FC Ryukyu missed a great opportunity to add to their win total when they drew with Kitakyushu this past weekend. FC Ryukyu opted to start Taguchi over Dany Carvajal in net, as well as Torikai over Numata at LB, despite the long rest between fixtures for the incumbents. Though FC Ryukyu were able to grab the early lead, they squandered that lead within a matter of minutes when Kitakyushu equalized on a fast break. The draw drops FC Ryukyu down to 19th, while Giravanz remains entrenched at 4th.
I am not sure the was one. Neither side seemed like they wanted to win this game.
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Prevent short counter-attacks. Likelihood 2. No. FC Ryukyu were ripped open on a counter attack that led to the Giravanz goal.
2. Slow the pace of the game down to a crawl. Likelihood 3. I think FC Ryukyu did a decent job of this, but in doing so, they also limited their number of chances to score.
Match Day 35 Prediction
I thought this was going to be a much higher scoring affair, 3-2 to Giravanz, but it ended in a 1-1 draw.
Match Day 35 Takeaways
1. Ryukyu looked sluggish in their attack. The goal by Koki was set up really well by Koya and Tanaka but there were few chances to take the lead all night. The flurry of activity near the end of the game saw both Koki and Shinji Ono miss chances to grab a late winner and in the end, Ryukyu couldn’t put the game away.
2. Let’s hope the rotation of Torikai and Taguchi were temporary, not permanent, moving forward. Tanaka made a full match appearance and looked no worse for wear so I am glad he is back to match fitness for the final part of the season. Uehara’s absence the past few games is slightly concerning and I hope that was nothing more than some veteran rest he was receiving.
A loss by leaders Tokushima Vortis, coupled with a draw for Avispa Fukuoka, has brought 3rd place V-Varen Nagasaki within the 3 points of the promotion zone. Giravanz Kitakyushu, Albirex Niigata, and Ventforet Kofu have fallen off in what is now a 3-team race for the J1.
Giravanz didn’t require the services of their leading scorer in Disaro this past round and Ryukyu failed to get Abe firing. The most disheartening play of this match was the missed goal by Shinji Ono at the very end. Ono had a clean look on net, opted for placement over power, and his shot was parried by the Giravanz keeper to keep the score level. Had that shot gone in, Ryukyu would be sitting in 17th place on 12 wins instead of 19th.
FC Ryukyu will head to Iwata to take on (11) Jubilo in the midweek before returning to face (7) Tokyo Verdy to close out November. So far FC Ryukyu have gone 3-1-2 in November, and it has been by far their toughest month of the season based on the strength of their opponents, and the distance traveled in the middle parts of the week. One last note, Manager Yasuhiro Higuchi has been extended through the 2021 season for FC Ryukyu.
It just goes to show you; that anything can happen on any given Sunday. FC Ryukyu pulled off the improbable this past Sunday afternoon when they defeated (3) V-Varen Nagasaki at the transcosmos Stadium in Nagasaki. The win, while not statistically important for FC Ryukyu, was a major boost to morale for a side that lost 2 out of their last 3 games to teams above them in the table. However, the loss has put a slight dent in the promotion hopes of V-Varen Nagasaki who now sit 5 points clear of Avispa Fukuoka in the promotion zone.
FC Ryukyu MF Shuto Kawai: Shuto scored the lone goal of this match and he was doing his best in the first half to get in and around the Nagasaki defense. He had several chances to score in the first half, which we would like to see him convert in the future, so hopefully this sets him up for a nice run in to close the 2020 campaign.
Review of the Keys to Victoryfor FC Ryukyu
1. V-Varen Nagasaki must overlook FC Ryukyu: Likelihood 1. Well Nagasaki may have done just that on Sunday. They didn’t field a totally weakened lineup, but they also didn’t look like the free scoring side we’ve seen in the previous rounds.
Match Day Prediction
I said it should have been Nagasaki with the big win. Somewhere in the vicinity of 4-1, but happily it ended 0-1 in favor of FC Ryukyu.
Match Day 34 Takeaways
1. This game was filled with drama as there were some missed calls that could have drastically altered the final result. First, there is a chance that the ball rolled over the line before Ren Ikeda passed it to Kawai on the lone FC Ryukyu goal. Second, there was a chance that Fukui committed a foul in the box that would have given Nagasaki a PK and a chance at tying the game. Finally, there was the double kick to the face on Taguchi by Ibarbo that could have warranted a booking. Convincing arguments could be made for both sides on each play but until there is VAR in J2, we will have to live with these types of decisions on a weekly basis.
