“I need You, You, You” Match Day 20 Preview and Match Day 19 Recap #FC琉球

Intro

I will be taking this blog in a different direction over the next few months with the crammed J-League fixture schedule as I will no longer provide a bi-weekly entry, but instead a single entry comprising both a recap from the previous round, and a preview for their upcoming fixture.

This will mean that I’ll need to trim down on the amount of sections per respective entry so as to keep it manageable, and easily consumable for all of you. I hope you’ll continue your patronship of this blog and feel free to provide any input on the new format in the comments section.

Match Day 19 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day 19 Takeaways
Match Day 19 Recap: Mito Hollyhock
Match Day 20 Team Previews & Injury Reports
Keys to Victory
Match Day 20 Prediction
Match Day 20 in J2 & Table
Conclusion

1. Match Day 19 Recap: FC Ryukyu

2. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

Whatever we did last week, let’s do it again! Likelihood 3. Didn’t happen as Kyoto had large spells of possession and dozens of shots.

2. Koizumi in the CAM Role. Likelihood 5. Did happen but he wasn’t able to unlock Kyoto’s defense and was ultimately substituted.

3. Match Day 19 Takeaways

1. FC Ryukyu were under siege the entire match against Kyoto. The overall box score indicates an near 3 to 1 domination from Kyoto in the shots, and shots on target category. Though the amount of possession for either side looks equal, it was Kyoto who was peppering Dany with shots all night.

2. There was some heroic defending on the part of FC Ryukyu against Kyoto. Fc Ryukyu managed to block many of the shots Kyoto took and Dany Carvajal played really well in net, where he was making save after save. Though this was a positive for FC Ryukyu, it could have been slightly reduced if some of the poor decision in the central parts of the pitch were avoided. This included, costly turnovers and wayward passes.

3. Ryukyu never really threatened the Kyoto net as the trend for an overall low number of total shots, and accurate shots, continues for the offense.

4. Match Day 19 Recap Mito Hollyhock

5. Match Day 20 Team Previews & Injury Reports

FC Ryukyu. That nice run of form FC Ryukyu experienced between the end of July and August has but been forgotten as Ryukyu have lost 5 out of their last 6 and while being outscored 9 to 12 during that span. The 5-0 drubbing of Omiya stands out as an anomaly between the defeats to Yamagata and Zelvia, which are only compounded by the 1 goal losses to Niigata, Kanazawa, and most recently Kyoto Sanga.

But hopefully things are picking up for the club as they have seen the return of several players from injury and suspension the past few rounds as they are desperate for healthy, fresh legs in all areas of the pitch.

FC Ryukyu have experimented with several combinations in both the attack and defense in an attempt to generate some sort of rhythm, but with so many fixtures and injuries, this seems to be an unrealistic goal for many clubs in 2020.

Abe has been superb up top and he is on the verge of cracking double-digit goals for the first time in over 5 seasons. Koizumi continues to show the J-League what an immense talent he is and I hope that he continues his career arc at FC Ryukyu for just a little longer. The right and left mid fielders seem to be on constant rotations and Ryukyu really only play well when Higuchi correctly starts those who have the “hot hand.”

In defense the picture is much bleaker. FC Ryukyu have never been known as superior defensive team and things have continually spiraled out of control this year with all the combinations Higuchi has introduced. With one exception that is. Tanaka has been a revelation at RB and there is no other player in the squad that can match his work rate, tenacity, and skill other than Abe.

Unfortunately, Yong Jick is not the answer at CB, Suzuki is prone to mistakes as a raw prospect, you know what Fukui will provide each week in the reserve role and Chinen needs more matches to get back to full fitness. Numata provides a nice element to the attack but is often seen out of position when closing down attackers and ceding too many dangerous crosses into the box.

This is the basic state of the team as we enter one of the busiest stretches of games for FC Ryukyu. But all is not doom and gloom. FC Ryukyu have several prospects worth monitoring with Uehara in particular offering some glimpses of the player he could be.

FC Ryukyu Injures & Suspensions. We are still awaiting the return of Shinji Ono and Koki Kazama, but we’ve added DF Suzuki to the injured list as he tore one of his abductor muscles in his leg.

Mito Hollyhock. Someone on Twitter this past weekend commented that Mito are strange side in that they are one of the league leaders in both goals scored, and goals surrendered. This should be a familiar notion to many of us Ryukyu fans as this was exactly who FC Ryukyu were from the 2016 to 2017 seasons. This is far different from the 2019 Mito side that was one of the best defensive units in the league.

Mito have only lost once over their last five games where they had an impressive victory over Tokushima Vortis on the road. Mito are loaded with goal scoring talent up top featuring Kashima Antler’s on loan Kazuma Yamaguchi who has scored 8 goals and provided 6 assists which must put him near the top of the league leaders in total points. Forward Masato Nakayama has contributed 6 goals and 2 assists to go along with Pitbull’s 5.

