Tag: higuchi

MD22 Preview: (3) FC Ryukyu vs (22) SC Sagamihara #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu have a golden opportunity to extend their winning streak to three games this weekend when they face the bottom side SC Sagamihara at home. Ryukyu are in the midst of their most favorable schedule for their remaining fixtures and need to continue to hold serve with the league leaders by defeating a team that is struggling mightily this year. It will not be like the first time these two teams met this season when Ryukyu hit five past Sagamihara as Ryukyu are still dealing with a bevy of injuries to both the attack and back line.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • SC Sagamihara
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 22 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

Could be a very muggy evening for football. Hope the boys are hydrated. The state of emergency in Okinawa has been extended to August 22nd which means no fans in the stands for at least the next two home games.

Match Day 22 Info from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Highlights

Zweigen Kanazawa 1-2 FC Ryukyu
SC Sagamihara 0-0 Giravanz Kitakyushu

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu have won three out of their last four games in which they’ve managed to score more than two goals in all three of those victories. The lone blemish on that record was the 0-3 defeat they suffered to Fagiano Okayama. During a time when Ryukyu really need the offense to lead this team, they have responded to the call. It also helps that the fixture list has been favorable to Ryukyu the past few rounds as well as the next three games including this one.

FC Ryukyu own one of the best home records in J2 having suffered a single defeat to Montedio Yamagata on match day fifteen. They also own an impressive goals scored to conceded ratio in the eleven games, though they’ve conceded 80% of their total goals allowed in their last five home games. Still, with so many injuries to so many key players, what more can you ask for than earning wins either by hook or by crook.

Last week we saw the introduction of Makito Uehara at RB filling in for the injured Keita Tanaka who will be out for the next six weeks. Ryukyu didn’t concede a goal when Makito was in the lineup so it will be interesting to see if Higuchi gives the youngster another run out, in what could be a confidence boosting match, or he opts to start Yuya Torikai instead. I think it is 50/50 between how Makito’s strength, or Torikai’s experience, will match up with either Yuri or Hiramatsu from SC Sagamihara.

Though Abe hasn’t hit the back of the net in five games, he is flourishing in Ryukyu’s 4-4-2 formation with three assists in his last two games. Abe is far off his pace last season when he scored 10 times before the halfway point, but I think he can turn things around in time for the big month of September. For his part, Koya Kazama has been red hot as of late scoring three goals and adding one assist in his last four games. With Tanaka out, he will be the main set up man down the right side of the Ryukyu attack. Last week saw the first point by Kazaki Nakagawa in a Ryukyu uniform since 2019. Though the point alone doesn’t justify switching back to a 4-2-3-1 with Nakagawa in the CAM role, I hope it was enough to get him more involved in matches moving forward. Getting him going, along with Abe, could lead to some of those high scoring games we’ve seen at Ryukyu when he was paired with Koji Suzuki in 2019, and when Yoshio Koizumi was paired with Takuma Abe in 2020.

SC Sagamihara: It has been a rough first year in the J2 for SC Sagamihara. Things started out promising for this side, earning 10 of their 13 points this season in their opening 10 fixtures, along with achieving some unexpected results (the 2-2 draw with Niigata), but Sagamihara has not won since round 10 and has managed to score only four goals since that time. Sagamihara did make one managerial change this year already but former Omiya Ardija manager, Takuya Takagi, has yet to improve the standing of this club who has lost three times and drawn twice in his first five games in charge. Though he was at the helm for their Emperors Cup win over Giravanz Kitakyushu.

Sagamihara lost three times in a row and then drew twice in their last five matches. They surrendered an early first half goal to V-Varen Nagasaki before looking the better side the remainder of the game with a majority of the chances on net. Their two goal loss to Mito Hollyhock highlighted how disorganized Sagamihara can be at the back with this side being pulled apart for the opening goal with the second being a long ball over the top where the Mito attacker had a 50-yard breakaway.

Two second half goals was all that Tokyo Verdy needed to see out their win over SC Sagamihara with the first stemming form a corner kick where Akihiko Takeshige forgot where he was in relation to the goal when his save carried him into the net, followed by more chaotic defending that led to another goal. Sagamihara managed to level their match with Blaublitz Akita in the 68′ minute when Reoto Kodama, fresh from his transfer from Sagan Tosu (who managed to hurt himself in the moments following the goal), which was the only goal Sagamihara has scored in the last five games. But it was Kota’s Hoshi missed opportunity to put the team ahead, much like he has done on several occasions this season, that consigned this team to a draw, but first point in six matches.

The bottom of the table clash between SC Sagamihara and Giravanz Kitakyushu ended in a scoreless draw with both sides trading chances throughout the match, though it was Giravanz who looked as if they might score from the frenetic defending on set pieces by Sagamihara at the end. Perhaps the recent run of form – consecutive draws and taking Urawa to the break in the Emperors Cup match in the midweek – has allowed a little bit of confidence to sneak back into this team. But for the most part, SC Sagamihara seem destined for the drop and ripe for the picking.

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. Do not sleep on Sagamihara. Likelihood 4. Probably the biggest key to victory this week as it would be very easy for Ryukyu to look past Sagamihara, who, to their credit, own one of the poorest away records and goal scoring ratios in the league. But, with points at a premium these days, and with only two games to go before an extended break, Ryukyu need to win this game in the first half, sub in some guys who need some match minutes, and possibly continue the streak of scoring 5 goals against SC Sagamihara. Just like they’ve done the previous three matches against this opponent.

