(22) FC Ryukyu vs (6) Ventforet Kofu #FC琉球

Intro

Finally some momentum. And this game will be a real test to see how far Ryukyu have progressed as Ventforet Kofu are undefeated in their last four (4) with only one (1) loss in their last eight (8). Kofu, and their fans, definitely come to town with three points on their mind, and why shouldn’t they? They’ve experienced nothing but success against Ryukyu in the past three seasons and now face a Ryukyu side in the midst of a relegation battle. Ryukyu, on the other hand, have done something remarkable by winning two in a row thanks to two clean sheets. Can Ryukyu do the unthinkable and win three games in a row?

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

Not a bad forecast for it being the height of rainy season in Okinawa.

Click>>>> Match Day 17 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: For those of you expecting (hoping) FC Ryukyu will win their third game in a row, let me offer this stat. Since they entered the J2 in 2019, Ryukyu have only won three (3) games in a row twice. And yes, you guessed it, those were during the fast start years of 2019 and 2021. Outside of those fast start seasons, and well into the season since that is where we are at the moment, FC Ryukyu have a record of 0-1-6 following a two (2) game winning streak. Not great. But then again, we are in some unchartered territory these days so anything is possible.

If they hope to reverse that trend then they will have to do it against a side in which they’ve only notched one (1) win in the six (6) matches they’ve played. Granted, that lone win did come at home – where this game will be played – but was also inside the early part of last season when FC Ryukyu were beating everyone. A third win in a row largely depends on Ryukyu executing a repeat performance of the last two weeks.

The fact is we need Kusano, Kiyotake, and Ikeda to get into a rhythm as we cannot rely solely on Kusano scoring each match to see out wins because that has happened on several occasions this season, only to be let down by the defending in the end. We need others to step up, especially when we are razor thin at CB these days, so we can continue to take some pressure off the defense. But who? Tanaka cannot fire in crosses from his current position on the bench; we rarely win set pieces – or corners – in dangerous areas; and we rarely get our two central defenders involved on set pieces inside the opposition’s box. I think we need to rethink how we attack teams in order to put us into advantageous situations and not simply rely on luck to see us through. The only thing we have to lose is J2 next year, which should be enough to make us as dangerous as a cornered animal.

Ventforet Kofu: Kofu started the season slow with only one (1) win their opening eight (8) fixtures. Where have I seen that before? Never mind. They then embarked on a four (4) game winning streak that propelled them into the sixth spot of the table. A position, despite some recent wobbles, they still maintain as of match day 17.

Kofu have two (2) wins, two (2) draws, and one (1) loss in the past five (5) matches with wins over Verdy and Gunma; draws with Tochigi and Renofa; and the lone loss suffered at the hands of Mito Hollyhock. One thing that immediately jumps out about this Kofu side is their speed up top and relentless pursuit of rebounds in the box. That kind of makes them a forward leaning side that are extremely vulnerable at the back, which, seems to be the team’s Achilles’ heel at the moment.

Kofu had several moments where they were hitting their opponents on either counter attacks or straight from the center of the pitch with long breakaways. But they also looked extremely poor when playing it out from the back with a bevy of costly turnovers, or simply allowing the opposition to exploit their weakest position in the team. There is no doubt that Ryukyu must respect the speed of Kofu in the attack, but not fear it, because the Ryukyu attack needs to find away to create havoc within the Kofu back line that could lead to turnovers and goals. That also means Ryukyu players in the starting eleven that may not enjoy tracking back in games really need to this game. And since the Kofu attack seems to come in multiple waves, Ryukyu cannot be caught ball watching the initial shot as the on-rushing attackers from Kofu will certainly be there to pounce on any rebound.

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. Take the game to Kofu. Likelihood 3. No frills or messing about here just dictate the terms of play inside the Kofu 18-yard box. We are keen to own loads of possession, yet do very little with it. Change that. Take risks, create chances, ask questions in dangerous areas and let’s see what happens. Otherwise, it is more of the same old drab that got us to where we are right now.

