FC Ryukyu enters Match Day 28 in a much better mind set compared to the last few weeks. However, this is a “new look” FC Ryukyu side as the club was very active in the summer transfer window. Koji Suzuki, Ryo Wada and Masutani have departed while we welcome in Shinji Ono, Ramon and Yuya Torikai. Yokohama FC have 8 wins and 1 draw from their past 9 matches. They are in good form right now despite the slight wobble they had on the road versus Mito this past week. There are a lot of similarities between Yokohama FC and Reysol and we all know how that game turned out for FC Ryukyu.
Weather
I think you’d be surprised if I put anything other than “rain is expected,” but once again, rain is expected. Scattered thunderstorms with temps in the high 80s that will feel like the high 90s. You know the drill, ASSEMBLE THE PONCHO ARMY!
Yokohama FC
Yokohama have been nothing short of dominant these past 9
weeks. They came from behind against Tochigi, JEF Chiba and Yamaguchi to earn
2-1, 3-1 and 4-1 wins. All of these wins were in very convincing fashion.
Yokohama FC can absolutely rip teams apart at the back with speed, crisp
passing and excellent finishing. Domingues added a couple of FK goals in these
matches and Ibba was just abusing the Yamaguchi back line.
Avispa Fukuoka really frustrated Yokohama at home but the visitors achieved the breakthrough in the 76th minute. Fukuoka were unlucky in that they hit the post twice earlier in the match and a possible 3rd goal went through the legs of the keeper and across the mouth of the goal. However, it was Fukuoka who made a mistake defensively and they paid for it.
Both Mito and Yokohama FC were unlucky in the last match as each had golden opportunities to take the lead but neither side could convert. This was a good game despite the 0-0 score line as both teams are in the top 6 and you knew there weren’t going to be many opportunities for either side.
FC Ryukyu
As mentioned in the introduction, this is going to be a new FC Ryukyu team for the remaining 15 games. The loss of Koji and his 15 goals will now put tremendous pressure on players like Uejo, Ramon, Shinji and Kazama to score goals. FC Ryukyu did nothing to address their defensive woes in the transfer window unless you count shipping Masutani to Okayama out on loan. We have 4 healthy defenders at the moment and it will be the first time that all 4 start together on the back line. Not a great prospect heading into a game against a free scoring side like Yokohama.
It is not a given that the momentum and euphoric feeling from the dramatic come from behind victory over Nagasaki will carry over into this game as several of those players will not be involved. Still, it is better to have won than lost when attempting to best a top 6 side who is a good run of form.
So, it will be interesting to see the lineup Higuchi chooses for this game, how the team plays together on the pitch and the timing of the substitutes tonight. The Tokumoto injury plus the fact that we do not have a dedicated striker on the side only strengthens the idea of switching to a back 3 and adding more firepower up front. FC Ryukyu may enjoy loads of possession since they now have some creative players up front, but who will be on the receiving end to finish these plays?
Injuries
FC Ryukyu: DF #5 Tokumoto is out for another 2-3 weeks from an ankle sprain. This was to be expected, and actually could’ve been a lot worse, after Tokumoto suffered a gruesome looking injury versus Nagasaki last week.
GK #23 Ishii is still recovering from a nasal/facial
fracture he suffered a few weeks back.
Both MF #36 Koya Kazama and DF #4 Okazaki were subbed off
early last week and I do not know if either will be match fit for today. There is
the possibility both feature but I have no updates.
Yokohama FC: Not really dealing with any injuries to their main lineup this weekend.
FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
1. Don’t give up too many FKs near the 18-yard box. Yokohama FC feature two of the best free kick takers in the league with Domingues and now Shinsuke. FC Ryukyu are decent at defending FKs but sometimes come apart after the initial shot is stopped, but not completely cleared from danger.
2. Do not make stupid mistakes on defense. Yokohama has been punishing teams when they commit too many defenders to the attack and/or when a defender makes a rash or ill advised challenge. This allows Yokohama to hit sides on the break and Domingues can really pick apart your scrambling back line. Just play sound football and do not over commit the FC Ryukyu defenders forward.
3. Attack Yokohama FCs flanks with speed. If there are any
weaknesses to this Yokohama side it is their defense is not as tight as some of
the sides above them in the table. They were exposed against JEF, Renofa,
Fukuoka and Tochigi down the sides and this is where FC Ryukyu can benefit.
Uejo and possibly Ramon’s speed may prove the difference.
Match Prediction
Yokohama are very strong side and I think their good form gets the best of this new look FC Ryukyu side 3-1.
Conclusion
I think there is the feeling among many Okinawan’s that this match will feature 3 icons of Japanese football, Shinji Ono, Shinsuke Nakamura and Kazuyosji Miura. First, I hope this really fills out the Tapista as we really need a bump in our attendance levels. Plus, the weather forecast is terrible so I wasn’t expecting a large turnout today anyway. Second, I hope fans are not disappointed if we do not see all 3 of these icons feature in the match as that would require some serious luck and choreography. Miura played 62 minutes and Shinsuke played the entire 90 minutes this mid-week in their Emperors Cup game. Keep in mind that Miura is 52 years old and hasn’t featured in a league game since March with Shinsuke primarily used as a late substitute. Also, Shinji Ono hasn’t featured in any match since March and is likely to either start and be subbed off by half time or come on with about 30 minutes to go in the game. I hope that Yokohama FC dresses their players for the fans but I doubt we see all 3 on the pitch at the same time. Regardless, see you out there and good luck boys.
FC Ryukyu pulled off a come from behind victory this past Saturday night where they clawed back from one goal deficits twice to ultimately secure all 3 points. Despite the brutal weather, the fans spirits and more importantly, that of the team, were lifted with the crucial win at home. It’s no secret that FC Ryukyu have been struggling for points of late in the midst of a losing streak so let’s hope this result turns the corner for the team and they can begin stringing together some positive results.
Match Recap
I am not exaggerating when I say the weather was brutal. There was intermittent rain followed by gusts of wind and then heavier amounts of rain. This cycle continued up to the mid-way point of the second half. FC Ryukyu were controlling a vast majority of possession early on but it was Nagasaki who were getting the better chances. Nagasaki had far more opportunities this match compared to their previous 5 games when it looked like they were willing to sit back and hit teams on the counter. Nagasaki adopted a different approach against Ryukyu and it paid off straight away.
FC Ryukyu conceded a goal from a Nagasaki CK in which the perfectly placed cross made it over the top of the initial wall of FC Ryukyu defenders and allowed Goya to slot home his 14th goal of the season. I was worried that like previous matches for FC Ryukyu, when an opponent scored, there were more goals to follow. To FC Ryukyu’s credit, they responded well by answering the Nagasaki goal with one of their own only 5 minutes later.
The goal came from one of the new FC Ryukyu signings, Koya Kazama. On the goal, Koji passed to Koya who was at the right side of the box. Instead of continuing his run down the right, Koya ran back across the top of the box which really opened up the Nagasaki defense. Koji called for the ball back, and was wide open on net had he received the pass, but Koya opted to shoot with so much of the goal to aim at. His left footed shot ended up in the bottom left corner and FC Ryukyu were on the board.
It was not until the 75th minute when Goya bagged his second goal of the game from a Nagasaki counter that caught the FC Ryukyu defense off guard. Kamekawa of Nagasaki rounded Fukui, on what was some suspect defending, and found acres of space to work a cross into the 6-yard box. Kamekawa sent a perfectly placed, perfectly weighted cross to a wide open of Goya who proceeded to give Nagasaki the 2-1 lead.
FC Ryukyu responded once more with another highlight reel goal from Uejo. This man has had several of these types of goals this season and it is only a matter of time before we see him whisked away to a top-level club. Wada found a streaking Uejo down the right and Uejo sent an absolute rocket past the keeper and into the top left corner. FC Ryukyu were tied with about 5 minutes and stoppage time remaining. Then something miraculously happened, FC Ryukyu scored a third goal.
I say miraculously because FC Ryukyu had only scored a total of 2 goals combined in their 5 previous matches. The goal occurred deep into stoppage time when a 97th minute corner kick from Uesato found its way over the heads of the Nagasaki defenders where Wada was waiting at the back the corner. Wada was guarded but the ball took a fortuitous deflection of the Nagasaki defender who had his back turned to goal and Wada was able to send the shot past the rushing defenders and keeper for the 3-2 lead.
The goal was massive and the home crowd responded in kind. It was great seeing the players celebrate the goal as it proved vital for FC Ryukyu’s standings when so many teams below them produced favorable results as well this weekend.
Man of the Match
Well it would be just plain rude to not award Wada the man of the match since I titled the article based on his massive goal. However, he also provided an assist on the Uejo goal, earned the corner kick that he scored from and therefore is more than deserving of this award. Well done.
Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
1. FC Ryukyu to have large amounts of possession. PUSH. They
did early on but so did Nagasaki, Nagasaki did hit FC Ryukyu on the counter but
FC Ryukyu were able to light up the scoreboard, it was often, just not early as
I’d suggested.
2. Take some shots/chances from distance as the Nagasaki goal keeper struggles with these types of shots. PASS, OH MY GOODNESS PASS! Koya’s shot from the top of the box and Uejo’s from just inside the box froze the Nagasaki goal keeper. Yu had a shot from distance that nearly put FC Ryukyu up 2-1 shortly after the Koya goal and Uesato sent a tricky shot from distance where the Nagasaki goal keeper strangely decided to stop it with his knees, despite the distance and time he had to judge the shot. But the icing on the cake, the cherry on top as they say, was the Wada goal from the Uesato cross. The Nagasaki GK made an attempt at clearing the ball and this allowed Wada the time to settle the cross and send the shot home. Had the GK not jumped, he may have been able to get back across the goal mouth and save the Wada shot.
3. FC Ryukyu to score more than 2 goals. PASS. Nothing more to add.
Match Day 27 Takeaways
1. It must be mentioned that the FC Ryukyu victory came at a heavy cost. First, Okazaki was subbed off at half time and we cannot assume it was due to poor performance. This is bad as FC Ryukyu have recently sent Masutani out on loan which means Fukui and Nishikawa are likely starting next week at CB. Nishikawa reminds me a lot of David Luiz in the limited time I’ve seen him play so we’ll reserve judgement for a later time.