2. I said in the preview that if FC Ryukyu wished to net anything positive from this game, it would require Koizumi creating chances, Uesato possibly scoring from the FK spot, and Koya’s ability to finish if we were without Abe. Well, Koya did not score but Abe came dangerously close in the first half. Uesato had a nice FK saved that would have given us the lead, and his replacement Koki Kazama, nearly netted a free kick in stoppage time as well. But the biggest takeaway has to be the chances that Koizumi created.
He set Kawai free on an excellent long through ball in the first half; spotted Abe for the dangerous shot that nearly went in; and was the one who provided the pass to Ikeda in the box that ultimately led to the Kawai goal.
Not much to say on this one other than FC Ryukyu got demolished by some rotational squad players once again. With no Abe, and no clear finisher in the lineup, FC Ryukyu came up limp against Avispa on Wednesday. The lone goal was a small consolation prize for FC Ryukyu who were able to avoid being shutout.
Match Day 33 Highlights (or low lights for FC Ryukyu fans)
Avispa Fukuoka FWD Yuya Yamagishi: Yuya scored his 3rd brace of the season last night and was a handful for our center backs.
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Withstand the early barrage. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu nearly survived the opening half, and they were under tremendous amounts of pressure from Avispa, but a goal – that should have been disallowed due to a blatant handball- gave Avispa the lead in the 31′ minute.
2. Grab the early lead with a strong lineup selection. Likelihood 1. No, but they came close in the 14′ minute when Koizumi hit the post. Also of note, Abe was once again left off the roster completely so we are now made to wonder if we’ll see an injury report for this player in the next few days.
Match Day 33 Prediction
I tipped this one to end 1-0 for Avispa so Avispa wrecked my prediction by shredding our defense on their other 2 goals yesterday.
Takeaways from Match Day 33
1. FC Ryukyu were the victim of a harsh hand ball call, or no call this week. Last week FC Ryukyu were able to edge out Renofa on a PK stemming from a pretty harsh hand ball call and this week they were on the receiving end. It was clear that Yamagishi “rugby carried” the ball, after it hit him in the chest, and was able to get a shot off that took a deflection off a defender and into the net. The referee didn’t bother to consult any of his assistants despite the protests from many of the FC Ryukyu players and staff.
2. Dany, Koizumi, and Tanaka did all they could last night. Dany made some crucial saves in the early part of the match before his defense let him down. Koizumi was a real problem for Fukuoka last night as he created a majority of our chances. Finally, Tanaka never gives up and his goal in stoppage time was amazing as it came from a ridiculously tight angle along the goal line.
3. I am not sure we have the talent in this side that I once thought we did. Especially if we cannot defeat teams who are rotating players for what they view as an easy game against FC Ryukyu. Many teams have done this and FC Ryukyu have been unable to defeat any of these teams. Obviously, FC Ryukyu are where they are in the table for a reason, and it seems unlikely that they match their 2019-point tally, so I am concerned for this team moving forward.
Some players will certainly move on in the winter but I am not sure where this team will look for quality reinforcements to push them up the table in 2021.
All 3 of the top sides won in convincing manner this round while Kofu were able to keep their promotion aspirations alive for at least another week. Unfortunately for Albirex Niigata, they may have squandered their chances at promotion as the draw with Jubilo Iwata leaves them 12 points shy of 2nd place Fukuoka with 9 games remaining.
It will not get any easier for FC Ryukyu in the next few games as they travel to 3rd place V-Varen Nagasaki on Sunday followed by a full five days rest before welcoming Giravanz Kitakyushu to the Tapista.
With Nagasaki in the thick of things at the top of the table, I would expect a similar result for FC Ryukyu on the weekend which leaves us very little to look forward to. All we can do now is sit back and watch how the team responds to this recent loss.
FC Ryukyu finally defeated Renofa Yamaguchi FC at home for the first time in their history. The game itself was not as nearly as exciting as the result since the weather conditions, and roster selections, really slowed the pace of the match. Despite the 3 points for Ryukyu, they were unable to move up in the table. Though they had a shot to jump at least one spot had Uehara hit that goal in the second half.
FC Ryukyu GK Dany Carvajal. Dany earns his second man of the match in a row after shutting out Renofa. Dany has been in superb form since Kyoto and made some crucial saves last night to guarantee FC Ryukyu all three points.
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Speed. Likelihood 4. As mentioned in the intro, this match was slow played and neither Kawai (sub) nor Abe (healthy scratch) could influence the game.
2. Exploit the open space in the Mid Field. Likelihood 4. FC Ryukyu were able to find acres of space to operate in the Renofa half yesterday. The problem was, they did nothing with it as the offense as a whole really stalled.