2. Take full advantage of the chaos that is the Sagamihara defense. Likelihood 4. It isn’t pretty back there with players constantly caught out of position, multiple changes at goal keeper, and a general lack of organization from Sagamihara the past few weeks. The Ryukyu attacking players should have ample space and opportunity to operate on Sunday and it hurts that Keita Tanaka won’t be there to carve them up with his crosses.

3. Win the battle against the two strikers of Sagamihara, win the match. Likelihood 4. Though Juri was sent to the bench last week, he is a big powerful striker that will give fits to our back line. I think Chinen is up to the task, but there is no telling how our fullbacks and other center back will respond to this player. Ryukyu also need to be mindful of Kodama, and Hiramatsu – their leading scorer (3) – if he makes the squad.

5. Prediction

SC Sagamihara hasn’t conceded more than two goals in a game since their first match with FC Ryukyu back in early May. They also haven’t scored more than one goal in a game since early April while being shutout twelve times in twenty-one games. Ryukyu on the other hand has been on a bit of a goal scoring tear the past few rounds. Though I really want to hit the smash button for a large Ryukyu win, based on my past tendencies and track record, I think it is best I keep it somewhat conservative. I think this one ends 3-1 in favor of Ryukyu considering these aren’t the same two teams who already faced each other this season. Season Record 6-5-10.

6. Round 22 in J2

All the games this round kickoff on Sunday evening. The top fours sides all have matches against teams at, or near, the bottom of the table, as do the teams chasing the leaders with the lone exception being (8) FC Machida Zelvia hosting (12) FC Mito Hollyhock. The free broadcast this week will feature (2) Kyoto Sanga FC traveling to (18) Giravanz Kitakyushu. Click>>> J.League Int’l YouTube Channel.

7. Conclusion

With the very real possibility of none of the other three tops sides dropping points this round, nor the group of teams just behind Albirex Niigata, FC Ryukyu need to continue their fine form at home by taking it to SC Sagamihara. For SC Sagamihara, this could be the first nail in their coffin as they face FC Machida Zelvia, Ventforet Kofu, Albirex Niigata and Jubilo Iwata in their next five matches following Ryukyu.

FC Ryukyu Mid Season Report #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu sit just outside the promotion zone in third place at the halfway point of 2021. Considering they’ve nearly matched their single season win total (14) in only 21 games, it is pretty amazing to see how far Ryukyu have come in only their third season in J2 under Yasuhiro Higuchi. For the most part, Ryukyu have been getting it done on the backs of some seasoned veterans with really strong performances by a select group of young players. Unfortunately for this side, they’ve also been required to deal with multiple injures to key starters that puts the notion of outright promotion in jeopardy.

I was not able to to do a midseason report last year with the condensed fixture schedule so I really wanted to get back to writing something other than the normal match day previews and reports. We will look at the state of the team heading into the halfway point as well as the biggest storylines of the season, the J2 league as a whole and the way forward for the club. I hope you enjoy it.

Squad Overview

FC Ryukyu rank third in the league with 13 different players having scored for this side in 2021. Most of the goals have come from our midfield players which FC Ryukyu ranks 1st in the league with 22 goals. However, they rank 14th in goals scored from forwards. Ryukyu has scored a total of 14 first half goals, good enough for 6th in the league, but their 22 second half goals is only behind Albirex Niigata’s 25. Ryukyu have surrendered 8 first half goals on the season which puts them in 6th place for that stat category, though the 12 goals they’ve conceded in the second half of games ranks 11th in the league.

Biggest Victory: 5-1 defeat of SC Sagamihara (Round 11)

Biggest Loss: 0-3 loss to FC Machida Zelvia (Round 9) & 0-3 loss to Fagiano Okayama (Round 19)

Most Important Win: 1-0 defeat of Jubilo Iwata (Round 1)

Most Deflating Loss: 1-2 loss to Albirex Niigata (Round 16)

The Games that got Away: 0-0 draw with Omiya Ardija (Round 6) & 1-1 draw with Ehime FC (Round 13)

Mid Season MVP

The short list included Junto Taguchi, Tetsuya Chinen and Keita Tanaka. Junto’s emergence began last year but he has been a revelation this season when he recorded 7 shutouts in the 16 games he played going 10-3-3 during that time. Unfortunately Taguchi suffered an injury that has kept him out the past 5 weeks and his play began to dip after the departure of Ryohei Okazaki at CB. Tetsuya Chinen has featured in every single game for Ryukyu this season and has been our best defender. He has yet to score from a set piece this season, but his defensive performances are some of the best in all of J2.

FC Ryukyu Midseason MVP Keita Tanaka Photo Credit: jleague.com

Prior to his recent injury, Keita Tanaka was on a torrid points pace having already contributed 9 assists and 2 goals before the halfway point. His pinpoint accuracy on crosses from the right side add another element to the already lethal FC Ryukyu attack. We desperately need him healthy before the month of September.

Young Player to Watch

Despite the strong performances from the veterans of this team, Ryukyu do have a nice pool of youthful talent. Junto Taguchi, Shunsuke Motegi, Mizuki Ichimaru are just 24 years old, with Tetsuya Chinen, Ren Ikeda at 23 years of age, and then there is Makito Uehara, only 22, and current Ryukyu goal keeper Kosuke Inose at just 20 years of age. If Ryukyu can lock these players up for the next few seasons they will have a very strong nucleus to build around in the coming seasons.

