Tag: Abe

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

FC RYUKYU VERSUS KYOTO SANGA

Intro

Ryukyu have a huge test this week as they welcome in #3 Kyoto Sanga FC. Ryukyu are fresh off their biggest win of the season where they defeated SC Sagamihara on Match Day 11. Kyoto won their sixth game in a row last round by defeating Ehime FC 3-2 and look as dangerous as everyone expected them to be this year. This 6 pointer is a true test where an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. So get ready.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Information
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • Kyoto Sanga FC
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 12 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

Thunderstorms and rain. Looking at a possible weather delay during the match.

No visiting fans allowed to attend this game but I would suspect some Kyoto fans have traveled to Okinawa for Golden week and may attend this match in “plain clothes.”

Click>>> Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Highlights

SC Sagamihara 1-5 FC Ryukyu
Kyoto Sanga FC 3-2 Ehime FC

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu were able to get on track offensively versus Sagamihara as they shipped 5 goals past the hosts on Saturday. It was a good performance in front of this tough matchup with Kyoto as our opponent this week is firing on all cylinders. The lone goal that Ryukyu did surrender on Saturday was a phenomenally taken overhead kick that no Ryukyu fan can be upset about losing out on a clean sheet.

But Ryukyu will need to call on the defense that has limited their opponents to six clean sheets and only one game this season with multiple goals conceded if they wish to net any points on Wednesday. Taguchi is tied for the overall league lead in clean sheets (6) but his counterpart this week, Tomoya Wakahara, ranks just behind him with 5. Another big test will be how both Okazaki and Chinen attempt to stop Peter Utaka, 5 goals and 1 assist in his last 5 games, and Jordy Buijs, 3 goals in his last 4 games, as Ryukyu have not faced a high scoring side this season outside of Jubilo Iwata on match day one.

One name that was left off the scorecard this past round was Takuma Abe. It has now been six games and well over a month since Abe last scored. And Ryukyu really need a player of his quality to bust out in a big way this week. Ren Ikeda is Ryukyu’s leading scorer this season with 5 goals but it has been the play of both Keita Tanaka (2 goals & 6 assists) as well as Koya Kazama (5 assists) that have propelled this side forward. Both Tanaka and Koya are inside the top 3 for all of J2 in assists with Tanaka, as the lone defender, ranking inside the top 5 for total points.

Ryukyu opted to not rotate any of their players this past round, and though they weren’t required to over exert themselves at Sagamihara, I am slightly concerned about this sides ability to recover in time for what will be a more spirited match with far more running to be expected. But, as we’ve seen time and time again this year, Ryukyu have a way of surprising us in some unexpected ways. Let’s hope that trend continues – in a positive way – this round.

FC RYUKYU KYOTO SANGA SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON

Kyoto Sanga FC: Creative and relentless. That is the best way to describe Kyoto. They are so good in the attack, severely punish sides whenever their opponent makes a mistake and can create chances on set pieces with their movement in and out of the formation. Utaka may be the leading scorer, but Kyoto have so many attacking options that solely focusing on stopping him allows others to take advantage of the space vacated by defenders tracking the Sanga talisman.

Like Ryukyu, Kyoto’s fullbacks, Takahiro Iida and Takuya Ogiwara, are heavily involved in Kyoto’s set up play and then teams still have to contend with attacker Temma Matsuda and defender Jordy Buijs. A fair amount of Kyoto’s goals from set pieces were ones where the initial cross finds a streaking Kyoto player in acres of space with plenty of time to pick his spot.

As noted earlier, Kyoto are on a seven game winning streak, haven’t lost a match since round five, and conceded multiple goals in a game only twice this season. The most recent being the match at home to Ehime FC this past weekend. In their last five games Kyoto have defeated FC Machida Zelvia, Giravanz Kitakyushu, Tokyo Verdy, Renofa Yamaguchi FC and Ehime FC. They kept a clean sheet in 3 of those games and demolished Kitakyushu 6-1.

Kyoto are the second highest scoring team in J2 and have only conceded 3 more goals that Ryukyu this year. And after a rocky start to the season where Kyoto suffered two losses and a draw inside the opening five fixtures, Gwi-Jae Jo has these boys humming.

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. Bend, don’t break on defense. Likelihood 3. There is little doubt that Ryukyu will be under some serious pressure on Wednesday but they have played similar opponents well when facing long odds. Ryukyu need to be clinical when playing out from the back as Kyoto punish their opponents on costly turnovers. Defense has got us to this point, and we will need more of it this match.

2. Win the individual battles within the game. Likelihood 3. Ryukyu cannot afford to remain fixated on Utaka all match as the remaining Kyoto players will tear us apart. That means those players not directly engaged with Utaka must maintain their defensive shape in order to frustrate the Kyoto attack. With that said, Ryukyu cannot give Utaka all the time and space he wants as he is very adept at finishing from all over the pitch as well as setting up his compatriots. Ryukyu will also need to win those battles on set pieces as Kyoto has created a tough situation for their opponents these days as teams don’t know whether to expect a direct cross into the set piece formation or a runner leaving the defensive line to receive a more direct pass. Man marking in these situations will be key.

3. We need a big performance out of Abe, Koya and Tanaka. Likelihood 4. Tanaka is in fine form these days and we need both him and Koya to set Abe loose in the box. While Kyoto are a handful in the attack, sometimes they throw everything into the attack and can be hit on the break. Quality runs in and around the box are going to be needed from the Ryukyu attackers and the set-up men need to pick their spots with lethal accuracy.

5. Prediction

FC Ryukyu own a 2-1 record against top six sides to date with Kyoto coming in at 1-1 against those same opponents. These sides are nearly even in every stat category and I for one would love to see this one end in a draw. I will predict that this one ends in a low scoring 1-1 draw. Season Record 5-2-4.

6. Round 12 in J2

All Times Listed are JST

Ryukyu versus Kyoto is the big match this round with (1) Albirex Niigata and (4) Jubilo Iwata each having favorable draws to keep the pressure on the those teams in the top 4. There are three other games with teams next to, or close, to each other inside the top half of the table with positional implications: (9) Fagiano Okayama hosting (6) FC Machida Zelvia; (7) Zweigen Kanazawa hosting (8) Mito Hollyhock; and (11) V-Varen Nagasaki welcoming in (10) Blaublitz Akita.

There will be no J2 game in the midweek as the J-League International YouTube channel will broadcast a Levain Cup match. However, Zweigen Kanazawa gets two games this month.

Click>>> J-League International YouTube Channel

7. Conclusion

This is a big month for the top three sides as all of them play the other two top teams twice. The team that comes out on top of these fixtures at the end of the month stands to put some serious distance between themselves and the other challengers. The time is now for Ryukyu to make a serious push for promotion.

Match Day 10 Preview: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (6) Ventforet Kofu 4/25/21 #FC琉球

Intro

The big thing on everyone’s mind this weekend is how will FC Ryukyu respond to their first loss of the season. Ryukyu’s 8 game undefeated streak was snapped this past Wednesday at Machida with an uninspiring performance where the offense went missing for long stretches of time. Kofu enter Round 10 with a 3 game undefeated streak following a win in the midweek and two previous draws and have had their way with Ryukyu every single time. FC Ryukyu have never earned a single point off of Kofu in the four matches they have played in the J2.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • Ventforet Kofu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 10 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

Favorable weather is in the forecast as the typhoon that was milling about Okinawa on Friday and Saturday has now moved on.

With the surge of COVID-19 cases in Japan, and a modified State of Emergency here in Okinawa, clubs, including FC Ryukyu, as well as those in the hardest hit areas of Japan, are not allowing visiting fans into games, and possibly no fans at all in some areas. News of “playing behind closed doors” for many of the clubs in the Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo has been floating around the Japanese media today and it looks as if this is where the entire J-League is heading. Be safe and do your part to limit the spread of CV-19 at any match you intend to attend.

Click>>> Match Day 10 Information from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Highlights

FC Machida Zelvia 3-0 FC Ryukyu
Ventforet Kofu 2-0 SC Sagamihara

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Wednesday’s game was a let down for many of the Ryukyu faithful as it was such a steep drop off in performance by Ryukyu when compared to their first 8 games. There were breakdowns in passing, attacks and communication all over the pitch which led to the drubbing at the hands of Zelvia. Basically, nothing worked all night. Ryukyu has relied heavily on defense and the strength of their goalkeeping throughout the year but when that too failed, Ryukyu were done in.

