20 #FC琉球

Intro

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.

https://www.jleague.jp/en/match/j2/2020/082324/live

2. Man of the Match

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.

6. Round 14 in J2

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

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.

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

7. Top Goals from Round 14

#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.

“Are You Ready” Match Day 14 Preview: (9) Albirex Niigata vs. (18) FC Ryukyu 8/23/20 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu head North to Niigata this Sunday for their last of 5 consecutive short week fixtures. They will get a much needed break following this match as they do not play again until the following Saturday when they host Montedio Yamagata. FC Ryukyu are coming off a very spirited 2-2 draw against Tochigi SC in the mid-week and I for one think that energy will propel them to another favorable result this round. Make no mistake though, FC Ryukyu were blown away 4-0 the last time they visited the Big Swan Stadium but that was last year and as I said, I think things will be different this time.

Weather Forecast
Match Day 13 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Match Day 13 Recap: Albirex Niigata
Team Previews & Injury Reports
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day Prediction
Round 14 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast

Looks to be a comfortable evening in Niigata for this one.

2. Match Day 13 Recap: FC Ryukyu

3. Match Day 13 Recap: Albirex Niigata

4. Team Previews & Injury Reports

FC Ryukyu. Ryukyu have only lost once in their last 7 games as they continue to grind out results. This side can generate loads of possession but are having a hard time finding the back of the net. In fact, FC Ryukyu have yet to score more than two goals in any single match this year.

Against Tochigi SC in the mid-week, FC Ryukyu had 71% possession but very few shots until late in the second half. It was after the introduction of Koizumi, Ikeda and Koya that the attack started moving forward and creating some opportunities. While I’ll always enjoy seeing Ryukyu in possession, it is frustrating watching attacks fizzle out or lead to set pieces that go nowhere. It is a bit like watching your NFL team get into the Red Zone but only kick Field Goals instead of scoring Touchdowns.

Seeing how this is the last short week fixture, at least for a little while, it is safe to assume that we will see roughly the same lineup from the mid-week against Tochigi with some minor tweaks. For all we know, Higuchi’s game plan could consist of letting our more creative players rest for the better part of the match while hoping to score a goal, and then introduce Ikeda, Koya, Koizumi, and Uehara later in an attempt to overwhelm the opposition in the last 30 minutes of the match. Maybe this is his way of conserving energy for some of our better players for later in the season, or at least until Motegi, Shinji and Koki return.

FC Ryukyu Injuries & Suspensions. No new developments as far as new injuries to the side or recoveries for our CV-19 players. However, FC Ryukyu have 9 members of their squad on the mend.

Albirex Niigata. Niigata started out on fire this year by scoring 13 goals in their first 5 games but have since cooled off with only scoring 7 goals in their last 8 matches. Much of this could be attributed to the loss of some of their key players but Arata Watanabe looks in fine form these days.

While the goals may have dried up for Niigata, they are still managing to earn results. Niigata haven’t lost but once in their last 10 games and their only home loss this year occurred at the beginning of last month. Over their last 5 games, Niigata have drawn with Tochigi, Omiya, and Kyoto while losing to Okayama from a late goal and defeated Renofa at home despite being reduced to 10 men.

This may not be the most inspiring review of an opponent for FC Ryukyu but there wasn’t much in any of the matches I reviewed for Niigata that really stood out. They do some things well that will surely trouble the FC Ryukyu back line, and they create their fare share of chances on goal. They don’t defend any worse than FC Ryukyu do and they will probably hover around the mid-table until the return of some of their star players. They seem ripe for the picking but I’ve said this before about Kofu and we all know how that one turned out.

Albirex Niigata Injuries & Suspensions. Niigata are likely to be missing two of their top scorers this weekend as Fabio is dealing with a ligament injury to his right foot and Frank Romero is listed with a foot injury. Romero has no timetable for return or length of injury listed so there is a possibility he is healthy enough to play on Sunday. They will also be without MF Gonzalez who is serving a suspension for his yellow card accumulation.

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. Weather the early storm from Niigata. Likelihood 3. Niigata are a very aggressive team at home and chances are they will pepper the Ryukyu net with several shots in the first half. FC Ryukyu may need to approach this match much like they did against Iwata where they had little possession but used the counter attack very effectively.

2. Match the runs of the Niigata attackers. Likelihood 2. Against Tochigi, Ryukyu failed to match the runs of the Tochigi players which led directly to both of their goals. The second was the most egregious as Yong Thae was left wide open for the header that put Tochigi ahead with only a few minutes to play. It is unlikely that the full backs get back in time to support the onslaught so it is imperative that Uesato, and whatever combination we have at CB, organize themselves and communicate assignments on the counter.

6. Match Day Prediction

This could very well be another ugly match to watch that has a few moments of pulsating action. Niigata still has plenty of firepower remaining despite the loss of Fabio and possibly Frank Romero. I feel that a 1-1 draw is in the offering this weekend.

7. Round 14 in J2

Plenty of dispersed fixture kickoff times this weekend to suit your fancy. While no single match up stands out, the (10) Jubilo Iwata v (12) Zweigen Kanazawa looks like it could be a good one. One note, the Ehime v Omiya game is scheduled for Saturday evening at 1900 JST on the J-League website and DAZN.

The Free J2 broadcast offered on the J-League International YouTube channel.

8. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu cannot afford to start out sluggish in this match as Niigata could easily jump out to an insurmountable lead before the break. It is perfectly fine for FC Ryukyu to not dominate the possession but they cannot be caught napping by the Niigata attack. Niigata has several key injuries and suspensions which has created a favorable position for FC Ryukyu if they can exploit it.

