MD18 Report: FC Ryukyu vs Giravanz Kitakyushu #FC琉球

Intro

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

Highlights
Man of the Match
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 18 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

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.

🗣 #知念哲矢、吠える！

斧澤隼輝のスルーパスを受けた髙橋大悟に決定機。しかし、#FC琉球の知念が素晴らしいスライディングで阻止、そして吠えた！#GoalJ2リーグ

🇯🇵 #明治安田J2 第18節
🆚 FC琉球×ギラヴァンツ北九州
📺 #DAZN で配信中 pic.twitter.com/vMv1rahnkk
— Goal Japan (@GoalJP_Official) June 13, 2021

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 5^th place Kofu. Despite what some might think of the opponent this week, Ryukyu needed to bust the slump they were in and gain some confidence back. It was never a given that Ryukyu would easily take this match, not with all the injuries and recent results, so grabbing a win when they needed it the most was uplifting.

6. Round 18 in J2

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.

7. Conclusion

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

MD17 Report: (13) Blaublitz Akita vs (4) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

This was not the type of performance you expected, or wanted, to see out of Ryukyu following a tough defeat to Niigata last week. Ryukyu were extremely sloppy in the first half and only mustered a single shot on net the entire opening period. We all knew Blaublitz Akita was going to be a tough nut to crack at the back, but Ryukyu looked uninspired in the attack all day. The dozen or more turnovers that Ryukyu committed didn’t help the situation though Takuma Abe and Tetsuya Chinen did all they could to keep Ryukyu in the game. Abe finally returned to the score sheet with an impressive solo effort in stoppage time where his shot took an in-between-bounce over the Akita keeper to break the deadlock. But the joy of taking the lead late in the game was short lived as within 30 seconds of Abe’s goal, Ryukyu conceded the equalizer.

Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 17 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Day 17 Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu DF Tetsuya Chinen: Whenever Ryukyu needed someone to step up and make a play, Chinen was there. He was closing down attackers, cutting off passes, getting back into position after several dozen Ryukyu turnovers and was our spark plug at the back. The only smudge on his otherwise clean record was when he came out a little too far to challenge for the ball in the air on Akita’s goal as it pulled him a little out of position and he wasn’t able to kill the drive with a clearance.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Get to the 2-goal mark first. Likelihood 3. Fail! Ryukyu didn’t even get to the one goal mark until the 2nd minute of stoppage time in the second half.

2. Do not take them for granted. Likelihood 4. They may have just enough to allow Akita back in the game. It was a tale of two halves as Akita completely dominated Ryukyu in the first with Ryukyu taking charge in the second. But it was the mental collapse in the final sixty seconds of the game that did Ryukyu in.

3. Same as last week, set pieces will be key. Likelihood 2. Pass. Ryukyu gave Akita ample opportunities in the first half to score from set pieces but held firm in the end. However, when the offense was struggling to generate much of anything, and Ryukyu were gifted a few set pieces in dangerous areas, they couldn’t convert any of them.

4. Prediction

I said 2-1 to Ryukyu with Martin correctly tipping it to end in a 1-1 draw. I’ll take the loss here. Season Record 6-4-7.

5. Talking Points from Round 17

1. The injury crisis deepens. Taguchi’s surprise absence on the roster sent shockwaves through the Ryukyu fan base hours before kickoff. Word of his injury, 10-12 weeks with a broken bone in his hand, wasn’t released until the following Monday. This means Ryukyu are now down to their 3^rd and 4^th string goalies with only a special designated 16-year-old player as an emergency back-up. Inose took a knock to his ankle early in the first half but he was able to remain in the game, and Chinen was seen hobbling a little near the end of the game. Taguchi is likely gone until September, with Dany hopefully just a few short weeks away, but every minor injury now becomes a crisis situation. Much like 2019 when Ryukyu went through a midseason collapse that coincided with several injuries, we are seeing a carbon copy of that script here in 2021.

