For the fifth time in as many games Fagiano Okayama scored the first goal of the game between these two teams, and the Satoki Uejo strike was all they needed to take the win. Shintaro Shimizu had an excellent opportunity inside the opening seventeen minutes to put Ryukyu ahead but his low shot was saved by the Okayama keeper and Ryukyu wouldn’t have a better chance to score all night. That is not to say Ryukyu didn’t come close; Uesato had a few free kicks sail just wide and Koya had a chance to level the match in the second half following Takuma Abe’s solo effort, but Ryukyu turnovers killed any momentum – despite the large amount of possession Ryukyu enjoyed on Saturday- which led to two more Okayama goals. The loss for Ryukyu doesn’t shift their position in the table, but it now sees them four points off the leaders, three behind Albirex Niigata, and only four ahead of quickly rising V-Varen Nagasaki.
Fagiano Okayama Central Midfielder Eiji Shirai: Bagged his first goal of the year and then added an assist on Okayama’s third goal.
3.Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Get that first goal. Likelihood 3. Obviously not. Couldn’t even muster a single goal on the day. The game played out as expected when Okayama takes a lead.
2. No excuses this time if Okayama parks the bus. Likelihood 2. It is the same thing every time from Higuchi following a match in which Ryukyu out possesses, out shoots an opponent and either loses or limps to a draw. “We created a lot of chances but couldn’t score and we need to take this loss seriously.” Great, now what? Do we need to dip into the summer transfer market to find a spark for the offense?
4.Prediction
Tipped it to end 2-1 for Ryukyu and it wasn’t even close. Season Record 6-4-9.
5.Talking Points from Round 19
1. Ikeda’s injury leads to a 4-4-2 formation. There has been no word on the extent of Ikeda’s injury stemming from last week’s nasty fall, but Higuchi started Abe and Shintaro up top in a new formation for Ryukyu. Abe and Shintaro meshed well and it was the first time all season we’ve seen Ryukyu be very direct down the middle, but they just couldn’t score. Ryukyu’s best chance, and one which would have set the game on a very different trajectory, came in the 17’ minute from a nice back heel from Abe to Shintaro, but Shimizu’s shot was of the low and hard variety instead of higher where he had the entire net to shoot at. This was definitely the turning point in the game.
2. Lucky bounces and turnovers. Satoki Uejo opened the scoring after an initial shot rang off the post and took a fortuitous bounce through several players and into Uejo’s feet where he stuck a precision shot between four Ryukyu players. Okayama’s second and third goals came directly off of Ryukyu turnovers deep in their end though I am not sure what Inose was doing dropping to his knees on the second goal, which wasn’t struck nearly as hard as the third from close range. I cannot with any certainty say that Inose should’ve got closer to the third Okayama goal as it was so well struck that Inose couldn’t react in time to get his hands up.
3. Abe did the best he could to carry the team. There were a couple of moments this game when Abe put his head down and drove on net leading to good goal scoring chances for Ryukyu. We’ve seen this before, and it was successful last year on the one occasion, but nothing materialized this past weekend. There were some shouts for a PK on one such play, but the highlights don’t lend themselves to determining if Abe was truly fouled or his momentum took him off his feet.
4. What needs to change? There isn’t much we can do while some of our key players recover from injury but the lack of goals, shutout in four of their last ten games and averaging a goal game over their last five, has seen the early season momentum stall. Ryukyu, more so than some of the other teams in the league, may really need the midseason break to get things right. They have four favorable matchups prior to the break and need to quickly rebound from their second heaviest defeat of 2021.
Heading into this game we all knew that Ryukyu were riddled with injuries to key players but also in their most favorable stretch of games. Dropping points from an unconvincing performance is not the result we needed, but I expect there to be more of this yo-yoing of results until they are back to full health. That doesn’t make this loss any better and certainly isn’t an excuse for more dropped points moving forward. It is just the reality we are dealing with at the moment. Ryukyu are far from out of it with a little more than half the season to go, but they need to turn things around over their next five games or risk falling off the pace altogether.
FC Ryukyu travel to 14th place Fagiano Okayama tomorrow in what is shaping up as a must win game for Ryukyu. Ryukyu have done enough the past few weeks to stay in the promotion hunt, but really need to continue their forward momentum they built up last week at home to Kitakyushu. Ryukyu had a full week of preparation heading into this game whereas Okayama’s schedule was slightly disrupted with a midweek Emperors Cup match at Tokyo Verdy. However, Okayama won that match and now enter this game on a 2-game wining streak following their impressive, though slightly controversial, win on the road at Niigata last round.
Weather Forecast & Match Day Information
Previous Match Highlights
Team Previews
Fagiano Okayama
FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 19 in J2
Conclusion
1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info from Fagiano Okayama
Another round with no visiting FC Ryukyu fans, but the weather looks favorable.
Fagiano Okayama: Okayama may be suffering from a lack of goals due to the numerous injuries they’ve sustained this year, but they’ve more than made it up for it with their defense. But they are a strange side in that they’ve been both shutout 8 times while shutting out their opponent 8 times in 2021. Good for fourth in the league when it comes to clean sheets. In that same vein of being on either end of the spectrum, Okayama have won five out six games this season when they score first, but have only mustered one draw in nine games when they conceded the first goal. For the season, Okayama has a 1-0-3 record against those sides currently, who have been recently, inside the top six of the table with the notable win occurring at Albirex Niigata last week.
Fagiano Okayama went 2-1-2 over their last five games that included wins over Matsumoto Yamaga and Albirex Niigata; a draw with Omiya Ardija; and losses to V-Varen Nagasaki and Tokyo Verdy. Both sides had ample opportunities to score in the Omiya/Okayama match but neither could hit the target despite being right on the doorstep. Okayama saw a redirected ball break the deadlock in their match to Nagasaki but did come close to leveling the game at the end. Their first win five weeks came on the road at Matsumoto 3-1 when they decided to move Satoki Uejo into a forward role in a 4-4-1-1 formation, which was up from his normal attacking midfield position on the right.
Okayama looked far better in this game then they have in a long time and benefited from a failure of Matsumoto to clear their lines early in the second half for the opening goal. Then Uejo contributed a spectacular solo effort to push the score line to 2-0 before surrendering a goal to Yamaga, but then benefited once more from a Matsumoto turnover. The game against Verdy looked very similar to the one against Omiya in that both sides were trading chances, however, it was Verdy who succeeded in scoring during stoppage time. But the biggest prize in the last five games was the controversial win over Niigata.
Niigata had the preponderance of chances throughout the game but were just unlucky. Okayama took advantage of that bad luck when Uejo scored a goal, from a clear offside position, in the 68′ minute. Not sure what the linesman was looking at there but these things happen from time to time and often decide the fates of some sides. Okayama then withstood a flurry of activity by Niigata near the end that included a couple of goal mouth scrambles and a shot off the post.