Much like the mid season MVP, both Junto Taguchi and Tetsuya Chinen made the short list here. Tetsuya is one of the most exciting young players we’ve had in our ranks in recent years as this side has never been know for producing defensive talent. He played sparingly in 2020 after joining from Kindai University but has taken his game to a whole other level this season. He can play contained while maintaining an aggressive streak; can win aerial duels; and is always making plays for this side when they need it the most. But the young player that everyone needs to watch, albeit upon his return from injury, is Ren Ikeda.

Ren Ikeda FC Ryukyu Young Player to Watch Photo Credit: jleague.com

Like Chinen in 2020, Ren joined FC Ryukyu from Takushoku University and featured in 38 games that year scoring 4 goals and adding 3 assists. He was asked to fill in at many different attacking positions that year and that is probably why he went 32 games without a goal. When Ryukyu came into this season, I for one thought it would be Kazaki Nakagawa leading Ryukyu through the central attacking midfield role, but it was Ren Ikeda who won the job outright and looked very good early on. In the 18 games that Ren has played this season he has scored 6 goals, 3 of which are considered match winners, and added 1 assist. His injury is a tricky one to return from and his rehabilitation may actually take longer than the initial timeline put forth by the club. The hope is that he can return to his preinjury form sometime in the month of September for a potential big push for promotion.

Early Story Lines from the 2021 Season

1. 80 points. In early February Manager Yasuhiro Higuchi put forth the challenge that this team needs to achieve 80-points this season to be considered for promotion. The number 80 represents a drastic uptick in points for a club that only ever achieved 49 points at this level in their past two seasons. If we considered how the team played the past two seasons when they surrendered 80, and then 61 goals, and only hit the 14-win plateau once, at the very least it meant we needed to double our highest ever win total at this level coincided with a drastic downturn in goals conceded. Ryukyu entered 2021 with limited marquee offseason signings – to go along with the departure of Yoshio Kazumi to Urawa – but they were able to keep a majority of the 2020 squad intact. A fact that is of great importance following the CV-19 ravaged season of 2020 when other clubs experienced a much more violent turnover. 

So far, things have gone better than expected as Ryukyu have turned into one of the better defensive sides in J2, though they have been undone lately due to injury, and they have nearly matched their win total from 2020 in the opening half of the season. They’ve also got some good performances out of Koki Kiyotake, who is enjoying his best statistical season in the past three years, as well as from Shintaro Shimizu. The only hard part for Ryukyu is that the target is so small this year with only two sides achieving promotion. Stuart of the @JTalKET so rightly said that “some teams have picked a bad year to have a bad season.” I would echo that sentiment and add that some teams will find themselves a bit unlucky to have a very good, but not great, season without the promotion playoffs. 80 points seems a bit low to achieve promotion in 2021 where the number of points needed could be closer to 90.

2. The battle for the Ryukyu #GK spot. Heading into the season everyone wanted to see who would win the competition between Dany Carvajal and Junto Taguchi for the starting GK spot at Ryukyu. Junto Taguchi won the battle and put in some phenomenal performances that has propelled Ryukyu to their current spot in the table, but like Dany Carvajal, he suffered an injury that has forced him to miss some time during a crucial part of Ryukyu’s season. This has forced Ryukyu to start 20-year-old Kosuku Inose at GK the past few rounds and while he has performed admirably at times, Ryukyu desperately need the veteran presence of either Taguchi or Dany back there after the Olympic break.

The good news is that we should see Dany emerge from his stress fracture in the next few weeks with Junto shortly behind. Ryukyu need both of these players pushing each other in training as without competition, some times complacency can set in.

3. Injuries have thrown promotion into doubt. The table below illustrates the damage that Ryukyu has suffered so far, and been forced to overcome in their quest for promotion. None of these injuries have been of the mild variety outside of Abe’s brief absence for a few weeks and some reports on players and staffers testing positive for CV-19. Both Abe and Makito Uehara dealt with injuries this season but both have returned to the lineup.

The fact that Ryukyu are down two of their top four scorers; two of their starting goalies; and one central defender, has put this team at or near the breaking point. In any season there will be injuries, but I feel some emerged from the rigors of training in between games whereas the oldest team in J2 probably needs more work on technical issues rather than physical preparation.

4. The Reserve League. FC Ryukyu entered the new J-League reserve league, known as the J-Elite league, which has given some of our reserve players valuable playing time. Ryukyu are currently 2-0 in the league with wins over Nagasaki and Fukuoka, but more importantly, it is keeping some of the reserve players that feature for Ryukyu from time-to-time match ready. It also provides an avenue for young players like, Koki Yushin, to gain some valuable match experience against senior level competition. Yushin played really well in his first game as a 16-year-old and the future looks bright for this player who is currently attending the U-16 Japan National team training camp.

5. FC Ryukyu sign their first ever player from Thailand. Sittichok Paso was signed on loan from Chonburi FC of the Thai league and was able to go through the J-League protocols to join FC Ryukyu in May. The U-23 Thai national team player has made on appearance at the senior level for the club but did score in the most recent J-Elite league match at Fukuoka. Ryukyu have switched formations to 4-4-2 as of late and this set up could allow Paso more playing time moving forward. Ryukyu also signed two players from Vietnam but for whatever reason, they’ve been unable to enter Japan, clear the 14-day protocols at the designated J-League facility, and ultimately join the club.