We’ve discussed on several occasions for how Ryukyu utilize crosses from the fullbacks and midfielders to score goals. Though they tried mightily do conduct the same tactic at Zelvia, Zelvia was able to sure up the back line with up to 5 defenders at a time which restricted the runs of any of the Ryukyu attackers. It didn’t help that some runs weren’t even being made to get onto the end of crosses by Ryukyu, and it also didn’t help that when they did make these runs they were often missed by the player in possession. There were far to many lateral and backwards passes on Wednesday with no real thrust made on net by the offense.

Higuchi kept the same lineup from the win over Verdy the previous weekend but did use all 5 substitutes in an attempt to change up the flow of the game. Obviously it didn’t pay off and now Higuchi and Ryukyu are faced with enacting some sort of squad rotation for the Kofu match as some players looked tired at the end of the Machida game. It starts near the top as Kazaki Nakagawa has finally featured for the first time all season and with a drop in the play from Ikeda this week, it might be a good time to see what Nakagawa can add to the attack from the start of a game.

There shouldn’t be any changes to the back four though Numata could definitely use a breather. That means Higuchi should deviate from his normal stance of dressing 4 forwards, Abe, Uehara, Akamine and Shimizu, and consider dressing Motegi (MF) and possibly Reo Yamashita (LB) to spell the tired legs of our players. Ryukyu gambled at Zelvia by sticking with the lineup they’ve played all season and it simply didn’t pay off. Now they need to adjust slightly in the short time between games so as to avoid fatigue, burnout and risk of injury to some of the senior players in the squad.

In any event, what is needed is a massive injection of offense. Abe continues to execute the hold up play that makes him a vital cog in the Ryukyu offense, but isn’t getting the service a striker of his quality deserves. Kofu has scored 6 goals over their last 3 games and while the defense and Taguchi need to regain a bit of the confidence that was lost this past round, the offense needs to switch on and carry the load for Ryukyu this game.

Ventforet Kofu: Kofu enter this round on a slight upward trajectory compared to Ryukyu who are attempting to arrest their recent slide in the midweek. Kofu have an impressive four wins from four over Ryukyu in their recent history. Kofu was the side that ended Ryukyu’s home undefeated streak in 2019 and have outscored Ryukyu 10-3 in all the games played between the two sides.

Kofu started the year fast by drawing once and then winning three in a row. Then they ran into some tougher competition in Machida Zelvia and V-Varen Nagasaki where they lost twice in a row. They got back on track with two consecutive draws with Giravanz Kitakyushu and Matsumoto Yamaga FC before grabbing their first win in a month when they beat SC Sagamihara on Wednesday.

Kofu faced many of the same problems that Ryukyu did in their match with Machida with their attack being completely snuffed out. They allowed a quick goal to Nagasaki before pulling one back on a nice back post set piece but after ringing the post a few times, Kofu allowed Nagasaki to score from a set piece near the end of the game. Kofu took the lead over Kitakyushu on a fast break where Izumisawa rounded the keeper but returned the favor to Kitakyushu by allowing them to execute their own fast break leading to the equalizer. Kofu came close a few times to netting the winner but either hit the post or narrowly missed the target from close range.

In the rain soaked match at Yamaga, Kofu found themselves down early but equalized in the 16th minute and followed it up with another excellent back post header from a set piece. They then added a third goal just four minutes later. Everything was looking good while leading 3-1 but some panicky defending led to a Yamaga goal and then it was Kofu’s turn to have their keeper rounded on a fast break where Kunimoto Suzuki grabbed his third goal of the game which resulted in a draw. The two first half goals by Kofu were all they needed to swipe aside Sagamihara in the midweek.

While the box scores may indicate Kofu have turned a corner and are headed in the right direction, if we take a close look at the last five games there is a bit of pattern that may boost Ryukyu’s chances. The losses were suffered at the hands of two teams currently in the top half of the table with each of the draws were come from behind where Kofu allowed their opponents back into the match. SC Sagamihara sit near the bottom of the table so that is in line with the results that Kofu have achieved to date. But the script for this match reads much like the past match at Zelvia for Ryukyu so it may provide a little confidence to Kofu.

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. Defend the left, but watch the right on quick counters. Likelihood 3. A vast majority of Kofu’s attacks flow through the left side of their offense, primarily Izumisawa. He has orchestrated many of the crosses, or has taken part in the build up play, that have led to Kofu’s goals. When on the counter attack Kofu streak quickly down the right so Numata is going to have fitness test on Sunday if Kofu breakout of any Ryukyu press. It will also require the CBs and MFs to keep a close eye on their marks as those players drift towards the back post, when Kofu is in possession down the left, as this is their signature goal these days.

2. Take the attack of life support and give it a jolt with a defibrillator. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu have scored 4 goals in their last 4 games but have been shutout twice in that time. We really need to get Abe firing again and that means better passing in the attacking end and acting like more of a threat across all three attacking lanes. Perhaps Nakagawa can breathe some life into the side, especially as the Ryukyu last line of defense was so easily penetrated last round.

3. Play like you’re the second-best team in the league, because you are. Likelihood 3. It’s all about confidence right now. May have lost it for a bit but it is time to regain that swagger that netted us five wins in a row and eight games undefeated. Let’s brush off the recent loss and get back to winning football.

5. Prediction

Considering that Kofu haven’t scored less than 2 goals in any game against Ryukyu but just once, and with their recent goal scoring outbursts, coupled with Ryukyu’s goal scoring drought and overall poor record against Kofu, it is hard to tip Ryukyu as winners this week. Hoping for a better outcome but not making the same mistake I did in the midweek to a similar type of opponent. Kofu win 2-1. Season Record 5-1-3.

6. Round 10 in J2

Times Listed are in JST

The lone Saturday game should be a good one. (1) Albirex Niigata, fresh off their last minute equalizer, travel to a resurgent (16) Ehime FC who haven’t lost since their managerial change. (3) Kyoto Sanga, (4) Jubilo Iwata and (5) Zweigen Kanazawa, and to some extent, (6) Ventforet Kofu have favorable matchups to exploit the promotion race.

It will be (22) Matsumoto Yamaga FC hosting (13) Thespakusatsu Gunma on the free J-League broadcast this round.

Click>>> LIVE | Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. vs Thespakusatsu Gunma | Matchweek 10 | 2021 | J2 LEAGUE – YouTube

7. Conclusion

As Ryukyu near the quarter mark of the season there are still some questions for which we need answers. Mainly, can the offense get going? As noted earlier it will be interesting to see how Ryukyu respond to their first setback of the season against a team that has always had the better of Ryukyu, so let’s hope for a positive response on Sunday.

Match Day 9 Preview: (9) FC Machida Zelvia vs (2) FC Ryukyu 4/21/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu travel to Machida Zelvia on Wednesday for their first of four midweek fixtures in 2021. FC Ryukyu have failed to beat Zelvia in their last eight meetings managing only 1 win and 2 draws in the 10 games these teams have played since entering the J3 back in 2014. The next big test for Ryukyu will be finding the right mix of squad rotation and defeating an opponent who has always had your number.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information
  2. Match Day 8 Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Machida Zelvia
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 9 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club

A very pleasant evening to watch football.

It looks like visiting FC Ryukyu fans will be able to attend. Please not that there is no advance entry to hand banners.

Match Day Information from Machida Zelvia

2. Match Day 8 Highlights

V-Varen Nagasaki 0-3 FC Machida Zelvia
FC Ryukyu 2-0 Tokyo Verdy

3. Team Previews

FC Machida Zelvia: Zelvia have failed to win any of their home games this season and to be quiet honest, look a far better side when playing on the road compared to playing at home. Prior to the match at Nagasaki this weekend, Zelvia had only managed 1 goal in their previous four games. Zelvia seem to yo-yo between strong performances and very tepid ones. Many people viewed Zelvia as this seasons dark horse with the caveat that it would be their defending that lets them down. Unfortunately for Zelvia, they have been without the strike duo of Chong Tese and Dudu as Tese has picked up an injury that will see him miss at least 4 weeks with Dudu just completing his 14 day quarantine at the J-League bubble. I am not sure how quickly he will be incorporated into the squad but it seems likely that Dudu will get some playing time this Wednesday if he is fit.