It must simply be a case of being so top heavy in the attack, that Mito fail to recover in time in defense. In any case, teams like this, despite impressive goals scored tally, always provide a bit of hope to their opponents as they are prone to conceding often with their current set up. However, FC Ryukyu are not as well equipped as Mito to get into a shootout with the visitors this weekend.

Mito Hollyhock Injuries & Suspensions. MF Yuichi Hirano injured his Right MCL and will miss this match.

6. 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

Slow down the Mito attack. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu have been ceding massive amounts of shots the past few rounds while not really increasing their own shot totals. if they wish to earn a point from this round. They’ll need to blunt the Mito attack before it even gets going.
Take more shots. Likelihood 3. This may seem mundane but FC Ryukyu have seen quite a dip in their overall shots the past month. I am not suggesting they take some wasted long range efforts, but rather take more chances in and around the 18-yard box.

7. Match Day 20 Prediction

I think this will be a bit of shootout with the game ending in a 2-2 draw.

8. Match Day 20 in J2 and Standings

Nothing really stands out except some interesting kickoff times this weekend.

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.com/j-league-division-2/tabelle/wettbewerb/JAP2/saison_id/2019

9. Conclusion

It should be an exciting night for football here in Okinawa and I am looking forward to FC Ryukyu getting back to their winning ways. While I wouldn’t consider these teams to be evenly matched, both possess the ability to score goals and concede a fair amount which should make for an enticing match.

Enjoy the long weekend for those living in Japan and stay safe as there maybe some lightening here tonight in Okinawa during the game.

“Back in the Saddle Again” Match Day 19 Preview: (8) Kyoto Sanga F.C. vs. (18) FC Ryukyu 9/13/20 #FC琉球

Intro

Apologies for such a lengthy gap between entries as I was solely focused on preparing for the upcoming NFL fantasy football season and my attention was elsewhere. And thank you for sticking by, or returning, while I enjoyed my favorite hobby. But now it is back to business, and back to FC Ryukyu.

FC Ryukyy travel to Kyoto to take on a side that is looking to get back into the promotion race. Kyoto are a very strong side at home as they have yet to lose, and though anything is possible these days, I think Kyoto are pleased to welcome in FC Ryukyu with their recent road woes. Plus, we may see former FC Ryukyu star, Kazaki Nakagawa, plying his trade in the central mid-field for Kyoto. But do not fret, as we have our own special MF in Yoshio Koizumi.

Peter Utaka vs Takuma Abe? Yes please! The top scorers in J2 will be featured in this match which could turn into an exciting, fast paced, tilt.

Weather Forecast
Match Day 18 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Match Day 18 Recap: Kyoto Sanga FC
Team Previews & Injury Reports
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day Prediction
Round 19 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast

Overcast and possible rain.

2. Match Day 18 Recap: FC Ryukyu

3. Match Day 18 Recap: Kyoto Sanga FC

4. Team Previews & Injury Reports

Kyoto Sanga F.C. Streaky maybe the best way to describe Kyoto. Kyoto seems to be a squad that really plays down to the level of their competition instead of putting them to the sword with all the firepower they possess. In fact, Kyoto, just like FC Ryukyu, have only scored more than 2 goals in any match this season just once. But make no mistake, Kyoto are undefeated at home and FC Ryukyu have never beat Kyoto in any competition in their history.

Over their past 6 games, Kyoto have gone on to draw two, lose two, and win two in that exact order. The draws came against Niigata and Matsumoto, followed by two consecutive road losses at the hands of Verdy and Omiya. Kyoto have turned things back around by defeating JEF and Gunma in consecutive weeks and may possibly be breaking out of that aforementioned notion of playing down to their competition. Seeing how this is one is at home, Kyoto are heavy favorites in this game.

Kyoto Sanga F.C. Injuries & Suspensions. None are listed.

FC Ryukyu. A lot has happened since I last wrote about FC Ryukyu. They signed MF Mizuki Ichimaru on loan from Gamba Osaka; they had a 4 game losing streak; and most impressively, they scored 5 goals against Omiya Ardija this past Wednesday.

During that stretch of 4 consecutive losses, FC Ryukyu were playing some rather poor defense while having to deal with injuries and rest periods to their defensive corps. Uesato even started one match at CB and that did not end well for FC Ryukyu. But things have made a slight turn for the better after the Omiya victory as there were some notable players returning – or at the very least being seen back at training and with the reserves – returning to the lineup. And Koizumi and Kawai bagged their first goals of the season.

The players who returned were Motegi and Chinen with Shinji Ono training with the reserves after the match. I assume Koki Kazama is not far behind and these players returning could not have come at a better time for FC Ryukyu with this month’s fixtures.

