20 #FC琉球

Intro

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.

Match Day 32 Highlights

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.com/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3467949

Man of the Match

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.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHVa6lmycAE

Conclusion

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.

“Lightning Quick” Match Day 32 Preview: (18) FC Ryukyu vs. (21) Renofa Yamaguchi FC 11/8/2020 #FC琉球

Intro

Get your drinks chilled and your snacks ready because this should be an exciting, fast paced, goal scoring match this Sunday. FC Ryukyu and Renofa Yamaguchi FC represent 2 of the 3 teams that have conceded at least 50 goals this season and in the previous 7 times these teams have faced each other since 2015, there have been 29 goals scored. In fact, there is only 1 match in which there was less than 3 total goals.

Match Day 31 Recap: FC Ryukyu vs Ventforet Kofu (0-1)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmjubrtPJr8

Match Day 31 Recap: Renofa Yamaguchi FC vs Thespakusatsu Gunma (1-1)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHz1A2J1H_Q

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu sit 9 points and 4 wins away from matching their season total of 2019. You always want to see improvement from year to year, though sometimes it doesn’t happen, but for FC Ryukyu it is important that we make some headway heading into 2021. FC Ryukyu will need to win 4 out of their remaining 11 games to match that total from 2019 and there is no better way to start than by defeating an inferior opponent at home who has one of the worst away records in J2.

When FC Ryukyu were blanked by Kofu in the mid-week, FC Ryukyu had very little thrust and momentum until the last 15 minutes of the match after the introduction of some substitutes. Koizumi has only been used as a sub the past two matches and hopefully he cracks the starting 11 this round as he is our best playmaker in the squad. Abe could possibly make way for Uehara since he has started nearly every match for FC Ryukyu this year with his lone substitute appearance coming against V-Varen Nagasaki back in July. It makes the most sense to start Abe in an attempt to get out in front against Renofa as Ryukyu will face 2 of the top 3 sides after Renofa.

FC Ryukyu’s midfield has seen numerous changes to the starting 11 over the course of this season and the only one that seems to be in top form is Koya Kazama. He was left off the score sheet last round and will look to get back to his scoring ways this week. Ren Ikeda has been starting in place of Koizumi at CAM and it is probably time to reintroduce Koizumi to the starting lineup on Sunday to drive the attack. The same could be said about replacing Kawai with Motegi as Kawai has struggled to regain his 2019 form and we could use Motegi’s skill on more set pieces.

Uesato has been a constant in the CM this year with is usually partners of Koki Kazama or Mizuki Ichimaru but has also seen Koizumi in that role on occasion. If Ryukyu want to maximize their firepower on Sunday, Koizumi starting in place of either of Koki or Ichimaru, while leaving Ikeda up top, would be ideal. In fact, some of our best games featured that exact lineup.

In defense, it is likely we’ll see a pairing of Yong Jick with either Suzuki or Chinen, though Chinen didn’t make the trip to Kofu this past round. I could also see Numata returning to his starting LB role with Makito Uehara making the start at RB before making way for Tanaka in the second half.

Defense has been an issue for FC Ryukyu this year so all we can do now is simply hold on for the finish line before addressing the issue in the offseason winter transfer market.

Renofa Yamaguchi FC: Renofa have been hanging around the bottom of the table since Match Day 7 when they lost to Kitakyushu on the road 0-2. The best stretch of games this team experienced was between matches 20 and 24 when they went 3-1-1 with wins over Tokyo Verdy, JEF UTD Chiba, and Jubilo Iwata while drawing against Ehime FC. That stretch represents 1/3 of the total points accumulated this season for Renofa.

In the most recent stretch of games for Renofa, they have gone 1-1-3 with the lone victory coming in a very impressive performance against Kyoto Sanga FC on the road. But after that game, Renofa did not look like the same team that earned that win. Yamaguchi were outscored 9-2 and registered three straight losses to Tokushima Vortis, Mito Hollyhock, and Montedio Yamagata. They righted the ship slightly this past Wednesday when they drew with Gunma, but that was a game they should have won had it not been for a late goal (86′).

I am not quite sure which Renofa team we will see this Sunday as they can play well at times but for the most part, they are where they are in the table for a reason. Against teams around them, or near them, in the bottom of the J2 table, Renofa are 1-3-3 with the lone win coming against FC Ryukyu. But Yamaguchi are an even 1D-1L against Ehime FC, Gunma, and Matsumoto Yamaga FC in 2020.