Snapshot of the J2 at the Break

@kyoemoon

To no one’s surprise, Kyoto Sanga FC finds themselves near the top of the table. Tipped by many to win the league outright in 2021, I do not see that juggernaut slowing down one bit. Jubilo Iwata sputtered off the line with 2 wins in their opening 5 matches before embarking on an impressive streak that has seen them only lose once since Match Day 6. Albirex Niigata led the league the longest this season before a bit of dip in form recently.

The second pack in the table consists of Ventforet Kofu, V-Varen Nagasaki, Montedio Yamagata, and FC Machida Zelvia. These teams have been a bit streaky at times this season but nonetheless are still in the hunt for promotion. I think Nagasaki was also one of the favorites of some to earn promotion after their strong finish in 2020, but things have not gone according to plan this year. Perhaps we see a team (Montedio Yamagata) emerge from this pack with a strong second half and secure one of the promotion spots.

The third and final pack is that of the teams facing relegation. SC Sagamihara was tipped by many to go straight back down to J3 and they’ve done nothing but reinforce that notion. Shockingly, or not, Omiya Ardija find themselves embroiled in this relegation battle but after going through several managerial changes this season, they may have just enough time to pull themselves out of it. Thespakusatsu Gunma have also changed managers after winning only once in their past twelve games. Another team that many expected to struggle is Giravanz Kitakyushu after a massive squad overhaul following the 2020 season. Ehime FC has been at or near the bottom for most of the season but are only separated by 4-points from 15th places Renofa Yamaguchi. Just like a team that could emerge from the pack for promotion, any number of the bottom seven sides could find themselves in J3 in 2022.

The Long Road Ahead

FC Ryukyu are probably in their most favorable set of fixtures for the remainder of the season. They open the second half of the season with 3 of the 4 bottom sides currently in J2, followed by games against two teams in the bottom half of the table with a very tough match against up and coming Montedio Yamagata mixed in. Of the top four teams, it is only Ryukyu who do not own a double-digit undefeated streak for this season.

Obviously these long stretches have propelled the top sides to their current spots, but some have already been broken and it seems unlikely that Iwata’s current form can continue unabated. Ryukyu have a chance, at least on paper, of matching their longest stretch of undefeated games (8) with the remaining fixtures this month and in August. Which all leads towards the make or break month of September for FC Ryukyu.

J.League

3-games against the top competition all of which are on the road. Hopefully by this time all of the currently injured Ryukyu starters are back to full fitness as too many dropped points in this month will likely end all thoughts of promotion. But if they do emerge from September unscathed, then they only have 3 tough fixtures to navigate over the remaining months.

Conclusion

There are certainly areas that this side needs to improve over the course of the second half of the season. Primarily their goals scored to conceded ratio away from Okinawa as they have some hugely important road games in the coming months. The club had a few brushes with CV-19 this season and are currently playing behind closed doors. While CV-19 may be a persistent threat until the players and staff are vaccinated, Ryukyu will return from the Olympic break to see no fans in the stands as the State of Emergency here in Okinawa has been extended until August 22nd, which, is unfortunate but necessary. Speaking of the break, it really couldn’t come at a better time for this club with all the injures and travel they’ve logged to date.

I think FC Ryukyu has done enough to hang around near the top and give themselves a punchers chance at promotion. They need to continue to pile up the wins during their remaining 10 home games while achieving some unexpected, in a good way, results on the road.

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.

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

Intro

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

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

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

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

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

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

Click>>> Match Day 15 Info from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Highlights

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

3. Team Previews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

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

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

5. Prediction

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

6. Round 15 in J2

All Times Listed are Japan Standard

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

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

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

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

7. Conclusion

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

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

Photo Credit: @fcr_info

Intro

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

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

1. Match Day Highlights

2. Man of the Match

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

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

4. Prediction

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

5. Talking Points from Round 13

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. Round 13 in J2

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

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

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7. Conclusion

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

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

Photo Credit: @cafedecampnou

Intro

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

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

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

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

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

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

4. Prediction

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

5. Talking Points from Match Day 12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. Round 12 in J2

Transfermarkt

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

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7. Conclusion

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

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 5 Preview: (11) JEF United Chiba vs (2) FC Ryukyu 3/27/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu are off to a dream start in 2021 but much like 2019, JEF United Chiba will look to put a quick stop to Ryukyu’s momentum. I certainly did not see Ryukyu achieving four wins from four at the start of the season and was rather content when they had won three in a row to open the campaign. I think Ryukyu took advantage of a strong V-Varen Nagasaki side that are simply struggling to put all the pieces together at the moment but, Ryukyu also looked really good in doing so. However, JEF is another set of obstacles altogether as of all the teams in J2, JEF really has Ryukyu’s number.

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

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

No complaints here. Looks like a lovely day for football.

Match Day Information from JEF United Chiba Website

2. Match Day 4 Recaps

Matsumoto Yamaga FC 0-1 JEF United Chiba
FC Ryukyu 3-1 V-Varen Nagasaki

3. Team Previews

JEF United Chiba: Where to begin? A team that has a long history? Yes. A team that has a recent history of success against FC Ryukyu? Yes. An organization and fan base with lofty expectations due to that lengthy history but always seem to fall short of expectations? Yes. Has JEF looked good in the 4 games leading up to this match? Not particularly. Can we say the same thing every time leading up to FC Ryukyu facing off with JEF, and yet Ryukyu still manage to lose? Unfortunately yes!

