity as he notched his second goal in as many games. His development throughout this season has been a remarkable thing to watch. I hope you all get to enjoy him over the remaining 6 home games as he is likely to leave this winter. It would not be a surprise to see Uejo on a J1 club next year but his current trajectory could likely take him out of Asia completely and put him somewhere in the lower tiers (though still higher than the J.League) of Europe.

The Bad

FC Ryukyu were ripped apart during a set piece for the first goal. Yokohama’s short corner pulled the defenders out of position and opened a shooting lane that Saito exploited by placing a well-aimed shot just inside the post. There was nothing that Dany could’ve done to save that shot.

Yokohama’s 3^rd goal was another master strike but only because the FC Ryukyu defenders allowed all sorts of time and space to Nakayama who sent it high into the top right corner.

Tomidokoro had an opportunity early in the second half but took an extra touch that allowed a defender to get into the way of Yu’s shot. Last year I think Yu would’ve let that rip from his initial starting point but instead a little lack of confidence saw him take an extra touch which ultimately closed the shooting lane.

The Ugly

The club was not prepared to handle that large of a crowd on Saturday night. It is not as if they had no prior indications and warnings that a larger than normal crowd was sure to attend. Long lines to enter the stadium is one thing, but 30-40-minute waits for food and beverages as well as empty vending machines is not the right way to sell the club to someone on their first ever experience at the stadium.

The defense. This is a real issue for FC Ryukyu as they’ve conceded the most goals in J2 and didn’t address the defense during the transfer window. The coaching decision to force fullbacks into attack and hold high lines means FC Ryukyu are extremely vulnerable to counter attacks and attacks that start with cheap giveaways. Okazaki’s turnover from a bad touch required just one pass from Yokohama to rip open the defense and concede the second goal of the night.

Conclusion

I hope that the club can pull in between 6-8,000 people for the remaining 6 matches as this will certainly help them financially in the long run. In the interim, they’d do well to scratch and claw a result away to Vortis this weekend and then return for 2 “must-win” games in a row against FC Gifu and Kagoshima.

“Wet, Wild & WADA-full” Match Day 27 Report: FC Ryukyu 3 – 2 V-Varen Nagasaki 8/10/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu pulled off a come from behind victory this past Saturday night where they clawed back from one goal deficits twice to ultimately secure all 3 points. Despite the brutal weather, the fans spirits and more importantly, that of the team, were lifted with the crucial win at home. It’s no secret that FC Ryukyu have been struggling for points of late in the midst of a losing streak so let’s hope this result turns the corner for the team and they can begin stringing together some positive results.

Match Recap

I am not exaggerating when I say the weather was brutal. There was intermittent rain followed by gusts of wind and then heavier amounts of rain. This cycle continued up to the mid-way point of the second half. FC Ryukyu were controlling a vast majority of possession early on but it was Nagasaki who were getting the better chances. Nagasaki had far more opportunities this match compared to their previous 5 games when it looked like they were willing to sit back and hit teams on the counter. Nagasaki adopted a different approach against Ryukyu and it paid off straight away.

FC Ryukyu conceded a goal from a Nagasaki CK in which the perfectly placed cross made it over the top of the initial wall of FC Ryukyu defenders and allowed Goya to slot home his 14^th goal of the season. I was worried that like previous matches for FC Ryukyu, when an opponent scored, there were more goals to follow. To FC Ryukyu’s credit, they responded well by answering the Nagasaki goal with one of their own only 5 minutes later.

The goal came from one of the new FC Ryukyu signings, Koya Kazama. On the goal, Koji passed to Koya who was at the right side of the box. Instead of continuing his run down the right, Koya ran back across the top of the box which really opened up the Nagasaki defense. Koji called for the ball back, and was wide open on net had he received the pass, but Koya opted to shoot with so much of the goal to aim at. His left footed shot ended up in the bottom left corner and FC Ryukyu were on the board.

