Tag: makito

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

Intro

FC Ryukyu head to Ibaraki this weekend to face FC Mito Hollyhock. Both these teams have only lost once in their past seven (7) matches but both ended their most recent matches in very different ways. Ryukyu twice surrendered a goal advantage at home to Montedio Yamagata while Mito had a spirited mid-week match with Oita Trinita in which they defeated their guests 2-0. Over the last four years FC Ryukyu has the most wins in this series but Mito have the two (2) most recent wins between them. Hard to believe there isn’t a single tie in this series in four (4) years so perhaps that streak remains in tact with what is hopefully a FC Ryukyu victory.

Weather Forecast and Match Day Information

Hopefully the weather holds off for the traveling Ryukyu fans.

Click>>> Match Day 33 Information from FC Mito Hollyhock

Team Previews

FC Mito Hollyhock: For a team that has only lost twice (2) in their last twelve (12) games I am not sure what prompted their manager, Tadahiro Akiba, to have some sort of outburst in his post match interview vs Renofa. But whatever that was has worked as Mito looked like a different side following their 2-0 trouncing of Oita Trinita.

In my experience as a player, coach, and fan that type of stuff works one time before it becomes the norm and simply brushed off. Will it carry over from the Oita match for Mito? Probably. They played a physical match unlike I’ve seen in their prior four games. Sure, be mad at the refs, be angry at the team for being adrift in the mid-table, scare the shit out of the players to motivate them. That will Kiely carry over into the Ryukyu game but could have some unforeseen consequences. AKA, some stupid, borderline reckless, challenges leading to sending offs for Mito.

There is no doubt that Mito are what you expect them to be while situated mid-table. Mito can score when presented the opportunity, can frustrate teams while defending, do nothing spectacular but do the necessary little things to net results. Mito drew against Kofu and Akita where they came back form a deficit following a spilled ball against Kofu and surrendered a goal after being reduced to 10-men against Akita. Mito defeated Omiya 1-0 after an early goal and only lost to Renofa after a ridiculous, some would say egregious, wonder chip of their GK from about 65 yards out!

But it was their most recent game against Oita Trinita on Tuesday evening that was most telling. Akiba extracted the most he could out of his side and they beat the brakes off Oita. Mito were physical. Mito were dominant. Mito were motivated, agitated, and determined. I am not even sure Oita even got off the bus that game. Let us hope the hubris of that performance bleeds into this match with Ryukyu.

FC Ryukyu: I am going to take this entry a different direction for this week. No point in talking about who might play, who may return from injury, or the defensive woes we may never figure out before the season ends. Instead I want to praise some of the men who have been responsible for this sudden renaissance here at Ryukyu.

Every year I fear the exodus of talent that occurs at the end of the season for FC Ryukyu. And trust me there has been plenty in my time: Togashi, Park-Il Gyu, Uejo, Tokumoto, Koizumi, and Chinen with the surprisingly early departures mid-season of Nakagawa and Koji Suzuki. Those departures usually left me bewildered as to how FC Ryukyu could replace such mercurial talent and still remain competitive. But now I welcome any departure at the end of this season for some of our most talented, yet hidden to so many players, because that would mean that a select few did the impossible in such short order, and did it to the highest degree possible.

There is no secret to the recent success of FC Ryukyu. Dany Carvajal and Sadam Sulley have been nothing short of spectacular and then there is Hitomi’s meteoric rise which has caught us all unaware that he had that type of quality in his locker. I must note that Abe getting back to his old ways has also helped a ton. All of these factors have contributed to the sudden restart of a heartbeat inside the once left for dead corpse that was FC Ryukyu under Kina. Not so much in the case of Abe but for the other three it was all about getting a chance to play and shine on the big stage. And wow how they’ve shone.

I have no idea how FC Ryukyu found Sadam Sulley and I don’t really care. Sulley is an absolute difference maker when he is on the pitch. Sulley adjusted to life in J2 quicker than Kina ever could as a manager and he is destroying everything in front of him. I truly hope (and believe he will) that Sulley ends up in double digit goals by seasons end as he is far to talented to be plying his trade down here. But I am so thankful we have him for at least another 10-games as the sky is the limit for this player who luckily wasn’t contaminated by whatever went on here prior to Nacho’s arrival.

In the case of Hitomi he flashed a little bit back in 2020, much like Koizumi in 2019 before he went nuclear, followed by a brief loan spell. The club, I think (hope) saw enough in Hitomi to retain his services this season but Hitomi never had a shot to crack the starting eleven with so many established veterans, and whatever Kina was thinking at the the time, until injuries took hold at Ryukyu. But there is no ‘putting the genie back in the bottle’ now as Ryukyu cannot afford to take Hitomi off the pitch as he is lighting up the scoreboard with some top drawer goals.

We all know of the quality that Dany possesses and he is not only making the extraordinary look ordinary, he’s the best PK stopper in all of J2. What a luxury to have a player like that in such a key position in the squad while Ryukyu scratches and claws their way up the table. Can you believe, injuries not withstanding, we let this guy rot on the bench for so long when it was clear to many that he needed to be in the lineup? It makes you wonder how many points we could’ve had if a fully healthy Dany was in the lineup earlier?

I will also note that none of this would’ve been possible without Nacho making the changes and putting these players out there to give Ryukyu the best shot of winning each week. In the case of the three players mentioned above their is one constant theme. Heart. All these men are giving maximum effort, showing off their quality, pulling Ryukyu up by their shoelaces out of the basement. When the 2022 season comes to a close and Ryukyu sits outside the relegation zone and we are once again left wondering what will happen next season, I will be rooting for all of these men to move onto bigger and better things as they’ve earned it through blood, sweat, and my tears.

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. Flawless Execution at both ends of the pitch. Likelihood 3. Mito didn’t reveal any real weaknesses when it came to surrendering goals as most were of the milk-toast variety stemming from spilled balls. If our central defense goes comatose for any brief periods of time then Ryukyu could be in real trouble. Mito can finish when presented opportunities so we need Okazaki/Nakagawa/Omori, or whoever is in there, to be cognizant of where the Mito attackers are in the box at all times. And FFS, mark their runs in the box!

This also requires Ryukyu being clinical in very limited opportunties. Truth be told I didn’t see any team in any of the highlights taking it to Mito or ceding loads of possesion sans Oita. Not sure if Mito comes at Ryukyu or sits back and hits us on the counter. That makes for a difficult and dangerous game plan for how to attack Mito.

2. Composure. Likelihood 4. Holy shit a second key to victory? Yes. Anyways, if Mito take the physicality route, initiates some rash challenges, and fingers fucking crossed the Japanese ref sees that shit, Ryukyu may actually be awarded a PK instead of conceding one. But, and that is a big but, Ryukyu must maintain their cool when that shit ensues. Barring something egregious, or lord help us an injury from a BS challenge, Mito are likely to be smelling their own farts from Tuesday’s game and think they can do the same vs Ryukyu. Let them. Let Mito try and play physical and end up finding themselves down a man with Sulley, Abe and Hitomi out their hunting in packs. Stay cool brothers.

Round 33 in J2

Up Top: (1) Yokohama FC has a tricky one there at (5) FC Machida Zelvia while we need (2) Albirex Niigata to take care of business on the road at (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka. The more I see the games Ryukyu need other teams to win, the more I see former FC Ryukyu players. Let’s go Koji, let’s go Tokumoto, let’s help us out Koki Kazama by steering Gunma into the dumpster!

Promotion Zone: (3) Vegalta Sendai are looking to rebound following two consecutive losses to teams at the very foot of the table, thanks a lot dudes, and will host (10) JEF United Chiba who beat Sendai 2-0 the last time these two teams met on MD 20. Ryukyu really need (4) Fagiano Okayama do the job over (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma on the road and I’ll cheer a little for (6) Roasso Kumamoto when they host (13) Tokyo Verdy this Sunday as I don’t particularly care for Verdy (shocker).

Down Below: (19) Omiya Ardija welcome in (8) Montedio Yamagata who are probably still steaming they didn’t beat FC Ryukyu last week. Someone throw (18) Zweigen Kanazawa a parachute before they hit rock bottom! They had a nice rest between fixtures but are they completely recovered from the CV-19 outbreak and ready to face (14) Ventforet Kofu on the road?

Free J-League Broadcasts for Round 33: First up will be Omiya Ardija hosting Montedio Yamagata on Saturday. Click>>> Omiya Ardija vs Montedio Yamagata.

