Tag: nishioka

FC Ryukyu Mid Season Review: Part 1

Welcome everyone to the FC Ryukyu mid season review. I will provide a 3-part series for the FC Ryukyu mid-season review beginning today. In Part 1 I will focus briefly on the current state of the team, what changes have occurred at the club from the end of last season until now that have affected attendance numbers and then I will switch gears and review the Top 5 story lines. In Part 2 we will review the Top 5 matches for FC Ryukyu this season as well as the Top 10 goals scored by individual players from FC Ryukyu. Finally, in Part 3 we will conclude the mid-season review with some player reviews, discuss the FC Ryukyu MVPs up to this point and end the series by looking forward into the remaining fixtures for FC Ryukyu. Enjoy!

2019 To Date

FC Ryukyu have now reached the half way point of their inaugural J2 season. They sit 13th in the table with 28 points and are 11 points clear of the relegation zone.  They started the year out very fast winning 4 out of their first 4 matches and then drawing the next two to sit at 14 points. FC Ryukyu’s first loss didn’t occur until a mid-week match up against JEF Chiba on Match Day 7. They responded really well after that loss as they came home to earn a late draw against Kashiwa Reysol thus setting the new Home Undefeated Record for all of the J.Leauge with 26 in a row. FC Ryukyu would ultimately make it to 30 before Kofu ended their undefeated run with a 5-2 defeat.

In my opinion, there are couple of different ways to view the first half of the FC Ryukyu season. You could break it down by quarters or in halves.

If we broke it down by quarters, we see theses type of results: Matches 1-5; 4 wins and 1 draw, matches 6-10; 3 draws and 2 losses, matches 11-15; 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw and finally, matches; 16-21 1 win, 2 draws and 3 losses. Right away we see a team that wins in bunches and then goes thru stretches of bad results.

By Halves: Matches 1-10; 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses and, matches 11-21; 3 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses. This paints a more ominous picture as the losses really piled up for FC Ryukyu in the second part of the first half of the season.

What has greatly impacted FC Ryukyu’s point total this season is their inability win on the road. FC Ryukyu have not won on the road since Match Day 2 against Omiya and have suffered defeats to lower sides FC Gifu and Kagoshima. Luckily for FC Ryukyu, the fast start with 4 wins from 4 has produced the nice 11 to 12-point cushion between them and the drop zone area with teams 20-22. The expected point total to avoid relegation is between 42-46 points and FC Ryukyu are about 17 points shy of the sweet spot. This means FC Ryukyu will need at least 5 wins in the second half of the season while mixing in some draws.

A quick glance at the FC Ryukyu stat sheet this season.

2019 Changes

FC Ryukyu have averaged 4,480 fans in their 11 home games to date and those numbers are probably impacted by the poor weather that has befouled FC Ryukyu in the first half of the season.  FC Ryukyu have played at least half of their home games this season in wet and windy conditions that makes life very difficult on the FC Ryukyu fan base. As some of you may know, there is only a small covered area on the West of the stadium and it truly doesn’t protect many of the fans against the elements. While all football clubs have to deal with inclement weather from time to time, keep in mind that FC Ryukyu are in the midst of trying to build and established fan base that can generate revenue and ultimately player transfer/salaries. Though FC Ryukyu have greatly improved their attendance totals from last year, ideally this club would like to average upwards of 7,000 fans per game. Realistically, I think 5,000 is the mark that FC Ryukyu could hit with their remaining 10 home games.

So, what has changed for the club and the fan base that has caused an average increase of about 1,000 fans per match this season compared to seasons past? There is no single answer I can come up with and I believe there are several factors involved. Before we get into the details as to why, let’s see the attendance records from FC Ryukyu’s past season in the J3.

*3 fewer home fixtures in 2016 compared to 2015

So, right away we see that FC Ryukyu has slowly been increasing their fan base since their inception in the J.League. FC Ryukyu began their push up the table in 2016 and followed that up by finishing 6th in 2017. It should be no coincidence that the uptick in attendance coincided with a managerial change that brought a more attacking style of football to Okinawa. Not to mention, more goals. Of course, we’d expected to see the sharpest rise in attendance figures during the championship season but if we are going to draw one conclusion from these numbers, its fans appreciate exciting football on the pitch. Maybe the average fan just wants to see some goals and is not overly concerned with the end result. So now let’s see what has changed this season.

First, the fact the FC Ryukyu won the J3 title last season really helped pull the club out of the shadows and into the light for the Okinawa community. The crowd on hand for the title clinching game is one of the largest in FC Ryukyu history and it really helped put this team on the map. Second, the increased coverage of FC Ryukyu on television, on radio and in print, really increased the visibility of FC Ryukyu and this has almost certainly brought more people to the grounds.

Third, the front office staff for FC Ryukyu has really engaged the community on their website but more importantly, through social media. There is a more concentrated effort by the club to target new fans and expose this team to the local community. While some free attendance events have been hampered by bad weather, it is nice to see the club continually running shuttle buses for both home and away supporters to the stadium. The 3,000 Yen fee is definitely cheaper than a taxi or daiko back to Naha but I’d like to see the club offer discounted tickets for those people utilizing the shuttle since it increases the minimum cost to attend the match up to 4,000 Yen for an adult. The club has done well to offer a free parking and a shuttle from the Awase port area as the parking situation is deplorable, and outside of the control of the club, at the stadium as it is located inside a huge community park. FC Ryukyu also offer a child care program to attract parents who wish to attend but maybe reluctant because they are concerned, they’d spend more time looking after their children than enjoying the match. I believe that based on numerous personal experiences at the Tapista with my kids. The fact that you can find the president of the club, Mr. Mikami, in the A Section of the stadium each week interacting, and more importantly listening to FC Ryukyu fans, means the management and club are really trying to understand their customer and not force feed the fans what they don’t want.

Fourth, I think the fact that FC Ryukyu are playing in the J2 instead of the J3 has resonated with the local community that the club is playing in a more established, more respected, better covered tier of the Japanese Football pyramid. The notion that FC Ryukyu could be playing J1 football in the near future is very real in the minds of people here as the distance between the J1 and J2 is much shorter, both literally and figuratively than between J3 and J1. Fifth, there have been some nice improvements to the match day event. Food and drink vendors have increased, there are food vendors on the opposite side of the stadium and pre-match events are very well received by the local community. Sixth, the traveling fans. There is no doubt that the large numbers of fans from Reysol, Niigata and others have propped up the overall attendance numbers. Remember, Okinawa is a holiday destination for most mainland Japaneses so syncing up your teams match with your holiday plans isn’t a bad idea.

Seventh, the home unbeaten record helped immensely as it gained both local and national attention. It really brought people to the Tapista who may have never attended a match in their life but wanted to be a part of something special. Finally, there is just a different aura surrounding the club. I have witnessed some very sparsely attended matches in FC Ryukyu’s history and even joked that they were counting the players, front office staff and stadium support staff in their overall attendance numbers so as not to come across as team that no one bothers to watch. But all of that is in the past. Match day events are better planned, better presented and better executed. There is a much different atmosphere inside the stadium of seasons past and I am just having a hard time describing it in detail. You just have to be here to feel it I guess.

The club has been steadily improving its numbers every season and this is encouraging. The club cannot expect an average of 7,000 fans per match every week as it looks like it will take them about 2-3 more season to hit that number based on the statistical trends in the table above. It takes time to build a fan base and not everyone here in Okinawa is able to attend all the matches on a regular basis. Let’s assume that the club has set their operating budget based on average attendance rates of 3,000 per match. If that is the case, then the 4,200 fans they currently averaging each match means they will have some ability to make subtle changes within the club this season and that is very important to their overall success.

There are 10 home games remaining for FC Ryukyu against some serious opponents. Yamagata, Kyoto and Nagasaki to name a few so FC Ryukyu will need all the fan support they can garner to navigate these tough fixtures at home at such a crucial part of the season. I hope the weather for these matches improves as it is understandable that no one wants to bring themselves, let alone their family to watch a football match in rainy, windy conditions (despite the prevailing trend of poncho fashion). I’d like to see FC Ryukyu hit the 5,000-average mark by seasons end but that will take a concerted effort from the players performing each week, the management executing an affordable and targeted marketing campaign and with those of us at the grass roots level spreading the word about FC Ryukyu however we can.

Top 5 Storylines of the 2019 Season So Far

#5. The Transfer of Kazaki Nakagawa to Yokohama F. Marinos after Match Day 3.

One polarizing story emerging from the early part of this season was the transfer of Nakagawa to the J1 side, Yokohama F Marinos. Nakagawa had featured for FC Ryukyu since 2017 when he joined Ryukyu from Betis San Isidro in the 4th tier of Spanish Football. Nakagawa’s breakout season occurred in 2018 when he netted 16 times while adding 16 assists. Nakagawa started the 2019 J2 season on fire by contributing 4 assists and it was the main reason FC Ryukyu looked like world-beaters so early on in the season. FC Ryukyu scored 9 goals in their first 3 games with Nakagawa and then it took them another 9 weeks to match that scoring total.

FC Ryukyu have really struggled to fill the void left by the Nakagawa departure and continue to tinker the lineup by inserting Uejo, Kazama and Ochi in his vacated spot. They have yet to find the right combination or get back to their free scoring ways they enjoyed early on. Keep in mind, FC Ryukyu had failed to score more than 2 goals in match since Nakagawa’s departure, until this past weekend, and this is a team designed for the attack. It was always going to be hard to replace a player of Nakagawa’s quality so it will be interesting to see if FC Ryukyu can pull off a loan with Yokohama in order to reacquire the temporary services of such an iconic FC Ryukyu player.

#4 FC Ryukyu’s Away Record this Season

FC Ryukyu started out the season brilliantly on the road by earning a massive 4-3 victory over Omiya and then followed that performance up with a draw against top side Yamagata. You may be thinking I am about to tell you how great this side has been on the road but it is quite the opposite. FC Ryukyu have not won on the road since Omiya and have been outscored 12 to 17 in those games. There are some instances of bad luck, when they lost Carvajal to injury during the Yokohama match in which they were winning, but for the most part the team has really failed to fire on the road. They salvaged some nice draws at Tokyo Verdy and Kyoto with late goals by Uesato and Kawai but otherwise have failed to get over the line with a win.