It was not until the 75^th minute when Goya bagged his second goal of the game from a Nagasaki counter that caught the FC Ryukyu defense off guard. Kamekawa of Nagasaki rounded Fukui, on what was some suspect defending, and found acres of space to work a cross into the 6-yard box. Kamekawa sent a perfectly placed, perfectly weighted cross to a wide open of Goya who proceeded to give Nagasaki the 2-1 lead.

FC Ryukyu responded once more with another highlight reel goal from Uejo. This man has had several of these types of goals this season and it is only a matter of time before we see him whisked away to a top-level club. Wada found a streaking Uejo down the right and Uejo sent an absolute rocket past the keeper and into the top left corner. FC Ryukyu were tied with about 5 minutes and stoppage time remaining. Then something miraculously happened, FC Ryukyu scored a third goal.

I say miraculously because FC Ryukyu had only scored a total of 2 goals combined in their 5 previous matches. The goal occurred deep into stoppage time when a 97^th minute corner kick from Uesato found its way over the heads of the Nagasaki defenders where Wada was waiting at the back the corner. Wada was guarded but the ball took a fortuitous deflection of the Nagasaki defender who had his back turned to goal and Wada was able to send the shot past the rushing defenders and keeper for the 3-2 lead.

The goal was massive and the home crowd responded in kind. It was great seeing the players celebrate the goal as it proved vital for FC Ryukyu’s standings when so many teams below them produced favorable results as well this weekend.

Man of the Match

Well it would be just plain rude to not award Wada the man of the match since I titled the article based on his massive goal. However, he also provided an assist on the Uejo goal, earned the corner kick that he scored from and therefore is more than deserving of this award. Well done.

Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1. FC Ryukyu to have large amounts of possession. PUSH. They did early on but so did Nagasaki, Nagasaki did hit FC Ryukyu on the counter but FC Ryukyu were able to light up the scoreboard, it was often, just not early as I’d suggested.

2. Take some shots/chances from distance as the Nagasaki goal keeper struggles with these types of shots. PASS, OH MY GOODNESS PASS! Koya’s shot from the top of the box and Uejo’s from just inside the box froze the Nagasaki goal keeper. Yu had a shot from distance that nearly put FC Ryukyu up 2-1 shortly after the Koya goal and Uesato sent a tricky shot from distance where the Nagasaki goal keeper strangely decided to stop it with his knees, despite the distance and time he had to judge the shot. But the icing on the cake, the cherry on top as they say, was the Wada goal from the Uesato cross. The Nagasaki GK made an attempt at clearing the ball and this allowed Wada the time to settle the cross and send the shot home. Had the GK not jumped, he may have been able to get back across the goal mouth and save the Wada shot.

3. FC Ryukyu to score more than 2 goals. PASS. Nothing more to add.

Match Day 27 Takeaways

1. It must be mentioned that the FC Ryukyu victory came at a heavy cost. First, Okazaki was subbed off at half time and we cannot assume it was due to poor performance. This is bad as FC Ryukyu have recently sent Masutani out on loan which means Fukui and Nishikawa are likely starting next week at CB. Nishikawa reminds me a lot of David Luiz in the limited time I’ve seen him play so we’ll reserve judgement for a later time.

Second, Koya Kazama went off injured in the 63^rd minute. This is a shame as he was performing really well and the team looked better with him in the lineup. He seemed to injure himself attempting a tackle but did walk off under his own power. He was seen receiving treatment to one of his lower extremities and this could be anything from a rolled ankle, torn ligament or pulled muscle. We will have to wait and see any news of his injury.

Third, Tokumoto’s injury looked the worst when he was rolled up on by a falling Ibarbo early in stoppage time. He immediately clutched his left ankle and looked in obvious pain. He was stretched off and didn’t return. His ankle was caught underneath Ibarbo and turned outward so this could be any level of sprain that could sideline Tokumoto for 3-8 weeks. Hopefully nothing is torn or broken. Plus, we’ll now need a suitable replacement at LB if Fukui indeed needs to switch to CB.

Finally, and most regrettably, FC Ryukyu have sold Koji Suzuki to Cerezo Osaka on a full transfer. 15 goals and 2 assists along with tremendous hold play and total class are gone from the lineup. How will that be replaced?