Let’s also hope the boys aren’t delayed during their return leg as there is a tropical storm/typhoon forming off the southwestern coast of Okinawa as we speak.

Are they ready? Are we ready? Are you ready?

Match Day 13 Recap: (18) FC Ryukyu vs. (11) Tochigi SC 8/19/20 #FC琉球

Intro

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 38^th 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.

6. Round 13 in J2

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!

7. Top Goals from Round 13

#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.

“Tuff Enuff” Match Day 13 Preview: (18) FC Ryukyu vs. (10) Tochigi SC 8/19/20 #FC琉球 #栃木SC

Intro

And the beat goes on. We’ve now reached the 1/3 mark for the 18 games in 71 days for FC Ryukyu and this time it will be against Tochigi SC. Tochigi SC have turned things around defensively this year compared to 2019 as indicated by their impressive six shutouts to date.

For this installment we will be joined by the Unofficial Tochigi SC correspondent, @tsc_intl, who was kind enough to provide some insight into his club for this match up. Please enjoy.

Weather Forecast
Match Day 12 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Match Day 12 Recap: Tochigi SC
Team Previews &Injury Reports
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day Prediction
Round 13 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast

It is a real shame that the weather for the matches this year is so much better compared to 2019 and that no one can attend due to CV-19. Looks to be very favorable weather tomorrow.

2. Match Day 12 Recap: FC Ryukyu

https://fcryukyublog.home.blog/2020/08/17/match-day-12-recap-22-t-gunma-vs-18-fc-ryukyu-8-16-20-fc%e7%90%89%e7%90%83/

3. Match Day 12 Recap: Tochigi SC

4. Team Previews & Injury Reports

FC Ryukyu. Over the last month, FC Ryukyu have won twice, drawn twice and lost twice. They have done well to stop the hemorrhaging at the back that plagued them for so much of the restart of this 2020 campaign. The defensive improvement has allowed them to come out on top of some low scoring affairs that includes shutting out their opponents twice during this time.

FC Ryukyu are not nearly as free scoring as they’ve been in the past and they have never really been known as a strong defensive side in any tier they’ve played in here in Japan so this is a nice surprise. Yet, these type of games should provide a nice launching pad for when the team starts clicking up top and begins scoring more goals.

Speaking of scoring, Takuma Abe is on a tear of late as he has scored 4 times in as many games to bring his total to 6 on the year. Good enough for joint 2nd in all of J2. That is the most goals Abe has scored since 2015 and he looks on pace to reach his highest ever total in J2, 18 goals. So long as he can stay healthy.

On the subject of health, FC Ryukyu are facing a selection crisis as they have several players injured, suspended due to CV-19, or just missing from the squad altogether. The last category is worrisome as Ryukyu have been forced to dress, and not use, several youth players from within their ranks. While Tanaka has been superb since making a switch to RB, Ryukyu are hurting for healthy midfielders these days and eventually Tanaka will need a break. Considering we have at least one -Torikai- if not two healthy RBs, Tavares being the other, these guys need to start seeing the field with a little more regularity so Tanaka can rest and provide relief to the rest of his mid field cohorts.

As evidenced by the last performance against Gunma, the players are beginning to break down physically with the amount of games played in such a short time span. The Ryukyu attack stalled out way more than it has the past few rounds and it will only continue to get worse until players can receive adequate rest and recuperation.

FC Ryukyu Injuries & Suspensions: Still no word on the availability of Chinen and Motegi as they recover from CV-19. And there is no word on the statuses of Koizumi, Uehara and Tavares. Yong Jick is flirting with a 1-game suspension if he picks up another Yellow Card so that is something to watch out for.

Tochigi SC. Tochigi this season is characterized by its high press. Though their ball possession rate is quite low, that does not mean they withdraw into their half throughout a game as they did in the previous season. Their quick transition, especially from offense to defense, is also is an improvement from last year. Both of the home-grown rookie wingers, Akimoto and Mori, are in good form, which is one of the driving forces for the team.

Key Numbers

39.7%: the lowest ball possession rate in the league.

Scored 7 goals in total: the fewest in the league.

Conceded 7 goals in total: also the fewest in the league

Issues

As the number of goals indicate, Tochigi needs to generate more scoring opportunities to achieve a higher place in the table. Though they have not let in that many goals, there is some room to improve in dealing with set pieces because the Tochigi last three conceded goals came from set pieces. At the same time, the manager Tasaka needs to give sufficient rest to each player which means he needs to have different options for the roster in this tightly contested match schedule.

Objectives

1. Stop Abe, the top scorer for FC Ryukyu.

2. Never give time and space to Uesato who can make crucial passes.

3. Keep an eye on Lee at set pieces.

Tochigi SC Injuries & Suspensions: Shiota (GK) & Osaki (LM).

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 to happen

1. Do not over commit in the attack. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu are struggling to produce many goals these days and Tochigi are an excellent defensive side that can hit you on the counter with speed. How else can you explain their low goals scored, conceded, and possession rates and yet they still sit 8 points clear of Ryukyu. Since there is probably some growing frustration with our attack, coupled with some tired legs, there is a chance we throw everything at Tochigi tomorrow. If we make that mistake, we have seen Tochigi punish teams on the breakout.

2. Someone, anyone, create something in the attack. Likelihood 2. As I said, Tochigi are great at organizing their defense and there were very few times that I saw them not properly man marking inside and around the 18-yard box. I am not sure we have the energy to be attempting runs all game so we’ll need someone to win their 1v1 match ups to create some goal scoring chances.

