Tag: Abe

(21) FC Ryukyu vs (5) Oita Trinita #FC琉球

Intro

Well my friends we have reached the end of a very disappointing season for FC Ryukyu. Their loss last week at JEF, coupled with Gunma’s win (which is all that really mattered), has relegated FC Ryukyu to J3 next season barring some sort of miracle. That miracle being Iwaki being denied a J2 license for 2023 and FC Ryukyu finish in 21st place. I personally don’t think that is going to happen as indicated by Nacho’s (probably based on managements input) to resign at the end of the season. In other words, I believe the power brokers at FC Ryukyu already knew that Iwaki will be awarded the license and J3 football is in store for FC Ryukyu next year.

Weather Forecast and Match Day Info

The weather forecast for tomorrow is terrible. It is in keeping with how much of the season has gone in that we are playing under poor weather conditions. Does it really matter? No. It just sucks having to fight the weather and a terrible home record all year.

Click>>> Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu Preview

What can I possibly put here this week? What is there for FC Ryukyu to build on following this season heading into 2023? Answer: Nothing really. The signs were there all season for the exact situation that FC Ryukyu find themselves in going into the last game of the season. I am going to treat this section as more of Q&A between myself with some of the questions I believe many of the supporters of this club are currently asking themselves, but Nacho’s departure in the midweek has taken at least one of those questions off the table.

What were the early indications, or consistent indications, this club was doomed for relegation this season? There were many. Ryukyu opened the season with just one (1) win in their first fourteen (14) matches, nine (9) of those games ended up as losses. How Kina wasn’t relieved during that stretch is simply amazing. There were eight (8) games this season in which Ryukyu surrendered a lead resulting in a loss compared to just five (5) games in which FC Ryukyu clawed back into the match for either a win or a draw. Not to mention the dubious Ryukyu track record for surrendering goals late in games.

FC Ryukyu surrendered thirty-five (35) of their goals this season in the second half, sixteen (16) of those occurring in the 76th minute or later. Compare that to just nineteen (19) goals scored for FC Ryukyu in the second half of games without even scoring a single goal in stoppage time. Ryukyu were the only team in J2 to have failed to score in stoppage time at the end of matches this season.

Ryukyu’s longest undefeated streak this year was just five (5) games with only a singular instance where FC Ryukyu won consecutive matches. Of course there was the absolute dagger to the heart for this club in the last quarter of the season where they won only one (1) game in ten (10) matches that included a goal-less streak of seven (7) consecutive games. But that speaks to a much larger problem at this club than just statistical analysis.

FC Ryukyu were marred by poor coaching, injures to key players, untimely CV-19 infections, and perhaps an inability of the players to adapt to a new coaching style under a foreign manager. The loss of Kusano for 3.5 months in the heart of the season sucked the life out of the already limp FC Ryukyu attack. Kiyotake’s face fracture at Iwate during another crucial stretch of games hurt and then the Takuma Abe Achilles injury being the catalyst to kick off Ryukyu’s run of goal-less games.

For as much as I have complained about the refereeing and overall lack of good luck for the club this year, FC Ryukyu did very little to put themselves in any sort of position to generate any luck. Keep in mind that two (2) of our seven (7) wins can be attributed to Own Goals by our opponents. There were definitely a few missed calls by the referees this season, none more crucial than the one last week where Ikeda was fouled in the box but play continued and JEF scored on the counter, but even a draw wouldn’t have mattered. To that end, FC Ryukyu surrendered a league leading ten (10) PK opportunities this season and were tied for second to last with only being awarded two (2) PKs all season. Simply put, the offense didn’t really do much in the opposing end compared to the defense that was prone to being caught out of position, leading to fouls on the opposition in our own end. How many times did we see FC Ryukyu go forward only to arrive there with no idea what to do?

Finally, Ryukyu obviously finished near the bottom of many statistical categories when it comes to goals scored and conceded this season which is largely due to the injury crisis we faced, along with the coaching throughout the season. There is no doubt that FC Ryukyu has some talented players but they were never able to put it all together at any one moment this season leading to such disjointed and disappointing results.

What do you think will happen next season? It is still too early to tell but I would expect a mass exodus from the club, players and staff, when it becomes apparent that the wage bill needs cut while operating on a much more restrictive budget. We all may hope for some of the players to return next season but can the club even afford them now? Could they ever? Who of them would you want to return before we turn into FC Retirement Community vice FC Ryukyu. I wouldn’t expect much difference in attendance levels, though some of the fans we picked up along our J2 journey are sure to leave, as we rarely crested the 2,000 mark all season. The gameday atmosphere will be much more subdued which can be somewhat salvaged if the J-League finally allows cheering throughout the stadium and drops the mask policy currently in place.

Can FC Ryukyu make a quick return to J2? For those of you out there thinking that FC Ryukyu can make a quick return to the J2 after 2023, lets look at the history for those teams that have been relegated since the inception of the J3 in 2014. Out of the fourteen (14) clubs that have been relegated to the J3 since its formation, only one (1) club has ever been relegated and then promoted back to J2 the following season. That honor belongs to Oita Trinita who were demoted following 2014 and won the J3 in 2015. Tochigi SC joined them in relegation that same season but lost in the 2015 J2/J3 playoffs, a tournament that has since been scrapped, and then were promoted back to J2 following their second season in J3 when Akita didn’t own a J2 license as league champions.

Thespakusatsu Gunma is the only team to spend just two (2) seasons in the J3 following relegation. Roasso Kumamoto and Giravanz Kitakyushu each spent three (3) years in the J3 and then it gets a bit frightening. Kitakyushu has since returned from their brief spell in J2 and look set for their second consecutive season in J3. SC Sagamihara and Ehime FC will also enjoy their second season in J3 following their demotion in 2021. Only Montedio Yamaga (relegated in 2021) has a chance of clawing back out if they can sneak back into the promotion zone, which would make for just the second ever instance of a team being relegated and then promoted. FC Gifu and Kagoshima FC will be back in the J3 for their fourth (4) consecutive seasons next year and then there are the two teams, Gainare Tottori and Kataller Toyama, who were demoted following the 2013 and 2014 seasons in J2, and who will be enjoying their 10th and 9th consecutive seasons in J3.