On paper, Okayama looks to be a far more dangerous team on the road (5 wins and 3 draws) compared to at home where they’ve only won once, have lost three in a row, and have scored 3 goals in their 8 home games. But I think this side was buoyed by the win over Niigata as well as the recent strong performances the past three rounds. Uejo is someone you will always have to keep an eye on as he can strike, with power and placement, from just about anywhere on the pitch. It remains to be seen if Lee Yong-Jae, a forward who has given Ryukyu fits in the past, will make an appearance after missing the past 15 rounds due to an undisclosed injury. Kawamoto, on loan from Shimizu S-Pulse, pairs well with Uejo up top and Okayama, in an attempt to shoehorn in some of their better players into the lineup, are starting Shuhei Tokumoto at LM with the veteran Miyazaki taking over LB duties.
FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu may have stumbled the last time they went through a favorable schedule, mustering only 4 points from 3 games against Ehime FC, Tochigi SC, and Montedio Yamagata, but they cannot afford to do the same over their next set of features against Okayama, Yamaga, Kanazawa, Sagamihara, Omiya, and Kitakyushu. A seven game unbeaten streak, starting with the win over Giravanz, over these matches would not only allow Ryukyu to keep pace with the leaders, it could see them overtake them. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet as this side is still dealing with multiple injuries and at times, can play down to the level of their competition and drop points.
Last week’s win over Kitakyushu was a start in the right direction. Inose flashed some real potential, Koya scored a brace, Tanaka added two more assists to his total points, and Chinen was doing what Chinen does best. The only downside to that performance was the loss of Ren Ikeda to a back injury and there has been no word on his status heading into the game on Saturday. I hope he misses no time as he has been one of our best young players this season, and when you factor in the disappearing act by Kazaki Nakagawa, Ryukyu cannot afford to have a gap in the central midfield for too long. Shintaro Shimizu will likely take over these duties for Ikeda in the interim, which means Higuchi will have to dress both Shinya Uehara and Shingo Akamine as the replacement strikers. It should also see Ramon return to the bench, though a start for him in the Ikeda role would be justified.
Ryukyu were also without Koki Kazama last week and no one is certain if he is dealing with an injury or it was a veteran rest week for the central defensive midfielder. It did allow Ichimaru to make an appearance and considering that we signed that young player on a full transfer from Gamba this season, I’d like to see more of him moving forward. There was news this week that a top player and staff member had contracted CV-19, but no others were deemed close contacts, so barring some changes to the lineup or reserves, we won’t have an idea as to who that was.
In the nine games that Ryukyu have played against sides in the bottom half of the table, they have earned six wins, three draws, and suffered zero losses. They’ve scored 20 goals, 2/3 of the entire goals scored this year, and have conceded 7 goals which is close to 50% of the total goals they have conceded. Ryukyu’s next six games, dependent on how Zweigen gets on of course, are all against teams in the bottom half of the table, with three of those games against sides in the relegation zone. This is a very critical moment of the season for Ryukyu as points dropped over these next few rounds would be killer to their promotion hopes. They’ve already achieved a run of five wins in a row, and 8 games undefeated this season. And they need another run like that right now.
4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen
1. Get that first goal. Likelihood 3. The stats tell us that all eleven of Ryukyu’s wins, and three of their draws, have come when playing with the lead. Ryukyu have won two games from five when they were playing from behind, but lost the other three. All six of Okayama’s wins have been a result of them scoring first in matches, with the lone blemish being the loss to Mito Hollyhock. But they have not won any of the nine games they’ve been forced to play from behind. It may just be as simple as that on Saturday.
2. No excuses this time if Okayama parks the bus. Likelihood 2. This game looks and feels a lot like the game Ryukyu had with Akita a few weeks ago. Both have a similar goal scoring and conceded record which means Ryukyu, more importantly Higuchi, should be prepared for a same set of events to play out. If Okayama’s defensive game plan is to bend, but not break, then our players need to be creative in the set-up play and accurate with the shots they do take. We saw what happened when Niigata missed ample opportunities against Okayama as well as what happened when Ryukyu switched off at the end against Akita. Do not let Okayama hang around to poach a goal or equalize. That means being only the fifth team this season to score more than two goals against Okayama.
5. Prediction
I am hesitant to predict a Ryukyu win as I’ve been dead wrong the past few rounds. I will say that Fagiano Okayama will score first, as they’ve done that in every game these teams have faced one another in J2, but I will also say that Ryukyu pull this one out 2-1 in dramatic fashion. Season Record 6-4-8.
6. Round 19 in J2
All Times Listed are JST
It is interesting that all four of the top sides, ranked 1-4, play four teams all ranked 11-14 in the same order (1v11, 2v12, 3v13, 4v14). Guess that means that no one side has an easier game than the other with the slight advantage afforded to (2) Jubilo Iwata who are at home (12) JEF United Chiba. (1) Kyoto Sanga travel to (11) Zweigen Kanazawa with (3) Albirex Niigata facing another tough test for goals on Monday night when they travel to (13) Blaublitz Akita. (5) Ventforet Kofu and (6) V-Varen Nagasaki will look to cut their deficit when they play (16) Renofa Yamaguchi and (15) Tochigi SC.
At the bottom it is (17) Matsumoto Yamaga looking to put some distance between them and the drop when they host (21) Omiya Ardija and then there is a very important game between (19) Giravanz Kitakyushu and (20) Ehime FC. This week’s free broadcast game on the J-League International YouTube channel will be between (18) Thespakusatsu Gunma and (7) FC Machida Zelvia.
With the race at the top ebbing back and forth, points are at a premium these days. Almost to the point where every game for the top four becomes a ‘must win game’ in order to keep pace with the pack. It took Ryukyu five halves of football before they finally scored their first ever goal against Okayama last year, but they were able to win on the road, and earn a draw at home, when they fell behind. We’d rather see Ryukyu jump out to a lead like we saw last week, and maybe the midweek Emperors Cup match for Okayama at Tokyo Verdy has disrupted preparations for this game. In any event, Ryukyu need to use their momentum from last week and take the three points on Saturday.
Behind closed doors and under some poor weather, FC Ryukyu notched their 11th win of the campaign with an emphatic 3-0 win over Giravanz Kitakyushu. Ryukyu had two players earn multiple points but it was the surprise performance from Inose that caught my eye. The win keeps Ryukyu near the top of the table but provided a much needed boost to the psyche of this team more than anything else.
FC Ryukyu Mid Fielder Koya Kazama: Koya scored his first goal of the season, which was all Ryukyu needed for the win, added his second later in the game, and set up Tanaka for the cross on Ryukyu’s third goal. He almost had a hat-trick but he pushed the shot high from about 8-yards out on goal. There were multiple strong performances from Inose in net as well as Chinen in defense, but scoring a brace to carry the team to victory deserves all the credit.
3.Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. No mental lapses after scoring. Likelihood 4. An obvious yes after Ryukyu secured their first clean sheet in 5 games.
2. Protect Inose with multiple goals. Likelihood 2. Yes, though Ikeda’s day was cut short due to injury, Kiyotake didn’t do all that well, but Koya Kazama had a huge day yesterday.
