251 days. That is how long it has been since FC Ryukyu last won a competitive football match. That win also happened to come against Ehime FC on the road last year near the end of the season. However, things are much different for both sides as Ehime are much improved while Ryukyu’s current struggle for form has seen their fortunes reversed from last year. We may very well witness another blowout this Saturday barring some major improvements during the layoff between matches for FC Ryukyu.
Weather Forecast
Match Day 6 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Match Day 6 Recap: Ehime FC
Team Previews & Injury Report
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day 7 Prediction
Match Day 7 Around J2
Conclusion
1. Weather Forecast
Maybe another wet one with a few showers being called for tomorrow.
2. Match Day 6 Recap: FC Ryukyu
FC Ryukyu controlled large portions of the game, but Renofa Yamaguchi were more clinical in front of goal with their opportunities.
Ehime played Kyoto tough though they ended up losing 2-1.
4. Team Previews and Injury Report
Ehime FC. Ehime started fast after the restart by winning 2 games in a row over Tokushima Vortis and Renofa Yamaguchi, and they did so in convincing fashion. They came back from 3 goals down to defeat Vortis 4-3 and then crushed Renofa 3-0 the following week. Since that Renofa match, it has been tough sledding for Ehime.
The goals dried up against stiffer competition but Ehime still performed well during the course of their current 3-game losing streak. Defeats to V-Varen Nagasaki, Fagiano Okayama and Kyoto Sanga FC have derailed the once promising start to their season, though they were a bit unlucky versus Kyoto as they had two late chances to equalize.
FC Ryukyu will see a familiar face in Taishi Nishioka tomorrow and the man has been in bang form since the restart. I believe he has had a hand in 5, if not more, of Ehime’s goals since June. His crosses look deadly and he is scoring goals from inside the opponents 18-yard box with his ability to always find himself in the right place, at the right time. We saw much of the same at the start of last year for Ryukyu by Taishi before his form quickly fell off and he fell out of favor with the current regime. Well he has found a new lease on life and taking every advantage of it.
Ehime get a nice change of pace this week when they welcome in bottom side FC Ryukyu and will look to get back to their winning ways. Nothing stops a losing streak and goalless drought like the worst team in the league visiting your home ground.
Ehime FC Injuries and Suspensions. None to report from their starting 11 or subs they’ve used this season.
Starting Lineups from Match Day 6
FC Ryukyu. Not much to preview. FC Ryukyu have been constantly shuffling their back line and GK in an attempt to stop the bleeding. FC Ryukyu are also struggling for goals at the moment which makes for a lethal combination. While Ryukyu can generate some forward thrust, there is a lack of creativity that seems to stall our attacks once they reach the 18-yard box.
I cannot explain why this phenomenon occurs, only that I hope it goes away soon. Last week I thought the breakout for this side was going to take place. Obviously, it didn’t, and my only hope this week is that the overall performance of the team improves, regardless of the outcome.
FC Ryukyu Injuries and Suspensions: Still no word as to when, or if, Shuto Kawai has returned to training.
5. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Maybe I should change the title for this section to, “Keys to Scoring and Not Conceding” for FC Ryukyu.
The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely it happens 1- Requires a Miracle to happen
1. Exploit the Ehime “Brain Farts.” Likelihood 3: As I mentioned earlier in this article, Ehime have played decent over the course of their past 5 games with the occasional mental lapse and error. The so called “brain fart.” If FC Ryukyu can exploit these, while not making many of their own mistakes, then Ryukyu have a chance at earning a point tomorrow. Make no mistake, FC Ryukyu do not have the firepower to get into a shootout with Ehime so it is imperative we capitalize on any opportunities afforded to us.
6. Match Day 7 Prediction
FC Ryukyu are hemorrhaging an average of 2.6 goals per game over their last 5 and I don’t see that changing tomorrow against Ehime. I believe our hosts will take this one 3-1.
7. Match Day 7 Around J2
This round has some pretty titanic match-ups with 4 teams inside the top 5 squaring off against one another. The biggest one being (1) V-Varen Nagasaki hosting (3) Kyoto Sanga FC.
8. Conclusion
A win sure would be nice as FC Ryukyu currently find themselves “down in a hole” at the bottom of J2. And it is a massive hole they need to dig out of as well. As @J2KantoBites so rightly said on the latest installment of the J-Talk Extra Time podcast, “it is bleak for FC Ryukyu fans when you look at the teams that FC Ryukyu were expected to be surrounded by in the table and there is a realistic possibility that we could finish 15 points behind them come seasons end.”
FC Ryukyu will play their last home game of the 2019 J2 campaign this weekend against Kyoto Sanga. Ryukyu find themselves in the middle part of the table after a late season surge propelled them out of the relegation scrap. Kyoto, on the other hand, find themselves tumbling out of the promotion playoffs and the recent loss to Kofu sees them just underneath them in the overall standings. Kyoto need a win and FC Ryukyu would like to end the home slate with a win. It should be an exciting match.
WEATHER FORECAST
Perfect weather to end the 2019 season at home.
Kyoto Sanga FC
I feel that Kyoto really miss their veteran defender Ishibitsu as Kyoto’s defense has become their Achilles heel of late. Too often this side allows opponents to overtake them near the end of games or provides the opportunities to their opponents to even the score. Kyoto nearly allowed Ehime to win late and were then caught flat footed against Renofa when they were complaining to the referee about a foul. They looked really good against Yokohama FC after switching to a 4-3-3 but were decimated by Niigata 3-1 the following week. Finally, they lost to Kofu with a late goal in the 82’.
