Tag: Abe

MD17 Preview: (12) Blaublitz Akita vs (3) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu will make their longest road trip of the season when they travel to face Blaublitz Akita this Saturday. That comes on the heels of their third longest road trip of the year to Niigata last week, and just before another road trip to Matsumoto Yamaga the following Wednesday for an Emperors Cup match. These two teams are very familiar with one another stemming from their time together in both the JFL and J3, but this will be the first time they face each other in the J2.

Both enter Match Day 17 following a loss the previous round and both are looking to rebound in a big way. These two sides are dealing with some injuries to their back line which has seen their strong defensive performances to start the season taper off as of late resulting in consecutive losses for Ryukyu and Akita failing to win since their 2-1 victory at V-Varen Nagasaki one month ago. On a much more positive note, Martin Spivey will be joining the FC Ryukyu blog this week to preview Blaublitz Akita so please enjoy the change to the normal opposition’s preview I churn out.

Blaublitz Akita versus FC Ryukyu Match Day 17
  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
  2. Previous Match Day Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • Blaublitz Akita
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 17 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

Maybe some wind to contend with during the match but otherwise a very nice forecast. And once again there will be no visiting FC Ryukyu fans allowed to attend while Okinawa is under a state of emergency.

Click>>> MD 17 Info from Blaublitz Akita

2. Previous Match Day Highlights

Tokyo Verdy 3-1 Blaublitz Akita
Albirex Niigata 2-1 FC Ryukyu

3. Team Previews

Blaublitz Akita: As a Blaublitz Akita supporter of almost a decade, I have to say I’m in Dreamland. From JFL to J3 and now J2. After our J3 victory in 2017, I honestly thought we wouldn’t get another chance of promotion any time soon when our J2 license application was rejected. But here we are. And last season took me by surprise. A real underdog story that I feel mirrors Ryukyu’s rise (if I may say such a thing!). Until about 5 seasons ago, both clubs were stuck in the mid-table of J3 with similar crowds and set-ups and now we face each other in the league above, 12th at home to 3rd.

Both teams have seen their form (and results) tail off a little bit in recent weeks but after watching bits of Ryukyu here and there, I can see they will be a really tough opponent. A great passing side that knows how to score goals. As for Akita, well, I imagine we can be a hard watch for the neutral at times. Our strength is in our strong work ethic – the players never stop running. A long throw-in into the box from RB Suzuki or MF Fukoin can be expected at every possible opportunity or a long ball from the center of defense for pacy forward Keita Saito to run on to. Akita will sit back and let Ryukyu have most of the possession but hopefully it won’t be all one-way traffic.

There are concerns about our central defense, with Kaito Chida having been out all season and Shigeto Masuda missing the last few games. Veteran legend Kenichi Kaga is a solid back-up but he needs a break soon you feel. If he starts, and has tired legs, then the Ryukyu attack may want to try and run at him from the start! After Ryukyu, Akita have Machida and Niigata coming up so I fear we could go on a run of 6 or 7 games without a win. Still, I find the outcome of this game a little hard to predict.

Ryukyu could smash us by 3 or 4 if we’re not at the races but we could also nick a win. A 1-1 draw wouldn’t be a total surprise based on our home results so far this season. Can we benefit from the fact there will be no away supporters in the ground? I just wanna see a good, clean fight. May the best team win! (I’ll take a point though…)

Thank You Martin for that great preview of Blaublitz Akita. You can find Martin on Twitter @bantam84 for all things Akita.

FC Ryukyu: May was a rough month for FC Ryukyu as they won two, drew two and lost two. In Ryukyu’s first twelve games of the season they surrendered more than one goal in a game only once. Ryukyu have now conceded 2 goals in each of their past 3 games. The injury to starting CB Okazaki has compounded that problem and will do so for the next 7 weeks. For a team that was winning on the back of great defensive performances, and steady offensive output, Ryukyu have really come apart at the seems this past month.

Takuma Abe’s return up top helped last week and we should see the Ryukyu talisman get back on the score sheet this week. Yong Jick has been forced to drop back into the starting CB role along side Chinen and since we only have the one game to make any judgement on whether or not he has improved from last season in that role, we will have to reserve judgment for a later date. Fukui has now become the emergency defender on the bench and though Ryukyu have not seen Akamine in the squad for a few weeks, I felt they fielded their strongest bench this season last week.

Dressing three forwards, vice four, for each match allows some of the talented mid fielders on the roster a shot at making the bench. Though it is anyone’s guess whether or not they will appear in a game. So far we’ve seen Higuchi prefer to play Yu Tomidokoro over Ichimaru in the central midfield with Motegi filling in for Kiyotake and Uehara coming on late in place of Koya. Shimizu will likely spell Abe at some point in the match while Abe gets back to full match fitness levels following an injury he picked up at Ehime FC.

Still, I would like to see Nakagawa make the bench but with no idea of who is actually hurt these days, we must always wait for the team to tweet out the starting lineup a few hours before kickoff. Perhaps it would be best to not practice in the hot Okinawa heat during the day and tailor practice times to mirror kickoff times that week so guys can remain somewhat fresh and get their bodies in tune for that time of the day. Ryukyu have three road games in a row, which included last weeks game at Niigata, spread across 10 days meaning they will lose anywhere between 5-6 days of practice for travel. This may be the only rest they get in between games the next few weeks while it is getting really hot down here in Okinawa.

4. 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. Get to the 2-goal mark first. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu have hit the 2-goal mark only twice in their last 8 games while being held to 1-goal (3) or shutout (3) in the other 6 games. The two-goal mark maybe enough to see out the win as Akita have only managed to score 2 goals in a game, both on the road, on 2 occasions this season. If Akita follow the same path of our previous three opponents and score 2 goals against us, it may be a tough ask to score 3 goals against a team that has only allowed 2 or more goals in a game 4 times this year.

2. Do not take them for granted. Likelihood 4. Several of Akita’s opponents may have overlooked them as the newly promoted side but that has resulted in Akita earning victories over Kyoto, JEF, Mito and Nagasaki while nearly earning a win over Iwata. Ryukyu need to go out there and set the pace early as Akita have proven themselves a resilient team this season.  

3. Same as last week, set pieces will be key. Likelihood 2. Akita scores, and concedes, most of their goals from set pieces and though Ryukyu turned the corner last week by not allowing a goal from a set piece, they will need to do the same this week at Akita.

5. Prediction

Akita will be no easy nut to crack for Ryukyu as they have shut out their opponent on four times while playing at home. However, they have conceded all three of their goals at home in their last three home matches. Akita and Ryukyu earned the same results, and near identical goals scored/conceded record, over their last five games, but Ryukyu’s overall goals conceded on the year matches the total for Akita’s overall goals scored tally. I appreciate Martin going in for the point, and see that as a real possibility, but Ryukyu need a rebound win following two consecutive defeats so therefore I’ll say to 2-1 to Ryukyu. Season Record 6-4-6.

6. Round 17 in J2

All Times Listed are in Japan Standard Time

Round 17 kicks off Friday evening with (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma taking on (10) FC Mito Hollyhock. (1) Albirex Niigata will play their fourth game in a row against a top six side when they travel to (5) Ventforet Kofu on Saturday with (2) Kyoto Sanga FC also on the road this week at (16) Tochigi SC. (4) Jubilo Iwata and (6) FC Machida Zelvia are also on the road this round when they face (18) Giravanz Kitakyushu and (17) Matsumoto Yamaga FC respectively.

(22) SC Sagamihara will take on (7) V-Varen Nagasaki for the free J-League International YouTube broadcast this Saturday and the link can be found below the infographic.

Click>>> J-League International YouTube Channel

7. Conclusion

It will be interesting to see how Ryukyu respond in the face of adversity following two losses in a row. Akita could take advantage of some tired legs from Ryukyu, as well as some depressed morale, so Ryukyu really need to gut this one out. A couple of nice goals from Takuma Abe, set up by Koya Kazama and Keita Tanaka, could provide the much needed boost in confidence for this side who are still in the thick of things this far into the season.

MD 16 Report: (2) Albirex Niigata vs (3) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Albirex Niigata came from behind to defeat FC Ryukyu 2-1 to regain the pole position in J2. Ryukyu started the fireworks in the first half with a very nice goal from Ren Ikeda following a Keita Tanaka cross just behind the Niigata defense. Unfortunately, Ryukyu were only able to maintain that lead for sixty seconds before Takagi’s equalizer put Niigata level. Without the services of one of their better defenders, Okazaki, Ryukyu conceded an ‘ugly goal’ halfway through the second half and were unable to find an equalizer of their own. This was Ryukyu’s second loss in a row, the first time this has occurred for Ryukyu this season, whereas Niigata were able to arrest their two game slide and grab an important victory in the race for promotion.

Photo Credit: @ym_it_hr
  1. Match Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 16 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Photo Credit: Albirex Niigata

Albirex Niigata CAM Yoshiaki Takagi: Scored the opening goal for Niigata on a really nice one-time touch inside the Ryukyu 18-yard box and was involved in the set up play for the second Niigata goal.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. The offense must carry the day. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu started out strong by grabbing the early lead but they couldn’t sustain the lead as the offense tapered off when they needed it the most.