Whereas FC Ryukyu were stretched thin at MF the past 2 months, the same could be said for their defense this month. Yong Jick sat out last week thanks in part to his Yellow Card accumulation and there was no sign of Suzukui on the bench. In fact, the only healthy defender FC Ryukyu dressed last week against Omiya was they younger Uehara.

On that note, the younger Uehara has been really impressive during his brief spells inside the FC Ryukyu lineup. He has another “gear” when it comes to closing down attackers and has been excellent in dispossessing them when he does get there. Once he learns how to take the proper angles to balls in flight as well as the opposing attackers, he could be a serious force to be reckoned with. For now, he is raw as raw can get and needs some fine tuning.

FC Ryukyu Injuries & Suspensions. Yong Jick maybe returning to the lineup after serving his suspension and it looks as if Koki Kazama may have suffered a set back in his return as his time line was updated on 8/8 for at least a 6-8 week wait for his return.

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

Whatever we did last week, let’s do it again! Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu only had a slight uptick in their total amount of shots on net from their previous matches, but they were far more clinical. In fact, that game could have ended 7-0 if not for a nice save and near miss. Play relaxed and create chances as Kyoto have shown they can be caught napping on lesser opponents from time to time.
Koizumi in the CAM Role. Likelihood 5. There should be no doubt that he is our most creative MF and he has the talent to unlock any team’s defense. He’s really coming on this year and is absolutely scintillating to watch.

6. Match Day Prediction

Despite the recent outburst last week against Omiya, I do not like FC Ryukyu’s chances this Sunday as Kyoto are a much stronger team at home where they average almost 2 goals scored at home every match. I have tipped FC Ryukyu to lose 3-1. But what do I know?

7. Round 19 in J2

The two that jump right out are (1) Kitakyushu hosting (5) Niigata and (2) Nagasaki hosting (6) Jubilo Iwata.

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.de/j-league-division-2/startseite/wettbewerb/JAP2

My, my, my. Aren’t all you international viewers lucky this week as there are two free matches for you to enjoy on the J-League International YouTube Channel.

8. Conclusion

Right, so after a lengthy delay, I am finally back and as always, I appreciate all of your support. Can Ryukyu get one over on a high priced team looking to get back into the promotion race and grab their first ever win in Kyoto? Can Kyoto’s players continue their strong form at home and see off a side who is struggling for form on the road? All good questions heading into Match Day 19 and I for one, am looking forward to getting “back in the saddle again.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQPdADsFS7M

“One More Time” Match Day 40 Preview: FC Ryukyu vs Kyoto Sanga FC 11/10/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu will play their last home game of the 2019 J2 campaign this weekend against Kyoto Sanga. Ryukyu find themselves in the middle part of the table after a late season surge propelled them out of the relegation scrap. Kyoto, on the other hand, find themselves tumbling out of the promotion playoffs and the recent loss to Kofu sees them just underneath them in the overall standings. Kyoto need a win and FC Ryukyu would like to end the home slate with a win. It should be an exciting match.

WEATHER FORECAST

Perfect weather to end the 2019 season at home.

Kyoto Sanga FC

I feel that Kyoto really miss their veteran defender Ishibitsu as Kyoto’s defense has become their Achilles heel of late. Too often this side allows opponents to overtake them near the end of games or provides the opportunities to their opponents to even the score. Kyoto nearly allowed Ehime to win late and were then caught flat footed against Renofa when they were complaining to the referee about a foul. They looked really good against Yokohama FC after switching to a 4-3-3 but were decimated by Niigata 3-1 the following week. Finally, they lost to Kofu with a late goal in the 82’.

Kyoto are by no means a bad team, rather, they are just struggling for consistency against sides they should have beaten. All the pieces of their lethal attack are still in place but they are struggling for form at the back. The loss to Kofu was suprising since Kyoto hadn’t lost at home since match day 7. An impressive run of 15 games unbeaten. On the road, it is a very differnt story for Kyoto. They have won 3 times, drawn once and lost 6 times in their past 10 matches. In fact, they have lost 6 out of their last 7 road games.

There is only 9 possible points remaining this season and with matches against FC Ryukyu, JEF and the Reysol; Kyoto desperately need these 3 against Ryukyu. They really do not want to wait until the final match day to try and sneak back into the promotion playoffs against a Reysol side who may be vying for the title that day.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu have earned 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses over their past 10 games. The 15-point surge provided a much-needed boost out of the relegation scrap and into the comfort zone for J2 football in 2020. The tandem of Kawai and Uejo have been absolutely phenomenal over this stretch. I think FC Ryukyu have found their attacking LM for the future in Kawai and we can only hope that Uejo is signed to a long-term deal. Truth be told, I think we’d all be happy to see him depart for a much larger club as the ascending talent needs to shine on the big stage. Until then, let us enjoy both of these players talents and the goals they create.