The second broadcast this week on the J.League International YouTube Channel will feature Roasso Kumamoto and Tokyo Verdy. Click>>> Roasso Kumamoto vs Tokyo Verdy

Conclusion

I think this is a very winnable game for FC Ryukyu and all we need now is to have the lads go out there and execute. Firing up top, stonewalling at the back. Shit! That is what we wanted to see all season from these guys but that doesn’t matter now. Only points (wins) matter. Go get ’em boys!

FC Ryukyu vs Montedio Yamagata #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu nearly pulled off a stunning win against Montedio Yamagata at home this past Saturday but came up just short as Yamagata erased Ryukyu’s leads twice to end the match in a 2-2 draw. There were plenty of fireworks both during the match, and afterwards (literally fireworks), that also included another Dany Carvajal PK save to secure some points. I wouldn’t argue against you if you felt that Ryukyu didn’t really earn a point so much as they lost out on two (2) points, but they are still earning points to put them into a position to quickly escape the relegation zone when others falter later this season.

Match Highlights

Takeaways from Match Day 32

1. The Ryukyu Lineup. We all knew Sulley was going to sit this one out following his red card in the match against Nagasaki but it came as a bit of a shock to see Kelvin completely removed from the squad on Saturday with Yu Tomidokoro filling that role. Perhaps Kelvin is dealing with an injury or was the player who tested positive for CV-19 earlier in the week. Hopefully it is nothing serious and he gets back out there sooner rather than later. Returning to the bench was both Lee Yong Jick and Junto Taguchi while Kohei Kato was dropped for Kazuto Takezawa. Not sure if there is anything going on with our recent signing, or it was a case of rest and maintenance after featuring in both the top team and reserve fixtures at Nagasaki last week.

2. Old man yelling at the clouds, again. This game was completely disjointed by all the starts and stops, and not just from the goals and substitutions. There were nearly thirty (30) fouls committed in this game, though it was completely lopsided in favor of Ryukyu who picked up twenty-one (21) of those fouls on Saturday. Peter Cklamovski, Yamagata’s manager, said it best in his post game presser where he stated that the amount of restarts made this a very difficult game to play since it was hard to build any momentum. You could tell he was visibly frustrated that his side didn’t win (even said as much) but Ryukyu have been frustrating many teams in recent weeks. From the Ryukyu supporter section point of view, we thought there were some very soft fouls (maybe outright wrong) called on Ryukyu but we’ve seen this before so nothing new.

3. Ryukyu jumped out to an early lead from a typical, as cool as you like, sending the shot back across the keeper, goal from Takuma Abe. Ryukyu maintained that lead for roughly 45′ minutes before conceding the equalizer after Dealltorre found space in the central Ryukyu defense when Makito was dusted by a run down the left hand side by an attacking Yamagata player who then sent in the cross to Dellatorre. What came as a bit of a shock was the Yamagata goal wasn’t even posted to the scoreboard when Ryukyu responded with their second (2) of the match, a tremendous low and hard header, from Takuya Hitomi, his third (3) goal in two games, only one (1) minute after the restart. For a moment I though the Yamagata goal had been called off as the scoreboard read 2-0 Ryukyu but that wasn’t the case. The lead was lost for good in the 81st minute following a repeat of events leading up to Yamagata’s first goal. Makito got turned around, couldn’t mark the run, a cross was sent in, and Dellatorre was able to get past Okazaki for the tap in equalizer.

4. Ryukyu are struggling to defend and clear their lines lately. Makito had another up and down game where he, along with Okazaki, were involved in both of Yamagata’s goals. There were several occasions where Ryukyu failed to clear their lines that led to quick strikes requiring Dany to be called into action to bail out the defense. I said in the preview that Ryukyu needed to stop conceding so many PKs in matches but they somehow found a way to conceded their fourth (4) PK in three (3) consecutive games. The very epitome of, ” shooting yourself in the foot.”

One thing that hasn’t really changed at all in the nine (9) years that I’ve watched this club is the fact that Ryukyu seem to rely (hope) on trying to outscore your opponents with multiple goals in order to paper over the cracks in defense. That can work at times but is not a sound strategy and it is not realistic to think Ryukyu can score 3 or 4 goals each week to see out victories. Ryukyu will need to win some of those “squeaky bum” games they were doing just a few weeks ago, but against tougher opponents. Though Sulley, Hitomi and Abe might make it possible to blow away our competition the way they are playing right now. It is what it is for the remainder of the season but Ryukyu needs to strengthen that back line in the offseason.

5. Dany Carvajal. Perhaps I do not need to say anything more than his name as it should garner a certain thought in your heads if I am putting his name in his own section in any match day report. Great reactionary save in the first half to keep the score level. Great save in the second half to maintain a fragile one (1) goal lead for Ryukyu. Nearly got to the Yamagata equalizer, and of course, saved another stoppage time PK to allow Ryukyu to walk away with any points on the night. He is now the best PK stopper in J2, and while you love to see him in action on all these PK stops (9 games played and has faced 5 PKs), let’s give the man a break! And our collective blood pressure too.

Round 32 in J2

Up Top: The two top of the table clashes this round saw (1) Yokohama FC maintain their one (1) point lead over (2) Albirex Niigata as both teams each won 1-0 at home over (4) Fagiano Okayama and (6) Roasso Kumamoto.

Promotion Zone: In yet another shocking upset from a team facing relegation against one of the top three (3) sides, (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma defeated (3) Vegalta Sendai at home 1-0. (5) FC Machida Zelvia moved into the fifth (5) spot thanks to their 2-0 road win at (19) Omiya Ardija in addition to (7) V-Varen Nagasaki and (18) Zweigen Kanazawa having their match postponed.

Down Below: (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka lost 0-3 on the road at (9) Oita Trinita with (17) Renofa Yamaguchi moving five (5) points clear of the drop zone, maybe more importantly, moving four (4) points ahead of the bottom four teams, with a 1-0 victory at home over (13) FC Mito Hollyhock. Strange that Ryukyu’s match was the only one not to end in a shutout for someone this round.

Conclusion

Ten games left and there is still plenty to play for in all three areas of the table. Though I am not overly concerned with what is going on at the top, except when they cede points to teams around Ryukyu in the standings. Ryukyu just need a little bit of luck to grab a victory when all the others lose to springboard out of the relegation zone and possibly send three teams that are just above them to just below them for a brief period. For now it is on to FC Mito Hollyhock.

Ventforet Kofu vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu’s five (5) game unbeaten run came to a crashing halt on Saturday night at Ventforet Kofu when they were defeated 5-2 (second time in four seasons we’ve lost to Kofu by that score-line). Ryukyu were unable to earn their first ever point at Kofu but they did at least manage to score two (2) goals thus ending the goalless drought that has plagued Ryukyu while traveling to Kofu. Ryukyu found themselves in a very deep hole early on following three (3) goals by Kofu within a span of fourteen (14) minutes. Two (2) of those goals were PKs that were awarded just eight (8) minutes apart. Ryukyu fought valiantly to bring the score line to 3-2 before two (2) more Kofu goals put the game out of reach.

Match Highlights

Review of the 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. Crosses into the box. Likelihood 3. Think we saw a concerted effort by Ryukyu to get balls into the box and we know it works as evidenced by the Sulley goal. A nearly identical goal to the one he scored last week against Kumamoto when he rose and buried a header in the bottom corner. Ryukyu really need Tanaka to find that rich vein of form he was in last season when he could pick out anyone inside the box.

Match Day 30 Takeaways

1. CV-19 was once again wreaking havoc with the FC Ryukyu roster construction this past round as there were two debutants, Barrera and Hong Quan, and only two healthy center backs in the lineup. Luckily Ryukyu made it through unscathed and we can only hope we see the return of some of the first team players next round.

Last entry I put forth the notion that there may be a changing of the guard at RB with Makito the preferred starter over Keita Tanaka. Unfortunately for Makito, he had a very rough outing that saw him subbed off in the 37th minute following two unfortunate plays. First, Kofu had been trying the long ball over the top of our defense early on and finally found the break though when Makito headed one of those balls directly back to the center where a Kofu player was making a run. The second, probably stemming from the earlier play lingering in his mind, was a blatant handball inside the box when his mind told him something needed to be done about that dangerous cross, and his body reacted. Just in the wrong way.

He wasn’t the only one to get the early hook as Hitomi was also subbed off in that change for Kelvin. Kelvin looked good in his return and I am not sure if Ryukyu are better suited at starting Kelvin or having him come off the bench. Guess that all depends on his fitness level at this point.