Kyoto are by no means a bad team, rather, they are just struggling for consistency against sides they should have beaten. All the pieces of their lethal attack are still in place but they are struggling for form at the back. The loss to Kofu was suprising since Kyoto hadn’t lost at home since match day 7. An impressive run of 15 games unbeaten. On the road, it is a very differnt story for Kyoto. They have won 3 times, drawn once and lost 6 times in their past 10 matches. In fact, they have lost 6 out of their last 7 road games.
There is only 9 possible points remaining this season and with matches against FC Ryukyu, JEF and the Reysol; Kyoto desperately need these 3 against Ryukyu. They really do not want to wait until the final match day to try and sneak back into the promotion playoffs against a Reysol side who may be vying for the title that day.
FC Ryukyu
FC Ryukyu have earned 4 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses over their past 10
games. The 15-point surge provided a much-needed boost out of the relegation
scrap and into the comfort zone for J2 football in 2020. The tandem of Kawai
and Uejo have been absolutely phenomenal over this stretch. I think FC Ryukyu have
found their attacking LM for the future in Kawai and we can only hope that Uejo
is signed to a long-term deal. Truth be told, I think we’d all be happy to see
him depart for a much larger club as the ascending talent needs to shine on the
big stage. Until then, let us enjoy both of these players talents and the goals
they create.
While there were no major changes to Ryukyu lineup stemming from the Torikai injury at RB, FC Ryukyu may see the return of Nishioka to the lineup on Sunday if he is back to full health. It must be said that Uehara has filled in admirably and it hasn’t been a huge drop off from in defending as some may have expected.
Seeing that this is the final home game of the campaign, I hope FC
Ryukyu end the season on a high note. While there has been a massive shift in
the fortunes of this team when playing on the road, the home form has suffered
to the tune of 3 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses in their past 10 home games. Though
Kyoto are struggling for form, they are by no means a wounded animal that we
can easily put out of their misery. It will take a total team effort on the
part of FC Ryukyu this Sunday to bring home the win on Match Day 40.
Injuries
FC Ryukyu: Carvajal, Shinji and Torikai all out for the season. May see the return of Nishioka to the lineup this week if he has recovered and performed in practice.
Kyoto Sanga: DF, Ishibitsu is done for the season.
Keys to VICTORY FOR FC Ryukyu on Match Day 40
1. Pester the Kyoto defense with speed. Ryukyu can overwhelm the Kyoto
back line with both Uejo and Kawai which should open up some space for Yamada
and Koya to operate.
2. Be mindful of the Kyoto counter attack. It seems that Kyoto are set
up really well their blend of power and speed in their attack and can really
make life difficult for opponents when countering. They have scored several
goals over the course of the past 5 matches in this manner and could easily bag
a few more on Sunday if FC Ryukyu are caught napping.
Match Day 40 Prediction
Kyoto Sanga 3-1 over FC Ryukyu. I believe we will see a final curtain
call for Uejo but the Kyoto attack against our back line may be too much for us
to overcome.
Tokushima Vortis vs. Yokohama FC seems to be the top draw this weekend
with both teams in the heart of the promotion playoffs.
All 3 of the bottom sides face strong competition and an FC Gifu loss
will se them relegated to the J3.
Conclusion
It seems these two sides are evenly matches when it comes to the recent 10 games played at home/road. They both own identical records for those 10 games. Something has to give this weekend and I hope to see our boys come out on top.
I recall way back in March, when this team was firing on all cylinders, that the end of the season seemed so very far away. Well now it feels like it got here way too quickly. There are only 3 matches remaining this season and only 1 of those is a home game. I am sad that I will be unable to attend the final home game of the season but I am so happy to have enjoyed so many great memories at the Tapista this season.
I hope there is great weather and greater football this Sunday to help generate
more season ticket holders for the 2020 season. Enjoy it everyone as it is well
over 100 days before we see this side play at home again.
FC Ryukyu lost a hard-fought battle to Omiya 3-2 this past Sunday at the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium. Though the boys were not able to earn a positive point on the day, take nothing away from their performance. They played really well against a side seeking promotion. I think we all need to have some expectation management for the remaining 4 matches this season when it comes to FC Ryukyu. We will probably be without Dany Carvajal due to his lingering ankle injury that he picked up against Yokohama, as it probably has never fully healed. Why else would he not be out there after playing the full 90 versus Tochigi SC? I am assuming he’s played through tremendous amounts of pain and setbacks to get FC Ryukyu to this point and it has just become to much. Maybe he picked up an injury during practice but I’ve seen too many of Dany’s type of injury in the NFL to believe anything less and feel he was rushed back to service without proper healing time. But we’ll await word from the club as to what actually occurred. In any case, he was an absolute warrior for this club this season. Also, FC Ryukyu are likely without a true RB for another 2 weeks until Nishioka returns. Shinji Ono may also not feature again for this side with his own ankle injury and that would be terrible. But do not fret, the team is relatively safe and as I’ve said on numerous occasions; it is time we get a look at some of the youth in the squad with the remaining fixtures as we are already playing the 2020 season. If you think we’re not, then you do not understand sports.