While there were no major changes to Ryukyu lineup stemming from the Torikai injury at RB, FC Ryukyu may see the return of Nishioka to the lineup on Sunday if he is back to full health. It must be said that Uehara has filled in admirably and it hasn’t been a huge drop off from in defending as some may have expected.

Seeing that this is the final home game of the campaign, I hope FC Ryukyu end the season on a high note. While there has been a massive shift in the fortunes of this team when playing on the road, the home form has suffered to the tune of 3 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses in their past 10 home games. Though Kyoto are struggling for form, they are by no means a wounded animal that we can easily put out of their misery. It will take a total team effort on the part of FC Ryukyu this Sunday to bring home the win on Match Day 40.

Injuries

FC Ryukyu: Carvajal, Shinji and Torikai all out for the season. May see the return of Nishioka to the lineup this week if he has recovered and performed in practice.

Kyoto Sanga: DF, Ishibitsu is done for the season.

Keys to VICTORY FOR FC Ryukyu on Match Day 40

1. Pester the Kyoto defense with speed. Ryukyu can overwhelm the Kyoto back line with both Uejo and Kawai which should open up some space for Yamada and Koya to operate.

2. Be mindful of the Kyoto counter attack. It seems that Kyoto are set up really well their blend of power and speed in their attack and can really make life difficult for opponents when countering. They have scored several goals over the course of the past 5 matches in this manner and could easily bag a few more on Sunday if FC Ryukyu are caught napping.

Match Day 40 Prediction

Kyoto Sanga 3-1 over FC Ryukyu. I believe we will see a final curtain call for Uejo but the Kyoto attack against our back line may be too much for us to overcome.

Match Day 40 Information on FC Ryukyu website

http://fcryukyu.com/news/21608/

Games of Note on Match Day 40

Tokushima Vortis vs. Yokohama FC seems to be the top draw this weekend with both teams in the heart of the promotion playoffs.

All 3 of the bottom sides face strong competition and an FC Gifu loss will se them relegated to the J3.

Conclusion

It seems these two sides are evenly matches when it comes to the recent 10 games played at home/road. They both own identical records for those 10 games. Something has to give this weekend and I hope to see our boys come out on top.

I recall way back in March, when this team was firing on all cylinders, that the end of the season seemed so very far away. Well now it feels like it got here way too quickly. There are only 3 matches remaining this season and only 1 of those is a home game. I am sad that I will be unable to attend the final home game of the season but I am so happy to have enjoyed so many great memories at the Tapista this season.

I hope there is great weather and greater football this Sunday to help generate more season ticket holders for the 2020 season. Enjoy it everyone as it is well over 100 days before we see this side play at home again.

“Purple Rain” Match Day 18 Recap: Kyoto Sanga F.C. 2-2 FC Ryukyu 6/15/2019

I don’t think I could’ve come up with a more befitting title for this match based on the following: 1. Kyoto’s kits are purple, 2. it was raining the whole match and 3. it is the birth month of Prince, who wrote this song. I am not a huge fan of Prince but things lined up perfectly for this catchy title for this particular blog entry.

FC Ryukyu earned a hard-fought point on Saturday night at the Kyoto Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium where they battled back twice from 1 goal deficits to tie the match. While the draw has ultimately dropped FC Ryukyu down to 10^th in the standings, the precious point is all that really matters at the end of the day.

Each team’s lineup remained unchanged from their previous matches with one exception. Kyoto put their best attacking players up front, Ishimi, Koyamatsu and Sento, to form more of a 3-4-3 formation. The move signaled to me that the manager, Ichizo Nakata, knows his side well and since this Kyoto side always starts matches very fast, he wanted to do everything he could to grab the early lead with hopes of piling on the goals later.

First Half

In the preview article I espoused that if FC Ryukyu wished to walk away with any points, they needed to keep Kyoto off the score sheet in the first half. Kyoto had 100% success rate (wins and draws) when they are the first team to score in a match and that score occurs in the first half. Within 55 seconds Kyoto already had a shot on net and their second came 1 minute and 40 seconds later. Not the start that FC Ryukyu needed by any means. FC Ryukyu were lucky to escape the early deficit when Isihimi’s shot hit the post in the 6^th minute. Things than began to get worse for Ryukyu when in the 7^th minute, Fukui had to come on place of the injured Tokumoto for what looks to be a non-contact injury to his lower left leg. It is possible he’ll miss some time depending on the severity of the injury and it couldn’t come at a worse time with Ryukyu having 8 matches over the next 6 weeks.