Second, Koya Kazama went off injured in the 63rd minute. This is a shame as he was performing really well and the team looked better with him in the lineup. He seemed to injure himself attempting a tackle but did walk off under his own power. He was seen receiving treatment to one of his lower extremities and this could be anything from a rolled ankle, torn ligament or pulled muscle. We will have to wait and see any news of his injury.
Third, Tokumoto’s injury looked the worst when he was rolled up on by a falling Ibarbo early in stoppage time. He immediately clutched his left ankle and looked in obvious pain. He was stretched off and didn’t return. His ankle was caught underneath Ibarbo and turned outward so this could be any level of sprain that could sideline Tokumoto for 3-8 weeks. Hopefully nothing is torn or broken. Plus, we’ll now need a suitable replacement at LB if Fukui indeed needs to switch to CB.
Finally, and most regrettably, FC Ryukyu have sold Koji Suzuki to Cerezo Osaka on a full transfer. 15 goals and 2 assists along with tremendous hold play and total class are gone from the lineup. How will that be replaced?
Conclusion
We will do a transfer wrap up sometime next week after the Yokohama FC match. FC Ryukyu secured a vital win at a huge cost and the remainder of the season will be a very bumpy ride for the team, their fans and this island. Here’s hoping to continued success.
FC Ryukyu hit rock bottom on Sunday night when they were rocked 5-1 by J2 League leaders, Kashiwa Reysol, at the Sankyo Frontier Stadium. FC Ryukyu have now lost 5 in a row and 8 out of their last 9 matches in all competitions. The recent run of form continues to pile the pressure on this team and it’s manager and one has to ask,”have we finally reached the point where changes to personnel and the system are required?” I for one, would answer yes. There is a need to change the formation, change the players in that formation and change the manager to generate some sort of positive momentum and energy before this club finds itself at the foot of the table.
Match Recap
FC Ryukyu started out strongly in this match and there were was a brief moment when I felt that something might break FCR’s way and we could sneak outta there with a nice result. It was a fleeting thought since the Yu goal was overturned for off-sides and Koji Suzuki’s 15th goal this season was all but wiped out in a matter of minutes.
It only took Reysol 8 minutes after the opening Koji goal to equalize and then only 3 more additional minutes to take the 2-1 lead for which FC Ryukyu never recovered. There may have been some confusion between Dany and his defenders on the first goal but the second was a perfect example of excellent preparation on the training ground paying dividends during a match.
If anyone has studied tape of FC Ryukyu they would notice that we surrender a lot of goals during the ensuing chaos following the stop/semi clearance of the original shot/cross from a set piece. Cristiano made a run up that simulated he would take a shot but instead passed it length wise across the top of the box. The FC Ryukyu defenders immediately came out to close down the Reysol player but in doing so left several Reysol players wide open and on-sides inside the box. All it took was a quick pass to one of them who turned and shot from point blank range right past the diving Dany Carvajal.
FC Ryukyu were then ripped open at the back for the next 2 Reysol goals in the second half from a nice run by Olunga and deft little flick by Cristiano where Fukui may have accidentally played him on sides. It was yet another case of 2 quick goals in short succession by Reysol separated by only 4 minutes. FC Ryukyu’s best chance the remainder of the game came in the 74th minute when Nishioka had a wide open shot on net that he ended up sending into the side netting. To add insult to injury, or showing the ultimate respect by not letting up all match, Reysol added a 5th goal in the 90th minute when a diving Dany got down to hard shot but couldn’t parry it away from danger and it ended up in the bottom corner.
Man of the Match
#9 FW Cristiano.
Cristiano played a part in 3 of Reysol’s goals on Sunday evening. He initiated the opening goal from his throw in that caused the confusion in the Ryukyu defense, he was part of the previously mentioned set piece that pushed the score line to 2-1 and added a goal of his own to make it 3-1. The man was on fire on Sunday.
Review of FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
There were none in the preview so none therefore there are none to review. I predicted a 4-0 win for Reysol and I got the margin of victory correct.
Match Day 26 Takeaways
Higuchi tried to spark something, I guess, with his lineup choices of Komatsu, Song Sun and Fukui in place of Kazama, Tanaka and Masutani. Before we proceed further I have no idea what happened to Masutani or Kawai to know if they’re dealing with injuries or Higuchi has lost faith in them. Komatsu looked fine, Fukui was his normal self and Song Sun was largely invisible for most of the match.
When you’ve lost 8 of 9 and 5 in a row everything is magnified and criticized. Turnovers, poor passing/crosses, organization and game plan all played their part on Sunday night. For the year, FC Ryukyu have scored 2 goals from free kicks and only 4 from crosses by our Full Backs; 2 from Tokuomoto, 1 from Nishioka and 1 from Fukui. Why employ a 4-2-3-1? Our FBs are not providing the quality of service that Highuchi seems to feel is the remedy to the FC Ryukyu attacking woes. Instead, play a 3-4-3 and get the firepower out there and reduce the weak links one by one and generate some offense.
I will say that Tokumoto looked great in his first game back and was causing a lot of trouble out there but FCR put a lot of their attacking down the right side (something like 62% down the right compared to a 38% split between the middle and left side?).
In the days leading up to the Reysol match, and then early this week, it was announced that FC Ryukyu have signed 3 players. 2 on loan and 1 permanent signing. All 3 are attacking players, one is a young untested Brazilian with some knee problems, a 40 year old icon of the game and creative MF from FC Gifu who happens to be the younger brother of Kazama. While I’ll save my comments for the end of the transfer window, and reserve judgement for the end of the season, I think FC Ryukyu missed the mark with the signings.
First, two are loans and will/could possibly leave in January and one of them cannot play against their parent club, FC Gifu, which is a must win game for FCR. Second, I hope the player that is older than me can offer something besides a Public Relations move by the club. We need goals, creativity and maturity out there and if this pays off then maybe signing this player indicates a possible move to a player/manager role for FCR, which seems to be on the risethese days, ans is a way that also pushes Highuchi out this season.
Third, there is roughly 1 week remaining in this transfer window and FCR have yet to sign a defensive player. While it is true the attacking had dropped off after the Nakagawa departure, it was coming back but has since stalled. Offense was never really the issue for FCR, it was defense, and stopping the bleeding at the back.
Finally, I hope the FC Ryukyu faithful do not place all their hopes at staving off relegation on the shoulders of the newly acquired players. It is not fair to them and they are not miracle workers. They will all need time to adjust to the club, players and Okinawa before being integrated into the lineup and making any notable contributions.
Unfortunately, FC Ryukyu do not have the luxury of time. We have 4 home games between Nagasaki, Yokohama and then the 2 big “must wins” of FC Gifu and Kagoshima in a row in the coming 5 weeks. FC Gifu and Kagoshima are playing much better than the last time FCR played them, and they both beat us last time.
It should also be noted that Dany signed an extension through (to?) 2021 and that has been the best news this transfer window.
Looking Ahead
Nagasaki comes to town this Saturday and is largely being overlooked by most FCR fans as they anticipate the arrival of Ono from Sapporo the following week. The bottom line is FC Ryukyu need points, by hook or by crook, and it doesn’t really matter how they acquire them anymore.
The FC Ryukyu “Road Show” continues this week with the boys from Okinawa visiting the Denka Big Swan Stadium in Niigata for a mid table clash. FC Ryukyu are coming off their third road loss in a row and will look to finally end their winless drought against Niigata. Niigata on the other hand, are also looking to get back to winning ways at home after suffering a loss to Yokohama FC which was then followed up with 2 all draw against Renofa Yamaguchi. Both sides could really use the win, so this should be an entertaining game to watch.
Weather Forecast
It looks to be another wet, rainy atmosphere for a game. Bring stuff to stay dry.
Albirex Niigata
Albirex have surrendered the opening goal in each of their last 5 matches. However, they’ve gone on to earn 2 wins and a draw during that span so all that means is that this team is resilient. Kanazawa was able to get out in front of Niigata and then retake the lead after Niigata tied the game. Kagoshima looked the better side when they took the early 1-0 lead but ended up surrendering 3 goals, albiet 2 of them taking some strange deflections, for the loss. Omiya jumped out on the front foot but couldn’t crack the Niigata back line for a second and it ultimately cost them points as Niigata scored twice to win their second consecutive match in a row. Niigata would end this 5 game stretch with a 2-0 loss at home versus Yokohama FC followed by a 2-2 draw with Renofa Yamguchi where Niigata, despite surrendering the opening goal, scored twice to take the lead, but let it slip away by allowing a very late equalizer to the hosts.
FC Ryukyu
146 days. That is the amount of days that have passed since FC Ryukyu have last won a road match. It was always going to be a tall task to beat Mito on the road, which was made even more difficult due the fact that FC Ryukyu’s #1 & #2 GK were sidelined. Despite all that, FC Ryukyu still controlled 61% of the possession against Mito and created some nice opportunities to get on the score sheet. Unfortunately, Mito were more clinical with their limited opportunities and went into halftime up 2-0 and I for one thought this game was going to turn ugly. FC Ryukyu battled back for a quick goal in the second half but when the game transitioned to faster paced back forth match, it was FC Ryukyu that conceded the third goal instead of hitting the equalizer.
It is not all doom and gloom though from the FC Ryukyu camp. Yes, they were soundly beaten by Okayama the week prior but they did manage to win a ‘must-win’ game versus Tochigi 2 weeks ago. They battled back against Nagasaki late and if anything, it displays a penchant for never giving up. The slumped shoulders, dropping heads and disbelief at results that plague so many of the teams in poor form has not hit the Ryukyu camp and that is an encouraging sign. All we need now is for some positive results to go their way and for FC Ryukyu to snap out of this slump.
FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
1. Execute all the little things correctly. This starts with cutting down on turnovers and producing better passing in the opponents third of the pitch. FC Ryukyu are a side that can control the pace of the game with their large amounts of possession but can get hit quickly on the break when they needlessly give the ball away. FC Ryukyu are missing that final pass or two that can unlock an opponents back line and they’d do well to find it today.
2. Exploit Niigata’s weakness at defending set pieces. Niigata let in a few goals from set pieces the past few weeks and it seems to be an area in which they do not defend well. FC Ryukyu on the other hand, need to be better at their set pieces. Masutani scored off a Corner Kick against Mito but FC Ryukyu really need to capitalize on any Free Kicks near Niigata’s 18-yard box. The set pieces do not have to be shots on net as quick changes in direction from headers off of lofted crosses could pull the Niigata defense apart and create a shooting lane.