That ties into the question I brought up last week about the level of training Ryukyu conduct back here in Okinawa, and whether or not it needs to be dialed down a bit. Let’s be honest, we have a much older squad on average than most teams in J2, specifically in that most of the starters are over, or very close, to 30-years of age, so how much physical training is required for these guys to maintain peak performance each week? The news release from Ryukyu stated that Taguchi injured his hand during the Niigata match but I find it hard to believe he would’ve been able to continue in a game, one in which Ryukyu used only 4 out of the possible 5 substitutes, if he truly broke the bones at any point in the match. Especially one with so much at stake.

Ryukyu may have started off very strong this year, but if the training truly has been too brutal on the guys, then we are seeing the effects as the season progresses. Right now, Ryukyu are dealing with no less than 4 injuries, if we read the tea leaves on some players where there’s been no word of an injury, which seem to be related to unnecessary wear and tear. Granted, injuries will always occur throughout the season, but is enough being done during training to limit the impact of a 42-game season with large amounts of travel?

2. Turnovers were killer. FC Ryukyu couldn’t generate any type of attack in the first half with the high number of turnovers they committed in the central midfield. This provided Akita with numerous short counter attacks and chances to take the lead. Inose made a fine save on one such play but Ryukyu were bailed out on another when Yong Jick committed a heinous turnover in their end and it was very lucky that the Akita player severely miss hit the shot. Kiyotake can also be included in the egregious offender category for turnovers on Saturday. This was a day that the offense really needed to carry the day with the defense reeling with injuries and they simply couldn’t penetrate the Akita back line.

3. Mental lapses rearing their head once more. Aside from the aforementioned turnovers, there was the break down at the end of the game that saw Ryukyu concede a goal within 1-minute of scoring for the second consecutive week. Akita managed to make it all the way into the Ryukyu 18-yard box on 2 passes and put one past Inose to level the game with less than 60 seconds of stoppage time remaining. First, Chinen may have missed judged the flight of the ball when he came out a little too far, and then was unable to get into position to challenge the initial long ball from the Akita goal keeper. Then, Yong Jick opted to play the man, not the ball, which allowed the Akita player to knock the ball forward. Koki Kazama did all he could to delay the inevitable but Mikami was strong enough to hold off the challenge from Ryukyu. Seeing how Mikami was basically falling backwards, there was only one way he was going to put the shot on net and that was high. For his part, Inose stated in his post-game comments that he should have done better when setting the defensive line on that play but I think he should have seen how Mikami was setting up and played for the high shot, not a low liner from that tight of an angle.

4. Higuchi’s post-match comments. Higuchi received a lot of flak in the days following this game as he severely criticized Akita for “not playing football.” I don’t agree with those comments, nor condone them, as a way of shifting blame for how the team performed. First, your opponent always has a say in the game and if you are unable to make the necessary adjustments during the game, that is a failure of coaching. Second, it was evident that Akita were playing a physical type of football with Ryukyu early on and continued to do so when the referee allowed that type of play to continue unabated. The only card to be shown in the first half was awarded to the Ryukyu goal keeper coach who took umbrage with a late challenge to Inose who was nursing a bit of a knock to his ankle.

Third, give credit where credit is due to Akita. They had a game plan, executed that game plan, and earned a valuable point. In fact, Akita were probably more deserving of that point as they could’ve easily defeated Ryukyu had they not missed a few chances. Finally, you have five opportunities to make changes throughout the game and if you thought Akita was truly out there parking the bus, then you should have made changes earlier than the last 10 minutes of play so those changes could have a meaningful impact on the game.

5. It is going to be a cruel, cruel summer. Fire up Bananarama on your playlists and brace for a bumpy ride as Ryukyu face a daunting task of staying in the promotion race until the summer break. What was once a position of strength for Ryukyu, defense, has turned into their Achilles heel as of late. Ryukyu are no longer seeing out low scoring games for wins and that is unlikely to improve the next few months until players return from injury. To that point, the two categories for points accumulated over expectation and points dropped are starting to get to dangerously close to one another. Ryukyu probably sit about 10 points shy of avoiding relegation at this point, but I am not sure they will be able to maintain a place near the top of the table by the time fall rolls around.