The one positive for Renofa heading into Sunday is the fact that they possess a great record against FC Ryukyu. They have only lost once in their prior 7 matches dating back to 2015. While the games against Gunma and Matsumoto may provide a road map for how this game will shape up, I think FC Ryukyu will severely test the back line of Renofa.

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Speed. Likelihood 4. The Renofa back line was getting run ragged by the opposition in the 5 Renofa games that I watched. Either Renofa play a rather high back line or they simply lack the pace to keep up with the opposition’s forwards and attacking midfielders. You might think this is a potential break out spot for Kawai, but I think Abe is in the best spot to get around and past the Renofa defenders on quick breaks.

2. Exploit the open space in the Mid Field. Likelihood 4. FC Ryukyu can really control the pace of the game with large amounts of possession and with Renofa likely setting up in a 4-3-3, there will be some large gaps in the middle part of the field to exploit. If Ryukyu can quickly transition from defense into offense, and get the ball into their midfield playmakers, they could find some wide-open running lanes on Sunday. Koizumi would be the top choice here as his playmaking skills could really unlock the Renofa defense.

3. Defend the crosses into the box. Likelihood 2. Renofa are one of the league leaders when it comes to sending crosses into the box from the flanks. They seem to lack any midfield creativity and prefer to attack their opponents on short attacks on either side with a cross into Iury. FC Ryukyu need to prevent the Renofa wingers/outside midfielders from getting past them to choke out the Renofa offense. I fear that if Ryukyu do not do this successfully, Iury will find plenty of space in between our central defenders and have many clean looks on goal.

Match Day 32 Prediction

In their first meeting this season, FC Ryukyu drew first blood from an early goal by Motegi and then completely fell apart as Renofa scored four goals to win 4-1. Since neither side defends particularly well – Renofa dead last in goals allowed and FC Ryukyu are 3rd worst- means this should end with a large goal tally. I believe FC Ryukyu will take this one 4-2.

Match Day 32 in J2

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.com/j-league-division-2/startseite/wettbewerb/JAP2

(5) Albirex Niigata hosting (4) Giravanz Kitakyushu is the marquee match up with so much at stake for both sides. The next best game could be the (1) Tokushima Vortis vs (11) Tokyo Verdy with the international community enjoying the last game of this round.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-MiuF2BrCg

Conclusion

The forecast for the game is calling for rain and thunderstorms all day so I am not sure if there will be lengthy delays due to weather. What I am sure of though, is that this were be several “Lightning Quick” moments by both sides on Sunday since neither defends well, and both teams have a penchant for taking numerous shots.

I truly believe that FC Ryukyu are the stronger side, but the past record of Renofa against Ryukyu indicates this is yet another team that FC Ryukyu will struggle with in any competition. In any event, tune in to the lone 1600 match of the day for the J-League on Sunday for what should be a back and forth game, weather permitting.

Come on Boys!

Match Day 31 Recap: (6) Ventforet Kofu vs (18) FC Ryukyu 11/4/20 #FC琉球

Intro

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.

Match Day 31 Highlights

Source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmjubrtPJr8

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.com/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3467933

Man of the Match

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.

Match Day 31 in J2

V-Varen Nagasaki was unable to make up any ground on leaders Tokushima and Fukuoka as all 3 of the tops sides won this Wednesday.

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.com/j-league-division-2/tabelle/wettbewerb/JAP2/saison_id/2019

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEwv98wqfj4

For all you international readers, check the J-League International Channel in a few days for all the goals of Round 31 in J2.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmQp6ZaAejJKKkXc_Y_lh1A

Conclusion

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.

“Head Games” Match Day 31 Preview: (6) Ventforet Kofu vs. (18) FC Ryukyu 11/4/20 #FC琉球

Intro

Here we are once again, nearly a full year removed, from FC Ryukyu trying to derail Ventforet Kofu’s promotion dreams once more. The last time FC Ryukyu tried to accomplish this feat, we had to do so with a severely depleted squad after having already secured our place in the table safe from relegation and ended up losing 2-0. But things are a little different these days. Kofu do not possess nearly the same firepower they had last year when Utaka was leading the line. FC Ryukyu have retained the services of many of their quality players, who for the most part, are relatively healthy and match fit. And then there is rigors of the reshuffling of the schedule due to CV19. I take no joy in playing the role of spoiler, as I’d much rather be looking down at teams in the table, but you make the best of what you got.