Knowing that it is extremely rare for clubs to rebound quickly, where do you think FC Ryukyu fits in among the teams above? Seems we could be enjoying J3 football here in Okinawa for at least three (3) to four (4) years before we make it back to J2. Maybe even longer, maybe even JFL if there are not drastic changes (at the top) for this club.

What should we look forward to this weekend? FC Ryukyu need to get a look at some of their fringe players against a good Oita team that is likely to be at full strength. We need to see these players against good J2 competition to see who is worthy of receiving a contract next season and who simply is not good enough for this level.

Round 42 in J2

Everything is pretty much finished at the bookends of the table. (1) Albirex Niigata are the champions and (2) Yokohama FC will be joining them in J1 for 2023. (21) FC Ryukyu and (22) Iwate Grulla Morioka are relegated to J3 barring the aforementioned scenario with Iwaki and pending their results this round.

(3) Fagiano Okayama has secured ‘home field advantage’ throughout the promotion playoffs but there is still a little bit to play for amongst the teams currently inside, or just outside, the playoff bracket. (4) Roasso Kumamoto sits one point above (5) Oita Trinita with Kumamoto playing at home against Yokohama FC and of course Oita traveling to face FC Ryukyu. Both teams will likely be at full strength for their games as each is aiming for a win and a loss by the other. Oita still has another way to leap frog Kumamoto if they draw with Ryukyu, and Kumamoto lose, as they would go through on goal difference.

Click>>> Tokyo Verdy v Fagiano Okayama

(6) Tokushima Vortis has the toughest fixture this round for any of the teams involved in the playoff race as they travel to (8) Montedio Yamagata who are just one point behind Vortis in the standings. An obvious win or go home situation for both teams and they’d like a little help from (12) Blaublitz Akita who are playing (7) Vegalta Sendai at home. These games should make for some exciting football to watch during the final slate of games this season.

Click>>> Montedio Yamagata v Tokushima Vortis

Conclusion

Tomorrow will bring a close to what has been a generally tough season to endure for FC Ryukyu fans. There were so few moments of joy, far outweighed by the disappointing ones, and one that leaves the club in a very precarious position heading into 2023.

For me, my journey with this club will continue. I haven’t decided on whether or not I’ll renew my season pass for what will be my tenth season supporting FC Ryukyu, or, I’ll just casually attend games under the limited covered seating inside the stadium so as to avoid the elements. I’ll continue to blog, but how often is still undecided, as this is one of the best spaces for me to portray my thoughts and feelings about FC Ryukyu, even if no one is listening and reading.

I look forward to seeing you all next season and best of luck throughout the rest of 2022 and into 2023.

(11) FC Mito Hollyhock vs (22) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu head to Ibaraki this weekend to face FC Mito Hollyhock. Both these teams have only lost once in their past seven (7) matches but both ended their most recent matches in very different ways. Ryukyu twice surrendered a goal advantage at home to Montedio Yamagata while Mito had a spirited mid-week match with Oita Trinita in which they defeated their guests 2-0. Over the last four years FC Ryukyu has the most wins in this series but Mito have the two (2) most recent wins between them. Hard to believe there isn’t a single tie in this series in four (4) years so perhaps that streak remains in tact with what is hopefully a FC Ryukyu victory.

Weather Forecast and Match Day Information

Hopefully the weather holds off for the traveling Ryukyu fans.

Click>>> Match Day 33 Information from FC Mito Hollyhock

Team Previews

FC Mito Hollyhock: For a team that has only lost twice (2) in their last twelve (12) games I am not sure what prompted their manager, Tadahiro Akiba, to have some sort of outburst in his post match interview vs Renofa. But whatever that was has worked as Mito looked like a different side following their 2-0 trouncing of Oita Trinita.

In my experience as a player, coach, and fan that type of stuff works one time before it becomes the norm and simply brushed off. Will it carry over from the Oita match for Mito? Probably. They played a physical match unlike I’ve seen in their prior four games. Sure, be mad at the refs, be angry at the team for being adrift in the mid-table, scare the shit out of the players to motivate them. That will Kiely carry over into the Ryukyu game but could have some unforeseen consequences. AKA, some stupid, borderline reckless, challenges leading to sending offs for Mito.

There is no doubt that Mito are what you expect them to be while situated mid-table. Mito can score when presented the opportunity, can frustrate teams while defending, do nothing spectacular but do the necessary little things to net results. Mito drew against Kofu and Akita where they came back form a deficit following a spilled ball against Kofu and surrendered a goal after being reduced to 10-men against Akita. Mito defeated Omiya 1-0 after an early goal and only lost to Renofa after a ridiculous, some would say egregious, wonder chip of their GK from about 65 yards out!

But it was their most recent game against Oita Trinita on Tuesday evening that was most telling. Akiba extracted the most he could out of his side and they beat the brakes off Oita. Mito were physical. Mito were dominant. Mito were motivated, agitated, and determined. I am not even sure Oita even got off the bus that game. Let us hope the hubris of that performance bleeds into this match with Ryukyu.

FC Ryukyu: I am going to take this entry a different direction for this week. No point in talking about who might play, who may return from injury, or the defensive woes we may never figure out before the season ends. Instead I want to praise some of the men who have been responsible for this sudden renaissance here at Ryukyu.

Every year I fear the exodus of talent that occurs at the end of the season for FC Ryukyu. And trust me there has been plenty in my time: Togashi, Park-Il Gyu, Uejo, Tokumoto, Koizumi, and Chinen with the surprisingly early departures mid-season of Nakagawa and Koji Suzuki. Those departures usually left me bewildered as to how FC Ryukyu could replace such mercurial talent and still remain competitive. But now I welcome any departure at the end of this season for some of our most talented, yet hidden to so many players, because that would mean that a select few did the impossible in such short order, and did it to the highest degree possible.

There is no secret to the recent success of FC Ryukyu. Dany Carvajal and Sadam Sulley have been nothing short of spectacular and then there is Hitomi’s meteoric rise which has caught us all unaware that he had that type of quality in his locker. I must note that Abe getting back to his old ways has also helped a ton. All of these factors have contributed to the sudden restart of a heartbeat inside the once left for dead corpse that was FC Ryukyu under Kina. Not so much in the case of Abe but for the other three it was all about getting a chance to play and shine on the big stage. And wow how they’ve shone.

