Tag: Inose

“Cob Culling” Match Day 24 Preview: Albirex Niigata vs. FC Ryukyu 7/27/2019

Intro

The FC Ryukyu “Road Show” continues this week with the boys from Okinawa visiting the Denka Big Swan Stadium in Niigata for a mid table clash. FC Ryukyu are coming off their third road loss in a row and will look to finally end their winless drought against Niigata. Niigata on the other hand, are also looking to get back to winning ways at home after suffering a loss to Yokohama FC which was then followed up with 2 all draw against Renofa Yamaguchi. Both sides could really use the win, so this should be an entertaining game to watch.

Weather Forecast

It looks to be another wet, rainy atmosphere for a game. Bring stuff to stay dry.

Albirex Niigata

Albirex have surrendered the opening goal in each of their last 5 matches. However, they’ve gone on to earn 2 wins and a draw during that span so all that means is that this team is resilient. Kanazawa was able to get out in front of Niigata and then retake the lead after Niigata tied the game. Kagoshima looked the better side when they took the early 1-0 lead but ended up surrendering 3 goals, albiet 2 of them taking some strange deflections, for the loss. Omiya jumped out on the front foot but couldn’t crack the Niigata back line for a second and it ultimately cost them points as Niigata scored twice to win their second consecutive match in a row. Niigata would end this 5 game stretch with a 2-0 loss at home versus Yokohama FC followed by a 2-2 draw with Renofa Yamguchi where Niigata, despite surrendering the opening goal, scored twice to take the lead, but let it slip away by allowing a very late equalizer to the hosts.

FC Ryukyu

146 days. That is the amount of days that have passed since FC Ryukyu have last won a road match. It was always going to be a tall task to beat Mito on the road, which was made even more difficult due the fact that FC Ryukyu’s #1 & #2 GK were sidelined. Despite all that, FC Ryukyu still controlled 61% of the possession against Mito and created some nice opportunities to get on the score sheet. Unfortunately, Mito were more clinical with their limited opportunities and went into halftime up 2-0 and I for one thought this game was going to turn ugly. FC Ryukyu battled back for a quick goal in the second half but when the game transitioned to faster paced back forth match, it was FC Ryukyu that conceded the third goal instead of hitting the equalizer.

It is not all doom and gloom though from the FC Ryukyu camp. Yes, they were soundly beaten by Okayama the week prior but they did manage to win a ‘must-win’ game versus Tochigi 2 weeks ago. They battled back against Nagasaki late and if anything, it displays a penchant for never giving up. The slumped shoulders, dropping heads and disbelief at results that plague so many of the teams in poor form has not hit the Ryukyu camp and that is an encouraging sign. All we need now is for some positive results to go their way and for FC Ryukyu to snap out of this slump.

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1. Execute all the little things correctly. This starts with cutting down on turnovers and producing better passing in the opponents third of the pitch. FC Ryukyu are a side that can control the pace of the game with their large amounts of possession but can get hit quickly on the break when they needlessly give the ball away. FC Ryukyu are missing that final pass or two that can unlock an opponents back line and they’d do well to find it today.

2. Exploit Niigata’s weakness at defending set pieces. Niigata let in a few goals from set pieces the past few weeks and it seems to be an area in which they do not defend well. FC Ryukyu on the other hand, need to be better at their set pieces. Masutani scored off a Corner Kick against Mito but FC Ryukyu really need to capitalize on any Free Kicks near Niigata’s 18-yard box. The set pieces do not have to be shots on net as quick changes in direction from headers off of lofted crosses could pull the Niigata defense apart and create a shooting lane.

3. Place well aimed shots on net and get as many attackers into the box as we can. FC Ryukyu had a lot of shots against Mito but many missed the mark. Generate some shots from the flanks that require the goal keeper to make a save and possibly push out a rebound to an open FC Ryukyu player or at the very least, set up more set piece opportunities.

4. Stop the bleeding at the back. Averaging 3 goals conceded over your last 5 matches is a recipe for disaster. It is likely that we see Ishii or Inose in net today but the problem doesn’t start with our goal keepers. FC Ryukyu cannot bomb the defenders forward in hopes of creating a numerical advantage in the attack as this leaves them wide open for counter attacks. Instead, we need a little bit of creativity in the mid field that can allow our defenders to sit back and defend instead of holding a high line.