It will not get any easier for FC Ryukyu with trips to Kashiwa, Kofu and Mito ahead of them, but ideally, we’d like to see this side grab 2 more road wins this season. Considering FC Ryukyu have only earned 6 points on the road in the first half, 2 wins and 3 draws in their remaining 11 road wins should be more than enough to ensure relative safety.

#3 Emerging Talents

There are some very talented players coming into their own this season. Specifically, the emergence of Uejo, Kawai, Tokumoto and Koizumi. Uejo has scored some huge goals for the club this season and has all the makings of a great attacking mid-fielder. Kawai has been putting on a display the past few matches with his speed and ability to generate goal scoring opportunities. Tokumoto can produce some great crosses from the FB position and it is no surprise that larger clubs are looking to acquire his services this transfer window. Koizumi has only featured in 6 matches but has flashed some talented play and movement. All these players are under-25 years old and they look to be the future for FC Ryukyu. Maybe by the end of the season we will see all 3 midfielders in the starting lineup with Kawai and Uejo out wide and Koizumi playing the CAM role. In any case, this a group of talented young players that FC Ryukyu needs to hold onto for the next few seasons.

#2 New Players

There is no doubt that the signings FC Ryukyu made this offseason have paid off. First, FC Ryukyu lost GK Park – and eventually Nakagawa – to Yokohoma F Marinos and we lost Togashi to FC Gifu. It was never going to be easy to replace 32 goals but Koji Suzuki seems to want to make up that number all by himself. He currently sits on 14 and I wrote very early on after one of his braces that he may hit 26 for the season. Well he is more than halfway there and has been a phenomenal signing for the club. Dany Carvajal also joined the club in the offseason and has become one of the best GKs in all of J2. Dany’s play at the back has been nothing short of spectacular and has contributed to many favorable outcomes for FC Ryukyu. His performance late against Omiya to earn a victory, his PK save against Verdy after a bloody nose is the stuff of legends and his ability to keep FC Ryukyu in matches with timely saves has been great to watch.

Uesato has been a good central holding mid-fielder, team captain and contributed two beautiful goals. Ochi has chipped in 2 goals in 3 games that he has started while Kawai has become a starter with enormous potential. Kazama has also provided some electric moments with his free kicks and corners. All in all, these were really good signings by the club this offseason.

#1 The Home Undefeated Record

The number one storyline for the 2019 season so far was the 30-game home undefeated record for FC Ryukyu. The home unbeaten streak lasted 643 days dating back to September 30th 2017. Some may argue that a majority of those games were against lesser opponents in a lower league. While that is a valid point, it also should be noted that FC Ryukyu could only play the opponents in front of them and that 9 of those 30, almost 1/3, occurred in the J2. Nobody, including me, knew what to expect from this team at the start of the season. If we look at the 9 unbeaten games this season, we see a nice mix of dramatic finishes, dominating performances and a bit of luck. FC Ryukyu took Reysol’s best shot and earned a draw, they beat the league leaders at the time in Mito at home and they pulled off a last-minute draw against Yamaguchi that would’ve ended the record before they could break the previous one. The fact remains that they are now holders of a very prestigious record for the J.League and no one can take that away from this club or its supporters.

Well that is it for Part 1 of the mid-season review. I hope you’ve enjoyed it so far and up next is Part 2 where we will discuss the Top 5 Matches and Top 10 Goals for FC Ryukyu this season. See you tomorrow.

“Lucky #7” Match Day 21 Report: FC Ryukyu 3-0 Tochigi SC

FC Ryukyu ended the first half of the season on a high note with a resounding 3-0 victory over Tochigi SC last night at the Tapista. FC Ryukyu controlled much of the game and Tochigi had no answer for the FC Ryukyu attack last night. The victory puts FC Ryukyu on 28 points at the halfway mark and depending on the outcome of the remaining J2 fixtures this week, they will be either 12th or 13th in the table. Not bad for a newly promoted side.

FC Ryukyu began asserting themselves very early in the match and achieved the breakthrough in the 19th minute when Yu Tomidokoro sent a through ball to Koji Suzuki who then put one past the Tochigi GK for his league leading 14th goal. Kazama also deserves some credit for this play as it was his initial pass that found Yu, who then was able to find Koji streaking through the middle of the Tochigi defense. FC Ryukyu really never let up the remainder of the first half as they were constantly bombarding the Tochigi defense and winning some nice FKs and CKs. In the 40th minute Koji Suzukui’s hold up play near the top of the box allowed Kawaii to gain the positional advantage on the defenders and Suzuki was able to find the wide open Kawaii with a nice pass in heavy traffic. Kawaii was able to round the Tochigi defenders and pick out Nishioka in front of the net who deflected it into the back of the goal for 2-0 FC Ryukyu lead. As I had mentioned before, 2 goals would be enough to get past Tochigi as this is a side that doesn’t score that many goals and scores even less on the road.

FC Ryukyu ended the first half with 54% possession and a 9/3 advantage in the shot department. Tochigi never really threatened the FC Ryukyu net and none of their shots in the first half were on target. If you were able to watch the full match on DAZN you would see that FC Ryukyu were not holding a high defensive line as they’ve done in the past and the FC Ryukyu attack was more evenly distributed down either side whereas in the past a lot of the attack came from the right side. Tochigi’s player tracking was shocking in that it seemed all their players were in line, spread evenly across the halfway line. I’ve never seen something like that before.

FC Ryukyu came out quickly in the second half and a Yu Tomidokoro free kick was just slightly ahead of the charging FC Ryukyu attackers or else we would’ve been ahead 3-0 at this point. Starting in the 60th minute Tochigi made a better push on the FC Ryukyu net. Their best chance came in the 65th minute when a cross narrowly missed the extended foot of Hamashita and had he connected, they would’ve surely scored. After about 10 minutes of action by Tochigi, FC Ryukyu took the game back over and saw Ochi bag is second goal of the season on a nice chipped cross from Koji Suzuki. FC Ryukyu were up 3-0 and there was not much more action to report on for the rest of the match.

Review of the FC Ryukyu keys to Victory

1. Dominate the Possession Battle: PASS. Though the match ended with an even 50/50 possession split for both sides, FC Ryukyu created the better chances with their possession. FC Ryukyu had 14 shots, 10 on target and 3 goals compared to Tochigi’s stat line of 7/3/0.

2. Cap off Drives with Goals: PASS, with flying colors. 3 goals all from open play. Well done boys.

3. Crowd the Tochigi Goal on all Set Pieces. Pass. They did but they were rewarded by this tactic from the two deflections by Nishioka and Ochi. FC Ryukyu didn’t score from any set pieces yesterday but there were two narrow misses from both Yu and Uesato. There was plenty of confusion on the part of the Tochigi defenders yesterday with FC Ryukyu getting in front of goal often unmarked.

4. Play Sound Football. PASS. Of course, it’s very hard to find fault with a side that just won in convincing fashion at home. Turnovers were down dramatically, defending in and round the box was very good and the FC Ryukyu passing in the attack was spot on.

Man of the Match

1 Goal & 2 Assists

Koji scored his 14th goal of the season and added 2 assists on the FC Ryukyu goals (depends on how they are scored but I give an assist starting with two passes back from the score). The man put in a serious shift yesterday. First, his goal was superbly taken and really relaxed the FC Ryukyu squad as a whole. Second, his hold up play generated so many FC Ryukyu attacks and directly led to the Nishioka goal in the first half. Third, he was generating free kicks in dangerous areas for FC Ryukyu by winning the positional battle over the Tochigi defenders who ended up fouling him instead of letting him through on net. Finally, his passing was lethal. He should be credited with 2 assists yesterday as his first assist found a streaking Kawaii who eventually found Nishioka and his second was a deft little chip that Ochi was able to turn into the back of the net.

Honorable Mention: The FC Ryukyu back line. I have been a staunch critic of their performances at times this season but they played really well as a whole defensive unit last night. They were reinforcing each other all around the box and broke up several Tochigi passes in the box. Their performance, along with Dany’s, allowed FC Ryukyu to earn their 3rd shutout of the season, but most importantly, it has propelled FC Ryukyu’s goal differential back into the positive which now sits at +2.

Match Day 21 Takeaways

1. FC Ryukyu really needed a performance like this after suffering 3 defeats in a row. As I said in the match day preview, this was going to be a “slump busting” match for one of these two sides and I am glad it was FC Ryukyu who were able to break out of their funk. They played sound, fundamental football and were rewarded with their first win in 5 weeks. Tochigi were definitely a lesser opponent compared to Kyoto, Kofu and Nagasaki but it is crucial for FC Ryukyu to beat these teams and take maximum points.

2. Kawaii has rightfully earned his spot in the starting 11. Kawaii’s speed pulls apart the oppositions defense and creates running lanes and shooting lanes for the FC Ryukyu attack. I am very excited that he is in the lineup because speed, like height, is one of those things you cannot teach/coach. Players either have it or they don’t and Kawaii definitely has speed.

3. Fukui and Nishioka played great in the defense but their crosses/passes into the box were off yesterday. Just one of those games I suppose so just keep sending them into the box and they’ll eventually find an open FC Ryukyu player.

4. Uejo cannot crack the starting 11, but he may, beginning with next week. Ochi had a large ice bag on the inside of his left knee but he wasn’t walking with any noticeable limp after the match. I think the FC Ryukyu attack will really come into its own if we can get Uejo and Kawaii in the starting 11 at the same time. Their speed, passing and Uejo’s finishing will really trouble opposing defenses and I hope Higuchi employs them next week versus Okayama.

5. Ochi played in his 200th game last night if I am to believe DAZN. What a nice little achievement that may have gone unnoticed. He started, and usually they hand out some flowers and bring the guys family onto the pitch before the match. Did I miss that yesterday?