2. Win the battle of set pieces. Likelihood 2. This one is a push for me as though Ryukyu didn’t concede, they didn’t score either. Uesato came close to equalizing in the second half but Niigata’s goal keeper made a fine save to keep their lead intact.

3. Exploit Niigata’s turnovers. Likelihood 3. I didn’t see many turnovers from Niigata yesterday so credit to them for cleaning this up in the week leading up to this match.

4. Prediction

I thought Niigata would take this 2-0 but Ryukyu bagged the opener so I’ll award myself a draw for predicting the winning sides goal tally. Season Record 6-4-6.

5. Talking Points from Round 16

1. Ryukyu did not play poorly; they just fell victim to Niigata’s ability to see out tough games for wins. Neither side was that explosive yesterday with a majority of the top passing players being of the defensive or central defensive midfielder types. There were long stretches of the game where there was little to no action with both sides seemingly not wanting to lose this match. Ryukyu out shot Niigata in the second half but the only serious threat on net was the Uesato free kick when Ryukyu could only manage one corner kick in the final 45’ minutes. Ryukyu also did well to limit the impact of both Shion Homma and Koji Suzuki but in the end, like they’ve done so many times this year, Niigata found a way to win.

2. A couple of cases of being caught flat-footed. On Niigata’s opening goal Chinen was caught leaning in the wrong direction on the cross into the box and was unable to recover in time to completely close down the Niigata attacker. Though it appeared that Taguchi would have enough time to get to the shot, he was also leaning the opposite direction before his jump across the mouth of goal to block the shot went past his outstretched arms. Some of us here felt this was a ball that Taguchi should have got to, and one in which Taguchi addressed with his post match comments stating that it wasn’t as simple as it may have looked on film, but instead it was one of those plays where Ryukyu had the wind taken out of their sails after surrendering the equalizer so quickly.

3. The second Niigata goal was just hard to watch. No less than 4 Ryukyu players had a shot at clearing the spilled ball that made its way through our central defense. The initial deflection off of Numata set Niigata up but neither Chinen, Yong Jick nor Koki Kazama could get enough on the clearance, thus leaving Taguchi in a so called ‘no man’s land’ where he couldn’t come out to collect the ball with another Niigata attacker lurking in the area.

4. We couldn’t get Abe firing. Abe made his return to the lineup after a few weeks off and the team looked much better as a result. We knew it was unlikely for Abe to play a full 90’ minutes after returning from injury and it was his departure after 60’ minutes that signaled the steep drop off in Ryukyu’s offense for the remainder of the match. Glad he is back as Ryukyu desperately need him up top next month.

5. The looks of frustration and bewilderment among the Ryukyu players following the match is a telling sign that something’s not right. Koya Kazama took this loss particularly hard as he was visibly frustrated by the result. Then there was the dismayed look on Chinen’s face which seemed to me as someone who couldn’t understand how things turned out the way they did despite their best efforts. I am not sure how Ryukyu prep for games, or make in game adjustments, but these boys need some confidence boosting results next month before doubt and frustration take hold.

6. Ryukyu’s injury crisis. We can now add Okazaki to a growing list of Ryukyu players who are either out injured or are in the midst of their recovery. We will be without Okazaki until late July which means we won’t see him again until after the Olympic break. Abe returned but we never heard what was affecting him the past two weeks. There has been no sign, and no word, on the status of Akamine though Ryukyu are likely to see the return of Makito Uehara to training next week, and Dany Carvajal a few weeks after that. Ryukyu have 4 healthy central defenders on the roster with Chinen, Yong Jick, Fukui and yet to make an appearance Yusuke Murase. Another injury to this position will seriously derail any push for promotion.

7. It is not all bad. As mentioned earlier in this section, Ryukyu looked better this week than they did against Yamagata and finally scored at the Big Swan stadium. Abe’s return will boost this club as was evident by the Ren Ikeda goal, his first goal since Abe’s departure/return. Though the loss has consigned Ryukyu to sole possession of third place, they are only 3 points back from the leaders. If Ryukyu can maintain, or close, that gap by the halfway point of the season, they have a punchers chance at seeing it through.

6. Round 16 in J2

Transfermarkt

Kyoto Sanga’s 0-0 draw with Ventforet Kofu following Albirex Niigata’s win over FC Ryukyu means both sides are level on points with Niigata resuming the top slot based on goal difference. The Kyoto pitch looked awful following an Olympic torch relay there, but I am not sure how much that had to do with the performance from either side. A couple of upsets by Fagiano Okayama and Giravanz Kitakyushu pushed them up the table and in the case of Giravanz, out of the relegation zone. Omiya Ardija and SC Sagamihara are firmly entrenched at the bottom with SC Sagamihara parting ways with their manager following their loss. Jubilo Iwata’s 1-0 win over Zweigen Kanazawa puts them within 1-point of FC Ryukyu and within striking distance of the leaders.

Transfermarkt

7. Conclusion

Ryukyu ended the month of May 2-2-2 with 8 points earned from a possible 18. The wobble this month coincided with several injuries to the side that saw Abe, and now Okazaki, miss time in crucial match ups. Ryukyu managed a single point against the top two sides this month with Kyoto Sanga finishing with 4 points and Niigata with 3. This was the first time all year that Niigata earned a single point off a top six side and sets them up for a nice month of June. Neither of the top 3 teams have a particularly brutal schedule next month but Ryukyu face the daunting task of traveling to Akita and then Matsumoto in the midweek for their next two rounds. For now, Ryukyu must head back to the training ground and find a way to restore the type of football they were playing at the start of the season or risk find tumbling out of the race for promotion altogether.

Match Day 16 Preview: (2) Albirex Niigata vs (3) FC Ryukyu 5/30/21 #FC琉球

Intro

We made it! Sort of. Two teams that seemed to be on a collision course as the league leaders have stumbled the past few weeks but that still doesn’t diminish the importance of this game. The fact that the winner of this game has a chance to climb into the league lead, while the loser could find themselves three points adrift of the promotion zone, means both sides will be gunning for all three points on Sunday. The month of May has been hugely important for the promotion race as all three of the tops sides squared off against one another which also included several games pitting sides situated inside the top six in the table during this same time frame. Kyoto Sanga has come out on top so far after securing four points from a possible six with FC Ryukyu sitting on one point from one game and Albirex Niigata on zero.

  1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • Albirex Niigata
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 16 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from Albirex Niigata

Looks like a very nice day for football. Doesn’t matter for the Ryukyu fans though as there will be no visiting fans allowed at this game with Okinawa under a state of emergency.

Click>>>Match Day 16 Information from the Club

2. Previous Match Highlights

Albirex Niigata 0-1 Kyoto Sanga FC
FC Ryukyu 0-2 Montedio Yamagata

3. Team Previews

Albirex Niigata: It took 14 rounds before Niigata suffered their first loss of the campaign, but only 1 more to lose their second. Niigata started out very strong this year winning the opening 5 games followed by winning 5 out of their next 7. But Niigata has fallen off a bit starting with the draw at home to Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. and then the above mentioned losses in consecutive weeks to FC Machida Zelvia and Kyoto Sanga FC. For the year, Albirex have taken zero points off of any of the teams currently inside the top six, though they have yet to face Ventforet Kofu or Jubilo Iwata, whereas FC Ryukyu have taken 7 points in their 3 matches against these teams.

Niigata went 2-1-2 in their last five games with two wins in a row over JEF United Chiba and Omiya Ardija before the draw to Matsumoto and losses to Zelvia and Kyoto. Niigata looked rampant against Chiba and opened the scoring in the 5′ minute from a corner kick before Shion Homa overpowered a JEF central midfielder to set up Kaito Tanaguchi’s second goal of the match. Niigata clawed their way back from 2-1 deficit at Omiya to win 3-2 in what can best be described as a game in which Niigata never quit despite playing from behind. But a major reason why Niigata found themselves in that deficit was due to the costly midfield turnovers that led to fast break counter attacks for Omiya. And that trend of committing costly turnovers has continued through to this game with Ryukyu.

An early turnover by Niigata nearly led to the opening goal for Yamaga but neither side could find the breakthrough, that in spite of Matsumoto hitting the crossbar twice. Zelvia opened the scoring inside the opening minute of their match with Niigata when the Zelvia attack stretched the Niigata back line all over the 18-yard box. Then 10′ minutes later Zelvia doubled their lead from a cross into the box that can be loosely traced back to a turnover by Niigata near the halfway line. Against Kyoto it was Niigata’s inability to clear a ball in their own end that led to the decisive goal for Kyoto Sanga in a game where Koji Suzuki came close to scoring on four separate occasions.

For the season Niigata have really only wobbled on the road as that is where a majority of their close calls, and first loss, have occurred. Think back to the draws against SC Sagamihara that snapped Niigata’s unbeaten streak, then the draw on the road to Tochigi, followed by the come from behind effort at Omiya and finally the loss to Zelvia. All games in which Niigata surrendered 2 goals. However, Niigata’s home record is far more impressive as they’ve only conceded twice at home all year with the most recent coming against Kyoto and the first occurring way back on match day 4 to Thespakusatsu Gunma. They hold an impressive 14 goals scored to 2 goals conceded at home with 5 shutouts in 7 games.