2. Someone steps up in central defense. Likelihood 2. We looked so good to start the season with Nakagawa and Omori in central defense, but that denigrated into something completely different as the season wore on. Perhaps Nakagawa is injured, but we cannot gamble by throwing Makito Uehara to the wolves and think he’ll be OK out there. Yong Jick had a great game last week, but we need consistent performances out of the senior man in defense, not just a singular good game. Ryukyu will have to contend with loads of speed and counter attacks from Kofu, which means defending has to be a total team effort, and we better have the horses out there on Saturday to do it.

Kinain’ Ya Around ~~For Whom the Bell Tolls~~

Kina gets a bit of a reprieve as he was absent for last weeks win as he will be for this weeks match with Kofu after succumbing to CV-19. However, it still seems that Kina can do no wrong. How he is still here is beyond me. Sure, he was in charge when we won our second game of the season, in week 15! But was it just me or did the entire club enjoy a relaxed, worry free environment last week to earn their third win?

Now humor me as we venture down this loosely cobbled path of logic. We all know that sometimes clubs can experience a bit of a ‘bounce’ when there is a managerial change. Ryukyu saw this last year when we switched from Higuchi to Kina, and we are witnessing it right now with FC Gifu and to some extent, Omiya Ardija when they added Hiromi Hara as head of the Omiya Football headquarters. In the games following these moves, each club experienced a change in fortunes. Some were brief, and some are still going, but how important were those changes for the clubs this season?

In the case of Omiya, it pulled them off the bottom of the table. Something Ryukyu desperately need to do these days. And right now, Ryukyu are in the midst of the slightest of ‘bounces’ with head coach Kazuki Karanuki taking over duties in Kina’s stead. How huge would it be for Ryukyu if we had two, even three (possibly serving as coach for Omiya with such a quick turnaround in fixtures) games with wins and or points? The change may only be temporary, and the bounce brief, but it could be enough to pull us up a little bit and provide vindication that a change in manager is needed. This is especially true if Ryukyu go straight back into the trash bin upon Kina’s return. Just saying, think about it.

Round 17 in J2

We all know that the real excitement in any season is watching how the relegation battle plays out, bit of recency bias down here these days for sure, and not just the boring promotion race (though I do miss that dearly) where a couple of teams pull far away from the pack. The sheer look of disappointment and frustration written across many teams, coaches and their fan’s faces make the battle for survival all the better. However, I should mention that there is a very nice top of the table tilt between (3) Albirex Niigata and (2) Yokohama FC this week that could see those teams swap positions or YFC extend their lead to six (6) points in the automatic promotion zone.

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at those teams struggling at the foot of the table. (19) Tochigi SC, who haven’t won in nine (9) games, travel to (11) Tokushima Vortis. Vortis are coming of consecutive losses (1 in J2, 1 in the Levain Cup), are looking to rebound, and are the best defensive side in the table based on goals allowed while Tochigi is one of the worst scoring sides in J2. (20) Omiya Ardija host (1) Vegalta Sendai after losing to Iwate in the midweek while down their starting GK. Omiya will have played two (2) games inside of a week when Ryukyu come to town so perhaps they rest some players (aka rollover) in order to prepare for the all important 6-pointer with FC Ryukyu next Wednesday. Perhaps Ryukyu does the same this week??

Then there is (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka, who usurped FC Ryukyu in the standings with their 1-0 win on the road at Omiya on Wednesday and who travel to (17) FC Mito Hollyhock. Prior to that victory Iwate were on a seven (7) game losing streak and now they face a Mito side who has won (3) out of their last six (6) games. Omiya and Ryukyu have the toughest path to points this week with Tochigi a close second, followed by Iwate who looked far better against Omiya than they have in recent weeks. But that’s just it, teams down here always seem to look good against each other, which needs to be taken with a grain of salt when jumping to conclusions for any side at the bottom.