I have no idea how FC Ryukyu found Sadam Sulley and I don’t really care. Sulley is an absolute difference maker when he is on the pitch. Sulley adjusted to life in J2 quicker than Kina ever could as a manager and he is destroying everything in front of him. I truly hope (and believe he will) that Sulley ends up in double digit goals by seasons end as he is far to talented to be plying his trade down here. But I am so thankful we have him for at least another 10-games as the sky is the limit for this player who luckily wasn’t contaminated by whatever went on here prior to Nacho’s arrival.

In the case of Hitomi he flashed a little bit back in 2020, much like Koizumi in 2019 before he went nuclear, followed by a brief loan spell. The club, I think (hope) saw enough in Hitomi to retain his services this season but Hitomi never had a shot to crack the starting eleven with so many established veterans, and whatever Kina was thinking at the the time, until injuries took hold at Ryukyu. But there is no ‘putting the genie back in the bottle’ now as Ryukyu cannot afford to take Hitomi off the pitch as he is lighting up the scoreboard with some top drawer goals.

We all know of the quality that Dany possesses and he is not only making the extraordinary look ordinary, he’s the best PK stopper in all of J2. What a luxury to have a player like that in such a key position in the squad while Ryukyu scratches and claws their way up the table. Can you believe, injuries not withstanding, we let this guy rot on the bench for so long when it was clear to many that he needed to be in the lineup? It makes you wonder how many points we could’ve had if a fully healthy Dany was in the lineup earlier?

I will also note that none of this would’ve been possible without Nacho making the changes and putting these players out there to give Ryukyu the best shot of winning each week. In the case of the three players mentioned above their is one constant theme. Heart. All these men are giving maximum effort, showing off their quality, pulling Ryukyu up by their shoelaces out of the basement. When the 2022 season comes to a close and Ryukyu sits outside the relegation zone and we are once again left wondering what will happen next season, I will be rooting for all of these men to move onto bigger and better things as they’ve earned it through blood, sweat, and my tears.

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. Flawless Execution at both ends of the pitch. Likelihood 3. Mito didn’t reveal any real weaknesses when it came to surrendering goals as most were of the milk-toast variety stemming from spilled balls. If our central defense goes comatose for any brief periods of time then Ryukyu could be in real trouble. Mito can finish when presented opportunities so we need Okazaki/Nakagawa/Omori, or whoever is in there, to be cognizant of where the Mito attackers are in the box at all times. And FFS, mark their runs in the box!

This also requires Ryukyu being clinical in very limited opportunties. Truth be told I didn’t see any team in any of the highlights taking it to Mito or ceding loads of possesion sans Oita. Not sure if Mito comes at Ryukyu or sits back and hits us on the counter. That makes for a difficult and dangerous game plan for how to attack Mito.

2. Composure. Likelihood 4. Holy shit a second key to victory? Yes. Anyways, if Mito take the physicality route, initiates some rash challenges, and fingers fucking crossed the Japanese ref sees that shit, Ryukyu may actually be awarded a PK instead of conceding one. But, and that is a big but, Ryukyu must maintain their cool when that shit ensues. Barring something egregious, or lord help us an injury from a BS challenge, Mito are likely to be smelling their own farts from Tuesday’s game and think they can do the same vs Ryukyu. Let them. Let Mito try and play physical and end up finding themselves down a man with Sulley, Abe and Hitomi out their hunting in packs. Stay cool brothers.

Round 33 in J2

Up Top: (1) Yokohama FC has a tricky one there at (5) FC Machida Zelvia while we need (2) Albirex Niigata to take care of business on the road at (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka. The more I see the games Ryukyu need other teams to win, the more I see former FC Ryukyu players. Let’s go Koji, let’s go Tokumoto, let’s help us out Koki Kazama by steering Gunma into the dumpster!

Promotion Zone: (3) Vegalta Sendai are looking to rebound following two consecutive losses to teams at the very foot of the table, thanks a lot dudes, and will host (10) JEF United Chiba who beat Sendai 2-0 the last time these two teams met on MD 20. Ryukyu really need (4) Fagiano Okayama do the job over (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma on the road and I’ll cheer a little for (6) Roasso Kumamoto when they host (13) Tokyo Verdy this Sunday as I don’t particularly care for Verdy (shocker).

Down Below: (19) Omiya Ardija welcome in (8) Montedio Yamagata who are probably still steaming they didn’t beat FC Ryukyu last week. Someone throw (18) Zweigen Kanazawa a parachute before they hit rock bottom! They had a nice rest between fixtures but are they completely recovered from the CV-19 outbreak and ready to face (14) Ventforet Kofu on the road?

Free J-League Broadcasts for Round 33: First up will be Omiya Ardija hosting Montedio Yamagata on Saturday. Click>>> Omiya Ardija vs Montedio Yamagata.

The second broadcast this week on the J.League International YouTube Channel will feature Roasso Kumamoto and Tokyo Verdy. Click>>> Roasso Kumamoto vs Tokyo Verdy

Conclusion

I think this is a very winnable game for FC Ryukyu and all we need now is to have the lads go out there and execute. Firing up top, stonewalling at the back. Shit! That is what we wanted to see all season from these guys but that doesn’t matter now. Only points (wins) matter. Go get ’em boys!

FC Ryukyu vs Montedio Yamagata #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu nearly pulled off a stunning win against Montedio Yamagata at home this past Saturday but came up just short as Yamagata erased Ryukyu’s leads twice to end the match in a 2-2 draw. There were plenty of fireworks both during the match, and afterwards (literally fireworks), that also included another Dany Carvajal PK save to secure some points. I wouldn’t argue against you if you felt that Ryukyu didn’t really earn a point so much as they lost out on two (2) points, but they are still earning points to put them into a position to quickly escape the relegation zone when others falter later this season.

Match Highlights

Takeaways from Match Day 32

1. The Ryukyu Lineup. We all knew Sulley was going to sit this one out following his red card in the match against Nagasaki but it came as a bit of a shock to see Kelvin completely removed from the squad on Saturday with Yu Tomidokoro filling that role. Perhaps Kelvin is dealing with an injury or was the player who tested positive for CV-19 earlier in the week. Hopefully it is nothing serious and he gets back out there sooner rather than later. Returning to the bench was both Lee Yong Jick and Junto Taguchi while Kohei Kato was dropped for Kazuto Takezawa. Not sure if there is anything going on with our recent signing, or it was a case of rest and maintenance after featuring in both the top team and reserve fixtures at Nagasaki last week.

