MD23 Preview: (21) Omiya Ardija vs (4) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Both FC Ryukyu and Omiya Ardija need this win on Sunday. Ryukyu, currently fourth, are circling the drain and risk falling out of the promotion race with another loss, or dropped points, to a bottom four side. Omiya, who are starting to get something going on the heels of some recent strong performances by Kurokawa and Ibba, could climb out of the relegation zone for the first time in months with a win over Ryukyu and some results in the league going in their favor. These two sides played to a 0-0 draw the last time they met, but that was the old Omiya with Ken Iwase in charge and Ryukyu fully fit. Ryukyu has reached, or exceeded, the three goal plateau every time they have traveled to Saitama and that would be a welcome sight after last week’s results and before heading into the summer break.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
Previous Match Highlights
Team Previews
- Omiya Ardija
- FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 23 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from Omiya Ardija

With the priority prevention measures in Saitama, as well as the state of emergency in Okinawa, this game will be capped out at 5,000 fans with no visiting fans allowed to attend. Click>>> Match Day 23 Info

2. Previous Match Highlights

V-Varen Nagasaki 1-1 Omiya Ardija

FC Ryukyu 0-1 SC Sagamihara

3. Team Previews

Omiya Ardija: Pretty much left for dead, Omiya Ardija have turned things around the past few weeks. They’ve earned 6 points from their last 5 games, a point total that took them 13 weeks earlier in the season to match, and won their first game in over three months. Omiya are also on their third manager this season after parting ways with Ken Iwase in May, and then caretaker manager Norio Sasaki making way for Masahiro Shimoda. Last week I mistakenly thought that SC Sagamihara were ripe for the picking when truly it was Ryukyu who were the ones ready to be plucked for points and things are shaping up to the same way this week.

After suffering three consecutive defeats, Omiya took the early lead over Tochigi SC in the fifth minute but conceded the equalizer inside the first half. Against Matsumoto Yamaga they had a chance at breaking the 0-0 deadlock but Ibba’s shot right on the doorstep ended up hitting the post. That first win in over three months for Omiya came at Renofa Yamaguchi when Kurokawa scored his first goal this season. Omiya nearly doubled their lead at the end but were denied by their own player, whose momentum took him into the net, and was subsequently hit on the backside by a Nermin Haskic shot to deny the goal.

At home to Montedio Yamagata the following week Omiya once more took the early lead from an Ibba goal, only to see them lose a lead for the second time inside their last five fixtures. On the road last week at V-Varen Nagasaki, Omiya clawed their way back into the game and scored an 87′ minute equalizer from Atsushi Kurokawa who has now scored two goals inside of his last three games. Both Kurokawa and Ibba look to be the most dangerous players for Omiya that Ryukyu need to concern themselves with on Sunday as each is in fine form. And both players have a limited history of scoring against Ryukyu as Ibba has notched two goals and Kurokawa one in these fixtures.

Omiya’s track record against the top four clubs this season is not good, as one might expect from a team currently sitting in 21st position. However, the lone point they have earned against these sides came back on match day six when they traveled to FC Ryukyu and held the hosts to a 0-0 draw. That game also happened to occur after Omiya had a strong performance against V-Varen Nagasaki the previous week and perhaps the recent run of form, coupled with the early success against what is now a much weaker FC Ryukyu side, might just be enough to buoy this team to their first home win in four months.

FC Ryukyu: We know Omiya’s track record against the top four sides in J2 isn’t that great, well, FC Ryukyu’s record against the bottom four isn’t something to boast about either. In the five games this season against the bottom four clubs, FC Ryukyu have managed 8 points out of a possible 15 with 2 wins, 2 draws and the lone loss occurring last week at home to SC Sagamihara. Oh, where would Ryukyu be with even some of those dropped points?

Though Ryukyu are not quite out of it yet, and with the top sides squaring off against one another this week, Ryukyu must get the job done in Saitama. During the past week FC Ryukyu played another reserve match against Kagoshima United FC which saw some of our injured players return to action. Most notably, Dany Carvajal in goal, and Ryohei Okazaki in defense. Each player played one half of that game and hopefully that is enough, for Okazaki at least, to enter the starting eleven this round.

Ryukyu has the uncanny ability to both play up, and down, to their competition this season. A trend that cannot continue in the short term as they need all three points this week. Most of Ryukyu’s dropped points this season have occurred during games when the opposition affords Ryukyu the majority of possession, frustrates Ryukyu in attack, and then hits us on the counterattack. Both coaches and players lament this fact after each of these games and if that is Omiya’s game plan this week, then we need to adjust quicker to Omiya’s tactics instead of sticking with what we though would work at the start of the match and hope for a lucky breakthrough.