3. Defend the crosses into the box. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu did a decent job of this but Renofa were with out their talisman Iury.
Match Day Prediction
I predicted a goal bonanza so naturally it ended 1-0 with very little offense from either side.
Takeaways from Match Day 32
1. Numerous changes to the starting 11 resulted in very little offense for FC Ryukyu. While Ryukyu registered 8 shots on net, few of them actually troubled the Renofa goalie. For this game, Ryukyu started Ren Ikeda up top with Uehara on the bench, and Abe being left off the roster altogether.
Ren put in a shift but couldn’t find the back of the net with his best chance coming from a header. Ryukyu really should’ve started, or gone to Uehara, sooner than they did and it was even more surprising to see Uehara come on in place of Koizumi, who was our best playmaker on Sunday.
I think the problem was that many of the mid-fielders expected Ren to run into the spaces that Abe normally would have occupied and you could see that with some of the errant passes near the 18-yard box.
2. There seems to be no improvement for Ryukyu on set pieces. You could see many of the outfield players huddling up to discuss who would do what on the set piece but when you cannot get the ball past the first line of defenders, what’s the point?
3. This was probably a good game to get some of our returning players some minutes. Motegi made his first start in quite some time, Tanaka returned to play a full match, and Shinji Ono made his first appearance in over three and a half months. It could be said that the true reward for this game was not just the 3 points, but earning those points without our full compliment of starters.
Match Day 32 in J2
Avispa Fukuoka’s home loss to Matsumto has allowed V-Varen Nagasaki to close the point gap to just 2 with 10 games remaining. Niigata and Kofu both earned wins to at least keep them in the conversation for the promotion race.
Though it wasn’t pretty, it was an important result for FC Ryukyu on Sunday. FC Ryukyu have now achieved double-digit victories this season, 3 shy from their 2019 total of 13, but still need to earn 13 more points over their next 10 games to match the 2019 point total.
FC Ryukyu will face the number 2 and 3 placed team in the table when they head to Fukuoka mid-week before traveling to Nagasaki on the weekend. Any positive result in either match would be nice, with the best chance for points probably coming against Fukuoka. Avispa have only scored 4 goals in the past 6 games with their defense only surrendering 3 goals during that span so we could be facing another low scoring affair on Wednesday.
I’ll see you tomorrow with the Match Day 33 preview.
The fourth consecutive loss in a row to Ventforet Kofu was a bitter pill to swallow last night. The fact that many of the top teams show little respect to FC Ryukyu, and why should they, by playing “second stringers,” coupled with our inability to produce any results against these weakened squads, is tough to deal with as a fan.
Ryukyu survived an early barrage (and by that I mean Dany Carvajal) from Kofu but ultimately, the deciding goal in the second half came off a deflection from both Yong Jick and Suzuki (befitting of this team I guess). After the Kofu goal, FC Ryukyu pressed hard but the closest they would come to an equalizer was a shot off the wood work by Numata.
FC Ryukyu: Dany Carvajal. Dany was far and away our best player last night and once again rose to the challenge put in front of him. He was pressed into service very early on and made three nice saves to keep the score level. He got a bit of luck when a shot rifled past him and hit the post but was not so lucky when a series of deflections, which he got his toe too as well, made it into the net. His play has really elevated since that random benching 3 games ago and is so crucial if FC Ryukyu wish to surpass their point tally from 2019.
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Have some early Success. Likelihood 3. Indeed we did as we frustrated Kofu’s attack early and created a few chances of our own outside of the large spells of possession by Kofu in the first half.
2. Ruffle the Feathers of Kofu. Likelihood 2. There were some visible cracks but no major breaks in the emotions of Kofu. Dudu got a little worked up in the second half and it was refreshing to see the referee wave off Dudu’s dive near the end of the match.
3. Catch Kofu Napping. Likelihood 4. We did not as some of the players that Kofu started yesterday were of the reserve caliber which meant they were giving it their all to impress the manager.
4. Score from Dead Ball Set Pieces. Likelihood 2. Well we didn’t score so it is a big no for this one. Though Ryukyu did have plenty of opportunities to score from set pieces yesterday.
Match Day 31 Prediction
I said 2-0 to Kofu so I have to be somewhat pleased that it didn’t reach that score line but still disappointed that FC Ryukyu did not get their first ever point against Kofu.
Match Day 31 Takeaways
1. The play of Yong Jick. There were the inexcusable turnovers in our own end in the early part of the game when Kofu was pressing hard for a goal and dominating the possession. And then there was the lackadaisical effort throughout much of the match when it came to putting in challenges and then recovering back to his spot after he missed the challenge and was out of position. I started to hone in on Yong Jick after I saw him gingerly jogging back to the box after he whiffed on a challenge and then so many more incidents like that came to light.