5. Uejo needs to be in the starting lineup.

Match Prediction

The fact that FC Ryukyu are hemorrhaging 3 goals a game doesn’t bode well for their chances this week despite Niigata’s 5 losses at home and -1 goals scored/goals conceded ratio. The recent form of FC Ryukyu indicates that they will concede one, two and most likely 3 goals this match against Niigata, but if they can put a stop to the bleeding at the back, then FC Ryukyu have a shot at points today. The most likely result is another 3-2 loss on the road.

Conclusion

I for one am tired of opponents circling the FC Ryukyu fixture on their home calendar as an easy 3 points. However, until FC Ryukyu actually produce a win on the road, you cannot blame our opponents for thinking they can get all 3 points or at the very least, 1 point. FC Ryukyu haven’t had a favorable match-up on the road since the FC Gifu game back in early May and today’s game against Niigata, a side they’ve already beaten this year, offers a glimmer of hope. In the end, the boys will have to go out there and get the job done, and that wont come easy.

I am jealous for all that are attending this game as Niigata really packs them in at the Denka and averages nearly 15,000 spectators for home games. Hopefully FC Ryukyu can silence that crowd and walk out of there with some points.

“Ch,Ch,Ch, Changes” Match Day 23 Report: Mito Hollyhock 3-1 FCR 7/21/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu suffered their second defeat in a row, and their fourth in their past 5 games, but it still left them 14th in the table. Getting any sort of positive result against Mito was always going to be a tall ask of the traveling FC Ryukyu side but was made even more difficult when FC Ryukyu were forced to make a drastic change at GK. One must assume that an injury/illness to the incumbent, Carvajal, kept him off the roster in addition to Ishii being unable to play against his parent club who loaned him to FC Ryukyu this season. That meant that 3rd choice keeper, Inose Kosuke, would get the start for FC Ryukyu.

First Half

Despite the weather report from Saturday, the rain held off and it was a crisp evening in Mito. Mito wasted no time getting in behind our central defenders and tested Inose early in the 2nd minute but Inose made a fine save from the well taken shot. Mito continued their fast start when in the 4th minute a FK required Inose to be called into action once more. FCR had a chance early as well when Kazama found himself with acres of space to operate, along with several FCR attackers in the area, but he opted to shoot and sent the ball wide of the mark. FCR looked good in the attack but it was ultimately Mito would get on the score sheet first when a header from a cross was deflected into the back of the net. There wasn’t much Inose could do from the lucky deflection but nonetheless, FCR were down early on the road to a superior opponent.

Mito doubled their lead from another header later in the first half. On the play, there seemed to be a little confusion between the FCR defenders as there was a large gap that Shichi Takaaki was able to exploit and hammer home the second goal of the night. FCR had a chance to get one score back when a turnover by Mito saw Ochi with a free run and look on net. However, Ochi’s shot from the top of the box was right at the keeper at a decent height that made for an easy save. He had the whole goal to work with and he could have gone low and hard to the opposite side or top shelf that probably would’ve resulted in a score. Regardless, FCR went into half time down 2-0 and it looked very worrying for the guests despite there incredible 61/39% possession over Mito.

Second Half

Higuchi made an immediate change when he brought Uejo on in place of Ochi to start the second half. Uejo’s presence made an immediate impact for FC Ryukyu as he was using his speed to get on to the end of long passes and was making some very dangerous runs at the Mito net. FC Ryukyu grabbed a goal in the 56th minute from a very nice header from Masutani on a corner kick but it turned out to be the only score of the game for FCR. The game had a frantic pace after the Masutani goal and turned into a dangerous game of chicken between the teams to see who would blink first. Ultimately it was FCR as they allowed Mito to score off a turnover where Ogawa Koki chested the ball down nicely and then calmly blasted it past Inose for a 3-1 Mito advantage.

FCR would have a few more chances from FKs but nothing close to the opportunities they enjoyed in the first half. FC Ryukyu ended the match with 61% possession but was out shot 16/11 where Mito put 11 of those shots on net compared to the FCR 7. It was a day marked by turnovers and mental errors.

Man of the Match

DF #7 SHICHI Takaaki Mito Hollyhock. Played a solid game from his FB position. Directly contributed to 2 of Mito’s goals when it was his header that was redirected by Kurokawa for the first Mito score and his header for the second. Exploited the FC Ryukyu defenders on set pieces in the box and offered up some fine efforts on FKs and in defense.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu.