2. This game ends differently if Abe converts that cross from Takezawa in the 8th minute. Ryukyu nearly capitalized on some early momentum but after they missed the chance to take the lead, you could sense a slight shift in momentum back to Kofu. Now, the two PKs in short order put Ryukyu in a ridiculous 3-0 hole, but they did respond in a way that was very encouraging. Saddam Sulley notched his second (2) goal in consecutive matches along with Nakano finding the score sheet in consecutive games with an assist. What we saw from Ryukyu in the 30 or so minutes following Kofu’s third goal provides a glimmer hope, but time is not on our side. Ryukyu had the players to generate some thrust, chances and goal scoring opportunities, now they need to bring it all together for another stretch run. I would also note that, what we thought was the equalizer near the 60th minute mark, turned out to be offside. Kind of deflating and it was at that point when I felt the game was a bit out of reach based on the prior bad luck Ryukyu had already experienced in this game.

3. Old man yelling at the sky again. Thought there was some “home cooking” refereeing going this game. Granted, the ball did touch Omori’s arm in the box, perhaps he shouldn’t have left his feet, and perhaps it is at the discretion of the referee to award the PK, which he did. Ryukyu may have gotten a bit lucky on some no calls but for the most part it felt as if Ryukyu were playing against twelve men with the referee favoring Kofu. Hell, as @FLManinJP pointed out, it took a damn car crash of a challenge on a Ryukyu player to finally draw out a call from the referee. Following the game some Ryukyu fans were posting that this particular referee somehow provides about a %20 increase in winning percentage to home teams in the games he oversees. Hope he is there for our final home game against Oita.

Round 30 in J2

Up Top: (1) Yokohama FC is doing all they can to derail Ryukyu’s rise out of the gutter by once again surrendering three (3) goals in a loss to one of the bottom four sides. This time it was (20) Omiya Ardija’s turn to earn an unexpected three points against the top side. Knowing Ryukyu’s luck, YFC is likely to find their form when we play them in 8 weeks time. (2) Albirex Niigata were able to cling to their one point advantage over (3) Vegalta Sendai thanks to two (2) late goals against (14) Tokushima Vortis. Vortis now have eighteen (18) draws this season, and though I do not know the record for the most amount of draws in a single J2 season, they look primed to take the title.

Promotion Zone: (3) Vegalta Sendai and (4) Fagiano Okayama both saw out comfortable wins. (6) Roasso Kumamoto once again received the post-Ryukyu-loss bounce, that at least Iwate and Tochigi got to experience, when they defeated (15) Tochigi SC. The only side to lose this round was (5) V-Varen Nagasaki. Four/five points separate this pack from 7th place with Sendai just one (1) point off of second place.

Down Below: We already mentioned Omiya’s win and Iwate’s loss in the previous sections so that just leaves (21) Thespakusatsu Gunma, who lost 0-3 at home to (10) JEF United Chiba. (18) Renofa Yamaguchi, who lost at home to (8) Montedio Yamagata, find themselves in the bottom five following (17) Blaublitz Akita’s 1-1 draw with (12) Mito Hollyhock. 19th-21st place could see some consistent shifting in the standings the next few weeks with (22) FC Ryukyu four (4) points adrift from safety. The window to make up some ground for Ryukyu is quickly shutting.

Conclusion

Putting this one in the rearview mirror and moving onto the next game at V-Varen Nagasaki. There were some encouraging signs this match despite the lopsided score line which needs to be built upon heading into a tough run of fixtures. Ryukyu’s ‘make-or-break’ part of the season is shaping up to be the games between Rounds 34-38 where they have a couple of games against teams in the bottom five (5) of the standings as well as some just outside of 18th place.

MD22 Preview: (3) FC Ryukyu vs (22) SC Sagamihara #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu have a golden opportunity to extend their winning streak to three games this weekend when they face the bottom side SC Sagamihara at home. Ryukyu are in the midst of their most favorable schedule for their remaining fixtures and need to continue to hold serve with the league leaders by defeating a team that is struggling mightily this year. It will not be like the first time these two teams met this season when Ryukyu hit five past Sagamihara as Ryukyu are still dealing with a bevy of injuries to both the attack and back line.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • SC Sagamihara
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 22 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

Could be a very muggy evening for football. Hope the boys are hydrated. The state of emergency in Okinawa has been extended to August 22nd which means no fans in the stands for at least the next two home games.

Match Day 22 Info from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Highlights

Zweigen Kanazawa 1-2 FC Ryukyu
SC Sagamihara 0-0 Giravanz Kitakyushu

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu have won three out of their last four games in which they’ve managed to score more than two goals in all three of those victories. The lone blemish on that record was the 0-3 defeat they suffered to Fagiano Okayama. During a time when Ryukyu really need the offense to lead this team, they have responded to the call. It also helps that the fixture list has been favorable to Ryukyu the past few rounds as well as the next three games including this one.

FC Ryukyu own one of the best home records in J2 having suffered a single defeat to Montedio Yamagata on match day fifteen. They also own an impressive goals scored to conceded ratio in the eleven games, though they’ve conceded 80% of their total goals allowed in their last five home games. Still, with so many injuries to so many key players, what more can you ask for than earning wins either by hook or by crook.

Last week we saw the introduction of Makito Uehara at RB filling in for the injured Keita Tanaka who will be out for the next six weeks. Ryukyu didn’t concede a goal when Makito was in the lineup so it will be interesting to see if Higuchi gives the youngster another run out, in what could be a confidence boosting match, or he opts to start Yuya Torikai instead. I think it is 50/50 between how Makito’s strength, or Torikai’s experience, will match up with either Yuri or Hiramatsu from SC Sagamihara.

Though Abe hasn’t hit the back of the net in five games, he is flourishing in Ryukyu’s 4-4-2 formation with three assists in his last two games. Abe is far off his pace last season when he scored 10 times before the halfway point, but I think he can turn things around in time for the big month of September. For his part, Koya Kazama has been red hot as of late scoring three goals and adding one assist in his last four games. With Tanaka out, he will be the main set up man down the right side of the Ryukyu attack. Last week saw the first point by Kazaki Nakagawa in a Ryukyu uniform since 2019. Though the point alone doesn’t justify switching back to a 4-2-3-1 with Nakagawa in the CAM role, I hope it was enough to get him more involved in matches moving forward. Getting him going, along with Abe, could lead to some of those high scoring games we’ve seen at Ryukyu when he was paired with Koji Suzuki in 2019, and when Yoshio Koizumi was paired with Takuma Abe in 2020.

SC Sagamihara: It has been a rough first year in the J2 for SC Sagamihara. Things started out promising for this side, earning 10 of their 13 points this season in their opening 10 fixtures, along with achieving some unexpected results (the 2-2 draw with Niigata), but Sagamihara has not won since round 10 and has managed to score only four goals since that time. Sagamihara did make one managerial change this year already but former Omiya Ardija manager, Takuya Takagi, has yet to improve the standing of this club who has lost three times and drawn twice in his first five games in charge. Though he was at the helm for their Emperors Cup win over Giravanz Kitakyushu.

Sagamihara lost three times in a row and then drew twice in their last five matches. They surrendered an early first half goal to V-Varen Nagasaki before looking the better side the remainder of the game with a majority of the chances on net. Their two goal loss to Mito Hollyhock highlighted how disorganized Sagamihara can be at the back with this side being pulled apart for the opening goal with the second being a long ball over the top where the Mito attacker had a 50-yard breakaway.

Two second half goals was all that Tokyo Verdy needed to see out their win over SC Sagamihara with the first stemming form a corner kick where Akihiko Takeshige forgot where he was in relation to the goal when his save carried him into the net, followed by more chaotic defending that led to another goal. Sagamihara managed to level their match with Blaublitz Akita in the 68′ minute when Reoto Kodama, fresh from his transfer from Sagan Tosu (who managed to hurt himself in the moments following the goal), which was the only goal Sagamihara has scored in the last five games. But it was Kota’s Hoshi missed opportunity to put the team ahead, much like he has done on several occasions this season, that consigned this team to a draw, but first point in six matches.

The bottom of the table clash between SC Sagamihara and Giravanz Kitakyushu ended in a scoreless draw with both sides trading chances throughout the match, though it was Giravanz who looked as if they might score from the frenetic defending on set pieces by Sagamihara at the end. Perhaps the recent run of form – consecutive draws and taking Urawa to the break in the Emperors Cup match in the midweek – has allowed a little bit of confidence to sneak back into this team. But for the most part, SC Sagamihara seem destined for the drop and ripe for the picking.