Over their last five games Mito have won two matches while losing the other three. As mentioned earlier, the wins came on the road at Kofu and Nagasaki with losses occurring to Mito Hollyhock, Kanazawa and Kyoto Sanga. Mito found themselves in an early hole at Mito when two wind aided balls ended up allowing the hosts to jump out to a 2-0 lead by halftime. The final goal of that game was after a Zelvia turnover sprung Nakayama in the counterattack to which he finished superbly. At Kofu Zelvia looked much better and scored the games only goal in the third minute. Zelvia had control for most of this game with Kofu offering only about 20 minutes of any action in the Zelvia end.

Following that strong performance Zelvia looked dominant against Kanazawa but were unable to find the back of the net. All those missed chances ended up costing Zelvia as they were done in by an own goal in the 89th minute and went on to lose 1-0. The Zelvia defense had their hands full against Kyoto but still allowed Zelvia to stay in the game after they surrendered the lone goal of the match in the first half. Then, everything seemed to change at Nagasaki this week.

Ranko Popovic switched back to a 4-4-2 from the previous weeks 4-4-1-1 and Zelvia got off to a fast start once more. Two goals by Kaina Yoshio pushed Zelvia out front before a Hasegawa goal just two minutes after the second Yoshio goal put the match out of reach for Nagasaki. Once more Zelvia looked a different side when leaving the friendly confines of the Machida GION stadium, and though the offense went missing for a long stretch for Zelvia, they were able to breakout in a big way this weekend. Adding a good attacking player like Dudu into the mix is sure to help. But Zelvia, like Ryukyu, rely on some older veterans to prop the team up and they too will have to contend with some squad rotation this week.

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu own a rather poor record against Machida Zelvia having won only once in their past ten matches, and that win came all the way back in 2014 during FC Ryukyu’s inaugural season in the J3. In the six games where Ryukyu have traveled to Machida, they’ve been outscored 11-4. Last season, Ryukyu lost the opening fixture 4-2 thanks to four first half goals by Zelvia. The score line was only brought close by a Zelvia own goal and late strike by Takuma Abe after the game was well out of hand. During the curtain closer for the 2020 season Ryukyu were defeated 1-0 at home by Zelvia in a very uninspiring performance.

But, this is a season unlike any other with Ryukyu putting to rest many of the ghosts that have haunted them from past seasons. The strength of this club is their defense as the offense has yet to get on track this year. That is not to say they are struggling for goals as everyone is chipping in these days, it’s just not at the level we’ve come to expect from a club predicated on attacking football. Abe has done so well this year in all facets of the game and it would be great to see him back on the score sheet after a slight absence these past three weeks.

I think Ryukyu have benefited greatly from a more relaxed schedule this year compared to last season and it has allowed many of the veterans the recovery time between matches that they sorely missed in 2020. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Higuchi conducts the squad rotation with three games inside of eight days. I wouldn’t expect many changes, but utilizing substitutes earlier and possibly giving a run out to Motegi, Makito Uehara, Shinya Uehara and Akamine needs to be done to keep the squad fresh.

These next two fixtures are massive for Ryukyu if they wish to keep the field at bay. Their current lead over third placed Kyoto Sanga FC is just six points and Kyoto are starting to generate some serious momentum. Defeating an opponent that you have a historically poor track record against is the next step that the Ryukyu needs to make on their way to 80 points.

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. Short passes in the Zelvia box. Likelihood 2. Zelvia are not the most impressive defensive unit in the league and a single goal maybe all that is needed for Ryukyu to see out a win on Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean they can take this opponent lightly as Zelvia have bested Ryukyu nearly every single time. Zelvia have conceded from crosses this season, but are far more susceptible to the short passes in and around the box. Ryukyu will need a strong performance out of Ren Ikeda and Takuma Abe as they can wreak havoc on the Zelvia back line with penetrating runs and quick changes in direction when in the oppositions box.  

2. Play to your strengths. Likelihood 4. A short week on the road could mean a low scoring affair, a situation that Ryukyu are very comfortable in, and another defensive masterclass by the CB pairing of Chinen and Okazaki, along with Taguchi in net, is exactly what Ryukyu need this match. Zelvia’s offense wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders this year, but it is starting to generate some thrust. Blunting the Zelvia assault will allow FC Ryukyu to continue to play the style of football they’ve become accustomed to this season.

3. Finding the right mix in the squad rotation. Likelihood 2. Higuchi may not make any changes to this side for this match but that could have an effect later on this week when Ryukyu return home to face Kofu. Ryukyu currently roster four forwards each match so allowing Akamine to start this week may not be a bad idea. Yu and Koki Kazama seem to rotate fairly regularly and hopefully Ichimaru can spell Uesato for longer stretches over these next two games. We should not tinker with the current CB pair but Yong Jick coming in for either of the central defenders so as to keep them fresh is the smart move. Makito Uehara could provide some relief to Tanaka but it will be interesting to see how Higuchi addresses the left back position. Numata will almost certainly need a break these next few games and that means it comes down to either Fukui or Reo Yamashita, who looked good in his lone appearance in the J-Elite League last month.

5. Prediction

Zelvia have been shut out three times this year while Ryukyu have five clean sheets. Zelvia have hit the three goal plateau twice this season compared to FC Ryukyu’s one. Any changes to the Ryukyu squad might have some consequences, and though it is a bold move to predict a win for FC Ryukyu, who haven’t defeated Zelvia in well over seven seasons, that is what I am going to do. 2-1 win for Ryukyu in the midweek. Season Record 5-1-2.

6. Match Day 8 in J2

All Times Listed are JST

(1) Albirex Niigata will look to retain the top spot for another week when they travel to (10) Tochigi SC who are currently on an unbeaten run of 5 games. (3) Kyoto Sanga FC and (4) Jubilo Iwata will continue to chip away at the leaders with favorable matchups at (11) Tokyo Verdy and home to (15) Omiya Ardija respectively. Other interesting matches this round include (5) Zweigen Kanazawa hosting (8) Blaublitz Akita and the resurgent (22) Ehime FC hosting (16) Renofa Yamaguchi FC. It’s not quite time to push the panic button for (12) V-Varen Nagasaki, but another performance like this past weekend will at least warrant removing the safety cover for the panic button.

It is FC Ryukyu’s turn to appear on the free J-league International YouTube broadcast so please tune in and enjoy from around the world. Or at the very least, use a VPN if you live in Japan and you do not have a DAZN account. Click the link below the infographic to get the YouTube page for the match.

Click>>> LIVE | FC Machida Zelvia vs FC Ryukyu | Matchweek 9 | 2021 | J2 LEAGUE – YouTube

7. Conclusion

Well strap yourselves in for this one as FC Ryukyu will need to exorcise some serious demons to retain one of the two promotion slots in J2. It has been nothing but disappoint for Ryukyu when they play Zelvia so it will be really encouraging to see them net any points away from home on a short week. A win would show that this team has really turned aa corner in their development and provide a massive boost to the overall morale of the team.

Match Day 8 Recap: FC Ryukyu vs Tokyo Verdy 4/17/21 #FC琉球

Photo Credit: @yuichiatta

Intro

As advertised, it was an eventful evening yesterday. FC Ryukyu held serve with Albirex Niigata by winning 2-0 at home over Tokyo Verdy. Ryukyu and Verdy were once again involved in some sort of fracas in their opening match of the season against each other, where Yuhei Sato was red carded in the first half providing a massive advantage to Ryukyu the remainder of the match. It is the second red card in three games for Verdy when playing Ryukyu and this is turning into a rivalry on par with one might see in the bigger leagues where two teams just detest each other. I like it!

  1. Match Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 8 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu CMF Yu Tomidokoro: Yu drew both fouls that led to the Verdy Red Card and Penalty Kick. He then converted the PK for his first goal in 23 months.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Exploit the chaos and ensuing confusion. Likelihood 4. Early on Ryukyu were able to create some chances for themselves but once Verdy had a man sent off in the first half, Verdy resorted to all out defending which limited Ryukyu’s ability to take advantage of the disarray that might otherwise have been present.

2. Cut out the Verdy short passes around the box. Likelihood 3. Verdy really weren’t doing much prior to their sending off and therefore weren’t able to play to their strength after.

4. Prediction

Tipped this one to end 3-1 in favor of Ryukyu and they did end up winning by a 2 goal margin. Season Record 5-1-2.

5. Match Day 8 Talking Points

1. Misses by both sides. There were plenty of opportunities for both Ryukyu and Verdy to jump out to an early lead but all the shots seemed to sail high and wide. With the exception of one Kiyotake shot that called the Verdy keeper into action. Abe had a couple of chances throughout the game but either miss timed his jump or was in the wrong spot to get onto the end of the ball.