4. Prediction
Thought this one would end in a 2-2 draw but the boys had other ideas. Season Record 6-4-8.
5. Talking Points from Round 18
1. Not only a scoring outburst yesterday, but an emotional one as well. Ryukyu needed a performance like that yesterday and the boys really wore their emotions on their sleeves. Obviously with no fans in attendance it was easy to hear the release of frustration, anger and jubilation after so many big plays from Ryukyu. Most notably was Koya after finally scoring for the first time this year and commenting after the game that they knew they had to win this match to stay in the hunt. Then there was the play made by Chinen to keep FC Ryukyu’s clean sheet intact. Watch the video below.
2. Speaking of big performances, Inose was spectacular. You can also add in Keita Tanaka who grabbed two assists yesterday when won the ball back in the Kitakyushu end and smartly picked out Koya in the opening half. Then he found Shintaro Shimizu with a perfectly weighted cross in the second. But it was the performance from the Ryukyu #3 GK Inose that really stood out. Inose made a fine save in the opening half, tipped another one over the bar in the second that doesn’t show up on the highlight reel, and then stopped a penalty kick at the end. It was encouraging to see such an effort from a 20-year old player making only his third start in J2.
3. Yong Jick looked a little too relaxed out there. He committed an early turnover that was almost costly and then was the offending party on the Kitakyushu PK when he stuck his arm out in what I can only assume was to block the Kitakyushu player behind him but ended up touching the ball. Ryukyu can get away with that stuff against lesser sides but will not be so lucky against better teams. Unfortunately, we’ll have to deal with this stuff for another few weeks until Okazaki returns.
4. Abe was once again doing his thing but couldn’t grab a goal. He came close in the first half when his chip rang the crossbar but that’s about it. However, he was doing everything we needed him to do on both ends of the pitch. Seeing him subbed off around the 60’ each week maybe a good thing as we’ll need him as close to 100% every game moving forward.
5. A goal from a CK? Yes! A rare site indeed for this club but Uesato picked out Koya who buried the header to put the game out of reach.
6. Yet another injury to a member of the Ryukyu starting eleven. Ren Ikeda took a nasty fall following a challenge on a ball in the air when he contacted Kitakyushu player, sent tumbling downwards landing on his back, and was unable to continue after several minutes on the ground and brief return to the match. Hopefully this is nothing more than some soreness that will lead to a stiff back all week as we really cannot afford to be without Ren’s services for an extended period of time.
7. A very important win. With some of the clubs ahead of Ryukyu in the standings dropping points, the 3-points keeps Ryukyu in the race and cuts the lead to just 1-point. It also pushes Ryukyu 7-points clear of 5th place Kofu. Despite what some might think of the opponent this week, Ryukyu needed to bust the slump they were in and gain some confidence back. It was never a given that Ryukyu would easily take this match, not with all the injuries and recent results, so grabbing a win when they needed it the most was uplifting.
There was plenty of activity inside the J2 table this week with Jubilo Iwata usurping Albirex Niigata in second place following their fifth consecutive victory, 1-0 over a 10-man Ventforet Kofu, and with Albirex Niigata losing 0-1 at home to Fagiano Okayama following a very controversial goal by the guests. Kyoto Sanga conceded a late equalizer at home to Thespakusatsu Gunma (2-2) but moved into first place based on goal differential. FC Machida Zelvia’s 0-2 loss at home to Blaublitz Akita means there is a 7-ppoint gap at the top for the top four teams.
Despite Omiya earning a point at home to Tochigi SC, they find themselves logged at the bottom with SC Sagamihara who lost on the road at Mito Hollyhock. There seems to be a 4-team race to avoid the drop between Matsumoto Yamaga, Gunma, Kitakyushu, and Ehime FC with Ehime looking the worst off of the bunch. There is still plenty of games to play and these four teams are not separated by many points and others just above them in the table could find themselves in similar circumstances as the season progresses.
Ryukyu are now three points shy of the 40-point mark which puts them nearly halfway to 80, a mark that Higuchi threw out at the start of the season and one likely required to keep pace with the other three teams at the top. Truly unbelievable, but there is no time to rejoice and bask in our achievements as we haven’t accomplished anything yet. Ryukyu travel to Fagiano Okayama next week, who themselves are coming off an emotional win of their own. Fagiano are a stingy defensive side and we all saw what happened to Ryukyu when they faced a similar defensive team in Akita.
Albirex Niigata came from behind to defeat FC Ryukyu 2-1 to regain the pole position in J2. Ryukyu started the fireworks in the first half with a very nice goal from Ren Ikeda following a Keita Tanaka cross just behind the Niigata defense. Unfortunately, Ryukyu were only able to maintain that lead for sixty seconds before Takagi’s equalizer put Niigata level. Without the services of one of their better defenders, Okazaki, Ryukyu conceded an ‘ugly goal’ halfway through the second half and were unable to find an equalizer of their own. This was Ryukyu’s second loss in a row, the first time this has occurred for Ryukyu this season, whereas Niigata were able to arrest their two game slide and grab an important victory in the race for promotion.
Albirex Niigata CAM Yoshiaki Takagi: Scored the opening goal for Niigata on a really nice one-time touch inside the Ryukyu 18-yard box and was involved in the set up play for the second Niigata goal.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. The offense must carry the day. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu started out strong by grabbing the early lead but they couldn’t sustain the lead as the offense tapered off when they needed it the most.
2. Win the battle of set pieces. Likelihood 2. This one is a push for me as though Ryukyu didn’t concede, they didn’t score either. Uesato came close to equalizing in the second half but Niigata’s goal keeper made a fine save to keep their lead intact.
3. Exploit Niigata’s turnovers. Likelihood 3. I didn’t see many turnovers from Niigata yesterday so credit to them for cleaning this up in the week leading up to this match.
4.Prediction
I thought Niigata would take this 2-0 but Ryukyu bagged the opener so I’ll award myself a draw for predicting the winning sides goal tally. Season Record 6-4-6.
5. Talking Points from Round 16
1. Ryukyu did not play poorly; they just fell victim to Niigata’s ability to see out tough games for wins. Neither side was that explosive yesterday with a majority of the top passing players being of the defensive or central defensive midfielder types. There were long stretches of the game where there was little to no action with both sides seemingly not wanting to lose this match. Ryukyu out shot Niigata in the second half but the only serious threat on net was the Uesato free kick when Ryukyu could only manage one corner kick in the final 45’ minutes. Ryukyu also did well to limit the impact of both Shion Homma and Koji Suzuki but in the end, like they’ve done so many times this year, Niigata found a way to win.
2. A couple of cases of being caught flat-footed. On Niigata’s opening goal Chinen was caught leaning in the wrong direction on the cross into the box and was unable to recover in time to completely close down the Niigata attacker. Though it appeared that Taguchi would have enough time to get to the shot, he was also leaning the opposite direction before his jump across the mouth of goal to block the shot went past his outstretched arms. Some of us here felt this was a ball that Taguchi should have got to, and one in which Taguchi addressed with his post match comments stating that it wasn’t as simple as it may have looked on film, but instead it was one of those plays where Ryukyu had the wind taken out of their sails after surrendering the equalizer so quickly.