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. Do not sleep on Sagamihara. Likelihood 4. Probably the biggest key to victory this week as it would be very easy for Ryukyu to look past Sagamihara, who, to their credit, own one of the poorest away records and goal scoring ratios in the league. But, with points at a premium these days, and with only two games to go before an extended break, Ryukyu need to win this game in the first half, sub in some guys who need some match minutes, and possibly continue the streak of scoring 5 goals against SC Sagamihara. Just like they’ve done the previous three matches against this opponent.

2. Take full advantage of the chaos that is the Sagamihara defense. Likelihood 4. It isn’t pretty back there with players constantly caught out of position, multiple changes at goal keeper, and a general lack of organization from Sagamihara the past few weeks. The Ryukyu attacking players should have ample space and opportunity to operate on Sunday and it hurts that Keita Tanaka won’t be there to carve them up with his crosses.

3. Win the battle against the two strikers of Sagamihara, win the match. Likelihood 4. Though Juri was sent to the bench last week, he is a big powerful striker that will give fits to our back line. I think Chinen is up to the task, but there is no telling how our fullbacks and other center back will respond to this player. Ryukyu also need to be mindful of Kodama, and Hiramatsu – their leading scorer (3) – if he makes the squad.

5. Prediction

SC Sagamihara hasn’t conceded more than two goals in a game since their first match with FC Ryukyu back in early May. They also haven’t scored more than one goal in a game since early April while being shutout twelve times in twenty-one games. Ryukyu on the other hand has been on a bit of a goal scoring tear the past few rounds. Though I really want to hit the smash button for a large Ryukyu win, based on my past tendencies and track record, I think it is best I keep it somewhat conservative. I think this one ends 3-1 in favor of Ryukyu considering these aren’t the same two teams who already faced each other this season. Season Record 6-5-10.

6. Round 22 in J2

All the games this round kickoff on Sunday evening. The top fours sides all have matches against teams at, or near, the bottom of the table, as do the teams chasing the leaders with the lone exception being (8) FC Machida Zelvia hosting (12) FC Mito Hollyhock. The free broadcast this week will feature (2) Kyoto Sanga FC traveling to (18) Giravanz Kitakyushu. Click>>> J.League Int’l YouTube Channel.

7. Conclusion

With the very real possibility of none of the other three tops sides dropping points this round, nor the group of teams just behind Albirex Niigata, FC Ryukyu need to continue their fine form at home by taking it to SC Sagamihara. For SC Sagamihara, this could be the first nail in their coffin as they face FC Machida Zelvia, Ventforet Kofu, Albirex Niigata and Jubilo Iwata in their next five matches following Ryukyu.

MD21 Report: Zweigen Kanazawa vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu got their first win over Zweigen Kanazawa in seven years when they defeated the hosts 2-1 on Saturday night. Ryukyu looked destined to drop points this round as they started a bit slowly in the first half and were committing some egregious turnovers in the second half. Takuma Abe provided the initial spark with a beautiful piece of dribbling inside the Zweigen 18-yard box that allowed him to pick out the on rushing Kaz Uesato for the opening goal. Then it was Kazaki Nakagawa scoring his first goal in 9-months, and on his 26th birthday, when he came off the bench and redirected Shinya Uehara’s header on net. Zweigen managed to nick a goal back with only about 7′ minutes remaining but Ryukyu were able to see out the victory and move into third place.

  1. Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 21 in J2
  7. Conclusion
Photo Credit: @love_okinawan

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu CB Tetsuya Chinen: Several players made the short list for man of the match but Chinen’s overall performance on Saturday stood out the most. He made a massive clearance in the opening half to keep the score level and was all over the pitch cutting down players and ending Zweigen attacks. The thing that me and my friends constantly yell when we watch Ryukyu games is, “Chinen is always there whenever Ryukyu need someone to step up and make a play.” Unless you watch the game in its entirety, you won’t be able to see Chinen’s highlight reel as most of what he does rarely appears on tape or in the box score outside of Ryukyu keeping a clean sheet. I just hope we can retain his services for the remainder of this season.

3. Reviewing the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Start the festivities early. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu did not get off to a fast start as their first goal came just after the start of the second half. Luckily Zweigen’s shots were way off the mark in the opening period though Ryukyu did have one good chance to open the scoring inside the first 15′ minutes.

2. Defend the Right side. Likelihood 2. As we suspected, Makito Uehara got the start at RB with Tanaka out injured. Makito did well but was eventually subbed off near the end of the match to which the lone Zweigen goal did come down our right side after Koya blocked a Zweigen shot which saw the ball sit up in a very advantageous position for Kanazawa’s Oishi to smash it past Inose.

4. Prediction

Predicted a 2-2 draw so I’ll have to take the loss here. Season Record 6-5-10.

5. Talking Points from Round 21

1. Missed chances by both sides. Both Ryukyu and Kanazawa had plenty of opportunities to score on Saturday night with Ryukyu missing twice on the doorstep in the first half, and Kanazawa returning the favor in the second half. Abe nearly opened the scoring in the 8′ minute when the ball dropped right to him inside the 18-yard box. And then Numata called for the ball from Abe near the end of the first half, but he took a poor first touch which popped the ball up to his weaker right foot and allowed the defender to close him down before sending the shot high and wide. Zweigen had multiple chances in the first half but couldn’t find the target and then they were gifted some short counter attacks thanks in part to several Ryukyu turnovers in the second half. Zweigen hit the woodwork in the 58’ minute before a wayward pass by Inose caught Yong-Jick in an awkward position withthe Zweigen attacker easily overpowering Yong Jick and sending a perfectly weighted cross into the box where the wide open Kanazawa player put a header on net. Luckily Inose was able to recover in time and made a fine save by diving back across his momentum before a Ryukyu player cleared the ball off the line.

2. The substitutions determined the outcome of this game. For Ryukyu it was the introduction of Shinya Uehara and Kazaki Nakagawa that combined for the eventual Ryukyu winner. For Kanazawa, it was the removal of Rodolfo and Shion Niwa in the 77’ minute as those two were causing fits for the Ryukyu defense, though Ryuhei Oishi did score the lone Zweigen goal a short time later. I am not sure if the Zweigen subs were brought in to introduce some fresh legs with speed to run at our defense as both Rodolfo and Niwa were playing really good up to that point.

3. Ryukyu can get by with that type of performance, for now. There were plenty of nervy moments and missed chances for Ryukyu on the night and luckily for them, their next few opponents – outside of Omiya who have changed managers once again this year- won’t punish Ryukyu for their mistakes like some of the stronger clubs in the table. That doesn’t mean we can afford to sleepwalk through the next two rounds but this side is slightly disjointed with the introduction of new players due to injuries to the regular starters.

4. A big win over a team Ryukyu have failed to beat in the J2. While you may think Zweigen seems out of place next to some of the other sides on the Points Over Expectation table, they were one of the many teams at the start of the season that Ryukyu failed to defeat during their time in J2. To me, it doesn’t matter where those teams sat in the table at the time of their matches as they all represented a mental hurdle that Ryukyu needed to overcome.

6. Round 21 in J2

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Jubilo Iwata are the new leaders at the halfway point of the season after defeating Albirex Niigata at home. Second place Kyoto Sanga FC were defeated by V-Varen Nagasaki at home which means there is a three point gap between them and Iwata, and only a point difference between themselves and third place FC Ryukyu. Niigata are now six points off the lead and two behind Ryukyu in fourth.

At the bottom of the table it was more of the same for the sides facing relegation. SC Sagamihara managed a scoreless draw at home to Kitakyushu but that result didn’t move the needle very much for them. Omiya, Gunma, and Ehime all lost but it was Matsumoto Yamaga’s 2-1 win over Tokyo Verdy that provided a little breathing room as we move into the second half of the season.

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7. Conclusion

Ryukyu sit just outside the promotion zone at the halfway point of 2021 and have set themselves up for a nice run in by staying in the hunt despite the numerous injuries to key players. Ryukyu have two more games to go before a three week break for the Olympics during which they face both of the bottom clubs in the standings. Ryukyu need those 6-points to close out the unofficial halfway point of the season and then get healthy during their time off.

MD21 Preview: (14) Zweigen Kanazawa vs (4) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu enter Match Day 21 coming off their second biggest win of the season where they defeated Matsumoto Yamaga FC 4-0 at home. It is a different set of circumstances for Zweigen Kanazawa who enter this round on the heels of their second largest defeat when they lost 1-4 on the road to Montedio Yamagata. But Zweigen Kanazawa own a very good record overall against Ryukyu as they have yet to lose to the visitors since 2014 when they were both in the J3.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
  2. Previous Round Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • Zweigen Kanazawa
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 21 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from Zweigen Kanazawa

No changes for the way things have been since late May with Okinawa under a state of emergency.