6. Tochigi SC may make a managerial change soon, much like the teams around them at the bottom have done this season. They are not generating anything in attack and conceding a lot of goals.

Conclusion

Job done, ended the halfway point with 28 points and a nice lucky stat line of 7 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses. No time to rest though as a tough Okayama side travels to Okinawa this week and if you all recall, they handed us a 1-0 defeat a couple of months back so its high time for a little payback.

“The Weary Travelers”Match Day 20 Report: V.Varen Nagasaki 3-2 FC Ryukyu 6/29/2019

FC Ryukyu nearly battled back for a draw this past Saturday at Nagasaki but their failure to at least earn a point has seen Ryukyu drop out of the top 11 for the first time all season. The loss also means that Ryukyu’s winless run on the road has now been extended to 9 matches in a row. Ryukyu are really making life difficult for themselves in the J2 with these road results as it is putting massive amounts of pressure on the team to take maximum points at home each week. Ryukyu will now enter a month with 6 fixtures spread across 2 competitions with an absolute “must win” match at home next week versus Tochigi.

The Match

Instead of breaking down each half as I normally would, I will instead focus on the match as a whole. FC Ryukyu controlled a majority of the possession throughout the game and ended the match with a total of 58%. Ryukyu dominated play for the first 25 minutes but the same wayward passing that led to turnovers against Kofu followed the team to Nagasaki. Kawai’s shot in the 21st minute nearly put Ryukyu up 1-0 but a costly turnover by Ryukyu led to a counter/corner kick for Nagasakai that saw a breakdown in communication and assignments by the Ryukyu defense on the rebound and allowed Nagasaki to take the early 1-0 lead. Ryukyu almost allowed the visitors to add to their lead in the 40th minute from a set piece but a fine piece of goal keeping by Carvajal sent the shot wide.  At the end of the half Ryukyu had controlled the ball 61% of the time with 6 total shots but no goals to show for their efforts.

Nagasaki nearly doubled their lead straight away in the second half but Ryukyu would once again assert their dominance in the early possession battle. Ryukyu sent some decent crosses into the 6-yard box but all of them either nearly missed or went unanswered. Nagasaki then pounced on a Ryukyu turnover where Masutani was unlucky with his first touch, after a long ball pass from Nagasaki, that allowed the attacking Nagasaki player a ton of space down the left side. The Nagasaki player passed it off to a wide-open player across the top of the box whose shot deflected off of a diving Danny and into the net for a 2-0 lead. Nagasaki piled on further punishment 4 minutes later off yet another Ryukyu turnover as Nishioka failed to track the run of the Nagasaki player wide of him and allowed him a free run on net. Nagasaki scored on a play eerily reminiscent of the one against Kofu where Ishii came way off his line to cut down the angle only this time it was Danny coming out to stop the onrushing attacker. Nagasaki was up 3-0 with little more than 20 minutes of the match remaining.

FC Ryukyu were able to score two very nice goals near the end. One from Koji Suzuki and another from Uejo, our 2 leading goal scorers on the year but the early 3-0 lead proved too much to overcome for Ryukyu. Final Score Nagasaki 3-2 over Ryukyu.

Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1. Apply pressure from all angles to #33 Goya of Nagasaki. PASS. Ryukyu did a great job of limiting the best player for Nagasaki on the day. Goya had a couple of chances early but was largely invisible, outside of his foul that went uncalled, and Ryukyu did a good job handling this good player.

2. Do not over commit to the attack and leave our defenders exposed. PASS. It was not the commitment to the attack that did Ryukyu in, rather, see point #3.

3. Cut-down the turnovers and wayward passing. FAIL. Ryukyu committed no less than 15 turnovers of which 2 led directly to Nagasaki goals. They need to clean this up moving forward in order to capitalize on all the possession Ryukyu enjoy as well as earn some victories on the road.

4. Execute the counter attack to perfection. NO GRADE. Ryukyu enjoyed so much of the possession that rarely were they needing to sprint into a counter attack mode. With what little opportunities they did have, the possession usually ended in a corner kick but no goals came from the counter so its hard to give a failing or passing grade here.

Match Day Prediction

2-2: I was off by one goal and Ryukyu had plenty of early opportunities that could’ve made this a 3-3 score line.

Man of the Match

Wada came on in the 79th minute and provided a nice spark to the attack. It could be argued that Nagasaki were on cruise control at this point as they were up 3 goals with less than 10 minutes to go before Ryukyu netted their first goal but nonetheless, Wada put in a nice shift and was rewarded with 2 assists on the day. Koji Suzuki gets an honorable mention because his hold up play was superb and his league leading goal was great.

Match Day 20 Takeaways

1. As stated throughout this week’s entry, Ryukyu need to tighten up their passing. It is not that the passes Ryukyu are attempting could be considered “low percentage passes,” rather, they are missing our runners and setting opponents free into the counter.

2. Ryukyu needs to start beating teams around and below them in the table on the road. I have not reviewed all the J2 teams’ records on the road but I am sure Ryukyu owns one of the worst away records this season. Ryukyu will have a handful of remaining games against beatable opponents on the road this year and it is vital to this team’s success to earn maximum points against those teams. We are nearly at the halfway point of the season and Ryukyu will have to travel to 3 of the top 6 sides venues in the second half of the season.

3. Nishioka should’ve been subbed at halftime. Nishioka could’ve easily suffered a concussion on the collision he took in the 35th minute and had noticeable swelling near his left eye for the reminder of the match. The injury seemed to shake his confidence when making challenges in the air and may have played a factor in the 3rd and final goal for Nagasaki as he was unaware of the presence of the opposing player. It would be overly critical of me to judge a players performance in the second half after sustaining that injury so this is where I will leave this point.

4. It maybe time for some drastic lineup changes. I don’t think Ochi performed terribly at CAM but Uejo really looks up for it these days. Ryukyu attacked so much from the right side with Yu and Nishiokoa but their 2 goals came from the left. We will see how Higuchi reacts during the emperor’s cup with his lineup selection and that should tell us who is likely to feature this upcoming weekend.

5. FC Ryukyu have now surrendered 10 goals in the past 3 matches. They have scored 6 during that span and that usually may have been enough to earn a win or at the very least a draw. The defense is ceding goals at the rapid rate and they need to stop the bleeding soon.

Looking Ahead

Ryukyu now must travel on a shortened week to play an Emperor’s Cup match in Yamaguchi. They will then return home to face a struggling Tochigi squad who just lost to Ehime. This weekend’s fixture is a must win for both sides and Ryukyu are desperate to keep the 8-point buffer between them and the drop zone.

“Checkered Record” Match Day 20 Preview: V.Varen Nagasaki vs. FC Ryukyu 6/29/2019

Match Day 20 Preview: (H) V.Varen Nagasaki vs. FC Ryukyu (A) at the transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki 6/29/2019, Kickoff at 1800.

Weather Forecast: Another wet and nasty match for FC Ryukyu as the rainy season here in Japan is relentless this year. Temperatures in the high 70s all match with rain and thunderstorms. Stay dry, if you can.

Intro

FC Ryukyu enter the match after suffering their heaviest loss to date in the J2. The 5-2 loss to Kofu at home also ended Ryukyu’s 30 game home unbeaten streak. Nagasaki on the hand are coming into the match having lost at home to Yamagata last weekend but are fresh of a 2-0 victory in the Levain cup this past Wednesday. This will be an interesting match-up as Ryukyu cold very well leave Nagasaki with a point since the hosts have lost 4 times at home this season and have also seen matches against Renofa and Kagoshima end in draws. Ryukyu are 8 points clear of the relegation zone and need a point as there will almost certainly be some shifting inside the table with so many of the lower 11 teams squaring off this weekend.

V.Varen Nagasaki

It almost seems as if Nagasaki prefers playing on the road compared to home this year as they have two more victories on the road than they do at home. They easily dispatched Chiba on the road with a resounding 4-1 win. They followed that up with a 3-2 loss to Okayama at home where Okayama jumped out to a 3 goal lead. Nagasaki had an early 2 goal lead against Zelvia but saw that lead evaporate after an own goal was followed up by another goal from Zelvia 6 minutes later. Against Yamagata they gave the visitors an early 2 goal advantage but were able to peg one back in the first half. Nagasaki dominated the possession and shots on the day but were unable to break down the Yamagata defense and suffered their 4th home loss this season.

One could argue that Nagasaki are a typical mid-table team as they’ve beaten almost every side they should’ve and lost to all the stronger sides in J2. I do not see a signature win for Nagasaki this season, within the constructs of the J2 as I am not including the Levain Cup matches, but Nagasaki have lit up both Chiba and Gifu for 4 goals this year. They seem to suffer the same fate as many of the mid table teams where they can have momentary lapses in concentration that lead to opportunities and goals for their opponent.

I have little doubt that Nagasaki have targeted this match for 3 points and they have every right too. Ryukyu have not been great on the road this season and are coming off a performance where they conceded 5 times at home to Kofu.  Nagasaki present a real challenge for Ryukyu this week because they play a 4-4-2 and Ryukyu struggle to break that formation down for opportunities and Nagasaki can also enjoy large spells of possession. This will mean Ryukyu will have only a few opportunities today, probably in the form of a second half surge for about 20-25 minutes.

Nagasaki Players to Watch

#33 FW Hiroto Goya. The man is simply on fire right now for Nagasaki. He has scored 11 goals this season but most impressive is that he has scored 8 goals in the past 7 consecutive matches. Ryukyu always seem to struggle against the more powerful strikers in J2 and today could be no different. Ryukyu must make life difficult for Goya or else he will make life very difficult for Ryukyu.

#16 FW Masakazu Yoshioka. Second leading scorer on Nagasaki with 6 goals. Plays down the left for Nagsaki.