It is not fair to Dany to have to endure Yong Jick playing in front of him, and not fair to this team with 10 other players giving it their all. Talent can get you so far in this game, but so can effort. The perfect example is Tanaka who never played RB in his life and has transformed himself into an integral part of this team within a short span by simply giving maximum effort.
I hope these remaining 11 games are the last we see of a player who is solely relying on name brand recognition to maintain employment.
2. Koizumi’s introduction late in the game swung the momentum in the direction of Ryukyu. Maybe Higuchi realized that Kofu were going to press us early and that Koizumi’s fresh legs would take advantage of some tired Kofu legs late on. Whatever the case, Koizumi was electric on the ball and should have been apart of the first substation in the 62’ minute instead of the 77′ with so little time left to play and assert his influence.
3. Tanaka made a welcome return to the lineup. It is good to see one of our better players get some limited action so he can get back to full match fitness for a brutal November slate of games.
4. Kawai is struggling for form. There is no way to sugar coat this, he hasn’t looked like the player we saw last year or even at the start of the season back in February. It is possible that he doesn’t fully trust his body after a lengthy spell away with an ankle injury but whatever the case, we are not seeing that sudden burst and blistering pace we’ve become accustomed too from Kawai. It maybe time to start Motegi at LM, but seeing how Motegi didn’t even feature last night, I am starting to believe the effects of CV19 are lingering on for this talented player.
Ventforet Kofu have now become the fourth team this year to defeat FC Ryukyu twice, joining JEF UTD Chiba, Albirex Niigata, and Montedio Yamagata. I thought that FC Ryukyu had a good shot at earning at least a point yesterday, and nearly did if not for thee woodwork, but those are the breaks sometimes. Time to shrug this one off and regroup for the match against 21st place, Renofa Yamaguchi, this Sunday so as to avoid Renofa becoming the fifth team this year to defeat FC Ryukyu twice.
That was fun! FC Ryukyu jumped out to an early lead that they never relinquished and earned their second win in a row; second win in a row in Omiya; and swept Omiya this year outscoring them 8-0. FC Ryukyu also remain undefeated on international primetime games broadcast on the J-League international YouTube channel 2-0-1 (lol).
The easy choice is Takuma Abe who scored two early goals and nearly added a third, but it was Dany’s key saves throughout the match that maintained the clean sheet and saw FC Ryukyu bring home all 3 points today.
Review of the Key to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Get Abe going early. Likelihood 4. You bet your a$%. 2 goals inside of 20 minutes says it all.
Match Day 30 Takeaways
Abe was devastating to the Omiya back line He found/created space for himself and punished the hosts with 2 goals and it could have been more if not for a reactionary save by the Omiya goalie at point blank range on a corner kick.
2. FC Ryukyu cut down many of the mental errors we’ve seen plague this squad in 2020 but some wayward passes and runs in the second half must be attributed to playing with such a large lead and having to defend enormous amounts of pressure by Omiya.
3. While the verdict is still out on Ichimaru Mizuki, there can be no doubt that Makito Uehara is the next big youth player to come out of this club. He is by no means a polished player, but his abilities and attributes were on full display Sunday. He was rewarded for his efforts with his first ever FC Ryukyu goal and the sky is the limit for this player, which creates a bit of a controversy for Higuchi as he’ll need to figure out how to get him into the lineup at RB with a healthy Tanaka. Personally, I’d move him to CDM and get some experience before Uesato retires/moves on.
Fukuoka wobbled, allowing Tokushima Vortis to assume the lead this week though they needed a late goal to earn all 3 points over Gunma. V-Varen Nagasaki is hot on the heels of the leaders and if Fukuoka stumbles again, it could open the door for Nagasaki who are have the same goal differential.
FC Ryukyu are off to a good start this month which includes 9 games inside of 29 days. Keep in mind that FC Ryukyu only have 3 home games during that span and hopefully the budget allows them to stay on mainland with such quick turnaround fixtures. For example, they play Kofu this Wednesday and should simply stay up there for a short bus trip south from Omiya as well as stay inside Fukuoka later that month for a short trip to Nagasaki three days later. But that is anyone’s guess at this point.
For now, enjoy the victory and get ready to face Ventforet Kofu, a side that is undefeated against FC Ryukyu the past two seasons.
2 wins from 2 for FC Ryukyu this past week. First, they earned a come-from-behind victory over Mito Hollyhock 3-2 this past weekend and then followed that up with a 6-1 drubbing over Matsumoto Yamaga on the road.