Click>>> Match Day 21 Info from Zweigen Kanazawa

2. Previous Match Highlights

Montedio Yamagata 4-1 Zweigen Kanazawa
FC Ryukyu 4-0 Matsumoto Yamaga F.C.

3. Team Previews

Zweigen Kanazawa: I must admit, I wasn’t able to prepare for the opposing team’s preview as I normally would have this week so I sought some help from the most knowledgeable Zweigen Kanazawa fan I know. And with that I give you James Taylor from @kanazawadreamin who is doing double duty as he also made his J-Talk Extra Time debut this week with Stuart.

Although we lost heavily at Yamagata last week, I wouldn’t expect Zweigen manager Masaaki Yanagishita to make many changes to the starting lineup. Maybe one or two, but wholesale changes are not really his style. Our tactics will be the same as usual 4-4-2, defending tightly and pressuring FC Ryukyu when they have the ball, then trying to hit them on a quick counterattack. We are a very hardworking team. Up until last week our defense had been pretty tight in the league, only once conceding more than 2 goals in a game, and only once losing by more than a goal.

The defense is prone to conceding early goals though as we lead the league with 7 goals against in the opening 15 minutes of matches. We also have a habit of losing concentration at crucial times, for example the long throw for Tochigi’s equalizer or the equalizer that Gunma scored. Expect most of our attacks to be funneled down the left, through Rodolfo, who has been playing well since his return after a long term injury. On the other side, Riku Matsuda is growing into the full back role, and Shintaro Shimada has 4 goals and 5 assists from the right wing. Our shots-to-goals conversion rate is quite good, I think, but we have a tendency to run out of ideas quickly if the opposition is content to let us have the ball. This is a factor in our poor record in games where we concede first (1 win, 1 draw, 9 losses).

FC Ryukyu: It was good to see the offense come alive last week as it will be required yet again heading into this match. Ryukyu are likely to be without starting RB Keita Tanaka this round due to an injury he picked up last week. Still no word on whether Tanaka is healthy, or hurt, but I would guess we see Yuya Torikai, Makito Uehara, or Felipe Tavares make the starting eleven and reserves.

Ryukyu have yet to beat Zweigen Kanazawa during their time in J2, and in fact, you have to go all the way back to 2014 to find a time when FC Ryukyu defeated Kanazawa. Zweigen swept the series last year with both sides seeing out draws in 2019. Though Kanazawa has dropped off as of late, they represent a mental hurdle that Ryukyu must overcome which puts this match in the must win territory for the points over/under expectation table.

Last week it was Kiyotake, Abe and Koya leading the way for Ryukyu as each had at least 2-points on the night. Shimizu wasn’t involved as much in this game as he has been in previous matches, but his pairing up top with Abe in Ryukyu’s new 4-4-2 formation does provide a lot of space for both attackers to move in and around the box. And Shintaro has some get up in his game as he can really rise to meet headers over taller players. It seems unlikely that Ryukyu will revert back to a 4-2-3-1 until Ikeda is healthy, though Kazaki Nakagawa did make his first appearance for the club in a couple of months when he featured in the midweek Elite League match at Avispa. He could easily fill that vacated CAM role but that is solely dependent on Higuchi’s decision to include him in the lineup. Something he has opted not to do at all this year.

Ryukyu currently have four players recovering from injury and here is an updated timeline as to their progress. GK Dany Carvajal has been sidelined with a stress fracture since early march and is roughly two weeks away from the return timetable the club posted. He has been seen at training but there is no indication he is ready to return to the lineup. GK Junto Taguchi is at the halfway point (5 weeks) of his timetable to return from a broken bone in his hand and has been seen doing individual drills at practice. Ren Ikeda is only three weeks into his recovery for a fractured hip and though the timeline suggests a 10-12 week recovery, I think Ren has a long road ahead of him to get back on the pitch. The player with the chance to return the soonest is Ryohei Okazaki who is now at week six of his 6-8 week timetable recovering from a pulled muscle in his leg. It would be great to get our starting CB pairing back in time to close out the first half and change of the season.

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. Start the festivities early. Likelihood 3. After reading what James said about Kanazawa conceding early, and their overall record when they concede first, seems there’s no clearer path to victory for FC Ryukyu. Question becomes, can they do it?
  2. Defend the Right side. Likelihood 2. There is a very real possibility that Ryukyu will start Yuya Torikai and Yong Jick on the right side of our defense this week, which will play right into the strengths of the Zweigen attack. Not much we can do at this point other than hope our right side holds under the pressure.

5. Prediction

Zweigen has scored two goals against Ryukyu in the last three games these teams have played whereas Ryukyu has managed that feat only once. Could things go differently this week with Zweigen having conceded 6 goals in their past 2 games? If you recall the last time Ryukyu entered an away game off of a big win, they were decimated 0-3. I think that will change this week, but I also think this could be a barn burner ending in 2-2 a draw. Season Record 6-5-9.

6. Round 21 in J2

No easy draws for the top two sides this week as leaders (1) Kyoto Sanga FC host (8) V-Varen Nagasaki with the matchup of the week featuring (2) Jubilo Iwata facing (3) Albirex Niigata at home. Possibly no shifting at the bottom of the table at the mid season turn as all the sides face an uphill battle this week. There are two free broadcasts this round with (10) FC Mito Hollyhock at home to (15) Renofa Yamaguchi on Saturday and then (19) Ehime FC vs (13) Blaublitz Akita on Sunday. Click>>> J-League International YouTube Channel.

7. Conclusion

Despite their differences in the standings this will be no cake walk for Ryukyu as they’ve had limited success against Kanazawa to date. Ryukyu are doing all they can to make it to the break on maximum points despite the numerous injuries to the starting eleven, but they cannot use that as an excuse. The remaining schedule is favorable for Ryukyu but they cannot afford to play down to the level of their competition dropping valuable points along the way. Instead, they need to smash and grab as many goals in the next three games starting with Kanazawa on Saturday.

Thanks once more to James for bailing me out during this busy week and please give him a follow on his Twitter account as well as a listen on the J-Talk Extra Time podcast.

MD20 Report: FC Ryukyu vs Matsumoto Yamaga FC #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu shook off their 0-3 loss to Fagiano Okayama the previous round by hammering Matsumoto Yamaga FC 4-0 this past Saturday. Kiyotake became the fifth (as far as I can find) player in FC Ryukyu history to score a hat trick in a game and nearly came close to equaling Yuta Togashi’s single game record for goals scored (4) when another one of his shots rang the crossbar. The only real shame was that none of the FC Ryukyu fans could enjoy one of this team’s biggest wins this season as they are still not allowed to attend games in person while Okinawa is under a state of emergency.

Photo Credit: @iritettsu40
  1. Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 20 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Photo Credit: FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu Mid Fielder Koki Kiyotake: Scoring a hat trick and getting Ryukyu a vital three points in the process.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Just score more goals than Matsumoto. Likelihood 3. Nailed it! At one point in the game FC Ryukyu had three players sitting on two points each. Kiyotake with 2 goals; Koya with a goal and an assist; and Abe with two assists.

4. Prediction

Was hoping for a 1-0 win and they exceeded that expectation. Season Record 6-5-9.

5. Talking Points from Round 20

1. Possible Injury to Tanaka. Seeing how things went so well for Ryukyu, the only thing to discuss is the potential injury suffered by starting RB Keita Tanaka in the second half. Tanaka was subbed off for Uehara in the 56′ minute where he was seen describing an injury to his left leg while sitting on the opposite sideline. Tanaka was eventually carted off due to the injury and there is no telling what occurred, the severity, or the length of time he may miss. We’ve seen plenty of players both walk off under their own power, only to spend weeks recovering from injury, as well those that have been carted off and return the following week. Tanaka’s absence will be felt throughout the entire side as he is such a key member of the team. The likely replacements are Yuya Torikai, Makito Uehara, Felipe Tavares – individuals who all participated in the midweek Elite League Match at Avispa Fukuoka – and possibly Shinya Uehara. Though Shinya did play RB in 2019 when we dealt with injuries to the RB position, that would leave FC Ryukyu extremely thin at forward considering they are playing a 4-4-2 these days with both Shintaro and Abe up top.

6. Round 20 in J2

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Kyoto and Iwata both won to extend their lead over Niigata and Ryukyu to 3/4 points. Niigata’s 0-0 draw means Ryukyu are now within 1-point of Niigata. Zelvia and Kofu’s huge wins mean they both maintain their 4-point gap between themselves and FC Ryukyu. Omiya Ardija’s first win in over three months means they are at least within striking distance of pulling out of the relegation zone.