3. Place well aimed shots on net and get as many attackers
into the box as we can. FC Ryukyu had a lot of shots against Mito but many
missed the mark. Generate some shots from the flanks that require the goal keeper
to make a save and possibly push out a rebound to an open FC Ryukyu player or
at the very least, set up more set piece opportunities.
4. Stop the bleeding at the back. Averaging 3 goals conceded over your last 5 matches is a recipe for disaster. It is likely that we see Ishii or Inose in net today but the problem doesn’t start with our goal keepers. FC Ryukyu cannot bomb the defenders forward in hopes of creating a numerical advantage in the attack as this leaves them wide open for counter attacks. Instead, we need a little bit of creativity in the mid field that can allow our defenders to sit back and defend instead of holding a high line.
5. Uejo needs to be in the starting lineup.
Match Prediction
The fact that FC Ryukyu are hemorrhaging 3 goals a game doesn’t bode well for their chances this week despite Niigata’s 5 losses at home and -1 goals scored/goals conceded ratio. The recent form of FC Ryukyu indicates that they will concede one, two and most likely 3 goals this match against Niigata, but if they can put a stop to the bleeding at the back, then FC Ryukyu have a shot at points today. The most likely result is another 3-2 loss on the road.
Conclusion
I for one am tired of opponents circling the FC Ryukyu fixture on their home calendar as an easy 3 points. However, until FC Ryukyu actually produce a win on the road, you cannot blame our opponents for thinking they can get all 3 points or at the very least, 1 point. FC Ryukyu haven’t had a favorable match-up on the road since the FC Gifu game back in early May and today’s game against Niigata, a side they’ve already beaten this year, offers a glimmer of hope. In the end, the boys will have to go out there and get the job done, and that wont come easy.
I am jealous for all that are attending this game as Niigata really packs them in at the Denka and averages nearly 15,000 spectators for home games. Hopefully FC Ryukyu can silence that crowd and walk out of there with some points.
FC Ryukyu suffered their second defeat in a row, and their fourth in their past 5 games, but it still left them 14th in the table. Getting any sort of positive result against Mito was always going to be a tall ask of the traveling FC Ryukyu side but was made even more difficult when FC Ryukyu were forced to make a drastic change at GK. One must assume that an injury/illness to the incumbent, Carvajal, kept him off the roster in addition to Ishii being unable to play against his parent club who loaned him to FC Ryukyu this season. That meant that 3rd choice keeper, Inose Kosuke, would get the start for FC Ryukyu.
First Half
Despite the weather report from Saturday, the rain held off and it was a crisp evening in Mito. Mito wasted no time getting in behind our central defenders and tested Inose early in the 2nd minute but Inose made a fine save from the well taken shot. Mito continued their fast start when in the 4th minute a FK required Inose to be called into action once more. FCR had a chance early as well when Kazama found himself with acres of space to operate, along with several FCR attackers in the area, but he opted to shoot and sent the ball wide of the mark. FCR looked good in the attack but it was ultimately Mito would get on the score sheet first when a header from a cross was deflected into the back of the net. There wasn’t much Inose could do from the lucky deflection but nonetheless, FCR were down early on the road to a superior opponent.
Mito doubled their lead from another header later in the
first half. On the play, there seemed to be a little confusion between the FCR
defenders as there was a large gap that Shichi Takaaki was able to exploit and
hammer home the second goal of the night. FCR had a chance to get one score
back when a turnover by Mito saw Ochi with a free run and look on net. However,
Ochi’s shot from the top of the box was right at the keeper at a decent height
that made for an easy save. He had the whole goal to work with and he could have
gone low and hard to the opposite side or top shelf that probably would’ve
resulted in a score. Regardless, FCR went into half time down 2-0 and it looked
very worrying for the guests despite there incredible 61/39% possession over Mito.
Second Half
Higuchi made an immediate change when he brought Uejo on in
place of Ochi to start the second half. Uejo’s presence made an immediate
impact for FC Ryukyu as he was using his speed to get on to the end of long
passes and was making some very dangerous runs at the Mito net. FC Ryukyu
grabbed a goal in the 56th minute from a very nice header from
Masutani on a corner kick but it turned out to be the only score of the game
for FCR. The game had a frantic pace after the Masutani goal and turned into a
dangerous game of chicken between the teams to see who would blink first. Ultimately
it was FCR as they allowed Mito to score off a turnover where Ogawa Koki
chested the ball down nicely and then calmly blasted it past Inose for a 3-1 Mito
advantage.
FCR would have a few more chances from FKs but nothing close to the opportunities they enjoyed in the first half. FC Ryukyu ended the match with 61% possession but was out shot 16/11 where Mito put 11 of those shots on net compared to the FCR 7. It was a day marked by turnovers and mental errors.
Man of the Match
DF #7 SHICHI Takaaki Mito Hollyhock. Played a solid game
from his FB position. Directly contributed to 2 of Mito’s goals when it was his
header that was redirected by Kurokawa for the first Mito score and his header
for the second. Exploited the FC Ryukyu defenders on set pieces in the box and
offered up some fine efforts on FKs and in defense.
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu.
There was only one and it was for everyone to win their
individual battles. Some did, some did not. This is a team sport and the team did
not get the job done on Sunday. FAIL.
Match Day 23 Takeaways
1. I have never played football at a high level. I played
baseball through college and have watched multiple sports all my life.
Therefore, while I cannot accurately define the tactics and individual assignments
of players in every match, I can determine when there are mental errors and
sloppy play. In my experience, these items are directly associated with
coaching. For example, I counted 20 FC Ryukyu turnovers and 16 incidents of mental
errors during Sunday’s match. I did not count plays where FCR players were
attempting to get a pass through to an attacker in the opponent’s end.
Turnovers were scored as: heavy first touches that got away from an FC Ryukyu player,
not knowing where the opposing teams’ defenders/players where when in
possession and then being dispossessed, passes directly at opposing players
with no FC Ryukyu player within 3 meters of where the ball ended up, and
needlessly kicking the ball out of bounds. Mental errors were categorized as: failing
to recognize, and then pass to, open FCR attackers near the opponents 18-yard
box, wasteful FK opportunities, failing to kick the ball out of bounds to
prevent an attack by opting to pass/round the Mito player which resulted in a turnover
or CK, and finally, losing control of the ball while in possession from either
a lack of hubris or heavy touch. None of these things are irreversible, in
fact, all can be coached, reinforced and practiced over and over again so as to
be reduced in a given match. Turnovers and the occasional mental mistake are
always going to happen in any match, I am merely advocating a reduction in the
overall number through coaching and mentoring.
2. There were some interesting managerial decisions this
past weekend that I believe deserve a deeper look. First, FC Ryukyu were forced
into some lineup changes due to injuries and loan regulations but that isn’t
the real story. I do not speak Japanese and I am not a member of the team to
know why Higuchi opts to bring Uejo off the bench every match instead of
starting the talented youngster, but his impact is undeniable. His presence
opened the match up for FC Ryukyu that ultimately allowed Masutani to score
from a set piece. Unless there is some evidence to suggest Uejo cannot sustain
a full 90 minutes, I have no idea why the second leading scorer on our team
sees limited action each week. Second, FCR had plenty of opportunities to do
something from set pieces yet nothing materialized. Yu is probably the best FK
taker in the squad yet he has been afforded limited opportunities on set pieces.
Not much more to add here. Finally, why did Higuchi wait until the 1st
minute of stoppage time to make the 3rd and final sub for FC Ryukyu
despite being down by 2 goals with a little over a quarter of the match to
play? This one baffled me since he should’ve subbed on fresh legs to run at the
tired Mito defenders and allow the new player time to adjust to the game and possibly
make a play or two. Instead, I think Kim Song Sun touched the ball once, maybe
twice, in the limited action of stoppage time. This seemed like a useless
gesture to get a player some game time despite having another talented player
in Koizumi on the bench.
3. Higuchi’s managerial style. It seems that opponents are
able to make in-game adjustments that Higuchi cannot either see or respond too
quickly enough and therefore but this side at a disadvantage. FC Ryukyu have
talented players, but are we getting the most out of them? Are we executing the
same game plan every week when it is necessary to adjust, and tailor, the
lineup and tactics? The most talented players for FC Ryukyu are up front and they
are the ones that need to be taking the high priority shots each week. Are we
doing enough to set them up for success?
4. Confidence. No doubt that the boys needs a confidence
boosting result, and they need it quickly. A positive result (win) against
Niigata next week would go a long way to boosting this sides confidence.
Hopefully, we’ll see Nishioka, Kawai, Yu and Uejo taking on the Niigata
defenders in and around the box and playing like they did some weeks ago.
Conclusion
FC Ryukyu are nearing a point where they will have no other
choice but to change or risk falling into a relegation battle and possibly out
of the J2. FC Ryukyu currently sit 8 points clear of the relegation zone but
that is only a matter of 3 results not going their way. Consider that FC Ryukyu
have conceded 20 goals in their past 8 matches and are averaging nearly 3.00
goals conceded each week over their past 5 games. Change could occur in many
forms; change in tactics, change in personnel selected for the starting 11, change
with some transfers into the club or a managerial change. FC Ryukyu haven’t won on the road since Omiya,
106 days ago, so why not play as if you have nothing to lose next week versus
Niigata. We’ve seen how Kagoshima, FC Gifu, Renofa, and JEF Chiba did when they
employed those tactics against FCR.
We have made it to the last installment of the Mid-Season Review. This has been a great experience as a fan to look back and reflect on the half season while keeping an eye on the future. I wanted to provide a brief summation of the players who have featured for FC Ryukyu but please keep in mind, I am never privy to the strategy the manager employs each week or how the players perform while executing that strategy. I merely observe what I can see from the stands and from my TV screen. So, let’s close out the mid-season review with a bang.
Goal Keeper
#1 Dany Carvajal: Yeah, he’s pretty much been awesome. Don’t
think for one minute that because FC Ryukyu have only kept 3 clean sheets that
it is an indictment of Dany’s performances. See the MVP section below.