2. Old man yelling at the clouds, again. This game was completely disjointed by all the starts and stops, and not just from the goals and substitutions. There were nearly thirty (30) fouls committed in this game, though it was completely lopsided in favor of Ryukyu who picked up twenty-one (21) of those fouls on Saturday. Peter Cklamovski, Yamagata’s manager, said it best in his post game presser where he stated that the amount of restarts made this a very difficult game to play since it was hard to build any momentum. You could tell he was visibly frustrated that his side didn’t win (even said as much) but Ryukyu have been frustrating many teams in recent weeks. From the Ryukyu supporter section point of view, we thought there were some very soft fouls (maybe outright wrong) called on Ryukyu but we’ve seen this before so nothing new.

3. Ryukyu jumped out to an early lead from a typical, as cool as you like, sending the shot back across the keeper, goal from Takuma Abe. Ryukyu maintained that lead for roughly 45′ minutes before conceding the equalizer after Dealltorre found space in the central Ryukyu defense when Makito was dusted by a run down the left hand side by an attacking Yamagata player who then sent in the cross to Dellatorre. What came as a bit of a shock was the Yamagata goal wasn’t even posted to the scoreboard when Ryukyu responded with their second (2) of the match, a tremendous low and hard header, from Takuya Hitomi, his third (3) goal in two games, only one (1) minute after the restart. For a moment I though the Yamagata goal had been called off as the scoreboard read 2-0 Ryukyu but that wasn’t the case. The lead was lost for good in the 81st minute following a repeat of events leading up to Yamagata’s first goal. Makito got turned around, couldn’t mark the run, a cross was sent in, and Dellatorre was able to get past Okazaki for the tap in equalizer.

4. Ryukyu are struggling to defend and clear their lines lately. Makito had another up and down game where he, along with Okazaki, were involved in both of Yamagata’s goals. There were several occasions where Ryukyu failed to clear their lines that led to quick strikes requiring Dany to be called into action to bail out the defense. I said in the preview that Ryukyu needed to stop conceding so many PKs in matches but they somehow found a way to conceded their fourth (4) PK in three (3) consecutive games. The very epitome of, ” shooting yourself in the foot.”

One thing that hasn’t really changed at all in the nine (9) years that I’ve watched this club is the fact that Ryukyu seem to rely (hope) on trying to outscore your opponents with multiple goals in order to paper over the cracks in defense. That can work at times but is not a sound strategy and it is not realistic to think Ryukyu can score 3 or 4 goals each week to see out victories. Ryukyu will need to win some of those “squeaky bum” games they were doing just a few weeks ago, but against tougher opponents. Though Sulley, Hitomi and Abe might make it possible to blow away our competition the way they are playing right now. It is what it is for the remainder of the season but Ryukyu needs to strengthen that back line in the offseason.

5. Dany Carvajal. Perhaps I do not need to say anything more than his name as it should garner a certain thought in your heads if I am putting his name in his own section in any match day report. Great reactionary save in the first half to keep the score level. Great save in the second half to maintain a fragile one (1) goal lead for Ryukyu. Nearly got to the Yamagata equalizer, and of course, saved another stoppage time PK to allow Ryukyu to walk away with any points on the night. He is now the best PK stopper in J2, and while you love to see him in action on all these PK stops (9 games played and has faced 5 PKs), let’s give the man a break! And our collective blood pressure too.

Round 32 in J2

Up Top: The two top of the table clashes this round saw (1) Yokohama FC maintain their one (1) point lead over (2) Albirex Niigata as both teams each won 1-0 at home over (4) Fagiano Okayama and (6) Roasso Kumamoto.

Promotion Zone: In yet another shocking upset from a team facing relegation against one of the top three (3) sides, (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma defeated (3) Vegalta Sendai at home 1-0. (5) FC Machida Zelvia moved into the fifth (5) spot thanks to their 2-0 road win at (19) Omiya Ardija in addition to (7) V-Varen Nagasaki and (18) Zweigen Kanazawa having their match postponed.

Down Below: (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka lost 0-3 on the road at (9) Oita Trinita with (17) Renofa Yamaguchi moving five (5) points clear of the drop zone, maybe more importantly, moving four (4) points ahead of the bottom four teams, with a 1-0 victory at home over (13) FC Mito Hollyhock. Strange that Ryukyu’s match was the only one not to end in a shutout for someone this round.

Conclusion

Ten games left and there is still plenty to play for in all three areas of the table. Though I am not overly concerned with what is going on at the top, except when they cede points to teams around Ryukyu in the standings. Ryukyu just need a little bit of luck to grab a victory when all the others lose to springboard out of the relegation zone and possibly send three teams that are just above them to just below them for a brief period. For now it is on to FC Mito Hollyhock.

(22) FC Ryukyu vs (8) Montedio Yamagata #FC琉球

Intro

As the season starts to wind down the relegation battle is morphing into a three (3), maybe four (4), team race. FC Ryukyu currently sit level with Gunma on 27-points while trailing Iwate and Omiya by 3 and 4 points. This is yet another tough draw for Ryukyu against a side situated in, or near, the promotion playoff zone but more importantly, against a team that Ryukyu has never defeated during their time together in J2. Yamagata, who always seem to have one of those lengthy undefeated streaks each season, has rebounded nicely to win four (4) of their last five (5) games following some surprising losses.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

One of the better forecasts we’ve had around here in quite some time. Hope it holds true.

Click>>> Match Day 32 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: One thing is for damn sure and that is, this team under Nacho’s direction doesn’t quit. Of course you would prefer to see Ryukyu playing from a position of strength vice having to respond to early adversity and goal deficits, but, you take the good with the bad. FC Ryukyu have only suffered a single (1) single loss in their last seven (7) games bringing Nacho’s record to an even 3W-3D-3L in the nine (9) games he has managed for Ryukyu. He now has an even tougher task this week to defeat a Yamagata side while being shorthanded one of his best players.