6. The Emperors Cup looms large. Ryukyu will play their opening match of the Emperors Cup this Wednesday at Matsumoto Yamaga. I’ve never been a huge fan of this tournament, mainly because of the way it has to be organized with so few clubs owning their own stadium to go along with the drain on limited resources forcing Ryukyu to play another road game during an already long season. Higuchi stated that this is an important tournament for the club this year. I would agree that we need to get some bench players some playing time as injuries begin to mount but Ryukyu shouldn’t gamble with any of the starting eleven in the midweek. Tsumita is likely to start in net, needs some playing time if Inose is indeed dealing with an injury, with whole sale changes across the back and front. Ramon, Motegi, Nakagawa (?), Ichimaru, Yu, Shintaro, Fukui, Torikai, Makito, Yamashita, Murase, Paso, and Hitomi should all make the squad and see playing time. I would even like to see Sho Sawada (17) and Koki Yushin (16) get a call up. But you never know these days as it looked as if Ryukyu remained on the mainland for training in between these games and are unlikely to have flown in several replacements for this game.

6. Round 17 in J2

All three of the top three sides drew this week which allowed Jubilo Iwata to leapfrog FC Ryukyu into third place following their fourth win in a row. Apparently the four wins in a row is a franchise record for Jubilo Iwata. No real change after the top 4 sides this week but the gap near the bottom is beginning to widen for Omiya Ardija, on another managerial change this week, and SC Sagamihara.

7. Conclusion

Rocked by multiple injuries, with confidence waning, and the notion of promotion slowly slipping away, Ryukyu need to regroup and change whatever it is that they’ve been doing the past 7 rounds that has seen them tumble 2 spots outside of promotion. The midweek EC match is not what this team needs right now, though I can understand that it is an opportunity for some of the players to get some match minutes who have infrequently, or never, appeared for Ryukyu this season. This may turn out to be significant in the event we need to look to some of these players in the near future if the injuries continue to pile up.

Match Day 15 Report: (3) FC Ryukyu vs (8) Montedio Yamagata #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu fell victim to two set pieces and suffered their first home loss of the season 2-0 to Montedio Yamagata in what could be the last home game where fans can attend for a month while Okinawa is in a state of emergency. The loss drops Ryukyu down to third but it is the visible cracks in the defense that is more concerning than the dropped points. Ryukyu are now level on points with former league leaders Albirex Niigata and head into one of the biggest games of the season in a bit of downward spiral.

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 15 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Montedio Yamagata RB Riku Handa: That was a really nice goal he scored which ended up as the winner for Montedio Yamagata on Saturday.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Slow down Yamagata’s fast start. Likelihood 4. No! Yamagata scored early again and Ryukyu had no answer.

2. Stifle Ibuki Fujita. Likelihood 3. Yes, but he nearly scored late in the second half but sent the shot high over the bar from inside the 18-yard box.

3. Limit Yamagata’s set pieces in dangerous areas. Likelihood 3. Yes, as Yamagata had 4 FKs and 4 CKs, but Ryukyu’s Achilles heel this year has been defending set pieces as both Yamagata goals came from set pieces.

4. Prediction

Totally whiffed on this one when I predicted a 2-0 win for Ryukyu. Season Record 6-3-6.

5. Talking Points from Round 15

1. Defending of set pieces, scoring from set pieces. Ryukyu conceded their third goal inside of two games from a set piece this round. Yamagata’s opening goal saw a preponderance of the Ryukyu defenders get sucked into defending what they thought was going to be a cross into their defensive line only to see the pass find an undefended area wide open in the Ryukyu box. I am not sure who was at fault there as both Kiyotake and Numata were left staring at one another after the goal. Kiyotake crashed in trying to defend the cross and Numata was on an island all to himself. The second Yamagata goal was just a matter of who wanted it more as Hiroki Noda rose over top of both Chinen and Shimizu to bury the header, and Ryukyu.