Match Day 30 Recap: Ventforet Kofu vs Tochigi SC (0-0)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kQsjfb1nVM

Match Day 30 Recap: FC Ryukyu vs Omiya Ardija (3-0)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbt-yVbtPhA

Team Previews

Ventforet Kofu: Kofu enter match day 31 having won 3 out of their previous 5 games that included victories over Kitakyushu, Tokushima and Zelvia. Their only loss came at the hands of Gunma while they played to a 0-0 draw against Tochigi SC this past weekend. Kofu are rounding into form at just the right time after having suffered a winless spell of 7 games during the months of September and October. They will need to continue their strong play as they currently sit 13 points outside of the top two promotion spots, but the upcoming schedule sets up well for Kofu.

Over the next four rounds, Kofu will play teams in the bottom half of the table starting with FC Ryukyu this Wednesday followed by Omiya, Mito and then Ehime before facing Iwata, Kyoto and Yamagata in quick succession this month. 12 points from these next four games would provide a massive boost to their promotion ambitions and set them up nicely to gain ground at the expense of those teams around them in the table later.

FC Ryukyu: Fresh off a 3-0 road victory over Omiya, FC Ryukyu will look to continue their momentum against 6th place Ventforet Kofu. In their previous 3 meetings with Kofu, FC Ryukyu have suffered three defeats while being outscored 9-3. While FC Ryukyu have got back to winning ways of late, 3 wins in their last 4 matches, Kofu will be a stiff test on a short week with a lot of travel mixed in for FC Ryukyu.

Abe continues his march to the J2 Golden boot with a pair of goals this past round brining his season total to 13. Good enough for 3rd overall and 6 behind leader Peter Utaka of Kyoto Sanga FC. Abe has been a rock for Ryukyu this season as he has featured in 28 out of the 30 games the club has played this year. He rarely seems to tire and continues to display his ability to create time and space for shots.

Koya Kazama also seems to be in good form by following up his goal against Kyoto Sanga FC with 2 assists against Omiya. Both Koya and Abe will need to be on point this week as Ryukyu have always had a difficult time penetrating the Kofu back line.

Outside of our top two scorers Abe and Koya, FC Ryukyu will need to energize the remaining mid-filed combinations of Ikeda, Kawai, Koizumi and Motegi. In the case of Motegi, he has yet to score or provide an assist, since his return from COVID-19. I hope he is no longer experiencing the effects of the disease but he has been used primarily as a substitute since his return in September. He could provide a much needed boost to the attack if/when he gets back to his pre-CV19 form.

Last week’s paring of Yong Jick and Suzuki at CB worked well enough to shut down the Omiya attack though Omiya was able to get several dangerous shots off through the middle of the defense last week. It was only due to the excellent play of Dany Carvajal that none of those shots found the back of the net.

Finally, Keita Tanaka was able to return to the bench this round as an unused substitute and in his place, Makito Uehara scored his first ever goal for the club. As I’ve said on several occasions, he is a raw talent that needs match experience and coaching in order to develop into a top player for this club. Personally, I feel he is better suited at CDM than RB with his size/speed combination.

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

Let’s state the obvious first.

-Kofu’s strengths, both in the attack and defense, line up well with the weaknesses of FC Ryukyu.

1. Have some early Success. Likelihood 3. While a goal or two would be nice, success could come in the form of creating quality chances, challenging the Kofu goalie with well aimed shots, or stifling the Kofu attack. We’ve seen what happens to the Ryukyu attack if it cannot find any shooting lanes or generate any real pressure and momentum early. It simply stalls out. This maybe the only time that I advocate trying some shots from distance as Kofu can defend decently in and around their box. And no, I am not talking about the Yong Jick postage stamp shot from 50 yards out.