2. Forget the spectacular if you cannot do the practical correctly. Up to the Verdy Red Card, Ryukyu were struggling a little bit to get the offense going. Kiyotake’s back heel to nowhere nearly set Ryukyu back and though it may have been a way to jump start the momentum, no one was expecting it leading to a turnover and counter by Verdy.

3. The Tanaka goal shows us just how good Ryukyu are at quickly changing the sides of the attack. It should also be noted, like many of the boys over at the @JTalkET state weekly, how important Abe is to this side even when he doesn’t get on the score sheet. Abe maintained possession in the Verdy end, found Numata, who picked out Kiyotake, who then laid it off to the wide-open Tanaka for Ryukyu’s first goal.

4. Maybe it’s time we try the old “Route 1” attack on net. I understand that is trendy to be hypercritical of your side, even when they are producing results, so excuse me on this one. Ryukyu are very good at sending in crosses these days. Most of their goals result from these passes, but yesterday Verdy was able to snuff out a lot of these out and Ryukyu didn’t bother to switch to the frontal assault right up the middle. As more and more tape on Ryukyu becomes available, teams will begin to figure out how to stop Ryukyu, and though they are quite adept at changing directions quickly, it would help to have the middle of the pitch attack in the locker when required.

5. Verdy’s Red Card was just dumb. I have no idea what Yuhei Sato was thinking when he went in for Yu’s family jewels but it certainly tipped the scales in favor of Ryukyu afterwards. Sato was probably complaining more about his stupidity for putting the spikes into the groin of Yu than the Red Card as he really had no business putting up any type of protest.

6. You are never awarded style points in this league. Once Verdy went down to 10 men everyone expected Ryukyu to dominate possession and the scoring. It is not as simple as in hockey with a man advantage, as the opposition can compact the defensive area and close out many of the shooting lanes while they absorb the siege from the other side. Ryukyu had a ridiculous number of corner kicks (13) and free kicks (13) yesterday but had to rely on a PK to put the game out of reach. Oh well, winning ugly is still winning and the 3 points is all that really matters in the end.

7. A slight let off by Ryukyu at the end. It is easy to get complacent when you’re up by 2 goals with a man advantage and Ryukyu were bailed out by a Verdy offside call and near miss at the end. The highlights suck for showing the offside call but I believe the shot was redirected by an offside player for Verdy though they nearly scored just a few minutes later from a set piece.

8. Getting goals from all over the place is another benchmark for a quality side. Ryukyu just find a way to get the job done. Everyone is doing their part to keep a clean sheet, score goals and see out wins. They are a really exciting squad to watch these days.

6. Round 8 in J2

Albirex Niigata are still top after a second half goal saw them through over Zweigen Kanazawa 1-0 on Saturday. Kyoto Sanga blew the doors off Kitakyushu 6-1 and have officially begun their ascent to the top of the table while V-Varen Nagasaki stumbled at home losing 3-0 to Machida Zelvia. Ehime grabbed their first win of the campaign over Omiya as the managerial change is starting to pay off for this side. Finally Matsumoto surprised everyone with their come back draw against Kofu and Blaublitz Akita continues to pile up crucial points this year.

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7. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu have their first of four mid week matches this season when they travel to Machida on Wednesday night. Ryukyu face two teams in a row, Machida and Kofu, that they have never beat during their time in the J2. So you know exactly where any points earned against them will fall in the Points Over Expectation Table.

Machida are coming off a big win at Nagasaki despite missing their best two attackers in Chong Tese and Dudu. The games against Zelvia and Kofu in short succession will be a stiff test for one of the older sides in the league who are benefiting from a relaxed schedule compared to 2020 but Ryukyu have shown the ability to respond to adversity all season.

Match Day 8 Preview: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (10) Tokyo Verdy 4/17/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu have the opportunity to take the pole position in J2 this weekend with a win over Verdy and anything but a win from Albirex Niigata. The matches between Ryukyu and Verdy have been quite festive these past two seasons and I see no reason for that to change this weekend. But much like Omiya, who Ryukyu defeated and shutout last season, and then drew at home this year, Verdy were shutout by Ryukyu on both occasions last season. Is another draw in store for Ryukyu or can they continue their winning ways?

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Info
  2. Match Day 7 Recaps
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • Tokyo Verdy
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 8 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club

Looks like it will be raining up to and through the first half. Just in time for the wind to pick up. Besides bringing those ponchos and bags to protect your valuables from the rain, you may want to consider a change of clothes, especially for the kids if their soaking wet as that wind could really get to them. Also, please remember to social distance at the gate, food vendors, seats and restrooms.

FC Ryukyu will allow visiting Verdy fans to attend this match as the tickets were already sold but they will not be allowing visiting fans into the stadium on Match Days 10 and 12 under what they are calling a “period of priority measures.”

Click>>> Match Day 8 Information from FC Ryukyu

2. Match Day 7 Recaps

FC Mito Hollyhock 0-2 FC Ryukyu
Tokyo Verdy 3-1 Renofa Yamaguchi FC

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu own a 2-1-1 record against Verdy with the two wins occurring in 2020 when Ryukyu shut out Verdy twice. Who can forget that first win when Shinya Uehara was kicked in the gut by Shohei Takahashi late in the game leading to an Abe PK and ultimately a Ryukyu win. Then Ryukyu blew Verdy away 4-0 at home thanks to two first half goals by Yoshio Koizumi (sheds a tear). But in 2019 it was a different story altogether.

Ryukyu drew 1-1 in their first ever meeting thanks to Dany Carvajal stopping a PK after he bloodied his nose on the foul, and the spectacular finish by Uesato on the volley deep into stoppage time. The return leg was far less exciting, more like excruciating, when Verdy smashed Ryukyu 5-1 in Okinawa. Junki Koike bagged a hat-trick that game and Verdy, with possibly nothing to celebrate in years, commemorated the momentous occasion by making t-shirts in honor of the hat-trick. Perhaps 2020 was a bit of payback for FC Ryukyu.

Through Ryukyu’s first seven games they are averaging 11.5 shots, 6 of which are on target, and 49% possession. They’ve had two games where they only mustered 2 total shots on net, Iwata and Omiya, otherwise they have been pretty consistent around 8 shots on target per game. A vast majority of Ryukyu’s goals this year have come from crosses where Verdy has been anything but spectacular in defending those plays. What I like to see is that different players are getting on the score sheet and starting to gain some confidence. Kiyotake had his breakthrough last week, thanks to Keita setting him up perfectly, and Shimizu grabbed his second goal of the campaign. It has been a bit of a dry spell for Abe these past few rounds but all that could change on Saturday.

One thing that cannot afford to change is the defensive wall Ryukyu have been putting up this season. FC Ryukyu are the best defensive unit in the J2 (not a typo) having only conceded three goals. Chinen, Okazaki and Taguchi will likely be busy this weekend as Verdy are averaging 15 shots, 12 on net, over their last two games. While Ryukyu may not fear Verdy bombing in crosses they do need to be very cognizant of the short passes Verdy use in and around the box to create space and shooting lanes.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that bad blood exists between these two sides, though someone from Ryukyu every year seems to be involved in some sort of fracas, but these games are turning into a nice set of hotly contested matches. Ryukyu enter this game much like they did two weeks ago against Omiya where Ryukyu are coming off a nice road win while their opponent is coming to town on the back of some recent strong performances after a rough start to the season.

Tokyo Verdy: After a rocky start to their season, culminating with a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Albirex Niigata, Verdy has course corrected and pulled themselves out of the relegation zone with two consecutive home victories. When Verdy was setting up in a 4-3-1-2 formation they looked disorganized at the back and were providing ample turnovers for their opponents to capitalize on. But they switched from a 4-3-2-1 to a 4-1-4-1 this past round against Renofa and looked much more in control of the game than they have in quite some time.

In their last five games Verdy own a 2-1-2 record with a draw against Zelvia; consecutive losses to Kanazawa and Niigata; and then consecutive wins over Mito and Renofa. Verdy looked sluggish in defense against Machida Zelvia and allowed the hosts to jump out to a 2-0 lead until a PK brought Verdy back into the game followed by the equalizer when Junki Koike caught the Zelvia defense napping. This time it was Verdy’s turn to jump put to an early lead against Zweigen with a 4th minute goal by leading scorer Koike, but then the wheels came off for Verdy.