Every Ryukyu fan will recognize the man up top for Niigata this week as it is the former FC Ryukyu striker Koji Suzuki who will lead the line for Albirex. Koji has 4 goals in his last 5 games after returning from an early season injury and in the 6 previous games he has played against Ryukyu, Koji has scored 6 goals. Granted, that was back in the days of J3 football but he owns an impressive scoring record against us and has scored in all but 2 games when facing Ryukyu. The player to really watch out for is LM Shion Homa. Probably the top player in J2 this year, the man is simply electric. He has speed, touch, tenacity, can score from anywhere and is not easily moved off the ball. It will be a tough ask for either Keita Tanaka or our two holding midfielders to contain Homa on Sunday. If there is a weakness to this side, I would say it has to be the GK Koto Abe who hasn’t looked the best the past few rounds.

FC Ryukyu: While the results for Ryukyu were not great these past five games, I wouldn’t necessarily say that it has been their worst run of form all season when compared to rounds 1-5 and 6-10. In their opening five games Ryukyu were undefeated with a 10/3 goals scored/conceded ratio and earned 2 shutouts. Easily the best to date. In matches 6-10 that ratio dropped to 5/3 with a 3-1-1 record but they recorded 4 shutouts during that time. So no offense but stout defending. Finally, in games 11-15 Ryukyu had a 10/6 goals scored/conceded ratio but only one shutout while going 2-2-1. But a majority of those goals (9) came in just two matches for Ryukyu which also saw the boys from Okinawa shutout on two occasions, matching the total from rounds 6-10. So it is kind of a toss up between the last two sets of games. So what is going on?

It is hard to say what exactly has happened to a side that started out so quickly, matched only by this weeks opponent Niigata, only to taper off against some opponents they should’ve beat. I would argue that it has been two things. First, I would point to the short turn around between the midweek Kyoto match and the away game with Ehime where Ryukyu drew 1-1 but ended up losing Abe to injury for what is now going on 3 weeks. Second, is that Ryukyu are just missing on that last pass inside the opponents end that could lead to goal scoring opportunities, which was an area they were excelling at to begin the season.

Abe’s absence speaks volumes on why the attack has dried up. Granted, he has gone through a dry spell as of late, but it is his overall play that frees up so many of the attacking Ryukyu players in the box. Something I don’t think we are getting out Shintaro Shimizu despite his recent scoring run and shots on net. Prior to the game with Tochigi, Ryukyu routinely dressed four forwards but found themselves only using the veterans Uehara and Akamine in limited situations. This means they cannot be relied upon to start games or play for extended periods of time. Worse still is the fact that Akamine wasn’t in the squad last week and who knows if he is dealing with an injury. I thought for sure he would’ve been the next man up in the event of an injury to Abe, albeit in a limited role of 45-60 minutes per game, but that is certainly not the case.

Last week against Montedio Yamagata Ryukyu recorded 18 total shots but I think a fair number of those were attempted passes to attacking Ryukyu players and not actually shots. You could see that some passes were intended to be struck by an onrushing Ryukyu attacker that just wasn’t there unlike when Abe is in the lineup. To compound matters even more, Ryukyu are likely without the services of CB Okazaki this round following his mid game substitution last week. There has been no word on whether or not he has picked up an injury that will force him to miss time, but judging by past events from Ryukyu when it comes to releasing injury info, we may hear something on game day or we may hear nothing at all, which means we have to assume we will be without one of better defenders this week.

That likely means the return of fan favorite Fukui to the lineup. I don’t think Fukui will start in place of Okazaki, if Okazaki is indeed injured, but that means Yong Jick will revert back to the CB role that he didn’t exactly excel in last year. Yong Jick has played much better this year when he is in a central mid fielder role late in games vice having to deal with the oppositions’ attack for a full 90′ minutes. If Higuchi does indeed opt to start Fukui, then hold on for a bumpy ride as I fear Ryukyu could be reduced to 10-men with any of the challenges Fukui puts in. Ryukyu are not in the greatest shape entering this match and we really need the front four to step up in order to carry the team while we are weakened at the back.

4. 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. The offense must carry the day. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu could likely be without the services of Takuma Abe and Ryohei Okazaki this week which is not the best way to be entering the match against a tough opponent. Ryukyu will need the offense to step up in place of the defense, who had been carrying this side through their first 12 games, and provide some breathing room for our weary and battered defenders. Ikeda, Shintaro and Uehara need to get their shots on target and ask plenty of ‘tough’ questions of the Niigata GK.

2. Win the battle of set pieces. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu has surrendered 6 goals from set pieces this year, 3 in the past two weeks, and Niigata has scored a majority of their goals (9) from set pieces. Conversely, Niigata have conceded most of their goals from set pieces (4) which ranks as Ryukyu’s second highest tally (5) for types of goals scored behind crosses (11). I hope set pieces were tightened up this week at practice as Ryukyu are extremely vulnerable to CKs these days and failed to score on any of the 14 CKs they had last week.

3. Exploit Niigata’s turnovers. Likelihood 3. I spoke in the team preview section about how Niigata has been a little bit turnover prone during their recent stretch of games, and the best way to grab the lead over them is through fast breaks on short counter attacks. We cannot afford to break out, have any of our players fail to make some penetrating runs into the box, or in support of the counter, just to pull up and allow the Niigata defense time to recover. Just go for broke on these plays and at the very least try and earn a set piece.

5. Prediction

Ryukyu own a poor record against Niigata and have failed to score a single goal at the Big Swan in any of the games they’ve played there. While both sides are looking to make a statement this game, I regrettable believe it will be Niigata who gets the better of what could be a weakened Ryukyu side to the tune of 2-0. Season Record 6-3-6.

6. Round 16 in J2

All Times Listed are in Japan Standard Time

We all know the importance of the (2) Albirex Niigata versus (3) FC Ryukyu match, but league leaders (1) Kyoto Sanga FC have a stiff test of their own when they face (5) Ventforet Kofu who are undefeated in their last 5 games. Kyoto, who are undefeated in their last 10 games, will need to win this game or find themselves neck and neck, or behind, the teams just below them in the table. (4) Jubilo Iwata will look to close the gap between them and the top three as they face a reeling (11) Zweigen Kanazawa side who has failed to win in their last 6 games. This game will also be the free broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel this round. All of the bottom 5 sides have tough draws this round which could see little movement at the bottom of table.

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

7. Conclusion

I was concerned last week that we might slip up against Yamagata and those fears, along with a few others, have only increased this week heading into Niigata. Despite the injuries, the long odds for victory and that Ryukyu haven’t scored a single goal against Niigata since Shinya Uehara scored in the 86′ minute of the first ever fixture between these two sides in 2019, Ryukyu need to put in an effort reminiscent to the start of their season vice the last few weeks. Matching Kyoto’s 4 points from 2 games against top 3 sides this month is the task at hand. Guess that means it is…

Match Day 15 Report: (3) FC Ryukyu vs (8) Montedio Yamagata #FC琉球

Photo Credit: @myamazato

Intro

Ryukyu fell victim to two set pieces and suffered their first home loss of the season 2-0 to Montedio Yamagata in what could be the last home game where fans can attend for a month while Okinawa is in a state of emergency. The loss drops Ryukyu down to third but it is the visible cracks in the defense that is more concerning than the dropped points. Ryukyu are now level on points with former league leaders Albirex Niigata and head into one of the biggest games of the season in a bit of downward spiral.

  1. Match Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 15 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Photo Credit: Montedio Yamagata

Montedio Yamagata RB Riku Handa: That was a really nice goal he scored which ended up as the winner for Montedio Yamagata on Saturday.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Slow down Yamagata’s fast start. Likelihood 4. No! Yamagata scored early again and Ryukyu had no answer.

2. Stifle Ibuki Fujita. Likelihood 3. Yes, but he nearly scored late in the second half but sent the shot high over the bar from inside the 18-yard box.

3. Limit Yamagata’s set pieces in dangerous areas. Likelihood 3. Yes, as Yamagata had 4 FKs and 4 CKs, but Ryukyu’s Achilles heel this year has been defending set pieces as both Yamagata goals came from set pieces.

4. Prediction

Totally whiffed on this one when I predicted a 2-0 win for Ryukyu. Season Record 6-3-6.

5. Talking Points from Round 15

1. Defending of set pieces, scoring from set pieces. Ryukyu conceded their third goal inside of two games from a set piece this round. Yamagata’s opening goal saw a preponderance of the Ryukyu defenders get sucked into defending what they thought was going to be a cross into their defensive line only to see the pass find an undefended area wide open in the Ryukyu box. I am not sure who was at fault there as both Kiyotake and Numata were left staring at one another after the goal. Kiyotake crashed in trying to defend the cross and Numata was on an island all to himself. The second Yamagata goal was just a matter of who wanted it more as Hiroki Noda rose over top of both Chinen and Shimizu to bury the header, and Ryukyu.