Match Recap
FC Ryukyu could not have asked for a better start. Within the first 90 seconds the boys were on the board following a beautifully taken Uesato FK. Uejo earned the FK at the 13 second mark, and I was shocked that Omiya was caught flat footed again. Finally, and you all know what I mean when it comes to Uesato’s FKs (usually blasts into the wall), this time Uesato curled it over the top leaving the Omiya GK no chance. A dream start for the side not expected to do much on the day. Now, there was definitely a feeling that FC Ryukyu would eventually concede but at least we wouldn’t be blanked on the day. Also, Omiya’s cracks were on full display, and though they may well be promoted, they’ll have a tough 4 weeks ahead to ensure automatic promotion.
courtesy of J.LEAGUE website.
Omiya did respond, albeit 16 minutes later, when a Fukui giveaway let to a goal from Delgado. Then to make matters worse, FC Ryukyu failed to properly clear the garbage in front of their net and in the 43rd minute, a shot curled past Ishii for a 2-1 Omiya lead. FC Ryukyu headed into half time down 2-1 with many in the stadium of thinking the flood gates were about to open.
FC Ryukyu again started fast and were rewarded with another quick goal. This time, it was the efforts of Kawai, whose speed proved too much for the Omiya RB. He easily rounded the RB and then sent a dangerous low hard cross across goal were a diving Yamada pushed it past the Omiya GK to level the match. I pretty much came out of my shoes, and the stands, screaming that this is what Kawai does, day in and day out, and needs to be in the lineup all the time.
FC Ryukyu did well to resist the remaining Omiya pressure and too be honest, FC Ryukyu controlled a large amount of possession in the remaining minutes. Bedlam nearly ensued when Uejo finally had his first free look on net, but unfortunately, his shot hit the post and bounced out of bounds. Then, as many were dreading, Omiya scored late. A cross from Shinozuka found a streaking Simovic, who was able to get a foot to the cross and redirect it past a diving Ishii. Then, out of nowhere, the heavens opened up and it began to poor outside. FC Ryukyu tried mightily but couldn’t respond to the late Omiya goal and thus lost 3-2.
courtesy of j.league website
Man of the Match
From FC Ryukyu’s website
#13 MF, Shuto Kawai. The man was simply awesome on Sunday. He needs to be a major part of FC Ryukyu’s 2020 plans, especially with the impending departure of Uejo, and we’ll really value/need his speed. He has now bagged 2 assists in 2 straight games and his speed, skill, and overall play is exciting to watch.
Match Day 38 Takeaways
1. An Omiya supporter, and friend of mine, said that Higuchi is too dogmatic when it comes to lineup selection and substitutions. My friend said he watched him at Omiya, prior to Higuchi’s trifecta at Yokohama, and he echoes my sentiments. Omiya made all 3 of their substitutions before FC Ryukyu made 1 this past match. We saw what Omiyta wanted to do, and had every opportunity to counter their moves with speed or skill, but instead we did nothing. In fact, we left the 3rd substitute on the bench once more. Are FC Ryukyu not monitoring fitness levels of the players? Do they not track how many top speed sprints and runs each player makes before he’s not at optimum output? Criminal and unforgivable as we should’ve brought on an extra player to provide defensive cover.
2. There is no hiding the fact that we could easily end the season on a 5-game losing streak. We have lost Dany for the year, Shinji might be on the shelf, we have a makeshift back 4; though Uehara did a great job as a replacement player-playing out of place- but what is going on in the locker room/training ground? If Higuchi prefers Uehara over any one of the defenders in the reserves, then why do we keep any of them on contract? Are they hurt? Are they not that good? Are the training tactics/techniques so brutal that FC Ryukyu have too many injuries to overcome consistently to roster a full lineup? FC Ryukyu cannot afford to continue along this path with what seems to be only 16 players available for any given match. There is an underlying issue here that I will never fully unearth and one that seems to be a cancer for this side.
Reviews of the keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Start fast & Build a Multiple Goal Lead: PASS: Yeah, we never got out in front but we got out to fast starts, twice in each half.
2. Do not conceded many set pieces: PASS. Omiya didn’t score
from a set piece.
3. Pick your poison: PASS. Yes, Omiya pressed us early, then trailed off where FC Ryukyu took control. No issues here as the boys did what was asked and responded well to each Omiya tactic.
4. Win the battle down our Right and Win the Match: FAIL. The last goal from Omiya came from this spot. In fact, we gave Shinozuka a ton of space, and freaking respect as if he was something special, who promptly sent a cross into the 18-yard box, to which, Simovic easily got past Okazaki’s halfhearted attempt at a clearance. Okazaki should’ve dived and got his head in there and at the very least, drawn a foul.
5. Clean up the Garbage in the Box: FAIL. The second Omiya goal is indicative of not clearing rebounds and/or stopped shots properly.
6. The Contrarian Play: Many factors were against this ever occurring. The most evident being that we’re not privy to injuries for FC Ryukyu. But most importantly, there is zero testicular fortitude in the head coach to just go for it any given week.
Match Prediction
I said that 2-1 was respectable and 3-2 is even more so. FC
Ryukyu never looked outmatched at any point. Chins up, heads up, as this was a
great performance for a side up against it.
Recap of the Notable J2 fixtures on Match Day 38
Conclusion
OK, FC Ryukyu lost. That is an inescapable fact. However, I enjoyed the heck out of my last 2019 Home Match for FC Ryukyu. The walk to the stadium; pre-game flag hanging; talking to Mr. Mikami pre-match; interacting with fans; seeing Bando; meeting people from Omiya and other FC Ryukyu fans from the main land; talking to support staff of FC Ryukyu; watching a great game; and of course, cheering the boys on the way out as they were true warriors on Sunday. It was all special. Good thing that I only have to wait about 120 days to experience that feeling again, but the season is not over, and I get to see the boys one more time in Kofu, which means the 120 is actually closer 96 days. I enjoyed seeing Stuart and Dave, and interacting with so many Omiya fans. Must’ve caught many of the FC Ryukyu and Omiya supporters off-guard to see opposing team fans having such a good time together. Well, football should bring people together, not divide them.