FC Ryukyu have now scored a total of 16 goals over their last 4 games and this comes as quite shock considering they never exceeded more than 2 goals in any game prior to round 18 this season. As I mentioned in an earlier post, much of this could be due to the amount of fixtures J2 teams are required to play coupled with the facts that fatigue and the realization of failed promotion hopes starting to take hold.
Match Day 20 Recap: FC Ryukyu vs Mito Hollyhock
Grit, determination and a bit of luck. Probably the best way to sum this one up as FC Ryukyu went ahead early from a beautifully taken Koizumi goal, only to concede 2 goals from Mito in the second half. Then the late game specialist in Shinya Uehara made his presence known with two goals deep into the game (87’&93′) to tilt the match in favor of Ryukyu. Fans of FC Ryukyu, and followers of this blog, will know that Uehara has this uncanny ability to come on late and turn things around for Ryukyu but also can go missing for stretches when the team needs him the most. Luckily for FC Ryukyu, he came up big again.
Match Day 20 Takeaways
1. This team is always going to be a ‘work in progress’ with the constant roster churn each season but we see glimpses of what it wanted to be at the start of the season, and what it could’ve been if things played out differently this year. If we could only put it all together at one time to make a serious run, it would have been something as the team has talent, experience, and the ability to win; but they have never matched talent with opportunity or luck this year.
2. Koizumi has moved from a relative unknown name to someone who is appearing on the radars of much larger clubs. What he offers in the attack has far surpassed the days of Nakagawa and he is one of, if not the most, dynamic players in J2 this year.
Match Day 21 Recap: Matsumoto Yamaga vs. FC Ryukyu
FC Ryukyu continued their winning ways by traveling North and completely decimating Yamaga 6-1 in front of their fans. FC Ryukyu enjoyed so much possession and freedom of movement I often wondered during the match if the Matsumoto manager had watched any film on Ryukyu this year. It didn’t matter as Ryukyu had space, time, and precision passing to completely tear the Matsumoto defense to shreds on way to their second highest goal tally all time for the club. It was also the second highest margin of victory and goals scored for FC Ryukyu in J2 since the Omiya match the week prior.
Match Day 21 Takeaways
1. Many points to get to but let’s start with the obvious. Keita Tanaka is far and away the comeback player of the year for FC Ryukyu as he has completely transformed himself into an absolute stud at RB. He scored his first goal of the season, after chipping in another assist this game, when he found himself all alone on net and sent an absolute screamer from close range into the top corner. He has been simply magnificent at RB this year and is a treat to watch each week.
2. Takuma Abe reached double digit goals for only the second time in his career in the J-League and I said at the start of the season that he may score between 14-16 goals this year. He looks primed to absolutely smash that total.
3. Dany Carvajal with the poker face after swatting a clear goal from Yamaga out of the net was great. Thank goodness for no VAR down here in J2.
4. FC Ryukyu reduced their goal differential by half (!) with that victory and are now back down in the single digits for the first time in a very long time (-5).
5. Koizumi’s destruction of J2 defense continued with a goal and an assist on Wednesday. I enjoy watching him, but hate tweeting and writing about him as you cannot help but feel that he is on to bigger and better things next year. Just not at FC Ryukyu and that is completely justified. He is a massive talent and deserves a bigger stage to shine and I my only wish is that it isn’t on a bench of some middling J2 side, or J1 team. I would love to see him go to Europe and gets a chance to test his mettle against some of the best talent in the world. I’d would also be great to see him play for the Samurai one day as it would be a nice feather in the cap for this club and I think he has the talent to do it. He just needs a stronger CV than FC Ryukyu can offer at the moment and that is something we Ryukyu fans have become accustomed too these past few years.
J2 After Match Day 21
FC Ryukyu never rose above 18th place despite their two wins this week but the reduction in their goal differential could prove vital if they continue to pile up the positive results.
The recent slip up by Giravanz has allowed Tokushima Vortis and Nagasaki to close the point gap with Fukuoka shooting up the table in recent weeks. Omiya’s fall may not have been unexpected to some, though it is shocking to see them fall so far for a team that was near the top early on this year.
Half way done and plenty of drama left here before we crown the champ and send one more up to J1.
Ryukyu return home this Sunday to face a struggling JEF UTD Chiba side with Nagasaki and Fukuoka squaring off at the top.