#20 MF Yohei Otake. Plays down the right side for Nagasaki behind Goya and is the assist leader for V.Varen with 4 so far this year.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu started the Kofu match in great form. They dominated the possession and chances early and were rewarded with 2 goals. The first was a beautifully taken free kick by Kazama while the second by Ochi was a product of Kawai’s tenacity and speed. Ryukyu looked to be cruising at home until they surrendered a late first half goal which started Kofu’s run of 5 unanswered goals. While Kofu looked to be a team where the injuries had finally caught up with them, they simply waited for their time to hit back at Ryukyu. Kofu were attempting to break the Ryukyu defense down with long balls over the top that the attackers could run onto and when Ryukyu began committing more of the defenders forward in attack, Kofu found the space they needed to exploit the Ryukyu back line.

Ryukyu does not have the best away record. In 9 matches this season they have only 1 win, 3 draws and 5 losses. If we broke the season down into quarters, we can see how Ryukyu earned a majority of their away points in the first quarter of the season with 5 and have only mustered 1 point in the second quarter while traveling. The statistics may not tell the whole story for Ryukyu as there were some injuries and suspensions to key players but nevertheless, Ryukyu needs to improve their road form in order to avoid a late season relegation scrap.

FC Ryukyu should see the return of Tanaka to the lineup today after his one game suspension and Ryukyu will most likely be without Tokumoto and Carvajal as they recover from ankle injuries. FC Ryukyu will need better passes and crosses from the 2 full backs of Fukui and Nishioka if they are to be successful today. Personally, I’d like to see Higuchi move Masutani out wide into a FB position and push Fukui back inside. Masutani is a better defender than Fukui but he is also a better attacker and if Ryukyu want to continue pushing FBs into the attack, then why not have someone who can deliver quality crosses and/or shots on net.

Player Injuries

V.Varen Nagasaki: #41 MF Yuki Omoto

FC Ryukyu: #5 DF Tokumoto & #1 GK Carvajal

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Apply pressure from all angles to Goya. He is far and away Nagasaki’s best player and one of the better finishers in the J2. The man is in top form right now as mentioned earlier with his recent run of goals. Ryukyu should not leave it to either Okazaki or Masutani to single handedly mark #33, but rather, should have multiple defenders pressing Goya from all sides to force him to expend more energy attempting to break free.

2. Do not over commit to the attack and leave our defenders exposed. Ryukyu were guilty of this during the Kofu match and they paid a heavy price for their mistake. If Goya is given large amounts of space to operate, he will punish Ryukyu with his strength, speed and finishing. Hopefully FC Ryukyu will adopt more of the same approach to the match that saw them earn draws against Yamagata and Verdy on the road.

3. Cut down on the turnovers and wayward passing. Ryukyu turned the ball over too many times against Kofu in addition to not providing accurate crosses/passes near Kofu’s 18-yard box. Ryukyu will need their full backs to deliver today and will certainly need better passing when in possession so as to avoid costly turnovers that can allow Nagasaki quick counters.

4. Execute the counter attack to perfection. Ryukyu will need to endure some serious spells of possession by Nagasaki throughout the match but when they do get their opportunity to strike back, Ryukyu need to break out quickly with speed. Kawai is turning into a valuable weapon that can cause all sorts of problem to opposing teams’ fullbacks. If Kawai can get behind the Nagasaki defense on a couple of occasions today it could free up some space for Suzuki. There is no guarantee that Kawai starts with the return of Tanaka today so we will have to wait and see.

Match Prediction

Nagasaki average 1.11 goals at home whereas Ryukyu concede an average of 1.55 goals as visitors. One could argue that the sides look even on paper when comparing Nagasaki’s home record and Ryukyu’s away record but Ryukyu have yet to win away from Okinawa in the past 8 matches. Nagasaki have won 3, drawn 2 and lost 4 at home with Ryukyu having won once, drawn 3 times and lost 5. Each has scored a total of 10 goals in those matches but Ryukyu have conceded slightly more often than Nagasaki.

Ryukyu hold a slight advantage when looking at each sides’ record against opponents in the top half of the table with Ryukyu scoring more goals against that level of competition compared to Nagasaki. This will also be Nagasaki’s 4th match in 10 days and hopefully there are some tired legs on the Nagasaki squad that Ryukyu can exploit though most of the expected starters for Nagasaki were rested during their mid-week Levain Cup match. Hopefully this will be an enjoyable match to watch and I’d love to see Ryukyu score more than 2 goals.

Nagasaki 2-2 FC Ryukyu.

Conclusion

A point for Ryukyu would mean so much for a side that is struggling to keep opponents off the score sheet and earn wins on the road. Ryukyu will certainly have their chances today and they need to be clinical in front of goal. Good luck to the boys and those of you in attendance.

“Bitter Taste of Defeat” Match Day 19 Report: FC Ryukyu 2-5 Ventforet Kofu 6/22/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu tasted defeat at home for the fist time in 643 days. The loss was a bitter pill to swallow and made worse by the fact that FC Ryukyu were up 2-0 at one point during the match. The loss does more than end the impressive 30 game home unbeaten run by FC Ryukyu, it indicates that FC Ryukyu have serious issues that need to be addressed quickly before FC Ryukyu falls into the relegation zone

How the sides came out.
The reserves.

First Half

FC Ryukyu played a magnificent first half that saw them dominate Kofu in every facet of the match. FC Ryukyu had 67% possession, out shot Kofu 9/1 with a 6/1 ratio of shots on target. FC Ryukyu maintained great shape when they controlled possession with wide open passing and running lane open in the attack. Kawai, who stated in place of the suspended Tanaka, was causing all sorts of problems for the Kofu defense with his speed. FC Ryukyu dominated so much of the game in the first 20 minutes that it felt like a goal was coming with all signs pointing towards an FC Ryukyu victory.

In the 22nd minute, Ryukyu were awarded a free kick from about 40m out, which promptly turned into another free kick from about 28m when the Kofu defender committed a handball from the original Uesato shot. Kazama stepped up for the 2nd FK and delivered and absolute top draw shot. Kofu’s keeper couldn’t get to the curling shot into the top corner and it gave FC Ryukyu the early 1-0 lead.

Kofo’s first chance in the match didn’t occur until the 27th minute but even then, they never really threatened the Ryukyu net for much of the first half. 10 minutes later, Kawai took a pass just inside his own half and made a darting run at the Kofu goal. Kawai’s speed proved too much for the Kofu defender who allowed Kawai to get past him and find a wide-open Ochi who slotted home a goal past the Kofu GK. FC Ryukyu were absolutely cruising at the 38 minute mark up 2-0 and I thought the side had finally turned a corner in their development, but I was soon mistaken.

I mentioned in the match day recap last week how a goal near the very end of halftime can really turn the fortunes of a football team. It inflates hopes of the scoring team while deflating the hopes of the team who was just scored upon simultaneously. This proved to be the case for FC Ryukyu because they surrendered a goal to Kofu near half time. Mind you, Kofu had no chances on net for nearly 44 minutes of the first half. There were no less than 3 errors committed by FC Ryukyu on the Kofu goal as surmised below. First, Masutani was caught way out of position and then took a bad angle in his tracking back to defend the attacking Kofu player. Second, Ishii was way too timid on his “attempted save of the cross” and this allowed the ball to sneak past him, Utaka, and a diving Okazaki that ultimately found the Kofu attacker at the far corner. Fukui offered nothing in defense as the Kofu attacker was well passed him at that point. This late first half goal proved to be the catalyst that would propel Kofu past FC Ryukyu.

Second Half

Kofu needed exactly 2 minutes to tie the match when their strategy for attacking the Ryukyu defense finally paid dividends. Kofu’s long ball approach was evident very early on and even an amateur manager could’ve seen what Kofu were trying to do and make the necessary adjustment. Instead, the 3rd attempted long ball by Kofu found a wide open Yokatani while Fukui, who was desperate for an offsides call to bail him out of trouble, was caught out. The linesman was correct in that there was no offsides and rightly allowed the play to continue. While Ishii did well to get a hand to the shot, the shot itself was too powerful for Ishii to handle and the deflection curled into the back of the net for a 2-2 score line.

Ryukyu dodged a bullet in the 49th minute when Utaka was able to get past Masutani and then round Ishii for a free look on net in the 6-yard box. Luckily for Ryukyu, Uesato was scurrying back to aide in defense and he was able to dispossess Utaka right at the moment of truth. It ended up turning out that Uesato’s defending was just delaying the inevitable as Kofu went ahead in the 53rd minute from a busted CK.

The CK was earned after the prior CK was defended by Ryukyu but Masutani was caught out of position and allowed for a Kofu attacker to make a penetrating run into the box that required another Uesato clearance. The second corner was defended again but the clearance landed at the feet of a Kofu attacker who sent a great cross into the box where Utaka delivered a bullet header, low and hard, that Ishii probably could’ve done better at defending. Regardless, Kofu were up 3-2 at this point and Ryukyu were reeling.

Kofu were able to put the match out of reach 3 minutes later when Masutani was pulled out of position by being forced to make an attempted heading clearance due to a cheap Nishioka giveaway near mid field. In this instance, Utaka was able to find a streaking Mori and deliver a nice pass that saw him slot a shot past the diving Ishii who was forced to come off his line in order to cut down the angle. Kofu were up 4-2 and they were cruising.

The remainder of the 2nd half for FC Ryukyu was marred by bad passing and missed opportunities. Uejo came on for Ochi in the 62nd minute but his contributions flashed high and wide. Kofu was then able to add a 5th goal in the 6th minute of stoppage time, as a very nice “up yours,” to push the score line to 5-2. More importantly, it put Ryukyu’s total goal difference for the year at 0 as they have now scored and conceded 27 goals. This is a huge deal for a side seeking to stay in the J2 next season as goal difference is the second determining factor for standings in the table. Final score, Kofu 5-2 over FC Ryukyu.

Score Line
FC Ryukyu dominated every facet of the match except for the most important one, the goal tally. Kofu also converted 5/6 shots on net.

Man of the Match

Peter Utaka was a strong consideration since he netted once as well as provided an assist, but the man who put in the best shift yesterday was Shuto Kawai from FC Ryukyu. Kawai created all sorts of problems for the Kofu defense and he committed very little of the normal “Kawai errors” such as dribbling out of bounds or losing possession due to lack of bodily control.