Ryukyu had 14 corner kicks on Saturday night and converted none of them. Granted, scoring from a corner kick may already be a low probability, but you had 14 cracks at it and couldn’t even net an ugly goal in the process. Most of the Ryukyu corners couldn’t clear the first line of the Yamagata defense, but two of the Yamagata corners (50%) had no problem finding the back of the net.

Ryukyu have conceded four goals from set pieces, which is the most of any type of goal that can be conceded, and need to tighten this up heading into the next match. That may be a tall ask considering we could be without the services of Okazaki. Practice this week should focus on defending and converting set pieces as Niigata have scored 9 goals from set pieces, the most of any of their totals, as well as conceded four goals from set pieces, also the most of any of the goals they’ve conceded.

2. Possible injury to CB Ryohei Okazaki. Okazaki was subbed off just before the start of the second half for Lee Yong Jick and I highly doubt that was a tactical decision as he has played every single minute this year. Okazaki has come on strong this year and though there are times where he may stumble leading to a goal by the opposition, his play has been much better than years past. There has been no word from the club as of this writing if there was a significant injury to Okazaki that will require him to miss time but heading into the most important match of the season without one of our best defenders is certainly not ideal. Though Chinen may have had a rough day at the office, as well have from time to time when he got beaten on a nice step over but Taguchi made a fine save on the ensuing shot and was unable to clear the ball on Yamagata’s second goal, though we’ll really need his tenacity and skill with any prolonged absence to Okazaki.

3. Yamagata looked really dangerous on the counter attacks while Ryukyu struggled with the final pass on attacks. One of those counters led directly to the corner kick that they converted for their second goal while Ryukyu once again couldn’t find that last pass inside the 18-yard box. Ryukyu controlled a majority of the game and looked dangerous when heading towards goal, but passes were off the mark and headers following crosses sailed wide or were not strong enough to ask questions of the Yamagata keeper.

4. Speaking of absences, Abe was once again left off the roster. I thought that Abe may have just been granted a rest day the week prior against Tochigi as Ryukyu released photos this past week of Abe at practice, but he didn’t even make the reserves for this game. On a night when Ryukyu had 18 total shots, 8 of which were on target, only 3 really threatened the Yamagata goal as the offense was just flat and in need of a finisher like Abe.

5. The curious selection of the Ryukyu reserves continues. Akamine made way for Torikai and Ichimaru went as an unused substitute. I have a hard time believing that Torikai is better than Nakagawa, Ichimaru or Ramon for that matter, and now we are likely looking at a CB pairing of Chinen and Yong Jick which means that Fukui is likely to dress as the emergency central defender next week. I’d really like to know what is going on with Nakagawa these days with injuries piling up to go along with a dip in performances. With little to no information released from the club when it comes to injuries, there are many questions about players fitness levels heading into Niigata.

6. Ryukyu missed a great opportunity to accumulate points in their past three games. All three of Ryukyu’s opponents in rounds 13-15 were in the lower half of the table heading into those games yet Ryukyu managed just 4 points from a possible 9. I am not saying that Ryukyu could have earned all nine points, but even two more points would have put them level with Kyoto and two ahead of Niigata. Not surprising that the win one, draw one, lose one pattern coincides with Ryukyu’s worst defensive performance of the season where they conceded nearly the same number of goals in these past three games that they did in their first twelve games of 2021.

6. Round 15 in J2

Kyoto Sanga FC defeated Albirex Niigata 1-0 and have now jumped two spots into the lead. Niigata suffered only their second loss this season, but second in a row, and are level on points with Ryukyu who also lost this round. Jubilo Iwata and Ventforet Kofu both won thus cutting the lead between them and Niigata/Ryukyu to 4/5 points respectively. V-Varen Nagasaki and Montedio Yamagata were the big movers this week as their wins moved them up 6/7 slots and inside the top half of the table.

Round 15 is not yet completed as the (22) SC Sagamihara vs (21) Ehime FC takes on even greater importance as the winner could pull themselves out of the relegation zone for one week at least.