The free broadcast this week will feature (8) Blaublitz Akita hosting (9) Tokyo Verdy. This will be Verdy’s fourth appearance on the free broadcast this month, with still two (2) more to go. Perhaps Verdy can make it three consecutive losses in a row on the channel. Click>>>> J.League Int’l YouTube.

Conclusion

I am glad we won our first home game of the season last week as weekly blog entries felt more like obituaries than posts in recent months. But now we need do something different, and that is to win a third game in a row deep into a season marked by strife and setbacks. I’ll be there, the Ryukyu Army will be there, will you join us in spirit?

(21) FC Ryukyu vs (6) Thespakusatsu Gunma #FC琉球

Intro

This game for Ryukyu begins a stretch of matches where they will play six (6) games inside of twenty three (23) days. Make no mistake, this is a hugely important run of games for both Ryukyu, and their manager Kina. Because if they don’t come out of this with a decent amount of points, then we may see the earliest managerial change for in the history of Ryukyu. On the other hand, Gunma is enjoying one of their better starts in the J2 this season on the back of some impressive defensive performances. They are probably feeling pretty confident this week and will look to continue their current winning streak against a side that has yet to win at home all season.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

Cloudy, no too hot, but always the prospect of rain on Okinawa despite the low probability of it actually raining. I usually try to post these previews about 48 hours out from the match and though I’ve been wrong on the weather before, rightfully called out on this – thanks @stuartcw and sorry about the YFC weather lol – if I could predict the correct weather I’d also predict our scores each week. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst is the safe bet.

Click>>>> Match Day Info from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: By the time this run of games is over, Ryukyu will have played more than one-third of their matches this season. Can we realistically expect Ryukyu to earn double digit points over their next six games? Would we consider it a failure if they didn’t? It will be no easy task as Ryukyu’s next four games are all against teams currently ranked 4-7 in the table, followed by one of our longest road trips of the season during the mid week, and finally against a team inside the top 10 that is enjoying the new boy bounce in the J2. It seems like a very large ask of Ryukyu to earn a decent amount of points over the next three and half weeks.

There is no doubt we are in a bit of striker injury crisis at the moment but that is not to say that Kusano cannot do the job while awaiting the return of those who are injured, or so we suspect are injured sine we have no news from the club on their status. Kiyotake has also been playing really well on the offense side of the house but has that unfortunate thing going for him where he seems to be indirectly involved in the areas where the opposition scores their goals against Ryukyu. Kanai played well against Yokohama FC, obviously as he scored our only goal and had another lovely chance, and perhaps that is because we cannot find a way to get both Ikeda and Kiyotake into the lineup at the same time. Ikeda never looked comfortable playing out wide in the 4-4-2, and is better suited as a CAM, but Kiyotake is doing so well there these days it is hard to imagine him being unseated if we stick to a 4-2-3-1.

One thing for certain was we definitely needed to see a change at LB as I think the days of Numata as a regular starter have come to an end as what we really need there is a little more pace and stamina to support us on both ends of the pitch. Now, what do we do in the central defending areas of Ryukyu? We made a change in central defense following the loss to JEF when the young duo of Nakagawa and Omori were replaced with a combination of either player and Okazaki, but we do not know if that was due to injury or lack of confidence in those players by the manager. We haven’t even seen Nakagawa since the Renofa match and Omori seems to only be an emergency central defending substitute at this point.

Sure, Yong Jick has put forth the effort, but as I said at the start of the season, we cannot replace Chinen’s skill, but we can replace his tenacity and drive. And I believe that is what we have with the young defenders on loan. The problem is we (Kina) haven’t shown any faith in these players through the growing pains that will naturally occur to allow them to develop into better players. And to what end? It is not as if we are shutting down teams on a consistent basis to see out leads for wins with our current central defending pair. A change at CB must be made to allow Omori and Nakagawa to develop, which will not be an overnight change, as we already know what we’ve got back there these days based on the last five games. Then again, Nakagawa may be injured and since the club has released zero injury news this season for any of our players and therefore this might just be wishful thinking.