So what is next? FC Ryukyu have Renofa Yamaguchi next week. FC Ryukyu had to come from behind to draw with Renofa in the midst of their 36-game home unbeaten streak back in March and then Renofa beat Ryukyu, in Yamaguchi, during the Emperor’s Cup. Renofa most recently came from behind to beat JEF 3-2 at home so this will be a good test for FC Ryukyu.
Oh, FC Ryukyu’s 8,000 fans this past week meant that we only need roughly 3,000 to make the 100k mark set by Mr. Mikami. Easily do able.
Fresh off their second consecutive road win, FC Ryukyu
welcome 4th placed Omiya Ardija to town on Sunday. Omiya, after
having bested Verdy, Nagasaki and Mito, were shocked at home by Tokushima
Vortis this past weekend. These two sides first met back on match day 2 where
FC Ryukyu defeated Omiya 4-3. My how the fortunes of both sides have changed
since then. FC Ryukyu would go on to win 2 more in a row, in addition to
drawing 2 in a row, before they began their downward slide in the J2 table.
Omiya on the other hand, weathered a slow start to the season and eventually rose
into the promotion zone and are flirting with automatic promotion to the J1. I
seriously doubt that FC Ryukyu will once again catch Omiya off-guard and this
is will be another tough test against a formidable opponent at home for FC
Ryukyu.
Weather Forecast
Cool temperatures with overcast skies and slight chance of rain. It will be a little windy so I’d bring the sunblock to prevent any windburn to your face if your sitting up high in the stands.
Recap of Match Day 2: 03/02/2019 Omiya Ardija 3-4 FC Ryukyu
On a cool, crisp, March afternoon in Saitama, FC Ryukyu had
one of their most convincing wins and signature matches all season. A
beautifully taken shot from Tanaka, a Koji Suzuki brace capped with Satoki Uejo
opening his scoring account for the 2019 season gave FC Ryukyu 4 goals. Dany made
some spectacular saves, especially late on, and Kazaki Nakagawa was the true
star with 3 assists.
The scoring began with the Tanaka opener, followed by the
equalizer from Omiya after Delgado redirected a shot over Carvajal. Then FC
Ryukyu busted out for 3 straight goals in the opening 16 minutes of the second
half to jump out to a 4-1 lead. Omiya were awarded a very late PK and then
scored on quick counter in the first minute of stoppage time to bring the game
to a 4-3. Dany made a great diving save to parry a shot away from danger later
on and FC Ryukyu would hold on to win. A win that nobody saw coming.
There are many bittersweet memories from this match. First, it was a testament to Nakagawa’s skill and those 3 assists saw him as the top assist provider in J2 well after he departed for Yokohama F Marinos 2 weeks later. Second, Koji was happy and scoring at will and third, Uejo’s emergence was bubbling to the surface. Finally, it would ultimately take FC Ryukyu 16 more matches before they would win again on the road this season. For Omiya, they would respond with a win the following week, wobble slightly against Yamagata the next and then go on a run of 16 unbeaten that has since propelled them into the promotion battle. Oh, what could’ve been for this Ryukyu side. A side that since this Omiya match has seen no less than 6 changes to the starting lineup. Whereas Omiya has seen less than half of that total. It was one of the best footballing experiences I’ve had all season.
Omiya Ardija
Pace, Power and Height pretty much sum up Omiya at the
moment. Omiya displayed a penchant for hitting teams on the counter over their
last 5 games and they can quickly break out of their own end and into the
opponent’s end with just a few passes. They can send long balls over the top that
allow the attacking 3 to run underneath them bringing them past the oppositions
defense and free on goal. Omiya were also lethal from set pieces, corner kicks
in particular, where their height and power prove to be too much for opposing defenders.
They can also press teams that attempt to play it out form the back if they
feel this is a weakness of the opposition. They pressed Nagasaki in this manner
and it resulted in a goal after a cheap giveaway in the Nagasaki end.
Even though Mito jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over Omiya, Ardija was able to fight back and score 3 goals against a team that doesn’t conceded many goals to begin with. They had some slight trouble against Verdy before converting 2 corner kicks to win 2-0 and they really made Nagasaki look like an average side in a convincing 3-0 victory. They were nearly beaten at the end by Yokohama FC when Yokohama hit the crossbar, but walked away with an important point on the road against a promotion seeking side. The only outlier in the past 5 games was the recent loss to Tokushima Vortis.
It was a back and forth contest between the 2 sides with
Vortis opening the scoring from a play that seemed to catch Omiya flat footed.
Omiya responded with a counter attack goal before Vortis once scored from a
busted play after Omiya failed to clear. Omiya responded with a headed goal on
a set piece but Vortis got the best of them at the end with a 3rd
goal.
All in all, Omiya represent a difficult challenge for FC
Ryukyu this Sunday. Omiya surely want to continue their promotion push, and
they may have revenge on the mind, after FC Ryukyu walked into their home
ground and put 4 past them in convincing fashion earlier this year.
