Tag: giravanz kitakyushu

MD24 Report: Giravanz Kitakyushu vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu moved into third place in the table with a come from behind 2-1 victory over Giravanz Kitakyushu last night. Ryukyu started this game really slow and made many of us wonder how, with three weeks to prepare for this game, could they look so bad? The game seemed destined for disappointment when two Ryukyu shots from Koya Kazama and Shintaro Shimizu, hit the post early in the second half. But newly signed Hidetoshi Takeda put his stamp on the game when he leveled the match for Ryukyu on a spectacular free kick, followed by a rising header from Shintaro Shimizu to put Ryukyu in the lead for good.

  1. Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 24 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Photo credit: FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu GK Kosuke Inose: Inose may have been caught leaning the wrong direction on the lone goal he conceded, but he was in really good form last night. That included a diving one hand save to keep FC Ryukyu in the match, while also not surrendering a second goal from the other 15 shots Kitakyushu managed to put on net.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory

1. Work harder than Kitakyushu. Likelihood 4. It certainly didn’t start out like that as Giravanz was in complete control of the first half after only 5-minutes. They held Ryukyu to just 2 shots (1 on target) and things were looking grim for Ryukyu fans. But Ryukyu turned things around in the second half and looked the better side the remainder of the match.

4. Prediction

Went with a 3-1 score line for Ryukyu, that they nearly achieved, but it is wins for everyone this week! Season Record 7-6-11.

5. Talking Points from Round 24

1. The debutants. Higuchi switched back to the 4-2-3-1 formation that Ryukyu used for a majority of the season until injuries decimated the squad. Nakagawa was back in his natural CAM role with newly signed fullback, Takashi Kanai, making his debut at right back. I am not sure what prompted Higuchi to move Kanai from his natural, or main, position of left back to right back, while still starting Uehara in defense on the opposite side. That’s two players playing in different positions for the first time this season and probably why Kitakyushu had their way with the Ryukyu back line. FC Ryukyu have three right backs, Torikai, Makito, and Tavares, to go along with Shinya who played right back the previous two matches, who should be healthy and could have easily allowed Kanai an easier transition into the lineup. I really don’t agree with this move by Higuchi though Kanai did his best and a had a few nice crosses into the box last night.

However, the man who made the most impact during his debut was Hidetoshi Takeda who opened his scoring account with Ryukyu after only 20-minutes on the pitch. Takeda sent a beautiful curler past the Giravanz keeper to provide a much-needed injection of confidence into the side last night. It should be exciting to watch this player over the course of the remaining 18-games.

2. Turned it on right when they needed it the most. Ryukyu were completely outplayed and under serious amounts of pressure from Giravanz during the first half. Kitakyushu tallied 16 shots, 9 on target, to that of Ryukyu’s 2/1. Inose was about the only player doing much of anything that first half and was a big reason why Ryukyu were able to see out the win. Takeda’s introduction came at the expense of Nakagawa, but it wouldn’t be right to say that Kazaki had a bad game as nobody was doing anything for this side in the first half. The sudden uptick in play by Ryukyu coincided with the two changes Higuchi made with the aforementioned Takeda and Shintaro Shimizu returning to the lineup after serving his one game suspension for violating the team’s rules during COVID-19.

3. Abe is becoming more valuable as a set up man than a goal poacher. Abe registered his second assist in as many games, bringing his total to five in his last five games, with a tremendous cross that seemed to hang in the air for days to allow Shintaro to rise and get on the end of it for Ryukyu’s second goal. The man hasn’t complained at all since not scoring in what is going on two and a half months now and never shows any real frustration at the lack of service, he is accustomed to receiving. Perhaps we could see him drop back to just behind the striker in more of a central attacking role to free him up a bit.

4. FC Ryukyu need to get Mizuki Ichimaru more involved. Koki Kazama and Yu Tomidokoro started the match yesterday but none of their performances really stood out. I think Ichimaru deserves a start and we should rotate Yu and Koki until Uesato’s return from injury.

5. A vital 3-points following a rough stretch of results for Ryukyu. Ryukyu needed this win, one which I hope will allow them to course correct and get back to some winning football. Many of the top sides have dropped points the past three rounds and the real shame is to think where Ryukyu would be in the standings with even one of those games against Omiya or Sagamihara ending in a win instead of a loss and a draw.