7. Conclusion

I guess we will have to wait a little longer to grab that first win ever over Montedio Yamagata. The only thing to do know is put this game in the rearview mirror, correct the mistakes that led Ryukyu down this path, and prepare for the single biggest game of the season to date. Both Ryukyu and Niigata head into this match coming off a loss, but Niigata are too good of a side to lose three games in a row and will look to take out their aggression on what could be a weakened Ryukyu side.

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

Intro

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

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

Match Day 15 Preview FC Ryukyu versus Montedio Yamagata

Weather Forecast and Match Day Information
Previous Match Highlights
Team Previews
- FC Ryukyu
- Montedio Yamagata
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 15 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

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

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

Click>>> Match Day 15 Info from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Highlights

FC Ryukyu 4-2 Tochigi SC

Montedio Yamagata 1-0 Ehime FC

3. Team Previews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

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

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

5. Prediction

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

6. Round 15 in J2

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

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

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

7. Conclusion

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

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

Intro

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

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 41^st minute that would’ve provided some massive breathing room for Ryukyu. Then there was the Shintaro header in the 72^nd 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 90^th 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.

1点目。 pic.twitter.com/KgDtkzRMN0
— えいじ (@eiji_doi) May 8, 2021

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 22^nd minute when a Uesato cross bounced up and hit Toyama in the arm inside the box. There were some slight appeals for hand ball by Ryukyu, but they were not enough to persuade the referee to give the foul. Perhaps that just sounds like a disappointed Ryukyu fan making that out to be more than it actually was.

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

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

6. Round 13 in J2

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.

7. Conclusion

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

Match Day 11 Recap: (19) SC Sagamihara vs (2) FC Ryukyu 5/01/21 #FC琉球

Intro

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.

6. Round 11 in J2

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.

7. Conclusion

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.

Match Day 11 Preview: (16) SC Sagamihara vs (2) FC Ryukyu 5/01/21 #FC琉球

Intro

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.

Click>>> Match Day 11 Info from SC Sagamihara

2. Match Day 10 Highlights

JEF United Ichihara Chiba 0-1 SC Sagamihara

FC Ryukyu 1-0 Ventforet Kofu

3. Team Previews

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.

7. Conclusion

What more can I say other than…

Match Day 9 Recap: (7) FC Machida Zelvia vs (2) FC Ryukyu 4/21/21 #FC琉球

Intro

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)

2. Man of the Match

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.

7. Conclusion

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.

Match Day 8 Recap: FC Ryukyu vs Tokyo Verdy 4/17/21 #FC琉球

Intro

As advertised, it was an eventful evening yesterday. FC Ryukyu held serve with Albirex Niigata by winning 2-0 at home over Tokyo Verdy. Ryukyu and Verdy were once again involved in some sort of fracas in their opening match of the season against each other, where Yuhei Sato was red carded in the first half providing a massive advantage to Ryukyu the remainder of the match. It is the second red card in three games for Verdy when playing Ryukyu and this is turning into a rivalry on par with one might see in the bigger leagues where two teams just detest each other. I like it!

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 8 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu CMF Yu Tomidokoro: Yu drew both fouls that led to the Verdy Red Card and Penalty Kick. He then converted the PK for his first goal in 23 months.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Exploit the chaos and ensuing confusion. Likelihood 4. Early on Ryukyu were able to create some chances for themselves but once Verdy had a man sent off in the first half, Verdy resorted to all out defending which limited Ryukyu’s ability to take advantage of the disarray that might otherwise have been present.

2. Cut out the Verdy short passes around the box. Likelihood 3. Verdy really weren’t doing much prior to their sending off and therefore weren’t able to play to their strength after.

4. Prediction

Tipped this one to end 3-1 in favor of Ryukyu and they did end up winning by a 2 goal margin. Season Record 5-1-2.

5. Match Day 8 Talking Points

1. Misses by both sides. There were plenty of opportunities for both Ryukyu and Verdy to jump out to an early lead but all the shots seemed to sail high and wide. With the exception of one Kiyotake shot that called the Verdy keeper into action. Abe had a couple of chances throughout the game but either miss timed his jump or was in the wrong spot to get onto the end of the ball.