Kyoto had a ridiculous 77% possession rate compared to Ryukyu’s 23% around the quarter mark of the match and Kyoto were dictating the pace of play as well as creating all the chances on net. Ryukyu simply didn’t have an answer to stop the Kyoto onslaught or enough possession to slow the match down. Ryukyu’s best chance came in the 20^th minute when a ball fell to Tanaka in the 18-yard box and unfortunately, he struck it with his left foot and the shot went just wide of the net. Ryukyu then survived another scare in the 25^th minute when a long through ball found a streaking Kyoto player but luckily, Ishii and Okazaki were able to break up the cross. At the 30-minute mark, Kyoto were still enjoying a 75% possession rate and were leading in the shot category, 5 to 1 over Ryukyu.

Near the end of the first half, a long pass by Okazaki to Komatsu was quickly corralled by Sanga and they immediately sprung into a counter attack. Masutani offered a half-hearted challenge on the on-rushing Kyoto player and when Uesato was rushing back to aid in the defense, he actually stopped the pass from Kyoto that was screeching across the top of our box towards the right side. Unfortunately, Uesato’s deflection landed right at the feet of Koyamatsu, who struck a nice shot past a diving Ishii for a 1-0 Kyoto lead. I personally thought this goal was coming for a long time with the amount of possession and opportunities Kyoto enjoyed up to this point but I also thought that FC Ryukyu was going to hold Kyoto goalless heading into half time.

Kyoto had another two chances to double their lead in the 41^st and 44^th minute as they were finding it very easy to round our defenders and send crosses/shots into the box. Just when I thought all hope was lost with Ryukyu on pace for their 5^th consecutive road loss, Ryukyu caught a break. Ryukyu earned a free kick at the very end of the extra time in the first half and the initial shot by Okazaki was deflected and it found an unmarked Koji Suzuki alone at the edge of the goal. Suzuki delivered a header into the net that seemed to surprise, and disappoint, the Kyoto team. In only one instance, versus Mito, had Kyoto gone on to not win the match after scoring first in the first half and allowing the opponents to score in the first half as well. It was a massive shift in the probability projections for Ryukyu to earn a draw on the day. Basically, FC Ryukyu went from around 0.05% to 25% with that Suzuki goal. While that cannot be understated, it is more important to state what a goal means for both sides when it occurs at the very end of the first half. It was a confidence booster for Ryukyu while simultaneously letting the “wind out of the sails” for Kyoto. This was a massive goal for Ryukyu as well as Koji as it moved him into the top position in J2 with 12 goals scored this season.

Second Half

Ryukyu started the second half slowly after already conceding 68% of the possession to Kyoto in the first half. Right away in the 46^th minute, Kyoto were awarded the FK after Masutani fell to the ground from an attempted clearance. Now, Masutani was able to make the clearance, but the resulting fall took him into the path of the Kyoto player who was adjusting his run for the deflection. The Kyoto player ran into Masutani, and actually gave him a nasty knock to the head, and the ref awarded the FK. To be honest, Masutani had no idea where the Kyoto player was, didn’t stick out an arm or attempt to interfere the player, it was just the natural progression of the fall/slide that took him into the Kyoto players path. Yet the referee’s vantage point was from behind and he couldn’t see all this play out and deemed it to be an infraction and award a free kick.

An errant pass by Uesato lead to another Kyoto opportunity in the 52^nd minute but Ishii did a tremendous job in stopping the shot by Ishimi. Tanaka picked up a yellow card just prior to that play and was ultimately subbed off for Kawai. Tanaka will miss the next match due to suspension from his accumulation of yellow cards. Ryukyu’s defense was then ripped apart in the 55^th minute and luckily the clearance by Ryukyu, that hit a Kyoto player in the box, bounced off the side netting and didn’t make its way into the back of the net. Kawai’s presence could already be felt stating in the 57^th minute as his runs seemed to surprise the Kyoto side as they were fast, and straight at them and this was something Ryukyu were not doing up to this point. I don’t think Kyoto were expecting this at all from Ryukyu and they seemed more than willing to cede some acreage for Kawai to run into. At the 64-minute mark, Ryukyu had ceded 3 more chances to Kyoto and they were only able to muster one real chance but the game was about to be flipped on its head.

Another errant pass led to another Kyoto counter attack that ultimately resulted in a PK. Uesato’s challenge looked as if he got to the ball before he brought the player down but there was one small problem, he did so by going through the player legs from behind and that will always be called as a foul anywhere on the pitch. Ishimi stepped up and delivered a nice strike underneath the diving Ishii, who guessed correctly, but the shot had placement and power and would be hard for most goalkeepers to stop.

In the 74^th minute Kawai drew a foul near the edge of the 18-yard box but the resulting Tomidokoro strike sailed just a little high over the bar. However, it would be the pace and tenacity of Kawai that allowed FC Ryukyu to get back in the match when he slotted home a goal in the 80^th minute.