JEF are quite possibly the longest running joke in J2 for some of their past antics but whenever they play Ryukyu all of that is thrown out the window. A side by side comparison shows us that JEF owns roughly the same amount of possession in their past 4 games that Ryukyu’s opponents achieved (54%). However, FC Ryukyu are out shooting JEF by nearly 4 shots per game with at least 2 more of those shots being on target.

JEF has begun 2021 with one win, two draws and one loss under second year manager Jong-hwan Moon. When JEF opened the season at home against Kofu they displayed a bit of lackluster defending that allowed Kofu the freedom of movement and space to grab the early opener. JEF responded with a goal in the second half when Keita Buwanika rose high above the Kofu defense to bury a header. JEF then conceded a late PK but the goalie was able to stop the shot to keep the score line level. JEF were able to grab the early lead the following week at Ehime when defender Daisuke Suzuki sent a thunderous header past the Ehime keeper. But JEF allowed Ehime to hang around all game and once again the defense let them down when they needed them the most.

On match day 3 Blaublitz Akita came to Chiba and absolutely put it on JEF winning 2-0. JEF missed some chances during their counter attacks but they had no idea on how to break down the Akita defense despite the lopsided possession totals favoring JEF 71/39. JEF grabbed their first win of 2021 when they traveled to Matsumoto Yamaga FC by eking out a 1-0 victory in some rather poor conditions.

Averaging less than a goal a game, JEF are not a particularly strong team when you look at their results to date. They’ve only played one game this year when they had less than 50% possession but they are not doing much when they do have the ball. Against Ehime and Akita they were able to muster 10 total shots in each contest but were held to 5 against the stronger Kofu and Yamaga sides. JEF neither controls games or imposes their will on their opposition. They simply hope for breakthroughs to put themselves level or into the lead.

There is little doubt that JEF will want to start fast against Ryukyu by controlling a majority of the possession and chances, but this plays directly into Ryukyu’s strength as they are content on striking teams on the counter. And I am not sure JEF has the firepower to catch up to Ryukyu if they push the score line above 1 goal on Saturday.

FC Ryukyu: The Ryukyu match with Nagasaki was bittersweet. First, Ryukyu looked good allowing the game to come to them and hitting Nagasaki on the counter. Second, they defended well as a unit. But in the end, Ryukyu lost Abe to injury, and have no idea on his status, which could derail the momentum Ryukyu have built up in their first four games.

A lot of talk coming out of the club by the players and manager emphasize that they are not really focused on trying to control games with large amounts of possession like they did last year. Instead, Ryukyu are content on hitting their opponents with counter attacks. This is where Abe will be missed the most as his holdup play as an outlet valve for the team has been phenomenal this year. A lot of Ryukyu counterattacks started and ended with Abe. I am not sure who will step up in his place as he is not easily replaceable. Shintaro Shimizu is the likely candidate as he is the youngest of the 3 remaining strikers that Higuchi dresses each week. There is also an outside chance that Higuchi moves Ikeda into the FWD role but that would mean dressing a new midfielder for the first time all season. And Ryukyu do not have many choices at the moment.

Ramon is likely out a few more weeks while he deals with a soft tissue injury and Nakagawa may not be match fit yet. The only healthy options are Yu Tomidokoro or Shunsuke Motegi. But neither is a true CAM so I think Higuchi needs to stick with Ikeda at CAM and make the adjustment at FWD. There are the remote possibilities of of swapping Shimizu and Ikeda, bringing Tanaka up to RM – pushing Koya to CAM – and starting Makito Uheara at RB. But Higuchi could just as easily dress Hitomi if he thinks that neither Shintaro, Akamine, or Uehara can withstand the rigors of 60 minutes in the starting role.

Ryukyu should remain unchanged behind the front four with Uesato, Koki, Numata, Tanaka, Chinen, and Okazaki. These guys have been great at closing down shooting lanes, stifling the opposition’s attack, and will once again be called upon to do so with what may turn out to be a muted offensive performance by Ryukyu on Saturday. And yet, there are even more injuries that Ryukyu need to contend with.

Dany Carvajal recently went under the knife to repair some stress fractures to his lower leg and will be away from the team for 3-4 months. This means that Tsumita becomes the backup to Taguchi and I hope that he can push Taguchi the way Dany did in practice as we cannot afford for Taguchi to become complacent between the sticks when there are some winnable games on the horizon.

The JEF United Chiba game doesn’t represent a ‘must win’ game in the true sense. It is more for the Ryukyu psyche than anything. JEF are one of six teams – Iwata being the other but Ryukyu have already beat them this year – that FC Ryukyu have never defeated during their time in the J2. You’ve probably heard me say this on a few occasions, to include the fact that they have never scored a single goal against JEF in their entire history, and that is what makes this game so important to Ryukyu. Even more so when you consider that Higuchi’s goal for the season is 80 points for the club. While Ryukyu are a long way off from that total right now, and in spite of the fact of JEF sitting well below Ryukyu in the standings, any points earned in this game will fall squarely inside the Points Over Expectation Table.

It isn’t always about defeating an opponent that is stronger than you on paper that determines the strength of a side. Sometimes it is overcoming the mental hurdles and past failures that can make all the difference. And while that variable isn’t easily quantifiable, it is vitally important for Ryukyu’s overall success.