#23 Ryo Ishii: He was asked to step up and fill in when Dany
was hurt during a tough stretch of matches for FCR. He played really well
against Kanazwa and Kyoto and while those efforts may be overshadowed by Dany’s
performances to date, Ishii did his part to help this club.
Defender
FB #5 Tokumoto: Another young emerging player I fear FC
Ryukyu may lose this transfer window. It’s hard to assess any FC Ryukyu FB as
they are asked to play more like a WB than a FB this season. Tokumoto has
provided 3 nice assists and is developing into a one of the better LBs in the
J2. Currently recovering from an ankle and subsequent MCL injury.
#4 Okazaki: Started almost every match this year and is a
nice compliment to Masutani. Truth be told, I only key on defenders when they
make a mess of things, and in the case of Okazaki, he has only had that happen once.
Some of his mistakes may be covered up due to FCR scoring numerous goals or
winning games so I will need more time to assess this player. In the interim,
we need Okazaki to be a rock back there on defense.
#2 Masutani: A CB in the mold of Gary Medel from Chile. I’ve
been overly critical of this guy at times and that was just rash on my part as Masutani
brings a lot of aggressiveness to the FCR squad. He is good in attack with 1
goal to his name this season and can handle some of the larger, more powerful
strikers in the J2. I will say this, when he had to fill in for Nishioka at RB
due to injury, the FCR attack looked better. Consider that it was simultaneous
with the Nakagawa departure and though I think he may be better suited at FB, I
am a fan and not the Manager.
#3 Nishioka: 2 goals and 2 assists. Nishioka has missed some
time due to an MCL injury (not sure what caused him to miss upwards of 8 weeks)
and struggles at times with defending. Always seems to be in the right spot at
the right time for his goals. Displays toughness as evidence by playing through
a head injury but his game needs some fine tuning. Needs to have more
confidence in the attack, take on the opposition’s defenders near the 18-yard
box – much like when he was brimming with confidence against Yamaguchi with his
step overs – and feed Koji Suzuki quality crosses.
#33 Ryoji Fukui: The Swiss Army Knife for FCR. Versatile in
that he can play all 4 positions in defense and could possibly fill in at CDMF
as well. At times Fukui makes really well timed challenges but he also makes
some questionable decisions in defense. For example, he can turn his back to an
attacker, so as to invite a shot, which often leaves Dany or Ishii to deal with
the danger alone (Tokyo Verdy’s goal). Maybe the GKs have asked the defenders
to vacate the shooting lanes to better see the shots from distance but I will
never know for sure. Has decent speed to make up ground on attackers or get to
contested balls first. Have a sneaky suspicion that one of his challenges will
be rewarded with a Red Card some day and put FC Ryukyu up against it in a
match. Time will tell.
#16 Jumper Arai: Not enough game footage for an accurate
assessment.
Mid Field
#20 Uesato: Local lad, experienced player, 2 highlight reel
goals and team captain. Often lines up for FKs where, truth be told, I think
Tomidokoro could benefit from the added reps to get into a groove. It seems
Uesato prefers to shoot more than cross and maybe that’s due to the angle or
distance from which he’s taking the FKs. Scored in spectacular fashion against
Verdy and Gifu and is aiding with the development of the younger generation of
FCR players.
#8 Komatsu: Was in the starting lineup early and then has
faded. Possibly getting surpassed by talented players emerging.
#6 Kazama: Has a nice touch on FKs and CKs from his Central
Mid Field role. His performances have improved as of late and I hope that
translates into favorable results for FCR.
#19 Ochi: 2 goals from the man who is now Higuchi’s choice
at CAM. At least until someone is ready to take the job over.
#11 Keita Tanaka: Keita has been part of the fabric of this
team for so long. Tanaka is lethal finisher from the right, but much like Yu,
he needs to get some repetitions and get into a scoring groove. He’s scored only
once since rejoining the side but has had 3 other opportunities that either
required a nice save by GK or were just off the mark. FCR need to get this man
firing again as it will increase the potency of the FCR attack and open up more
space of Suzuki down the middle.
#10 Yu Tomidokoro: FC Ryukyu’s FK specialist. Yu has found
some tough sledding this season when it comes to FKs as he has netted only once.
He does have 2 goals and 3 assists and the FK goals will come with time and
reps. Needs to be given more opportunities on FKs. Remember, at his height,
defenses never knew when Yu was going to cross or shoot from the FK spot and
that is what made him so successful.
#28 Koizumi: The man featured in 6 games within a month
before doing a Houdini. He never scored but he flashed some real talent. His limited performance against Verdy was
something of an eye opener as he made some nice passes, hit the post and
displayed a bit of pace. He could very well be the 3rd piece to a
formidable FC Ryukyu MF with Uejo and Kawai in the near future. WHERE IS HE?
#7 Nakagawa: HAHAHA wouldn’t do it to you, too painful. Next!
#13 Kawai: Has one goal and 2 assists this season. Is
turning into a real playmaker for FC Ryukyu. Has another gear he can use to get
past defenders and is fine tuning his game with each performance, specifically,
his body & ball control while making cuts or getting up to speed. Maybe
replacing Nakagawa can’t be done with just one player but rather a combination
of players. If that is the case than Kawai’s introduction to the side is
starting to fill that void. Kawai’s speed really opens up the attack for FCR
and he has rightfully earned his spot in the starting 11.
Forwards
#14 Uejo: See Below, but seriously, I do not know why he
doesn’t start. Is it due to fitness, immaturity, health concerns or the
manager?
#21 Uehara: Has height, scored an important goal for FCR to
beat Niigata. Didn’t see much from him prior to his goal and less so after.
What happened? Injury?
#15 Wada: Played really well as a substitute versus Nagasaki
but hard pressed for playing time with the leading J2 goal scorer ahead of you
on the roster. His time will come.
#22 Gibo. I saw one appearance where Gibo displayed a lot of
hustle. Subbed into an attacking MF position but then was moved to a FB
position in the same game. He needs more playing time and I missed the Emperors
Cup match for FCR to see how he performed and what are his strengths and
weaknesses.
#9 Koji Suzuki: SEE BELOW.
Mid-Season MVPs
1A. Koji Suzuki. The man’s stats speak for themselves but if
you peel back the curtain a little more, you see that he has scored crucial
goals at very crucial times of matches for FCR. Yamagata, Yamagauchi, Kanazawa,
Omiya and Mito all come to mind. He is also one of the most unselfish strikers
I’ve ever seen. He puts in a shift every match. He does the hard work of hold
up plays, winning contested balls and drawing fouls from the opposition while never
complaining and rarely displays any outward frustration at his teammates. I
have no idea what compelled Zelvia to let him go but I do not care at this
point. He has proven to be an absolute steal in the transfer market.
1B. Dany Carvajal. Strong at the back and lethal up front is
what makes any team great. Yes, of course, strong through the middle is another
essential part but having the best striker and one of the best goal keepers in
the league on your squad is pretty good as well. Dany has been a revelation for
this side. He always seems to be in the right position, at the right time, to
make the right type of save. And let me tell you, there have been some
spectacular ones; against Omiya there were 2 to seal the win, the PK save
against Verdy, resisting the Reysol bombardment, Vortis, Yamaguchi, Mito and
list goes on and on. The FC Ryukyu front office did really well by signing Dany
this offseason.
2. Satoki Uejo. This man has come out of nowhere and turned
into quite the player. He has scored 6 times this season and is improving every
time he steps out onto the pitch. He has some signatures goals to his name;
Reysol, Vortis, Ehime, Nagasaki and Renofa (Emperor’s Cup). He also looks like
he has packed on some muscle the past few months in order to fight off larger
defenders. He needs to be out there every week for this side.
Looking Ahead
FC Ryukyu will play 10 games at home and 11 games on the road in the second half of the season. Within those 11 road games they will play 3 series of two consecutive road matches starting next week with Mito and Niigata. The next series is at the end of September with Machida and Fukuoka and finally to end the season against Ehime and Kofu. They also have 3 series at home where they will play consecutive home matches. The first wraps up this week with Okayama (started with Tochigi last week), the second is in August with Nagasaki and Yokohama and the third is at the end of August/early September with FC Gifu and Kagoshima. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the second half fixtures, make some predictions and then review the remaining fixtures for the bottom 4 clubs in J2.
Red denotes MUST WIN games for FCR.
It would be nice to see FCR earn wins against Tochigi and Ehime on the road as those 6 points could go a long way to helping secure J2 football for FCR in 2020. None of us know how the results will shake out considering we cannot predict the transfers in/out of clubs, injuries, managerial changes and plain old luck (good or bad). FC Ryukyu’s make or break month will be October with favorable matches against Avispa, Tochigi and Verdy. They need to be well clear of the relegation zone after that point because November could prove fatal if the road performances by FCR don’t improve. They face a surging Renofa side on the road, host a promotion seeking Kyoto side at home and wrap up the season with 2 road trips with a possible relegation battle against Ehime and potential promotion seeking side in Kofu. Even though I am targeting Ehime as a must win game for FCR, that will depend largely on FCR showing that they can win on the road when needed in the second half of the season.
With this in mind, lets look at teams who are currently sit 18-22 in the J2 table and examine their crucial months and critical match-ups in the second part of the 2019 J2 season.
#18 JEF Chiba United. JEF have a tough October where they face 3 sides who are likely going to be in the top 7. Depending on how those results play out, JEF could be dragged into the relegation battle. Their final match against Tochigi is huge for both sides.
#19 Kagoshima. The October and November schedule are not kind to Kagoshima. 3 road matches in October followed by a run of Kofu, Okayama, Reysol and Mito. They end on the road versus Fukuoka in another final match day matchup that could determine who gets relegated.
#20 Tochigi. The outcomes of their September fixtures will most likely determine their fate. They face FC Gifu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Ehime all in a row. That is a total of 4, 6-point match-ups in a row that could really doom any of those sides. As mentioned earlier, Tochigi end with JEF Chiba in what could be a win or go down to J3 match.
#21 Fukuoka. October and November are also not kind to Fukuoka. They are hoping that some of the sides around them perform poorly the rest of the year so as to give Fukuoka a chance at the end. Avispa end versus Kagoshima in a game we already mentioned that has massive relegation implications.