Kawai made a great run down the left and found a streaking Tomidokoro who executed a very nice back heel pass to the on-rushing Kawai. The back-heel pass by Yu seemed to tee the ball up perfectly for Kawai and Kawai’s strike went past the diving keeper of Kyoto and into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Finally, Ryukyu sprung to life in the 80^th minute of the match. A corner kick from Ryukyu found a wide open Uesato who struck home a one timed volley but he was ruled offside. It was a harsh call in my mind (obviously as a Ryukyu supporter) but that’s because the replay, and more importantly the camera angle, couldn’t really show Uesato in an offside position. That would’ve been a huge goal but nonetheless, Ryukyu really began to trouble the Kyoto defense.

Ryukyu tried to see out the remainder of the match with some controlled possession but the accurate passing just wasn’t there today. This is most likely due to the little amount of possession they enjoyed. The last few seconds of the match were very frantic in that Ryukyu earned a corner; Uesato nearly scored from a header, had it been low it may have gone in, and the resulting Kyoto last surge counter was luckily thwarted by the scrambling Ryukyu defenders to earn the 1-1 draw.

Man of the Match

#30 DF Yosuke Ishibitsu, Kyoto Sanga F.C.

It was hard not to award the MOM to Kawai from FC Ryukyu for his contributions, but Ishibitsu’s efforts really stood out and the man put in a phenomenal shift for Kyoto. The veteran made life difficult for Tomidokoro in the first half, so much so that Yu shifted from the left side to the right side in the second half so as to completely avoid Ishibitsu. Ishibitsu won some free kicks and delivered them with quality when called upon. I am jealous that this man can play at such a high level at 35 years of age and would love to see him in the Ryukyu back line even if it’s only for one season. I think one of the best examples for why he deserves MOM was his ability to close down Tomidokoro in the 39^th minute when Yu received a beautiful through pass that put him alone on net. The veteran Ishibitsu had enough pace in him to recover and force Yu to change direction which ultimately saw Yu lose possession and the Ryukyu attack fizzle out. My tally on the day had Ishibitsu besting the Ryukyu attack and players 6-1. The man simply couldn’t be beaten in defense and he offered so much in the attack for Kyoto. Well done sir.

Keys to Victory Review

A quick review of the key points I put forth in the match day preview.

1. Prevent Kyoto from scoring in the first half. Ultimately a failing mark as Kyoto did end up scoring in the first half, but Ryukyu put up a good fight and recovered for a point.

2. Harass the Kyoto back line. Pass. Kawai’s substitution proved the difference maker for Ryukyu and in all reality, it wasn’t until the 80^th minute that Ryukyu truly threatened the back line of Kyoto.

3. Score multiple goals and do not waste them in a loss. Passed with flying colors. This match was only the second time in 12 weeks that FC Ryukyu scored multiple goals in a match and the timing couldn’t have been better. This attack needs to get going as we all miss the free scoring side that can score 4, concede 3 and still end up on top. Patience is a virtue, I guess.

Takeaways from Match Day 18

1. The Referee. Spoiler Alert, plenty of bias to follow. The refereeing on Saturday was suspect. There were at least 3 bookable offenses by Kyoto that were not carded and each of them either stopped a FC Ryukyu counter attack or ended it altogether. That makes all of them bookable offenses in my mind. If an unwritten rule in football exists about how many warnings a player can receive before a booking, then I failed to see it yesterday. I say that because Tanaka was carded for his first challenge, and rightly so, but his offense was no different from the Kyoto players, yet none of the Sanga players were carded until deep into stoppage time. The refereeing in J2, in my humble opinion at least, is suspect at best; and to be honest, across Asia it isn’t that great either. Many refs fall into that “Home Cooking” philosophy whereas they just want to be liked by the home team’s supporters and get back to their vehicle safely after a match.

2. While the possession disparity between both sides is enough to make you wonder as a Ryukyu fan if they were actually playing a J1 side like Kawasaki, FC Ryukyu did nothing to help themselves on Saturday with so many errant passes. As stated earlier, this is probably attributed to how little of the ball FC Ryukyu saw throughout the match as Kyoto had a 65% to 35% possession advantage but this will occur from time to time and FC Ryukyu need to be more clinical in possession. The misguided passes sent Kyoto on their way multiple times and lead to both of their goals. If FC Ryukyu passing was better on Saturday then maybe they could’ve won the match, but as a whole, the Ryukyu passing was deplorable. There are more of these types of matches ahead of Ryukyu this year and while the “bend, but don’t break” mentality on defense works from time to time, it requires the team to be precise and lethal in limited possession.

Conclusion

Well FC Ryukyu earned their first positive result in a road match since the late equalizer by Uesato back in match day 9 against Tokyo Verdy. This means that Ryukyu broke a 4-game losing streak on the road and it also meant that Kyoto will remain winless in games started after 1800. FC Ryukyu return home next week to face a very strong, recently defeated, 4^th placed Ventforet Kofu side.