Ryukyu had 14 corner kicks on Saturday night and converted none of them. Granted, scoring from a corner kick may already be a low probability, but you had 14 cracks at it and couldn’t even net an ugly goal in the process. Most of the Ryukyu corners couldn’t clear the first line of the Yamagata defense, but two of the Yamagata corners (50%) had no problem finding the back of the net.

Ryukyu have conceded four goals from set pieces, which is the most of any type of goal that can be conceded, and need to tighten this up heading into the next match. That may be a tall ask considering we could be without the services of Okazaki. Practice this week should focus on defending and converting set pieces as Niigata have scored 9 goals from set pieces, the most of any of their totals, as well as conceded four goals from set pieces, also the most of any of the goals they’ve conceded.

2. Possible injury to CB Ryohei Okazaki. Okazaki was subbed off just before the start of the second half for Lee Yong Jick and I highly doubt that was a tactical decision as he has played every single minute this year. Okazaki has come on strong this year and though there are times where he may stumble leading to a goal by the opposition, his play has been much better than years past. There has been no word from the club as of this writing if there was a significant injury to Okazaki that will require him to miss time but heading into the most important match of the season without one of our best defenders is certainly not ideal. Though Chinen may have had a rough day at the office, as well have from time to time when he got beaten on a nice step over but Taguchi made a fine save on the ensuing shot and was unable to clear the ball on Yamagata’s second goal, though we’ll really need his tenacity and skill with any prolonged absence to Okazaki.

3. Yamagata looked really dangerous on the counter attacks while Ryukyu struggled with the final pass on attacks. One of those counters led directly to the corner kick that they converted for their second goal while Ryukyu once again couldn’t find that last pass inside the 18-yard box. Ryukyu controlled a majority of the game and looked dangerous when heading towards goal, but passes were off the mark and headers following crosses sailed wide or were not strong enough to ask questions of the Yamagata keeper.

4. Speaking of absences, Abe was once again left off the roster. I thought that Abe may have just been granted a rest day the week prior against Tochigi as Ryukyu released photos this past week of Abe at practice, but he didn’t even make the reserves for this game. On a night when Ryukyu had 18 total shots, 8 of which were on target, only 3 really threatened the Yamagata goal as the offense was just flat and in need of a finisher like Abe.  

5. The curious selection of the Ryukyu reserves continues. Akamine made way for Torikai and Ichimaru went as an unused substitute. I have a hard time believing that Torikai is better than Nakagawa, Ichimaru or Ramon for that matter, and now we are likely looking at a CB pairing of Chinen and Yong Jick which means that Fukui is likely to dress as the emergency central defender next week. I’d really like to know what is going on with Nakagawa these days with injuries piling up to go along with a dip in performances. With little to no information released from the club when it comes to injuries, there are many questions about players fitness levels heading into Niigata.

6. Ryukyu missed a great opportunity to accumulate points in their past three games. All three of Ryukyu’s opponents in rounds 13-15 were in the lower half of the table heading into those games yet Ryukyu managed just 4 points from a possible 9. I am not saying that Ryukyu could have earned all nine points, but even two more points would have put them level with Kyoto and two ahead of Niigata. Not surprising that the win one, draw one, lose one pattern coincides with Ryukyu’s worst defensive performance of the season where they conceded nearly the same number of goals in these past three games that they did in their first twelve games of 2021.

6. Round 15 in J2

Transfermarkt

Kyoto Sanga FC defeated Albirex Niigata 1-0 and have now jumped two spots into the lead. Niigata suffered only their second loss this season, but second in a row, and are level on points with Ryukyu who also lost this round. Jubilo Iwata and Ventforet Kofu both won thus cutting the lead between them and Niigata/Ryukyu to 4/5 points respectively. V-Varen Nagasaki and Montedio Yamagata were the big movers this week as their wins moved them up 6/7 slots and inside the top half of the table.

Round 15 is not yet completed as the (22) SC Sagamihara vs (21) Ehime FC takes on even greater importance as the winner could pull themselves out of the relegation zone for one week at least.

Transfermarkt

7. Conclusion

I guess we will have to wait a little longer to grab that first win ever over Montedio Yamagata. The only thing to do know is put this game in the rearview mirror, correct the mistakes that led Ryukyu down this path, and prepare for the single biggest game of the season to date. Both Ryukyu and Niigata head into this match coming off a loss, but Niigata are too good of a side to lose three games in a row and will look to take out their aggression on what could be a weakened Ryukyu side.

Match Day 15 Preview: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (15) Montedio Yamagata 5/22/21 #FC琉球

Intro

With each passing week the stakes get higher and higher for FC Ryukyu who are on a record setting pace. Since their loss to FC Machida Zelvia in round nine, FC Ryukyu have won three games and drawn twice. Montedio Yamagata enter the match having won three out of their last five games since changing managers and last week was the first win for Peter Cklamovski who fully took over the club prior to round 14.

Yamagata have been nearly perfect when facing Ryukyu as they’ve drawn twice (2019) and defeated Ryukyu twice (2020) with three games in which Yamagata scored three or more goals against Ryukyu. But Ryukyu have been one of the best defensive sides in J2 this year while Yamagata rank near the bottom of the league in terms of goals scored. Much like the SC Sagamihara match prior to Kyoto Sanga this year, FC Ryukyu cannot overlook their immediate opponent with such a massive game the following week and need to get the job done against a side that has been trending upwards the past few weeks.

Match Day 15 Preview FC Ryukyu versus Montedio Yamagata
  1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • Montedio Yamagata
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 15 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

Montedio Yamagata may not have brought a typhoon with them to Okinawa this year but the weather forecast looks dreadful for Saturday.

No away fans for this round either while Okinawa remains under heightened priority prevention measures. We are all holding our collective breath down here to see if Okinawa enters a full blown state of emergency which would mean playing behind closed doors, but it is probably warranted in these tough times.

Click>>> Match Day 15 Info from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Highlights

FC Ryukyu 4-2 Tochigi SC
Montedio Yamagata 1-0 Ehime FC

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Last week Ryukyu released a statement that one of their top team players tested positive for COVID-19 and then Takuma Abe was left completely off the match day roster leaving some to speculate that he was either injured from the prior week, or was possibly the CV-19 player. Well, that has all been put to bed this week as FC Ryukyu released a photo of Abe at practice which is a great sign moving forward.

Shintaro Shimizu filled in admirably during Abe’s absence last week, netting a goal and coming close on another occasion, but it will be good to get Abe back in the lineup ahead of the game with Niigata. So far Higuchi has gotten the most out of both Shimizu and Koki Kiyotake as each has already exceeded, or at least matched, their goal tally from 2020. Both are on pace to have one of their best seasons and are a big reason why FC Ryukyu have enjoyed so much success to date. But there is a player who is knocking on the door and could force his way into the starting eleven sooner rather than later.

Shunsuke Motegi has accounted for three goals in just under forty minutes played this season. He is credited with two of those goals as one was an own goal that was already headed into the net but nevertheless, Motegi is looking more and more dangerous with each passing week. Much like Koizumi’s emergence last year, Motegi is becoming someone that Higuchi cannot afford to leave out of the lineup each week. Only twenty four years old, the future is looking bright for a player whose highest ever point total is eight from 2019, which he could easily smash this year if given the opportunity.

One player who has yet to register a goal this year is Koya Kazama, last year’s leading scorer for Ryukyu, though Koya has contributed five assists this year which is only two shy of his 2020 total of seven. Koya’s time will come and it is extremely encouraging to see that Ryukyu do not rely solely on one player to carry the team every week, it seems a different player steps up each week to carry Ryukyu forward.

As Ryukyu fans we may have grown accustomed to seeing this side score very early and then see games through to shutouts, Ryukyu have only recorded three shutouts in their last seven games compared to four in their first seven. The most recent stretch of seven games has also seen Ryukyu concede more than two goals in a game twice compared to none at the start of the season. Let’s hope we see Ryukyu get back to those strong defensive performances this week like we saw against Iwata, Kofu and Kyoto.

Montedio Yamagata: Since their managerial change last month, Yamagata have looked a different side. Recently they have a penchant for scoring early in games as four of the six goals they scored in their last five games all came within the first half. During their last five games Yamagata have won three times, drawn once, and lost once. They also played three teams that sit inside the top six during that stretch and own a far better away record than at home.

Montedio jumped out to an early lead against Jubilo Iwata and then hung on at the end to win 1-0. Iwata really dominated the second half as Yamagata was nowhere to be found, and should of at least equalized had they not missed a sitter, in a performance very indicative of Ryukyu versus Iwata on match day one. They then went on to defeat Thespakusatsu Gunma 2-1 before earning a 2-2 draw against Ventforet Kofu the following week.

Yamagata once again jumped out to an early lead against Kofu before the visitors pulled two back. But Yamagata equalized in the 96′ minute from Naoki Kuriyama who struck the ball while falling backwards and it ended up finding its way around the Kofu keeper. The joy of that late draw at home to Kofu was short lived however as Yamagata conceded an early goal to Kyoto Sanga the next match and couldn’t crack the Kyoto goal despite hitting the crossbar and post. Montedio Yamagata played really well in this game, didn’t look overmatched by the strength of Kyoto, and seem to be playing up to the level of their competition these days.