Thespakusatsu Gunma: Gunma started the season with a win and two draws before a streak where they had two straight games with a 1-0 score line (1 loss and 1 win), followed by consecutive 2-3 defeats, but then won two (2) games in a row heading into their matchup with Ryukyu. All four of Gunma’s wins this season have been by one (1) goal and they have already recorded four (4) shutouts this season. Gunma are a team similar to Okayama in that they haven’t scored a lot of goals – zero games with more than 2 goals scored – but they certainly don’t surrender a lot either.

Gunma has three (3) wins and two (2) losses over their last five games. In two of those losses they surrendered three (3) goals in consecutive matches. Which is roughly three quarters of the entire goals they’ve conceded all season. Masatoshi Kushibiki was outstanding in net versus JEF where he made save after save to give Gunma the win after an early 7th minute goal. Gunma’s defending let them down the following week in which Niigata jumped out to a two goal lead within the opening twenty minutes. This was followed by both sides trading goals and then a stoppage time goal by Gunma to finish 2-3.

It was almost a similar story the following match against Nagasaki where Gunma found themselves in similar territory being down two goals by the twenty minute mark. But Gunma were able to draw level midway through the second half before a mishandling of a Cristiano shot by Kushibiki found its way over the line. Gunma were able to turn things around after the two heavy losses in quick succession the following week against Mito. Gunma opened the scoring before a handball by one of their defenders allowed Mito back in the game with a PK goal. Gunma utilized some excellent penetrating runs from their attackers, which seems to be an enduring trait of this side, to grab an 80th minute goal for the win.

Gunma’s most recent win came on the road at Morioka where Kushibiki regained the good form he was enjoying against JEF when he made a beautiful double save to keep the score level before an 89th minute goal secured the victory for Gunma. So what can we expect from Gunma this match? If you fail to run at them, in order to find space in their defense, an instead opt to slowly build your attack, Ryukyu will most likely suffer the same defeats of JEF, Mito and Morioka. Gunma looked good defending set pieces in some of their recent games and if Kushibiki is once again in form, it will make life very difficult for Ryukyu. If you attack them like Niigata and Nagasaki did, with diagonal passes and quick changes in direction, we should be able to create enough chances on net to score goals. But keep in mind, the same things can be said about Ryukyu’s defense and we could easily see Gunma tearing apart our backline with the quality runs into the box by their attacking players.

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. Maintain Focus. Likelihood 1. Definitely the most important one as when Ryukyu check out of games, goals are scored, momentum is lost and points are dropped. Ryukyu’s preferred style of playing it out from the back seems to invite more pressure on a team that already concedes loads of possession and chances to the opposition. In fact, it feels as if there are large stretches of games where Ryukyu barely touches the ball and affords their opponents multiple chances on net with no Ryukyu answer in return. Starting fast and finishing strong our extremely important in games, but right now it seems that Ryukyu need to win the middle third of matches where they seem to be the most vulnerable right now.

The Hot Seat

Last week I wondered if Ryukyu failed to win against Okayama, would it be their worst start to any season since joining the J-League in 2014? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding yes. Even if Ryukyu win the match on Saturday, it is their lowest point total in the opening ten fixtures of any season and the first ever season to register less than double digit points by this point of a season. Also, a win would only tie the least amount of wins in the opening ten fixtures for any year they’ve spent in the J2.

Ryukyu’s lowest win total to open any season was two (2) back in 2020 but they did manage to earn ten (10) points by their 10th game in a non relegation year. Ryukyu’ previous point totals in ten matches since 2014: 11 points (2014 and 2015), 18 points (2016), 13 points (2017), 15 points (2018) while in the J3, but the stakes were not nearly as high as there was no fear of relegation, and the competition was not nearly as tough. Ryukyu grabbed four (4) wins from their opening four (4) fixtures in 2019 and had reached sixteen (16) points by match day ten, but managed only five (5) more wins the rest of the season. And we all recall the blistering pace Ryukyu were on in 2021 when they had twenty four (24) points by match day ten. Basically, Ryukyu are in some unchartered waters these days.