I hope the Okinawa faithful show up in full force for this match as it is another tough test for the Bengara boys to keep the home undefeated record intact as well some much-needed revenue before the transfer window opens up in July. Make no mistake, FC Ryukyu needs revenue – at least 8,000 fans per home match – as well as reinforcements. We don’t want to see Ryukyu become “sellers” in the transfer market next month. We want FC Ryukyu to be “buyers” because if not, this team may end up back in the J3. I know I always harp on the fact that FC Ryukyu haven’t earned, or possibly done, anything of note yet. Well, that is because it is so likely that recently promoted clubs are the ones relegated each season and I don’t want Ryukyu to be the first J3 side to achieve this dubious award. Staying power equals revenue and a chance at J1 football, that, is the mid and long-term goal for this club.

Nice view of the Koji header to equalize in the first half. PHOTO CREDIT: @john_level_O

Match Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBZZ08x6QkA&feature=onebox

“Threading the Needle” Match Day 18 Preview: Kyoto Sanga F.C. vs. FC Ryukyu 6/15/2019

Match Day 18: (H) Kyoto Sanga F.C. vs. FC Ryukyu (A) at the Kyoto Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium, 6/15/2019 Kickoff at 1900.

Weather Forecast: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s for the match but it is expected to rain all day with thunderstorms starting around 1500 and expected to continue until 2200. Bring your rain jackets, poncho’s, umbrellas and towels as it is going to be nasty weather out there.

Intro

Fresh off their draw with Kanazawa, FC Ryukyu travel to the Kansai area to take on a very powerful Kyoto Sanga side who are returning home after 2 weeks on the road. Sanga come into the match having been decisively beaten by Omiya Ardija but this is a team that swept the J2 League awards for May with Koyamatsu winning the best goal, Sento earning MVP honors and their manager, Nakata, rounding out the trifecta. More on them later. FC Ryukyu’s road struggles are well known at this point and with difficult matches over the next 2 months, any points FC Ryukyu can earn on the road must be viewed as a huge boost for their hopes at staying in the J2 next season. let’s look at how the two teams stack up this season.

Interesting that Kyoto doesn’t score, or concede nearly as many goals at home as they do on the road. Kyoto’s record against teams in the top half of the table also offers a glimmer of hope for FC Ryukyu today.

Starting Lineups for both sides from previous match.

Kyoto Sanga F.C.

Prior to the loss at Omiya, Sanga had won 4 times and drawn twice in their previous 6 matches. Over the course of the last 6 weeks, Sanga has scored 14 goals and conceded 8. Those numbers represent 60% of to the total amount of goals Sanga has scored on the season as well as 50% of the amount of goals they’ve conceded. If we look at the first 11 weeks of the season for Sanga, the stats tell a very different story. Sanga failed to score in 5 of the first 11 matches with 4 of those shutouts occurring at home. Despite the goal scoring drought, Sanga were still able to earn 4 wins, 3 draws and only suffer 3 losses in those 11 matches. All in all; it means that they weathered the rough storm during the early part of the season, accumulated some nice point tallies along the way, are wracking up the points with what looks to be a very potent attack, all at a crucial time of the season. Basically; they are peaking and present a formidable challenge for FC Ryukyu.

Over the course of the 4 Kyoto matches I viewed for this review; Sanga displayed a penchant for starting fast. For the entire season, Kyoto has scored 13 of their 23 goals in the first half. More importantly, they have conceded 10 of their 16 goals this season in the second half of matches. Furthermore, Sanga have only played 3 matches in which they scored in the first half yet failed to score in the second half and in those matches they have gone 1W1D1L. But it should be noted that they scored first in two of those games whereas against Omiya they did not. Bottom line, FC Ryukyu needs to do all they can to stop Kyoto from scoring in the first half, if they do, then FC Ryukyu have a great shot at earning a point on the day.

Kyoto Sanga Players to Watch

Sanga’s set up plays to the teams strength, which is attacking. The talent up front for Sanga is quite good and the partnering of Ichimi and Koyamatsu looks like one of the most lethal combinations in the J2.

L to R: Koyamatsu, Ichimi, Miyayoshi, Sento & Ishibitsu

#23 FW Kazunari Ichimi. I was surprised to learn that Ichimi is only 5’10” (181cm) as he seems to play a lot “taller” than his height would indicate. He reminds me a lot of Olivier Giroud from Chelsea in that he is really good at getting the positional advantage over the defender and can get his foot to a ball and direct it into the back of the net. Ichimi is the joint top scorer for Sanga with 5 goals and 2 assists.