Conclusion

We will do a transfer wrap up sometime next week after the Yokohama FC match. FC Ryukyu secured a vital win at a huge cost and the remainder of the season will be a very bumpy ride for the team, their fans and this island. Here’s hoping to continued success.

Photos are from FC Ryukyu and J.League websites.

“Burn it all down, then build it back up” Match Day 26 Report: Kashiwa Reysol 5-1 FC Ryukyu 8/4/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu hit rock bottom on Sunday night when they were rocked 5-1 by J2 League leaders, Kashiwa Reysol, at the Sankyo Frontier Stadium. FC Ryukyu have now lost 5 in a row and 8 out of their last 9 matches in all competitions. The recent run of form continues to pile the pressure on this team and it’s manager and one has to ask,”have we finally reached the point where changes to personnel and the system are required?” I for one, would answer yes. There is a need to change the formation, change the players in that formation and change the manager to generate some sort of positive momentum and energy before this club finds itself at the foot of the table.

Match Recap

FC Ryukyu started out strongly in this match and there were was a brief moment when I felt that something might break FCR’s way and we could sneak outta there with a nice result. It was a fleeting thought since the Yu goal was overturned for off-sides and Koji Suzuki’s 15th goal this season was all but wiped out in a matter of minutes.

It only took Reysol 8 minutes after the opening Koji goal to equalize and then only 3 more additional minutes to take the 2-1 lead for which FC Ryukyu never recovered. There may have been some confusion between Dany and his defenders on the first goal but the second was a perfect example of excellent preparation on the training ground paying dividends during a match.

If anyone has studied tape of FC Ryukyu they would notice that we surrender a lot of goals during the ensuing chaos following the stop/semi clearance of the original shot/cross from a set piece. Cristiano made a run up that simulated he would take a shot but instead passed it length wise across the top of the box. The FC Ryukyu defenders immediately came out to close down the Reysol player but in doing so left several Reysol players wide open and on-sides inside the box. All it took was a quick pass to one of them who turned and shot from point blank range right past the diving Dany Carvajal.

FC Ryukyu were then ripped open at the back for the next 2 Reysol goals in the second half from a nice run by Olunga and deft little flick by Cristiano where Fukui may have accidentally played him on sides. It was yet another case of 2 quick goals in short succession by Reysol separated by only 4 minutes. FC Ryukyu’s best chance the remainder of the game came in the 74th minute when Nishioka had a wide open shot on net that he ended up sending into the side netting. To add insult to injury, or showing the ultimate respect by not letting up all match, Reysol added a 5th goal in the 90th minute when a diving Dany got down to hard shot but couldn’t parry it away from danger and it ended up in the bottom corner.

Man of the Match

Cristiano played a part in 3 of Reysol’s goals on Sunday evening. He initiated the opening goal from his throw in that caused the confusion in the Ryukyu defense, he was part of the previously mentioned set piece that pushed the score line to 2-1 and added a goal of his own to make it 3-1. The man was on fire on Sunday.

Review of FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

There were none in the preview so none therefore there are none to review. I predicted a 4-0 win for Reysol and I got the margin of victory correct.

Match Day 26 Takeaways

Higuchi tried to spark something, I guess, with his lineup choices of Komatsu, Song Sun and Fukui in place of Kazama, Tanaka and Masutani. Before we proceed further I have no idea what happened to Masutani or Kawai to know if they’re dealing with injuries or Higuchi has lost faith in them. Komatsu looked fine, Fukui was his normal self and Song Sun was largely invisible for most of the match.

When you’ve lost 8 of 9 and 5 in a row everything is magnified and criticized. Turnovers, poor passing/crosses, organization and game plan all played their part on Sunday night. For the year, FC Ryukyu have scored 2 goals from free kicks and only 4 from crosses by our Full Backs; 2 from Tokuomoto, 1 from Nishioka and 1 from Fukui. Why employ a 4-2-3-1? Our FBs are not providing the quality of service that Highuchi seems to feel is the remedy to the FC Ryukyu attacking woes. Instead, play a 3-4-3 and get the firepower out there and reduce the weak links one by one and generate some offense.