3. Win, and capitalize on Set Pieces. Likelihood 1. FC Ryukyu have scored twice from some set pieces this year but they will need to finally score from a CK. It maybe the only way to either take the lead or claw back into a match against a team that has proven very adept at seeing out 1-0 leads to victory.

6. Match Day Prediction

Asking FC Ryukyu to score nearly one-third of all the goals Tochigi have conceded to date might be a bit much. But these are unprecedented times with so many fixtures that teams may not look like their normal selves. With that in mind, both @tsc_intl and myself feel that a 1-1 score line would be great for both sides.

7. Round 13 in J2

The mid-week slate is highlighted by (4) Omiya Ardija hosting (2) Giravanz Kitakyushu along with (1) V-Varen Nagasaki welcoming in (5) JEF Utd Chiba.

8. Conclusion

I’d like to thank @tsc_intl for that cracking insight and analysis into Tochigi SC. It is always enjoyable to co-author these previews from time to time as they provide richer content from the oppositions view point.

In closing, a recent tweet by Koya Kazama really sums up the mindset of the players and staff these days for FC Ryukyu. Basically, “we’re all fatigued, but we will endure, and let’s enjoy the next tough match.”

チームにいろんなアクシデントがある中での連戦。スタッフ、選手全員正直疲労はかなりある。その中で昨日の様なゲームは必ずある。そこで最後まで我慢できたことによる勝ち点3。次もタフに楽しもう。#FC琉球 pic.twitter.com/n3tfzzhxcM
— 風間宏矢 (@koyakoya0416) August 17, 2020

Question is; Are you Tuff Enuff?

Match Day 12 Recap: (22) T.Gunma vs (18) FC Ryukyu 8/16/20 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu managed to scrape by Gunma with a 1-0 victory this past Sunday night on the heels of another Takuma Abe goal. The game itself lacked many of the fireworks that some Ryukyu fans were expecting though the local Maebashi municipality was kind enough to put on an actual fireworks display about 5 minutes before half time.

Match Recap
Man of the Match
Review of the Key to Not Losing
Match Day Prediction
Match Day 12 Takeaways
Round 12 in J2
Top Goals from Round 12
Conclusion

1. Match Recap

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu MF/RB Keita Tanaka: He worked his tail off last night and provided the excellent cross to Abe who scored our only goal. Well deserved.

3. Review of the Key to Not Losing

1. Put some crooked numbers on the scoreboard. Likelihood 4: We won so we should not be to disappointed but I seriously thought we’d score more than 1 goal. Ryukyu came close in the second half with another chance for Abe but he was caught wrong footed by the cross.

4. Match Day Prediction

I predicted 2-1 and it ended 1-0 thus earning a draw and improving to 1-3-8 on the year with my predictions.

5. Match Day 12 Takeaways

1. The schedule. Fatigue is starting to set in and it is detracting from the level of play we’ve been come accustomed to in the J2. The fixture list gives no breaks and the lack of depth in the squad due to injury and CV-19 suspensions are starting to show. No play was more indicative of the times then Torikai receiving a pass and was basically alone on net with a defender is semi-close proximity. Instead of going for it and attempting a shot, he pulled back on the reigns and looked for support and to pass the ball backwards. There is no choice but to suck it up and press on as there is no rest in the schedule anytime soon.

2. Substitutes. Seeing how we have no information on several players condition we don’t actually know what is going with Koizumi, Tavares, and now Uehara. FC Ryukyu have now dressed a special designated player and two U-18/U-16 players the last 3 matches but the younger two have yet to feature. I am not sure if they are there strictly for emergencies but Higuchi opted to not use all of his subs once again. Maybe he felt that would detract from the performance and alter the result but with the crammed fixture schedule, even a few minutes of rest for the incumbents could pay off in the long run. We need to be using all the subs we have available as I cannot see 8 out of the 11 players in the squad playing every minute of every match over the next month and a half.

3. Gunma’s ease of access. Gunma had no problem getting in and around our defense last night as they were constantly stretching us apart and opening up wide open shooting lanes. Luckily most of their shots were not well aimed but there were some very, very, close calls. That was definitely not the same Gunma team I saw in their highlights with all that possession and shots so one has to wonder what happened to our defense against one of the lowest scoring teams in the league.

4. Lack of service for Kawai. Ryukyu have a very talented player in Kawai as his speed brings different element to the attack. Unfortunately, he was never able to get going on Sunday and we need to start getting him more involved as he was one of our best players in 2019.

5. Debut of a player. Uehara Makito, or Uehara Shepard as it is translated through Google, made a brief appearance last night when he came on for Ren Ikeda in the 93^rd minute. He did nothing spectacular last night but I was more impressed by some of his physical traits. First, he has nice size at 182cm and looks to have more muscle on his frame compared to that of our two starting CBs, Yong Jick and Suzuki. He showed some really nice burst on one of his initial touches and he has some decent speed for a big man. He was legging one out down the middle and we opened his gate he was outpacing the defender by a wide margin. I want to see more of him and would love to see him in more of CDM role than CB but he seems athletic enough to play both.

6. Round 12 in J2

It looks as if the goals have dried up for both Ehime FC and Albirex Niigata. Some surprising upsets for JEF, Yamaguchi, and Kanazawa.