#22 FC Gifu. The schedule is kinder to FC Gifu in so much as there isn’t any one month remaining where they face multiple top sides in quick succession. The end of July/beginning of August will be rough on them but there are winnable games. But like Fukuoka, FC Gifu are hoping that things go terribly wrong for the few sides just above them in the table. Will it be the Vortis or Kofu match that ultimately dooms this side, or will it happen much sooner?
At the end of the day, FC Ryukyu need to go out there and handle their business without concerning themselves too much about the rest of the table. It is simple math for FCR: Beat the teams below you in the table especially those at the bottom, Get points off of teams just above you in the table, and win some games on the road. If they can do that, then they are going to be alright. I’d estimate that another 18 points are needed and FCR could achieve that any number of ways in the second half of the season.
I know I did not focus on which team may win the J2 title and which sides are likely to be promoted to the J1 in 2019 so I’ll save that for a later date.
Well folks, that is going to do it for the final installment of the FCR Mid-Season Review. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. I’ll be adding two more entries this week with the Second Transfer Special of the year coming out on Thursday and the normal Match Day Preview coming out on Friday.
We begin Part 2 with the Top 5 Memorable Matches for FC Ryukyu in the first half of the season and conclude by remembering some of the best goals so far with a Top 10 list. This was an interesting entry to write because there were so many games, good and bad, and so many goals that could’ve made the list. Seeing how that is the case, I will provide a small Honorable Mention section for those matches that couldn’t quite crack the Top 5. Let’s begin.
#5 Avispa Fukuoka 2/24/2019 Match Day 1
Starting our top 5 is the Home Opener for FC Ryukyu that
also happened to be the inaugural match for FC Ryukyu in the J2. It may have
been a sign of things to come as far as the type of conditions FC Ryukyu would
face in all their home games this season as the weather that day was absolutely
brutal. There was intermittent rain that looked like it might hold off for the
match but ultimately it ended up raining the entire second half. Despite those
conditions, the second largest crowd this season of 7,385 turned up to see how
FC Ryukyu would get on in the J2.
New FC Ryukyu manager Higuchi introduced a 4-2-3-1 lineup that featured new joins; Carvajal in goal, Okazaki in defense, Uesato, Kazama and Tanaka in mid-field and the new FC Ryukyu talisman up front, Koji Suzuki. Suzuki got the game/season rolling in the 23rd minute thanks to a nice play by Nakagawa. His shot, that he seemed to hit as he was falling backwards, was misjudged by Serantes from Avispa and FC Ryukyu were out in front. Fukuoka answered rather quickly from a bullet header by Matsuda as he rose over Nishioka in defense. In the second half, Tanaka drew a foul in the box in the 71st minute after a nice pass from Nakagawa had him all alone with only the keeper to beat (to think, Nakagawa could’ve had 5 assists in 3 games, what could he have achieved, as well as the club all if he were still here?). Suzuki stepped up and added his second goal of the game for a brace and 2-1 FCR advantage. The last goal from Tomidokoro was a deflection off a Kazama shot and FC Ryukyu would go on to win 3-1. The win would be the beginning of a 4-game win streak, and 6 games unbeaten, that allowed fools like me to chant, “Top, Top, Top of the Table,” at every FCR match. Historic firsts for the club.
#4 Omiya Ardija 3/2/2019 Match Day 2
FC Ryukyu’s first away game was also the first away match
I’ve ever attended for FC Ryukyu. The weather conditions were absolutely
perfect, it was crisp, but not freezing and coupled with one of the best
footballing stadiums in the country, it set a fantastic scene. It was great to
meet new FC Ryukyu fans who live on mainland Japan and I was shocked to see how
many turned up to see FC Ryukyu play that day.
The boys did not disappoint and they once again started the
scoring early with a 16th minute goal from Keita Tanaka. Omiya
turned the ball over in the midfield where Uesato found Nakagawa, who made a
nice run right at the central defenders of Omiya. This freed up Tanaka to make
an unmarked run down the right. Nakagawa passed it off very nicely to Tanaka who
let the ball roll across his body before making a nice strike, low and hard,
past the Omiya keeper. Omiya would answer 3 minutes later with a goal by Delgado
and the half ended 1-1. However, the real fireworks were about to begin.
Omiya dominated the early opening minutes of the first half,
much like they did in the waning minutes of the first. Carvajal made a nice
save on a headed shot before FC Ryukyu took the game to a whole new level. Koji
Suzuki bagged two goals within two minutes for his second brace in as many
matches. FC Ryukyu were out to a 3-1 lead and looking unbeatable. I couldn’t
believe what I was seeing from this FC Ryukyu side on the road against an
opponent many had tipped to be in the J1 promotion battle. Koji’s first was a
result of two nice passes from Tanaka and Nakagawa with his second being a very
cheeky nutmeg of the Omiya keeper. Koji celebrated that goal by raising his
finger to his lips to insinuate that that the home crowd should quiet down
(naughty!).
Just 3 minutes after Koji’s second goal, Uejo added a
fourth, his first this season and it was assisted by none other than, Nakagawa.
This was an unbelievable time to be a FC Ryukyu fan. This team was making light
work of opposing team’s defenses, it looked as if the form that won them the J3
title was intact, albeit with a new group of players, and some of us briefly
got ahead of ourselves assuming that the J2 would be a cake walk. It has proven
anything but since the Omiya match.
Omiya were not finished on the day as they responded with 2
very late goals of their own. First there was a PK that sent Dany diving in the
wrong direction with the second being a nice change of direction across the FC
Ryukyu box that stretched our defense. The score was 4-3 with a few more
minutes of extra time to play. This is the moment when Dany Carvajal really
announced his presence.
It would be cynical to assume he played a bad game based on
the score line since Omiya scored 2 nice goals and were awarded a PK. What you
won’t see in the DAZN highlights is the last-minute diving save Dany made to
keep the score line 4-3 and ensure victory for FC Ryukyu. Imagine if he hadn’t
made that save and FC Ryukyu had drawn the game instead of won? We’d be at 26
points with zero road wins at the half way point, very bleak.
All in all, nothing but respect for Omiya and their fans as it was the best stadium I’ve experienced here in Asia.
#3 Zweigen Kanazawa 6/08/2019 Match Day 17
FC Ryukyu were sitting on 29 consecutive games at home
without a loss when Zweigen visited Okinawa for this first time since they won
the J3 back in 2014. FC Ryukyu were coming off two wins in a row at home over
Mito and Niigata and wanted a 3rd. FC Ryukyu were also dealing with
an injury to first team Goal Keeper, Dany Carvajal, who was out with an ankle
injury.
The game couldn’t have got off to a worse start for FCR as
Kanazawa grabbed the early lead in the 6th minute off an FC Ryukyu
turnover in their own half. Okazaki had a chance at stopping the play but was
caught between what he wanted to do to stop the Zweigen attacker. It looked
like he couldn’t decide between sliding in for a challenge, or disrupting the
players run by dispossessing him. Instead, he ended up tripping over himself
and the attacker thus leaving the Zweigen player a free look on net. Tanaka
nearly leveled it for FC Ryukyu but his shot was directly at the Zweigen
keeper, unlike the one versus Omiya. Ishii ended up making a very fine save
near the end of the half from a free kick and without his effort on the play,
FC Ryukyu would’ve never been able to get back into the match.
Kanazawa had two more opportunities to put the game out of
reach but luckily for FC Ryukyu, the shots were just wide. Finally, in the 69th
minute, Koji Suzuki tied the game with his 11th goal of the season after
an Uesato pass found him wide open at the top of the box. Suzuki calmly slipped
past his marker, made the GK go to ground and sent it past him and Kanazawa
defenders. The play really began when Zweigen were trying to break out of their
own end but pressure by Kawai on the Kanazawa player prevented him from
clearing the ball and this allowed Uesato to step up and steal possession.
It was not the prettiest of results but it showed the grit and determination of this team. The windy, wet conditions made for an awful atmosphere and FC Ryukyu were playing at less than 100% strength. However, they pushed through all of that to grab a crucial point at home and push the undefeated streak to 30, where it would ultimately end.
#2 Kashiwa Reysol 4/07/2019 Match Day 8
FC Ryukyu welcomed the newly demoted J1 side, Kashiwa
Reysol, to the Tapista on Match Day 8 with a chance at achieving immortality in
the form of setting the new J.League Home Undefeated Streak at 26. At this
point in the season FC Ryukyu had only suffered one defeat and took points in 7
out of 8 matches. This was going to be a very tough test at home for FCR against
an experienced group of Reysol players.
From what I saw leading up to this match, Reysol really
liked starting fast and getting out to an early lead. It seemed that if they
couldn’t get the early advantage, games would bog down for them and results
would be mixed. Well they got their wish in the third minute. The goal came off
a set piece where the initial cross was redirected to the opposite side of the
FC Ryukyu net where Gabriel was charging and able to deflect the shot past an
outstretched Carvajal and rising Suzuki and into the top corner. Reysol didn’t
let up and Carvajal was called into action several times in the half but he
prevented any further Reysol scoring.
FC Ryukyu began to grow into the match a little by little as Reysol were unable to grab the 2-0 lead. Tanaka had a shot at leveling the game just before half time but Nakamura made a fine save. Tomidokoro’s point-blank within the 6-yard box was unfortunately right at the Reysol Keeper or FCR would’ve leveled. It wasn’t until the 82nd minute when a Tokumoto cross found a wide open Uejo who smashed home the volley. It left the Reysol keeper stunned as well as the 7,913 fans who showed up. FC Ryukyu continued to hunt for the winner when they very easily could’ve packed it in but they never found the go ahead goal. The match ended 1-1 and FC Ryukyu became new J.League record holders. This was another huge signature performance for FCR.
#1 Mito Hollyhock 05/11/2019 Match Day 13
Mito visited Okinawa as the top team in J2 with quite an
impressive defensive record. FC Ryukyu on the other hand were coming off of two
defeats in 3 weeks to Kagoshima and FC Gifu and had only scored 4 goals in
their previous 5 matches. All it would’ve taken for the streak to end was a
Mito goal as the side had not lost all season up to this point and hadn’t
conceded more than one goal in any of their 12 prior matches.