2. Ruffle the Feathers of Kofu. Likelihood 2. As far as I could tell in their highlights, Kofu plays with much more visible emotion than most sides. This could work in favor of Ryukyu if they are able to take advantage of any misfires and mistakes from Kofu. Remember, Kofu is in the midst of a promotion push whereas Ryukyu have nothing but pride left to play for in 2020. Though I wish the roles were reversed, it is what it is at this point. The easiest thing to do is to frustrate a side, who is under massive pressure to win, by getting under their skin. I’d deploy Chinen or Suzuki in place of Yong Jick to mark Dudu, and while not aiming to hurt the player, put in a few hard fouls to get him off his game. Even a Tanaka “professional foul” would work as Dudu seems like a player to react and lash out to that type of treatment. You could always swap out a defender later at the expense of disrupting the engine of the Kofu attack by getting him off his game.

3. Catch Kofu Napping. Likelihood 4. Kofu are one of those sides that seem to play down or up to the level of their competition. The most recent loss to Gunma indicates as much. FC Ryukyu must be clinical on whatever opportunities are afforded to them on Wednesday as this could force Kofu’s hand to press for the equalizer or winner late on and really open things up.

4. Score from Dead Ball Set Pieces. Likelihood 2. Kofu are very adept at seeing out low scoring affairs since they’ve only scored more than 2 goals this season on 4 occasions and yet sit 6^th in the table. This game could very well be decided by a set piece and hopefully FC Ryukyu can convert one or two of them for goals.

Match Day 31 Prediction

There are a handful of teams in J2 that always seem to have FC Ryukyu’s number. In the 3 meetings with Kofu; FC Ryukyu surrendered a 2 goal lead for a 5-2 loss; closed out 2019 with a less than full squad resulting in a 2-0 loss; and scored their only goal against Kofu this year from the penalty spot. It’s hard to see FC Ryukyu getting over their woes against Kofu this year and this one is likely to end 2-0 in favor of the hosts.

Round 31 in J2

Tokushima Vortis hosting Jubilo highlights this round and it will also be the free YouTube broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsqUUwnU0c0

Conclusion

There can be no doubt that Kofu are a stronger side compared to FC Ryukyu as their record and place in the table highlight that very point. When facing a strong side on the road, after a rigorous season filled with ridiculous amounts of travel in very short succession, the match is no longer a test of strength, but rather a test of wits.

So, how can FC Ryukyu overcome some of the issues that have tormented them in their previous three games against Kofu and achieve their first every victory over their opponent? Well for that, I’ll reference the Cooper Color Code of the Combat Mindset.

Source: https://kravmagamindset.wordpress.com/2018/05/30/coopers-color-code-and-the-combat-mindset/#:~:text=Cooper’s%20original%20code%20consisted%20of,to%20include%20Gray%20and%20Black.

Both Ryukyu and Kofu will start out in the YELLOW state at kickoff but Ryukyu need to propel Kofu into the RED and then BLACK categories, skipping over ORANGE quickly, by thwarting Kofu’s attack and agitating some of their more emotional players. Think stuff like this doesn’t occur in sports? Just think about how well Diego Costa would frustrate many of the Arsenal players during his time at Chelsea. It emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence, and is an area I think Ryukyu could exploit.

As I stated earlier, Kofu have it all to lose while FC Ryukyu do not have nearly as much at stake on Wednesday night. It is time that we play some “Head Games” with Kofu instead of trying to match them strength for strength.

Come on Boys!

Match Day 30 Recap: (16) Omiya Ardija vs (18) FC Ryukyu 11/1/20 #FC琉球

Intro

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).

Match Highlights

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.com/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3467920

Man of the Match

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.

Round 30 in J2

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.

Conclusion

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.

“Best of Both Worlds” Match Day 30 Preview: (16) Omiya Ardija vs. (18) FC Ryukyu 11/1/20 #FC琉球

Intro

It has been a while my friends. I’ve been heavily engrossed in the American NFL season, more importantly, the NFL Fantasy Football season, which as you may not know is one of my favorite hobbies. The last time we spoke FC Ryukyu were 18^th in the table, results were a mixed bag, and the fixtures came thick and fast. “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” FC Ryukyu are still 18^th after some surprising results -both good and bad – and with only 13 fixtures remaining, what else should we expect as we bring a close to the 2020 season for FC Ryukyu?

Both of these teams………………………………….

Match Day 29 Recap: FC Ryukyu vs Kyoto Sanga F.C. (2-1)

Match Day 29 Recap: Omiya Ardija vs V-Varen Nagasaki (0-0)

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: This season will always be one in which we are left wondering what could have been. We have so much talent but we can never seem to get in synch, or fire at the right time. We can play great and beat anybody, but can also suffer through uninspiring play and waning results.