7. Top Goals from Round 12

#1 An extremely tasty chip/dink/lob from distance by “The Bald Eagle” Disaro of Kitakyushu (0:56)

#2 The backwards bicycle kick at the death by Tsukagawa from Matsumoto (0:00)

#3 Takuma Abe’s 4^th goal in as many games from a beautiful cross by Keita Tanaka (3:10)

8. Conclusion

It is hard to be disappointed with any win, especially one in which you shut out the opponent. But I guess when you were expecting much more and it didn’t go that way, you are left with a bit of a bad taste in your mouth. It would be foolish at this point to blame it on a lack of effort by the players as they are giving everything they got in a situation that none are accustomed too. FC Ryukyu will have played 18 matches in the span of 71 days once October 3rd rolls around which is almost the equivalent of a World Cup tournament inside of a month, for three months straight. I think we should all expect performances like this moving forward and hope that all the players, not just from FC Ryukyu, survive this brutal schedule.

Not rest for the weary as we welcome in Tochigi SC this Wednesday in another closed door match thanks to COVID-19.

“Easy Like Sunday Morning” Match Day 12 Preview: (22) Thespakusatsu Gunma vs (18) FC Ryukyu 8/16/20 #FC琉球

Intro

It was a real shame that FC Ryukyu couldn’t even salvage a draw against Kofu this past Wednesday as the loss snapped their four game unbeaten run and denied FC Ryukyu their first home win of the season. Gunma are in a similar predicament as they have failed to win, or draw, at home in 2020 and this is one of their best chances to end that streak. While it is easy to assume that FC Ryukyu will head to Gunma and come back with all 3 points, as we’ve see before, it is anything but easy when it comes to FC Ryukyu.

Weather Forecast
Match Day 11 Recap: Gunma
Match Day 11 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Team Previews & Injury Reports
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Prediction
Round 12 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast

This does not look good and there could very well be some delays due to lightening. Maybe we see the orange ball come out as well?

2. Match Day 11 Recap: Thespakusatsu Gunma

3. Match Day 11 Recap: FC Ryukyu

4. Team Previews & Injury Reports

Thepakusatsu Gunma: It is not going according to plan for Gunma this season as they have the worst goal scoring tally in the league and have conceded 3 or more goals in a match 4 times. While Ryukyu have their own struggles with goals, Gunma has been shut out 6 times compared to that of 2 for Ryukyu.

Over their last five games Gunma have 1 win and 4 losses with some heavy defeats. Gunma were decimated by Zweigen and Nagasaki; lost to Kitakyushu and Tochigi at home; and were gifted a PK against JEF to level the game before a 94th minute goal gave them the win. In the Tochigi match, they were unable to level the game despite being up a man after Tochigi received a straight red card in the second half.

Like Ryukyu, Gunma have failed to win at home this season and in spite of the fact that they only have 3 less goals scored (8) when compared to Ryukyu’s (11) tally, more than half of those goals occurred in 2 games. This game is nothing more than a race to 2 goals scored for either side as neither has proven to capable of overcoming that deficit.

Gunma Injuries & Suspensions: Defender Hirao is out for another few weeks from a broken arm and FW Okada is out with what I believe is a pulled hamstring. (Google Translate between English and Japanese?)

FC Ryukyu: It was extremely difficult to watch FC Ryukyu waste a very good chance at clipping a weakened Kofu side last round. Kofu opted to leave many of their star players at home and the gamble paid off as Ryukyu were absolutely anemic in the attack.

At half time Ryukyu had only mustered three shots with none of them making it on net. By the time the game ended, Ryukyu had just 7 total shots, with only 1 – the Penalty Kick- on net. As bad as bad can get from the offensive side of the house.

Higuchi admitted that FC Ryukyu are struggling to break down the oppositions defense and it is evident when you see the MFs pass the ball back to our CBs when they cannot find an opening. Obviously we need some more creativity to unlock these defenses but there also needs to be a bit of aggressiveness on the part of the players.

I’ve said the past few weeks that Ryukyu need to try and set the edge by getting around the flanks of the other team’s defenders. Some of our best goal scoring chances came when Kawai, Ikeda and Abe would try and push past the defenders with speed thus drawing a foul, free kick, corner kick, or shot on net. That tenacity needs to return and the only way it can be done is to abandon self doubt and just go for it.

Ryukyu are now in the middle of a very crammed fixture list and squad rotation will be key. You could see last week that the guys are breaking down a bit and Higuchi needs to find some fresh legs in the squad. It was strange to see Higuchi dress both a special designated player and U-16 player against Kofu as I for one did not believe they would feature at all. This means that Higuchi really only had 4 subs to draw from which severely limited our options. Are you telling me that those two are better options than Koizumi or Tavares, or are you signaling they are hurt? We also left Tanaka in at RB when Torikai came on. I think we should’ve pushed Tanaka up and let Torikai deal with running the channels.

It is frustrating that news releases for this team, and the league in general, lack the information we crave as fans that provide some insights into the club. Especially those concerning minor injuries to players or reasons they are left off the squad. While I doubt this will change any time soon, we need to know what is going on with Koizumi and Tavares. The latter hasn’t been seen or heard from since the opening fixture in February where he performed quite well in the RB role.

If FC Ryukyu wish to make it to the end of the season in one piece, then they will need Tavares and Torikai to play so as to allow some rest to Tanaka who will probably need to play in place of some of the other weary Mid Fielders.

FC Ryukyu Injury & Suspensions: No change from last week and no update on the 2 CV-19 players for Ryukyu. There are some minor concerns for Koizumi – who we haven’t seen in a few weeks – and Ikeda who came off rather early last week after suffering what looked to be a knock to his foot. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.