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7. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu are on one heck of a rollercoaster ride these days having won 3-0, lost 0-3, and then the recent 4-0 victory. Ryukyu have three more matches before they break for the Summer Olympics in which they will need to earn all 9-points. Only four points back from the leaders, and one off Niigata, Ryukyu are still in the hunt for promotion. But with Kyoto and Iwata showing no signs of slowing down these days, Ryukyu need to max out the points in these next three fixtures to keep pace with the top teams in J2.

Match Day 14 Preview: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (16) Tochigi SC 5/15/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu will look to get back to winning ways this week as they face off against Tochigi SC on Saturday. Dating back to their time in the J3 in 2016, each side own an even split of 2 wins, 2 losses, and 4 draws. FC Ryukyu swept the series in 2019 with Tochigi SC getting the better of Ryukyu last year with a 2-2 draw and a 4-1 drubbing of Ryukyu at home. Both of these sides enter the match on the heels of 1-1 draws on the road but Tochigi SC have not won in their last 7 matches. Each side is hungry for a win, and it is vital that Ryukyu leave this game with all three points.

FC RYUKYU VERSUS TOCHIGI SC PREVIEW
  1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Info
  2. Previous Match Day Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • Tochigi SC
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 14 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club

Not bad, for here at least.

Okinawa has extended the priority prevention measures until May 30th so no visiting fans and all kickoff times are moved back to 1800.

Click>>> Match Day Info from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Day Highlights

Ehime FC 1-1 FC Ryukyu
FC Mito Hollyhock 1-1 Tochigi SC

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: I may have been a bit premature to sound the alarm on Ryukyu’s recent drop in shots on target after reading a tweet from @Data_Swan who indicated Ryukyu own the second best shot rate just behind league leaders Albirex Niigata. While this has certainly calmed some of my own fears, I’d still like to see them pound the net against the teams that sit lower than them in the standings. As we all witnessed last week, if you allow teams to hang around in games, you run the inherit risk of letting them right back into it, which results in dropping points along the way.

I assume most of the outfield players recovered from the three games in eight days from last week and are match fit for this round. FC Ryukyu have not totally escaped the injury bug this year as right back Makito Uehara tore is hamstring a couple weeks back and is another six weeks away from retuning to training. But Dany Carvajal is looking good in his recovery from a stress fracture so that bodes well. Abe was seen leaving the pitch last week with his leg heavily wrapped but we’ve all seen him recover from worse looking injuries and that was probably more maintenance than anything else. If Abe is truly no worse for wear, than this game sets up well for him to snap his goalless streak as Tochigi have plenty of holes at the back for Abe to exploit.

This round comes down to whether or not Numata and Tanaka can provide the service that Abe needs inside the box. As I’ll discuss in the Keys to Victory Section, Tochigi allow plenty of dangerous crosses into the box, and so long as Ryukyu can break Tochigi’s high press, this should lead to plenty of goal scoring chances for Ryukyu. Ryukyu knocked on the door all game last week but couldn’t find the second goal that would have decided the game. I think with the extra day to prepare, and since Ryukyu are playing at home, we should see a return to the type of performance that has gotten us to this point.

So yeah, it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride the last few games for Ryukyu as they’ve conceded more goals in their last five games than they did in the previous eight. They’ve scored three less goals than their opening seven fixtures and eared two fewer wins while suffering their lone loss of the season. Granted they’ve played one fewer game in these comparisons between rounds 1-7 and 8-13, but Ryukyu can right the ship with a strong performance on Saturday against Tochigi. Ryukyu have two home games in a row, have a great opportunity to put some separation between themselves and the rest of the pack, while the other top teams tear each other part over the next two rounds, and that means generating some momentum with wins before heading into Niigata.

Tochigi SC: Tochigi SC have experienced a bit of a see-saw season to date as they opened the 2021 campaign with three losses, followed by three straight wins, and then reeled off four draws in a row. That seven game unbeaten run pulled them out of the relegation zone, however, those are Tochigi’s only wins to date. Tochigi SC are not the same defensive side they were last year when they went twenty games before conceding their 16th goal, a number they have already matched inside 13 games. Though the defensive partnership of Tashiro and Yanagi was broken up with Tashiro’s departure to Sagan Tosu in the offseason, Yasutaka Yanagi made his loan move from Albirex Niigata permanent and is now the captain of Tochigi.

Tochigi went three draws with two defeats in their last five games. Tochigi played to a spirited 2-2 draw with Albirex Niigata after surrendering the equalizer in the second minute of stoppage time. Tochigi did not look overmatched against the current table toppers and in fact, looked a bit better than their guests that night. They followed the Niigata draw with yet another draw to Kanazawa where Tochigi came storming back in the second half. There was a slight half chance at the end of that game for Tochigi to win it but the attacker was pressed for time and had to get a shot off quickly from distance.

Tochigi’s third game in a row against a top half team ended in a 3-2 defeat to Iwata despite Iwata losing the lead on two occasions. On loan Juninho provided the most memorable moment from that day with a half court shot into an empty net after Iwata failed to clear their lines. Then, Tochigi lost their early lead thanks to a stunning freekick by the guests, before nearly winning it in stoppage time when the saved shot popped out just past Rimu Matsuoka legs. But Tochigi went on to suffer the indignity of giving up a late winner (95′) after two minutes later. Tochigi’s last game with FC Mito Hollyhock ended in one all draw from a Kenya Onodera own goal, which was a bit harsh. Truth be told, Mito should’ve won the game a lot earlier when Mito’s Masato Nakayama missed a close in chip and then later hit the woodwork.

Kisho Yano is a tall striker that can get onto balls in the box and is a player Ryukyu need to watch out for on Saturday. The same could be said for midfielder Toshiki Mori who leads Tochigi in scoring with 4 goals, and left back Yukuto Omoya who leads the team in assists (3). But Tochigi are averaging one goal a game and have been prone to dry spells this season.

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. Bombs away. Likelihood 4. Tochigi surrenders more goals from set pieces (5) than crosses (3), but both Numata and Tanaka should have plenty of time and space to pick their spots this week. In their five prior games, Tochigi were affording their opponent every opportunity to score from crosses and that is Ryukyu’s strength.

2. Follow up the shots that are saved with more shots. Likelihood 3. There were a couple of times when Tochigi failed to clear a ball after set pieces which allowed their opponents to follow up with shots and goals. Tochigi seem to move slow after the initial cross after a set piece is blocked so Ryukyu need to remain engaged and hurry to all loose balls.

3. Play it safe when playing out from the back. Likelihood 3. Tochigi somehow are better defensively in the opposition’s half than their own. The Tochigi forward players press really well and cause all sorts of turnovers that allow Tochigi to execute quick counter attacks. Ryukyu, who prefer to play out from the back, cannot afford any wayward passes or turnovers leading to cheap goals.

4. Don’t forget about the old Route 1. Likelihood 2. Tochigi allowed two goals in consecutive games in the matches I watched where the opposing striker literally drove right down the middle of the Tochigi defense and scored. Hopefully we see Abe do the same on Saturday.

5. Prediction

Last week Tochigi scored three goals in their two road games and own a better goal scoring record away from Tochigi, but they also concede the same amount of goals regardless of location. Ryukyu have only conceded twice while playing at home and were just off the mark the last two rounds. I think Ryukyu gets back on target and takes this one 3-1. Season Record 6-2-5.

6. Round 14 in J2

All Times Listed are Japan Standard

There should be plenty of fireworks this week as 6 of the top 8 sides face off against one another. (1) Albirex Niigata have a real test on their hands this week as they travel to face (6) FC Machida Zelvia for the curtain closer on Sunday. This is also the start of three games in a row against top six sides for Niigata. (3) Kyoto Sanga FC has no easy pass this week either as they welcome in plucky (7) FC Mito Hollyhock. Mito is currently unbeaten in their last 3 games but that pales in comparison to Kyoto’s run of 8 games without tasting defeat. (4) Jubilo Iwata is the only other team inside the top 8, Ryukyu included, who face off against lower seeded side in (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma.

(5) Ventforet Kofu need to be careful of giant killing (8) Mito Hollyhock who are unbeaten (1 win/1 draw) against top six sides, which could’ve been two wins if not for a late stoppage time goal by Iwata last week. Finally, (17) Montedio Yamagata will host (18) Ehime FC on Sunday for the free J-League International YouTube broadcast. Link can be found below the infographic.