FC Ryukyu
FC Ryukyu responded really well after losing 5-1 to Tokyo
Verdy at home by defeating Tochigi SC on the road 2-0. Two really well taken
goals by Uejo, one with his left foot and one with his right foot, has put FC
Ryukyu on 43 points, which is roughly 13 points clear of the drop zone. Though
FC Ryukyu started the Tochigi match sluggish, they really turned it on in the
last 25 minutes and Tochigi had no response. FC Ryukyu have now won 2 in a row
on the road and are undefeated in their last 4 road matches. Quite a turnaround
from a few months ago when FC Ryukyu were struggling mightily on the road and
losing at home.
There was some shifting of the FC Ryukyu lineup this past week with Shinji Ono and Yu Tomidokoro being dropped for Shuto Kawai and Koki Kazama. However, FC Ryukyu face a real selection crisis this week as they will be without both their Right Backs, Torikai and Nishioka, who have both succumbed to injuries. Torikai picked up his ankle injury early in the first half against Tochigi, requiring Uehara to fill in at RB, and the injury will see him miss the remainder of the 2019 season. And possibly the start of the 2020 season as he rehabs a dislocated ligament. Nishioka suffered an ankle injury in training and he is scheduled to miss at least the next 3 matches. Which begs the question, who will FC Ryukyu start this Sunday at RB?
Though Uehara filled in admirably, he is certainly not the
solution over the next 3 matches. Outside of Tokumoto, Okazaki and Fukui, FC
Ryukyu have only 2 defenders with any match day experience this season. One of
those, Arai, only featured for a few minutes on the very first match of the
season. There has been no word on whether or not Shogo Nishikawa, the only
other FC Ryukyu defender to feature in a match this year, has suffered an
injury or is healthy enough to start. In either event, we will need both of
them to be healthy and in the lineup on Sunday. That is, unless newly acquired
Daniel Sanches is finally ready to make his debut? It’s really anybody’s guess
at this point as to what Higuchi will do to fill the void at RB in Ryukyu the
lineup.
Player Injuries
FC Ryukyu: Will be without both starting RBs in Torikai and Nishioka.
Omiya Ardija: No one significant to the starting 11. Two defenders who were hurt earlier in the season is all that is reported.
Keys to FC Ryukyu Victory
1. Start fast and build a multiple goal lead. This worked
the last time these two sides met and almost worked for Mito a few weeks ago.
Granted Mito ended up losing and this a far different lineup for FC Ryukyu.
Ryukyu really do not lineup well against Omiya with their speed up top, height
at the back and ability to score from counters and set pieces. There will be
goals tomorrow for sure, just hope we have more than Omiya do at the end.
2. Do not concede many set pieces. This is especially true
of corner kicks where Omiya’s tree trunks; Delgado and Simovic, will certainly
overpower their man marking.
3. Pick your poison. If we play out from the back, I expect
heavy pressing by Omiya that forces Ryukyu into making mistakes and costly
turnovers. If we attempt to play high up the pitch, we risk over exposing the
makeshift back 4 of Ryukyu to the speed of the Omiya counter attack. No easy
choice.
4. Win the battle down our defensive right side and we may
win the game. I’d expect a heavy dose of crosses and attacks emanating from our
right side, the Omiya left, against whoever is asked to fill in at RB on Sunday
for Ryukyu. We will need some defensive help over the top from one of the Mid
Fielders for the Ryukyu RB and this could mean large stretches of little
possession for Ryukyu on Sunday.
5. Clean up the garbage in the box on both ends. Don’t allow
needless shots on our goal from shots that are blocked or saved. On the flip
side, Omiya has a hard time cleaning up the garbage in front of their own goal
and conceded a couple of goals from this spot. Somehow Omiya concedes goals, loses
matches and has small defensive lapses. This is the smallest of cracks in their
armor but an exploitable one.
The Contrarian Approach: Start Kawai, Koizumi and Ramon and attack Omiya with speed early and often. Start Daniel Sanches and Okazaki at CB and have Fukui slide out wide to the Right.
Match Day 38Prediction
The numbers indicate that Omiya is on a tear with 10 to 5 goals
scored/conceded ratio over the course of their last 5 matches. Ryukyu haven’t
scored nearly as many but they have kept a clean sheet in 3 of those matches.
2-1 Omiya would be considered a respectable score line on Sunday.
Plenty of useful info and the page can be translated into English. There are maps for free parking with shuttles to the match and a schedule of events for the match day.
Important Fixtures on Match Day 38
Conclusion
It looks as if the club is expecting a larger than usual
traveling contingent of fans for this one and has adjusted the seating
accordingly. This maybe due to the pre-match festivities where Bando will
conduct one of his retirement ceremonies and the popular MONGOL800 band will
perform just before kickoff. With that said, its probably best to get there
early if you want a seat in the covered section. The club’s president, Mr.
Subaru Mikami, tweeted that he’d like for the overall attendance numbers to hit
100,000 for the season and I think there will be a strong showing on Sunday somewhere
in the vicinity of 7,000 to get us close to the mark.
But I am not there for the pre-match pomp and circumstance. I am there to watch my team one last time at home before I depart for a lengthy spell away from Okinawa. I will still be able to see the boys close out the season at Kofu but I want to enjoy all that has been at home this season. The drama, the thrills, the let downs, the come-backs and of course enjoying matches with all of my fellow FC Ryukyu fans and the players. With safety all but guaranteed for next season, I want to see the boys play loose, relaxed and carefree on Sunday. Omiya has more at stake than FC Ryukyu since we no longer need to hunt for results to ensure safety. FC Ryukyu are simply playing for pride, playing the role of spoiler against sides seeking promotion, but most importantly, playing for Okinawa and all the fans of this club.