The last time FC Ryukyu achieved any sort of positive result against Yamagata at home was back in 2019 when both sides drew 3-3 in which Ryukyu required two (2) late goals to level the match. The last time we took a point off of Yamagata was in 2021 when yet another Shinya Uehara goal late in the game earned Ryukyu a point. For the most part, Ryukyu seems to somehow come apart against Yamagata by conceding two (2) or more goals in the past six (6) games against Yamagata with four (4) of those games reaching three (3) and four (4) marks. If Ryukyu historically play Nagasaki strong each season, it is the complete opposite case for Yamagata.

If Ryukyu wish to garner any points from this match then they will have to come up with a different game plan that doesn’t include bombing in crosses to Sulley. In his absence it is likely we see Noda return to the starting lineup but I am not sure who will be in reserve at striker for Ryukyu. Hitomi may move back to the bench but that would mean starting one of either Tanaka or any injured player who hasn’t featured for Ryukyu in some time. If recent signing Kohei Kato is prepared to play a full 90 then we could see a return to the right side for Ren Ikeda. Conversely, Kelvin could start there. I think Nacho has plenty of options at his disposal, pending any new CV-19 cases, but we are not trying to cobble together a patch work lineup, but one that can compete, and defeat, Yamagata.

One area that needs addressing this week is the defense. Ryukyu have conceded three (3) Penalty Kicks in two (2) games. That shit needs to stop now! Makito’s may have been an example of a brain fart; Nakagawa’s as a but harsh on the part of the ref; but Okazaki’s foul late in the game is inexcusable. Sure, that foul probably started outside the box but it ended inside the box while nursing a crucial 1-goal lead. Tired legs, desire to show the manager you belong may have all contributed to that foul but the mental presence of knowing what is going on that late games was not a consideration. If you’re set on fouling the player, do it earlier. I guess the gamble this week is whether to roll the dice on Omori and Nakagawa or some combination of them and Okazaki.

We’ve seen Ryukyu earn points while playing with limited possession and passing the past seven (7) weeks so I am not sure that will somehow change this week. They’ve been getting better at controlling more of the game but that is probably a byproduct of being down multiple goals with the opposition ceding possession in favor of defending those leads. If Ryukyu are going to do it this week then they’ll need those horses that have the ability to defend for long stretches of time and then quickly strike on the counter attack with as few passes as possible.

For me that is the same set of players we saw last week with a few minor tweaks. Kelvin is going to be crucial in this game along side Abe. Kelvin has to be one of the major contributors to any Ryukyu breakout in attack and somehow, someway, we have to find Abe in space so he is not out there to just execute hold up play. Nakano will surely get his opportunities but we’ll need some clinical finishing, or at the very least, some dangerous shots that lead to rebounds with Ryukyu players waiting in the area. We cannot afford to have soft shots or ones that flash just wide that don’t provide a chance of scoring from spilled balls.

Montedio Yamagata: Yamagata sit just two (2) points outside of the promotion zone with a very favorable set of fixtures the next three (3) weeks. They will travel to bottom side Ryukyu this week, then onto (19) Omiya Ardija and then finally returning home to face (20) Iwate Grulla Morioka. If Yamagata is going to make a push back into the promotion zone it has to happen these next three weeks.

The last time these two teams met was Match Day 20 when Yamagata completely dismantled Ryukyu in a 4-0 home victory. However, since that Ryukyu win – which was just one (1) game removed from a ten (10) game unbeaten run for Montedio – Yamagata has suffered some losses to teams near the bottom of the table. In the ten (10) games after the half way point of the season, Yamagata has already matched their loss total, four (4), in just ten (10) games compared to the four (4) they lost in their opening twenty one (21) fixtures.

A couple of those losses were to Tochigi and Gunma in which Yamagata was shut out. The Gunma loss is Yamagata’s most recent loss in a stretch of five (5) games where they’ve gone 4W-0D-1L with only two (2) goals surrendered. After Yamagata lost at home to Kumamoto on Match Day 26, they rebounded nicely at Akita with a 2-0 win; fell victim to Gunma at home 0-1; and then reeled off three (3) straight wins over Zelvia, Yamaguchi and Kanazawa. Perhaps Yamagata has a bit of bad luck at dropping points in games where they are favored to go along with a bit of good luck at playing sides when they are dealing with multiple injuries/suspensions and are in bad form? Luckily for them they get a Ryukyu a side this week who will be without one of their top players, Sadam Sulley, who is currently serving a one (1) match suspension for his red card last week.

Round 32 in J2

Up Top: There are two pretty big matchups at the top of the table this week. First, (1) Yokohama FC, fresh off their first win in two (2) games, host (4) Fagiano Okayama who are undefeated in their last seven (7) games. Second, (2) Albirex Niigata welcome in the high flying road team of J2, (5) Roasso Kumamoto.

Promotion Playoff Zone: (3) Vegalta Sendai head to (21) Thespakusatsu Gunma who just lost this past Tuesday to Yokohama FC. You know how I want this match to turn out. (6) V-Varen Nagasaki are also on the road against struggling (17) Zweigen Kanazawa.

Down Below: (20) Iwate Grulla Morioka, winless in their last two games, travel to (9) Oita Trinita who themselves are on a nine (9) game undefeated streak. (19) Omiya Ardija, on a bit of a heater themselves having only lost once in their past six (6), host (7) FC Machida Zelvia who have somehow lost four (4) times since that 1-0 win over Ryukyu two months ago. Winless in their last seven (7) games and sliding closer to the drop zone, (18) Renofa Yamaguchi play at home to (13) FC Mito Hollyhock. Mito are undefeated in their last five (5) games but had two (2) games postponed due to CV-19 and weather and have only played four (4) games since July 10th.

This match will also be broadcast for free on the J-League International YouTube channel as the first of two free broadcasts this round. Click>>> Renofa Yamaguchi v FC Mito Hollyhock

The second free broadcast this week will feature (11) Tokyo Verdy vs (12) Ventforet Kofu in a mid-table clash on Sunday evening. Click>>> Tokyo Verdy v Ventforet Kofu

Conclusion

Everything is impossible until it isn’t. Ryukyu have never beaten Montedio Yamagata but this isn’t the same Ryukyu squad from seasons past, or, the one that was flattened 4-0 earlier this season. This Ryukyu squad has surprised us several times in recent weeks, why not one more? Come on boys!