For the day, Kawai created a total of 6 goal scoring opportunities for Ryukyu. There were at least two instances where a Kofu defender should’ve been shown a card, and on one in instance, a red card. On that particular play, Kawai won the positional battle and was streaking past the last Kofu defender when the Kofu defender put an arm out, grabbed Kawai and then brought him down needlessly. This type of
“professional foul” is soon going to be awarded as a penalty kick in the English Premier League and should’ve been a straight red card for the Kofu player. That could’ve swung the momentum to Ryukyu by putting Kofu down to 10 men but instead it only resulted in a free kick that Ryukyu couldn’t convert.

So even though he didn’t score, Kawai created 6 goal scoring opportunities, is credited with one assist, and was a difference maker for Ryukyu. Kawai has more than earned his spot in the starting 11 of Ryukyu and it will be interesting to see who he forces out of the lineup.  

Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

I understand the irony with the section title but we need to see what, if anything, Ryukyu did right or wrong each match.

1. Press the Kofu back line into making mistakes. FAIL. Ryukyu do not press back lines. Instead, they opt to send defenders into the attack and leave themselves exposed to counter attacks.

2. Know where all the Kofu attackers are at, at all times. SPLIT Decision. One could argue that the Ryukyu defenders did know where the Kofu attackers where at all times. They were either marked, early on, or they were way past the defense or in better positions later in the match. More on this later.

3. Attack the Kofu back line with quality crosses and passes. FAIL and not even close. We cannot truly fault Fukui for his attempts as he seems a better fit at CB, but Nishiokoa’s attempts should be considered as borderline pathetic. Suzukui got absolutely zero service until the 82nd minute and that is inexcusable.

4. Mark Sato. PASS. Only because he didn’t do anything of note outside of earning a yellow card.

Match Day 19 Takeaways

1. There is no excuse for surrendering 5, unanswered, goals to a weakened Kofu side at home. Ryukyu defenders seem to be tired, lacking pace to deal with the opposing attack and seem to be consumed with attacking more than defending. Committing our Full Backs to the attack only weakens the already fragile Ryukyu defense. FC Ryukyu’s season J2 hopes both lives and dies with our defense and goal keeping.

2. Nishioka had plenty of opportunities to make plays but missed far too often. Nishioka had no less than 6 instances of poor crosses or bad plays. His crossing to Suzuki was way off and this was on a day when the Kofu defenders allowed Nishioka space and time to make plays. He made poor decisions in the attack and seemed to have no idea what to do when he was alone down the right side. Some may argue that was because no other Ryukyu player was making any runs and if that truly was the case, then he should have attempted to crash the box and draw a foul or at the very least, a corner kick.  The 2 turnovers by Nishioka sprung the Kofu attack loose and led directly to a goal by Kofu.

3. Masutani was caught out of position on a couple of occasions and some of those instances could be directly tied to Nishioka’s careless turnovers. Masutani has played every minute of every match this year and I truly don’t think Central Back is Masutani’s best position. I think he is better suited out wide as a full back as he is better at starting, and finishing plays, vice trying to defend them. In any case, the man needs some rest.

3. The passing that plagued Ryukyu versus Kyoto emerged once again against Kofu. Unfortunately, it came at the worse time when Ryukyu were struggling to get back in the match. Careless turnovers and needless passes ultimately doomed the Ryukyu attack. This problem may exist all season.

4. The reserve players. Uejo came on and offered some semblance of hope for the Ryukyu attack but I am unsure on how to judge Wada or Gibo. Gibo maybe an interesting prospect but he was shifted to RB later on in the match and I couldn’t get an accurate read on his skill set.

Conclusion

The streak is over and now it is time to move on. FC Ryukyu sit roughly 20 points from relative safety and will need to do all they can to avoid relegation. Home wins and draws will be key until this Ryukyu squad can muster a victory on the road. So let’s all spend a little time reflecting on the massive achievement for FC Ryukyu, as I intend to spend more time studying football in order to understand all the phenomena, but never forget, the near-term goal for FC Ryukyu is staying in the J2 for 2020.

Results from Around J2

“Everything is going to be O.K.” Match Day 17 Recap: FC Ryukyu 1-1 Zweigen Kanazawa 6/08/2019

On a day when the weather conditions were less than ideal, FC Ryukyu managed to keep their unbeaten streak alive and earn a valuable point that should keep them in the top half of the table at the weeks end. The real story of the night belongs to Ryo Ishii who filled in admirably for the injured Danny Carvajal. Ishii’s presence in goal was a real concern of mine heading into a very tough stretch of games and I must admit, I was wrong to judge him so quickly. Ishii’s efforts were the main reason FC Ryukyu earned 1 point on the day and prevented the unbeaten streak from being broken.

Starting 11 for both sides

First Half

The first half started out very quickly for Kanazawa and they broke through early because of some rather poor defending on the part of FC Ryukyu. In the 6th minute, Uesato was attempting to play the ball out from the back and though his pass found Komatsu, Komatsu took an errant touch and turned the ball over. The turnover really caught the FC Ryukyu defense in bad positioning as they were in the middle of transitioning into the attack. The worst part of the goal was Okazaki’s attempt at defending the on-rushing Kanazawa player. It seems as if Okazaki couldn’t decide how he wanted to attempt his clearance of the ball, and this probably led to some confusion on his part, which ultimately resulted in him bumbling over the ball -though he never really tracked the ball and was fixated on the Kanazawa attacker strangely enough, and this allowed the Kanazawa player a free shot on net. Taiki Kato slotted the opening goal past a diving Ishii and Masutani to put Kanazawa up 1-0.

Not exactly sure what Okazaki is attempting to do here , but the result was catastrophic.

In the 17th minute, Kazama had a very nice attempt on net that was sent just wide by the outstretched arms of the Zweigen goal keeper. Shortly thereafter, Ishii was called into action once more as the Ryukyu defense broke down and Kanazawa had yet another free look on net. Ishii chested the shot down and quickly scooped up the rebound thus ending the Zweigen opportunity. Tanka had an absolute gifted chance in the 22nd minute that was saved by the Kanazawa keeper to keep Ryukyu off the scoreboard. I hope these “near misses” that Ryukyu are currently experiencing at the moment will turn into goals. We are going to need some of these to start finding the back of the net the next 2 months. Ryukyu nearly tied the game heading into half time when a shot from Okazaki off a corner kick landed directly at the feet of Suzuki. The resulting shot from Suzuki was saved and the rebound fell right to Masutani who unfortunately sent the third shot high over the bar. Ryukyu would be kept off the score sheet at the half despite several good chances.

Second Half

Zweigen started the second half quickly and had two chances to increase their lead in the 49th and 55th minute. Each attempt saw a break down in defending by Ryukyu that left Ishii extremely exposed. FC Ryukyu were lucky that Kanazawa sent the shots wide or things would’ve ended very differently that night for Ryukyu. Finally, in the 69th minute, Suzuki would level the match and put Ryukyu on the front foot for the first time all game.

Suzuki was able to slip past his marker and found some wide-open territory between the Zweigen defenders and then sent his shot around the Zweigen goalie for his J2 league leading 11th goal of the season. It was a very nice take from the seasoned veteran and it is a shame that FC Ryukyu doesn’t have someone who can provide Suzukui the constant service a top-class striker deserves. Ryukyu’s only other chance of note came in the 77th minute went Uejo sent a shot just over the crossbar. The game would end 1-1 and the unbeaten streak would be pushed to 30.

Suzuki slipping past his marker, taking a touch and then rounding the keeper with a nicely placed shot.

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory Review

I put forth 3 keys to victory for FC Ryukyu in the preview article so let us review: 1. Do not allow Zweigen Kanazawa to expose Ishii at the back, 2. Do not allow Zweigen to gain any momentum and finally, 3. Exploit Zweigen’s defense on set pieces.  

1. FC Ryukyu absolutely exposed Ishii at the back on multiple occasions and Ryukyu were extremely lucky to earn a draw. The defending on the part of Ryukyu that night was woeful.  Zweigen were constantly getting through the middle of our defense and they were also able overpower and round Tokumoto and Nishioka. Hopefully Okazaki just had one of those “brain farts” when he allowed the Zweigen player in on net and this doesn’t become a trend. However, what is a trend is the poor defending by Ryukyu this season. It just goes to show you how good Danny Carvajal, and now Ishii, are at the back as well as how vital these 2 keepers are to the Ryukyu season. The defending issues need to be addressed both on the training ground and in the transfer window this summer. Ryukyu cannot expect to play on the razors edge all year and come out on top. Result: Fail

2. Zweigen began to generate momentum early in both halves but Ryukyu did well to slow them down and prevent them from grabbing a larger lead. Granted, Zweigen had not scored in 3 games leading up to this match but we fully expected them to score against Ryukyu. That statement could be tied directly to the first point I made in this section. Ryukyu wobbled for a bit early in the second half but it wasn’t to the extent we’ve seen them lose concentration in the past. Luckily Zweigen missed those opportunities and Ryukyu recovered nicely. Result: Pass

3. Ryukyu had a golden opportunity near the end of the match to take the lead on a corner kick but unfortunately, Ryukyu’s Uehara was not match fit and therefore we couldn’t get the advantage over Zweigen. I mentioned in the preview that Zweigen would be without their starting LCB and it was crucial for Ryukyu to exploit the new defensive pairing for Zweigen. They did, but it took them until the 69th minute when the Zweigen defender came out too far and the resulting turnover to Ryukyu found Suzuki onside and alone at the top of the box. Result: Pass

Man of the Match

GK Ryo Ishii

Ryo Ishii. It couldn’t be anyone else on the day despite the lovely goal by Suzukui. Ishii was an unknown commodity heading into this important match up and he really rose to the occasion. He made an absolute stunning save on a set piece that made it over the top of the wall and on net. Some could argue that it was the perfect height for the keeper to save but Ishii still did well to get to the shot and push it away from danger.