There was only one and it was for everyone to win their individual battles. Some did, some did not. This is a team sport and the team did not get the job done on Sunday. FAIL.

Match Day 23 Takeaways

1. I have never played football at a high level. I played baseball through college and have watched multiple sports all my life. Therefore, while I cannot accurately define the tactics and individual assignments of players in every match, I can determine when there are mental errors and sloppy play. In my experience, these items are directly associated with coaching. For example, I counted 20 FC Ryukyu turnovers and 16 incidents of mental errors during Sunday’s match. I did not count plays where FCR players were attempting to get a pass through to an attacker in the opponent’s end. Turnovers were scored as: heavy first touches that got away from an FC Ryukyu player, not knowing where the opposing teams’ defenders/players where when in possession and then being dispossessed, passes directly at opposing players with no FC Ryukyu player within 3 meters of where the ball ended up, and needlessly kicking the ball out of bounds. Mental errors were categorized as: failing to recognize, and then pass to, open FCR attackers near the opponents 18-yard box, wasteful FK opportunities, failing to kick the ball out of bounds to prevent an attack by opting to pass/round the Mito player which resulted in a turnover or CK, and finally, losing control of the ball while in possession from either a lack of hubris or heavy touch. None of these things are irreversible, in fact, all can be coached, reinforced and practiced over and over again so as to be reduced in a given match. Turnovers and the occasional mental mistake are always going to happen in any match, I am merely advocating a reduction in the overall number through coaching and mentoring.

2. There were some interesting managerial decisions this past weekend that I believe deserve a deeper look. First, FC Ryukyu were forced into some lineup changes due to injuries and loan regulations but that isn’t the real story. I do not speak Japanese and I am not a member of the team to know why Higuchi opts to bring Uejo off the bench every match instead of starting the talented youngster, but his impact is undeniable. His presence opened the match up for FC Ryukyu that ultimately allowed Masutani to score from a set piece. Unless there is some evidence to suggest Uejo cannot sustain a full 90 minutes, I have no idea why the second leading scorer on our team sees limited action each week. Second, FCR had plenty of opportunities to do something from set pieces yet nothing materialized. Yu is probably the best FK taker in the squad yet he has been afforded limited opportunities on set pieces. Not much more to add here. Finally, why did Higuchi wait until the 1st minute of stoppage time to make the 3rd and final sub for FC Ryukyu despite being down by 2 goals with a little over a quarter of the match to play? This one baffled me since he should’ve subbed on fresh legs to run at the tired Mito defenders and allow the new player time to adjust to the game and possibly make a play or two. Instead, I think Kim Song Sun touched the ball once, maybe twice, in the limited action of stoppage time. This seemed like a useless gesture to get a player some game time despite having another talented player in Koizumi on the bench.

3. Higuchi’s managerial style. It seems that opponents are able to make in-game adjustments that Higuchi cannot either see or respond too quickly enough and therefore but this side at a disadvantage. FC Ryukyu have talented players, but are we getting the most out of them? Are we executing the same game plan every week when it is necessary to adjust, and tailor, the lineup and tactics? The most talented players for FC Ryukyu are up front and they are the ones that need to be taking the high priority shots each week. Are we doing enough to set them up for success?

4. Confidence. No doubt that the boys needs a confidence boosting result, and they need it quickly. A positive result (win) against Niigata next week would go a long way to boosting this sides confidence. Hopefully, we’ll see Nishioka, Kawai, Yu and Uejo taking on the Niigata defenders in and around the box and playing like they did some weeks ago.

Conclusion

FC Ryukyu are nearing a point where they will have no other choice but to change or risk falling into a relegation battle and possibly out of the J2. FC Ryukyu currently sit 8 points clear of the relegation zone but that is only a matter of 3 results not going their way. Consider that FC Ryukyu have conceded 20 goals in their past 8 matches and are averaging nearly 3.00 goals conceded each week over their past 5 games. Change could occur in many forms; change in tactics, change in personnel selected for the starting 11, change with some transfers into the club or a managerial change.  FC Ryukyu haven’t won on the road since Omiya, 106 days ago, so why not play as if you have nothing to lose next week versus Niigata. We’ve seen how Kagoshima, FC Gifu, Renofa, and JEF Chiba did when they employed those tactics against FCR.