Zweigen went on to score 4 goals by exploiting Verdy turnovers and confusion before Verdy responded with a late goal when the game was well out of hand. If the wheels fell off against Kanazawa then the entire car exploded at Niigata with the aforementioned seven goal shellacking. All the problems from the Zweigen matched carried over into this one and Verdy looked more like a team that was thrown together at the last minute destined for a local derby at Y.S.C.C. than a J2 club.

Luckily Verdy’s schedule eased up when they returned home to host Mito and Renofa. Verdy again scored early in the Mito match, survived the Mito barrage in the first half after Mito equalized, before digging out the winner in the second half. Hideki Nagai made a decision to switch the formation against Renofa, and that almost looked like another disaster when Renofa nearly scored in the 4th minute before actually going in front of Verdy in the 11th minute. But Verdy responded with a goal of their own two minutes later and then another in the 24th minute. They capped off the day with Junki Koike’s 6th goal of the campaign to walk away 3-1 winners.

Despite the recent Verdy resurgence, they are still the worst defensive side in the league conceding 17 goals this season. A majority of those goals came against Niigata, but even had Verdy managed a lower score line at Niigata it may not have done much to their overall total. Verdy have conceded 5 more goals then the next two teams, Nagasaki and Ehime who have each conceded 12. The players to watch out for on Saturday are Junki Koike and the Sato brothers, Yuhei and Ryoga (I don’t think they are actually brothers). Junki and Ryoga account for 2/3 of all the goals Verdy have scored this season and Yuhei is the leading assist provider in the side.

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 the chaos and ensuing confusion. Likelihood 4. Verdy may have slightly improved defensively this past week but that was against Renofa Yamaguchi. At Niigata and against Kanazawa, two sides who are playing much better than Renofa, Verdy was in shambles at the back. Players looked confused on where to run to and who to mark and they were guilty of turning the ball over in their own half multiple times. There was one goal in the Machida game where Verdy had 8 defenders inside the 6-yard box, couldn’t get to the rebound in time, and allowed the Zelvia player a free shot on net from just inside the 18-yard box. That wasn’t even from a set piece. Verdy may have enjoyed a modicum of success against Renofa but I don’t think they have turned the corner on these mistakes just yet.  

2. Cut out the Verdy short passes around the box. Likelihood 3. This is the lone strength of Verdy as a majority of their goals stem from short passes that quickly open up the opposition’s defense. That means Chinen, Okazaki and our two central midfielders need to be spot on when attempting to intercept passes, making challenges, as well when they are watching the attacking runs from Verdy players.

5. Prediction

Verdy have been piped for multiple goals against stronger opponents this season. We won’t see the Verdy floodgates thrust open like we did when they played Niigata, and Verdy are still one of the top scoring sides in the league, but I am going for broke and say FC Ryukyu take this one 3-1. Season Record 4-1-2.

6. Round 8 in J2

All Times Listed are in JST

(1) Albirex Niigata versus (3) Zweigen Kanazawa is the standout match this round. (3) Kyoto Sanga FC, (5) Jubilo Iwata, (6) Ventforet Kofu and (7) Blaublitz Akita are looking to make up ground on the leaders with some very favorable matchups this week.

The J-league International YouTube free broadcast this week features (12) Fagiano Okayama hosting (11) FC Mito Hollyhock. Fagiano are coming into this match having pulled out a very late draw against Ehime FC last week whereas Mito enter the round having lost their last two games.

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

7. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu are off to the best start in their history and really need to keep their foot on the gas in this one. For their part, Verdy are a side that can light up the score board (on both sides) at any given moment. Strap yourself in for what should be an exciting game between these two sides that history has shown is anything but boring.

Match Day 7 Recap: FC Mito Hollyhock vs FC Ryukyu 4/11/21 #FC琉球

Photo Credit: @kumamasha04

Intro

FC Ryukyu continued the hot start by winning their sixth game of the season 2-0 at FC Mito Hollyhock. The win keeps Ryukyu squarely in second place as well a pushes them six points clear of third place Kanazawa and Kyoto. It was also Ryukyu’s fourth clean sheet of the season, a total which took them until match day 27 last year to reach.

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

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu GK Junto Taguchi: Taguchi was called upon early and often and did really well to keep Mito off the scoreboard. That is Junto’s fourth clean sheet this season, almost equaling his mark of 5 clean sheets from 2020.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Chinen wins the battle over Nakayama. Likelihood 4. I would have to say yes since Nakayama was kept off the score sheet. But there were some plays where Nakayama did get the better of Chinen. Nakayama had a clear chance on a breakaway in the first half but that was really about it.

2. Let it rip. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu had more shots on target this game than they had total shots from last week. Unfortunately Abe couldn’t get in on the scoring.

4. Prediction

Predicted a 2-1 win and it finished 2-0 in favor of Ryukyu. Notched another win. Season Record 4-1-2.

5. Talking Points from Match Day 7

1. Ryukyu have finally scored from a set piece. Koya was able to pick out Shintaro Shimizu on a corner kick in the 60th minute for the opening goal. It was well placed by Koya and Shintaro did well to get to the cross and get his head to it. It wasn’t the best-looking header, as it came off the back of his head, but it was effective. It pays to stick your nose into traffic from time to time.

2. Tanaka is on fire. He once again grabbed an assist with a beautifully placed cross behind the Mito defenders, just in front of the Mito keeper, that Kiyotake was able to get on and push the score line to 2-0. This is the third time in as many games that we’ve seen Tanaka accurately pick out an attacking player and is a huge reason why Ryukyu sit second in the table.

3. Taguchi is playing his way into a J1 contract. He made some spectacular saves on Sunday when Ryukyu needed him the most. First there was the breakaway by Nakayama following a brutal Ryukyu turnover in the middle of the pitch. Then there was the save early in the second half where Taguchi parried the shot out of danger and then closed down the attacker on the ensuing rebound. If he keeps this up, which we all hope he can, he may garner the attention of some larger clubs in need of reinforcements between the sticks come August.

4. Ryukyu almost gave the game away with some of their missed chances. Coming into the game many of Mito’s former opponents missed several chances to score which allowed Mito to take control of games and see out some wins. It was looking if Ryukyu were going to follow suit after Abe missed a clear-cut chance in the first half where the Mito keeper made a nice (reactionary) save. Then Abe took a heavy first touch on a breakaway early in the second half that allowed the keeper to cut down the angle and prevent Abe from taking a shot on net. For their part, Mito missed at least three chances themselves by sending the shots off target.  

5. We finally saw the return of Shunsuke Motegi. It was great to see Motegi out there and he looked spry for the first time in over a calendar year. He nearly scored in stoppage time when he out ran the defender and put a rocket shot on net that the Mito keeper simply threw his hands up in self defense to keep it out of the net.

6. Ryukyu were once again out shot, and out possessed. This is just their style of play this season but they were a little sloppy when in possession as there were some ugly turnovers and inaccurate passing. They need to tighten that up as stronger sides will punish them more severely than those teams farther down the table.

6. Match Day 7 in J2

Albirex Niigata was able to maintain their grip on the top slot after they defeated Montedio Yamagata on the road 2-0. Zweigen Kanazawa’s 1-0 loss to JEF United Chiba, coupled with a win by Kyoto Sanga FC, sees them level on points with Kyoto for 3rd place. Elsewhere, V-Varen Nagasaki continues to climb back up the table while the most entertaining game of the weekend occurred at Ehime who played to a spirited 2-2 draw with Fagiano Okayama.

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7. Conclusion

And the beat goes on! We haven’t seen this brand of football out of Ryukyu since their title winning season of 2018. But there is still a long way to go before we can start patting each other on the back as Ryukyu have not won anything yet. They are keeping pace with leaders Niigata, and putting some distance between themselves and the field, but they must continue to beat teams through solid performances on the road like this past match. Next up for FC Ryukyu is a home match with Tokyo Verdy who come to Okinawa sporting a two game winning streak.