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

7. Conclusion

A big week inside the top half of the table and an important one for FC Ryukyu as there could be plenty of shifting around them in the standings come Sunday night. Rested, motivated, and ready to bust out. That’s what we all want to see on Saturday.

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

Intro

FC Ryukyu travel to Machida Zelvia on Wednesday for their first of four midweek fixtures in 2021. FC Ryukyu have failed to beat Zelvia in their last eight meetings managing only 1 win and 2 draws in the 10 games these teams have played since entering the J3 back in 2014. The next big test for Ryukyu will be finding the right mix of squad rotation and defeating an opponent who has always had your number.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information
  2. Match Day 8 Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Machida Zelvia
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 9 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club

A very pleasant evening to watch football.

It looks like visiting FC Ryukyu fans will be able to attend. Please not that there is no advance entry to hand banners.

Match Day Information from Machida Zelvia

2. Match Day 8 Highlights

V-Varen Nagasaki 0-3 FC Machida Zelvia
FC Ryukyu 2-0 Tokyo Verdy

3. Team Previews

FC Machida Zelvia: Zelvia have failed to win any of their home games this season and to be quiet honest, look a far better side when playing on the road compared to playing at home. Prior to the match at Nagasaki this weekend, Zelvia had only managed 1 goal in their previous four games. Zelvia seem to yo-yo between strong performances and very tepid ones. Many people viewed Zelvia as this seasons dark horse with the caveat that it would be their defending that lets them down. Unfortunately for Zelvia, they have been without the strike duo of Chong Tese and Dudu as Tese has picked up an injury that will see him miss at least 4 weeks with Dudu just completing his 14 day quarantine at the J-League bubble. I am not sure how quickly he will be incorporated into the squad but it seems likely that Dudu will get some playing time this Wednesday if he is fit.

Over their last five games Mito have won two matches while losing the other three. As mentioned earlier, the wins came on the road at Kofu and Nagasaki with losses occurring to Mito Hollyhock, Kanazawa and Kyoto Sanga. Mito found themselves in an early hole at Mito when two wind aided balls ended up allowing the hosts to jump out to a 2-0 lead by halftime. The final goal of that game was after a Zelvia turnover sprung Nakayama in the counterattack to which he finished superbly. At Kofu Zelvia looked much better and scored the games only goal in the third minute. Zelvia had control for most of this game with Kofu offering only about 20 minutes of any action in the Zelvia end.

Following that strong performance Zelvia looked dominant against Kanazawa but were unable to find the back of the net. All those missed chances ended up costing Zelvia as they were done in by an own goal in the 89th minute and went on to lose 1-0. The Zelvia defense had their hands full against Kyoto but still allowed Zelvia to stay in the game after they surrendered the lone goal of the match in the first half. Then, everything seemed to change at Nagasaki this week.

Ranko Popovic switched back to a 4-4-2 from the previous weeks 4-4-1-1 and Zelvia got off to a fast start once more. Two goals by Kaina Yoshio pushed Zelvia out front before a Hasegawa goal just two minutes after the second Yoshio goal put the match out of reach for Nagasaki. Once more Zelvia looked a different side when leaving the friendly confines of the Machida GION stadium, and though the offense went missing for a long stretch for Zelvia, they were able to breakout in a big way this weekend. Adding a good attacking player like Dudu into the mix is sure to help. But Zelvia, like Ryukyu, rely on some older veterans to prop the team up and they too will have to contend with some squad rotation this week.

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu own a rather poor record against Machida Zelvia having won only once in their past ten matches, and that win came all the way back in 2014 during FC Ryukyu’s inaugural season in the J3. In the six games where Ryukyu have traveled to Machida, they’ve been outscored 11-4. Last season, Ryukyu lost the opening fixture 4-2 thanks to four first half goals by Zelvia. The score line was only brought close by a Zelvia own goal and late strike by Takuma Abe after the game was well out of hand. During the curtain closer for the 2020 season Ryukyu were defeated 1-0 at home by Zelvia in a very uninspiring performance.

But, this is a season unlike any other with Ryukyu putting to rest many of the ghosts that have haunted them from past seasons. The strength of this club is their defense as the offense has yet to get on track this year. That is not to say they are struggling for goals as everyone is chipping in these days, it’s just not at the level we’ve come to expect from a club predicated on attacking football. Abe has done so well this year in all facets of the game and it would be great to see him back on the score sheet after a slight absence these past three weeks.

I think Ryukyu have benefited greatly from a more relaxed schedule this year compared to last season and it has allowed many of the veterans the recovery time between matches that they sorely missed in 2020. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Higuchi conducts the squad rotation with three games inside of eight days. I wouldn’t expect many changes, but utilizing substitutes earlier and possibly giving a run out to Motegi, Makito Uehara, Shinya Uehara and Akamine needs to be done to keep the squad fresh.

These next two fixtures are massive for Ryukyu if they wish to keep the field at bay. Their current lead over third placed Kyoto Sanga FC is just six points and Kyoto are starting to generate some serious momentum. Defeating an opponent that you have a historically poor track record against is the next step that the Ryukyu needs to make on their way to 80 points.

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. Short passes in the Zelvia box. Likelihood 2. Zelvia are not the most impressive defensive unit in the league and a single goal maybe all that is needed for Ryukyu to see out a win on Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean they can take this opponent lightly as Zelvia have bested Ryukyu nearly every single time. Zelvia have conceded from crosses this season, but are far more susceptible to the short passes in and around the box. Ryukyu will need a strong performance out of Ren Ikeda and Takuma Abe as they can wreak havoc on the Zelvia back line with penetrating runs and quick changes in direction when in the oppositions box.  

2. Play to your strengths. Likelihood 4. A short week on the road could mean a low scoring affair, a situation that Ryukyu are very comfortable in, and another defensive masterclass by the CB pairing of Chinen and Okazaki, along with Taguchi in net, is exactly what Ryukyu need this match. Zelvia’s offense wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders this year, but it is starting to generate some thrust. Blunting the Zelvia assault will allow FC Ryukyu to continue to play the style of football they’ve become accustomed to this season.

3. Finding the right mix in the squad rotation. Likelihood 2. Higuchi may not make any changes to this side for this match but that could have an effect later on this week when Ryukyu return home to face Kofu. Ryukyu currently roster four forwards each match so allowing Akamine to start this week may not be a bad idea. Yu and Koki Kazama seem to rotate fairly regularly and hopefully Ichimaru can spell Uesato for longer stretches over these next two games. We should not tinker with the current CB pair but Yong Jick coming in for either of the central defenders so as to keep them fresh is the smart move. Makito Uehara could provide some relief to Tanaka but it will be interesting to see how Higuchi addresses the left back position. Numata will almost certainly need a break these next few games and that means it comes down to either Fukui or Reo Yamashita, who looked good in his lone appearance in the J-Elite League last month.

5. Prediction

Zelvia have been shut out three times this year while Ryukyu have five clean sheets. Zelvia have hit the three goal plateau twice this season compared to FC Ryukyu’s one. Any changes to the Ryukyu squad might have some consequences, and though it is a bold move to predict a win for FC Ryukyu, who haven’t defeated Zelvia in well over seven seasons, that is what I am going to do. 2-1 win for Ryukyu in the midweek. Season Record 5-1-2.

6. Match Day 8 in J2

All Times Listed are JST

(1) Albirex Niigata will look to retain the top spot for another week when they travel to (10) Tochigi SC who are currently on an unbeaten run of 5 games. (3) Kyoto Sanga FC and (4) Jubilo Iwata will continue to chip away at the leaders with favorable matchups at (11) Tokyo Verdy and home to (15) Omiya Ardija respectively. Other interesting matches this round include (5) Zweigen Kanazawa hosting (8) Blaublitz Akita and the resurgent (22) Ehime FC hosting (16) Renofa Yamaguchi FC. It’s not quite time to push the panic button for (12) V-Varen Nagasaki, but another performance like this past weekend will at least warrant removing the safety cover for the panic button.

It is FC Ryukyu’s turn to appear on the free J-league International YouTube broadcast so please tune in and enjoy from around the world. Or at the very least, use a VPN if you live in Japan and you do not have a DAZN account. Click the link below the infographic to get the YouTube page for the match.

Click>>> LIVE | FC Machida Zelvia vs FC Ryukyu | Matchweek 9 | 2021 | J2 LEAGUE – YouTube

7. Conclusion

Well strap yourselves in for this one as FC Ryukyu will need to exorcise some serious demons to retain one of the two promotion slots in J2. It has been nothing but disappoint for Ryukyu when they play Zelvia so it will be really encouraging to see them net any points away from home on a short week. A win would show that this team has really turned aa corner in their development and provide a massive boost to the overall morale of the team.