FC Ryukyu are coming off a come from behind 2-1 win against Kyoto Sanga FC at home this past Sunday and will look to carry that momentum into this round against Omiya Ardija. FC Ryukyu have faired very well against Omiya the past two seasons with 2 wins over the hosts and plenty of goals scored. The last time these two sides met, FC Ryukyu demolished Omiya 5-0 at home.

FC Ryukyu have seen their fair share of injuries recently and despite losing the unanimous come back player of the year in Keita Tanaka, they have soldiered on with a very promising young prospect in Makito Uehara.

Koizumi continues to impress each week, though we have never been able to get Kawai firing this year which bodes well for his long term prospects of staying at FC Ryukyu in 2021, but is not so great for his overall development. Abe continues to show what a quality signing he has been as one of the league leaders in goals scored and yet, despite all the offensive successes, FC Ryukyu continue to remain unsettled at the back. Ryukyu have tried multitude of combinations and players in defense but large cracks still exist and is the one area that needs attention in the offseason.

Omiya Ardija: The fall season has not been kind to Omiya, who, were once sitting near the top of the table this past spring/summer. In fact, Omiya has gone winless all of October with only 3 wins in their past 15 games dating back to August. Much of this could be tied to the numerous injuries they are suffering through, but Omiya’s form and scoring have all dropped precipitously since the summer.

Omiya sit only six points above Ryukyu in the table in what has to be considered a lost season for a team always tipped for a promotion run. In my experience, when teams with nothing to play for, who are just looking to close out the season, they will simply lay down and die. FC Ryukyu pasted Omiya 5-0 the last time these two sides locked horns and FC Ryukyu have out scored Omiya 11 to 6 in the three games they’ve played and will look to continue that form this Sunday.

Key to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Get Abe going early. Likelihood 4. Abe is one of the leading goal scorers in J2 this year and his successes, and failures, are directly tied to the fortunes of this squad. Get him firing early, and often, and we have a good shot of earning another 3 points this weekend.

Match Day 30 Prediction

These two teams light up the score board every time the square off so I expect that to happen once again in spite of Omiya’s goal drought. 3-2 in favor of FC Ryukyu tomorrow.

Match Day 30 in J2

Those teams that are expected to get the job done, face many sides that will probably oblige them. So not much to rave about on MD 30.

And for all you international viewers, aren’t you lucky this round!

Conclusion

I am glad I could pop in a for a brief preview before turning my focus back to Fantasy Football as I have truly missed writing these entries each week. While Ryukyu face no threat of relegation, and no notion of promotion in 2020, it has been enjoyable watching some players develop in front of our eyes this year. Koizumi, Ikeda, and the younger Uehara are just a few. It is also great to see some veterans regain their top form with Tanaka making a transition to RB and Koya Kazama scoring at will. This has created a sense of hope for 2021, when results will really matter and each match will have a greater sense of urgency.

On that note, I have no idea how this season will end for FC Ryukyu, nor how 2021 will shape up with departures and new arrivals. Personally, Id like to see Shinji Ono transition out of his player role into that of manager. He has had a difficult time staying healthy during his time at Ryukyu, and though I hope he can end his career with at least 1 goal scored for the Bengara, I think we could leverage his name and relationships for future seasons once he has retired.

Well then, I have enjoyed this brief return to blogging for FC Ryukyu this weekend while enjoying my passion for Fantasy Football. For me, it has been ” the best of both worlds.” Enjoy this round and I’ll talk to you all soon.

Go on Lads!

FC Ryukyu Week in Review #FC琉球

Intro

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.

Looking Ahead

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 need You, You, You” Match Day 20 Preview and Match Day 19 Recap #FC琉球

Intro

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 Recap Mito 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.

9. Conclusion

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.

“Back in the Saddle Again” Match Day 19 Preview: (8) Kyoto Sanga F.C. vs. (18) FC Ryukyu 9/13/20 #FC琉球

Intro

Apologies for such a lengthy gap between entries as I was solely focused on preparing for the upcoming NFL fantasy football season and my attention was elsewhere. And thank you for sticking by, or returning, while I enjoyed my favorite hobby. But now it is back to business, and back to FC Ryukyu.