#22 MF Tomoya Koyamatsu. The J2 League winner of the best goal of the month for May. This particular player is a one-man wrecking ball at times. I’ve seen him gain possession near or just behind the half way line and then make a very powerful run on net single handed and then score. He is very strong and has good pace which means he will be a huge challenge of any slower, weaker defenders. He isn’t afraid to take all of them on at once and Koyamatsu has 3 goals and 3 assists so far this season.

#14 MF Keiya Sento. Joint top scorer with 5 goals and 2 assists. Plays down the right, along with Miyayoshi and Ishibitsu to form a three headed monster in attack.

#13 FW Takumi Miyayoshi. 1 goal and 3 assists so far this season from a forward position but he can provide excellent service and set up play for Sento and Ichimi.

#30 DF (RB) Yosuke Ishibitsu. The 3^rd part to the Kyoto attacking right side. Has 1 goal and 4 assists and that means he is sending quality crosses into the box for the attacking players to get on the other end of and score.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu were able to earn a draw at home this past weekend against a tough Kanazwa side. Ryukyu were without star goal keeper, Danny Carvajal, but Ishii’s performance was nothing short of excellent and he ultimately allowed FCR to claw back into the match and earn a point. The Ryukyu attack is still sputtering as they’ve only scored multiple goals in one match out of the past 11. This will be a very tough test for FC Ryukyu this week as they face a team that is firing on all cylinders and can light up the score board quickly. Keep in mind, FC Ryukyu have failed to earn a point on the road in the last 4 road matches and those were against teams not nearly as strong as Kyoto.

Keys to FC Ryukyu Victory

Kyoto Sanga represent the type of team FC Ryukyu aspires to be; they can make up for weak defending with a ruthless attack. There are small margins for success for FC Ryukyu this weekend as some of the statistics indicate, but FC Ryukyu are more likely to drop all the points if they concede early against Kyoto.

1. Prevent Kyoto from scoring a 1^st half goal. This is a large ask for the entire Ryukyu team but if they can do that, they have a great shot at earning a point on the day. Kyoto have failed to score in the first half in 7 games this season and in those seven matches, only twice did they score a second half goal. The results were 1W3D3L in those 7 matches for Kyoto. On the flip side, when Kyoto score first, and the goal occurs in the first half, they’ve gone on to earn 6 wins and 2 draws in 8 matches. As you can see, FCR must weather the fast start of Kyoto and prevent an early goal for any chance at positive points today.

2. Disrupt the back line of Kyoto. In the matches I watched, this seemed to be the Achilles Heel for Sanga. At times, the defenders lacked concentration, were out of position, would not mark the runs of attacking players and allow attacking players plenty of space to take shots on net in and around the box. Ryukyu will need some heroic efforts from Tanaka and Tomidokoro today if they are going to earn a good result. Ryukyu also needs to use their speed down the flanks to get around the back of the RB/LBs of Kyoto and have the remaining attacking players crash the box as this will confuse the central defenders on Sanga.

3. Score Goals. This is an obvious one but FC Ryukyu own a near even split when it comes to scoring and conceding in both halves. It has been a tale of 2 halves for FC Ryukyu this season and while it seems encouraging that they’ve been able to score 15 goals in the second half, they’ve also conceded 14. This lends credence to the first point that FC Ryukyu are more likely to earn a draw if they do not concede in the first half because they are also more likely to score late in matches. 2 goals would be great so long as they are not wasted in a losing effort. Quality shots on net from distance may prove to be the determining factor for FC Ryukyu today.

Match Prediction

This is one of the toughest road tests to date for FC Ryukyu. We haven’t faced an opponent on the road of this quality since Yamagata and therefore the likely outcome today is a Ryukyu loss. Using the “pain scale” you see at most doctor’s offices, I’ll put it to you like this. On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the most debilitating pain/result: 1. If Ryukyu lose by 3 goals or more it will be embarrassing, 2. A 2-0 defeat is a very likely outcome and no one would really think different of this since Ryukyu are less than 100% with a reserve keeper in net, 3. 2-1 defeat is a very respectable outcome against a superior opponent, 4. A draw in any form is pure gold and that point will prove valuable, and finally, 5. A win against Kyoto must be considered as the most important J2 victory to date for FC Ryukyu.

Match Predction: Kyoto Sanga 3-1 FC Ryukyu

Conclusion

There is one strange factor to consider in all of this; in the 2 games this season that Kyoto have played that have started after 1800, they are 0-2. Kyoto surrendered 4 goals in those competitions and only scored once. If you factor in the start time of 19:00, that Ryukyu play a majority of their matches at these start times and that this match could be played in sloppy conditions – a situation that Ryukyu has played in multiple times this season and most recently against Kanazawa – these could come together an equal a positive result for Ryukyu today. We will have to wait and see. Enjoy the match where ever you are at and see you soon.

Come on Lads, one time here!