Montedio got back to winning ways the following game when they defeated Ehime 1-0 thanks to yet another early goal at home in a game in which both sides didn’t look particularly strong. Yamagata’s leading scorer is Vinicius Araujo who has two goals and assist to his name but their most dangerous player is Ibuki Fujita who came over from Matsumoto Yamaga FC in the winter. Yamagata have also waffled between who to start in net this year. Eisuke Fujishima regained his starting position over Victor the past three weeks but both keepers are nearly identical in every stat category with both achieving two shutouts. The only thing I saw in Victor was it seemed he was far more generous at giving up the rebound on shots compared Fujishima.

4. 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. Slow down Yamagata’s fast start. Likelihood 4. Yamagata are just a different side in the first half of games compared to their play in the second half. For the year they have scored 7 first half goals compared to just 4 in the second half of games. They’ve conceded 5 goals in the opening half of fixtures but have conceded 9 second half goals this year. If Ryukyu can enter halftime level or ahead, they have a good chance at seeing out all three points.

2. Stifle Ibuki Fujita. Likelihood 3. Ibuki is by far Yamagata’s most creative player and moves well in and around the box setting up his teammates or scoring goals. He sits just behind the forwards in Yamagata’s 4-4-2 which means it comes down to Uesato and either Koki or Yu to keep track of his movements, which shouldn’t be to hard considering Ibuki has the best combover in all of J2.

3. Limit Yamagata’s set pieces in dangerous areas. Likelihood 3. Most of Yamagata’s goals stem from set pieces so Ryukyu cannot afford to be committing fouls near our box during Yamagata’s fast start. Bringing Yong Jick in the second half to add some height to the defense is probably not a bad idea either.

5. Prediction

I don’t think we are going to witness another goal scoring bonanza against a team lower than Ryukyu in the standings as Yamagata have only conceded 14 goals this season and play much better away from home. However, a 2-0 home win for Ryukyu feels right. Season Record 6-3-5.

6. Round 15 in J2

All Times Listed are Japan Standard

Due to some teams having to play their opening round of this years Emperors Cup, round 15 is spread across 8 days. (7) Blaublitz Akita kicked off the round with a 1-1 draw to (10) Renofa Yamaguchi thanks to a late equalizer. (20) SC Sagamihara will host (19) Ehime FC on Thursday May 27th to close out this round. But let’s be honest, there is one game on everyone’s mind this week.

The game on every neutral’s radar is the top of the table clash between (1) Albirex Niigata versus (3) Kyoto Sanga FC who are separated by only one point. Albirex are coming off their first loss of the season while Kyoto Sanga are unbeaten over their last nine games. There are two other fixtures that feature teams within the top half of the table this round as (8) FC Mito Hollyhock face (5) Ventforet Kofu, and (9) JEF United Chiba host (6) FC Machida Zelvia.

The free J-League International YouTube broadcast this round will feature (17) Tochigi SC at home to (12) Matsumoto Yamaga FC.

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

7. Conclusion

Montedio Yamagata are another team that FC Ryukyu have failed to defeat during their time together in the J2. This game represents more than just another step in the ladder that Ryukyu need to take to reach the summit of J2, it is another dragon they need to slay along the way. It isn’t always pretty overcoming these mental hurdles, but it is vital to their success. Simply put, Ryukyu need to win on Saturday to shift all the pressure to Albirex Niigata and Kyoto Sanga the following day.

Match Day 14 Report: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (17) Tochigi SC #FC琉球

Photo Credit: @bengala_viola

Intro

As the race for the top continues to tighten, Ryukyu walked away with all three points on Saturday night when they defeated Tochigi SC 4-2. Ryukyu fell behind early from a goal on a corner kick but responded with two quick goals from Shintaro Shimizu and Kazumasa Uesato to put Ryukyu in the lead. However, Ryukyu surrendered a second goal late in the first half and were in danger of dropping points at home until Shunsuke Motegi’s “hate-seeking’ missile broke the deadlock late in the second half. Then Yong Jick netted his first ever goal for Ryukyu on a set piece that put the match out of reach for Tochigi.

  1. Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 14 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Day Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu Mid Fielder Shunsuke Motegi: He scored what was ultimately the winner for Ryukyu, and it was a very nice goal at that, and was involved in the set piece that netted Yong Jick’s goal. Had Shintaro Shimizu got the header on target from Motegi’s dead ball cross, he could have had an even bigger day.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Bombs away. Likelihood 4. I’d say so.

2. Follow up the shots that are saved with more shots. Likelihood 3. Ryukyu’s opening goal by Shintaro Shimizu is a perfect example of this as was Yong Jick’s redirection from the Ren Ikeda shot at the end.

3. Play it safe when playing out from the back. Likelihood 3. Ryukyu had a difficult time breaking the high press from Tochigi but were able to slowly make their way up the pitch with passes among the two center backs and Uesato.

4. Don’t forget about the old Route 1. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu heavily favored attacking down the right side but the Shintaro goal stands out as the one that was most directly down the middle as it was Koki’s shot from just outside the box that rang the crossbar.

4. Prediction

Tipped Ryukyu to win 3-1 and seeing how they did win by two goals, I’ll take a draw this round. Season Record 6-3-5.

5. Talking points from Round 14

1. Don’t be fooled by all that possession. Ryukyu had an insane amount of possession on Saturday night but a majority of that was them inch worming out of their own end. Tochigi’s high press resulted in Okazaki, Chinen and Uesato registering 400 combined successful passes, or roughly half of the total passes by Ryukyu on the night. Still, outside of one turnover by Ryukyu that required a nice save by Taguchi, Ryukyu were composed and took their time to pick their spots.

2.  Tochigi looked dangerous in the opening half but then faded away. Obviously with such little possession, Tochigi did well with the little opportunities they were afforded. Their first goal was the result of Okazaki being involved in a pick play were the man he was marking cut across him to knock him off his spot thus leaving Daichi Inui wide open to bury the header. However, Tochigi’s second goal was a thing of beauty when Yuki Nishiya did well to control the cross and then strike an absolute cracking goal. But in the end, Tochigi had to resort to shots from distance to generate any pressure on net and none threatened the Ryukyu goal.

3. Yong Jick has become an asset as a late defensive sub for Ryukyu. While he is the most likely candidate to fill in for either center back, Yong Jick is much more useful as defensive midfielder late in games. He adds the element of height in both the defense, as well as in the attack, of set pieces.

4. Abe’s absence from the squad. Ryukyu announced earlier in the week that a top team player had tested positive for COVID-19. Then there was the sight of Abe leaving the Ehime match with a heavily wrapped leg with what looked to be an ice pack on his right hamstring. We do not know whether Abe was the player who tested positive, nor do we know if he is dealing with an injury that could see him miss the all-important Albirex Niigata match in two weeks, but his absence doesn’t bode well for the side. I think we all hope this was just a rest/maintenance day for the talisman and nothing more.

5. Shunsuke Motegi has played a total of 41′ this season but has a pair of goals and contributed to a third from the own goal at SC Sagamihara. I think his time is coming to take over the LM spot for Ryukyu but he’ll need to get more minutes under his belt. There is no doubt we are seeing the dangerous player that Motegi can be which makes his inclusion in the squad, but going unused in games when Ryukyu are trailing, all the more perplexing. If Abe misses any more time, Motegi could provide the spark the offense needs during games.

6. Where we stand at the 1/3 mark of the season. Ryukyu have one less shutout in their last seven games compared to the first seven; they have been shutout one more time these past seven than the first seven; they also have two games where they conceded multiple goals, but have one more game where they scored more than three goals in a game in games 8-14. At times it seems as if Ryukyu both play up, and down to some of their competition but that is typical for any side in a season. They’ve taken seven points off of sides inside the top six and are tied with Albirex Niigata for the second most points ever by a J2 side at this point in the season.

6. Round 14 in J2

Transfermarkt

Albirex Niigata suffered their first loss of the season 2-1 to FC Machida Zelvia which puts them level on points with FC Ryukyu, and only one point above Kyoto Sanga. Kyoto defeated Mito Hollyhock without the services of Peter Utaka which sets up a massive game between these two teams next week. Jubilo Iwata and Ventforet Kofu both won 1-0 at home thus not changing any of the standings for teams three through five.

It is extremely tight at the top with three teams only separated by a point and who will play one another over the next two rounds. At the bottom, it is a five horse race with those sides all sitting on eleven points.

Transfermarkt

7. Conclusion

As we witnessed this past round, the teams at the top cannot afford to drop any points as the race for promotions is so tight. To their credit, Ryukyu overcame an early deficit and finished the game strong which has put them level with the leaders. But before we can consider ourselves fortunate, and way before we can consider the job done, Ryukyu need to beat a Montedio Yamagata side that has a perfect record when facing Ryukyu. In fact, they have scored three or more goals against Ryukyu on three occasions since 2019. This will be no easy match for Ryukyu ahead of Niigata despite Yamagata’s current place in the table.