3. The second Niigata goal was just hard to watch. No less than 4 Ryukyu players had a shot at clearing the spilled ball that made its way through our central defense. The initial deflection off of Numata set Niigata up but neither Chinen, Yong Jick nor Koki Kazama could get enough on the clearance, thus leaving Taguchi in a so called ‘no man’s land’ where he couldn’t come out to collect the ball with another Niigata attacker lurking in the area.
4. We couldn’t get Abe firing. Abe made his return to the lineup after a few weeks off and the team looked much better as a result. We knew it was unlikely for Abe to play a full 90’ minutes after returning from injury and it was his departure after 60’ minutes that signaled the steep drop off in Ryukyu’s offense for the remainder of the match. Glad he is back as Ryukyu desperately need him up top next month.
5. The looks of frustration and bewilderment among the Ryukyu players following the match is a telling sign that something’s not right. Koya Kazama took this loss particularly hard as he was visibly frustrated by the result. Then there was the dismayed look on Chinen’s face which seemed to me as someone who couldn’t understand how things turned out the way they did despite their best efforts. I am not sure how Ryukyu prep for games, or make in game adjustments, but these boys need some confidence boosting results next month before doubt and frustration take hold.
6. Ryukyu’s injury crisis. We can now add Okazaki to a growing list of Ryukyu players who are either out injured or are in the midst of their recovery. We will be without Okazaki until late July which means we won’t see him again until after the Olympic break. Abe returned but we never heard what was affecting him the past two weeks. There has been no sign, and no word, on the status of Akamine though Ryukyu are likely to see the return of Makito Uehara to training next week, and Dany Carvajal a few weeks after that. Ryukyu have 4 healthy central defenders on the roster with Chinen, Yong Jick, Fukui and yet to make an appearance Yusuke Murase. Another injury to this position will seriously derail any push for promotion.
7. It is not all bad. As mentioned earlier in this section, Ryukyu looked better this week than they did against Yamagata and finally scored at the Big Swan stadium. Abe’s return will boost this club as was evident by the Ren Ikeda goal, his first goal since Abe’s departure/return. Though the loss has consigned Ryukyu to sole possession of third place, they are only 3 points back from the leaders. If Ryukyu can maintain, or close, that gap by the halfway point of the season, they have a punchers chance at seeing it through.
Kyoto Sanga’s 0-0 draw with Ventforet Kofu following Albirex Niigata’s win over FC Ryukyu means both sides are level on points with Niigata resuming the top slot based on goal difference. The Kyoto pitch looked awful following an Olympic torch relay there, but I am not sure how much that had to do with the performance from either side. A couple of upsets by Fagiano Okayama and Giravanz Kitakyushu pushed them up the table and in the case of Giravanz, out of the relegation zone. Omiya Ardija and SC Sagamihara are firmly entrenched at the bottom with SC Sagamihara parting ways with their manager following their loss. Jubilo Iwata’s 1-0 win over Zweigen Kanazawa puts them within 1-point of FC Ryukyu and within striking distance of the leaders.
Ryukyu ended the month of May 2-2-2 with 8 points earned from a possible 18. The wobble this month coincided with several injuries to the side that saw Abe, and now Okazaki, miss time in crucial match ups. Ryukyu managed a single point against the top two sides this month with Kyoto Sanga finishing with 4 points and Niigata with 3. This was the first time all year that Niigata earned a single point off a top six side and sets them up for a nice month of June. Neither of the top 3 teams have a particularly brutal schedule next month but Ryukyu face the daunting task of traveling to Akita and then Matsumoto in the midweek for their next two rounds. For now, Ryukyu must head back to the training ground and find a way to restore the type of football they were playing at the start of the season or risk find tumbling out of the race for promotion altogether.
We made it! Sort of. Two teams that seemed to be on a collision course as the league leaders have stumbled the past few weeks but that still doesn’t diminish the importance of this game. The fact that the winner of this game has a chance to climb into the league lead, while the loser could find themselves three points adrift of the promotion zone, means both sides will be gunning for all three points on Sunday. The month of May has been hugely important for the promotion race as all three of the tops sides squared off against one another which also included several games pitting sides situated inside the top six in the table during this same time frame. Kyoto Sanga has come out on top so far after securing four points from a possible six with FC Ryukyu sitting on one point from one game and Albirex Niigata on zero.
Weather Forecast and Match Day Information
Previous Match Highlights
Team Previews
Albirex Niigata
FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 16 in J2
Conclusion
1.Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from Albirex Niigata
Looks like a very nice day for football. Doesn’t matter for the Ryukyu fans though as there will be no visiting fans allowed at this game with Okinawa under a state of emergency.
Albirex Niigata: It took 14 rounds before Niigata suffered their first loss of the campaign, but only 1 more to lose their second. Niigata started out very strong this year winning the opening 5 games followed by winning 5 out of their next 7. But Niigata has fallen off a bit starting with the draw at home to Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. and then the above mentioned losses in consecutive weeks to FC Machida Zelvia and Kyoto Sanga FC. For the year, Albirex have taken zero points off of any of the teams currently inside the top six, though they have yet to face Ventforet Kofu or Jubilo Iwata, whereas FC Ryukyu have taken 7 points in their 3 matches against these teams.
Niigata went 2-1-2 in their last five games with two wins in a row over JEF United Chiba and Omiya Ardija before the draw to Matsumoto and losses to Zelvia and Kyoto. Niigata looked rampant against Chiba and opened the scoring in the 5′ minute from a corner kick before Shion Homa overpowered a JEF central midfielder to set up Kaito Tanaguchi’s second goal of the match. Niigata clawed their way back from 2-1 deficit at Omiya to win 3-2 in what can best be described as a game in which Niigata never quit despite playing from behind. But a major reason why Niigata found themselves in that deficit was due to the costly midfield turnovers that led to fast break counter attacks for Omiya. And that trend of committing costly turnovers has continued through to this game with Ryukyu.
An early turnover by Niigata nearly led to the opening goal for Yamaga but neither side could find the breakthrough, that in spite of Matsumoto hitting the crossbar twice. Zelvia opened the scoring inside the opening minute of their match with Niigata when the Zelvia attack stretched the Niigata back line all over the 18-yard box. Then 10′ minutes later Zelvia doubled their lead from a cross into the box that can be loosely traced back to a turnover by Niigata near the halfway line. Against Kyoto it was Niigata’s inability to clear a ball in their own end that led to the decisive goal for Kyoto Sanga in a game where Koji Suzuki came close to scoring on four separate occasions.
For the season Niigata have really only wobbled on the road as that is where a majority of their close calls, and first loss, have occurred. Think back to the draws against SC Sagamihara that snapped Niigata’s unbeaten streak, then the draw on the road to Tochigi, followed by the come from behind effort at Omiya and finally the loss to Zelvia. All games in which Niigata surrendered 2 goals. However, Niigata’s home record is far more impressive as they’ve only conceded twice at home all year with the most recent coming against Kyoto and the first occurring way back on match day 4 to Thespakusatsu Gunma. They hold an impressive 14 goals scored to 2 goals conceded at home with 5 shutouts in 7 games.