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. Slay the Dragon. Likelihood 4. It doesn’t matter how JEF have performed the past 4 rounds. It doesn’t matter how Ryukyu have performed the past 4 rounds. Prepare better than JEF. Execute better than JEF. Show the mental resolve to dig this one out. Overcome the challenges that have plagued us in the past and slay this beast once and for all.  

5. Prediction

I do not expect Ryukyu to go out there and light up JEF, as they’ve never done that before despite JEF doing some pretty calamitous stuff throughout the years. Predicting a win in spite of the records is even bolder but that is what I am going to do as this isn’t the same team from 2019 or 2020. 1-0 in favor of FC Ryukyu. It won’t be pretty but it will be effective. Season Record 2-0-2.

6. Match Day 5 in J2

Times are listed in JST

(3) Ventforet Kofu hosting (10) FC Machida Zelvia and (8) Montedio Yamagata against (9) Fagiano Okayama stand out as the two fixtures with the most top half, and promotion, implications this round. Not to be outdone, (4) Zweigen Kanazawa and (5) Blaublitz Akita, will look to continue their hot starts to 2021. This will be Akita’s first home game of the 2021 season and quite possibly their toughest fixture to date. Elsewhere there are some bottom of the table clashes that could have big impacts for these clubs late in the year.

No J2 action this weekend as the J-League International YouTube channel will broadcast a Levain Cup match between Tokushima Vortis and Oita Trinita.

YouTube Broadcast: Tokushima Vortis vs Oita Trinita

7. Conclusion

In 2019, it was JEF who ended Ryukyu’s unbeaten run of 6 games to open the season. Then they defeated Ryukyu to open the 2020 season. You know all the history between these two clubs. Well then…

Match Day 1 Report: FC Ryukyu 1-0 Jubilo Iwata 2/28/21 #FC琉球

Intro

The J-League season kicked off in earnest this past weekend where FC Ryukyu hosted Jubilo Iwata in the opening fixture of 2021. Despite all the weather forecasts predicting a rather nice day to enjoy football, it was anything but with all the rain here in Okinawa. However, the wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the home crowd, or the team, as FC Ryukyu notched their first points, and first home win of the season by defeating Iwata 1-0 in front of 3,800 fans thanks to a Ren Ikeda first minute goal set up by none other than Keita Tanaka.

  1. Match Recap
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
  4. Takeaways from Round 1
  5. Match Prediction
  6. Match Day 1 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Recap

https://www.transfermarkt.com/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3505171

2. Man of the Match

Junto Taguchi GK FC Ryukyu: The man was the sea wall that broke the unrelenting waves of the Iwata attack. 24 shots, 11 on target, and a little help from the framework. Junto continued the fine form he was in at the end of last season and despite my reservations, I think it is safe to say, he is the Ryukyu #1 GK moving forward.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Keep the foot on the Gas Pedal: Likelihood 3. Kind of hard to do this when they had less than 40% possession on the day. FC Ryukyu played on the back foot nearly all game.

2. Score from Set Pieces: Likelihood 2. Seeing how we created so few chances, from such little possession, there was only one clear cut chance to score from a CK, that Chinen sent wide.

4. Takeaways from Round 1

1. FC Ryukyu looked well organized at the back. This despite all the talk of attacking football by the manager. The combination of Okazaki and Chinen worked to perfection and Taguchi has probably earned DAZN first team honors this week with his performance. We will have to wait and see if this trend continues as I think when the game opens up to Ryukyu, so too will our defense to our opponents. The fact that Ryukyu were under constant pressure meant they had to compact their defense and play out from the back, but even then, the Ryukyu attackers didn’t help the cause with turnovers on their end that turned into quick counter attacks by Iwata.

2. Some of the questions surrounding the team were answered yesterday. First, Taguchi is the preferred #1 over Dany Carvajal at the moment. Second, and much to my dismay, Ikeda was given the nod over Nakagawa at CAM. We saw this early last year before Koizumi came on to usurp Ikeda, but Higuchi’s faith in Ikeda turned out to be correct as he was the lone goal scorer on the day. Third, Yong Jick was left out of the lineup and Chinen looked very good in his place. Finally, Higuchi dressed 3 reserve forwards in Uehara, Shintaro and Akamine. Considering the depth we have at MF, this was a bit of a shock. Maybe he expected to need the services of so many attacking players if Ryukyu were to chase the game, but that never happened.

3. We finally saw a Central Defender rise to meet a header on a CK. Chinen came close to pushing the score line to 2-0 on a set piece but it was sent wide. However, it was encouraging to see a central defender get involved on a limited number of set pieces, and I haven’t seen a header with that much aggression behind it in quite some time down here.

4. There were some missed chances that could’ve made all the difference yesterday. Ryukyu narrowly dodged some bullets when Iwata hit the woodwork, and Shintaro had a golden opportunity to seal the game late on for Ryukyu only to come up short. He took possession of the ball just inside the halfway line of Ryukyu, turned on the jets, and somehow made it all the way into the Iwata 18-yard box untouched and alone on goal. Unfortunately, the finish wasn’t nearly as spectacular as the setup, as the shot was stopped by the Iwata keeper. I guess we got a small glimpse into the streaky nature of this player.

5. Prediction

I thought this game would’ve ended 2-2, instead, it was 1-0 to FC Ryukyu. Season record 0-0-1.