FC Ryukyy travel to Kyoto to take on a side that is looking to get back into the promotion race. Kyoto are a very strong side at home as they have yet to lose, and though anything is possible these days, I think Kyoto are pleased to welcome in FC Ryukyu with their recent road woes. Plus, we may see former FC Ryukyu star, Kazaki Nakagawa, plying his trade in the central mid-field for Kyoto. But do not fret, as we have our own special MF in Yoshio Koizumi.

Peter Utaka vs Takuma Abe? Yes please! The top scorers in J2 will be featured in this match which could turn into an exciting, fast paced, tilt.

Weather Forecast
Match Day 18 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Match Day 18 Recap: Kyoto Sanga FC
Team Previews & Injury Reports
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day Prediction
Round 19 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast

Overcast and possible rain.

2. Match Day 18 Recap: FC Ryukyu

3. Match Day 18 Recap: Kyoto Sanga FC

4. Team Previews & Injury Reports

Kyoto Sanga F.C. Streaky maybe the best way to describe Kyoto. Kyoto seems to be a squad that really plays down to the level of their competition instead of putting them to the sword with all the firepower they possess. In fact, Kyoto, just like FC Ryukyu, have only scored more than 2 goals in any match this season just once. But make no mistake, Kyoto are undefeated at home and FC Ryukyu have never beat Kyoto in any competition in their history.

Over their past 6 games, Kyoto have gone on to draw two, lose two, and win two in that exact order. The draws came against Niigata and Matsumoto, followed by two consecutive road losses at the hands of Verdy and Omiya. Kyoto have turned things back around by defeating JEF and Gunma in consecutive weeks and may possibly be breaking out of that aforementioned notion of playing down to their competition. Seeing how this is one is at home, Kyoto are heavy favorites in this game.

Kyoto Sanga F.C. Injuries & Suspensions. None are listed.

FC Ryukyu. A lot has happened since I last wrote about FC Ryukyu. They signed MF Mizuki Ichimaru on loan from Gamba Osaka; they had a 4 game losing streak; and most impressively, they scored 5 goals against Omiya Ardija this past Wednesday.

During that stretch of 4 consecutive losses, FC Ryukyu were playing some rather poor defense while having to deal with injuries and rest periods to their defensive corps. Uesato even started one match at CB and that did not end well for FC Ryukyu. But things have made a slight turn for the better after the Omiya victory as there were some notable players returning – or at the very least being seen back at training and with the reserves – returning to the lineup. And Koizumi and Kawai bagged their first goals of the season.

The players who returned were Motegi and Chinen with Shinji Ono training with the reserves after the match. I assume Koki Kazama is not far behind and these players returning could not have come at a better time for FC Ryukyu with this month’s fixtures.

Whereas FC Ryukyu were stretched thin at MF the past 2 months, the same could be said for their defense this month. Yong Jick sat out last week thanks in part to his Yellow Card accumulation and there was no sign of Suzukui on the bench. In fact, the only healthy defender FC Ryukyu dressed last week against Omiya was they younger Uehara.

On that note, the younger Uehara has been really impressive during his brief spells inside the FC Ryukyu lineup. He has another “gear” when it comes to closing down attackers and has been excellent in dispossessing them when he does get there. Once he learns how to take the proper angles to balls in flight as well as the opposing attackers, he could be a serious force to be reckoned with. For now, he is raw as raw can get and needs some fine tuning.

FC Ryukyu Injuries & Suspensions. Yong Jick maybe returning to the lineup after serving his suspension and it looks as if Koki Kazama may have suffered a set back in his return as his time line was updated on 8/8 for at least a 6-8 week wait for his return.

5. 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

Whatever we did last week, let’s do it again! Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu only had a slight uptick in their total amount of shots on net from their previous matches, but they were far more clinical. In fact, that game could have ended 7-0 if not for a nice save and near miss. Play relaxed and create chances as Kyoto have shown they can be caught napping on lesser opponents from time to time.
Koizumi in the CAM Role. Likelihood 5. There should be no doubt that he is our most creative MF and he has the talent to unlock any team’s defense. He’s really coming on this year and is absolutely scintillating to watch.

6. Match Day Prediction

Despite the recent outburst last week against Omiya, I do not like FC Ryukyu’s chances this Sunday as Kyoto are a much stronger team at home where they average almost 2 goals scored at home every match. I have tipped FC Ryukyu to lose 3-1. But what do I know?