5. Key to ~~Victory~~ Not Losing 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 it happens 1- Requires a Miracle to happen

1. Put some crooked numbers on the scoreboard. Likelihood 4: I am not super confident for this one but the past results of Gunma provide a glimmer of hope. Both teams probably have some tired legs but Ryukyu is just far better in the attack than Gunma. Once one goal goes in for Ryukyu, the Gunma heads will drop. The second will see a complete collapse of confidence.

6. Match Day Prediction

The statistics don’t lie is the famous saying. Gunma are not as strong as some of the sides Ryukyu have faced this year but Ryukyu need to finish of drives. 2-1 for FC Ryukyu is a respectable guess based on these teams past performances and goal scoring records.

7. Round 12 in J2

There are not that many fixtures that jump off the page this week. I’d expect some workman like performances by the higher seeded teams which means there probably won’t be much turnover in the table come Sunday night.

8. Conclusion

There can be no excuse for not coming away with all three points against Gunma tomorrow. They are bottom of the table for a reason and FC Ryukyu need to break out of their goal scoring funk in a big way. Will we see the first 3, or more, goal performance by Ryukyu tomorrow? Or will we see yet another limp performance from this side?

Take it easy boys. Real easy. Easy like…………………

Match Day 11 Review: (18) FC Ryukyu vs. (7) Ventforet Kofu 8/12/20 #FC琉球

Intro

Have you ever let a soda/pop/cola sit out for a long time and then tried to drink it? It lost its carbonation or fizz right? The same thing could be said about FC Ryukyu’s attack on Wednesday. Kofu Manager, Akira Ito, made a gamble when he left many of his best players at home and it simply paid off. FC Ryukyu were denied their first home win of the season by once again failing to fire in front of goal.

Match Recap
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day Prediction
Match Day 11 Takeaways
Round 11 in J2
Top Goals from Round 11
Conclusion

1. Match Recap

2. Man of the Match

Ventforet Kofu Akira Ito: Dude gambled on a less than full strength lineup and got the win.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Own the Flanks. Likelihood 4: Not even close. Kofu defended well, learned their lessons from previous matches and we failed to break them down.

2. Defend set pieces with some tenacity. Likelihood 2: Nope! Kofu’s first goal came from a CK.

4. Match Day Prediction

I said 2-1 to Ryukyu, could’ve been, but it was 2-1 Kofu. 1-2-8.

5. Match Day 11 Takeaways

I often wondered why we couldn’t pick Yong Jick out on CK/Set Pieces but it is not a matter of bad delivery. Oh no sir. It is a case of pure desire, or the lack there of. Watching him on set pieces on both ends of the pitch it is obvious that he either gives zero effort, or is incapable of joining in on the fray. This “Gentle Giant” is becoming more of a liability more than an asset.
FC Ryukyu struggled to break down the Kofu defense. The trend of pulling up and out on the attack continued and resulted in a lackluster 7 shots on Wednesday. Only 1 of those registered on goal and that was Abe’s PK. Whatever the formation, these guys need a sense of aggressiveness instilled in them., and some creativity to break down the opposition’s defense. Higuchi even stated as much in the post match magazine for FC Ryukyu.

6. Round 11 in J2

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

Not much to update as not many changed position but there were some exciting matches that came down to some last minute goals.

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

7. Best Goals Round 11

There were some nice ones in this lot. But there can only be 3. And good thing as there are ads every 3 minutes in this video.

#1 Omiya’s Oyama from waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay downtown. (1:08)

#2 Junihino for Kyoto with a quick turn and perfectly weighted chip from distance. (0:00)

#3 Jubilo’s Ito with his own long-range effort.

8. Conclusion

Well, not much else to add. Regroup and move on. See you soon.

“Turn ‘Em Loose” Match Day 11 Preview: (17) FC Ryukyu vs. (8) Ventforet Kofu 8/12/20 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu will host their third mid-week match of the season tomorrow when they welcome in Ventforet Kofu. If you recall, it was Kofu who ended FC Ryukyu’s 36 game home unbeaten run last year and then defeated us 2-0 at their place on the final day of the 2019 season. Both teams enter the match with winning streaks with each looking to get their first home (FC Ryukyu), and first road (Kofu), win of the season. One note, this game will be played behind “closed doors” as the CV-19 virus continues to rage here in Okinawa.

Weather Report
Match Day 10 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Match Day 10 Recap: Ventforet Kofu
Team Previews & Injury Report
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Prediction
Match Day 11 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Report

A very pleasant evening to watch football. Too bad there will be no fans there to enjoy it.

2. Match Day 10 Recap: FC Ryukyu

https://fcryukyublog.home.blog/2020/08/10/match-day-10-review-16-tokyo-verdy-vs-17-fc-ryukyu-8-8-20-fc%e7%90%89%e7%90%83/

3. Match Day 10 Recap: Ventforet Kofu

4. Team Previews & Injury Report

The 2020 debut of everyone’s favorite Big Board

FC Ryukyu: The boys showed some grit and determination last week against Verdy where they were able to earn a win thanks in part to a foolish penalty in the box by a Verdy defender late in the game. Ryukyu had plenty of chances to take the lead in this game with the most notable being the Ren Ikeda header that hit the post from a corner kick.