Match Day 14 Preview: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (16) Tochigi SC 5/15/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu will look to get back to winning ways this week as they face off against Tochigi SC on Saturday. Dating back to their time in the J3 in 2016, each side own an even split of 2 wins, 2 losses, and 4 draws. FC Ryukyu swept the series in 2019 with Tochigi SC getting the better of Ryukyu last year with a 2-2 draw and a 4-1 drubbing of Ryukyu at home. Both of these sides enter the match on the heels of 1-1 draws on the road but Tochigi SC have not won in their last 7 matches. Each side is hungry for a win, and it is vital that Ryukyu leave this game with all three points.

FC RYUKYU VERSUS TOCHIGI SC PREVIEW
  1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Info
  2. Previous Match Day Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • Tochigi SC
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 14 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club

Not bad, for here at least.

Okinawa has extended the priority prevention measures until May 30th so no visiting fans and all kickoff times are moved back to 1800.

Click>>> Match Day Info from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Day Highlights

Ehime FC 1-1 FC Ryukyu
FC Mito Hollyhock 1-1 Tochigi SC

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: I may have been a bit premature to sound the alarm on Ryukyu’s recent drop in shots on target after reading a tweet from @Data_Swan who indicated Ryukyu own the second best shot rate just behind league leaders Albirex Niigata. While this has certainly calmed some of my own fears, I’d still like to see them pound the net against the teams that sit lower than them in the standings. As we all witnessed last week, if you allow teams to hang around in games, you run the inherit risk of letting them right back into it, which results in dropping points along the way.

I assume most of the outfield players recovered from the three games in eight days from last week and are match fit for this round. FC Ryukyu have not totally escaped the injury bug this year as right back Makito Uehara tore is hamstring a couple weeks back and is another six weeks away from retuning to training. But Dany Carvajal is looking good in his recovery from a stress fracture so that bodes well. Abe was seen leaving the pitch last week with his leg heavily wrapped but we’ve all seen him recover from worse looking injuries and that was probably more maintenance than anything else. If Abe is truly no worse for wear, than this game sets up well for him to snap his goalless streak as Tochigi have plenty of holes at the back for Abe to exploit.

This round comes down to whether or not Numata and Tanaka can provide the service that Abe needs inside the box. As I’ll discuss in the Keys to Victory Section, Tochigi allow plenty of dangerous crosses into the box, and so long as Ryukyu can break Tochigi’s high press, this should lead to plenty of goal scoring chances for Ryukyu. Ryukyu knocked on the door all game last week but couldn’t find the second goal that would have decided the game. I think with the extra day to prepare, and since Ryukyu are playing at home, we should see a return to the type of performance that has gotten us to this point.

So yeah, it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride the last few games for Ryukyu as they’ve conceded more goals in their last five games than they did in the previous eight. They’ve scored three less goals than their opening seven fixtures and eared two fewer wins while suffering their lone loss of the season. Granted they’ve played one fewer game in these comparisons between rounds 1-7 and 8-13, but Ryukyu can right the ship with a strong performance on Saturday against Tochigi. Ryukyu have two home games in a row, have a great opportunity to put some separation between themselves and the rest of the pack, while the other top teams tear each other part over the next two rounds, and that means generating some momentum with wins before heading into Niigata.

Tochigi SC: Tochigi SC have experienced a bit of a see-saw season to date as they opened the 2021 campaign with three losses, followed by three straight wins, and then reeled off four draws in a row. That seven game unbeaten run pulled them out of the relegation zone, however, those are Tochigi’s only wins to date. Tochigi SC are not the same defensive side they were last year when they went twenty games before conceding their 16th goal, a number they have already matched inside 13 games. Though the defensive partnership of Tashiro and Yanagi was broken up with Tashiro’s departure to Sagan Tosu in the offseason, Yasutaka Yanagi made his loan move from Albirex Niigata permanent and is now the captain of Tochigi.

Tochigi went three draws with two defeats in their last five games. Tochigi played to a spirited 2-2 draw with Albirex Niigata after surrendering the equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time. Tochigi did not look overmatched against the current table toppers and in fact, looked a bit better than their guests that night. They followed the Niigata draw with yet another draw to Kanazawa where Tochigi came storming back in the second half. There was a slight half chance at the end of that game for Tochigi to win it but the attacker was pressed for time and had to get a shot off quickly from distance.

Tochigi’s third game in a row against a top half team ended in a 3-2 defeat to Iwata despite Iwata losing the lead on two occasions. On loan Juninho provided the most memorable moment from that day with a half court shot into an empty net after Iwata failed to clear their lines. Then, Tochigi lost their early lead thanks to a stunning freekick by the guests, before nearly winning it in stoppage time when the saved shot popped out just past Rimu Matsuoka legs. But Tochigi went on to suffer the indignity of giving up a late winner (95′) after two minutes later. Tochigi’s last game with FC Mito Hollyhock ended in one all draw from a Kenya Onodera own goal, which was a bit harsh. Truth be told, Mito should’ve won the game a lot earlier when Mito’s Masato Nakayama missed a close in chip and then later hit the woodwork.

Kisho Yano is a tall striker that can get onto balls in the box and is a player Ryukyu need to watch out for on Saturday. The same could be said for midfielder Toshiki Mori who leads Tochigi in scoring with 4 goals, and left back Yukuto Omoya who leads the team in assists (3). But Tochigi are averaging one goal a game and have been prone to dry spells this season.

4. 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. Bombs away. Likelihood 4. Tochigi surrenders more goals from set pieces (5) than crosses (3), but both Numata and Tanaka should have plenty of time and space to pick their spots this week. In their five prior games, Tochigi were affording their opponent every opportunity to score from crosses and that is Ryukyu’s strength.

2. Follow up the shots that are saved with more shots. Likelihood 3. There were a couple of times when Tochigi failed to clear a ball after set pieces which allowed their opponents to follow up with shots and goals. Tochigi seem to move slow after the initial cross after a set piece is blocked so Ryukyu need to remain engaged and hurry to all loose balls.

3. Play it safe when playing out from the back. Likelihood 3. Tochigi somehow are better defensively in the opposition’s half than their own. The Tochigi forward players press really well and cause all sorts of turnovers that allow Tochigi to execute quick counter attacks. Ryukyu, who prefer to play out from the back, cannot afford any wayward passes or turnovers leading to cheap goals.

4. Don’t forget about the old Route 1. Likelihood 2. Tochigi allowed two goals in consecutive games in the matches I watched where the opposing striker literally drove right down the middle of the Tochigi defense and scored. Hopefully we see Abe do the same on Saturday.

5. Prediction

Last week Tochigi scored three goals in their two road games and own a better goal scoring record away from Tochigi, but they also concede the same amount of goals regardless of location. Ryukyu have only conceded twice while playing at home and were just off the mark the last two rounds. I think Ryukyu gets back on target and takes this one 3-1. Season Record 6-2-5.

6. Round 14 in J2

All Times Listed are Japan Standard

There should be plenty of fireworks this week as 6 of the top 8 sides face off against one another. (1) Albirex Niigata have a real test on their hands this week as they travel to face (6) FC Machida Zelvia for the curtain closer on Sunday. This is also the start of three games in a row against top six sides for Niigata. (3) Kyoto Sanga FC has no easy pass this week either as they welcome in plucky (7) FC Mito Hollyhock. Mito is currently unbeaten in their last 3 games but that pales in comparison to Kyoto’s run of 8 games without tasting defeat. (4) Jubilo Iwata is the only other team inside the top 8, Ryukyu included, who face off against lower seeded side in (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma.

(5) Ventforet Kofu need to be careful of giant killing (8) Mito Hollyhock who are unbeaten (1 win/1 draw) against top six sides, which could’ve been two wins if not for a late stoppage time goal by Iwata last week. Finally, (17) Montedio Yamagata will host (18) Ehime FC on Sunday for the free J-League International YouTube broadcast. Link can be found below the infographic.

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

7. Conclusion

A big week inside the top half of the table and an important one for FC Ryukyu as there could be plenty of shifting around them in the standings come Sunday night. Rested, motivated, and ready to bust out. That’s what we all want to see on Saturday.

Match Day 13 Report: (18) Ehime FC vs (2) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Photo Credit: @fcr_info

Intro

Well that hurt! Short on rest and visiting fans, FC Ryukyu made it out alive on MD 13 with a 1-1 draw at Ehime FC. The overarching theme for the night was tired legs. Higuchi opted for the same set of players that played 48 hours prior when he really should’ve rotated the squad a bit. This was a golden opportunity to gain some ground on leaders Albirex Niigata as well as keep Kyoto Sanga at bay but it be like this sometimes. On one hand, FC Ryukyu were lucky to have Niigata draw but on the other, Kyoto closed the gap between them and Ryukyu to just one point after their 1-0 win against Montedio Yamagata. It was also the first time this season that Ryukyu failed to win following either a loss or a draw.

  1. Match Day Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 13 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Day Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Ehime FC DF Taishi Nishioka. Why not? I thought for sure that Ryukyu were going to have their way with him but it was Taishi’s clearance on a ball headed right at Koya that prevented Ryukyu from scoring.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Exploit Taishi Nishioka at CB. Likelihood 5. It looked as if Ryukyu were going to have their way with Ehime early on but could only muster the single goal in the first half. Have to say no on this one.