2. Forget the spectacular if you cannot do the practical correctly. Up to the Verdy Red Card, Ryukyu were struggling a little bit to get the offense going. Kiyotake’s back heel to nowhere nearly set Ryukyu back and though it may have been a way to jump start the momentum, no one was expecting it leading to a turnover and counter by Verdy.

3. The Tanaka goal shows us just how good Ryukyu are at quickly changing the sides of the attack. It should also be noted, like many of the boys over at the @JTalkET state weekly, how important Abe is to this side even when he doesn’t get on the score sheet. Abe maintained possession in the Verdy end, found Numata, who picked out Kiyotake, who then laid it off to the wide-open Tanaka for Ryukyu’s first goal.

4. Maybe it’s time we try the old “Route 1” attack on net. I understand that is trendy to be hypercritical of your side, even when they are producing results, so excuse me on this one. Ryukyu are very good at sending in crosses these days. Most of their goals result from these passes, but yesterday Verdy was able to snuff out a lot of these out and Ryukyu didn’t bother to switch to the frontal assault right up the middle. As more and more tape on Ryukyu becomes available, teams will begin to figure out how to stop Ryukyu, and though they are quite adept at changing directions quickly, it would help to have the middle of the pitch attack in the locker when required.

5. Verdy’s Red Card was just dumb. I have no idea what Yuhei Sato was thinking when he went in for Yu’s family jewels but it certainly tipped the scales in favor of Ryukyu afterwards. Sato was probably complaining more about his stupidity for putting the spikes into the groin of Yu than the Red Card as he really had no business putting up any type of protest.

6. You are never awarded style points in this league. Once Verdy went down to 10 men everyone expected Ryukyu to dominate possession and the scoring. It is not as simple as in hockey with a man advantage, as the opposition can compact the defensive area and close out many of the shooting lanes while they absorb the siege from the other side. Ryukyu had a ridiculous number of corner kicks (13) and free kicks (13) yesterday but had to rely on a PK to put the game out of reach. Oh well, winning ugly is still winning and the 3 points is all that really matters in the end.

7. A slight let off by Ryukyu at the end. It is easy to get complacent when you’re up by 2 goals with a man advantage and Ryukyu were bailed out by a Verdy offside call and near miss at the end. The highlights suck for showing the offside call but I believe the shot was redirected by an offside player for Verdy though they nearly scored just a few minutes later from a set piece.

8. Getting goals from all over the place is another benchmark for a quality side. Ryukyu just find a way to get the job done. Everyone is doing their part to keep a clean sheet, score goals and see out wins. They are a really exciting squad to watch these days.

6. Round 8 in J2

Albirex Niigata are still top after a second half goal saw them through over Zweigen Kanazawa 1-0 on Saturday. Kyoto Sanga blew the doors off Kitakyushu 6-1 and have officially begun their ascent to the top of the table while V-Varen Nagasaki stumbled at home losing 3-0 to Machida Zelvia. Ehime grabbed their first win of the campaign over Omiya as the managerial change is starting to pay off for this side. Finally Matsumoto surprised everyone with their come back draw against Kofu and Blaublitz Akita continues to pile up crucial points this year.

7. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu have their first of four mid week matches this season when they travel to Machida on Wednesday night. Ryukyu face two teams in a row, Machida and Kofu, that they have never beat during their time in the J2. So you know exactly where any points earned against them will fall in the Points Over Expectation Table.

Machida are coming off a big win at Nagasaki despite missing their best two attackers in Chong Tese and Dudu. The games against Zelvia and Kofu in short succession will be a stiff test for one of the older sides in the league who are benefiting from a relaxed schedule compared to 2020 but Ryukyu have shown the ability to respond to adversity all season.

Match Day 8 Preview: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (10) Tokyo Verdy 4/17/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu have the opportunity to take the pole position in J2 this weekend with a win over Verdy and anything but a win from Albirex Niigata. The matches between Ryukyu and Verdy have been quite festive these past two seasons and I see no reason for that to change this weekend. But much like Omiya, who Ryukyu defeated and shutout last season, and then drew at home this year, Verdy were shutout by Ryukyu on both occasions last season. Is another draw in store for Ryukyu or can they continue their winning ways?