FC Ryukyu made a switch back to the 4-1-4-1 after sustaining injuries to Ono and Koki in addition to Shunsuke Motegi testing positive for CV-19. The change really allows FC Ryukyu to develop forward thrust but they need to be better with their finishing. Oddly enough, Higuchi opted to bring only two attacking players with him last week in Kawai and Uehara as he dressed three defenders that went as unused substitutes. Perhaps he is giving a break to Koizumi for the short week where he can maximize his speed but that is Ryukyu’s only other healthy mid fielder in the reserves at the moment.

Abe started the match a bit off his game as he was guilty of several missed passes and turnovers but quickly turned things around in the second half. Another player displaying excellent work rates and skill is Keita Tanaka who has been simply on fire after his switch to Right Back.

After two matches as a substitute, I think we may see Kawai make his first start since the opening round back in February. It is time Higuchi allows Kawai, Koizumi and Ikeda to start together for the first time all year. And by that I mean, “to turn ’em loose” on the opposition. But with five games in fifteen days for Ryukyu it is anyone’s guess as to how Higuchi will rotate the squad.

FC Ryukyu Injuries & Suspensions: Lengthy spells on the sidelines for Shinji Ono and Koki Kazama who are dealing with injuries to their knees as well as Okazaki who tore a tendon in his leg. No indication that Motegi or Chinen have been cleared to resume training after their positive CV19 tests.

Ventforet Kofu: The best way I can sum up Kofu is that you know what you’re going to get every time. They will have their peaks and valleys that include some beautiful goals and breakdowns at the back. They seemed to display a penchant for this last year before finally turning it on late in the season for the playoff push.

They completely came apart against Verdy last month, which happened to be the last time they lost, before defeating Omiya and JEF at home the following weeks. They have since gone on to draw against Mito, Yamaguchi, and Fukuoka. Their most recent three games were without one of their most important players, Dudu, who did not feature. To be honest, they should’ve lost to Mito but were saved by an incorrect offside call before finally surrendering the equalizer shortly thereafter.

A majority of the goals that Kofu scored the past six matches stemmed from set pieces or broken plays resulting in favorable rebounds. That is not to say they didn’t score any goals from open play but that is what stuck out to me when watching their highlights. In defense, the trend seems to be exposing the back three defenders when the two wing backs/mid fielders fail to track back or mark players properly thus leaving gaping holes for attackers to exploit. It often results with a look of confusion on the faces of the defenders, rather than anger, as they cannot fathom how things transpired to lead to an opponents goal.

While I fully expect Kofu to come to Okinawa and curl the back of our net once, maybe twice, they can get caught out in the counter attack by the speed of the Ryukyu players.

Ventforet Kofu Injuries & Suspensions: There are no injuries to any of the starters or players that have featured this season though strangely enough Dudu hasn’t made an appearance the past three games for Kofu. There is no word that he is dealing with an injury and this same phenomenon happened last year leading up to the final match day of the year against Ryukyu before he made a miraculous recovery and appearance.

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 it happens 1- Requires a Miracle to happen

1. Own the Flanks. Likelihood 4: Ryukyu need to get the edges of the Kofu defense and follow it up with quality runs into open spaces from the central mid fielders. There is plenty of open space between the Kofu defenders when you stretch them laterally as the wingers/outside mid fielders for Kofu are not great at defending or closing down attackers. That should allow some space and time for Tanaka, Numata, Kawai, and Koya to deliver some quality crosses into the box.

2. Defend set pieces with some tenacity. Likelihood 2: Kofu are lethal on corner kicks and from dead ball kicks. Ryukyu need solid performances out of the two CBs and two full backs tomorrow. We really need Yong Jick and Suzuki to shut down all runs into the middle by getting to the ball first and we need not let our guard down on any short corners/low crosses.

6. Match Prediction

Kofu has drawn and lost their two Wednesday matches this year. Both of those were also away games whereas FC Ryukyu have drawn at home both times they’ve played on a Wednesday against far better competition. Factor in the short week and associated travel for Kofu and I can see FC Ryukyu pulling this one out 2-1.

7. Match Day 11 in J2

(2) Omiya Ardija hosting (6) Jubilo Iwata features two teams inside the top 6 as most of the other games pit top teams against those in the middle and bottom of the table. The (3) Giravanz Kitakyushu versus (11) Zweigen Kanazawa could be a feisty one as well. In any case, if you are a neutral, there is a solid 3 hours of football for you on Wednesday if you can manage to flip back forth with the three staggered kickoff times in this round.

8. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu are in the first meat grinder session of the new J2 2020 schedule with matches every three days for the next two weeks. These weeks will definitely test the depth of the squad and the skill of the coaching staff to rotate players as Ryukyu are dealing with several key injuries and CV-19 suspensions. There has been no indication that Ryukyu will dip into the summer transfer market for reinforcements, or recall Ramon from his loan spell at Gainare Tottori, so they are simply going to have to make do with what they got and hope to avoid any future injuries or suspensions due to CV-19.

On that note, I hope that many of you continue to take precautions as you go about your daily lives and continue to do your part in stopping the spread of CV-19. While it is easy to become overwhelmed in these times, especially when the prefecture you live in decides to reopen schools during the largest amount of infections to date; I for one am glad that we can take a break from all the stress and enjoy a game we love. Stay safe.

And…………………..

Go get it boys!

Match Day 10 Review: (16) Tokyo Verdy vs (17) FC Ryukyu 8/8/20 #FC琉球

Intro

Apparently a week of training that was interrupted by the sudden CV-19 outbreak inside the squad did the team some good. Ryukyu traveled to Tokyo this past Saturday with little preparation and won a very cagey affair from a late Takuma Abe penalty kick to push their undefeated streak to 4.