Every Ryukyu fan will recognize the man up top for Niigata this week as it is the former FC Ryukyu striker Koji Suzuki who will lead the line for Albirex. Koji has 4 goals in his last 5 games after returning from an early season injury and in the 6 previous games he has played against Ryukyu, Koji has scored 6 goals. Granted, that was back in the days of J3 football but he owns an impressive scoring record against us and has scored in all but 2 games when facing Ryukyu. The player to really watch out for is LM Shion Homa. Probably the top player in J2 this year, the man is simply electric. He has speed, touch, tenacity, can score from anywhere and is not easily moved off the ball. It will be a tough ask for either Keita Tanaka or our two holding midfielders to contain Homa on Sunday. If there is a weakness to this side, I would say it has to be the GK Koto Abe who hasn’t looked the best the past few rounds.
FC Ryukyu: While the results for Ryukyu were not great these past five games, I wouldn’t necessarily say that it has been their worst run of form all season when compared to rounds 1-5 and 6-10. In their opening five games Ryukyu were undefeated with a 10/3 goals scored/conceded ratio and earned 2 shutouts. Easily the best to date. In matches 6-10 that ratio dropped to 5/3 with a 3-1-1 record but they recorded 4 shutouts during that time. So no offense but stout defending. Finally, in games 11-15 Ryukyu had a 10/6 goals scored/conceded ratio but only one shutout while going 2-2-1. But a majority of those goals (9) came in just two matches for Ryukyu which also saw the boys from Okinawa shutout on two occasions, matching the total from rounds 6-10. So it is kind of a toss up between the last two sets of games. So what is going on?
It is hard to say what exactly has happened to a side that started out so quickly, matched only by this weeks opponent Niigata, only to taper off against some opponents they should’ve beat. I would argue that it has been two things. First, I would point to the short turn around between the midweek Kyoto match and the away game with Ehime where Ryukyu drew 1-1 but ended up losing Abe to injury for what is now going on 3 weeks. Second, is that Ryukyu are just missing on that last pass inside the opponents end that could lead to goal scoring opportunities, which was an area they were excelling at to begin the season.
Abe’s absence speaks volumes on why the attack has dried up. Granted, he has gone through a dry spell as of late, but it is his overall play that frees up so many of the attacking Ryukyu players in the box. Something I don’t think we are getting out Shintaro Shimizu despite his recent scoring run and shots on net. Prior to the game with Tochigi, Ryukyu routinely dressed four forwards but found themselves only using the veterans Uehara and Akamine in limited situations. This means they cannot be relied upon to start games or play for extended periods of time. Worse still is the fact that Akamine wasn’t in the squad last week and who knows if he is dealing with an injury. I thought for sure he would’ve been the next man up in the event of an injury to Abe, albeit in a limited role of 45-60 minutes per game, but that is certainly not the case.
Last week against Montedio Yamagata Ryukyu recorded 18 total shots but I think a fair number of those were attempted passes to attacking Ryukyu players and not actually shots. You could see that some passes were intended to be struck by an onrushing Ryukyu attacker that just wasn’t there unlike when Abe is in the lineup. To compound matters even more, Ryukyu are likely without the services of CB Okazaki this round following his mid game substitution last week. There has been no word on whether or not he has picked up an injury that will force him to miss time, but judging by past events from Ryukyu when it comes to releasing injury info, we may hear something on game day or we may hear nothing at all, which means we have to assume we will be without one of better defenders this week.
That likely means the return of fan favorite Fukui to the lineup. I don’t think Fukui will start in place of Okazaki, if Okazaki is indeed injured, but that means Yong Jick will revert back to the CB role that he didn’t exactly excel in last year. Yong Jick has played much better this year when he is in a central mid fielder role late in games vice having to deal with the oppositions’ attack for a full 90′ minutes. If Higuchi does indeed opt to start Fukui, then hold on for a bumpy ride as I fear Ryukyu could be reduced to 10-men with any of the challenges Fukui puts in. Ryukyu are not in the greatest shape entering this match and we really need the front four to step up in order to carry the team while we are weakened at the back.
4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen
1. The offense must carry the day. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu could likely be without the services of Takuma Abe and Ryohei Okazaki this week which is not the best way to be entering the match against a tough opponent. Ryukyu will need the offense to step up in place of the defense, who had been carrying this side through their first 12 games, and provide some breathing room for our weary and battered defenders. Ikeda, Shintaro and Uehara need to get their shots on target and ask plenty of ‘tough’ questions of the Niigata GK.
2. Win the battle of set pieces. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu has surrendered 6 goals from set pieces this year, 3 in the past two weeks, and Niigata has scored a majority of their goals (9) from set pieces. Conversely, Niigata have conceded most of their goals from set pieces (4) which ranks as Ryukyu’s second highest tally (5) for types of goals scored behind crosses (11). I hope set pieces were tightened up this week at practice as Ryukyu are extremely vulnerable to CKs these days and failed to score on any of the 14 CKs they had last week.
3. Exploit Niigata’s turnovers. Likelihood 3. I spoke in the team preview section about how Niigata has been a little bit turnover prone during their recent stretch of games, and the best way to grab the lead over them is through fast breaks on short counter attacks. We cannot afford to break out, have any of our players fail to make some penetrating runs into the box, or in support of the counter, just to pull up and allow the Niigata defense time to recover. Just go for broke on these plays and at the very least try and earn a set piece.
5. Prediction
Ryukyu own a poor record against Niigata and have failed to score a single goal at the Big Swan in any of the games they’ve played there. While both sides are looking to make a statement this game, I regrettable believe it will be Niigata who gets the better of what could be a weakened Ryukyu side to the tune of 2-0. Season Record 6-3-6.
6. Round 16 in J2
All Times Listed are in Japan Standard Time
We all know the importance of the (2) Albirex Niigata versus (3) FC Ryukyu match, but league leaders (1) Kyoto Sanga FC have a stiff test of their own when they face (5) Ventforet Kofu who are undefeated in their last 5 games. Kyoto, who are undefeated in their last 10 games, will need to win this game or find themselves neck and neck, or behind, the teams just below them in the table. (4) Jubilo Iwata will look to close the gap between them and the top three as they face a reeling (11) Zweigen Kanazawa side who has failed to win in their last 6 games. This game will also be the free broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel this round. All of the bottom 5 sides have tough draws this round which could see little movement at the bottom of table.
I was concerned last week that we might slip up against Yamagata and those fears, along with a few others, have only increased this week heading into Niigata. Despite the injuries, the long odds for victory and that Ryukyu haven’t scored a single goal against Niigata since Shinya Uehara scored in the 86′ minute of the first ever fixture between these two sides in 2019, Ryukyu need to put in an effort reminiscent to the start of their season vice the last few weeks. Matching Kyoto’s 4 points from 2 games against top 3 sides this month is the task at hand. Guess that means it is…
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.