6. Round 24 in J2

Kyoto Sanga was able to escape their game against FC Machida Zelvia with a 2-1 win, but both Jubilo Iwata and Albirex Niigata surrendered extra time goals and ended up with draws. Niigata’s was particularly brutal as they took the lead in the 94′ minute only to concede sixty second later. Kitakyushu’s loss to Ryukyu drops them from 19th to 21st as the other bottom five sides all drew on Monday night. The Zweigen Kanazawa versus V-Varen Nagasaki match was called off due to inclement weather and I don’t have a date for when it will be rescheduled.

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7. Conclusion

Job done and now the boys return home, to another empty stadium, to take on 11th place FC Mito Hollyhock. Every victory Ryukyu can earn until a majority of their front line starters return is so important. Of the remaining three games this month, the biggest test will come in the form of Montedio Yamagata away, but Ryukyu have been clawing for results for awhile now which makes the home game in just four days a big one.

MD24 Preview: (19) Giravanz Kitakyushu vs (4) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

And we’re back! FC Ryukyu resume their 2021 campaign after a three week break for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Ryukyu will travel to 19th placed Giravanz Kitakyushu looking to to get back to their winning ways that have escaped them the past few weeks while the side deals with a multitude of injuries to key personnel. For their part, Giravanz will look to continue the trend of teams in the relegation zone nicking points against FC Ryukyu like SC Sagamihara and Omiya Ardija have done in consecutive weeks leading up to the break. There are 19 games remaining in the 2021 season and FC Ryukyu’s hopes for promotion are hanging on by the thinnest of threads which makes every game, especially those against lower ranked sides, crucial.

  1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Info
  2. Previous Round Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • Giravanz Kitakyushu
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 24 in J2
  7. Conclusion
giravanz kitakyushu versus fc ryukyu

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

No change from the way things before when we entered the break, AKA, no visiting FC Ryukyu fans allowed.

Click>>> Match Day 24 Info from Giravanz Kitakyushu

2. Previous Round Highlights

V-Varen Nagasaki 3-2 Giravanz Kitakyushu
Omiya Ardija 2-2 FC Ryukyu

3. Team Previews

Giravanz Kitakyushu: I don’t have may notes for this side, but I also tread lightly when making disparaging remarks on our opponents as we end up dropping points when I do. Zero wins in their last five; 3/4 of their wins came within a stretch of 5 games between rounds 12 and 16; and only 1 win at home.

I literally have five lines of notes from watching Giravanz’s last 5 games. They surrender early and often with the only goals scored during this stretch occurring last round at Nagasaki The most exciting play during these games was watching a Kitakyushu player headbutt the goal post when attempting to defend a set piece/corner kick. I literally switched off after that as a casual fan watching what looked to be 11 men doing whatever they want without any direction. I hope that by addressing the talking down of a club it will reverse the curse of terrible results for Ryukyu when I have done it in the past. Perhaps Kitakyushu loaded up in the transfer window, but I don’t know. Consult the experts over at the J-Talk Extra Time please.

FC Ryukyu: What’s done is done, I am referring to the one point earned from a possible six against the two lowest ranked teams in the table as FC Ryukyu have to push forward into a must win game game against Giravanz Kitakyushu. FC Ryukyu have to be one of, if not the most, hardest hit sides when it comes to injuries this season as they’ve been without six of their original starting members for quite some time. But they did dip their toes into the summer transfer window for reinforcements and I believe their is a strong possibility of seeing two of them make their debut for Ryukyu on Monday night, along with a possible return of Dany Carvajal in net.

Despite being tied for second in the league when it comes to goals scored, the Ryukyu attack has been lurching forward in fits and spurts. Ryukyu were shut out four times in their first seventeen games but have suffered two shutouts inside their last five games. What’s worse is that they’ve become accustomed to surrendering quick equalizers shortly after taking the lead in games but that has to because they’ve lost 4 out of the 5 starting members of the back line and goalie. Hopefully the newly signed Takashi Kanai from Ventforet Kofu can provide a boost to the much maligned Ryukyu defense and start providing the crosses our attackers need, that, to be brutally honest, we haven’t seen from Numata all season.