Match Recap
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Match Prediction
Match Day 10 Takeaways
Round 10 in J2
Top Goals from Round 10
Conclusion

1. Match Recap

A back and forth affair with neither team producing much in the oppositions end.

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu FWD Takuma Abe. You could make a case for Dany Carvajal as he kept a clean sheet but was aided by the fact that Verdy never really threatened the Ryukyu net. Tanaka was doing all the “little” things right on Saturday by creating and snuffing out attacks as well. But in the end it goes to Abe who once again showed his lethal finishing abilities, and mental resolve, after having his PK attempt delayed for 10 minutes before calmly sending the keeper in the wrong direction.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory

1. This game will likely be decided in the last 15 minutes. Likelihood 4: Think the highlights reinforce this point.

2. Attack the flanks with speed. Likelihood 4: I am going to say we did not do this consistently enough as there were only about 2, maybe 3 times, I saw Ryukyu try to set the edge by using speed to get past the Verdy defense.

4. Match Prediction

Went with a 2-2 draw and it ended 1-0 for Ryukyu. Gladly take the L with my prediction this round. 1W-2D-7L to date.

5. Match Day 10 Takeaways

The Good. FC Ryukyu looked very good in the build up play during this game and nearly took the lead on several occasions. Abe is so vital to our success that any missed time on his part will derail the teams momentum. Ikeda’s development into a quality player is coming along nicely and he will only continue to get better. Keita Tanaka has a relentless motor, was excellent in both the attack and defense, and gives 110% effort every single time he is out there. Finally, the 4-1-4-1 is working well and I see no need to change the set up until we get some healthy players back in training.

The Bad. While the game was a near even split between the two sides, many of our attacks simple petered out near the 18-yard box. Too often we would see Ryukyu attackers on the flanks pulling up to pass the ball back thus allowing Verdy to get defenders back into position. I understand that there are times when pulling back is warranted, but I’d like to see more aggressiveness from our players and try to push past the edge defenders. At the very least, there is the possibility of winning a corner. Even if you don’t, it is the same as turning the ball over to the opposition somewhere in their own half which is what we saw on Saturday.

The Ugly. Shohei Takahashi’s foul on Uehara on the penalty area was nothing more than a display of a lack of emotional maturity. Chances are that Uehara may have fouled Shohei, but that does not mean he is allowed to commit a dangerous act by kicking his studs into and across another player. Shohei was lucky to just receive a yellow and equally as ugly was the actions by the Verdy players after the blatant foul was confirmed by the referee and his staff. The match was delayed for a good 10 minutes and that is something that I have never seen outside of games with VAR.

6. Round 10 in J2

There was a lot to enjoy this round as there was goals galore and two come from behind victories with high score lines. In fact, there were a total of 33 goals scored this round. Finally, it was Tokushima Vortis who handed top seed V-Varen Nagasaki their first defeat of the season.

7. Top Goals from Round 10

#1 Akira Silvano Disaro’s blast for Kitakyushu. (9:30)

#2 Shuma Mihara from Ehime as he takes a great first touch from a rebound and then sends a screamer down range. (3:10)

#3 Utaka from Kofu. Not for any one of his goals, just the sheer volume (x4). (starts at 1:04)

8. Conclusion

The early season set backs and tough results that once created a lot of doubt have now turned into valuable lessons that FC Ryukyu are applying each week. It is not often that FC Ryukyu win low scoring games where they do not concede as they’ve only manged to win 17 out of the 215 J-League games since 2014 in this manner. That’s roughly less than 8% of all their games. On the other hand, Ryukyu have conceded 3 or more goals in a match 34 times, or 16% percent of the time. 14 of those lopsided score lines have occurred since Ryukyu entered the J2 and it would be a welcome sight to see them reduce the number of heavily conceded games to around 2-4 each year.

Up next for FC Ryukyu is Ventforet Kofu. A team that snapped the 36 game home unbeaten run in 2019 with a heavy 5-2 defeat. They also beat Ryukyu 2-0 on the last match day of 2019 to make their way into the J2 playoffs but FC Ryukyu had a patch work lineup in place after suffering numerous injuries at the end of 2019. Kofu have only lost once since the restart and they come to Okinawa sporting a 5 game winning streak. It will be another tough test for FC Ryukyu on Wednesday evening but one I am looking forward too.

“Fight the Good Fight Every Moment” Match Day 10 Preview: (12) Tokyo Verdy vs (21) FC Ryukyu 8/8/20 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu are fresh off their first win of 2020 and undefeated in their last three games. Tokyo Verdy are undefeated in their last five matches having come off quality draws to Niigata and Nagasaki. Both teams have issues in the attack, but Verdy has proven very capable of choking out the potent attacks for Nagasaki and Niigata. Ryukyu seem to be improving each week but this will be their first test against an opponent who, like Ryukyu, have faced some tough competition the prior weeks and proven resilient.

Weather Forecast
Match Day 9 Recap: Tokyo Verdy
Match Day 9 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Team News & Injuries
Keys to Victory
Match Prediction
Round 10 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast

Looks good!

2. Match Day 9 Recap: Tokyo Verdy

3. Match Day 9 Recap: FC Ryukyu

https://fcryukyublog.home.blog/2020/08/03/match-day-9-report-17-fagiano-okayama-vs-21-fc-ryukyu-8-1-20-fc%e7%90%89%e7%90%83/

4. Team News & Injury Report

Tokyo Verdy: The last time these two sides met, Verdy ran roughshod over FC Ryukyu at home en-route to a 5-1 pasting. In their earlier match up, it was FC Ryukyu getting the better of Tokyo Verdy with a late second wonder goal from Uesato that leveled the match. If you recall in that game, Dany suffered a busted nose after bringing down a Verdy attacker, was awarded a yellow card for his attempt, and then promptly saved the ensuing PK to keep FC Ryukyu in the game.