Match Day Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 13 in J2
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.
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.
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.
FC Ryukyu didn’t fall into the trap of overlooking a weaker opponent with a massive match up on the horizon. In fact, this game ended up being more of a get right game for Ryukyu than anything else. Despite the length weather delay after 8 minutes, Ryukyu came out and put 5 past SC Sagamihara.
Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 11 in J2
Conclusion
1.Match Day Highlights
2. Man of the Match
FC Ryukyu Midfielders Koki Kiyotake and Shunsuke Motegi. Both of these players accounted for 4 of the goals Ryukyu scored though Motegi’s first was scored as an own goal. Kiyotake opened the scoring for Ryukyu after the restart on a header set up by none other than Keita Tanaka. He then followed that up with a well taken shot from yet another Tanaka cross that Abe smartly dummied allowing it to fall to a wide open Kiyotake. I cannot tell if Motegi’s shot was already in the net before a SC Sagamihara player touched it. I also cannot tell from the highlights who from Sagamihara actually touched it but it was a spectacular shot none the less. Motegi was then rewarded after Ryukyu hustled to dispossess Sagamihara in their own end resulting in a turnover that saw Motegi alone at the top of the box to which he promptly sent a laser past the Sagamihara keeper.
3.Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. The razors edge. Likelihood 2. There were no changes to the lineup we see week in and week out for Ryukyu. Now we’ll see how they respond to an opponent who is much tougher than the last in a short week.
2. Contain Juri. Likelihood 3. Juri didn’t dress for the match so there was no real threat Ryukyu had to contend with.
3. Pile on the shots. Likelihood 4. Yes! Ryukyu needed a breakout game like this one to restore some confidence in players and look dominant. Granted, this wasn’t a top 6 side but it means a lot moving forward.
4. Prediction
2-0 to Ryukyu was obviously a little light so I’ll award myself a draw for at least predicting the win by Ryukyu. Season Record 5-2-4.
5. Talking Points from Match Day 11
1. Everything worked. Ryukyu enjoyed large spells of possession, looked good in that possession, and put a bunch of high-quality shots on net. We shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back too much based on the opponent, but the fact that we put in a dominant performance is very important. Ryukyu need to put in several of these performances this season and sometimes these types of games can jump start a side heading into a difficult match.
2. Tanaka might be the best RB in the league. He bagged two more assists yesterday and was all over the pitch creating chances. His ability to shield a defender, maintain possession, and then deliver a cross on Kiyotake’s goal was outstanding.
3. It was so good to see Motegi return to form. He looks fit and ready to make an impact. It may not be long before we see him take over the starting LM role for this club.
4. Shu Hiramatsu’s goal for SC Sagamihara is an early contender for goal of the year in J2. Yeah, we all would’ve loved to have seen FC Ryukyu bag another clean sheet, but even as a Ryukyu fan, you have to admire the quality of that goal. Taguchi parried the initial cross from danger, got tangled with a few Sagamihara players and the ball fell right near Shu, who then executed an absolute beauty of an overhead kick over Ikeda’s head. Ikeda would’ve never been able to get to the loose ball and finish was spectacular. Not even upset that it ruined our clean sheet. Well done son.
No change at the top as the top 5 sides all won this round. Kyoto Sanga FC saw out a 3-2 win but were in cruise control up 3-1 before Ehime FC added a late goal to make it seem like the game was close. Jubilo Iwata needed a 76th minute winner after Tochigi SC leveled the game in the second half. Ventforet Kofu won the battle over Zweigen Kanazawa in what was probably the toughest draw this round while Blaublitz Akita and Fagiano Okayama swapped positions in the table following Okayama’s 1-0 win at Akita.
The win for Ryukyu sees them maintain their 3 point lead over Kyoto Sanga FC setting up a massive 6 point top of the table tilt this Wednesday night in Okinawa. A loss would drop Ryukyu down to 3rd but a draw or win would further strengthen Ryukyu’s position in the table. At the quarter mark of the 2021 season Ryukyu have a 10 point lead over 5th placed Kofu; 7 point lead over 4th place Jubilo Iwata in what is shaping up to be a 4 horse race for promotion.
Storied past with these two? Sure. Should Ryukyu be worried? Slightly. Can Ryukyu get the job done? Great question. Sagamihara has the knack for showing up for big games this year but they are 16th for a reason right? This match is the very definition of a “trap game” for Ryukyu as they are playing a lower seeded team just in front of a massive tilt with Kyoto the following Wednesday. However, Ryukyu cannot afford to overlook SC Sagamihara as any dropped points this weekend will severely dent their promotion aspirations.
Weather Forecast & Match Information from the Club
Match Day 10 Highlights
Team Previews
SC Sagamihara
FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 11 in J2
Conclusion
1.Weather Forecast and Match Information from SC Sagamihara
Looks like some it could turn nasty this round. Be prepared if you’re going.
Visiting Ryukyu fans are allowed into the match. Details can be found by clicking the link below.
SC Sagamihara: As I mentioned in the introduction, SC Sagamihara has the ability to play well against some of the better sides in the league. They’ve moved past their rocky start to the campaign where they didn’t score a single goal for the first three matches. I wouldn’t necessarily say that SC Sagamihara are one of the better defending teams in the league, but they do have 4 clean sheets to their name which is only 2 behind Junto Taguchi of Ryukyu.
Sagamihara went 1-2-2 in their last five games with the lone win occurring at Chiba this past weekend which also happened to be Sagamihara’s first road win of the season. Despite conceding early on at home to Niigata, Sagamihara managed to turn things around following a PK and breakaway goal and took the league leaders to the brink before conceding the equalizer in the 61st minute. Sagamihara had plenty of chances to win this game but fell just short. The following match at Tochigi ended 0-0 and is best summed up by saying that both sides missed several chances to score.
SC Sagamihara put in another good shift against a tough opponent in Iwata despite what the score line (2-1 loss) indicates. Similar to the Niigata match, Sagamihara was able to quickly answer the opening goal from their opponent, look dangerous at times, came close to taking the lead, but ultimately surrendered late in the match. At Kofu in the midweek, Sagamihara made some changes to the lineup with the most noticeable being Juri’s removal from the starting eleven. They didn’t look as dangerous as they did against other opponents and fell 2-0 on the road.
The match with Chiba was shaping up much like the 0-0 match with Tochigi SC before a 52nd minute goal from Tatsuya Shirai put Sagamihara in front. The goal stemmed from a corner kick and ensuing chaos in front of the JEF keeper when rebounds were blocked and not fully cleared. They were also aided by JEF offering very little in the attack that day.
Sagamihara has earned the same exact amount of points, 5, in their past five games as they did in their first five games of 2021. They have fared better in the goals scored department in the latter five games, but have also conceded more than they did in the first five games. Fumitake Mura has vacillated between a couple of different formations in their last five games where he started out in a 3-3-2-2; switched briefly to a 3-5-2 against Iwata; reverted to a 3-4-2-1 on a short week at Kofu; before returning back to a 3-5-2 this past week at JEF.