For me, that means Abe taking this team on his back like he has done so many times in the past and pulling the team across the finish line. Possibly without both our starting fullbacks, as Numata wasn’t on the matchday roster last week, we also need Koya and/or Kiyotake, Shimizu and Nakagawa to be heavily involved with penetrating runs in and around the box and not simply laying the ball off back to Uesato and our center backs.

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen

1. Respond to Omiya’s fast start: Likelihood 3. Omiya seemed to really go after their opponents in the opening 15’ minutes of games as evidenced by the Ibba goals inside 10 minutes against Tochigi SC and Montedio Yamagata. If Omiya do take the lead, expect what we’ve seen in the past with teams packing the defensive box so we better figure it the heck out on offense.

2. Help Abe out: Likelihood 2. Abe scored three goals in the first five games of 2021, which FC Ryukyu were undefeated, but has only managed 1 goal over his last 15 games, with none in his last five. Though, he has chipped in three assists the last three weeks, but this man needs to be scoring goals more than setting them up. He is too good of a striker to be sitting on such a low goal total. But he also needs support from the cast surrounding him. Abe can create space by drawing defenders in and it is time some of the other players do the same for Abe.

5. Prediction

Omiya sort of have the same thing going for them this week that SC Sagamihara had last week, and earned a quarter of their total points all season when they played Nagasaki and Ryukyu in back-to-back weeks. I think this one ends in disappoint for FC Ryukyu to the tune of 2-1 to Omiya. Season Record 6-5-11.

6. Round 23 in J2

There are some big games at the top of the table this week as (1) Jubilo Iwata host (6) Montedio Yamagata and then (2) Kyoto Sanga host (3) Albirex Niigata. Really makes those dropped points by Ryukyu last week hurt even more now. The free broadcast this week will feature Omiya Ardija and FC Ryukyu. Tune in and enjoy (maybe). Click>>> J.League International YouTube Channel.

7. Conclusion

This is the last time we will see FC Ryukyu in action until August. I honestly have no idea which FC Ryukyu team will show up on Sunday and we can only hope it is the one that secures all three points and not the one that drops us out of the promotion race before the break. Come on lads!

FC Ryukyu Mid Season Report #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu sit just outside the promotion zone in third place at the halfway point of 2021. Considering they’ve nearly matched their single season win total (14) in only 21 games, it is pretty amazing to see how far Ryukyu have come in only their third season in J2 under Yasuhiro Higuchi. For the most part, Ryukyu have been getting it done on the backs of some seasoned veterans with really strong performances by a select group of young players. Unfortunately for this side, they’ve also been required to deal with multiple injures to key starters that puts the notion of outright promotion in jeopardy.

I was not able to to do a midseason report last year with the condensed fixture schedule so I really wanted to get back to writing something other than the normal match day previews and reports. We will look at the state of the team heading into the halfway point as well as the biggest storylines of the season, the J2 league as a whole and the way forward for the club. I hope you enjoy it.

Squad Overview

FC Ryukyu rank third in the league with 13 different players having scored for this side in 2021. Most of the goals have come from our midfield players which FC Ryukyu ranks 1st in the league with 22 goals. However, they rank 14th in goals scored from forwards. Ryukyu has scored a total of 14 first half goals, good enough for 6th in the league, but their 22 second half goals is only behind Albirex Niigata’s 25. Ryukyu have surrendered 8 first half goals on the season which puts them in 6th place for that stat category, though the 12 goals they’ve conceded in the second half of games ranks 11th in the league.

Biggest Victory: 5-1 defeat of SC Sagamihara (Round 11)

Biggest Loss: 0-3 loss to FC Machida Zelvia (Round 9) & 0-3 loss to Fagiano Okayama (Round 19)

Most Important Win: 1-0 defeat of Jubilo Iwata (Round 1)

Most Deflating Loss: 1-2 loss to Albirex Niigata (Round 16)

The Games that got Away: 0-0 draw with Omiya Ardija (Round 6) & 1-1 draw with Ehime FC (Round 13)

Mid Season MVP

The short list included Junto Taguchi, Tetsuya Chinen and Keita Tanaka. Junto’s emergence began last year but he has been a revelation this season when he recorded 7 shutouts in the 16 games he played going 10-3-3 during that time. Unfortunately Taguchi suffered an injury that has kept him out the past 5 weeks and his play began to dip after the departure of Ryohei Okazaki at CB. Tetsuya Chinen has featured in every single game for Ryukyu this season and has been our best defender. He has yet to score from a set piece this season, but his defensive performances are some of the best in all of J2.

Prior to his recent injury, Keita Tanaka was on a torrid points pace having already contributed 9 assists and 2 goals before the halfway point. His pinpoint accuracy on crosses from the right side add another element to the already lethal FC Ryukyu attack. We desperately need him healthy before the month of September.