Match Day 5 Preview: (11) JEF United Chiba vs (2) FC Ryukyu 3/27/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu are off to a dream start in 2021 but much like 2019, JEF United Chiba will look to put a quick stop to Ryukyu’s momentum. I certainly did not see Ryukyu achieving four wins from four at the start of the season and was rather content when they had won three in a row to open the campaign. I think Ryukyu took advantage of a strong V-Varen Nagasaki side that are simply struggling to put all the pieces together at the moment but, Ryukyu also looked really good in doing so. However, JEF is another set of obstacles altogether as of all the teams in J2, JEF really has Ryukyu’s number.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Info
  2. Match Day 4 Recaps
  3. Team Previews
    • JEF United Chiba
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Match Day 5 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

No complaints here. Looks like a lovely day for football.

Match Day Information from JEF United Chiba Website

2. Match Day 4 Recaps

Matsumoto Yamaga FC 0-1 JEF United Chiba
FC Ryukyu 3-1 V-Varen Nagasaki

3. Team Previews

JEF United Chiba: Where to begin? A team that has a long history? Yes. A team that has a recent history of success against FC Ryukyu? Yes. An organization and fan base with lofty expectations due to that lengthy history but always seem to fall short of expectations? Yes. Has JEF looked good in the 4 games leading up to this match? Not particularly. Can we say the same thing every time leading up to FC Ryukyu facing off with JEF, and yet Ryukyu still manage to lose? Unfortunately yes!

JEF are quite possibly the longest running joke in J2 for some of their past antics but whenever they play Ryukyu all of that is thrown out the window. A side by side comparison shows us that JEF owns roughly the same amount of possession in their past 4 games that Ryukyu’s opponents achieved (54%). However, FC Ryukyu are out shooting JEF by nearly 4 shots per game with at least 2 more of those shots being on target.

JEF has begun 2021 with one win, two draws and one loss under second year manager Jong-hwan Moon. When JEF opened the season at home against Kofu they displayed a bit of lackluster defending that allowed Kofu the freedom of movement and space to grab the early opener. JEF responded with a goal in the second half when Keita Buwanika rose high above the Kofu defense to bury a header. JEF then conceded a late PK but the goalie was able to stop the shot to keep the score line level. JEF were able to grab the early lead the following week at Ehime when defender Daisuke Suzuki sent a thunderous header past the Ehime keeper. But JEF allowed Ehime to hang around all game and once again the defense let them down when they needed them the most.

On match day 3 Blaublitz Akita came to Chiba and absolutely put it on JEF winning 2-0. JEF missed some chances during their counter attacks but they had no idea on how to break down the Akita defense despite the lopsided possession totals favoring JEF 71/39. JEF grabbed their first win of 2021 when they traveled to Matsumoto Yamaga FC by eking out a 1-0 victory in some rather poor conditions.

Averaging less than a goal a game, JEF are not a particularly strong team when you look at their results to date. They’ve only played one game this year when they had less than 50% possession but they are not doing much when they do have the ball. Against Ehime and Akita they were able to muster 10 total shots in each contest but were held to 5 against the stronger Kofu and Yamaga sides. JEF neither controls games or imposes their will on their opposition. They simply hope for breakthroughs to put themselves level or into the lead.

There is little doubt that JEF will want to start fast against Ryukyu by controlling a majority of the possession and chances, but this plays directly into Ryukyu’s strength as they are content on striking teams on the counter. And I am not sure JEF has the firepower to catch up to Ryukyu if they push the score line above 1 goal on Saturday.

FC Ryukyu: The Ryukyu match with Nagasaki was bittersweet. First, Ryukyu looked good allowing the game to come to them and hitting Nagasaki on the counter. Second, they defended well as a unit. But in the end, Ryukyu lost Abe to injury, and have no idea on his status, which could derail the momentum Ryukyu have built up in their first four games.

A lot of talk coming out of the club by the players and manager emphasize that they are not really focused on trying to control games with large amounts of possession like they did last year. Instead, Ryukyu are content on hitting their opponents with counter attacks. This is where Abe will be missed the most as his holdup play as an outlet valve for the team has been phenomenal this year. A lot of Ryukyu counterattacks started and ended with Abe. I am not sure who will step up in his place as he is not easily replaceable. Shintaro Shimizu is the likely candidate as he is the youngest of the 3 remaining strikers that Higuchi dresses each week. There is also an outside chance that Higuchi moves Ikeda into the FWD role but that would mean dressing a new midfielder for the first time all season. And Ryukyu do not have many choices at the moment.

Ramon is likely out a few more weeks while he deals with a soft tissue injury and Nakagawa may not be match fit yet. The only healthy options are Yu Tomidokoro or Shunsuke Motegi. But neither is a true CAM so I think Higuchi needs to stick with Ikeda at CAM and make the adjustment at FWD. There are the remote possibilities of of swapping Shimizu and Ikeda, bringing Tanaka up to RM – pushing Koya to CAM – and starting Makito Uheara at RB. But Higuchi could just as easily dress Hitomi if he thinks that neither Shintaro, Akamine, or Uehara can withstand the rigors of 60 minutes in the starting role.

Ryukyu should remain unchanged behind the front four with Uesato, Koki, Numata, Tanaka, Chinen, and Okazaki. These guys have been great at closing down shooting lanes, stifling the opposition’s attack, and will once again be called upon to do so with what may turn out to be a muted offensive performance by Ryukyu on Saturday. And yet, there are even more injuries that Ryukyu need to contend with.

Dany Carvajal recently went under the knife to repair some stress fractures to his lower leg and will be away from the team for 3-4 months. This means that Tsumita becomes the backup to Taguchi and I hope that he can push Taguchi the way Dany did in practice as we cannot afford for Taguchi to become complacent between the sticks when there are some winnable games on the horizon.

The JEF United Chiba game doesn’t represent a ‘must win’ game in the true sense. It is more for the Ryukyu psyche than anything. JEF are one of six teams – Iwata being the other but Ryukyu have already beat them this year – that FC Ryukyu have never defeated during their time in the J2. You’ve probably heard me say this on a few occasions, to include the fact that they have never scored a single goal against JEF in their entire history, and that is what makes this game so important to Ryukyu. Even more so when you consider that Higuchi’s goal for the season is 80 points for the club. While Ryukyu are a long way off from that total right now, and in spite of the fact of JEF sitting well below Ryukyu in the standings, any points earned in this game will fall squarely inside the Points Over Expectation Table.

It isn’t always about defeating an opponent that is stronger than you on paper that determines the strength of a side. Sometimes it is overcoming the mental hurdles and past failures that can make all the difference. And while that variable isn’t easily quantifiable, it is vitally important for Ryukyu’s overall success.

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. Slay the Dragon. Likelihood 4. It doesn’t matter how JEF have performed the past 4 rounds. It doesn’t matter how Ryukyu have performed the past 4 rounds. Prepare better than JEF. Execute better than JEF. Show the mental resolve to dig this one out. Overcome the challenges that have plagued us in the past and slay this beast once and for all.  

5. Prediction

I do not expect Ryukyu to go out there and light up JEF, as they’ve never done that before despite JEF doing some pretty calamitous stuff throughout the years. Predicting a win in spite of the records is even bolder but that is what I am going to do as this isn’t the same team from 2019 or 2020. 1-0 in favor of FC Ryukyu. It won’t be pretty but it will be effective. Season Record 2-0-2.

6. Match Day 5 in J2

Times are listed in JST

(3) Ventforet Kofu hosting (10) FC Machida Zelvia and (8) Montedio Yamagata against (9) Fagiano Okayama stand out as the two fixtures with the most top half, and promotion, implications this round. Not to be outdone, (4) Zweigen Kanazawa and (5) Blaublitz Akita, will look to continue their hot starts to 2021. This will be Akita’s first home game of the 2021 season and quite possibly their toughest fixture to date. Elsewhere there are some bottom of the table clashes that could have big impacts for these clubs late in the year.

No J2 action this weekend as the J-League International YouTube channel will broadcast a Levain Cup match between Tokushima Vortis and Oita Trinita.

YouTube Broadcast: Tokushima Vortis vs Oita Trinita

7. Conclusion

In 2019, it was JEF who ended Ryukyu’s unbeaten run of 6 games to open the season. Then they defeated Ryukyu to open the 2020 season. You know all the history between these two clubs. Well then…