V-Varen Nagasaki vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu pulled off an improbable 3-2 win over V-Varen Nagasaki on Saturday night in which they erased Nagasaki’s two (2) goal lead and even stopped a Nagasaki PK at the end of the match. In the preview article for this game I mentioned how Nagasaki seemed like a side that starts fast and fades throughout the match. That was the exact case this game as Nagasaki stormed out to a 2-0 lead before halftime despite not having their top man, Edigar Junio, in the lineup.

Ryukyu leveled the match at the 68′ minute mark of the second half thanks to two (2) goals by Takuya Hitomi inside a span of ten (10) minutes. Hitomi’s first was a redirection of a shot in which he was sitting almost on the goal line with two (2) Nagasaki defenders inside the goal keeping Hitomi on side. His second was a thing of beauty where he put a pass from Abe directly into the top right corner. Then Sadam Sulley added his third goal in as many games with another header in the 89th minute. But Ryukyu were not able to just walk away from this one without committing a costly foul near the end. But once again, Dany Carvajal rose to the occasion to help Ryukyu see out the win.

Match Highlights

Review of the 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. Play hard to the whistle. Likelihood 4. Not sure I need to say anything more as the actions of the entire team speak for themselves on this particular key to victory.

Match Day 31 Takeaways

1. Lineup and Roster selection for FC Ryukyu. I wondered what Nacho would do with both Kelvin and Makito this week following the Kofu game. Both players ended up getting the start and I think Makito’s early removal last week provided some motivation for him this week as he looked much better. Kelvin was his usual self and now we need to get that man on the score sheet more often, especially next week with Sulley suspended and it still being unknown when Kusano and Kiyotake will return to the lineup following their injury rehabilitations.

Abe and Sulley seem to have formed the perfect strike partnership for this league. Abe is so good at finding outlets to open Ryukyu players and just keeping plays alive for Ryukyu in the attack. The second Hitomi goal is a perfect example of what I am talking about and more goals for Abe should come soon. Sulley is really good at finding space behind, in, or around the oppositions’ defense to put him in goal scoring opportunities. Three (3) goals in three (3) consecutive weeks, four (4) points from four (4) matches. Though he’ll have to take a breather this week while on suspension from his red card last week.

2. A tale of two halves. My worst fears came to fruition after Nagasaki scored the opener and with Ryukyu again falling behind by multiple goals for the second straight week. Ryukyu seemed a bit flat in the first half with the opening Nagasaki goal traveling all the way through the box and past several Ryukyu defenders. To be fair, Sawada’s take was excellent as it had to be inch perfect from that angle.

Ryukyu had a crack at leveling the match early on but Kelvin’s take was just narrowly wide of the mark. You kind of felt that since we didn’t score from that take that another Nagasaki goal was likely in the offering. And true to form, Ryukyu surrendered the second goal that stemmed from a failed defensive clearance, followed by some really nice one-touch passing, before Cristiano buried the goal. Maybe Dany was blinded by Okazaki running in front of him but there were several Ryukyu defenders in the area that had a shot at getting something on the Cristiano shot.

You wouldn’t be wrong in assuming a goal scored just before halftime would completely let the wind out of the Ryukyu sails. But not under the current manager. Ryukyu came out firing in the second half when Hitomi scored on a redirected shot from Omoto. His first ever goal for Ryukyu. The play started with a Makito cross that Sulley won, though didn’t get on net, followed by Abe getting it back to Omoto whose shot looked to be headed for the far post to which Hitomi calmly slotted past the two Nagasaki defenders on the line.

Abe and Hitomi were not finished though as Hitomi’s second came after Abe’s initial shot was blocked, and instead of just trying to recycle the rebound back on net, Abe picked out the on-rushing Hitomi who sent a really nice ball into the top right corner. Of course the winner came from another Sulley header in a little give and go action from a quick counter attack. I truly believe Nacho and the rest of Ryukyu have figured out the J2: Pick out your taller strikers in the box with accurate crosses and let them feast.

The game wasn’t done and dusted at that point as Dany Carvajal was called into action a couple of times to make some key saves before the all important PK stop. His second stop of a PK this year that has directly accounted for four (4) Ryukyu points. I do have to say it wasn’t one of the better defensive performances from this team as it was more reminiscent of what we saw out of our defending at Kofu last week. We may have just got a bit lucky that Nagasaki couldn’t put anymore sustained pressure on our backline without their talisman Junio, but Ryukyu did enough to get the job done and that is all that matters.

Round 31 in J2

It wasn’t CV-19 rearing its ugly head to wipe out matches across the J-League this week, instead it was a tropical storm that dumped large amounts of rain across the mainland forcing matches to be called off and rescheduled for a later date.

Up Top: (2) Yokohama FC and (21) Thespakusatsu Gunma was rescheduled to this Tuesday evening leaving Ryukyu fans to wait and see if they have finally stayed level on points with Gunma. (1) Albirex Niigata took advantage of the YFC delay in fixtures to move into the top slot following their 2-0 road win at (16) Tochigi SC. And then there was (20) Omiya Ardija scoring another three (3) goals in a match to defeat a top seeded team in (3) Vegalta Sendai. Two (2) goals just a minute apart followed by a third in the first half put that one out of reach early.

Promotion Playoff Zone: (4) Fagiano Okayama was able to restore the 2-0 lead they lost to (18) Renofa Yamaguchi thanks to a 65th minute goal. (5) Roasso Kumamoto leap frogged V-Varen Nagasaki thanks to their 2-2 draw on the road at (13) Ventforet Kofu. Kumamoto missed out on all three (3) points this match having lost their 2-1 advantage in the 77th minute as well as having a PK stopped earlier in the game.

Down Below: The only team in the bottom five (5) of the table that wasn’t mentioned in the other two sections was (20) Iwate Grulla Morioka who lost 0-1 at home to (15) Blaublitz Akita. I think it was just around the time I released the first drop zone report that I intimated that Akita could easily, and quickly, remove themselves from the relegation discussion and since then they’ve won two (2), drawn two (2), only allowed a single (1) goal in four games with three (3) consecutive shutouts while playing as the visitors. Well done!