The point mark that usually symbolizes relative safety in the J2 hovers between 40-42 points. 2020 was an anomaly as there was no relegation that year but that total would’ve needed to be closer to fifty (50) points. Ryukyu currently sit on five points and don’t necessarily end seasons on the highest of highs. In fact, we usually succumb to a mid season slump which, if were repeated this year, would be the final nails in our coffin. There are thirty three (33) games remaining in which Ryukyu must somehow make it to at least 42 points. And when you are struggling for wins at this point of the season, there is no such thing as a let up in your schedule based on your opponents current standing in the table.

The next six (6) fixtures should really determine the fate of Kina as it is probably too condensed of a schedule to make a managerial change inside of that run of games, but does leave enough (hopefully) time in the fixture list to find a suitable replacement. Any replacement will likely need at least 5-7 games to install their system but will still have the opportunity to seek reinforcements in the summer transfer window. That is assuming the club is thinking the same thing and preparing to do as such.

J2 Round 10

So we get a taste of a top of the table clash between two of last seasons relegated teams when (1) Yokohama FC take on (4) Vegalta Sendai at home. And it also happens to be the featured match of the week on the free J-League International YouTube channel. What a treat! For the rest, it seems like a pretty straight forward fixture list of teams in the top half of the table against those in the bottom half with a few games interspersed among teams close to one another in the table. (17) Tokushima Vortis lost their first game of the season last week, have not scored a goal in four (4) games and face (20) Mito Hollyhock on the road in a game that some Ryukyu fans will probably be keeping a close eye on the results.

***Click>>>*** Yokohama FC vs Vegalta Sendai

Conclusion

We can hope, pray, and wish Ryukyu to victory all we want as fans but at the end of the day it comes down to the physical and mental preparations of the team as well as the desire and will of each member of the squad to succeed. Players may have great performances individually, but the entire team must put forth a good effort this weekend. Turnovers are inevitable in any game, but cannot be costly due to players losing focus. Conceding goals will happen, but cannot be treated as if we’ve already lost the game. Leads can, and have been, lost in games so we should never get complacent regardless of the score line. What we need is for a few veterans, on a team full of veterans, to take charge on both ends of the pitch. Yeah, the low point total sucks, but you need to start the climb up and out somewhere. We put our foot on the first rung of the ladder last week. Let’s take the first step up it this week.

(16) FC Ryukyu vs (22) FC Mito Hollyhock #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu are fresh off their first win of the season and looking to double that win total when last placed FC Mito Hollyhock travel to Okinawa on Saturday. Ryukyu had to battle back twice from deficits at Renofa Yamaguchi last week but hopefully that performance has calmed some nerves of the fans as well as steeled the reserve of the Ryukyu players. Mito enter the match in the midst of a four game winless streak which makes this a bit of a trap game for Ryukyu who may be feeling their oats after their last win.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

The forecast calls for partly covered skies with little chance of rain. That is banking on the fact that a pretty nasty storm front clears out on Friday. We all know how weather works down here in Okinawa so prepare for the worst and enjoy better conditions if they should occur. Or just drink more to forget about how terrible the weather (hopefully not the match) actually is while you’re standing outside.

Click>>>> Match Day 05 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: That first win should provide a little sense of relief, as well as some boost in confidence, for Ryukyu heading into match day 5. We all wanted to see a Ryukyu performance indicative of their first game last Saturday, obviously not the previous two rounds, and we got just that last week. Now it is time to build on that momentum from the Renofa match and notch another win in what could be Ryukyu’s first home victory of the season.

Last week it was the ‘old guard’ of FC Ryukyu that pulled them through so perhaps we need a bit more of that this game. Abe’s goal from a corner was spectacular; Kiyotake’s header looked accidental (but we’ll take it); and Ryunosuke Noda’s first goal in over a year and half was a well taken shot from a breakaway. Speaking of Kiyotake, he had an interesting game last week in that he scored the equalizer, assisted on the winner, but was a bit off the mark for parts of the match. He nearly allowed Renofa to take control of the game when he sent a misguided pass directly across the top of the Ryukyu box and onto the foot of a Renofa attacker. Luckily Taguchi was up to the task and parried it away from danger thus keeping the one goal deficit in tact.