So join me on the walk down the Bengara Boulevard and into Fortress Ryukyu one last time this season. Give em hell boys and make us proud. You always do!
FC Ryukyu earned their 11th win of the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Tochigi SC this past Sunday. The win sees FC Ryukyu’s point total climb to 43 and puts them 13 points clear of the drop zone with only a handful of games remaining. In other words, we can reasonably assume that FC Ryukyu are safe from relegation in their first season in the J2. It was also the second time in a row that FC Ryukyu earned a victory on the road, a feat they have never done this year prior to this weekend.
Match Recap
Starting 11 and reserves for both sides. Courtesy of the J League website.
There were some notable omissions from the FC Ryukyu starting 11 this week. Shinji Ono and Yu Tomidokoro were replaced by Koki Kazama and Shuto Kawai. The Shinji move was most likely necessitated after he picked up a knock last week against Verdy. Kawai, on the other hand, was a bit more noteworthy. First, it is great to see Kawai get back to full health as his speed brings a vital element to the FC Ryukyu attack (more on that later). Second, the move signaled to me that Higuchi may have game planned for needing speed to hit Tochigi on the counter if FC Ryukyu were not going to have large amounts of possession. This was certainly a shock as the starting lineup rarely changes for FC Ryukyu based on our opponent’s apparent strengths and weaknesses, rather, it changes due to injury, suspension or players experiencing a loss of form. A welcome sign nonetheless.
There was not really much to report on in the first half of this game. FC Ryukyu looked slow to start the match and were not offering much in the attack. In fact, FC Ryukyu seemed fixated on attacking down the right side but were either bogged down or would lose possession in the Tochigi deep right end. Tochigi, on the other hand, threw all they had at us in the first half and really pressed hard to get out in front. They made calls for a possible handball from Tokumoto in the box following an overhead kick but the ref was not having any of it. Tochigi nearly broke the deadlock when a header bounced across the face of goal and harmlessly out of bounds.
FC Ryukyu’s one good opportunity came from a nice little give-and-go between Kawai and Yamada but the shot from Kawai had no real power or placement behind it and the keeper had no problem saving the shot. FC Ryukyu suffered what could be a very catastrophic injury to RB, Yuya Torikai, early in the first half. A Tochigi player came down on the inside of Torika’s right boot and though he tried to continue after initially spending several minutes on the ground, he eventually succumbed to the injury and was replaced by Uehara. That is not a typo. A striker came on at RB as FC Ryukyu dressed zero defenders on the bench for this match. I would’ve thought that a CDM or MF would’ve slid into the RB role but it was our striker. This was a bit odd as Uehara rarely plays more than 15-20 minutes per match and was now going to be asked to defend, and to play for +75 minutes. In any case, both sides headed into half time at 0-0.
FC Ryukyu started better in the second half and the Tochigi attack sort of fizzled out around the 67-minute mark when their best effort that half was saved by Dany Carvajal. FC Ryukyu did really well to absorb Tochigi’s best efforts and were now primed to go on the attack. The break through occurred in the 79th minute when Koki found Uejo in between 2 Tochigi defenders on the left side of the Tochigi 18-yard box. Uejo did really well to let the ball roll across his body and then sent a well-aimed shot past the diving Tochigi defender giving FC Ryukyu the 1-0 lead.
With only 10 minutes remaining Tochigi were now forced to throw more into attack in hopes of equalizing which played directly into Higuchi’s strategy for hitting Tochigi on the counter. Now, the Torikai injury most likely disrupted the original game plan of bringing on Uehara late, with 1-2 MFs possibly coming on for Kawai and Koki. It didn’t matter as Kawai and Uehara were both up to task and played the full 90 and 75 minutes respectfully. In fact, Higuchi never used his 3rd sub this game which is a bit of a shame as Ramon deserved a run out after getting back to match fitness this week.
Tochigi had one more opportunity to tie the match very late in the 4th minute of stoppage time. A Tochigi deflected shot fell to another attacker who was able to find a wide-open Tochigi attacker inside the 18-yard box. Fortunately for FC Ryukyu, the Tochigi player miss hit the shot and it was sent wide out of bounds and harmlessly away from the Ryukyu net.
FC Ryukyu did score one more time this match when Uejo bagged his second on the day for a brace. The goal was one of the best team goals I’ve seen by this team all season. The play started from a Tokumoto long pass down the middle where Yamada then back-heeled it to a sprinting Kawai, whose run down the middle caused the Tochigi defenders to pinch in thus allowing Uejo all sorts of space out wide. Kawai waited until the very end and then found Uejo with a pass who promptly slotted home his 13th goal of the campaign.
The goal was the very last play of the game and everyone could see the importance of this win all over the faces of the coaches and players.
Box score. Courtesy of the J League website.
Man of the Match
J. League website
#14, FWD, Satoki Uejo. 2 really well taken goals and so much has been said already. Honorable mentions to Dany Carvajal for keeping his 3rd clean sheet in a row on the road and Uehara for playing out of position for the remainder of the match.
Review of the keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu on Match Day 37
1. Defend set pieces from Tochigi. PASS. FC Ryukyu blanked Tochigi but had to make it interesting along the way. Ryukyu surrendered plenty of early CKs and FKs for Tochigi and did well to prevent any goals.