Ishii diving and stopping a nice FK by Zweigen.

I mentioned earlier that he also kept Ryukyu in the match when they were down 1-0 when Zweigen had their second free look on net and Ishii did well to stop the original shot and collect the resulting rebound. There are some aspects of his game that I am sure will tighten up with time and experience and I am not going to nitpick a tremendous performance by Ishii that directly led to the favorable outcome for Ryukyu.

Looking Ahead

FC Ryukyu are on the road next week to take on 5th place Kyoto Sanga. Kyoto are coming off a 3-1 loss to Omiya on the road and are returning home after spending the last two weeks on the road. The games are going to get a lot tougher for FC Ryukyu the remainder of this month and therefore any points earned on the road should be considered a blessing.

“Familiar Foe” Match Day 17 Preview: FC Ryukyu vs. Zweigen Kanazawa 6/08/2019

Match Day 17 Information: (H) FC Ryukyu versus Zweigen Kanazawa (A) at the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium 06/08/2019, Kickoff 19:30

Weather Forecast: Wet and Windy. This game will be played in less than ideal conditions with rain starting earlier in the day and continuing through the match. Bring rain jackets, towels to wipe the seats and an umbrella.

Going to be wet out there.

Match Day 17 sees FC Ryukyu attempting to push their unbeaten streak at home to 30 while taking on 8th placed Zweigen Kanazawa. The last time these two faced each other was during the inaugural J3 season in 2014 when Zweigen won the league and was the first ever J3 side to be promoted to the J2. Ryukyu enters this match fresh off a 2-1 loss on the road to Yokohama FC that saw them lose Danny Carvajal to a sprained foot that will sideline the Costa Rican goalkeeper for at least a month. Kanazawa drew 0-0 against Tokushima Vortis at home and are looking very eager to end the Ryukyu run of unbeaten games this Saturday. One bit of good news for FC Ryukyu is that this match should see the return of Okazaki at Center Back and provide some leadership and skill to cover the new FC Ryukyu goal keeper, Ishii.

Zweigen Kanazawa

The 4 matches I reviewed for this preview for Kanazawa included tilts against FC Gifu, Nagasaki, Yamagata and Tokushima.  Against Gifu Kanazawa were able to grab a late winner after Gifu clawed back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the match. Kanazawa then went scoreless against their next three opponents and ended up losing one of those matches at home to Nagasaki to round out the 4 games with one win, two draws and a loss. Despite the fact that Kanazawa have scored 21 goals so far this season, 12 of those goals occurred within 3 matches and they have also been held scoreless 5 times. 3 of their scoreless games have occurred during the past 3 weeks leading up to this match versus FC Ryukyu and may very likely come to an end with the change at GK for Ryukyu and the overall approach to defending by FC Ryukyu.

Likely lineup & formation for Kanazawa. Note: # 2 will be out on suspension.

Kanazawa Players to Watch

L to R: Oshi, Sugiura & Clunie

Kanazawa have 4 players that have scored 3 goals so far this season with a majority of their goals coming from the strikers. There was not many highlights to watch in the 4 games so I am forced to make judgments on what players to watch based on the stat sheet.

#13 FW Ryuhei Oshi. 3 goals and 1 assist this season. Against Gifu he made a very nice play on a ball that was heading out of bounds and sent a dangerous cross into the box that nearly was directed into the back of the net. Likely that Oshi plays on the Left side behind the two strikers in the 4-4-2 formation.

#11 MF Kyohei Sugiura. 3 goals and 2 assists. Despite being listed as a MF on the JLEAGUE website, he plays up front in a forward position for Kanazawa.

#22 FW Giovanni Clunie. 3 goals and 2 assists. The Costa Rican striker has not featured in a match since week 12 against Fukuoka and is strangely not listed on the Japanese website I use to track injuries. He is a tall 6’3” (193cm) striker that would most likely give Okazaki, Masutani and Fukui fits at the back so I hope he doesn’t feature for Kanazawa this weekend as it looks like the goal less drought by Kanazawa has coincided with Clunie’s absence from the lineup.

FC Ryukyu

Likely lineup & formation. FCR will be without Danny Carvajal at GK.

FC Ryukyu face a stiff test this week as they look to increase their unbeaten run at home to 30. They will need to do so without the services of one of the team’s MVPs this season, Danny Carvajal. This means that FC Ryukyu will turn to Ryo Ishii to man the net during Danny’s absence and that means that FC Ryukyu really need to tighten up defensively at the back. Ryukyu failed to do this in the last 25 minutes of the Yokohama match and allowed Yokohama to take advantage of our misfortune by grabbing two quick goals shortly after Danny’s substitution. It was a shame too as Suzukii added an absolute top-notch strike to put Ryukyu out in front and it looked as if Ryukyu were going to grab a second before the injury. Regardless, FC Ryukyu are going to need to do all they can to grab maximum points at home with their current road form.

FC Ryukyu have 13 home matches left this season and need approximately 20-23 points to reach relative safety outside of the relegation zone. With a total of 39 points up for grab at home, that means FCR can only afford to drop points in 6 of those matches, or about half the games remaining. 4 of these home matches will be against teams in the top 6 with some of the other matches against teams that have already beat FCR this season.

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1.) Do not allow Zweigen Kanazawa to exploit Ishii at the back. FCR needs to adopt the mentality of “total team defending” for this match. I agree that it goes against the team’s current ethos of attack, attack, attack, but the FCR attack has gone limp for some time now and we are most likely going to need to grind out some low scoring matches. Total team defending will mean our attacking players, Tanaka and Tomidokoro, must commit more to helping out in defense by providing top cover to Tokumoto and Nishioka. Tokumoto and Nishoka must also track back quickly when there are changes in possession to clog the channels and reduce the amount of space that Zweigen attackers can run into and occupy. Finally, we will need to be able to get the ball back and quickly turn to the counter attack led by Suzuki and Kazama as they’ll be the only two who can push forward if the attacking mid fielders in Yu and Keita are helping out on defense.

2.) Do not allow Zweigen to gain any momentum. They either score goals in bunches or simply cannot score.

3.) Exploit Zweigen’s defense on set pieces. One trend that emerged in the game film the past 4 matches for Kanazawa was the fact they concede a fair amount of opportunities and goals from set pieces, particularly corner kicks. While corner kicks are not the strong suit of the FC Ryukyu game, if FCR are able to earn enough of these set pieces, it is likely that FCR will score. It should also be noted that Kanazawa will be without the services of their starting LCB, #2 Yamamoto, who is out with a suspension. FCR should do all they can to exploit the new defensive pairing at the back for Kanazawa.

Match Prediction

2-2 Draw. FCR surrender goals too often and with a new goal keeper it is likely that the defense exposes Ishii and he concedes. I also believe FCR will score twice this week with the second goal leveling the match and keeping the streak intact.

Conclusion

Ishii flashed some skill in the Yokohama match despite conceding two early goals. Those were not totally his fault as the team in front of him provided no real support. During that match he made, at least what looked to be, some pretty spectacular saves. This could mean he was either slightly out of position and had to make a dramatic play on the ball to make up for poor positioning or, Ishii is actually that good. We will find out this weekend.

See you all out there this Saturday and do your best to stay dry in what could be a very wet, very sloppy affair at the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium.

“Summertime Blues” Match Day 16 Preview: Yokohama F.C. vs. FC Ryukyu 6/2/2019

Match Day 16 Preview: (H) Yokohama F.C. vs. FC Ryukyu (A) at the NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium, 6/2/2019 Kickoff at 1400.

Weather Forecast: Cloudy all day with temperatures in the mid-70s all game (24C) with only a 5% chance of rain.

Interesting history about the club can be found at the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokohama_FC

FC Ryukyu are on the road this week traveling to Tokyo to take on Yokohama F.C. who currently sit 13th in the J2 standings. FC Ryukyu are coming off a 2-1 win over Niigata this past weekend behind goals from Yu Tomidokoro and Shinya Uehara while Yokohama are reeling from a 2-1 road loss to Kofu. This is third time in as many matches that FC Ryukyu will play a side, that on paper, looks evenly matched with FC Ryukyu. This will be a tough test for FC Ryukyu as their away form has been quite poor this season and the side needs to start earning some positive results away from home quickly.

Yokohama F.C. 13th in J2 with 18 points, 5W3D7L GF16 GA18 GD -2

Current Form: DLDWL Home Record, 2W3D2L, Home Scoring Record GF9 GA10 GD -1

Record Against Common Opponents of FC Ryukyu: 4W3D3L GF13 GA11 GD +2

Yokohama vs Top 11 in J2: 0W1D6L GF3 GA11 GD-8: vs Bottom 11: 5W2D1L GF13 GA7 GD+6

Typical Formation: 4-4-2

Yokohama F.C. seem to have settled on a starting 11 in the form of 4-4-2 after a brief trial of 3-4-3 against Zelvia a few weeks back. Yokohama have the ability to start two very tall FWs in Ibba and Toshima but are opting to bring Toshima on as a sub later in matches. Yokohama could also be dealing with an injury to one of their key Mid Fielders in Domingues as he hasn’t featured in any of Yokoahama’s last two matches as either a starter or reserve.

The first match I reviewed was against Kyoto where Yokohama were hammered 3-1 at home. The defending was woeful and the team looked sluggish in the match. It was this game that prompted a change in formation the following week against Zelvia but Yokohama were unable to achieve victory and had to settle for a draw, thanks in large part to a Zelvia own goal. Yokohama reverted back to a 4-4-2 the following week against Kagoshima and that lineup didn’t change against Kofu the next week.

Ibba really dominated the Kagoshima match as his two goals proved to be the difference on the day. Yokohama were unable to replicate that performance against Kagoshima the following week against Kofu where they were defeated 2-1. Ibba added his 6th goal of the season but the Yokohama defense let the team down once again.