Prior to the break Kazaki Nakagawa was starting to round into form and I hope Higuchi continues to employ the man in the attacking or central mid field role moving forward. Nakagawa has found it hard to break into the starting eleven since rejoining this side in the offseason, but he could be the catalyst this side needs to make a strong push for promotion. Last game he was making plays all over the pitch and once he regains his touch on shots and passes, look out. It will be a good problem for FC Ryukyu when Ren Ikeda returns from his fractured spine, if he can return to the form he was in pre-injury, but Ryukyu (Higuchi in particular) needs to find a way to incorporate on-loan Hidetoshi Takeda into the team.

That will be no easy task as Takeda’s natural position, Right Mid-Field, is currently occupied by Koya Kazama, so who drops out to shoehorn in this electric player? Will he be used primarily to spell Koya near the end of games to keep both players fresh and lethal in the attack? Or will Higuchi try something bold and use him in RB position, much like he did with Tanaka starting in 2020, to overload the attack and go all out for promotion this season? There is no time for hesitation or playing it safe these days.

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. Work harder than Kitakyushu. Likelihood 4. What else you want me to say? We’ve beat them 3-0 just 5 games ago and there is nothing there to be concerned about. Other than our now persistent switching off after scoring, but even then, Kitakyushu looks a mess.

5. Prediction

Giravanz have been shutout seven times at home this season, four in a row leading up to tomorrow’s match; they have only won once at the Mikuni World Stadium in 2021, and have conceded multiple goals in half of their home games. I think the introduction of some new players into the Ryukyu lineup, coupled with Nakagawa’s resurgence, could see FC Ryukyu take this one 3-1 tomorrow. Season Record 6-6-11.

6. Round 24 in J2

League leaders (1) Kyoto Sanga FC take on (7) FC Machida Zelvia this round with (2) Jubilo Iwata traveling to (5) Ventforet Kofu, which is also the Free broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel this week. (3) Albirex Niigata restart their season at home to (22) Omiya Ardija and elsewhere there are some bottom of the table clashes with massive relegation implications with (22) SC Sagamihara hosting (17) Tochigi SC and (18) Thespakusatsu Gunma welcoming in (20) Ehime FC for a six point swing contest.

Click>>> J.League International YouTube Channel

7. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu need a quick injection of confidence and there is no better way to do that than earning a win on the road. They’ve had three weeks to prepare for this game, as did Giravanz, so there really should be no excuses for the offense not scoring goals, the defense meshing to prevent the lapses that have sunk us the past few weeks and someone stepping into the captain’s role while Uesato is recovering from injury. Got to have it tomorrow lads, got to have it!

MD18 Report: FC Ryukyu vs Giravanz Kitakyushu #FC琉球

Intro

Behind closed doors and under some poor weather, FC Ryukyu notched their 11th win of the campaign with an emphatic 3-0 win over Giravanz Kitakyushu. Ryukyu had two players earn multiple points but it was the surprise performance from Inose that caught my eye. The win keeps Ryukyu near the top of the table but provided a much needed boost to the psyche of this team more than anything else.

Photo Credit: @iritettsu40
  1. Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 18 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Photo Credit: FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu Mid Fielder Koya Kazama: Koya scored his first goal of the season, which was all Ryukyu needed for the win, added his second later in the game, and set up Tanaka for the cross on Ryukyu’s third goal. He almost had a hat-trick but he pushed the shot high from about 8-yards out on goal. There were multiple strong performances from Inose in net as well as Chinen in defense, but scoring a brace to carry the team to victory deserves all the credit.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. No mental lapses after scoring. Likelihood 4. An obvious yes after Ryukyu secured their first clean sheet in 5 games.

2. Protect Inose with multiple goals. Likelihood 2. Yes, though Ikeda’s day was cut short due to injury, Kiyotake didn’t do all that well, but Koya Kazama had a huge day yesterday.

4. Prediction

Thought this one would end in a 2-2 draw but the boys had other ideas. Season Record 6-4-8.

5. Talking Points from Round 18

1. Not only a scoring outburst yesterday, but an emotional one as well. Ryukyu needed a performance like that yesterday and the boys really wore their emotions on their sleeves. Obviously with no fans in attendance it was easy to hear the release of frustration, anger and jubilation after so many big plays from Ryukyu. Most notably was Koya after finally scoring for the first time this year and commenting after the game that they knew they had to win this match to stay in the hunt. Then there was the play made by Chinen to keep FC Ryukyu’s clean sheet intact. Watch the video below.