Then the unthinkable happened, FC Ryukyu scored the opening
goal within the first 10 minutes. Tokumoto picked out an unmarked Koji Suzuki
who sent a header, hard and low, that the Mito keeper couldn’t save. Suzuki
nearly got on the board again but his toe poke was defected over the bar by the
Mito defenders. FC Ryukyu were in complete control of the match but that didn’t
really matter as Mito were never a side who chased matches regardless of the
score line.
Tokumoto hit the post in the second half and that would’ve really put the game out of reach. Mito never really got things going in this game and that can be attributed to the fine defensive performance by the FC Ryukyu back line. It was another shocking result for FC Ryukyu who seem to really play really well against the top 3 or 4 sides in the J2. The win also pushed the streak to 27 matches without a loss but it was the 3 points at home and their first win in nearly two months that made all the difference for FCR.
Honorable Mentions
1. Montedio Yamagata 3/24/2019 Match Day 5. FC Ryukyu earned
a draw on the road versus what looks to be the potential J2 champion. FC Ryukyu
remained undefeated on the season and got their longest road trip out of the
way early which will pay dividends later on this season.
2. Tokyo Verdy 4/13/2019 Match Day 9. FC Ryukyu pulled off
quite a comeback to level the match in the 5th minute of stoppage
time off a Uesato strike. In a game where Carvajal busted his nose stopping an
attacking Verdy player, and then saved the PK, was just amazing. Uesato’s
strike was so well taken, and so unexpected, it left everyone in shock. It was
a great point earned on the road for FCR.
3. Kyoto Sanga 6/15/2019 Match Day 18. Maybe you are
noticing a trend with these honorable mentions. They are all the draws FC
Ryukyu have earned on the road. FC Ryukyu went behind twice in this match and
battled back to draw with goals from Koji Suzuki and Kawai. Kyoto are a strong
team and no one gave FC Ryukyu much of a chance in this match as they were a
visiting side in poor form. The draw was big because FCR ended up suffering
defeats in the following consecutive weeks and really needed the point.
Top 10 Goals for FC Ryukyu
10 (TIE).
10A. Tanka’s early goal against Omiya: The way he let the
ball roll onto him and his low hard strike was great.
10B. Kawai’s game tying goal against Kyoto on the road was a
massive goal from a well taken shot.
9. Uesato’s goal against FC Gifu: Top Right corner from the
top of the box.Oh!
8. Masutani’s bullet header against Mito: Came from the way
back to get into the attack and send a low, hard header to the bottom corner.
Watch and enjoy.
7. Koji Suzuki’s diving header against Yamaguchi: Power and
Placement.
6. Uejo’s goal on the break versus Nagasaki: Frightening how
good this kid could be one day, and how good he is right now.
5. Koji Suzuki going top shelf versus Yokohama FC: The man
wanted to blow open the top of the net with that much power in his shot.
4. Tomidokoro’s free kick versus Niigata: Love watching Yu
do his thing, go on son.
3. Kazama’s free kick versus Kofu: Gave the GK no chance at
saving that one, top drawer.
2. Uesato’s strike on the volley against Tokyo Verdy: Could
watch that over and over and over again.
1. Uejo’s strike on the volley against Kashiwa Reysol: Young
player putting one past an experienced International capped Goal Keeper. On the
volley, into the top corner, none better so far.
I hope you all enjoyed the second installment of the
mid-season review. We will conclude tomorrow with a review of the players, the
mid-season MVP and the way ahead for FC Ryukyu.
Welcome everyone to the FC Ryukyu mid season review. I will provide a 3-part series for the FC Ryukyu mid-season review beginning today. In Part 1 I will focus briefly on the current state of the team, what changes have occurred at the club from the end of last season until now that have affected attendance numbers and then I will switch gears and review the Top 5 story lines. In Part 2 we will review the Top 5 matches for FC Ryukyu this season as well as the Top 10 goals scored by individual players from FC Ryukyu. Finally, in Part 3 we will conclude the mid-season review with some player reviews, discuss the FC Ryukyu MVPs up to this point and end the series by looking forward into the remaining fixtures for FC Ryukyu. Enjoy!
2019 To Date
FC Ryukyu have now reached the half way point of their
inaugural J2 season. They sit 13th in the table with 28 points and
are 11 points clear of the relegation zone. They started the year out very fast winning 4
out of their first 4 matches and then drawing the next two to sit at 14 points.
FC Ryukyu’s first loss didn’t occur until a mid-week match up against JEF Chiba
on Match Day 7. They responded really well after that loss as they came home to
earn a late draw against Kashiwa Reysol thus setting the new Home Undefeated
Record for all of the J.Leauge with 26 in a row. FC Ryukyu would ultimately
make it to 30 before Kofu ended their undefeated run with a 5-2 defeat.
In my opinion, there are couple of different ways to view
the first half of the FC Ryukyu season. You could break it down by quarters or
in halves.
If we broke it down by quarters, we see theses type of
results: Matches 1-5; 4 wins and 1 draw, matches 6-10; 3 draws and 2 losses,
matches 11-15; 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw and finally, matches; 16-21 1 win, 2
draws and 3 losses. Right away we see a team that wins in bunches and then goes
thru stretches of bad results.
By Halves: Matches 1-10; 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses and,
matches 11-21; 3 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses. This paints a more ominous picture
as the losses really piled up for FC Ryukyu in the second part of the first
half of the season.
What has greatly impacted FC Ryukyu’s point total this
season is their inability win on the road. FC Ryukyu have not won on the road
since Match Day 2 against Omiya and have suffered defeats to lower sides FC
Gifu and Kagoshima. Luckily for FC Ryukyu, the fast start with 4 wins from 4
has produced the nice 11 to 12-point cushion between them and the drop zone area
with teams 20-22. The expected point total to avoid relegation is between 42-46
points and FC Ryukyu are about 17 points shy of the sweet spot. This means FC
Ryukyu will need at least 5 wins in the second half of the season while mixing
in some draws.
A quick glance at the FC Ryukyu stat sheet this season.
2019 Changes
FC Ryukyu have averaged 4,480 fans in their 11 home games to
date and those numbers are probably impacted by the poor weather that has
befouled FC Ryukyu in the first half of the season. FC Ryukyu have played at least half of their
home games this season in wet and windy conditions that makes life very
difficult on the FC Ryukyu fan base. As some of you may know, there is only a
small covered area on the West of the stadium and it truly doesn’t protect many
of the fans against the elements. While all football clubs have to deal with inclement
weather from time to time, keep in mind that FC Ryukyu are in the midst of
trying to build and established fan base that can generate revenue and
ultimately player transfer/salaries. Though FC Ryukyu have greatly improved
their attendance totals from last year, ideally this club would like to average
upwards of 7,000 fans per game. Realistically, I think 5,000 is the mark that
FC Ryukyu could hit with their remaining 10 home games.
So, what has changed for the club and the fan base that has caused an average increase of about 1,000 fans per match this season compared to seasons past? There is no single answer I can come up with and I believe there are several factors involved. Before we get into the details as to why, let’s see the attendance records from FC Ryukyu’s past season in the J3.
*3 fewer home fixtures in 2016 compared to 2015
So, right away we see that FC Ryukyu has slowly been increasing their fan base since their inception in the J.League. FC Ryukyu began their push up the table in 2016 and followed that up by finishing 6th in 2017. It should be no coincidence that the uptick in attendance coincided with a managerial change that brought a more attacking style of football to Okinawa. Not to mention, more goals. Of course, we’d expected to see the sharpest rise in attendance figures during the championship season but if we are going to draw one conclusion from these numbers, its fans appreciate exciting football on the pitch. Maybe the average fan just wants to see some goals and is not overly concerned with the end result. So now let’s see what has changed this season.
First, the fact the FC Ryukyu won the J3 title last season
really helped pull the club out of the shadows and into the light for the
Okinawa community. The crowd on hand for the title clinching game is one of the
largest in FC Ryukyu history and it really helped put this team on the map.
Second, the increased coverage of FC Ryukyu on television, on radio and in print,
really increased the visibility of FC Ryukyu and this has almost certainly
brought more people to the grounds.
Third, the front office staff for FC Ryukyu has really
engaged the community on their website but more importantly, through social
media. There is a more concentrated effort by the club to target new fans and
expose this team to the local community. While some free attendance events have
been hampered by bad weather, it is nice to see the club continually running
shuttle buses for both home and away supporters to the stadium. The 3,000 Yen
fee is definitely cheaper than a taxi or daiko back to Naha but I’d like to see
the club offer discounted tickets for those people utilizing the shuttle since it
increases the minimum cost to attend the match up to 4,000 Yen for an adult. The
club has done well to offer a free parking and a shuttle from the Awase port
area as the parking situation is deplorable, and outside of the control of the
club, at the stadium as it is located inside a huge community park. FC Ryukyu
also offer a child care program to attract parents who wish to attend but maybe
reluctant because they are concerned, they’d spend more time looking after
their children than enjoying the match. I believe that based on numerous
personal experiences at the Tapista with my kids. The fact that you can find
the president of the club, Mr. Mikami, in the A Section of the stadium each
week interacting, and more importantly listening to FC Ryukyu fans, means the
management and club are really trying to understand their customer and not
force feed the fans what they don’t want.
Fourth, I think the fact that FC Ryukyu are playing in the J2 instead of the J3 has resonated with the local community that the club is playing in a more established, more respected, better covered tier of the Japanese Football pyramid. The notion that FC Ryukyu could be playing J1 football in the near future is very real in the minds of people here as the distance between the J1 and J2 is much shorter, both literally and figuratively than between J3 and J1. Fifth, there have been some nice improvements to the match day event. Food and drink vendors have increased, there are food vendors on the opposite side of the stadium and pre-match events are very well received by the local community. Sixth, the traveling fans. There is no doubt that the large numbers of fans from Reysol, Niigata and others have propped up the overall attendance numbers. Remember, Okinawa is a holiday destination for most mainland Japaneses so syncing up your teams match with your holiday plans isn’t a bad idea.
Seventh, the home unbeaten record helped immensely as it gained both local and national attention. It really brought people to the Tapista who may have never attended a match in their life but wanted to be a part of something special. Finally, there is just a different aura surrounding the club. I have witnessed some very sparsely attended matches in FC Ryukyu’s history and even joked that they were counting the players, front office staff and stadium support staff in their overall attendance numbers so as not to come across as team that no one bothers to watch. But all of that is in the past. Match day events are better planned, better presented and better executed. There is a much different atmosphere inside the stadium of seasons past and I am just having a hard time describing it in detail. You just have to be here to feel it I guess.