2. Finish in front of goal. PASS. See Uejo’s two goals.
3. Pay attention on defense and defend against long balls over the top. PASS. Tochigi never attempted many of these and FC Ryukyu did defend well on Sunday.
4. Exploit the new Tochigi goal keeper. PASS. Only because we won 2-0 but we had so few shots on net that tested the keeper. There were long stretches of no offense by Ryukyu this game but they made it count when they needed too.
Match Day 37 Prediction
I said the match could end 1-0 in either direction but it was FC Ryukyu who did the business on Sunday.
Match Day 37 Takeaways
1. FC Ryukyu face a real selection crisis at RB as both Torikai
and Nishioka are injured. Nishioka is out at least 3 weeks with no updates at
the time of this entry on the Torikai injury. Torikai’s injury was bad enough that
he didn’t want to put any weight on his foot and was stretched off, possibly all
the way to the bench/locker room. We cannot expect Uehara to play RB going
forward and since we rarely ever know if any of the reserve players are dealing
with injuries, what is the side going to do?
I don’t think the club can recall Masutani from Okayama, who at least has RB experience, and I am not sure where Nishikawa has disappeared too after his appearances in July and August. Jumpei Arai featured in the opening match of the season but that is it as far as FC Ryukyu defenders with match day experience this season. Maybe it is time to dress the youngster, Daniel Sanches, and push Fukui out to RB, a position he has played this season due to other Ryukyu injuries. Other than that, I am not sure of the fitness levels, or whereabouts, for Miyauchi, Rion Fukui, Naito and Hanafusa, who may also not be with the club at the moment.
2. FC Ryukyu also dodged a bullet when Fukui picked up a very early yellow card. Had he been sent off at any point in the match, it would have left FC Ryukyu with only 2 defenders on the pitch. Granted, this did not happen but as we’ve all seen, Fukui can make some rash challenges at times and puts himself dangerously close to getting sent off during games. In that regards, this was a very physical match some very hard tackling occurring from both sets of players. Tochigi were guilty on more than one occasion and one of their players was lucky to only be yellow carded, not red carded, for a studs-up challenge that cleaned out the Ryukyu player.
3. FC Ryukyu’s road form has greatly improved over the course of their last 4 matches. In fact, FC Ryukyu are unbeaten in their last 4 road matches. They’ve drawn twice, and then won twice in a row with those 8 points proving to be a real difference in the short term. I have been harping on the fact that the road form of this club needed to improve or else they could be facing a relegation scrap. Well, after losing 6 straight road games, FC Ryukyu have finally done what needed to be done and earned some victories on the road. Granted, those matches were against Kanazawa, Machida, Fukuoka and Tochigi. All teams in, around and below Ryukyu in the table but that doesn’t matter as they should be beating these clubs. Again, a great turn around at a crucial time of the season.
4. The second goal from Uejo displayed so many things that it needs to be discussed more than just as goal that ultimately sealed the victory for Ryukyu on Sunday. First, and back to my soap box, I have been screaming to get more speed into the FC Ryukyu attack all year. Speed scares defenders and Kawai had their undivided attention when he was running right at the central defenders at full tilt. There was no way either one of the Tochigi defenders alone was going to match Kawai’s speed thus forcing a reinforcement to pinch in. This created acres of space of Uejo to run into and eventually finish from. We’ve seen this before from Ryukyu. If you recall the Kyoto Sanga match, Kawai’s speed allowed him to get in and around the back line and resulted in Ryukyu tying the match.
Second, it was one of the best team goals by this club all season. Aside from the aforementioned Kawai goal against Kyoto, the other one was the Tanaka finish against Omiya Ardija way back on match day 2. Finally, it is going to be nearly impossible to prevent larger clubs from acquiring the services of Uejo next year. Though he made it look easy at the end there, he still had a lot to do with the finish. The Tochigi goal keeper rightly anticipated that Kawai would ultimately pass to Uejo and he though came out to cut down the angle, Uejo has become such a lethal finisher when given time and space. He simply cannot be denied in front of goal. Look at all of the goals Uejo has scored this year and there are so many that are top quality. Finishing with flair is something all to its own.
J2 Games of Note on Match Day 37
Conclusion
FC Ryukyu welcome Omiya Ardija to town for their next to last home game this season. Omiya are coming off a shocking 3-2 defeat at home to Tokushima Vortis and likely seeking revenge against FC Ryukyu for the earlier 4-3 defeat they suffered on match day 2. It is hard to not celebrate the fact that FC Ryukyu have most likely hit the expected point total for safety without remaining at least guarded until it’s all but certain. In any event, I’d like to see the side give the fans two respectable results with their remaining home games. Generating attendance numbers in the near future will become tougher and tougher with the introduction of a new basketball stadium and baseball team in Okinawa, and though they’ve improved the numbers this year, they are not nearly at the level required to generate income that drives operating budgets and promotes long term sustainability in the upper echelons of the J League. Great win boys and see you next week.
174 days. That is the amount of time that has passed since FC Ryukyu last won a road game. 69 days. This number represents the number of days since FC Ryukyu last earned a point on the road. -11. FC Ryukyu have been outscored 17 to 6 in their past 5 road matches with 4 consecutive defeats. 11. That is the number of points between FC Ryukyu and the bottom of the table. 7. The number of points that separate FC Ryukyu from 21st placed Tochigi SC, who are in the relegation zone. 4. The number of points between FC Ryukyu and teams 18-20 in the J2 table (Kagoshima United FC, Avispa Fukuoka and FC Machida Zelvia). With 8 out of their remaining 14 games to be played on the road, this side needs to begin picking up some positive results while traveling away from Okinawa, or face the very real possibility of being relegated back to the J3.