Match Day 7 Preview: (7) FC Mito Hollyhock vs (2) FC Ryukyu 4/11/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu had their winning streak stopped at 5 last weekend but will look to overcome that minor wobble when they travel to FC Mito Hollyhock on Sunday. Ryukyu own a good record against Mito having defeated this opponent three out of four times since joining the J2. The last time these two sides faced off it was in the 3rd coldest game ever recorded in the J-League last December and it was also the last win of the season for FC Ryukyu. Ryukyu’s lone loss to Mito occurred in 2019, also at Mito, when FC Ryukyu were forced to start their third choice keeper with an injury to Dany Carvajal and loan restrictions for Ishii. It is time to see how FC Ryukyu respond to their first, albeit minor, set back of 2021.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Info
  2. Match Day 6 Recaps
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Mito Hollyhock
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Match Day 7 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information from Mito

I don’t think it can get any better.

Click >>> Match Day 7 Information from FC Mito Hollyhock

2. Match Day 6 Recaps

Tokyo Verdy 2-1 FC Mito Hollyhock
FC Ryukyu 0-0 Omiya Ardija

3. Team Previews

FC Mito Hollyhock: Mito have an even split of three games won, three games lost, this year. They fare slightly better at home owning a 2-1 win/loss record while outscoring their opponents 7-2 at the K’s Denki stadium. They have gone 3-2 over their last 5 games with big consecutive 3-0 wins over FC Machida Zelvia and Matsumoto Yamaga FC. But they also lost their most recent game to Tokyo Verdy 2-1 on the road.

While I was watching the recent highlights of Mito, I found myself asking the question; Are they a better defending team than last year, or have they just been lucky? Last season Mito had the dubious honor of being the highest scoring team, as well as the fourth worst at conceding goals (Something I’ve seen from Ryukyu in my time down here that’s for sure). From what I saw in the highlights, the defense hasn’t really improved all that much. They can be caught out of position, prone to turnovers, guilty of making mental mistakes and just all-around sloppy play. They have survived mostly on luck based on how many shots I saw from their opponents hitting the woodwork or narrowly missing the mark.

Speaking of luck, Mito jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over Zelvia thanks in part to a fluke goal that was originally a cross which ended up being caught up in the wind, and another being a clearance from the Zelvia keeper – that really shouldn’t have been put that high into the air in that wind – which ended up putting Mito on the quick break to score just before halftime of that game. Granted, the Mito player had it all still to do when he had the ball at his feet but it should have never come to that.

Against Verdy Mito surrendered an early first half goal (2′) before looking the dominant team in the first half controlling all the momentum, scoring the equalizer, but couldn’t find the go ahead goal heading into halftime. Then Verdy took control of the game in the second half and bagged the eventual winner in the 73rd minute.

The player to watch out for on Sunday is their captain and forward, #9 Masato Nakayama. He is on a hot streak as of late having scored 4 goals and adding 1 assist in his past 4 games. While Mito’s overall play reminds me a lot of Ryukyu the past two seasons, Nakayama reminds me a lot of Abe as they play a similar style of football and Nakayama can also provide support to the attack with his work rate and holdup play.

FC Ryukyu: Though their 5-game winning streak was snapped last week, Ryukyu are still undefeated sitting second in the table and are one of the best defensive sides in the J2 this year. The resurgence of Okazaki, and emergence of Chinen, coupled with Taguchi playing some of the best football he’s ever played, make Ryukyu a formidable opponent. Yes, we’d all love to see them score like they did in 2020, but I don’t think that is their style of play this season.

There haven’t been any games this year where Ryukyu have gone out and dominated the possession and chances like they did in 2020. They are more comfortable allowing the game to come to them in a bend-don’t-break sort of way and if required, ratchet up the pressure when they fall behind like they did at JEF United Chiba. However, I am not sure that would’ve worked this past round against Omiya had Ryukyu fallen behind as Ryukyu generated very little in the way of chances and accurate shots in the second half of that game.

Ryukyu have relied heavily on crosses into the box from the right and left sides, but when they miss on those chances, and are frustrated by large numbers of defenders in and around the box, their momentum bogs down. Ryukyu had plenty of chances to take the lead in the first half last week but missed the mark on every single one. Hopefully their aim is better this week as we’ve seen Mito take advantage of similar sides when those sides fail to capitalize on golden opportunities.

Of all the games to date, this one stands out as the one where Abe could do the most damage. Abe’s ability to create space in the box, as well as his ability to find open attackers just outside of it, should see our talisman get on the score sheet often on Sunday. There is no defender from Mito that can corral Abe so he just needs the accurate service from the other attacking players to turn him loose.

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. Chinen wins the battle over Nakayama. Likelihood 4. For those of you out there that love a good battle between a dominant CB and an in form FWD who are coming off some of their best games, then look no further than what is in store this week. Chinen has proven to be Higuchi’s choice for man-marking the opponent’s striker as he has the speed, power and most importantly, temperament to handle the task.  Chinen has yet to face a forward like Nakayama this season, though he did briefly late against Nagasaki, so this will be his first full test of 2021. For his part, Nakayama has been in top form and is a seasoned veteran who can find the weaknesses of any young defender. This should be the “game within a game” to watch on Sunday.

2. Let it rip. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu cannot expect to leave this game with all 3 points if they don’t take more shots on net. Omiya executed their game plan well but I cannot see Mito being able to do the same at the back. FC Ryukyu need to increase their shot count, and accuracy of said shots, and then pounce on the loose balls when Mito defenders are caught flat footed.

5. Prediction

FC Ryukyu have averaged 2 goals scored on the road this season. Mito have yet to be shutout this year. Mito may own a far superior goal differential at home compared to on the road this year but I feel FC Ryukyu edge FC Mito Hollyhock 2-1 this round. Season Record 3-1-2.

6. Match Day 7 in J2

Both (1) Albirex Niigata and (2) FC Ryukyu have interesting road tests against (16) Montedio Yamagata and (7) FC Mito Hollyhock. (3) Zweigen Kanazawa will look to close the gap between them and the top two sides when they host (21) JEF United Chiba who are coming of two consecutive 2-1 losses. Elsewhere, (14) V-Varen Nagasaki are looking to shrug of their sluggish start by bagging their second win in a row over (13) Thespakusatsu Gunma who sit just one spot above them in the table. (11) FC Machida Zelvia versus (4) Kyoto Sanga FC has some early table jockeying for position implications.

Times Listed are JST

The entire free J-League International YouTube broadcast schedule for April is listed below. Click the link to get to the channel.

Click>> > J-League International – YouTube

7. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu have shut Mito out on two occasions and have shutout their opponents three times in 2021. But no J2 team has been able to shutout Mito this season. Much like how FC Ryukyu have been exorcising some ghosts of years’ past, Mito is probably wanting to do the same this week. In 2019 it was FC Ryukyu who handed Mito their first loss that year, that despite recording 8 clean sheets while only surrendering 5 goals in the previous 12 games. Is it time for Mito to extract some revenge by handing FC Ryukyu their first loss of 2021? Or, is it time we see FC Ryukyu rise to the occasion to remain undefeated through their first seven games? Guess we’ll find out on Sunday.

Match Day 6 Recap: FC Ryukyu vs. Omiya Ardija 4/03/21 #FC琉球

Intro

The one that got away. FC Ryukyu had a chance to set the clubs record for consecutive wins but instead limped to a 0-0 draw with Omiya Ardija. While both the weather and Ryukyu defense held, the offense was nowhere to be found. Time after time Ryukyu pounded the flanks of the Omiya defense only to find the walls were strong and the passage blocked. It is still a point that many of us would’ve gladly taken prior to the start of the season but having forgot all about relegation this year, albeit maybe prematurely, some of us are left wondering what happened?

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

1. Match Day 6 Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu CB Tetsuya Chinen: First, he completely handled the larger Omiya striker Haskic and kept him in check all game. Second, he was intent on winning every contested ball and challenge that came his way. Finally, his passing was really good and he nearly ended up on the score sheet when he set up Kiyotake with a lovely through ball in the first half.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Bend don’t break. Likelihood 3. Indeed. Ryukyu saw out a goal-less draw and while they produced little offensively, they at least stymied the Omiya attack.

2. Quick short passes to break the Omiya high defensive line. Likelihood 4. Yes and no. We broke the defensive line early in the game but couldn’t do much the second half.

3. Set pieces could make all the difference. Likelihood 2. Coulda-shoulda-woulda. Ryukyu were gifted a golden opportunity late in the game when Abe was fouled just outside the 16-yard box. Unfortunately, Uesato sent the shot high and wide which ended up being Ryukyu’s last best chance at a goal scoring opportunity on Saturday.