2. Speaking of big performances, Inose was spectacular. You can also add in Keita Tanaka who grabbed two assists yesterday when won the ball back in the Kitakyushu end and smartly picked out Koya in the opening half. Then he found Shintaro Shimizu with a perfectly weighted cross in the second. But it was the performance from the Ryukyu #3 GK Inose that really stood out. Inose made a fine save in the opening half, tipped another one over the bar in the second that doesn’t show up on the highlight reel, and then stopped a penalty kick at the end. It was encouraging to see such an effort from a 20-year old player making only his third start in J2.

3. Yong Jick looked a little too relaxed out there. He committed an early turnover that was almost costly and then was the offending party on the Kitakyushu PK when he stuck his arm out in what I can only assume was to block the Kitakyushu player behind him but ended up touching the ball. Ryukyu can get away with that stuff against lesser sides but will not be so lucky against better teams. Unfortunately, we’ll have to deal with this stuff for another few weeks until Okazaki returns.

4. Abe was once again doing his thing but couldn’t grab a goal. He came close in the first half when his chip rang the crossbar but that’s about it. However, he was doing everything we needed him to do on both ends of the pitch. Seeing him subbed off around the 60’ each week maybe a good thing as we’ll need him as close to 100% every game moving forward.

5. A goal from a CK? Yes! A rare site indeed for this club but Uesato picked out Koya who buried the header to put the game out of reach.

6. Yet another injury to a member of the Ryukyu starting eleven. Ren Ikeda took a nasty fall following a challenge on a ball in the air when he contacted Kitakyushu player, sent tumbling downwards landing on his back, and was unable to continue after several minutes on the ground and brief return to the match. Hopefully this is nothing more than some soreness that will lead to a stiff back all week as we really cannot afford to be without Ren’s services for an extended period of time.

7. A very important win. With some of the clubs ahead of Ryukyu in the standings dropping points, the 3-points keeps Ryukyu in the race and cuts the lead to just 1-point. It also pushes Ryukyu 7-points clear of 5th place Kofu. Despite what some might think of the opponent this week, Ryukyu needed to bust the slump they were in and gain some confidence back. It was never a given that Ryukyu would easily take this match, not with all the injuries and recent results, so grabbing a win when they needed it the most was uplifting.

6. Round 18 in J2

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There was plenty of activity inside the J2 table this week with Jubilo Iwata usurping Albirex Niigata in second place following their fifth consecutive victory, 1-0 over a 10-man Ventforet Kofu, and with Albirex Niigata losing 0-1 at home to Fagiano Okayama following a very controversial goal by the guests. Kyoto Sanga conceded a late equalizer at home to Thespakusatsu Gunma (2-2) but moved into first place based on goal differential. FC Machida Zelvia’s 0-2 loss at home to Blaublitz Akita means there is a 7-ppoint gap at the top for the top four teams.

Despite Omiya earning a point at home to Tochigi SC, they find themselves logged at the bottom with SC Sagamihara who lost on the road at Mito Hollyhock. There seems to be a 4-team race to avoid the drop between Matsumoto Yamaga, Gunma, Kitakyushu, and Ehime FC with Ehime looking the worst off of the bunch. There is still plenty of games to play and these four teams are not separated by many points and others just above them in the table could find themselves in similar circumstances as the season progresses.

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7. Conclusion

Ryukyu are now three points shy of the 40-point mark which puts them nearly halfway to 80, a mark that Higuchi threw out at the start of the season and one likely required to keep pace with the other three teams at the top. Truly unbelievable, but there is no time to rejoice and bask in our achievements as we haven’t accomplished anything yet. Ryukyu travel to Fagiano Okayama next week, who themselves are coming off an emotional win of their own. Fagiano are a stingy defensive side and we all saw what happened to Ryukyu when they faced a similar defensive team in Akita.