Weather Forecast
Overcast with temperatures in the 80s and no wind should make for a pleasant viewing experience in Tokushima for the fans who attend.
Tokushima Vortis
Vortis have won 2 out of their last 5 matches where they dispatched Fukuoka and Kagoshima, and lost to Yamagata, Niigata and Kofu. Vortis are a typical mid-table side that beat the teams below them fairly regularly while normally losing to the ones above them. They were in some good form awhile back but that has seemed to escape them as of late. Vortis have only suffered 3 defeats at home all season but two of those have come within the past 3 home matches.
Similar to FC Ryukyu, Vortis lack a standout goal scorer. This may have been due to a transfer out of the club but I didn’t bother to research that notion. Against Yamagata they were awarded an early PK but then had the misfortune of having one of their best players, Kiyotake, sent off following a second yellow card for time wasting. After that they came apart in the second half and conceded 3 quick goals. Though Vortis went down early to Kagoshima, they scored two very late 1st half goals to take the lead. They then surrendered the lead shortly thereafter on a PK only to seem them strike back for 2 quick goals in the last quarter of the game to seal the win.
Vortis were simply destroyed by both Niigata and Kofu and suffered shutouts in both matches which may have been the result of Kiyotake’s suspension. Vortis were able to stop the losing streak this past weekend against Fukuoka when they walked away with the 1-0 victory.
FC Ryukyu
The numbers I put forth in the introduction paint a very ominous picture for the club. They really need points and there is a possibility of that this week at Vortis since they are not the same surging side we saw just a couple of weeks ago. I have said things similar to this in past entries when FC Ryukyu travel and the results are always the same. A loss, or what we now would gladly settle for, a draw. Teams really take advantage of our poor road form and the lack of points earned on the road have become a monkey on the back of this club. It will take some sort of miracle to shake it loose and get back to winning ways.
I offer this suggestion. Get rid of the 4-2-3-1 since we lack a true out and out striker and we are reeling from injuries as well as transfers at the back. There is no point in having Full Backs launch poor aimed crosses to players who are simply not there or not well suited for headers. Since we no longer have Koji, why not play a 3-man strike front with Uejo and Ramon flanking any of Uehara/Ono/Tanaka/Koya? Drop down to a 3-man back line with Okazaki, Nishikawa and Fukui and leave Okazaki and Fukui out wide to allow Nishioka the ability to push a little north of the half way line. Most importantly, figure out the 3 best midfielders to team with Uesato to complete the 3-4-3. I wish for Kawai, Koizumi and Komatsu but this is highly unlikely due to injuries and whatever else is occurring behind closed doors at the club.
Player Injuries
FC Ryukyu: Tokumoto and Ishii are still dealing with the same injuries from the last preview and are unlikely to feature today.
Tokushima Vortis: Vortis will be without the services of DF Diego, MFs Kano and Sisinio and FWD Sato. None have played a large role at the club this season so there should be no surprises in the regular Vortis lineup today.
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Press the Vortis defense as it seems they suffer from the same problems that afflict the Ryukyu back line. Uejo’s, and Ramon’s speed will cause the Vortis back line some issues and attacking their flanks with speed should open up space for Koya and whatever false-9 forward is starting for FC Ryukyu today.
2. Stop playing a high
defensive line as Vortis will pick us apart with long balls over the top to
Kiyotake and the Vortis front men. FC Ryukyu’s only defender with a little bit
of pace is Fukui but if he is continually forced to make rash challenges, we
are going to end up on the losing end of it at some point. Don’t put players
like Nishioka – assuming Higuchi refuses to change his system – Fukui and
Okazaki in dangerous positions that could alter the outcome of this match.
3. Start Ramon and other younger talented players. I think Yu needs a breather and to come off the bench with the hopes of chipping in a free-kick goal near the end. There are 14 games left and we are very near, if not already there, a “nothing to lose” point so why not ride the razors edge and see what we have in the reserves.
Match Prediction
I was correct for only the second time all season last week but I would love to be wrong this weekend. Unfortunately, you cannot bet on FC Ryukyu to achieve any positive results while traveling with likeliest of outcomes always being a loss. Tokushima Vortis 2-1.
Conclusion
FC Ryukyu have a golden opportunity today to put some separation between them and the bottom teams. The teams below FC Ryukyu all have difficult matches this week where we could see all of them losing.
(17) JEF United Chiba vs Ventforet Kofu (7)
(4) Yokohama FC vs Kagoshima (18)
(3) Kyoto Sanga FC vs Avispa Fukuoka (19)
(9) Fagiano Okayama vs FC Machida Zelvia (20)
(6) Montedio Yamagata vs Tochigi SC (21)
(22) FC Gifu vs Kashiwa Reysol (1)
If that were the case, and FC Ryukyu were to win today, then FC Ryukyu have really taken a lot of pressure off themselves as well as gained some confidence heading into a crucial stretch of matches at home against two of the bottom clubs in J2. This is easier said than done, as the road woes of FC Ryukyu are well documented and nearing “punch-line” territory. Another possibility is that all these teams, including FC Ryukyu lose and the status quo is maintained for another week. In any event, good luck to those that attend and to FC Ryukyu today.
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.
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.
ryukyuarmy.com 