In any event, the player to watch out for this week is forward Juri Mamute who is SC Sagamihara’s leading scorer and points leader (2 goals & 1 assist). Juri is a powerful forward who is not easily moved off the ball and is often moves around the pitch to create mismatches with smaller defenders in order to allow the two attacking midfielders from Sagamihara to run into space.
FC Ryukyu: Can they maintain this pace? The question on every Ryukyu supporter’s mind as well as that of J-League fans. Ryukyu have a penchant for seeing out games in very dramatic fashion these days as most end up with Ryukyu securing a clean sheet and all three points. But how long can that last? I for one have no idea as we are squarely in uncharted waters. This is by far Ryukyu’s best start to a season ever and they continue to surprise us at every turn despite so many calls to the contrary.
But, and it is a big but, we need the offense to start clicking. I for one buy into the mantra that offense wins games, defense wins championships, but there is always going to be a give and take to that saying in any season. So far Ryukyu won out games, albeit untraditionally, in very fine defensive fashion. The fact that we have nearly equaled the amount of clean sheets in any year since we’ve entered the J-League by this point in the season is simply outstanding. Trust me when I say I used to feel that FC Ryukyu’s best defense was an unrelenting offense but that is simply not the case in 2021, and that is a good thing.
All catch phrases aside, this team needs a serious injection of life into the offense as the defense can only hold so long before they begin to buckle under the pressure, and that pressure desperately needs a release valve. So what can be done? It is not as if the front line players have been underperforming, but rather they need to introduce what some would call daring and creative flavor.
Well the good news is that Ryukyu have the depth to call upon in these tough times. I have, and will continue, to call for Nakagawa to regain his place at the table. Ren Ikeda has excelled this year in the CAM role, but Nakagawa is a special player and the more he grows into this side with minutes, and let’s be honest, players of his quality require opportunities to unlock the potential, I think you will all see why I rave about this player when he is given the opportunity. That was his biggest downfall when he left Ryukyu in 2019 as he could never crack the starting 11 on a consistent basis anywhere. So, let him regain that swagger he had from 2018/early 2019. Let him show you why he was a coveted asset of J1 sides as he shreds defenses and turns Abe, like Koji in 2019, loose. We are playing a game with house money right now so there is no need to be coy.
And yet there is more, one more player to be specific. Shunsuke Motegi has proven himself fit, and as someone who believes FC Ryukyu basically stole from Mito Hollyhock pre CV19, deserves his time in the limelight. Now, if you think Tanaka’s ability to reinvent himself at RB is outside of Motegi’s realm of possibilities to do the same at LB, or you think Numata doesn’t need a breather back there, then you’d be mistaken. He may not usurp Kiyotake at the moment but his time will come and if Tanaka and Yu Tomidokoro are any indication for how players can change their stripes (look for Yong Jick to possibly do the same at CDM) then Motegi at least deserves a shot.
4.Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen
1. The razors edge. Likelihood 2. First, Ryukyu cannot, should not, overlook SC Sagamihara in advance of Kyoto Sanga FC. But you can be smarter than the last time we played a midweek match. Wholesale changes at RB. LB, CM, MF, CB and FWD are warranted and almost encouraged. If we don’t give these guys a breather then we are edging closer to injury and burnout territory. This doesn’t come without risks as we could do this and absolutely get manhandled by Sagamihara, but you need to take some risks in any given season and risk management mitigation screams, take it now!
2. Contain Juri. Likelihood 3. As stated, Juri is a powerful forward who uses his body well to shield defenders in and around the box. You often see him drifting to the edges of the box to try and establish a mismatch with some of the opponents’ full backs. Both Tanaka and Numata will have their hands full if this happens on Saturday and if Ryukyu instead opt to send Chinen or Okazaki to mark Juri, Uesato and the other central midfielder will need to be on top of their game to fill the void in the center of the Ryukyu defense.
3. Pile on the shots. Likelihood 4. SC Sagamihara might be the only team in J2 that has fewer shots on net than Ryukyu. That means Ryukyu should see some large spells of possession but need to end the attacks with accurate shots on net. SC Sagamihara has only eclipsed the double-digit mark for shots once this season while Ryukyu has managed it four times. This would be the perfect opportunity to get some of our guys firing before heading into a tough match with Kyoto.
4. If we do score, maintain focus in the minutes that follow. Likelihood 4. SC Sagamihara has shown the ability to quickly to respond to goals scored by their opponents as they did against Niigata and Iwata.
5.Prediction
SC Sagamihara are 0-1-4 with 4 goals scored and 10 conceded against top 6 competition in 2021. FC Ryukyu are 4-1-0 with 8 goals scored and 2 goals conceded against those near the relegation zone. Granted, Sagamihara are close, but not in, the relegation zone at this point. But I still believe FC Ryukyu see this one out 2-0. Season Record 5-1-4.
6.Round 11 in J2
Leaders (1) Albirex Niigata get (13) JEF United Chiba this week with (3) Kyoto Sanga FC facing (19) Ehime FC. (4) Jubilo Iwata will hope a Kyoto stumble in their match so it can help them close the points gap when they play (10) Tochigi SC at home this week. The marquee matchup this round is (7) Ventforet Kofu hosting (6) Zweigen Kanazawa who both dropped points last week. (5) FC Machida Zelvia host (20) Renofa Yamaguchi FC and could turn this into a 5 team race for promotion depending on the outcome of the Kofu v Zweigen match. Finally, (8) Blaublitz Akita will try and take advantage of (12) Fagiano Okayama who are coming a rough month of April.
We have to wait for awhile until the J-League English Twitter feed drops the game for this month.
Ryukyu shook off their first loss of the season by defeating Ventforet Kofu for the first time in the team’s history 2-0 on Sunday evening. A late, some might say controversial, goal by Ren Ikeda in the 90th minute was all that Ryukyu needed to see out the three points. The win keeps FC Ryukyu three points above Kyoto in the automatic promotion slot while also restoring some of the confidence that may have been lost at Machida.
Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 10 in J2
Conclusion
1.Match Day Highlights
2. Man of the Match
FC Ryukyu Mid Fielder Kazumasa Uesato: Kaz was one of Ryukyu’s better passing players and it was his initiative to try a long distance chip over the Kofu goal keeper that led to the Ikeda goal on the ensuing corner kick.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Defend the left, but watch the right on quick counters. Likelihood 3. Yes. Ryukyu seemed aware of how Kofu prefers to break down their opponents, and though Kofu had many cracks at the Ryukyu goal from the left, Ryukyu held firm.
2. Take the attack of life support and give it a jolt with a defibrillator. Likelihood 2. Sort of. It was much better than the last effort but still lacks punch.
3. Play like you’re the second-best team in the league, because you are. Likelihood 3. Indeed. Ryukyu put in a much better shift this weekend compared to the midweek at Machida. The defense was back in fine form and they secured their 6th clean sheet of the season.