Young Player to Watch

Despite the strong performances from the veterans of this team, Ryukyu do have a nice pool of youthful talent. Junto Taguchi, Shunsuke Motegi, Mizuki Ichimaru are just 24 years old, with Tetsuya Chinen, Ren Ikeda at 23 years of age, and then there is Makito Uehara, only 22, and current Ryukyu goal keeper Kosuke Inose at just 20 years of age. If Ryukyu can lock these players up for the next few seasons they will have a very strong nucleus to build around in the coming seasons.

Much like the mid season MVP, both Junto Taguchi and Tetsuya Chinen made the short list here. Tetsuya is one of the most exciting young players we’ve had in our ranks in recent years as this side has never been know for producing defensive talent. He played sparingly in 2020 after joining from Kindai University but has taken his game to a whole other level this season. He can play contained while maintaining an aggressive streak; can win aerial duels; and is always making plays for this side when they need it the most. But the young player that everyone needs to watch, albeit upon his return from injury, is Ren Ikeda.

Ren Ikeda FC Ryukyu Young Player to Watch Photo Credit: jleague.com

Like Chinen in 2020, Ren joined FC Ryukyu from Takushoku University and featured in 38 games that year scoring 4 goals and adding 3 assists. He was asked to fill in at many different attacking positions that year and that is probably why he went 32 games without a goal. When Ryukyu came into this season, I for one thought it would be Kazaki Nakagawa leading Ryukyu through the central attacking midfield role, but it was Ren Ikeda who won the job outright and looked very good early on. In the 18 games that Ren has played this season he has scored 6 goals, 3 of which are considered match winners, and added 1 assist. His injury is a tricky one to return from and his rehabilitation may actually take longer than the initial timeline put forth by the club. The hope is that he can return to his preinjury form sometime in the month of September for a potential big push for promotion.

Early Story Lines from the 2021 Season

1. 80 points. In early February Manager Yasuhiro Higuchi put forth the challenge that this team needs to achieve 80-points this season to be considered for promotion. The number 80 represents a drastic uptick in points for a club that only ever achieved 49 points at this level in their past two seasons. If we considered how the team played the past two seasons when they surrendered 80, and then 61 goals, and only hit the 14-win plateau once, at the very least it meant we needed to double our highest ever win total at this level coincided with a drastic downturn in goals conceded. Ryukyu entered 2021 with limited marquee offseason signings – to go along with the departure of Yoshio Kazumi to Urawa – but they were able to keep a majority of the 2020 squad intact. A fact that is of great importance following the CV-19 ravaged season of 2020 when other clubs experienced a much more violent turnover.

So far, things have gone better than expected as Ryukyu have turned into one of the better defensive sides in J2, though they have been undone lately due to injury, and they have nearly matched their win total from 2020 in the opening half of the season. They’ve also got some good performances out of Koki Kiyotake, who is enjoying his best statistical season in the past three years, as well as from Shintaro Shimizu. The only hard part for Ryukyu is that the target is so small this year with only two sides achieving promotion. Stuart of the @JTalKET so rightly said that “some teams have picked a bad year to have a bad season.” I would echo that sentiment and add that some teams will find themselves a bit unlucky to have a very good, but not great, season without the promotion playoffs. 80 points seems a bit low to achieve promotion in 2021 where the number of points needed could be closer to 90.

2. The battle for the Ryukyu #GK spot. Heading into the season everyone wanted to see who would win the competition between Dany Carvajal and Junto Taguchi for the starting GK spot at Ryukyu. Junto Taguchi won the battle and put in some phenomenal performances that has propelled Ryukyu to their current spot in the table, but like Dany Carvajal, he suffered an injury that has forced him to miss some time during a crucial part of Ryukyu’s season. This has forced Ryukyu to start 20-year-old Kosuku Inose at GK the past few rounds and while he has performed admirably at times, Ryukyu desperately need the veteran presence of either Taguchi or Dany back there after the Olympic break.

The good news is that we should see Dany emerge from his stress fracture in the next few weeks with Junto shortly behind. Ryukyu need both of these players pushing each other in training as without competition, some times complacency can set in.

3. Injuries have thrown promotion into doubt. The table below illustrates the damage that Ryukyu has suffered so far, and been forced to overcome in their quest for promotion. None of these injuries have been of the mild variety outside of Abe’s brief absence for a few weeks and some reports on players and staffers testing positive for CV-19. Both Abe and Makito Uehara dealt with injuries this season but both have returned to the lineup.

The fact that Ryukyu are down two of their top four scorers; two of their starting goalies; and one central defender, has put this team at or near the breaking point. In any season there will be injuries, but I feel some emerged from the rigors of training in between games whereas the oldest team in J2 probably needs more work on technical issues rather than physical preparation.