Weather Forecast & Match Info
Match Day 7 Recaps
Team Previews
- FC Ryukyu
- Tokyo Verdy
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 8 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club

Looks like it will be raining up to and through the first half. Just in time for the wind to pick up. Besides bringing those ponchos and bags to protect your valuables from the rain, you may want to consider a change of clothes, especially for the kids if their soaking wet as that wind could really get to them. Also, please remember to social distance at the gate, food vendors, seats and restrooms.

FC Ryukyu will allow visiting Verdy fans to attend this match as the tickets were already sold but they will not be allowing visiting fans into the stadium on Match Days 10 and 12 under what they are calling a “period of priority measures.”

Click>>> Match Day 8 Information from FC Ryukyu

2. Match Day 7 Recaps

FC Mito Hollyhock 0-2 FC Ryukyu

Tokyo Verdy 3-1 Renofa Yamaguchi FC

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu own a 2-1-1 record against Verdy with the two wins occurring in 2020 when Ryukyu shut out Verdy twice. Who can forget that first win when Shinya Uehara was kicked in the gut by Shohei Takahashi late in the game leading to an Abe PK and ultimately a Ryukyu win. Then Ryukyu blew Verdy away 4-0 at home thanks to two first half goals by Yoshio Koizumi (sheds a tear). But in 2019 it was a different story altogether.

Ryukyu drew 1-1 in their first ever meeting thanks to Dany Carvajal stopping a PK after he bloodied his nose on the foul, and the spectacular finish by Uesato on the volley deep into stoppage time. The return leg was far less exciting, more like excruciating, when Verdy smashed Ryukyu 5-1 in Okinawa. Junki Koike bagged a hat-trick that game and Verdy, with possibly nothing to celebrate in years, commemorated the momentous occasion by making t-shirts in honor of the hat-trick. Perhaps 2020 was a bit of payback for FC Ryukyu.

Through Ryukyu’s first seven games they are averaging 11.5 shots, 6 of which are on target, and 49% possession. They’ve had two games where they only mustered 2 total shots on net, Iwata and Omiya, otherwise they have been pretty consistent around 8 shots on target per game. A vast majority of Ryukyu’s goals this year have come from crosses where Verdy has been anything but spectacular in defending those plays. What I like to see is that different players are getting on the score sheet and starting to gain some confidence. Kiyotake had his breakthrough last week, thanks to Keita setting him up perfectly, and Shimizu grabbed his second goal of the campaign. It has been a bit of a dry spell for Abe these past few rounds but all that could change on Saturday.

One thing that cannot afford to change is the defensive wall Ryukyu have been putting up this season. FC Ryukyu are the best defensive unit in the J2 (not a typo) having only conceded three goals. Chinen, Okazaki and Taguchi will likely be busy this weekend as Verdy are averaging 15 shots, 12 on net, over their last two games. While Ryukyu may not fear Verdy bombing in crosses they do need to be very cognizant of the short passes Verdy use in and around the box to create space and shooting lanes.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that bad blood exists between these two sides, though someone from Ryukyu every year seems to be involved in some sort of fracas, but these games are turning into a nice set of hotly contested matches. Ryukyu enter this game much like they did two weeks ago against Omiya where Ryukyu are coming off a nice road win while their opponent is coming to town on the back of some recent strong performances after a rough start to the season.

Tokyo Verdy: After a rocky start to their season, culminating with a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Albirex Niigata, Verdy has course corrected and pulled themselves out of the relegation zone with two consecutive home victories. When Verdy was setting up in a 4-3-1-2 formation they looked disorganized at the back and were providing ample turnovers for their opponents to capitalize on. But they switched from a 4-3-2-1 to a 4-1-4-1 this past round against Renofa and looked much more in control of the game than they have in quite some time.