MD18 Preview: (4) FC Ryukyu vs (18) Giravanz Kitakyushu #FC琉球

Intro

It seems the temperature, and pressure, down here in Okinawa are ratcheting UP simultaneously for FC Ryukyu. Ryukyu now sit fourth in the table after failing to win last week at Akita when they conceded an extra time goal just thirty seconds after taking the lead. Ryukyu have been hit hard by the injury bug this season as they are down to their third string goal keeper and will be without the services of Ryohei Okazaki for another six weeks. That means they’ll really need to pile on the goals this week to avoid falling 6 points clear of the leaders. Giravanz Kitakyushu enter the match having lost their previous two games this week. One of which was a 0-1 home defeat to SC Sagamihara in the Emperors Cup. Prior to those losses, Kitakyushu had won two games in a row in the league, earned 9 points in the month of May, and pulled themselves out of the relegation zone. But they sit precariously close to the bottom four and would love to steal some points on the road at Ryukyu.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • Giravanz Kitakyushu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 18 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

This will be FC Ryukyu’s first home game this year – and hopefully the last but it is not looking good – to be played ‘behind closed doors.’ Also known as Remote Cheering on DAZN. It was a nice gesture by the club to accept banners from the supporters via mail to hang inside the stadium this weekend and a Big thank you goes out to Head Supporter Hiroaki Ikema @cafedecampnou for contacting the club to set that up, though I gave him a slight nudge in that direction to ask (#shamelessplug). At least no fans will have to suffer through what looks to be terrible weather conditions for the match.

2. Previous Match Highlights

Blaublitz Akita 1-1 FC Ryukyu
Giravanz Kitakyushu 0-2 Jubilo Iwata

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu struggled mightily last week, as have many teams in J2 this season, to break the Akita lines and secure a victory on the road. Ryukyu started slowly, and were committing turnovers all over the pitch which nearly gifted Akita the game. Ryukyu turned things around in the second half thanks to Takuma Abe breaking the deadlock in the 92′ with a nice give-and-go effort past the Akita keeper. However, much like the week prior at Niigata, Ryukyu “switched off” for a bit and allowed Akita to drive the length of the field on 2 passes and put the equalizer past Inose, who was filling in for the injured Junto Taguchi who will miss the next 3 months with a broken finger.

Ryukyu are in the midst of a summer/mid-season slump as they’ve only won once in their last six games. There was a point following the Kyoto match where Ryukyu could have really put some distance between themselves and their competition as the schedule was quite favorable for Ryukyu. However, draws at Ehime and Akita, with two consecutive losses lumped in between, resulted in Ryukyu squandering any shot at having the other teams play catchup and now find themselves chasing the leaders.

It should come as no surprise that this dip in form coincides with multiple injuries to the Ryukyu starting eleven. Ryukyu are down to their third string goal keeper, Inose, are without starting CB Okazaki for the next month and half, and were without Abe for a brief period when they lost at home for the first time all year to Montedio Yamagata. Ryukyu also conceded 8 goals within in their past 6 games which exceeded their total number of goals conceded in their first 12. We should all prepare ourselves to see a team more like the ones from 2019 and 2020 than the one that started the season so well. But that requires a massive uptick in offense for a side that has managed to score more than one goal in a game only twice in their last 8 games.

In seasons past, when defending was very questionable, Ryukyu could at least control large portions of games, create several goal scoring chances, and lean on their offense. That will need to be the case for the foreseeable future until they can get healthy at the back. The lone bit of good news this week was the lineup that Higuchi ran out during the Emperors Cup match on Wednesday. Though Ryukyu lost 0-1 to Matsumoto Yamaga, it was encouraging to see so many players, who we may have thought were dealing with injury, feature in that game. The notable player that was absent from the roster, and who has been an enigma all year, was Kazaki Nakagawa. We are nearly at the halfway point of the season and the on-loan, former Ryukyu player, has mustered a measly 34 minutes played in his only appearance. I have no clue what is going on there but it is seriously deflating to see a player of his caliber left off the roster each week.

Giravanz Kitakyushu: Giravanz started the yearly slowly by winning only one of their opening eleven games. Since then, they’ve managed to earn three victories which has pulled them, however briefly, out of the relegation zone. This is definitely not the same Kitakyushu squad that held Ryukyu to one goal scored across two games including a 4-0 drubbing of Ryukyu at home last season. Giravanz had a large amount of departures in the offseason, some on full transfers with a majority of their on-loan players returning to their parent clubs. That heavy turnover is probably why Giravanz have struggled to earn points this season, and why they will continue to struggle to remain in the J2 next season.