Yokohama F.C. Players to Watch

Left to Right: Ibba, Toshima & Domingues

#10 Ibba FW. This guy is a handful and is in good form right now having scored 3 goals in the past two matches. He has also added 2 assists this season.  Ibba will definitely be a stiff test for the Ryukyu defense as he can use his height and power to his advantage over the smaller Ryukyu defenders. Ibba also moves really well in side the 18-yard box and creates space for him to get on the end of crosses.

#9 Akira Toshima FW. Second leading goal scorer for Yokohama and has one assist on the season. He is another tall striker that Yokohma could employ but he doesn’t move as well as Ibba.

#40 Domingues MF. He seemed to be one of Yokohama’s better playmakers but he may have picked up an injury a few weeks ago. If he plays, he will likely start down the right.

#11 Kazuyoshi Miura FW. How could we talk about Yokohama F.C. without mentioning the oldest player to have ever scored a professional goal and possibly the oldest player at any competitive level in the world. The 52-year-old hasn’t featured in a match since April 7th but it would be a treat for those FCR fans who are traveling to Yokohama this week to see him play. Let’s hope he doesn’t score against us if he does play.

Expected Starting 11 for both sides this weekend.

FC Ryukyu: 9th in J2 with 23 points, 6W5D4L GF21 GA17 GD+4

Current Form: DLWLW, Away Record 1W2D4L, Away Scoring Record GF7 GA10 GD -3

Record Against Common Opponents of Yokohama FC: 4W3D3L GF15 GA12 GD+3

FCR vs Bottom 11 in J2 4W2D3L GF13 GA10 GD+3: FCR vs Top 11 2W3D1L GF8 GA7 GD+1

Typical Formation: 4-2-3-1

FC Ryukyu’s recent road form has been poor the past 5 weeks. FCR has only earned one point in their last 5 road matches and that was way back in April against Tokyo Verdy when Uesato netted a late equalizer. During FC Ryukyu’s past 5 road matches they have also conceded 6 times, scored only twice and been shutout 3 times. These road games did not come against superior opponents mind you as FCR lost to Kagoshima and F.C. Gifu during that stretch, two teams that are at the bottom of the table. FC Ryukyu’s last road win was their first road game of the season way back on Match Day 2 against Omiya.

Now for some encouraging news. FC Ryukyu have won 2 of their last 3 matches and finally broke through to score two goals in a match, something they hadn’t done since Match Day 6 against Renofa.  FC Ryukyu have also settled on a lineup that sees Kazama playing the CAM role with Komatsu dropping to a central mid field role. In that last match against Niigata, Tomidokoro netted his second goal of the season and his first from a set piece. This is very important for FCR as they were lacking creativity from set pieces and having Yu deliver quality shots and crosses from set pieces is vital to this team’s success. It was also encouraging to see FC Ryukyu bring on Uehara late the past two games to add a bit of veteran leadership and height to the attack.

FC Ryukyu do a have a positive record against teams in the bottom half of the table whereas Yokohama have been dreadful against those teams in the top half of the J2 table. Yokohama have a negative goal differential against top half teams (-8) and have only managed 1 draw in 7 matches. FCR on the other hand have earned 14 points with a positive goal scoring record of +3 in their 9 matches against bottom 11 teams. There is one major point that needs to be made with these statistics, FCRs losses against bottom half teams have all occurred on the road and they were against teams that were at the very bottom of the table at the time of those matches (Chiba, Kagoshima & Gifu). Ryukyu really needs to shake off their horrible road form of late and grab all 3 points against an inferior opponent before a very rough stretch of games in June and the packed schedule of July.

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1.) Start fast and get out in front of Yokohama F.C. quickly. Yokohama have conceded the first goal of a match 11 times this season and 8 of those came in the first half of games. This is a staggering stat that indicates that Yokohama are slow starters and can be put to the sword early if FC Ryukyu can attack them with speed and crisp passes.

2.) Attack the back line of Yokohama FC. Yokohama’s defending has been awful the last few matches and they can be ripped apart at the back with good runs and passes. Yokohama suffer from the same lack of concentration affliction that FCR succumbs to from time to time and allows opponents to score. The Yokohama defenders will make poor decisions at the back by failing to marking runs by opposing players, misjudging crosses and clearing balls from their own end. FCR should press the Yokohama defenders when they have the ball and make quick passes within the 18-yard box to create space and shooting lanes for the attacking Ryukyu players. A quick pass back to the top of the box from Tokumoto, Nishioka or Suzuki to a waiting Yu, Tanaka or Kazama could produce some very nice results.

3.) Mark and isolate Ibba. As with all tall, powerful strikers I’ve written about in the past, Ibba will be a handful for the FCR defense tomorrow. Okazaki must mark him on all set pieces and if Masutani draws the short straw to mark Ibba, no pun intended, then he needs to use his quickness and low center of gravity to gain the positional advantage over Ibba. If both Ibba and Toshima are in the match at the same time then Nishioka may need to provide some support to Masutani. Ibba is in good form right now and by taking him out of the match you remove Yokohama’s best goal scoring option.

4.) Do not concede too many Free Kicks and Corner Kicks. I have stated on many occasions that a tall striker provides a very nice option in the attack because the player providing the service doesn’t need to be pinpoint accurate with his cross because the tall striker can rise above most defenders and get on the end of the pass. This is easier said than done as FCR concedes a lot of FKs and CKs during their matches. While CKs may be inevitable, cheap fouls around the Ryukyu 18-yard box need to be kept to a minimum to ensure Ibba doesn’t use his height against us. It should also be noted that Ibba can take a nice FK as well.

Match Prediction

I see both teams scoring and FC Ryukyu slightly edging out Yokohama F.C. 2-1 for their second road win of the season.

Conclusion

This will be a close, tense, back and forth match that will see both sides having good chances on net. The X factor is that FCR has one of the best, if not the best GK, in J2 this season in Danny Carvajal. If FCR can carry a 2-goal advantage into half time and prevent the bombardment of Carvajal’s net in the second half, then Ryukyu could walk away with all 3 points this weekend.

Victory over Yokohama is key for FCR as this is the 10th time this season that they have faced an opponent in the bottom half of the table. With 4 matches against Kanazawa, Kyoto, Kofu and Nagasaki on the horizon, all of which are teams jockeying for position within the top 6 positions of the J2 table, these are 3 vital points for FCR this weekend. FCR certainly want to avoid starting a 5-game losing skid as points will be at a premium this month against much tougher opponents.

I hope we get an appearance from two former FC Ryukyu players in Park and Nakagawa on Sunday since Yokohama F Marinos wrapped up their J1 game this week with a 2-1 victory of Shonan last night and the Ryukyu match is right in their backyard. It would be great for them to say hi to the FC Ryukyu fans who attend the match and I am going to be slightly jealous of you all if they do make an appearance.

Good luck and Come on Lads!!!!!

Shell Shocked! Match Day 14 Recap: Fagiano Okayama 1-0 FC Ryukyu

It was an unfortunate turn of events for FC Ryukyu this past weekend at the City Light Stadium in Okayama. The hosts were able to secure all 3 points after a PK was awarded early in the second half and the boys from Okinawa could not respond. FC Ryukyu’s overall road record now sits at 1 win in 7 with only 2 draws. It seems a long time ago when that free scoring side of FCR was taking it to Omiya in match Day 2 and if FCR hopes to secure J2 football in 2020, the road results need to improve.

Okayama came out in their typical 4-4-2 with FC Ryukyu in a 4-2-3-1 formation. FC Ryukyu did see the return of Nishioka from injury and it was a welcome sign considering that our starting CB, Okazaki, would sit this match out due to suspension from his accumulation of yellow cards. The FCR reserves featured #21, Shinya Uehara FW, for the first time all season and I was certainly interested in seeing what the big man (186cm) could provide up front as well as in defense if needed.

The first half of the match started out exactly as I had predicted. FC Ryukyu came out on the front foot, controlled a majority of the possession and created the most opportunities on net. Unfortunately, FC Ryukyu were unable to take the lead on any of their chances. Ryukyu’s first chance at taking the lead came in the 10th minute when Koji Suzuki nearly turned a cross into a goal but the outstretched arms of the diving Okayama keeper sent the shot wide. Then it was Okayama’s turn to create some chances and they had three great opportunities to take the lead but luckily, they couldn’t get past Carvajal. Ryukyu’s best chance came in the 39th minute, again from Suzuki, who struck a ball first time on the volley but the shot was directly at the Okayama keeper from point blank range which meant he was able to parry it over the top of the net.

The second half began with a flurry of action after only 30 seconds from the Okayama side. I had also feared this would be the case in the match preview and Okayama nearly broke the deadlock in the first 2 minutes. They had 2 shots on net in the first 30 seconds requiring top quality saves from Carvajal to keep the score line 0-0. Not one minute later, Okayama had 3 shots on net with the last being saved from Carvajal and the following foul from Okayama on an FCR player was the only thing that slowed the onslaught on the Ryukyu net.  

However, a break down at the back from Masutani, who failed to track the run of an Okayama player, resulted in a free run on goal for which Carvajal had to come out and make one of those challenges where it could result in a sending off and/or PK. The resulting Carvajal challenge upended the Okayama player and therefore they were awarded a PK. Lee stepped up and netted his 9th J2 goal of the season thus moving him into a tie with Koji Suzuki as the top scorers in J2.

FC Ryukyu began to press for the game tying goal with their substitutes of Ochi, Uehara and Wada but they couldn’t find the back of the net to secure a draw. The closest FCR came to tying the match was a diving header by Tanaka that just went over the crossbar. Ryukyu were lucky to not have lost 2-0 since it was only the post that stopped a Okayama shot on net after Masutani failed yet again to track another run from an Okayama player. Truth be told, FC Ryukyu could’ve lost 3 or 4 to 0 if it wasn’t for the heroic efforts of Carvajal.

This has to go down as another lost opportunity for FC Ryukyu to secure vital points on the road. Both teams were evenly matched in this game, I think FC Ryukyu still has the better overall squad, but Okayama just outplayed them on the day. Again, I am baffled how this team responds to the level of competition they face each week and just hope they can start putting teams away when needed in order to avoid a relegation scrap at the end of the season.