In their last five games Verdy own a 2-1-2 record with a draw against Zelvia; consecutive losses to Kanazawa and Niigata; and then consecutive wins over Mito and Renofa. Verdy looked sluggish in defense against Machida Zelvia and allowed the hosts to jump out to a 2-0 lead until a PK brought Verdy back into the game followed by the equalizer when Junki Koike caught the Zelvia defense napping. This time it was Verdy’s turn to jump put to an early lead against Zweigen with a 4th minute goal by leading scorer Koike, but then the wheels came off for Verdy.

Zweigen went on to score 4 goals by exploiting Verdy turnovers and confusion before Verdy responded with a late goal when the game was well out of hand. If the wheels fell off against Kanazawa then the entire car exploded at Niigata with the aforementioned seven goal shellacking. All the problems from the Zweigen matched carried over into this one and Verdy looked more like a team that was thrown together at the last minute destined for a local derby at Y.S.C.C. than a J2 club.

Luckily Verdy’s schedule eased up when they returned home to host Mito and Renofa. Verdy again scored early in the Mito match, survived the Mito barrage in the first half after Mito equalized, before digging out the winner in the second half. Hideki Nagai made a decision to switch the formation against Renofa, and that almost looked like another disaster when Renofa nearly scored in the 4th minute before actually going in front of Verdy in the 11th minute. But Verdy responded with a goal of their own two minutes later and then another in the 24th minute. They capped off the day with Junki Koike’s 6th goal of the campaign to walk away 3-1 winners.

Despite the recent Verdy resurgence, they are still the worst defensive side in the league conceding 17 goals this season. A majority of those goals came against Niigata, but even had Verdy managed a lower score line at Niigata it may not have done much to their overall total. Verdy have conceded 5 more goals then the next two teams, Nagasaki and Ehime who have each conceded 12. The players to watch out for on Saturday are Junki Koike and the Sato brothers, Yuhei and Ryoga (I don’t think they are actually brothers). Junki and Ryoga account for 2/3 of all the goals Verdy have scored this season and Yuhei is the leading assist provider in the side.

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Exploit the chaos and ensuing confusion. Likelihood 4. Verdy may have slightly improved defensively this past week but that was against Renofa Yamaguchi. At Niigata and against Kanazawa, two sides who are playing much better than Renofa, Verdy was in shambles at the back. Players looked confused on where to run to and who to mark and they were guilty of turning the ball over in their own half multiple times. There was one goal in the Machida game where Verdy had 8 defenders inside the 6-yard box, couldn’t get to the rebound in time, and allowed the Zelvia player a free shot on net from just inside the 18-yard box. That wasn’t even from a set piece. Verdy may have enjoyed a modicum of success against Renofa but I don’t think they have turned the corner on these mistakes just yet.

2. Cut out the Verdy short passes around the box. Likelihood 3. This is the lone strength of Verdy as a majority of their goals stem from short passes that quickly open up the opposition’s defense. That means Chinen, Okazaki and our two central midfielders need to be spot on when attempting to intercept passes, making challenges, as well when they are watching the attacking runs from Verdy players.

5. Prediction

Verdy have been piped for multiple goals against stronger opponents this season. We won’t see the Verdy floodgates thrust open like we did when they played Niigata, and Verdy are still one of the top scoring sides in the league, but I am going for broke and say FC Ryukyu take this one 3-1. Season Record 4-1-2.

6. Round 8 in J2

(1) Albirex Niigata versus (3) Zweigen Kanazawa is the standout match this round. (3) Kyoto Sanga FC, (5) Jubilo Iwata, (6) Ventforet Kofu and (7) Blaublitz Akita are looking to make up ground on the leaders with some very favorable matchups this week.

The J-league International YouTube free broadcast this week features (12) Fagiano Okayama hosting (11) FC Mito Hollyhock. Fagiano are coming into this match having pulled out a very late draw against Ehime FC last week whereas Mito enter the round having lost their last two games.

7. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu are off to the best start in their history and really need to keep their foot on the gas in this one. For their part, Verdy are a side that can light up the score board (on both sides) at any given moment. Strap yourself in for what should be an exciting game between these two sides that history has shown is anything but boring.