Heading into this matchup it is anyone’s guess as to who Kina will start as Ryukyu have been pretty consistent on rotating players in and out of the starting eleven all season. Ikeda returned last week from a one week absence, Yu Tomidokoro seems to have secured one of the starting CM roles over Kazuto Takezawa, Abe and Kiyotake both started, Yuki Omoto made his first start at RB, and Rio Omori has gone missing the past two weeks thus allowing Yong-Jick a return to the bench. It is great to have all these options but it likely leaves the side a little unsettled. Perhaps Kina is deploying a strategy of forcing players to earn the starting role each week compared to that of his predecessor who based it solely on name brand recognition, which is a good thing. What isn’t a good thing is needing the offense to get going and shifting many players around who cannot get into any sort of rhythm. I guess we’ll see this week.

Hopefully we see a return of Keita Tanaka at RB this match as he was seen at practice throughout the week but there is no telling how is rehabilitation from last season’s injury is progressing, or if he is ready to go. If he does play, I would expect a limited appearance until he gets back up to match fitness. One player that Ryukyu will definitely be without for the extended future is Sittichok Paso who will be joining the U-23 Thailand national team for the Dubai Cup in the U.A.E. Personally, I think Ryukyu are wasting a great opportunity to capitalize on having a Thai player in the squad when it comes to marketing and actual playing time. We need to find a better way to incorporate him or else we shouldn’t be wasting his, or our, time by rostering and failing to market a player like Paso.

FC Mito Hollyhock: Here is the tale of the tape so far: (1) Mito have suffered two defeats by a score line of 2-3 and have only managed a single point from their first four matches. (2) Mito can be prone to both fast starts, 4 of their 5 goals have come within the first 15 minutes of games, as well as lackluster finishes, 6 of the 8 goals conceded have occurred in the second half. That is the reality facing Ryukyu on Saturday.

Mito’s season was delayed by a week due to a CV-19 outbreak at Oita so they opened their campaign during week 2 at home to Sendai. Mito controlled the majority of play to open the game and their efforts were rewarded with an early goal before a handball/PK wiped out that lead in the 32nd minute. Sendai went ahead in the 74th minute but Mito quickly equalized two minutes later when Kazuma Takai took the most direct route ever seen inside the box to put it into the top of the net. However, Mito switched off near the end by conceding a goal in the 3rd minute of stoppage time. Against Akita the following week both sides traded numerous chances before some nervy run of play from both teams saw Akita score the eventual winner.

Mito played Oita in the midweek to make up for the previously postponed round 1 and once again they looked the better side to start the match. Mito opened the scoring in the 7th minute from a good nice run of play but, in keeping with Mito’s luck to date, Oita equalized from a very nicely taken shot inside the first half. Finally, and probably the most deflating performance to date, was Mito’s 2-3 loss at Yokohama FC where they surrendered a two goal lead in that loss.

Mito’s most lethal player is Kosuke Kinoshita, who joined from the Urawa Reds this offseason, and who has two goals and one assist this season. Mito has only defeated Ryukyu twice in the short span of their time together in J2 with their most recent win occurring at Ryukyu back on matchday 25 last year when Ryukyu were beginning their too often predictable mid-season collapse.

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. Weather the early Mito storm. Likelihood 2. There is no doubt that Mito start matches very fast as indicated by their goals scored/conceded ratio mentioned in the team preview section. Mito are very adept at hitting teams on the counter attack, which means Ryukyu need to survive the first 15 minutes of this match in order to take control of the game. Easier said than done for Ryukyu as this exact type of pressure caused us to concede early in the game last week at Renofa.

2. Harass Mito inside the box. Likelihood 3. A preponderance of Mito’s conceded goals have occurred in and around the 6-yard box. Ryukyu need to put more quality shots on net to cause some chaos and confusion in the Mito defense as well as inject some better crosses into the attacking players who should find space to operate on Saturday.