I will say that Tokumoto looked great in his first game back and was causing a lot of trouble out there but FCR put a lot of their attacking down the right side (something like 62% down the right compared to a 38% split between the middle and left side?).

In the days leading up to the Reysol match, and then early this week, it was announced that FC Ryukyu have signed 3 players. 2 on loan and 1 permanent signing. All 3 are attacking players, one is a young untested Brazilian with some knee problems, a 40 year old icon of the game and creative MF from FC Gifu who happens to be the younger brother of Kazama. While I’ll save my comments for the end of the transfer window, and reserve judgement for the end of the season, I think FC Ryukyu missed the mark with the signings.

First, two are loans and will/could possibly leave in January and one of them cannot play against their parent club, FC Gifu, which is a must win game for FCR. Second, I hope the player that is older than me can offer something besides a Public Relations move by the club. We need goals, creativity and maturity out there and if this pays off then maybe signing this player indicates a possible move to a player/manager role for FCR, which seems to be on the risethese days, ans is a way that also pushes Highuchi out this season.

Third, there is roughly 1 week remaining in this transfer window and FCR have yet to sign a defensive player. While it is true the attacking had dropped off after the Nakagawa departure, it was coming back but has since stalled. Offense was never really the issue for FCR, it was defense, and stopping the bleeding at the back.

Finally, I hope the FC Ryukyu faithful do not place all their hopes at staving off relegation on the shoulders of the newly acquired players. It is not fair to them and they are not miracle workers. They will all need time to adjust to the club, players and Okinawa before being integrated into the lineup and making any notable contributions.

Unfortunately, FC Ryukyu do not have the luxury of time. We have 4 home games between Nagasaki, Yokohama and then the 2 big “must wins” of FC Gifu and Kagoshima in a row in the coming 5 weeks. FC Gifu and Kagoshima are playing much better than the last time FCR played them, and they both beat us last time.

It should also be noted that Dany signed an extension through (to?) 2021 and that has been the best news this transfer window.

Looking Ahead

Nagasaki comes to town this Saturday and is largely being overlooked by most FCR fans as they anticipate the arrival of Ono from Sapporo the following week. The bottom line is FC Ryukyu need points, by hook or by crook, and it doesn’t really matter how they acquire them anymore.

“Higuchi’s Swansong” Match Day 24 Report: Albirex Niigata 4-0 FC Ryukyu 7/27/2019

Intro

Another road game for FC Ryukyu, another road loss. This one was particularly brutal as Niigata were a side that have been beaten at home and were a side that FC Ryukyu had bested earlier this season. However, the poor run of play by FC Ryukyu continued as they ended up surrendering 4 goals on the night in route to a 4-0 pasting. The result begs the question, is Higuchi the right man for the FC Ryukyu job?

Game Recap

After witnessing this game first hand at the Rycom mall with about 100 FC Ryukyu fans and locals, it is just too hard to sit here and watch the full 90 minutes again in order to write a detailed report of what went wrong and what went right. Needless to say, all the things that have plagued FC Ryukyu over the past 10 weeks or so is becoming more and more noticeable with each passing week. Turnovers, wasteful shots, defending and bad luck all played their part last night.

The match started with the spectacular/obligatory Kazama wide open shot at the top of the 18-yard box that was sent way off the mark. Maybe none of the FC Ryukyu attackers were in a spot to receive a pass, or Kazama just didn’t see them, but Kazama once again sent an early opportunity shot into the oblivion and beyond (not even in the same postal code as Niigata).

It took Niigata only 7 minutes to score the first goal of the game on what could be considered a case of bad judgement on the part of Ishii. Along with a bit of bad luck. Ishii came out to meet a cross with a punch but it was deflected off of Uesato and into the net. The second Niigata goal came from a PK in the 44th minute. It may have been prevented had we defended better or Ishii made more of a commitment to come out and collect the ball. Francis took a heavy touch past our defender and sent the ball within range of Ishii. Maybe the earlier indecision was weighing heavily on the mind of Ishii so he didn’t want to risk another blunder and ended up fouling Francis. FC Ryukyu certainly had their chances in the first half, but it was unfortunate that the ball just didn’t bounce their way from the two Uejo opportunities. In any case, FCR were down 2-0 at half time and had no answers against Niigata.