Conclusion
It has been a party for the FC Ryukyu faithful this past week, but there is plenty of work still to be done. Ryukyu are getting healthy, despite some injuries to the back line, and are playing better than we’ve seen in a long time which has made watching them oh so enjoyable these past two rounds. But September has always been a favorable month for the club and one can only hope they end the month on a strong note.
I will be taking this blog in a different direction over the next few months with the crammed J-League fixture schedule as I will no longer provide a bi-weekly entry, but instead a single entry comprising both a recap from the previous round, and a preview for their upcoming fixture.
This will mean that I’ll need to trim down on the amount of sections per respective entry so as to keep it manageable, and easily consumable for all of you. I hope you’ll continue your patronship of this blog and feel free to provide any input on the new format in the comments section.
Match Day 19 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day 19 Takeaways
Match Day 19 Recap: Mito Hollyhock
Match Day 20 Team Previews & Injury Reports
Keys to Victory
Match Day 20 Prediction
Match Day 20 in J2 & Table
Conclusion
1. Match Day 19 Recap: FC Ryukyu
2. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Whatever we did last week, let’s do it again! Likelihood 3. Didn’t happen as Kyoto had large spells of possession and dozens of shots.
2. Koizumi in the CAM Role. Likelihood 5. Did happen but he wasn’t able to unlock Kyoto’s defense and was ultimately substituted.
3. Match Day 19 Takeaways
1. FC Ryukyu were under siege the entire match against Kyoto. The overall box score indicates an near 3 to 1 domination from Kyoto in the shots, and shots on target category. Though the amount of possession for either side looks equal, it was Kyoto who was peppering Dany with shots all night.
2. There was some heroic defending on the part of FC Ryukyu against Kyoto. Fc Ryukyu managed to block many of the shots Kyoto took and Dany Carvajal played really well in net, where he was making save after save. Though this was a positive for FC Ryukyu, it could have been slightly reduced if some of the poor decision in the central parts of the pitch were avoided. This included, costly turnovers and wayward passes.
3. Ryukyu never really threatened the Kyoto net as the trend for an overall low number of total shots, and accurate shots, continues for the offense.
4. Match Day 19 RecapMito Hollyhock
5. Match Day 20 Team Previews & Injury Reports
FC Ryukyu.That nice run of form FC Ryukyu experienced between the end of July and August has but been forgotten as Ryukyu have lost 5 out of their last 6 and while being outscored 9 to 12 during that span. The 5-0 drubbing of Omiya stands out as an anomaly between the defeats to Yamagata and Zelvia, which are only compounded by the 1 goal losses to Niigata, Kanazawa, and most recently Kyoto Sanga.
But hopefully things are picking up for the club as they have seen the return of several players from injury and suspension the past few rounds as they are desperate for healthy, fresh legs in all areas of the pitch.
FC Ryukyu have experimented with several combinations in both the attack and defense in an attempt to generate some sort of rhythm, but with so many fixtures and injuries, this seems to be an unrealistic goal for many clubs in 2020.
Abe has been superb up top and he is on the verge of cracking double-digit goals for the first time in over 5 seasons. Koizumi continues to show the J-League what an immense talent he is and I hope that he continues his career arc at FC Ryukyu for just a little longer. The right and left mid fielders seem to be on constant rotations and Ryukyu really only play well when Higuchi correctly starts those who have the “hot hand.”
In defense the picture is much bleaker. FC Ryukyu have never been known as superior defensive team and things have continually spiraled out of control this year with all the combinations Higuchi has introduced. With one exception that is. Tanaka has been a revelation at RB and there is no other player in the squad that can match his work rate, tenacity, and skill other than Abe.
Unfortunately, Yong Jick is not the answer at CB, Suzuki is prone to mistakes as a raw prospect, you know what Fukui will provide each week in the reserve role and Chinen needs more matches to get back to full fitness. Numata provides a nice element to the attack but is often seen out of position when closing down attackers and ceding too many dangerous crosses into the box.
This is the basic state of the team as we enter one of the busiest stretches of games for FC Ryukyu. But all is not doom and gloom. FC Ryukyu have several prospects worth monitoring with Uehara in particular offering some glimpses of the player he could be.
FC Ryukyu Injures & Suspensions. We are still awaiting the return of Shinji Ono and Koki Kazama, but we’ve added DF Suzuki to the injured list as he tore one of his abductor muscles in his leg.
Mito Hollyhock. Someone on Twitter this past weekend commented that Mito are strange side in that they are one of the league leaders in both goals scored, and goals surrendered. This should be a familiar notion to many of us Ryukyu fans as this was exactly who FC Ryukyu were from the 2016 to 2017 seasons. This is far different from the 2019 Mito side that was one of the best defensive units in the league.