Kitakyushu went 2-0-3 in their last five games with the two wins coming against Omiya Ardija at home and FC Machida Zelvia away. They suffered consecutive defeats to V-Varen Nagasaki and Tokyo Verdy and lastly to Jubilo Iwata at home. They also lost their midweek Emperors Cup match 0-1 at home to SC Sagamihara. The game against Nagasaki came down to the wire with the guests pulling out the victory thanks to a 93′ goal in stoppage time. Giravanz conceded two second half goals the following week to Verdy and that was all the hosts needed to see out the win. The match with Omiya started out as an ugly one as both sides conceded own goals to keep the game level at 1-1. Then, Giravanz turned it on in the second half, looked far better than they had the previous two games, and ended up scoring two really nice goals to win 3-1.

Giravanz scored in the opening two minutes of their match with Zelvia and then hug on for dear life. Zelvia came close on numerous occasions but Giravanz were bailed out by the post/crossbar, a little bit of luck, and some fine goal keeping. If Kitakyushu were fortunate to beat Zelvia 1-0 with all the breaks going their way, they were unfortunate the following week when they ended up hitting the post or seeing their shots stopped by the Iwata goal keeper. Giravanz surrendered two first half goals to Iwata and couldn’t garner any luck like they did the previous week falling 0-2 at home.

When these two teams first met last season, Ryukyu were higher up in the table with Giravanz near the bottom, albeit, after only two games into the season. However, the 4-0 win by Giravanz sparked a nice run for our guests this week when they only lost 2 games over their next 18 matches. Giravanz can be a tricky side that plays up to their competition and can earn some nice results, but they are more prone to poor performances most of the time. They will certainly look to steal a point on the road this week with a weakened FC Ryukyu 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. No mental lapses after scoring. Likelihood 4. It is odd that this one must be included in this week’s key to victories but after having seen Ryukyu concede goals shortly after scoring themselves in consecutive weeks, it must be stated. Considering the circumstances, I think Ryukyu will be cognizant of this problem this week and all that really needs to be done is a quick word from the team captain Uesato to the team following any Ryukyu goals on Sunday.

2. Protect Inose with multiple goals. Likelihood 2. It goes without saying that Ryukyu really need the offense to carry the load tomorrow. Giravanz routinely gets torn apart at the back by their opponent’s attacking midfielders so this game sets up really nice for Ikeda, Koya and Kiyotake, who could stretch Kitakyushu with quick passes in and around the 18-yard box. There is also the possibility we see Ryukyu take advantage of Giravanz on set pieces and corners as these two areas are where Kitakyushu concede a majority of their goals.

5. Prediction

Giravanz perform much better on the road than they do at home as they have two more road wins this season compared to playing at home. Outside of a lopsided 6-1 defeat to Kyoto Sanga on the road, Giravanz are pretty stingy when it comes to conceding goals. Ryukyu really need to rebound with a win this week in order to keep pace with the teams at the top. But, with all the injuries, and with Inose making his third start of the season, I feel this game will end in a 2-2 draw with Ryukyu conceding the equalizer late in what should be a spirited game. Season Record 6-4-7.

6. Round 18 in J2

All Times Listed are JST

(1) Albirex Niigata will host (16) Fagiano Okayama who have only won once in their last six games. (2) Kyoto Sanga FC will host (19) Thespakusatsu Gunma who are undefeated in their last four with two consecutive wins. (4) Jubilo Iwata versus (6) Ventforet Kofu is the game this week with the most on the line with both clubs so close to one another in the standings. The free broadcast this week on the J-League International YouTube channel will be (9) JEF United Chiba vs. (10) Tokyo Verdy.

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

7. Conclusion

Ryukyu need a slump buster in the worst way and Giravanz could be just what the doctor ordered after a tough few weeks. Ryukyu must do all they can to keep pace with the teams at the top until they can return to full health and that means earning wins over teams they should beat. But that won’t be easy as they’ve shown little offensive output in the past six games but all that could change with a big win tomorrow. So long as Ryukyu can keep the point game at the top between 3-5 points, they’ll have a good chance of making things interesting down the stretch. But the task at hand is to win the winnable game directly in front of them, and to look good while doing it.