The second half saw an early goal by Francis that pushed the lead to 3-0 and whatever opportunities came FC Ryukyu’s way after the 3^rd Niigata goal can only be attributed to the fact that Niigata let up. It was unfortunate that Suzuki didn’t get on the score sheet despite a couple of wide-open shots in front of net but it was indicative of the night and the bad luck. One nice thing though was Kawai looked very good and needs to be paired with Uejo to start matches. FC Ryukyu had 4 chances this half that could’ve altered the game or at the very least, proven beneficial to their yearly goal difference tally. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be yesterday. The fourth and final goal by Niigata did nothing put push the FC Ryukyu goal difference on the year to -6. A stat that may very well determine the fate of this team near the end of the season.

Man of the Match

3 Goals last night, could’ve been 4 or more.

#13 MF Francis. The man finished with a hat trick on the night and was unstoppable. He created and finished several opportunities for Niigata and proved too much for the FC Ryukyu defenders. A great solo performance to earn his side all 3 points.

Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1. Execute all the little things correctly. FAIL, see the score sheet.

2. Exploit Niigata’s weakness at defending set pieces. FAIL, see the score sheet.

3. Place well aimed shots on net and crash the box with attackers. FAIL, see the score sheet.

4. Stop the bleeding at the back. FAIL & in glorious fashion. FC Ryukyu were averaging 3.0 goals conceded the past 5 weeks but instead they opted to up the ante by allowing 4 on the night.

5. Start Uejo. PASS. Side looks better when he’s in there. Kawai and Uejo are not natural replacements for one another so both should be starting with fresh legs and speed to burn.

Match Day 24 Takeaways

1. ~~FC Ryukyu are the worst team in the league right now~~. FC Ryukyu are playing like the worst team in the league right now. Too many goals and not enough answers. This team is only being saved by the fact that the teams below them are also losing each week. After watching the past week’s highlights of the teams below FC Ryukyu, its obvious this side is playing without any confidence and looks worse than the sides beneath them. This is worrying as FC Ryukyu need around 14-16 points for safety and that means at least 3-4 wins with approximately 2-5 draws. I am not sure where the results will come from as it looks like FC Ryukyu cannot beat anyone at the moment.

2. The tactics FC Ryukyu employ are not working. Teams can afford to allow FC Ryukyu all the possession they want as they do not fear ceding a goal to FCR and can wait to hit FCR on the break.

3. Defending. I am not sure if this the byproduct of the tactics and formation but 23 goals conceded in 10 games or most recently, 12 goals in 5 games, is INSERT YOUR OWN ADJECTIVE. Tokumoto did feature in this match so maybe he’ll get the full 90 minutes this Wednesday night.

4. The hung heads, slumped shoulders and disbelief is starting to set in for the players. I commented in the preview that I hadn’t seen any of that yet, but it was on full display yesterday. It is unfortunate as the team is putting in a shift in attack but things are not breaking their way at the moment. With every missed opportunity and goal conceded, the team’s confidence drains a little more and disbelief takes hold.

Conclusion

It’s unlikely that FC Ryukyu part ways with manager Higuchi in the short run up to a mid-week, must win, home game against JEF. However, there are not many winnable games left on the schedule for FC Ryukyu and failing to win against JEF Chiba United should be the final swansong for Higuchi. If not, FC Ryukyu risk returning to the J3 and losing more than just the crowd that departed the public viewing at half time at the Rycom mall this past weekend.

I salute these folks that travel to watch FC Ryukyu go 1W3D8L on the road this season with 11 straight weeks of zero wins.

Cover Photo Credit: @sho69463528 ; Kanto Supporters Photo Credit: @basuke_sakkaa JLeague Stat Line, Game Summary and Franics photo courtesy of https://www.jleague.jp.