The club has been steadily improving its numbers every season and this is encouraging. The club cannot expect an average of 7,000 fans per match every week as it looks like it will take them about 2-3 more season to hit that number based on the statistical trends in the table above. It takes time to build a fan base and not everyone here in Okinawa is able to attend all the matches on a regular basis. Let’s assume that the club has set their operating budget based on average attendance rates of 3,000 per match. If that is the case, then the 4,200 fans they currently averaging each match means they will have some ability to make subtle changes within the club this season and that is very important to their overall success.
There are 10 home games remaining for FC Ryukyu against some serious opponents. Yamagata, Kyoto and Nagasaki to name a few so FC Ryukyu will need all the fan support they can garner to navigate these tough fixtures at home at such a crucial part of the season. I hope the weather for these matches improves as it is understandable that no one wants to bring themselves, let alone their family to watch a football match in rainy, windy conditions (despite the prevailing trend of poncho fashion). I’d like to see FC Ryukyu hit the 5,000-average mark by seasons end but that will take a concerted effort from the players performing each week, the management executing an affordable and targeted marketing campaign and with those of us at the grass roots level spreading the word about FC Ryukyu however we can.
Top 5 Storylines of the 2019 Season So Far
#5. The Transfer of Kazaki Nakagawa to Yokohama F. Marinos
after Match Day 3.
One polarizing story emerging from the early part of this season was the transfer of Nakagawa to the J1 side, Yokohama F Marinos. Nakagawa had featured for FC Ryukyu since 2017 when he joined Ryukyu from Betis San Isidro in the 4th tier of Spanish Football. Nakagawa’s breakout season occurred in 2018 when he netted 16 times while adding 16 assists. Nakagawa started the 2019 J2 season on fire by contributing 4 assists and it was the main reason FC Ryukyu looked like world-beaters so early on in the season. FC Ryukyu scored 9 goals in their first 3 games with Nakagawa and then it took them another 9 weeks to match that scoring total.
FC Ryukyu have really struggled to fill the void left by the Nakagawa departure and continue to tinker the lineup by inserting Uejo, Kazama and Ochi in his vacated spot. They have yet to find the right combination or get back to their free scoring ways they enjoyed early on. Keep in mind, FC Ryukyu had failed to score more than 2 goals in match since Nakagawa’s departure, until this past weekend, and this is a team designed for the attack. It was always going to be hard to replace a player of Nakagawa’s quality so it will be interesting to see if FC Ryukyu can pull off a loan with Yokohama in order to reacquire the temporary services of such an iconic FC Ryukyu player.
#4 FC Ryukyu’s Away Record this Season
FC Ryukyu started out the season brilliantly on the road by earning a massive 4-3 victory over Omiya and then followed that performance up with a draw against top side Yamagata. You may be thinking I am about to tell you how great this side has been on the road but it is quite the opposite. FC Ryukyu have not won on the road since Omiya and have been outscored 12 to 17 in those games. There are some instances of bad luck, when they lost Carvajal to injury during the Yokohama match in which they were winning, but for the most part the team has really failed to fire on the road. They salvaged some nice draws at Tokyo Verdy and Kyoto with late goals by Uesato and Kawai but otherwise have failed to get over the line with a win.
It will not get any easier for FC Ryukyu with trips to Kashiwa, Kofu and Mito ahead of them, but ideally, we’d like to see this side grab 2 more road wins this season. Considering FC Ryukyu have only earned 6 points on the road in the first half, 2 wins and 3 draws in their remaining 11 road wins should be more than enough to ensure relative safety.
#3 Emerging Talents
There are some very talented players coming into their own this season. Specifically, the emergence of Uejo, Kawai, Tokumoto and Koizumi. Uejo has scored some huge goals for the club this season and has all the makings of a great attacking mid-fielder. Kawai has been putting on a display the past few matches with his speed and ability to generate goal scoring opportunities. Tokumoto can produce some great crosses from the FB position and it is no surprise that larger clubs are looking to acquire his services this transfer window. Koizumi has only featured in 6 matches but has flashed some talented play and movement. All these players are under-25 years old and they look to be the future for FC Ryukyu. Maybe by the end of the season we will see all 3 midfielders in the starting lineup with Kawai and Uejo out wide and Koizumi playing the CAM role. In any case, this a group of talented young players that FC Ryukyu needs to hold onto for the next few seasons.
#2 New Players
There is no doubt that the signings FC Ryukyu made this offseason have paid off. First, FC Ryukyu lost GK Park – and eventually Nakagawa – to Yokohoma F Marinos and we lost Togashi to FC Gifu. It was never going to be easy to replace 32 goals but Koji Suzuki seems to want to make up that number all by himself. He currently sits on 14 and I wrote very early on after one of his braces that he may hit 26 for the season. Well he is more than halfway there and has been a phenomenal signing for the club. Dany Carvajal also joined the club in the offseason and has become one of the best GKs in all of J2. Dany’s play at the back has been nothing short of spectacular and has contributed to many favorable outcomes for FC Ryukyu. His performance late against Omiya to earn a victory, his PK save against Verdy after a bloody nose is the stuff of legends and his ability to keep FC Ryukyu in matches with timely saves has been great to watch.
Uesato has been a good central holding mid-fielder, team captain and contributed two beautiful goals. Ochi has chipped in 2 goals in 3 games that he has started while Kawai has become a starter with enormous potential. Kazama has also provided some electric moments with his free kicks and corners. All in all, these were really good signings by the club this offseason.
#1 The Home Undefeated Record
The number one storyline for the 2019 season so far was the 30-game home undefeated record for FC Ryukyu. The home unbeaten streak lasted 643 days dating back to September 30th 2017. Some may argue that a majority of those games were against lesser opponents in a lower league. While that is a valid point, it also should be noted that FC Ryukyu could only play the opponents in front of them and that 9 of those 30, almost 1/3, occurred in the J2. Nobody, including me, knew what to expect from this team at the start of the season. If we look at the 9 unbeaten games this season, we see a nice mix of dramatic finishes, dominating performances and a bit of luck. FC Ryukyu took Reysol’s best shot and earned a draw, they beat the league leaders at the time in Mito at home and they pulled off a last-minute draw against Yamaguchi that would’ve ended the record before they could break the previous one. The fact remains that they are now holders of a very prestigious record for the J.League and no one can take that away from this club or its supporters.
Well that is it for Part 1 of the mid-season review. I hope you’ve enjoyed it so far and up next is Part 2 where we will discuss the Top 5 Matches and Top 10 Goals for FC Ryukyu this season. See you tomorrow.
FC Ryukyu nearly battled back for a draw this past Saturday at Nagasaki but their failure to at least earn a point has seen Ryukyu drop out of the top 11 for the first time all season. The loss also means that Ryukyu’s winless run on the road has now been extended to 9 matches in a row. Ryukyu are really making life difficult for themselves in the J2 with these road results as it is putting massive amounts of pressure on the team to take maximum points at home each week. Ryukyu will now enter a month with 6 fixtures spread across 2 competitions with an absolute “must win” match at home next week versus Tochigi.
The Match
Instead of breaking down each half as I normally would, I will instead focus on the match as a whole. FC Ryukyu controlled a majority of the possession throughout the game and ended the match with a total of 58%. Ryukyu dominated play for the first 25 minutes but the same wayward passing that led to turnovers against Kofu followed the team to Nagasaki. Kawai’s shot in the 21st minute nearly put Ryukyu up 1-0 but a costly turnover by Ryukyu led to a counter/corner kick for Nagasakai that saw a breakdown in communication and assignments by the Ryukyu defense on the rebound and allowed Nagasaki to take the early 1-0 lead. Ryukyu almost allowed the visitors to add to their lead in the 40th minute from a set piece but a fine piece of goal keeping by Carvajal sent the shot wide. At the end of the half Ryukyu had controlled the ball 61% of the time with 6 total shots but no goals to show for their efforts.
Nagasaki nearly doubled their lead straight away in the second half but Ryukyu would once again assert their dominance in the early possession battle. Ryukyu sent some decent crosses into the 6-yard box but all of them either nearly missed or went unanswered. Nagasaki then pounced on a Ryukyu turnover where Masutani was unlucky with his first touch, after a long ball pass from Nagasaki, that allowed the attacking Nagasaki player a ton of space down the left side. The Nagasaki player passed it off to a wide-open player across the top of the box whose shot deflected off of a diving Danny and into the net for a 2-0 lead. Nagasaki piled on further punishment 4 minutes later off yet another Ryukyu turnover as Nishioka failed to track the run of the Nagasaki player wide of him and allowed him a free run on net. Nagasaki scored on a play eerily reminiscent of the one against Kofu where Ishii came way off his line to cut down the angle only this time it was Danny coming out to stop the onrushing attacker. Nagasaki was up 3-0 with little more than 20 minutes of the match remaining.
FC Ryukyu were able to score two very nice goals near the end. One from Koji Suzuki and another from Uejo, our 2 leading goal scorers on the year but the early 3-0 lead proved too much to overcome for Ryukyu. Final Score Nagasaki 3-2 over Ryukyu.
Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
1. Apply pressure from all angles to #33 Goya of Nagasaki. PASS. Ryukyu did a great job of limiting the best player for Nagasaki on the day. Goya had a couple of chances early but was largely invisible, outside of his foul that went uncalled, and Ryukyu did a good job handling this good player.
2. Do not over commit to the attack and leave our defenders
exposed. PASS. It was not the commitment to the attack that did Ryukyu in,
rather, see point #3.
3. Cut-down the turnovers and wayward passing. FAIL. Ryukyu committed no less than 15 turnovers of which 2 led directly to Nagasaki goals. They need to clean this up moving forward in order to capitalize on all the possession Ryukyu enjoy as well as earn some victories on the road.
4. Execute the counter attack to perfection. NO GRADE.
Ryukyu enjoyed so much of the possession that rarely were they needing to
sprint into a counter attack mode. With what little opportunities they did have,
the possession usually ended in a corner kick but no goals came from the counter
so its hard to give a failing or passing grade here.
Match Day Prediction
2-2: I was off by one goal and Ryukyu had plenty of early opportunities
that could’ve made this a 3-3 score line.