4.Prediction
I tipped Kofu to take this game 2-1 and I am happy to take the L this round. Season Record 5-1-4.
5.Talking Points from Match Day 10
1. Dodging some bullets. Kofu had 3 clear cut chances to take the lead in the first half and Ryukyu were a bit lucky to escape that half level. Kofu’s first shot from a corner kick just happened to be directly at Koya Kazama who was in the right place at the right time to prevent a goal. I don’t think Taguchi would’ve been able to get down to that low hard shot headed for the corner. Ryukyu then got pulled apart on some quick passes by Kofu which allowed a free look on net for the Kofu attacker who luckily sent it right towards Taguchi. The third chance was a corner kick where the Kofu attacker either missed timed his jump, or was just slightly out of position, for which he had a free header at the Ryukyu back post.
2. Limited shots on net. Ryukyu have been getting by with limited shots on target while playing some stout defense. It didn’t work out at Zelvia and when they run into tougher competition that can light up the scoreboard, they will need to do more. Ryukyu had 1 shot on target in the first half, and it was a good one from Shintaro Shimizu, but only managed 3 total shots in the second half, all of which occurred in a span of 30 seconds. The Uesato long distance chip, the initial header from the corner kick from the chip and the rebound shot from Ikeda for the goal. Otherwise, there was roughly 51 minutes of zero shots on goal by Ryukyu in the second half.
3. Ryukyu responded well to their first loss. It was a much better performance as a whole as the passing was better and Ikeda played a much better game compared to the one at Zelvia. It won’t always be pretty when Ryukyu need to exorcise some ghosts of years past and the win was hugely significant for their promotion hopes. At lease we have seen how Ryukyu can respond in the face of adversity to avoid some of those long losing streaks we’ve become accustomed to here in Okinawa.
4. A matter of opinion on whether or not you feel Okazaki interfered with Okanishi on the Ikeda goal. I think we’ve all see similar plays called as a foul, and while it may sound a bit bias, I didn’t think there was much there from Okazaki to warrant a call. It almost seemed as if the Kofu keeper was playing for the foul instead of the ball. The ugly scenes that unfolded after the goal were not good as the entire Kofu bench surrounded the linesman in a last ditch effort to reverse the goal and the referee was always going to issue a yellow card to the Kofu keeper who was probably posturing to add more time inside of extra time.
6. Round 10 in J2
Albirex Niigata maintained their grip on the top slot by beating Ehime FC 2-0 in the lone Saturday game. Kyoto Sanga FC continues to put some distance between themselves and 4th placed Iwata with a 2-0 win at Renofa. Iwata, Nagasaki and Kofu all suffered some set backs this round while Zelvia and Akita bagged some nice wins.
Ryukyu move on to face SC Sagamihara this weekend before a massive 6-point tilt with Kyoto the following Wednesday. Often times teams may overlook their next opponent knowing that the following opponent is much tougher with match having more at stake. Ryukyu cannot afford to overlook SC Sagamihara this week as a wobble there will pile on even more pressure for Ryukyu against Kyoto. It was great to see Ryukyu get back to the brand of football that has given them the most success this season, but there is still room for improvement as they near the quarter mark of the season.
FC Ryukyu tasted defeat for the first time this season when FC Machida Zelvia blew apart FC Ryukyu 3-0 this past Wednesday evening. Though losses are inevitable in any season, the one yesterday was particularly hard for some FC Ryukyu fans as the team’s performance in that match was the worst they’ve seen out of this side all year.
Match Day Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 9 in J2
Conclusion
1. Match Day Highlights (or lowlights depending on your perspective)
FC Machida Zelvia GK Koki Fukui. Fukui earned his second clean sheet during Zelvia’s second consecutive 3-0 victory. Granted, he wasn’t asked to do much but a clean sheet is a clean sheet nonetheless.
3.Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Short passes in the Zelvia box. Likelihood 2. Absolutely not. In fact, Ryukyu hard a time connecting on any of their passes anywhere on the pitch.
2. Play to your strengths. Likelihood 4. Most certainly not. Ryukyu allowed the same amount of goals they’ve conceded all season in just a single game last night.
3. Finding the right mix in the squad rotation. Likelihood 2. There was no rotation in the squad outside of Kazaki Nakagawa getting his first run out of the season. We may see some changes the next match.
4. Prediction
Went with a 2-1 victory for FC Ryukyu and it wasn’t even that close. Season Record 5-1-3.
5.Talking Points for Match Day 9
1. Just a bad day at the office. FC Ryukyu were sloppy in possession, looked lethargic at times, and lacked communication yesterday. Takahashi was able to slip past Kiyotake for Machida’s first goal; Ren’s inexcusable back pass that led directly to Machida’s second goal; and then the breakdown at the back that led to Machida’s final goal. I am not sure what happened to FC Ryukyu in the first half as it looked like they were just standing still, or flat, for a better part of it. Then there was the passing by Ryukyu. They could never find that third pass to set the attacks loose. Either because no one was making any runs, or no one wanted to risk a turnover, but it wasn’t good. When Ryukyu did finally decide to pass, it was usually a lateral or back pass.
2. Ryukyu can no longer assume they can paper over the cracks in the attack with a stout defense. When Ryukyu were forced to go hunting for a goal, there was nothing there. They lacked creativity and vision when players did make runs and instead they opted for the aforementioned back pass instead. Ryukyu managed four shots on net in the first half with Kiyotake’s the most dangerous. But mustered only 3 shots in total the second half. Watching Numata just send crosses into the box that were either at the perfect height for the keeper to collect, or there was no one there attempting to get on the end felt a little bit like crossing for the sake of crossing. Now that Nakagawa has some game time under his belt, perhaps it is time for a switch at CAM. When Nakagawa was in that spot two years ago, the entire offense opens up as now they are a threat to score in all three lanes. They really need some central thrust moving forward.
3. Dropped points. Machida didn’t even field their strongest team yesterday and still managed to demolish Ryukyu. Machida were without their two best strikers and it made no difference. Ryukyu have now failed to beat Machida in their last 9 matches and have lost 3 in a row to them. Though, when Ryukyu did lose to Zelvia last year, they were able to rebound with a win in the following match.
4. Streaks ended. FC Ryukyu’s undefeated streak of 2021 comes to an end at 8. Ryukyu also lost for the first time ever on the J-League International YouTube broadcast. Oh well, means nothing in the grand scheme of things.
6. Round 9 in J2
A 92′ minute goal by Kazuhiko Chiba prevented Albirex Niigata from suffering a similar fate to FC Ryukyu and earned Niigata a vital draw on the road to Tochigi. Elsewhere, everyone under Ryukyu: Kyoto, Jubilo, Kanazawa, Nagasaki, and Kofu won, which means Ryukyu’s lead over Kyoto is down to just 3 points.
There is no time to dwell on the past as Ryukyu now face another team they have failed to beat during their time in J2 this weekend. The team, and the fans, need to regroup and prepare for what is surely another stiff test for FC Ryukyu at home this Sunday to Ventforet Kofu.
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