2. Pile on the pressure. Likelihood 4. Early on yes, but it wasn’t sustained for the entire match so no. In fact, Ryukyu were out shot by Ehime.

4. Prediction

Tipped this one 2-0 in favor of Ryukyu. We’ll put that straight into the loss column. Season Record 6-2-5.

5. Talking Points from Round 13

1. Squad rotation, or better yet, the lack thereof. Higuchi admitted in his post-game comments that he should’ve rotated more players with such a quick turnaround between games. That doesn’t make it any better considering he was joking about how the players were attempting convince him to let them play in the days leading up to the match. You have to know your team, and the organization should’ve known what they could and could not get out of some of the veteran players on short rest.

For the most part, Ryukyu looked good as they were consistently penetrating the Ehime back line but were just off on the last pass to set guys loose. Maybe the plan was to grab a multiple goal lead and rotate players out starting at half time but that wasn’t the case. When Ryukyu did finally make a change, removing both Ikeda and Uesato, the attack stalled out. Furthermore, Higuchi dressed Yuya Torikai over the likes of Motegi and Nakagawa which is just baffling. Both of their fresh legs would have provided a huge boost to a side that was out shot and out possessed by Ehime. Speaking of legs, I hope the sight of Abe having a heavily shrink-wrapped right quad with an ice pack on his hamstring was more maintenance than injury related as he was the one player in the preview that I thought needed the rest the most.

2. There were plenty of misses right on the door step by both sides. For Ryukyu, the ones of note were the Chinen shot from inside the 6-yard box that was skied over the bar in the 41st minute that would’ve provided some massive breathing room for Ryukyu. Then there was the Shintaro header in the 72nd minute that went past the post. Ehime also had a couple of cracks at scoring when Kawamura whiffed on a shot that fell nicely to an onside Ehime player that put the header just over the goal. Truth be told, Ehime should’ve won the game in the 90th minute when Kondo was all alone at the back post and somehow missed the entire goal from about 2 yards out.

3. The goals. First, the Ryukyu goal. Koya was having a nice game this day and his cross may have initially been intended for Abe, but Abe once again doing everything but scoring in this match, executed a perfect dummy that let the ball roll to wide open Kiyotake who had all day to pick his spot.

The Ehime goal. Some might say the player came from an offside position, but from the angle below I don’t think that was the case. The attacker rightly repositioned himself in the defensive line and none of the Ryukyu defenders responded to a new player being inserted into their ranks.

4. One missed call. Maybe we have no room to complain about the actual Ehime goal, but I think the referee missed a clear hand ball in the 22nd minute when a Uesato cross bounced up and hit Toyama in the arm inside the box. There were some slight appeals for hand ball by Ryukyu, but they were not enough to persuade the referee to give the foul. Perhaps that just sounds like a disappointed Ryukyu fan making that out to be more than it actually was.

5. Houston, we may have a problem. This was the second consecutive match that Ryukyu could only muster 4 shots on target. While I thought, albeit incorrectly, that Ryukyu would produce shots and goals in this match similar to Sagamihara, not to Kyoto, I think a concerning trend is emerging. Ryukyu have now been held to under 4 shots on target in 5 out of their 13 games this season. They are averaging roughly 12 shots, with 7 on target, for the season but those numbers could be propped up by the Verdy (reduced to 10 men) and Sagamihara matches where Ryukyu had 18 and 14 shots on target.

For the season Ryukyu are averaging a goal every 7 shots/4 shots on target and I have no idea where that ranks compared to the rest of the league. The worrying trend seems to be the low number of shots on net over the past 5 weeks compared to the start of the season. Granted, there were two games earlier in the year, Iwata and Omiya, where Ryukyu generated only 2 shots on net. Perhaps it is normal for teams to experience these types of results or perhaps it can be attributed to playing Zelvia, Kofu and Kyoto, all of which are teams sitting inside the top 6 of the table.

6. Round 13 in J2

Transfermarkt

As mentioned earlier, Albirex Niigata drew 0-0 at home to Matsumoto Yamaga with Kyoto Sanga FC defeating Montedio Yamagata 1-0. Ryukyu also received a bit of luck when both Jubilo Iwata and FC Machida Zelvia drew, though it was a tough draw for Blaublitz Akita against Iwata as the goal came deep into stoppage time preventing the hosts from bagging all 3 points. Ventforet Kofu won 2-0 which allowed them to leap frog Zelvia.

Elsewhere, JEF United Chiba grabbed their second win in a row while V-Varen Nagasaki won for the first time in four matches under their new manager. The much ballyhooed bottom of the table tilt between Thespakusatsu Gunma and Omiya ended in a 1 all draw after Gunma snatched a late equalizer in stoppage time resulting in both teams staying entrenched at the foot of the table.

Transfermarkt

7. Conclusion

Once more we’ll need to put a match in the rear view mirror and move on. 16th Tochigi SC come to Okinawa this Saturday and Ryukyu need to take out some aggression out on this side with the extra day to prepare. The race at the top is really tight and Ryukyu cannot afford to drop anymore points with the match between Niigata and Kyoto looming large as well the Niigata/Ryukyu match at the end of the month.

Match Day 13 Preview: (19) Ehime FC vs (2) FC Ryukyu 5/08/21 #FC琉球

ehime fc versus fc ryukyu

Intro

No rest for the weary as FC Ryukyu travel to Ehime FC on Saturday for their third game in eight days. Both of these teams played to a 0-0 draw in the midweek and Ehime maybe slightly buoyed by the fact that they were able to earn a draw against fourth placed Jubilo Iwata. For Ryukyu, the opponent doesn’t represent the biggest challenge this week, it is the limited days in between games and possible fatigue that they’ll need to overcome.

  1. Weather Forecast and Match Information
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • Ehime FC
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 13 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from Ehime FC

Looks like favorable conditions for the match but visiting fans will not be able to attend.

Click>>> Match Day 13 Information from Ehime FC

2. Previous Match Highlights

Ehime FC 0-0 Jubilo Iwata
FC Ryukyu 0-0 Kyoto Sanga FC

3. Team Previews

Ehime FC: Ehime have a rather poor record overall against FC Ryukyu as they have yet to beat the guests during their time in J2. Ryukyu hold a 3-1-0 advantage over Ehime and who could forget the game last year when Ryukyu tore apart Ehime to the tune of 6-0. Granted, in a lost season with no fear of relegation, I highly doubt that many of the Ehime players were to concerned with that score line on match day 40. Ehime has gone through several player changes in the offseason in an attempt to avoid relegation but after failing to win in their first six games of 2021, they fired their manager and replaced him with Noritada Saneyoshi.

The move prompted a slight bump for Ehime as they drew the very next match before winning their first two games of 2021. However, the recent schedule for Ehime has not been kind as they will have played all four of the top sides in J2 in a row at the end of this round. So far that has included losses to Albirex Niigata and Kyoto Sanga and the most recent draw with Jubilo Iwata. The draw against Iwata was only the second time all season that Ehime has earned a clean sheet.

In their last five games Ehime FC has gone 2-1-2 with wins over Omiya Ardija and Matsumoto Yamaga who were either at or near the bottom of the table at the time of those games. They then recorded two straight losses to Niigata and Kyoto before earning a draw this past round. Whatever bump in performance Ehime was experiencing before this recent gauntlet seems to have receded.

Against Omiya, Ehime took advantage of an early goal and then some bad luck for Omiya as the hosts should have scored near the end. All three of the goals Ehime scored versus Yamaga were of the ugly sort. Sure, they all count, but we are talking a spilled ball, deflected goal and an initially stopped PK that fell right back to the PK taker from Ehime and scored on the rebound. Niigata looked slightly better against Niigata but couldn’t take full advantage of Niigata being reduced to 10 men and even conceded a second goal after the Niigata red card. They played up to their competition at Kyoto but the game was not as close as the 3-2 score line indicates. Finally, the water logged pitch at home to Iwata was Ehime’s greatest advantage as nobody could get anything going that day.

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu have a very favorable schedule throughout the next three rounds but there is still the challenge of playing their third game in just eight days. There has to be some tired legs in the squad and Ryukyu almost certainly need to rotate some players this week. One place they could start is at FWD with Takuma Abe.

The Ryukyu striker hasn’t scored since JEF United Chiba, but he does so much for the club both offensively and defensively that this is no easy decision to sit Abe for a round. Especially when every point counts these days. He could sure use the confidence boost of getting back on the scorecard but I hark back to late 2020 when Abe completely disappeared from the roster for the last seven games with no word as to what was ailing him. I fear he could have been burnt out or suffering from some dead legs considering he played in 31 out of the 35 games prior to his absence. And if nothing else, he was given a rest for one game about this time last season. He is so vital to our success that we cannot afford to have him miss anytime due to injury or fatigue.