J2 Round 05

A couple of tilts at the top of the table this week with (5) Fagiano Okayama looking to rebound from a heavy defeat at Zelvia when they host league leaders (1) Yokohama FC, with (2) FC Machida Zelvia traveling to face (3) Tokyo Verdy in a bit of a derby match. Most of the other games this round see a lot of teams in the bottom third of the table squaring off in order to jockey for positioning. There is the lone, albeit odd, Monday afternoon kickoff this week between (13) Roasso Kumamoto and (14) V-Varen Nagasaki.

The free J-League International YouTube broadcast this week will feature (12) Albirex Niigata at home against (12) Ventforet Kofu and the link can be found below the picture.

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

Conclusion

So it is kind of a big weekend for both the club and the supporters. First, it is Jin-Beno Day (the official mascot of Ryukyu) and there are a ton of giveaways and special seating at the stadium. Who doesn’t love J-League mascots? Second, Yu Tomidokoro, aka Mr. Ryukyu, celebrates 250 matches in his J-League career along with Yuki Omoto celebrating his 100th game in which commemorative plaques and towels are available for purchase. Third, a win here for Ryukyu could be a nice launching pad to further success along with an uplifting first home win for the fans.

But finally, and most importantly, this is the first match of the season that I will be able to attend in person. So brace yourself Okinawa, the Commander of the Ryukyu Army is inbound!

MD42: (14) Tochigi SC vs (9) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Don’t look now but FC Ryukyu are on a 4-game unbeaten streak heading into the final match day of 2021. Granted, a majority of those results have been draws – three in a row to be exact – but you’d have to go all the way back to Match Days 10-14 to find a similar set of results for the club this season. On the other hand Tochigi SC are also on a streak of their own as they have won their last two un a row heading into what will be the final match in charge for Kazuaki Tasaka. Perhaps there is some extra motivation for Tochigi to send him off with a win which seems a bit troubling as a Ryukyu fan in an otherwise ‘dead rubber’ game.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
Round 41 Recap
Highlights
Team Previews
- Tochigi SC
- FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Round 42 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info from Tochigi SC

Some really nice conditions for the last game of the year.

Click>>> Match Day 42 Info

2. Round 41 Recap

Try as they might, FC Ryukyu couldn’t close out the home portion of the 2021 season with a win. Things started out promising for Ryukyu following a phenomenal first half goal from Shunsuke Motegi but Niigata found it way to easy to equalize in the second half when former Ryukyu talisman, Koji Suzuki, put one of his patented one touch shots past Taguchi. I am not even upset that it was Koji that scored against us.

3. Previous Match Highlights

Giravanz Kitakyushu 1-2 Tochigi SC

FC Ryukyu 1-1 Albirex Niigata

4. Team Previews

Tochigi SC: Tochigi started the season with three straight losses followed by a 7-game unbeaten streak before the wheels really came off the car starting on Match Day 16 with Tochigi going 11 straight games without a win. Somehow their manager survived that barren patch and even managed to win three games in a row following that disaterous run. Tochigi also have this weird thing going where they seem to bunch (3) wins in a row. That has happened twice so far this season with the only other wins over Matsumoto sticking out like sore thumbs in the schedule. As mentioned in the intro, Tochigi enter MD42 on the back of two straight wins which is a bit of an ominous sign for Ryukyu if Tochigi continue this streak of bunching wins together.

Tochigi have earned 20% if their total wins in their last five games with wins over Giravanz and Zweigen which were preceded by losses to JEF and Nagasaki and a draw to Akita. A majority of their leading scorers are on loan and the fact that a CB has the most goals in the side might not be instilling a ton of confidence in the Tochigi fans heading into 2022. The last time these teams met on MD 14 FC Ryukyu were in the midst a four game unbeaten run and defeated Tochigi 4-2 to make it 5 games in a row. I would definitely like to see history repeat itself once more this week.