Mito have only lost once over their last five games where they had an impressive victory over Tokushima Vortis on the road. Mito are loaded with goal scoring talent up top featuring Kashima Antler’s on loan Kazuma Yamaguchi who has scored 8 goals and provided 6 assists which must put him near the top of the league leaders in total points. Forward Masato Nakayama has contributed 6 goals and 2 assists to go along with Pitbull’s 5.
It must simply be a case of being so top heavy in the attack, that Mito fail to recover in time in defense. In any case, teams like this, despite impressive goals scored tally, always provide a bit of hope to their opponents as they are prone to conceding often with their current set up. However, FC Ryukyu are not as well equipped as Mito to get into a shootout with the visitors this weekend.
Mito Hollyhock Injuries & Suspensions. MF Yuichi Hirano injured his Right MCL and will miss this match.
6. 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
Slow down the Mito attack. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu have been ceding massive amounts of shots the past few rounds while not really increasing their own shot totals. if they wish to earn a point from this round. They’ll need to blunt the Mito attack before it even gets going.
Take more shots. Likelihood 3. This may seem mundane but FC Ryukyu have seen quite a dip in their overall shots the past month. I am not suggesting they take some wasted long range efforts, but rather take more chances in and around the 18-yard box.
7. Match Day 20 Prediction
I think this will be a bit of shootout with the game ending in a 2-2 draw.
8. Match Day 20 in J2 and Standings
Nothing really stands out except some interesting kickoff times this weekend.
It should be an exciting night for football here in Okinawa and I am looking forward to FC Ryukyu getting back to their winning ways. While I wouldn’t consider these teams to be evenly matched, both possess the ability to score goals and concede a fair amount which should make for an enticing match.
Enjoy the long weekend for those living in Japan and stay safe as there maybe some lightening here tonight in Okinawa during the game.
FC Ryukyu squandered a golden opportunity on Sunday evening when they fell 1-0 to Albirex Niigata. Niigata had a fair amount of their starters out injured or resting and once again, Ryukyu failed to get one over on a weakened side. As Higuchi and other players stated in the FC Ryukyu Magazine, it was a wasted opportunity on Sunday.
Match Recap
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day Prediction
Match Day 14 Takeaways
Round 14 in J2
Top Goals from Round 14
Conclusion
1. Match Recap
Sorry, no fancy lineup graphics today as the website seems to be down. The link below contains all the match day information on the official J-League website.
Albirex Niigata MF Yoshiaki Tokagi. He was the lone goal scorer this game but a case could also be made for Arata Watanabe who was harassing our defense all game.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Weather the early storm from Niigata. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu was in fact doing this up until the time they conceded. You could feel a goal was coming for Niigata with all the chances they had early on.
2. Match the runs of the Niigata attackers. Likelihood 2. They did a good job of this but same lackluster attempts in defense is what set Ryukyu back on Sunday.
4. Match Day Prediction
Went with a 1-1 scoreline so that drops me to 1-4-9.
5. Match Day 14 Takeaways
1. The Ryukyu attack has really fizzled out the past few matches. Abe was on a rest day so we started Koya up top in a bit of a False-9 formation but they couldn’t generate enough possession to lead to any chances. The best chance Ryukyu had at scoring on Sunday was a Ren Ikeda shot that had the ball been closer to him by a few inches, he probably would’ve had more power and placement behind the shot.
2. Though both sides had the same amount of shots on net, Niigata were just far better in the attack. Niigata hit the crossbar twice and Dany was called into action on several occasions to make some fine saves. barely any of the Ryukyu shots troubled the Niigata goal keeper.
3. Most of the match was a stalemate and the lone goal was a result of a lapse in concentration. Yong Jick went for an interception on a Niigata clearance; missed it badly; which led to a breakaway on the Ryukyu goal. The Ryukyu defenders were outnumbered and as Tanaka slid over to cut out the attack, he left Takagi wide open for the shot. The play is indicative of when a defensive back in the NFL tries for an INT instead of defending the pass, or making the tackle, and thus leading to a big play. It goes to show you that players need to be focused and cognizant of their surroundings at all times or else pay the price.
4. There was an excessive amount of fouling by both sides this game but Ryukyu racked up 4 yellow cards in the process. Kawai and Ikeda picked up their second YC of the year and they need to be careful moving forward as we cannot afford for them to take a rest due to YC accumulation with so many mid fielders out of the lineup due to injury. It makes no difference whether it is a case of frustration or lack of energy to see out a challenge, they need to settle down out there.
The Kanazawa flood gates really opened up there in Iwata and Kyoto drew once more. There were some exciting comebacks and late winners this round. Oh yeah, one more thing. Giravanz cannot stop winning.