6. Match Day 1 in J2

V-Varen Nagasaki asserted themselves early against Kanazawa, and then hung on late to win. Akita lost in their J2 debut match, as did Sagamihara, with the grudge match between Zelvia and Yamagata ending 1-1. Perhaps the warning signs are already there for Kitakyushu and Ehime as they were soundly beaten in their opening fixtures.

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.com/j-league-division-2/tabelle/wettbewerb/JAP2/saison_id/2020

7. Conclusion

It is always nice getting that first win, that first home win, and it is even better when it is on opening day. Iwata was a far better side in the attack yesterday, and thanks to a bit of luck, were kept off the score sheet. Iwata were one of the teams I mentioned in an earlier blog that FC Ryukyu had failed to beat, and would need to beat, if they wished to achieve the lofty target of 80 points. Time will tell and I will keep a log of all the points over, and under, expectation that Ryukyu net in 2021.

The win on Sunday has really put FC Ryukyu in a nice spot to take 9 points from their first 3 matches of 2021. A fast start, similar to the one we saw from Ryukyu in 2019, could provide the same type of cushion from those teams facing relegation come the end of the season. If memory serves me, FC Ryukyu are now undefeated in games that are broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel dating back to 2019 with a 3-1-0 record. Well, job done and now it is on to Renofa Yamaguchi this Saturday.

“Here We Go!” Match Day 1 Preview: JEF UTD Chiba vs FC Ryukyu 2/23/2020

Intro

My oh my, the time has flown by this offseason. Nevertheless, here we are at the first Match Day Preview for FC Ryukyu in the 2020 season. Last year I found that Match Day Previews became much richer and more deeply involved as the season evolved over time. Of course, this is to be expected when story lines start to unfold, players get injured, teams experience a dip or rise in form and statistics allow us to conduct some level of critical analysis. But at the start of each season, teams are relatively unknown commodities and often playing together for the first time. Surely last season stands as a perfect example when FC Ryukyu got out on the front foot quickly with such a blazing start and took everyone by surprise.

The same notion holds true for 2020 as teams will spend the better part of a month learning to gel when game speeds increase and matches begin to count. By starting fast early last year, FC Ryukyu scored a major advantage over teams that struggled out of the gate. I am not sure we will catch many by surprise this year, and in fact, I think FC Ryukyu have a very tough opening 11 matches to begin the year. This could cause some early tense moments this spring as well as stressful ones come this fall.

With that in mind, we open the Match Day Previews for this season with a road trip to Chiba where FC Ryukyu will take on JEF United Chiba on the opening day of 2020.  If you recall last year, JEF got the better of FC Ryukyu on two separate occasions. A 1-0 win in Chiba on the first Wednesday night game of the year back on April 3rd followed up by a 2-0 win in Okinawa at the end of July. The loss in July was number 4 in the midst of a 5-game losing streak for FC Ryukyu which really piled the pressure on the squad and the manager Higuchi. FC Ryukyu were in complete freefall at that time and were tumbling down the J2 table with each consecutive loss. But despite suffering setbacks to JEF along the way, FC Ryukyu would go on to finish higher than JEF in the J2 table in 2019.

But a lot has changed since these sides last met nearly 7 months ago. Players have changed teams, JEF has changed their manager and there are different expectations for both clubs heading into 2020.

Weather Forecast

JEF Chiba United

JEF made some wholesale changes to a side that finished 17th in the table on 43 points in 2019. Often the punch line of several jokes stemming from numerous howlers and blunders, JEF has addressed the GK position this offseason by signing a veteran player from J1. Shoto Arai (Kawasaki Frontale) will look to sure up the final line of defense for JEF that only mustered 11 clean sheets from 42 matches in 2020. It is not as if clean sheets tell the whole story as there were probably a couple of occasions where a goal was conceded that either leveled or titled matches for JEF last season after they had already conceded.

Kleber will lead the JEF line up front as he did for much of last season. Kleber will be partnered with either newly signed Keita Yamashita (Renofa Yamaguchi) or Takayuki Funayama. Kleber banged in 17 goals in his 38 starts last season with Yamashita and Funayama each chipping 11/12 respectfully. Keita is 9 years younger than Funayama and perhaps the new coach favors a more aggressive style of play, with more gut busting runs compared to last season, and that may favor the younger Keita. JEF also signed Alan Pinheiro from Tokyo Verdy, a 17-goal scorer from just 2 seasons ago, to add to their firepower up front.

I cannot speak volumes on the defenders that JEF signed this offseason but it seems a majority of the issues that plagued this side in 2019 may very well continue into 2020. All in all, this looks like a club that wants to execute a very aggressive attacking style of play and run the opponent into the ground. But can they can keep opponents off the score sheet?

FC Ryukyu

Last year’s opening day starters for FC Ryukyu included Koji Suzuki, Kazaki Nakagawa, Keita Tanaka, Yu Tomidokoro, Kazumasa Uesato, Koki Kazama, Taishi Nishioka, Ryohei Okazaki, Shuhei Tokumoto Kosuke, Masutani and Dany Carvajal. From that group, only 6 remain, and of those 5, only 2 are likely start the opening match of 2020. This is nothing new to the fans of Ryukyu as many of us have seen some violent roster churn every season for this club. The question now becomes, can FC Ryukyu survive or thrive with this new group of players?