Conclusion

What an absolute roller-coaster ride of emotions on Saturday night for all the fans watching this game. From my vantage point there was the absolute shock, and subsequent outburst of emotion following that Sulley goal. It felt so good to see us score so late in a game instead of conceding. The emotional high was briefly muted when Nagasaki lined up for the PK where we all thought, “please not again,” before yet another outpouring of raw emotions by all in attendance at my house. We have waited a long time to see Ryukyu play like this as well for us to feel this good following any game. Let’s keep the good times rolling.

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

Intro

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

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

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

Click>>> Match Day 23 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keys to Victory Keys to Nicking a Point for FC Ryukyu

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

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

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

Round 23 in J2

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

Intro

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

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

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

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

Team Previews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

Kinain’ Ya Around

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

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

Round 19 in J2

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

Intro

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

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

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

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

Team Previews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

Kinain’ Ya Around

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

Round 18 in J2

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

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

Conclusion

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

FC Ryukyu vs Ventforet Kofu #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu almost did the unthinkable on Saturday night when they were just four minutes from winning their third game in a row. The game was largely controlled by Kofu and it is just unfortunate that Shinya Uehara’s beautiful 71st minute header was nullified by a 90th minute goal from Kofu ending the game in a draw and pushing Ryukyu’s record to 0-2-6 following a run of two wins in a row. But, Ryukyu were able to grab a crucial point when others around them dropped points this weekend. The draw pushes Ryukyu out of the relegation zone, based on goal differential over Omiya and Iwate, for the first time since Match Day 5.

Match Highlights

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Take the game to Kofu. Likelihood 3. No. Ryukyu may have come close to splitting the overall possession with Kofu, but a preponderance of that possession was in our own end. Ryukyu created three (3) goal scoring chances this match with the goal being the lone shot on net.

2. Someone steps up in central defense. Likelihood 2. Almost. Yong Jick was having a decent game, with some mental errors/turnovers mixed in, but once he came off for Omori, Kofu scored their goal.

Takeaways from Match Day 17

1. Kusano’s injury. This one could be catastrophic for FC Ryukyu. Ren Ikeda collided with Kusano in the 40th minute after going for a contested ball and being slightly tripped up by the Kofu defender. Ikeda fell directly into Kusano’s left knee, bending it inward, and immediately dropping Kusano to ground. Kusano was seen grabbing his knee and the Ryukyu trainer was performing the initial assessment to see if a ligament (ACL) was snapped. While Kusano was not writhing in pain, he was not able to carry on. Hopefully it is something minor, but I am not a doctor, and if it season ending, or even a 2-3 month recovery time, Ryukyu are in big trouble. Uehara stepped up later for a goal, and thankfully Noda has returned to the lineup, but are we sure that either one of those players can lead the Ryukyu line like Kusano? I don’t know and it would help to see Abe return as that only leaves Hitomi, Vinicius, Paso (who we haven’t seen in months) and possible Kelvin – if he signs with Ryukyu – at the forward position. Goal scorers like Kusano just don’t grow on trees and would be nearly impossible to replace in the summer transfer window.

2. May have felt dejected we didn’t see out the win, but have to be happy with the result. Kofu had several opportunities, with quality looks on net, that went narrowly wide. Ryukyu dodged a serious bullet following a Numata foul at the top of the box and then having the Kofu shot taker put it just inches high over the bar. Ryukyu didn’t really offer much in the attacking department on Saturday but played well enough in defense to avoid conceding more than just one. The upsetting part of the Kofu equalizer was, unlike their earlier attempts, the Kofu goal scorer was unmarked and all alone inside our 18-yard box while some Ryukyu defenders were wildly chasing the ball. I do not know who blew their responsibility for marking that man but that has been the typical mental breakdown Ryukyu suffer through this season that drastically change outcomes of their games. The Kofu match marks the sixth time this season where Ryukyu have lost the lead and ended the games in either a loss or a draw (0-3-3).

3. Lineup choices. We were wondering who would start at CB for Ryukyu after the Okazaki injury last week. Well, it turned out to be LB Keigo Numata. That is an interesting choice considering Omori is fit enough to dress, and come off the bench, as a natural CB. I am not sure of the reasoning behind this choice and it seemed to work up until we took Yong Jick off late in the second half. It seems Ryukyu only have two (2) healthy CBs at the moment and choose to start just one (1) in their 4-4-2 lineup. Sure would be nice to know the status of some of other central defenders on the roster as well as see Ryukyu make a move for a central defender in the summer transfer window. I cannot see Numata being the long term solution to our central defender injury crisis.

4. The ‘new boy bounce’ is helping. Kina missed his second game in a row due to CV-19 and Ryukyu earned a point and our now in the midst of a three game unbeaten run. It would be great to see Kuranuki lead the team in a few days at Omiya in what is going to be a crucial 6-point match up in the relegation battle. If we can get one more game out of Kuranuki, with all three points, it would release some of the pressure on the team before a run of six difficult matches in a row.

Round 17 in J2

Albirex Niigata ran rampant over Yokohama FC this week and moved into second place. Blaublitz Akita roared back from three goals down to draw with Tokyo Verdy at home. League leaders Vegalta Sendai defeated Omiya Ardija 4-2 for a result that helps Ryukyu. Though the end of this match was marred with some scuffles between each teams fans. Another result that helped Ryukyu was the 3-0 defeat of Iwate by FC Mito Hollyhock. One result that didn’t help Ryukyu was the shocking win by Tochigi on the road at Tokushima Vortis that snapped their winless run at nine (9) games.

Conclusion

It doesn’t get much bigger for Ryukyu this year when they travel to Omiya on Wednesday. But I’ll leave that for the Match Preview tomorrow. For now, some fan photos from Round 17.

(16) FC Ryukyu vs (22) FC Mito Hollyhock #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu are fresh off their first win of the season and looking to double that win total when last placed FC Mito Hollyhock travel to Okinawa on Saturday. Ryukyu had to battle back twice from deficits at Renofa Yamaguchi last week but hopefully that performance has calmed some nerves of the fans as well as steeled the reserve of the Ryukyu players. Mito enter the match in the midst of a four game winless streak which makes this a bit of a trap game for Ryukyu who may be feeling their oats after their last win.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

The forecast calls for partly covered skies with little chance of rain. That is banking on the fact that a pretty nasty storm front clears out on Friday. We all know how weather works down here in Okinawa so prepare for the worst and enjoy better conditions if they should occur. Or just drink more to forget about how terrible the weather (hopefully not the match) actually is while you’re standing outside.