7. Round 19 in J2

The two that jump right out are (1) Kitakyushu hosting (5) Niigata and (2) Nagasaki hosting (6) Jubilo Iwata.

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.de/j-league-division-2/startseite/wettbewerb/JAP2

My, my, my. Aren’t all you international viewers lucky this week as there are two free matches for you to enjoy on the J-League International YouTube Channel.

8. Conclusion

Right, so after a lengthy delay, I am finally back and as always, I appreciate all of your support. Can Ryukyu get one over on a high priced team looking to get back into the promotion race and grab their first ever win in Kyoto? Can Kyoto’s players continue their strong form at home and see off a side who is struggling for form on the road? All good questions heading into Match Day 19 and I for one, am looking forward to getting “back in the saddle again.”

“Rock You Like a Hurricane (typhoon)” Match Day 15 Preview: (18) FC Ryukyu vs. (12) Montedio Yamagata #FC琉球

Intro

Still searching for their first home win of the season, FC Ryukyu welcome in a surging Montedio Yamagata team this Saturday evening. Ryukyu failed to earn a point last week against Niigata on the road with the downward trend for limited shots on net continuing. On the other hand, Yamagata ripped Kofu apart 3-1 and looked very good while doing it.

Weather Forecast
Match Day 14 Recap; FC Ryukyu
Match Day 14 Recap: Montedio Yamagata
Team Previews & Injury Reports
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day 15 Prediction
Round 15 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast

Despite the fact that a Super Typhoon is headed for Okinawa, the match conditions seem favorable on Saturday. Hopefully Montedio Yamagata can return safely home after the game.

2. Match Day 14 Recap: FC Ryukyu

3. Match Day 14 Recap: Montedio Yamagata

4. Team Previews & Injury Reports

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu ended their 5 games in 15 days with a 1-0 loss to Niigata on the road. The went 2W-1D-2L over that span with an even 5 goals scored, 5 goals conceded. There are some tired legs out there for FC Ryukyu and hopefully we will see a return of Abe to lineup tomorrow to provide a much needed boost to the offense. It maybe premature, but we could also see the debut of new signing, Mizuki Ichimaru, with so many injuries and suspensions to the FC Ryukyu mid-field.

FC Ryukyu Injuries & Suspensions: No change from the last installment and no announcements on the condition of Chinen and Motegi. I am beginning to become concerned for these two men as several weeks have passed and there is no indication that either has recovered or they are still dealing with CV-19 symptoms. I am concerned as these are professional athletes, in far better shape than most of us, and that serious damage is being done to their bodies and careers.

Montedio Yamagata: Yamagata are starting to surge after a very rocky patch in which they didn’t win a single game between Rounds 3 and 10. They have turned things around as of late by winning three out of their last four against some very good competition. Outside of their two losses to Kyoto and Gunma, Yamagata are very good defensively as they’ve shut out their opponents on six occasions this season. But Yamagata’s away form should also be noted as they haven’t scored nearly as much on the road as they have at home, and they only have one road win to date.

Montedio Yamagata Injuries & Suspensions: DF Kuriyama ruptured his Achilles tendon earlier this month but since his removal from the lineup due to injury, Yamagata has been winning more frequently.

5. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Keep the mental mistakes to a minimum. Likelihood 2. This means not putting in rash challenges, taking bad angles to balls and maintaining a razor focus for the entire match.

2. Score from Set Pieces. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu are not generating as many shots on net as they have in the past and some of our best opportunities for goals may stem from set pieces. One goal each from the corner and dead ball spot would be amazing and probably allow us to earn our first home win this year.

6. Match Day Prediction

I see Yamagata tilting FC Ryukyu 2-0 tomorrow evening.

7. Round 15 in J2

Two big match-ups on Saturday with (2) Giravanz hosting (10) JEF, and (1) Nagasaki welcoming in (9) Omiya.

8. Conclusion

These two teams drew both times they played last year and it is interesting that the last time they squared off in Okinawa, there was a typhoon that disrupted the game. That won’t be the case this time but there is something odd about Yamagata traveling to Okinawa and bringing a typhoon with them.

With that in mind, it is high time that FC Ryukyu grabs their first win of the year, and Rock’s em’ like a Hurricane (typhoon)!