Up top will be Takuma Abe or Shinya Uehara for FC Ryukyu. Either will be flanked by Keita Tanaka, Koya Kazama, Shuto Kawai or Shunsuke Motegi with recent college graduate, Ren Ikeda, possibly leading the charge from the #10 slot. The youngster believes he is in the poll position to start the year there and that would come as a big surprise considering he beat out the likes of Koya and others to take over the CAM role. But whatever, name brand recognition is nice, results are so much better. So, if he can indeed prove his mettle out there, then I am all for it.

FC Ryukyu has made whole sale changes to back line that conceded a J2 league leading 81 goals last season. Tokumoto, Masutani, Nishioka have departed and Ryohei Okazaki is out injured. In comes newly signed North Korean National Team Player, Lee Yong Jick, and on-loan defender from Tokushima Vortis, Daisei Suzuki. At full back there is Felipe Taveras (RB), signed from a Brazilian Club this offseason, as well as (LB) Keito Numata who transferred in from Zweigen Kanazawa to replace Tokumoto. If Tavares can produce, or Torikai can get healthy and return to his top form, defense could all of a sudden become be a hidden strength for this team.  There is an off chance that Ryoji Fukui starts in place of Suzuki, as he was Highuchi’s preferred choice all last season when there was an injury anywhere cross the back 4, but Suzuki seems to have the demeanor you want in a CB and I hope he is in there come Sunday.

Finally, we come onto the goal keeping crew. With Dany out rehabbing from offseason surgery, FCR are left with some unproven options on the roster. Inose started one match for FC Ryukyu last year at Mito and Tsumita has never featured for the club at this level. Then there is Junto Taguchi who signed from Albirex Niigata but I believe hasn’t featured in a competitive match in well over year. The closest I could find was a loan spell at Fujieda MYFC. For a side that only kept 7 clean sheets in all of 2019 (all 7 from Dany) there are many questions and concerns heading into the season opener.

Player Injuries

JEF UTD Chiba: MF Tameda (Cannot locate the injury) Return 8-10 weeks.

FC Ryukyu: GK Carvajal: (Ankle) Expected Return-4weeks. DF Okazaki: (Foot Fracture) Expected Return-3 weeks. MF Tomidokoro (Ankle/Foot) Expected Return-4 weeks. MF Yamaguchi: (Calf/Hamstring Pull/Tear) Expected Return-6 weeks.

Keys to Victory

Going to add a twist for 2020 to this section and provide a level of confidence after each key to victory indicating the likelihood that I think it will happen. The scale below:

5. An almost certainty: 4 Fairly Certain: 3 Somewhat Certain: 2 Very Unlikely: 1 Miracle

1. Stifle the JEF attack and do not expose the FCR goal keeper. I think FC Ryukyu may have the advantage on defense (words I would have never uttered in 2019) so this is a real possibility and necessity on Sunday. I cannot speak to how Higuchi split the preseason reps between Taguchi, Inose and Tsumita but the last thing FCR needs to do is turn this game into a shooting gallery back there for our goalie. Likelihood: 2

2. Exploit the JEF back line. The JEF defensive unit, much like the FCR back line, is newly formed and learning to play together for the first time. This is probably the weakest link in the JEF side which should allow FCR to get some shots on net which leads to point #3. Likelihood: 4

3. Capitalize on whatever opportunities are afforded by the JEF defense. JEF’s goalkeeper is a step up from last year and a proven shot stopper so weak, ill-advised and off-target shots will not help FCRs chances of victory. Especially if we only have 2-3 quality scoring chances that day. Abe seems dialed in from the amount of pre-season goals he scored so hopefully he can bag a brace on the weekend and give FCR the win. Likelihood: 3

Match Prediction

JEF is stronger on the ends of the pitch at GK and FWD with FCR having the advantage through the middle (MF/DEF). JEF has 3 proven double-digit goal scorers from last year whereas FCR have none. FCR also lack the experience in goal compared to that of JEF. However, FCR are slightly stronger across the back line and loaded with talent through the MF.

Each side is orientated to the attack and therefore this game will boil down to who has the most cracks at the back. Unlike last year when FCR failed to fire in any of their matches against JEF, I think this year will be different. However, I also feel that JEF will capitalize on their opportunities more than FCR and therefore will edge out FCR on the opening day.

Match Day Prediction: JEF UTD Chiba 2-1 FC Ryukyu.

Match Day Information

Please see Lost in Football’s website for information on how to purchase tickets and get the match at JEF UTC Chiba. http://lostinfootballjapan.com/club-profiles/jef-united-chiba/

JEF: https://jefunited.co.jp/event/2020/0223/. Can translate into English if using Google Chrome.

FC Ryukyu: http://fcryukyu.com/news/23000. List of goods on sale at JEF’s stadium.

J Soccer Magazine also has a ton of information on these clubs as well as all the J League sides. http://www.jsoccer.com/new/j2

Check out the latest J2 podcast, J-Talk Extra Time Ep.121, on iTunes Podcasts as well as Podbean where Stuart and Jon cover the opening round of fixtures for J2 this weekend. @sushi_football & @J2KantoBites

Conclusion

It is truly anyone’s guess how the opening day fixture will play out as we’ve never seen these sides face each other with this current crop of players. Will the occasion be too much for Taguchi in net for FCR? Does FCR have the firepower to get into shootouts this season? Can the back line for FCR morph from a position of weakness in 2019 to one of strength in 2020? All good questions that will be answered in short order. But for now, let’s enjoy the opening fixture of the 2020 season as we’ve all waited long enough for it to finally come around.