4. Talking Points from Match Day 6

1. A tale of two halves. FC Ryukyu looked the better side to open the game but Omiya looked the far more dangerous team in the second half. Ryukyu out shot Omiya 6-1 in the first half but Omiya turned that around to a 5-2 advantage to close out the game. Granted, few if any of these shots troubled either keeper this weekend and Ryukyu failed to register even one shot on goal in the second half.

2. Missed chances were another theme. Ryukyu had a few good looks on net early but the shots were off the mark and then there was the free kick near the end that was a killer to our hopes of securing all 3 points. For their part, Omiya had a few looks on net but the shots were straight at Taguchi. Omiya also shot themselves in the foot on a couple of dead ball kicks where they committed a foul, or were offsides, which ended the play altogether.

3. Buses were parked and neither team could break through the others defense. It was evident that Ryukyu were searching for that last pass to unlock the Omiya defense but it never materialized and attacks died on the spot. Coming into the match Omiya had given up four goals to what Sporteria calls a spilled ball but only one goal from a cross. Ryukyu simply didn’t put enough shots on target that could have led to rebounds or these types of spilled balls.

4. Do warm ups matter? I am usually buried in my phone during the teams warm up session prior to the game but this time I watched Ryukyu all the way through and I noticed that our attacking players were missing a majority of their shots in the warm up. I get it, you use that time to get loose but those misses carried over into the match. Kiyotake, Numata and Uesato each had chances to put Ryukyu in front in the first half with some good looks on goal but as mentioned earlier, they were all off target.

5. Dropped points. It is hard not to see this one as two points dropped instead of just one point earned. These things happen in any given season so it will be interesting to see how Ryukyu respond at Mito.

5. Prediction

Predicted a 2-2 draw and while I was correct on the outcome, I was far off on the score line. I’ll give myself a draw here. Season Record 3-1-2.

6. Match Day 6 in J2

Transfermarkt

There were 3 questions I asked heading into this round. 1.) Can Ryukyu hold serve with Niigata? Well they did thanks in large part to the heroic efforts of SC Sagamihara at home on Sunday to Niigata. 2.) Can Nagasaki rebound after a loss? Yes, they defeated Kofu on a Ryo Shinzato late goal. 3.) Can Akita continue their hot start? Unfortunately no as Matsumoto Yamaga FC scored multiple goals for the first time which is probably attributed to Akita missing one of their better defenders this game.

7. Conclusion

It is not all bad in the end as Ryukyu still remain in second place, three points clear of 3rd place Zweigen Kanazawa, recorded their third clean sheet this season, and are still undefeated. But now we must regroup and prepare for the test this weekend at Mito Hollyhock. That is thing about this league, you need to have some short term memory when it comes to recent failures and long term memory when it comes to realizing past success.

Match Day 6 Preview: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (10) Omiya Ardija 4/03/21 #FC琉球

Intro

The shoe is on the other foot this week as FC Ryukyu welcome in Omiya Ardija, a team they have had great success against in years past, and a team that is looking to exorcise those ghosts. The only thing standing between Ryukyu and history is a team that they have habitually beat, but one that won’t lay down so easy. And let’s not forget that Omiya already own a victory on Ryukyu soil.

  1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Info
  2. Match Day 5 Recaps
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • Omiya Ardija
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Match Day 6 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

It will be slightly overcast and cool after the rain passes through which should make for some pleasant conditions to watch football. There is always a chance it rains here in Okinawa so be prepared.

There is no escaping the fact that Okinawa is in the midst of their third wave of COVID-19 infections. The number of infections have steadily increased since March 20th and though the club and the league are doing all they can to combat any outbreaks among the fans at games, we all need to do our part within and around the stadium (and possibly the days leading up to the game). Maintain the 2m social distancing guidelines – that means while waiting in line for food, drinks, merchandise, restroom facilities, and when entering and exiting the stadium – and continue to wear your masks when around others inside the grounds. I know this is easier said then done, especially when you have children in attendance, but until the prefecture can get a handle on the recent outbreak, we all run the risk of heading into another state of emergency and possibly games without fans.

Match Day 6 Information from the Club

2. Match Day 5 Recaps

JEF United Chiba 1-2 FC Ryukyu
Omiya Ardija 4-0 V-Varen Nagasaki

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: It has been a dream start of the season for Ryukyu, but the work is far from done. If you read the recap earlier this week then you know FC Ryukyu are on a historic pace. But you also know that Ryukyu own a dubious record in those columns as they are one of five teams to never achieve promotion after wining their first four games to start a season (2019). And now that list has shrunk to only one team out four who have failed to reach promotion after winning their first five games. I’d personally hate to see Ryukyu make it number two but that largely depends on winning the winnable, achieving the unbelievable, and maintaining the status quo at times. Something we have never been able to do in the two seasons we’ve spent in the J2.

The old adage is offense wins games, defense wins championships. That rings true more than you know these days as FC Ryukyu are winning games through defense which is largely attributed to the CB pairing of Okazaki and Chinen, and Taguchi in goal. The pair had a momentary slip up this past weekend but for the most part have been a fortress for a team that has been one of the worst defending sides in J2 the past two years. For his part, Taguchi is playing some of the best football imaginable. If you finally put a defense behind this offense, and that defense carries this side until that offense starts clicking, then you have the perfect recipe for success.

Heading into the JEF match I was concerned that Abe was going to miss time after a nasty looking injury forced him from the Nagasaki game. But Abe was back out there for the JF match and buried one of the best headers – from distance as well – that you will see this year. Shintaro Shimizu followed that up with his own header to put FC Ryukyu ahead for good just five minutes later. It has been a bit of a rough start to Kiyotake’s Ryukyu career though the LM does have an assist to his credit. You can tell he is slightly perturbed by his performances as he expects so much better of himself and hopefully the Omiya match will be the one that gets him firing.

Though we’d all love to see Kiyotake scoring multiple goals, I think his immediate contributions are more in line with providing quality deliveries to the attacking players. He is already heavily involved in the buildup play but he needs a few crosses to connect with Abe to gain the confidence that can propel Ryukyu even farther forward. So let us be honest, at this point in the season Ryukyu need confidence boosts as much as they need positive results. They have shown the ability to win while maintaining narrow leads as well as winning games when they need to come from behind. All that is left is to go out there each week and beat the teams they should beat.

FC Ryukyu remain consistent with this lineup selection in 2021 while Omiya has made several changes in recent weeks.

Omiya Ardija: This certainly isn’t the same Omiya side from last season, and it certainly isn’t the one that opened the season with a win followed by three consecutive losses. Omiya has really turned things on ever since the late loss to SC Sagamihara on match day three, and they are playing some inspired football at the moment.

Omiya was able to shrug off an early Mito goal on match day one by scoring two second half goals to go on and win. One of those goals came from Masaya Shibayama who is just 18 years old. Shibayama looked to be one of Omiya’s best players in the opening three fixtures but has since disappeared from the highlights and roster altogether. Omiya’s fortunes began a downward spiral when they lost their home opener to Ventforet Kofu 2-0 from two set piece goals. Things continued to look bad when at home to Kyoto Sanga the following week when Omiya conceded an early goal, but luckily some severe weather postponed the match before it gout out of control.

Ardija finally hit rock bottom against SC Sagamihara when they conceded two late goals to the hosts, which also happened to be SC Sagamihara’s only goals scored up to that point, and left Kanagawa prefecture utterly disappointed. But that is when something changed inside the club. I am not sure if it was due to a changing of personnel, or somehow Ken Iwase convinced these guys that they are far better than the overall standings state, and more importantly, they need to start believing it.

Though Omiya wasn’t able to defeat Kyoto in the replay, they looked a far different side than weeks past, and played much better. Omiya were relentless in the press and had multiple chances to win that game but couldn’t find the breakthrough. In an unfortunate set of events, Tomoki Ueda’s challenge on Peter Utaka inside the box led to the PK that ultimately sealed Omiya’s fate. The Omiya players were visibly frustrated at losing this close game, and to their credit, they rose up the following week against V-Varen Nagasaki.

Omiya were motivated and seemed to be hunting for goals in packs against Nagasaki. They opened the scoring early in the first half with Nermin Haskic scoring his second goal in as many games from a very nice header before completely decimating Nagasaki with another first half goal and two second half goals. It was Omiya’s best performance of the year by a mile.