Man of the Match
Wada came on in the 79th minute and provided a nice spark to the attack. It could be argued that Nagasaki were on cruise control at this point as they were up 3 goals with less than 10 minutes to go before Ryukyu netted their first goal but nonetheless, Wada put in a nice shift and was rewarded with 2 assists on the day. Koji Suzuki gets an honorable mention because his hold up play was superb and his league leading goal was great.
Match Day 20 Takeaways
1. As stated throughout this week’s entry, Ryukyu need to
tighten up their passing. It is not that the passes Ryukyu are attempting could
be considered “low percentage passes,” rather, they are missing our runners and
setting opponents free into the counter.
2. Ryukyu needs to start beating teams around and below them in the table on the road. I have not reviewed all the J2 teams’ records on the road but I am sure Ryukyu owns one of the worst away records this season. Ryukyu will have a handful of remaining games against beatable opponents on the road this year and it is vital to this team’s success to earn maximum points against those teams. We are nearly at the halfway point of the season and Ryukyu will have to travel to 3 of the top 6 sides venues in the second half of the season.
3. Nishioka should’ve been subbed at halftime. Nishioka could’ve easily suffered a concussion on the collision he took in the 35th minute and had noticeable swelling near his left eye for the reminder of the match. The injury seemed to shake his confidence when making challenges in the air and may have played a factor in the 3rd and final goal for Nagasaki as he was unaware of the presence of the opposing player. It would be overly critical of me to judge a players performance in the second half after sustaining that injury so this is where I will leave this point.
4. It maybe time for some drastic lineup changes. I don’t think Ochi performed terribly at CAM but Uejo really looks up for it these days. Ryukyu attacked so much from the right side with Yu and Nishiokoa but their 2 goals came from the left. We will see how Higuchi reacts during the emperor’s cup with his lineup selection and that should tell us who is likely to feature this upcoming weekend.
5. FC Ryukyu have now surrendered 10 goals in the past 3 matches. They have scored 6 during that span and that usually may have been enough to earn a win or at the very least a draw. The defense is ceding goals at the rapid rate and they need to stop the bleeding soon.
Looking Ahead
Ryukyu now must travel on a shortened week to play an Emperor’s Cup match in Yamaguchi. They will then return home to face a struggling Tochigi squad who just lost to Ehime. This weekend’s fixture is a must win for both sides and Ryukyu are desperate to keep the 8-point buffer between them and the drop zone.
Match Day 20 Preview: (H) V.Varen Nagasaki vs. FC Ryukyu (A) at the transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki 6/29/2019, Kickoff at 1800.
Weather Forecast: Another wet and nasty match for FC Ryukyu as the rainy season here in Japan is relentless this year. Temperatures in the high 70s all match with rain and thunderstorms. Stay dry, if you can.
Intro
FC Ryukyu enter the match after suffering their heaviest loss to date in the J2. The 5-2 loss to Kofu at home also ended Ryukyu’s 30 game home unbeaten streak. Nagasaki on the hand are coming into the match having lost at home to Yamagata last weekend but are fresh of a 2-0 victory in the Levain cup this past Wednesday. This will be an interesting match-up as Ryukyu cold very well leave Nagasaki with a point since the hosts have lost 4 times at home this season and have also seen matches against Renofa and Kagoshima end in draws. Ryukyu are 8 points clear of the relegation zone and need a point as there will almost certainly be some shifting inside the table with so many of the lower 11 teams squaring off this weekend.
V.Varen Nagasaki
It almost seems as if Nagasaki prefers playing on the road compared to home this year as they have two more victories on the road than they do at home. They easily dispatched Chiba on the road with a resounding 4-1 win. They followed that up with a 3-2 loss to Okayama at home where Okayama jumped out to a 3 goal lead. Nagasaki had an early 2 goal lead against Zelvia but saw that lead evaporate after an own goal was followed up by another goal from Zelvia 6 minutes later. Against Yamagata they gave the visitors an early 2 goal advantage but were able to peg one back in the first half. Nagasaki dominated the possession and shots on the day but were unable to break down the Yamagata defense and suffered their 4th home loss this season.
One could argue that Nagasaki are a typical mid-table team
as they’ve beaten almost every side they should’ve and lost to all the stronger
sides in J2. I do not see a signature win for Nagasaki this season, within the
constructs of the J2 as I am not including the Levain Cup matches, but Nagasaki
have lit up both Chiba and Gifu for 4 goals this year. They seem to suffer the
same fate as many of the mid table teams where they can have momentary lapses
in concentration that lead to opportunities and goals for their opponent.
I have little doubt that Nagasaki have targeted this match for 3 points and they have every right too. Ryukyu have not been great on the road this season and are coming off a performance where they conceded 5 times at home to Kofu. Nagasaki present a real challenge for Ryukyu this week because they play a 4-4-2 and Ryukyu struggle to break that formation down for opportunities and Nagasaki can also enjoy large spells of possession. This will mean Ryukyu will have only a few opportunities today, probably in the form of a second half surge for about 20-25 minutes.
Nagasaki Players to Watch
#33 FW Hiroto Goya. The man is simply on fire right now for Nagasaki. He has scored 11 goals this season but most impressive is that he has scored 8 goals in the past 7 consecutive matches. Ryukyu always seem to struggle against the more powerful strikers in J2 and today could be no different. Ryukyu must make life difficult for Goya or else he will make life very difficult for Ryukyu.
#16 FW Masakazu Yoshioka. Second leading scorer on Nagasaki
with 6 goals. Plays down the left for Nagsaki.
#20 MF Yohei Otake. Plays down the right side for Nagasaki
behind Goya and is the assist leader for V.Varen with 4 so far this year.
FC Ryukyu
FC Ryukyu started the Kofu match in great form. They dominated the possession and chances early and were rewarded with 2 goals. The first was a beautifully taken free kick by Kazama while the second by Ochi was a product of Kawai’s tenacity and speed. Ryukyu looked to be cruising at home until they surrendered a late first half goal which started Kofu’s run of 5 unanswered goals. While Kofu looked to be a team where the injuries had finally caught up with them, they simply waited for their time to hit back at Ryukyu. Kofu were attempting to break the Ryukyu defense down with long balls over the top that the attackers could run onto and when Ryukyu began committing more of the defenders forward in attack, Kofu found the space they needed to exploit the Ryukyu back line.
Ryukyu does not have the best away record. In 9 matches this season they have only 1 win, 3 draws and 5 losses. If we broke the season down into quarters, we can see how Ryukyu earned a majority of their away points in the first quarter of the season with 5 and have only mustered 1 point in the second quarter while traveling. The statistics may not tell the whole story for Ryukyu as there were some injuries and suspensions to key players but nevertheless, Ryukyu needs to improve their road form in order to avoid a late season relegation scrap.
FC Ryukyu should see the return of Tanaka to the lineup today after his one game suspension and Ryukyu will most likely be without Tokumoto and Carvajal as they recover from ankle injuries. FC Ryukyu will need better passes and crosses from the 2 full backs of Fukui and Nishioka if they are to be successful today. Personally, I’d like to see Higuchi move Masutani out wide into a FB position and push Fukui back inside. Masutani is a better defender than Fukui but he is also a better attacker and if Ryukyu want to continue pushing FBs into the attack, then why not have someone who can deliver quality crosses and/or shots on net.
Player Injuries
V.Varen Nagasaki: #41 MF Yuki Omoto
FC Ryukyu: #5 DF Tokumoto & #1 GK Carvajal
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Apply pressure from all angles to Goya. He is far and
away Nagasaki’s best player and one of the better finishers in the J2. The man
is in top form right now as mentioned earlier with his recent run of goals. Ryukyu
should not leave it to either Okazaki or Masutani to single handedly mark #33,
but rather, should have multiple defenders pressing Goya from all sides to
force him to expend more energy attempting to break free.
2. Do not over commit to the attack and leave our defenders exposed. Ryukyu were guilty of this during the Kofu match and they paid a heavy price for their mistake. If Goya is given large amounts of space to operate, he will punish Ryukyu with his strength, speed and finishing. Hopefully FC Ryukyu will adopt more of the same approach to the match that saw them earn draws against Yamagata and Verdy on the road.
3. Cut down on the turnovers and wayward passing. Ryukyu
turned the ball over too many times against Kofu in addition to not providing
accurate crosses/passes near Kofu’s 18-yard box. Ryukyu will need their full
backs to deliver today and will certainly need better passing when in
possession so as to avoid costly turnovers that can allow Nagasaki quick
counters.
4. Execute the counter attack to perfection. Ryukyu will need to endure some serious spells of possession by Nagasaki throughout the match but when they do get their opportunity to strike back, Ryukyu need to break out quickly with speed. Kawai is turning into a valuable weapon that can cause all sorts of problem to opposing teams’ fullbacks. If Kawai can get behind the Nagasaki defense on a couple of occasions today it could free up some space for Suzuki. There is no guarantee that Kawai starts with the return of Tanaka today so we will have to wait and see.
Match Prediction
Nagasaki average 1.11 goals at home whereas Ryukyu concede an average of 1.55 goals as visitors. One could argue that the sides look even on paper when comparing Nagasaki’s home record and Ryukyu’s away record but Ryukyu have yet to win away from Okinawa in the past 8 matches. Nagasaki have won 3, drawn 2 and lost 4 at home with Ryukyu having won once, drawn 3 times and lost 5. Each has scored a total of 10 goals in those matches but Ryukyu have conceded slightly more often than Nagasaki.
Ryukyu hold a slight advantage when looking at each sides’ record against opponents in the top half of the table with Ryukyu scoring more goals against that level of competition compared to Nagasaki. This will also be Nagasaki’s 4th match in 10 days and hopefully there are some tired legs on the Nagasaki squad that Ryukyu can exploit though most of the expected starters for Nagasaki were rested during their mid-week Levain Cup match. Hopefully this will be an enjoyable match to watch and I’d love to see Ryukyu score more than 2 goals.
Nagasaki 2-2 FC Ryukyu.
Conclusion
A point for Ryukyu would mean so much for a side that is
struggling to keep opponents off the score sheet and earn wins on the road.
Ryukyu will certainly have their chances today and they need to be clinical in
front of goal. Good luck to the boys and those of you in attendance.
ryukyuarmy.com 