The same could be said about Uesato taking a break as we’ve seen Yu, Koki, Yong Jick and Ichimaru all play in the central midfield role this season. Personally, I think we need to get a long look at Ichimaru who has only featured in six games this season as a substitute. To continue on, due to loan restrictions, Kazaki Nakagawa couldn’t dress this past round and has only made one brief appearance at FC Machida Zelvia. It would be interesting to see how he is paired with Motegi up top as both are match fit and back to their fitness levels from years past.

It is not as if the Ryukyu offense is playing poorly, as most of the time they take full advantage of the limited opportunities they are afforded, and this week we should see a performance resembling something closer to SC Sagamihara than Kyoto Sanga. That depends largely on any squad rotation that does take place as a large amounts of changes will certainly disrupt whatever rhythm the starters have developed over the past twelve weeks, but it a necessary evil to rest some guys this round.

4. 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. Exploit Taishi Nishioka at CB. Likelihood 5. I’m giving this the highest rating any key to victory can have as Nishioka, the former Ryukyu man, is a converted RB playing CB. He was never known for his speed or defensive prowess and Ryukyu attackers should run circles around him on Saturday.

2. Pile on the pressure. Likelihood 4. FC Ryukyu should execute a similar game plan to Sagamihara on Saturday which means players should be flying all over the pitch into wide open shooting lanes. The only word of caution being that Ryukyu should not throw everything into the attack as they cannot gift any fast breaks to Ehime. It is not as if Ehime is particularly great on the counter attack, it’s just that Ryukyu don’t need to throw anything extra into the attack to exploit the Ehime defenders.

5. Prediction

FC Ryukyu have scored 2 goals against Ehime FC in all but one game in their history. 2-0 seems a reasonable score line for Saturday. Season Record 6-2-4.

6. Round 13 in J2

All Times Listed are in JST

Somehow (19) Ehime FC and (2) FC Ryukyu drew the short straw this round and are forced to play on 2 days rest vice 3 like every other team in J2. (1) Albirex Niigata welcomes in a resurgent (10) Matsumoto Yamaga that has pulled themselves out of the relegation scrap with three straight wins. (3) Kyoto Sanga should have an easier time with their opponent this week when (14) Montedio Yamagata come to town. After being shutout at Ehime FC last week, (4) Jubilo Iwata’s prospects for scoring doesn’t get any better when they travel to (8) Blaublitz Akita.

There is an important battle down the bottom of the table as the outcome of (21) Thespakusatsu Gunma vs (22) Omiya Ardija could put one of those sides in a very deep hole. The free J-League International YouTube broadcast will feature (9) Zweigen Kanazawa and (17) Renofa Yamaguchi FC.

Click>>> J-League International YouTube Channel

7. Conclusion

On short rest Ryukyu need to notch their 10th win of the campaign against an opponent heavily invested in the relegation battle. It is not the same situation when Ryukyu faced Sagamihara with Kyoto on the horizon as Ryukyu don’t face an opponent inside the top half of the table until Niigata at the end of the month. Ryukyu haven’t had a stretch of games like this since late March/early April when they faced JEF United Chiba, Omiya Ardija and Mito Hollyhock. Push past the fatigue, grab the win, and enjoy an extra days rest before Round 14.

Match Day 12 Recap: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (3) Kyoto Sanga FC 5/05/21 #FC琉球

Photo Credit: @cafedecampnou

Intro

Despite the weather forecast calling for rain and thunderstorms, 2,500 people ventured out and were rewarded with rather calm weather. However, the most anticipated match of this round had few fireworks as both teams played to a 0-0 draw. There were a lot of positives that came out of this match for Ryukyu and though we’d like to see this side beat the stronger teams at home, there is a long way to go this season.

  1. Match Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 12 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu GK Junto Taguchi: Taguchi was right in the firing line last night as Kyoto registered 13 shots on target, and not a single one got past Taguchi. His save in the second half from a Miyayoshi shot was probably the biggest one he made all game.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Bend, don’t break on defense. Likelihood 3. Absolutely. Ryukyu stymied one of the best offenses in the league last night and made Utaka almost invisible.

2. Win the individual battles within the game. Likelihood 3. To a large degree yes. Ren Ikeda, Tatsuya Chinen, Takuma Abe and Keita Tanaka were all in fine form. The only shame was that Ryukyu didn’t score.

3. We need a big performance out of Abe, Koya and Tanaka. Likelihood 4. Yes. Koya was playing really well and so to was Numata who was picking out players left and right inside the box.

4. Prediction

Went with a 1-1 draw and it ended 0-0. I think that is good enough to give myself a win this week. Season Record 6-2-4.

5. Talking Points from Match Day 12

1. Close but no cigar. Each side had some good opportunities to score last night but could not slip one past two of the better goal keepers in J2. Each side had one great chance to score that required nice saves on the part of the keepers; Shintaro Shimizu’s header in the first half was just simply the perfect height for the keeper to parry out of danger but it still required a diving save on the part of Wakahara; and there was the abovementioned save by Taguchi on Miyayoshi. Each side had plenty of misses with lots of shots also being blocked by defenders in the box. Koya laid one off for Abe to finish but I think Koya had enough time and space near the back to post to attempt a header on net vice the pass. Utaka had one clean look on net but sent his shot high over the bar in the first half. Then Abe and Shintaro both came close near the end but again, the shots went wide of the mark.

2. Ryukyu were lucky to escape unscathed from two costly turnovers. Both occurred in the second half with the most egregious one being by Yu Tomidokoro that turned Kyoto loose on net. It was only the save by Taguchi that bailed Ryukyu out of what could have been an absolute disaster. We knew coming into this game that Kyoto punishes sides on turnovers so one on hand you can look at it as luck, and the other as skill on the part of Taguchi. But Ryukyu cannot afford to make those costly mistakes in their own end against good sides.

3. Ryukyu played much better in the second half. There were more attacks from Ryukyu and they looked as if they would break the deadlock but were still out shot 2-1 by Kyoto in the second half. It was almost the exact opposite of the SC Sagamihara game as Ryukyu only registered 2 shots on target in the second half compared to 8 from Kyoto. It looked as if Ryukyu controlled most of the play in the second half but each side went into half time, and finished the match, with a 50/50 split in time of possession.  Furthermore, when Ryukyu introduced both Yong Jick and Shinya Uehara, they couldn’t produce enough dead ball kicks to bring the height of these players, and that of Chinen and Okazaki, to bear on the Kyoto goal. Uehara had one look that was sent high over the bar from what may have been the lone free kick in Kyoto territory.

4. So many games in such a short time span yet Ryukyu only used two substitutes last night. Yong Jick came on for Yu Tomidokoro in the central midfield which is becoming a trend. I think that substitution, along with Uehara, really provided Ryukyu with some coverage on the set pieces from Kyoto near the end but Ryukyu only managed to earn two corner kicks last night. However, I wish they had brought on Motegi, Akamine or Kiyotake to introduce some fresh legs to the fight.

5. There was a strange play were an injured (or acting as if injured) Kyoto player interfered with a pass from Ryukyu and the referee decided to award Kyoto the ball in their own end. Some thought it may result in a dropkick but I am not sure what went on with this play. The referee let these guys play all game and awarded no cards despite the several conversations he was having with multiple players yesterday.

6. I know we all wanted to see FC Ryukyu win, but the performance was good, and it was a vital point. Keep in mind that Kyoto entered this match having won their previous 6 games and were pretty much scoring at will. The fact that Ryukyu were able to shut down such a potent offense is really encouraging moving forward. They still maintain a 3 point lead over Kyoto, who is heading into a tough stretch of games, are 7 points clear of 4th placed Jubilo Iwata, and have conceded the fewest goals (7) in J2. Look how much better this side is at producing results this year compared to last year when defending was a problem despite all the firepower that Ryukyu possessed.

7. Strange statistic that means absolutely nothing but exists nonetheless. When the FC Ryukyu team bus arrives before their opponents when Ryukyu are at home, they are 5-0-0. When it arrives after, as it did yesterday and against Omiya, they are 0-2-0 with no goals scored.

6. Round 12 in J2

Transfermarkt

Leaders Albirex Niigata retained the top slot after a thrilling come from behind victory at Omiya Ardija. Teams seeded 2 to 4 all drew, as well as Ventforet Kofu, thus not changing positions near the top. Though FC Machida Zelvia’s 2-1 win at Fagiano Okayama has bumped them above Kofu. Blaublitz Akita’s 2-1 road win at V-Varen Nagasaki further frustrates a Nagasaki side that had high hopes coming into this season.

Transfermarkt

7. Conclusion

A vital point earned and now it is on to three teams in the bottom half of the table for FC Ryukyu before they travel to #1 Albirex Niigata at the end of the month. Ryukyu’s schedule for the remainder of May is much more friendlier than leaders Niigata, 3 games in a row against top 6 sides that includes a game with Kyoto, and Kyoto, 2 games in a row against teams in the top 6, which means Ryukyu stands a good chance at creating some distance between those teams below them and possibly catching/overtaking Niigata if the leaders stumble. But before we get to Niigata, it is on to Ehime FC in just two short days. Ryukyu cannot afford to drop points to a team in the relegation zone and must continue to hold serve as they make a push for promotion.