As mentioned in the introduction, Verdy are undefeated in their last 5 matches. They dispatched Kofu and JEF with ease before going on a run of three straight draws against Yamagata, Niigata and Nagasaki. In fact, Verdy have only lost once since the restart of the season.

The draws against Niigata and Nagasaki are impressive as those are two of the more potent attacks in the J2 at the moment. While Verdy has only scored 1 goal these past 3 weeks, they have the ability to snuff out your team’s attack while biding their time for their own chance to score.

Verdy are lead by #25 Jin Hanato, #20 Shion Inue, #8 Kanya Fujimoto, and #9 Yuhei Sato in the attack. The combination of Hanato, Inoue, and Fujimoto can produce some skillful deliveries and goals and is one we need to watch out for on Saturday. Verdy also swapped out Shibasaki at GK, after having conceded 5 goals in 3 matches, for Matheus who also surrendered 5 goals since the change, but those goals are spread across 6 matches.

The goal keeper change has served Verdy well and it will prove a tall task for FC Ryukyu to crack the back line and score goals on Saturday.

Tokyo Verdy Injuries & Suspensions: None are reported at this time.

*Verdy rotates between a 3-4-2-1 and 4-3-3 and this would be their most dangerous lineup. FC Ryukyu’s lineup is based on injuries, CV-19, and squad rotation.*

FC Ryukyu: Getting that all important first win out of the way has provided a nice boost to the morale of this team. While I do not expect them to suddenly surge up the table, I do believe they will put together a nice stretch of results over the coming weeks.

There are a few factors weighing heavily against FC Ryukyu this week that may alter the course of this match. Defender Chinen and MF Motegi tested postive for CV19. Due to the PCR test being administered on Tuesday August 5th, all training for the club was suspended.

This means FC Ryukyu will not have trained at all prior to the match on Saturday. I highly doubt they will try to jam in a training session on the expected travel day of Friday August 7th, and hopefully there has been some preparations and discussion about the game plan via Zoom this week. Who knows? Maybe the long rest may do some tired legs some good.

It is a shame that a disruption like this has occurred, but not unexpected, as FC Ryukyu were gaining some serious momentum. They dominated Okayama in possession and in shots and you could feel that more goals were in store for the side that struggled mightily early this year. All we can do is watch how FC Ryukyu respond to yet another adversity in a season that has had so much already.

FC Ryuky Injuries & Suspensions: As mentioned last week, FC Ryukyu will be without Shinji Ono for some time and we are still waiting to hear the extent of the injury that Koki Kazama suffered this past round (probably need the swelling to go down for an accurate MRI). Factor in that defender Chinen, and MF Motegi, are likely on the sideline for at least two weeks after testing positive for CV-19, FC Ryukyu will have some serious decisions to make as to who will travel, and who will start against Verdy.

5. Keys to Victory

1. This game will likely be decided in the last 15 minutes. Likelihood 4: Verdy are a dangerous team, both to their opponent and themselves, in the final quarter of the game. They can produce moments of brilliance, as well as momentary lapses in judgement. FC Ryukyu would do well to be clear of Verdy at this point in the match but, even if they are down by 2 goals come the 75th minute, I still think they could eek out a draw if they counter punch Verdy while they lose focus. The inverse is also applicable in that FC Ryukyu need to see out the match if they find themselves in the lead.

2. Attack the flanks with speed. Likelihood 4: Verdy’s weakness may be the outer edges of their defense and if Ryukyu can get past those defenders, create a little time and space, it could make all the difference. It seemed that whenever Verdy has conceded a goal, it began with their last line of defenders being pulled apart when an attacker got to the edge. FC Ryukyu have the speed, the question is, can they do it?

6. Match Prediction

I do not like this match up one bit as I cannot get an accurate read on Tokyo Verdy. One factor that could play a part is that FC Ryukyu will have been forced to travel twice as much Verdy this week but Ryukyu also have an extra day of rest. There is also an outside chance that some of the players will be left behind stemming from the positive CV19 cases. Break all ties in favor of the hosts? I think not in this case and see a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

7. Round 10 in J2

(3) Tokushima versus (1) V-Varen Nagasaki is the premier match up this round with (6) Niigata vs. (2) Omiya a close second. However, if both Omiya and Vortis falter, and Kitakyushu win over Gunma, the newly promoted J3 side could suddenly find itself in the top 2 of the table.

8. Conclusion

There are some uncertain times ahead for both the fans of FC Ryukyu and the team. FC Ryukyu have to contend with a CV-19 outbreak inside the club, while their fans need to control their movements in and around Okinawa with the surging number of CV-19 cases. I think we all should’ve expected something like this to happen as Ryukyu have to travel by air for all of their away matches and the refusal to close the prefecture borders. Keep in mind, those are not privately chartered flights and if anyone is sick, or asymptomatic on those flights, our players and staff have a higher propensity to fall ill compared to other J-League clubs.

While there is always a chance that some players may become seriously ill, the greater risk is that to their families and the local community. All we can do now is “fight the good fight” by wearing a mask, washing our hands, practice social distancing, only go out when absolutely necessary, and hope the players remain symptom free so as to continue the season unabated.

Stay safe everyone and heed Rik Emmett’s words below.