#1. Serginho’s screaming FK for Matsumoto from way downtown. (5:40)
#2. Emil Salomonsson’s beautiful FK for Avispa (2:55)
#3. Ehime’s Shion Niwa with a nice turn and shoot (0:52)
8. Conclusion
FC Ryukyu now get an extended break from matches as they do not play again until Saturday against Montedio Yamagata at home. There’s been a bit of good news this week as FC Ryukyu have signed MF Ichimaru Mizuki on loan from Gamba Osaka’s Under 23 team. Mizuki has chipped in 1 goal and 5 assists so far in J3 and will provide some nice support to an ailing FC Ryukyu Mid-Field corps.
I don’t know about you, but that game left me wanting more. Had there been another minute or so left I think FC Ryukyu could’ve netted the winner but instead they settle on one point after drawing with Tochigi SC 2-2. It was never going to be easy to score multiple goals against the best defensive side in J2 which made FC Ryukyu’s comebacks to the level the match twice so impressive.
Match Recap
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day Prediction
Match Day 13 Takeaways
Round 13 in J2
Top Goals from Round 13
Conclusion
1. Match Recap
2. Man of the Match
The Super Sub from FC Ryukyu. FWD Shinya Uehara who came on with little more than 15 minutes to go with Ryukyu down 1-0. He leveled the match within a minute of his entrance and then leveled it again 6 minutes after Tochigi SC took the lead shortly after Ryukyu’s equalizer. We’ve seen this type of performance before from Uehara and it was a welcome sight once more.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Do not over commit in the attack. Likelihood 3. We did exactly this in the first half and paid the price when Sakaki from Tochigi scored. Tochigi’s second goal was also from a counter attack.
2. Someone, anyone, create something in the attack. Likelihood 2. It was not until the second half subs were introduced that FC Ryukyu finally started to generate a push on net.
3. Win, and capitalize on Set Pieces. Likelihood 1. No, and we did not look good once again on corner kicks.
4. Match Day Prediction
Both @tsc_intl and I thought a 1-1 draw was great for both teams. Well a 2-2 draw made for an even more exciting match. 1-4-8 on the year.
5. Match Day 13 Takeaways
1. It was strange to see Torikai play up top with Keita Tanaka remaining at RB. There’s some good and bad in there in that Torikai can provide some rest for some of the mid fielders we have, but to me it also signals that Higuchi doesn’t trust Torikai defensively.
2. Despite the goal scoring outburst we witnessed late in the game, FC Ryukyu were downright awful in the first half. 70% possession and only two shots to show for it. None of which were on target. In fact, FC Ryukyu didn’t register a shot until the 38th minute. Tochigi was a massive brick wall that FC Ryukyu could not penetrate and a large portion of that possession consisted of the two CBs and CDM playing the ball back to each other.
3. We finally got our first look at Koizumi, Kawai and Ikeda in the lineup at the same time for about 30 minutes and there is a lot to be excited about. Adding in Koya also makes the Ryukyu attack more formidable. Kawai’s speed was on full display, along with Koizumi’s creativity and balance. Ikeda didn’t have the best outing but those 4 need to be the incumbent starters from now on. It was Koizumi’s, Ren’s, and Koya’s introduction in the second half that really turned things around for FC Ryukyu as I can barely recall Tochigi touching the ball in the second half. (yes, except for the goal of course)
4. I mentioned last recap that Makito Uehara is an interesting prospect. Well, he showed even more this week and I think it would be a shame to consider him as a CB, as he wasn’t even used in that role the last two times. He has some nice feet and I think he would be better suited as CDM over top of the two CBs with his speed and skill.
There were plenty of comebacks this round but it really was all about Giravanz smashing Omiya on the road; Kyoto failing to secure victory once again, and a Thespakusatsu victory at the death!
#1. Yohei Otake’s long range effort for Nagasaki. (5:45)
#2. Kanazawa’s Shimazu back heel. (5:10)
#3. Uehara’s header with defenders draped all over him and then like a bowling ball to the pins, takes out two defenders and the goalie. (6:40)
8. Conclusion
Welcome to J2 football with fixtures racked and stacked on top of one another. I feel really good leaving this match as FC Ryukyu showed some grit and determination against a very good defensive side in Tochigi. The lapses and let downs for Ryukyu will certainly continue as players need rest so the only thing you can do is soldier on.
Ryukyu make their second longest road trip of the year when they travel to Albirex Niigata on Sunday. See you in a few days with the Match Day 14 preview.
ryukyuarmy.com 