Match Takeaways:

1. FC Ryukyu has failed to score multiple goals in a game for the 8th time in a row and was shut out for the 3rd time all season. I can deal with the fact that FC Ryukyu will be shut out from time to time but the fact that we haven’t scored more than one goal in any match since Renofa is just inexcusable. The players, the staff, the philosophy and formation of FC Ryukyu is designed for one sole purpose, attack. Well, the team can play some very nice passing football in their own half and just over the halfway line but they are having great difficulty in our opponent’s end. Rarely do I see any penetrating runs from the FCR outfield players into the box when we have possession and our attacking MFs just look confused on where to go with the ball. No one is moving and they simply look to get it wide to a fullback for a cross instead of trying to unlock teams with runs in and around the box. I don’t have many suggestions on how to fix this issue outside of training ground work and a possibly reshuffling the starting 11.

2. FC Ryukyu lacks creativity and conviction on corners and free kicks. FC Ryukyu once again attempted several short corners, none of which were remotely successful against Okayama. I get that maybe we are trying to draw out an extra defender thus leaving someone unmarked in the box with the short corner but we are not fooling teams with these set pieces. It is deflating as a fan to see your team win a corner only to throw away the opportunity with indecisive, poor crosses and passes. If FCR doesn’t have the height advantage on set pieces, then misdirection from headers on low crosses that can shift the ball quickly to the other side of goal maybe the solution.  There is not much more I can add on free kicks other than teams rarely feel threatened from any of our set pieces. Yet again, another training ground issue.

3. We need to tighten up the central defense and quit allowing free runs on Carvajal. There have been way too many breakdowns at the back that have created several chances for the opposition. Carvajal has performed admirably on numerous occasions throughout the year in these situations and is why FCR sits 9th in the table after match day 14 instead of 19th. The worrying trend is that FC Ryukyu loses concentration at key moments in the game and this results in an absolute barrage on net from our opponents. This past week is a perfect example. FCR came out sluggish in the second half and were shell shocked by the Okayama attack. Players were standing around hoping for someone to make a play and alleviate the pressure. That is simply not good enough at this level. Outside of the team working with a sports psychologist I am not sure how you improve the concentration levels of the team so they can begin seeing out tightly contested matches instead of shifting the momentum to the opposition.

FC Ryukyu is returning home to the friendly confines of the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium this Saturday to face a Niigata side who just lost at home to Ehime. FC Ryukyu desperately needs to secure the 3 points at home this weekend so let’s all get out there in full voice and cheer on the boys.

“The Fighting Pheasants” Match Day 14 Preview: Fagiano Okayama vs. FC Ryukyu

Match Day 14 Preview: (H) Fagiano Okayama vs. FC Ryukyu (A) at the City Light Stadium, Kickoff at 1700 5/19/2019.

Weather Forecast: Temperatures will be in the low to mid 70s with what looks to be rain early in the day and possibly continuing up to and through kickoff. Winds of 10-20 MPH are expected so this could be a very nasty, very messy match played out on a wet pitch. The rain is expected to end sometime in the early evening but I’d prepare for the worst and bring my wet weather attire for this game.

The match up this week features two evenly matched teams in Fagiano Okayama and FCR. Okayama return home after two weeks on the road that saw them lose both matches against Yamagata and Kyoto. FC Ryukyu on the other hand, are coming into the match having just handed Mito Hollyhock their first loss of the season which subsequently knocked them out of first place.

Fagiano Okayama: 12th in J2 with 16 points 4W4D5L Current Form: DWDLL Typical Formation: 4-4-2

GF15 GA 16 = Goal Difference -1; Scored 11 goals at home while conceding 9 this season.

Home Record: 3W3D1L

Record against Common Opponents of FCR: (8 games) 2W2D4L

Fagiano where an interesting team to scout this week as I see a lot of similarities between them and FC Ryukyu. The teams are only separated by 4 points in the table, each has earned victories via shutouts only twice this year and they have both been kept off the score sheet only a handful of times. It would seem that this match will feature some scoring as each side scores and concedes plenty of goals.

In match day 10, Okayama was able to overcome a sluggish start and quick goal from a Vortis PK to win 2-1 behind goals from #9 Lee Yong Jae and #19 Hayato Nakama. Okayama nearly handed the match to Tokyo Verdy the following week when they gave up a late PK but Verdy were unable to convert the PK or follow on shot. Against one of the top seeds in J2 this year, Yamagata, Fagaiano conceded a first half goal but nearly pulled out the draw after #19 Nakama was able to win the ball back in the Yamagata end and send a cross to #9 Jae, whose header glanced off the crossbar. Fagainao’s last match against Kyoto saw them cede an early own goal to the hosts (though it wasn’t credited as such) followed by a very late goal in the 84th minute that handed them a loss.

Okayama never looked out matched or outgunned in any of the 4 matches I reviewed for this preview. If anything, Fagaiano has started out a little sluggish only to come on later in matches and this is something that FC Ryukyu needs to exploit this week.

Okayama Players to Watch:

# 9 Lee Yong Jae FW. Leading Goal scorer on Okayama with 8 on the season, 6 in his past 6 matches and is the second leading scorer in J2 this year. Lee is a big, powerful forward that FC Ryukyu will struggle against. What separates Lee from other larger strikers in J2, like Jefferson Biaino from Yamagata and Olunga from Reysol, is his pace. His quickness was evident against Tokushima and when combined with his strength, makes Lee a formidable forward. Lee is also good at finding space in the defensive back lines of teams and can rise to meet crosses in the box. He is in top from right now coming into this match and FCR had better watch out.

#19 Hayato Nakama MF. Nakama is the second leading scorer on Okayama with 4 goals and one assist on the season. Together with Lee, these two represent 80% of the goals scored for Okayama on the year. Nakama is quite the playmaker with a very lethal left foot. In the four games I watched, he and Lee, are in synch with one another and seem to find the other often in the opponent’s end.

FC Ryukyu: 8th in J2 with 20 points 5W5D3L Current Form: DLDLW Typical Formation: 4-2-3-1

GF 19 GA 15 Goal Difference of +4; FCR have scored 7 goals on the road and have conceded 9.

Away Record: 1W2D3L

Record Against Common Okayama Opponents: (8 games) 3W3D2L

FCR travel to the Okayama prefecture after having handed Mito Hollyhock their first loss of the season in a very tightly contested match. FCR were able to shut out an opponent for only the second time all season thanks in large part to the efforts by Danny Carvajal between the sticks. FCR scored early against Mito from an absolute bullet header from Koji Suzuki for his J2 league leading 9th goal and he nearly doubled his tally shortly thereafter only to see his shot deflect over the top of the goal. Tokumoto nearly put the game out of reach late in the second half, which would’ve been a tremendous feat as Mito have yet to surrender multiple in goals in any game this year, but his shot hit the post and the resulting Tomidokoro rebound went high and wide. Nonetheless, FC Ryukyu earned a hard-fought win against the top team in J2 and secured that elusive 5th win that has evaded FCR for the better part of 2 months.

FC Ryukyu will have some serious questions to answer this week after Okazaki picked up his fourth yellow card this year resulting in a one match ban. As I’ve mentioned on several occasions, the depth of the FCR back line is of great concern. Masutani has been forced to fill in the past 7 weeks at RB while Nishioka recovers from what I assume was an MCL, PCL or LCL sprain. I am not sure what FC Ryukyu’s plan will be for this week because we only have 3 healthy CBs, one of which is filling at RB, and haven’t tried any other player on the roster at RB in Nishioka’s absence. Does FCR slide Masutani back to his CB role and push #16 Arai into the RB slot, or, do they instead opt to start #30 Nishikawa at CB -who is always on the reserves for FCR matches – and keep Masutani at RB? These are tough questions for Higuchi to contemplate.

FC Ryukyu keys to victory:

1.) Stop the Okayama attack in the form of Lee and Nakama. Easier said than done in my mind. These two are wreaking havoc on the opposition as of late and in light of injuries and suspensions to the FCR back line, these two may prove fatal to FCR on the day. Nakama plays down the left which means he will run into either Masutani or Masutani’s replacement on Sunday. Nishiokoa was seen participating in warm ups last week but he had a large knee brace on. I doubt he is match fit and won’t be for another 2-3 weeks. I’d prefer that FCR start Masutani at RB as his speed should at least cover the quickness of Nakama. Nakama is a powerful player in his own right so Masutani must fight for positioning against Nakama at all times. I worry that so much of the FCR attack comes from our Right and Left Fullbacks that FCR could be severely punished on all counter attacks down the left.

As far as Lee is concerned, he must be marked on all set pieces. He can be seen taking some long runs into the box on set pieces to generate height and power for headers and FCR must get in the way of those runs. If you combine Lee’s ability to rise and meet headers with FCRs inability to defend set pieces, and now lack of height and experience at the back with Okazaki suspended, this seems like a recipe for disaster.  

2.) Stretch the pitch laterally and pull the back line of the Okayama 4-4-2 apart. One of the easiest ways to create scoring opportunities against the 4-4-2 lineup is quick changes in direction. Tomidokoro, Tanaka and now Kazama up front need to be quickly passing it off down the flanks as this will create the mismatches in defensive coverage. From there, crosses into the box for Suzuki or over the central defenders to the other attacking Mid Fielders of Ryukyu should open up plenty of shooting lanes for the Ryukyu attack.

3.) FC Ryukyu need to start fast and get out to an early 2 goal lead. This will allow FCR to deal with the Okayama onslaught from Lee and Nakama and open up Fagiano for a 3rd goal.

Match Prediction: Seeing how I am like 1-12 on the year so far with match predictions there really is no point in providing any educated guess. All I will say is that FCR could really benefit from their second road win of the season as the matches will get tougher from here on out for the boys from Okinawa. I like both teams to score and see this match ending 1-1.

For those of you staying in Okinawa to watch the match, please join me at the Arcade Resort Okinawa or Café Camp Nou (if it is open) to catch the game. Good Luck boys!