However, the home side in the last two fixtures has scored 4 goals so with all the streaks occurring for both of these clubs, something has to give on Sunday.

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu have scored first in every one of their last four matches during this unbeaten run. However, they’ve also conceded first half goals in each of them. Ryukyu managed to regain the lead, or go level, with second half goals against Kanazawa and JEF, but that trend has swung the other direction with Ryukyu allowing their opposition to score in the second half while also failing to grab a potential winner. I am not really sure what to make of that and simply hope Ryukyu can turn things around in their last game to close out 2021 with a victory.

Ryukyu have gone 2-4-1 since the managerial change to Kina and that is certainly a better record than their previous 7-games that saw Higuchi released from his duties. It is still to early to tell how Kina will get on next season as most of Ryukyu’s competition during Kina’s final run in didn’t really have much to play for other than pride. We will need to see how Ryukyu reinforces the squad next season and how Kina sets up a side that was one of the strongest offensively and defensively to open the year.

I would expect that many of the notable players that have already been released to feature on Sunday. Fukui and Torikai for sure, with the smallest of chances for Ichimaru and Tavares. Kina could also go a different direction and give a run out to some of the players the club is considering resigning in the offseason. Maybe, just maybe, we even see Abe make a return to the squad.

5. 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. Don’t let Tochigi score from set pieces. Likelihood 3. The Tochigi game plan is clear and obvious to anyone that looks at who is their top goal scorer. They simply play for the set piece and hope to bang one home from the center back.

6. Round 42 in J2

Jubilo Iwata were crowned champions of J2 this past weekend and Kyoto Sanga FC will join them in J1 next season. Matsumoto Yamaga, Ehime and Giravanz Kitakyushu have all been relegated. Yokohama FC, Vegalta Sendai and Oita Trinita will be dropping down to J2, with one relegation spot still to be decided in J1. There is also one relegation spot up for grabs in J2 that potentially hinges on what shakes out in J3 this weekend.

There are four teams heading into this weekend that could be relegated to J3 as indicated by the table above: (16) Thespakusatsu Gunma, (17) Zweigen Kanazawa, (18) Omiya Ardija and (19) SC Sagamihara. Gunma only require a draw at Omiya to avoid the drop but the hosts will want all 3-points to ensure their own safety. Zweigen are hoping that a post-promotion hangover occurs at Kyoto (which we sometimes see from teams ala FC Ryukyu 2018) in order to cruise to an easy victory because a draw, coupled with an SC Sagamihara victory at Tokyo Verdy, will send them packing. Short of a win, and a couple of things breaking in their favor, SC Sagamihara look all but cooked heading north into Tokyo.

Ideally Sagamihara would need Gunma to win/draw, and Zweigen to do the same based on goal differential. But they also need to win on Sunday. However, they also have a small chance to escape relegation if Tegevajaro Miyazaki remain inside the top two promotion spots of J3. Miyazaki do not own a J2 license and therefore are not eligible for promotion. SC Sagamihara’s fate is in their own hands. Win and likely in. Lose and hope either Roasso Kumamoto or Iwate Grulla Morioka fail in their promotion bid.

Looks like the J-League chose a good one to broadcast to close out the season. Click>>> J.League Int’l YouTube channel

7. Conclusion

This will be the last time we see this team together as we know some players are set to move on with more to follow in the coming weeks. Ryukyu has given us so much to cheer about this season and though it has been one crazy rollercoaster ride of emotions for the fans, I have enjoyed every minute of it. It is always a strange feeling coming to the end of a season. Especially one in which you are neither being promoted or relegated. Sometimes you just want the season to end quickly in order to regroup for next year, I certainly felt this way after promotion was off the table, while at times dealing with the fact that there will be no football in Okinawa for another three months. What do you think?

In any event, thank you for taking the time to read this blog throughout the year as well as stick with me during my hiatus. I wish you all the best of health and continued success in the upcoming year. But I especially look forward to seeing you all next year for what should be another interesting, stressful, gut-wrenching, and exciting season in the hell that is J2!

Come on Ryukyu!