Click>>>> Match Day 05 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: That first win should provide a little sense of relief, as well as some boost in confidence, for Ryukyu heading into match day 5. We all wanted to see a Ryukyu performance indicative of their first game last Saturday, obviously not the previous two rounds, and we got just that last week. Now it is time to build on that momentum from the Renofa match and notch another win in what could be Ryukyu’s first home victory of the season.

Last week it was the ‘old guard’ of FC Ryukyu that pulled them through so perhaps we need a bit more of that this game. Abe’s goal from a corner was spectacular; Kiyotake’s header looked accidental (but we’ll take it); and Ryunosuke Noda’s first goal in over a year and half was a well taken shot from a breakaway. Speaking of Kiyotake, he had an interesting game last week in that he scored the equalizer, assisted on the winner, but was a bit off the mark for parts of the match. He nearly allowed Renofa to take control of the game when he sent a misguided pass directly across the top of the Ryukyu box and onto the foot of a Renofa attacker. Luckily Taguchi was up to the task and parried it away from danger thus keeping the one goal deficit in tact.

Heading into this matchup it is anyone’s guess as to who Kina will start as Ryukyu have been pretty consistent on rotating players in and out of the starting eleven all season. Ikeda returned last week from a one week absence, Yu Tomidokoro seems to have secured one of the starting CM roles over Kazuto Takezawa, Abe and Kiyotake both started, Yuki Omoto made his first start at RB, and Rio Omori has gone missing the past two weeks thus allowing Yong-Jick a return to the bench. It is great to have all these options but it likely leaves the side a little unsettled. Perhaps Kina is deploying a strategy of forcing players to earn the starting role each week compared to that of his predecessor who based it solely on name brand recognition, which is a good thing. What isn’t a good thing is needing the offense to get going and shifting many players around who cannot get into any sort of rhythm. I guess we’ll see this week.

Hopefully we see a return of Keita Tanaka at RB this match as he was seen at practice throughout the week but there is no telling how is rehabilitation from last season’s injury is progressing, or if he is ready to go. If he does play, I would expect a limited appearance until he gets back up to match fitness. One player that Ryukyu will definitely be without for the extended future is Sittichok Paso who will be joining the U-23 Thailand national team for the Dubai Cup in the U.A.E. Personally, I think Ryukyu are wasting a great opportunity to capitalize on having a Thai player in the squad when it comes to marketing and actual playing time. We need to find a better way to incorporate him or else we shouldn’t be wasting his, or our, time by rostering and failing to market a player like Paso.

FC Mito Hollyhock: Here is the tale of the tape so far: (1) Mito have suffered two defeats by a score line of 2-3 and have only managed a single point from their first four matches. (2) Mito can be prone to both fast starts, 4 of their 5 goals have come within the first 15 minutes of games, as well as lackluster finishes, 6 of the 8 goals conceded have occurred in the second half. That is the reality facing Ryukyu on Saturday.

Mito’s season was delayed by a week due to a CV-19 outbreak at Oita so they opened their campaign during week 2 at home to Sendai. Mito controlled the majority of play to open the game and their efforts were rewarded with an early goal before a handball/PK wiped out that lead in the 32nd minute. Sendai went ahead in the 74th minute but Mito quickly equalized two minutes later when Kazuma Takai took the most direct route ever seen inside the box to put it into the top of the net. However, Mito switched off near the end by conceding a goal in the 3rd minute of stoppage time. Against Akita the following week both sides traded numerous chances before some nervy run of play from both teams saw Akita score the eventual winner.

Mito played Oita in the midweek to make up for the previously postponed round 1 and once again they looked the better side to start the match. Mito opened the scoring in the 7th minute from a good nice run of play but, in keeping with Mito’s luck to date, Oita equalized from a very nicely taken shot inside the first half. Finally, and probably the most deflating performance to date, was Mito’s 2-3 loss at Yokohama FC where they surrendered a two goal lead in that loss.

Mito’s most lethal player is Kosuke Kinoshita, who joined from the Urawa Reds this offseason, and who has two goals and one assist this season. Mito has only defeated Ryukyu twice in the short span of their time together in J2 with their most recent win occurring at Ryukyu back on matchday 25 last year when Ryukyu were beginning their too often predictable mid-season collapse.

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 Mito storm. Likelihood 2. There is no doubt that Mito start matches very fast as indicated by their goals scored/conceded ratio mentioned in the team preview section. Mito are very adept at hitting teams on the counter attack, which means Ryukyu need to survive the first 15 minutes of this match in order to take control of the game. Easier said than done for Ryukyu as this exact type of pressure caused us to concede early in the game last week at Renofa.

2. Harass Mito inside the box. Likelihood 3. A preponderance of Mito’s conceded goals have occurred in and around the 6-yard box. Ryukyu need to put more quality shots on net to cause some chaos and confusion in the Mito defense as well as inject some better crosses into the attacking players who should find space to operate on Saturday.

J2 Round 05

A couple of tilts at the top of the table this week with (5) Fagiano Okayama looking to rebound from a heavy defeat at Zelvia when they host league leaders (1) Yokohama FC, with (2) FC Machida Zelvia traveling to face (3) Tokyo Verdy in a bit of a derby match. Most of the other games this round see a lot of teams in the bottom third of the table squaring off in order to jockey for positioning. There is the lone, albeit odd, Monday afternoon kickoff this week between (13) Roasso Kumamoto and (14) V-Varen Nagasaki.

The free J-League International YouTube broadcast this week will feature (12) Albirex Niigata at home against (12) Ventforet Kofu and the link can be found below the picture.

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

Conclusion

So it is kind of a big weekend for both the club and the supporters. First, it is Jin-Beno Day (the official mascot of Ryukyu) and there are a ton of giveaways and special seating at the stadium. Who doesn’t love J-League mascots? Second, Yu Tomidokoro, aka Mr. Ryukyu, celebrates 250 matches in his J-League career along with Yuki Omoto celebrating his 100th game in which commemorative plaques and towels are available for purchase. Third, a win here for Ryukyu could be a nice launching pad to further success along with an uplifting first home win for the fans.

But finally, and most importantly, this is the first match of the season that I will be able to attend in person. So brace yourself Okinawa, the Commander of the Ryukyu Army is inbound!