Omiya are playing with a bit of a chip on their shoulder these days and may even be viewing themselves as underdogs that lack the respect they are due from their opponent, the league and the media. The whole “us versus the world” mentality you often hear circulating around the sporting world. This is can be a very powerful mental tool that makes Omiya a very dangerous opponent on Saturday, but it is much harder to sustain in the long football 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. Bend don’t break. Likelihood 3. Omiya are just going for it these days which means they will likely come out fast, pile on the pressure in the attack, while pressing in defense, and look to jump out to an early lead over Ryukyu. For Ryukyu, they kind of trade possession and opportunities with their opponents this season in 15-minute chunks so they really need to respond to the early Omiya pressure just as they have done with their past five opponents. Ryukyu may have been fortunate enough to play sides who were too afraid to lose up to this point in season, but that is certainly not the case with Omiya these days who are playing like a cornered animal fighting for their very existence.

2. Quick short passes to break the Omiya high defensive line. Likelihood 4. Ryukyu had far too many turnovers at JEF last week when they were attempting to split the defense and start a counter from long passes emanating in our end. They really need Abe and his hold up play this week so as to get the 3 attacking midfielders involved on the quick breaks.

3. Set pieces could make all the difference. Likelihood 2. One of FC Ryukyu’s strengths this year has been scoring from crosses into the box. Just look at last week against JEF when they scored two to win. However, Omiya has yet to conceded a single goal from a cross but are extremely vulnerable on set pieces. Omiya conceded 3 goals from set pieces in two consecutive games against Kofu and SC Sagamihara, but on the other hand, Ryukyu have yet to score a single goal from a set piece this season. Right now, the Ryukyu attack flows through the midfield and they could very well end up meeting a brick wall when they attempt these types of crosses into the box that have made them so successful this year. Hopefully Uesato or Koki can hit one from a free kick, or Ryukyu can score from a corner to penetrate the Omiya defense.

5. Prediction

FC Ryukyu have won three of the four games they’ve played against Omiya. Last year FC Ryukyu completely blanked Omiya to the tune of 8 goals scored, 0 conceded in their two games. Ryukyu have scored multiple goals against Omiya every time with the lowest score line of any of these matches being just 3 total goals scored on match day 30 last year.

Omiya took the mid week loss to Kyoto Sanga FC pretty hard but responded really well when they dispatched V-Varen Nagasaki 4-0 this past weekend. I don’t think we’ll see the goal scoring bonanzas we have come to enjoy when these two sides meet, instead, I think this ends in a spirited 2-2 draw where Ryukyu concede multiple goals for the first time all season. Season Record 3-0-2.

6. Match Day 6 in J2

All Times Listed in Japan Standard Time

As it is likely that (1) Albirex Niigata continue their winning ways over (17) SC Sagamihara this week, the only real questions are: 1.) Can (2) FC Ryukyu hold serve over (10) Omiya Ardija? 2.) Can (19) V-Varen Nagasaki rebound at home to (4) Ventforet Kofu who are also looking to rebound from their recent loss to (8) FC Machida Zelvia? 3.) And finally, can (4) Blaublitz Akita continue their hot start over the extremely low scoring (21) Matsumoto Yamaga FC?

7. Conclusion

Can FC Ryukyu make history by winning their 6th consecutive game or will they fall victim to a team that they should beat on paper? Either way, it is another early test for this side in what is shaping up to be a promising season here in Okinawa. This should be a very electric contest with both teams trading chances on the counter attack so sit back and enjoy.

Match Day 5 Report: JEF United Chiba vs FC Ryukyu 3/27/21 #FC琉球

Photo Credit: @tpen18

Intro

FC Ryukyu have equaled their greatest ever wining streak (5) dating back to 2018 when they defeated JEF United Chiba 2-1 on Saturday. The win moves FC Ryukyu into second place behind also undefeated Albirex Niigata. This was the first time FC Ryukyu ever beat JEF – ever scored against JEF- and played from behind all year. You may not consider a win against a team lower than Ryukyu in the standings as a significant achievement but considering the history between these clubs, and how that fits into this season, it was a huge win for Ryukyu.

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

1. Match Day 5 Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu GK Junto Taguchi: While Tanaka’s efforts shouldn’t go unnoticed, neither should Taguchi’s efforts be lost in the box score. Taguchi made save after save in the first half to keep the score level and continued to pile up the big saves in the second half.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Slay the Dragon. Likelihood 4. And they did. Ryukyu overcame a deficit for the first time all year and responded well in the face of adversity. The minor details matter in any season and this win was huge for Ryukyu for so many reasons. You cannot quantify this stat, but I want you to understand how important this win was for Ryukyu mentally to score, come from behind, and defeat an opponent they have never beat in two seasons. Only four more opponents to go in that category.

4. Prediction

Well I said we’d win by 1 goal at least. Season Record 3-0-2.

5. Talking Points

1. Playing as a unit. Ryukyu have shown a penchant this year for picking each other up when one member is having a bad day at the office. This week it was Chinen’s turn to have a forgettable movement, but both the team and then Chinen responded accordingly. Chinen slipped and allowed JEF to penetrate our defense, to which Okazaki also slipped on the turf though I am not sure where he was recovering to after he got to his feet, and then JEF finally had a wide-open shooting lane to score. Chinen, Yong Jick, and Numata more than made up for that early discretion with their defending at the end by clearing balls, blocking shots, closing down shooting lanes and marking men. Chinen will use this game as teaching lesson and will respond accordingly, don’t worry about him.  

Photo Credit: J League. The Captain Uesato picking Chinen up after the game. Chinen responded well to an earlier mishap, evidence of the weight lifted off the teams shoulders from that win.

It should also be noted how the team responded to adversity. We already noted Numata, Yong Jick and Chinen in defense, but it was Tanaka in the attack. Ryukyu played from behind for all of 3 minutes before taking the lead for good within 5 minutes of JEF’s opening goal. Tanaka’s two crosses were met by Abe and Shintaro Shimizu and though the crosses were on target, the two forwards had a lot to do with them when they arrived. I spoke earlier in the week how it was good for Shintaro to play in the reserve games to get firing and it paid off this week. Abe for his part, is the best finisher in this league.

2. A game of missed opportunities. According to my count, JEF missed 6 golden opportunities to Ryukyu’s 3. Abe missed two early from tough bounces and being wrong footed, and also Ikeda missed a wide-open header early, but JEF had many great looks on net yesterday that ultimately sailed high and wide. The two misses by JEF near the end sealed their fate.

3. Send me everyone! JEF made a single substitution of 5 players at one time. I’ve never seen this and that had to be unsettling to a team when you replace half of the outfield players. Maybe it was an act of desperation in an attempt to equalize, but Higuchi was able to respond by also inserting Yong-Jick and allow both Uehara and Yong Jick to mark Salomon on all set pieces near the end.

4. I think the early cracks are visible on how to break down Ryukyu. I love Tanaka’s aggressiveness and assertiveness in the attack, but I think teams are starting to realize that attacking down the right, and left, might be this team’s Achilles heel. I am not saying that Tanaka cannot defend, or won’t, but that teams are starting to realize Ryukyu prefer to attack from the flanks, lack the thrust through the middle, and over commit at times down the sides may open up us in new ways. I have no clue how to remedy this as this puts all the pressure on the CBs and CDMs to cover the back when Ryukyu commit to the attack, but everything is working right now so no need to tinker with the formula for success.

6. Match Day 5 in J2

The Niigata battering ram continued along its path of destruction by dismantling Tokyo Verdy 7-0. The amount of goals scored by Niigata in that single game is more than 13 teams have scored all year in J2! It was kind of a disappointing weekend for some of the favorites as Nagasaki, Kofu, Kyoto, and Yamagata all lost.

Transfermarkt

7. Conclusion

With one more win FC Ryukyu will set the club’s single season record for consecutive wins. But that is no easy ask despite their opponent, Omiya Ardija, being one that Ryukyu have experienced many fortuitous results against in their short time in J2. Just like this week with Ryukyu needing to cross a major obstacle in JEF, Omiya too will be looking to exorcise some ghosts of years past against Ryukyu.

Would you have agreed to take the 15 points Ryukyu have earned at the start of the season if you knew it would pay dividends later when it comes to a relegation scrap? Do you know that FC Ryukyu are 1 of only 5 teams to win their opening 4 fixtures and not get promoted that year (2019)? Do you believe that 6 of 7 teams who opened the J2 season with 5 consecutive wins have gone on to earn promotion? I don’t want FC Ryukyu to be the second team in that stat to not to earn promotion. What do you believe about FC Ryukyu?