4. The Reserve League. FC Ryukyu entered the new J-League reserve league, known as the J-Elite league, which has given some of our reserve players valuable playing time. Ryukyu are currently 2-0 in the league with wins over Nagasaki and Fukuoka, but more importantly, it is keeping some of the reserve players that feature for Ryukyu from time-to-time match ready. It also provides an avenue for young players like, Koki Yushin, to gain some valuable match experience against senior level competition. Yushin played really well in his first game as a 16-year-old and the future looks bright for this player who is currently attending the U-16 Japan National team training camp.

5. FC Ryukyu sign their first ever player from Thailand. Sittichok Paso was signed on loan from Chonburi FC of the Thai league and was able to go through the J-League protocols to join FC Ryukyu in May. The U-23 Thai national team player has made on appearance at the senior level for the club but did score in the most recent J-Elite league match at Fukuoka. Ryukyu have switched formations to 4-4-2 as of late and this set up could allow Paso more playing time moving forward. Ryukyu also signed two players from Vietnam but for whatever reason, they’ve been unable to enter Japan, clear the 14-day protocols at the designated J-League facility, and ultimately join the club.

Snapshot of the J2 at the Break

To no one’s surprise, Kyoto Sanga FC finds themselves near the top of the table. Tipped by many to win the league outright in 2021, I do not see that juggernaut slowing down one bit. Jubilo Iwata sputtered off the line with 2 wins in their opening 5 matches before embarking on an impressive streak that has seen them only lose once since Match Day 6. Albirex Niigata led the league the longest this season before a bit of dip in form recently.

The second pack in the table consists of Ventforet Kofu, V-Varen Nagasaki, Montedio Yamagata, and FC Machida Zelvia. These teams have been a bit streaky at times this season but nonetheless are still in the hunt for promotion. I think Nagasaki was also one of the favorites of some to earn promotion after their strong finish in 2020, but things have not gone according to plan this year. Perhaps we see a team (Montedio Yamagata) emerge from this pack with a strong second half and secure one of the promotion spots.

The third and final pack is that of the teams facing relegation. SC Sagamihara was tipped by many to go straight back down to J3 and they’ve done nothing but reinforce that notion. Shockingly, or not, Omiya Ardija find themselves embroiled in this relegation battle but after going through several managerial changes this season, they may have just enough time to pull themselves out of it. Thespakusatsu Gunma have also changed managers after winning only once in their past twelve games. Another team that many expected to struggle is Giravanz Kitakyushu after a massive squad overhaul following the 2020 season. Ehime FC has been at or near the bottom for most of the season but are only separated by 4-points from 15th places Renofa Yamaguchi. Just like a team that could emerge from the pack for promotion, any number of the bottom seven sides could find themselves in J3 in 2022.

The Long Road Ahead

FC Ryukyu are probably in their most favorable set of fixtures for the remainder of the season. They open the second half of the season with 3 of the 4 bottom sides currently in J2, followed by games against two teams in the bottom half of the table with a very tough match against up and coming Montedio Yamagata mixed in. Of the top four teams, it is only Ryukyu who do not own a double-digit undefeated streak for this season.

Obviously these long stretches have propelled the top sides to their current spots, but some have already been broken and it seems unlikely that Iwata’s current form can continue unabated. Ryukyu have a chance, at least on paper, of matching their longest stretch of undefeated games (8) with the remaining fixtures this month and in August. Which all leads towards the make or break month of September for FC Ryukyu.

3-games against the top competition all of which are on the road. Hopefully by this time all of the currently injured Ryukyu starters are back to full fitness as too many dropped points in this month will likely end all thoughts of promotion. But if they do emerge from September unscathed, then they only have 3 tough fixtures to navigate over the remaining months.

Conclusion

There are certainly areas that this side needs to improve over the course of the second half of the season. Primarily their goals scored to conceded ratio away from Okinawa as they have some hugely important road games in the coming months. The club had a few brushes with CV-19 this season and are currently playing behind closed doors. While CV-19 may be a persistent threat until the players and staff are vaccinated, Ryukyu will return from the Olympic break to see no fans in the stands as the State of Emergency here in Okinawa has been extended until August 22nd, which, is unfortunate but necessary. Speaking of the break, it really couldn’t come at a better time for this club with all the injures and travel they’ve logged to date.

I think FC Ryukyu has done enough to hang around near the top and give themselves a punchers chance at promotion. They need to continue to pile up the wins during their remaining 10 home games while achieving some unexpected, in a good way, results on the road.

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

Intro

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

Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 20 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

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

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

4. Prediction

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

5. Talking Points from Round 20

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

6. Round 20 in J2

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

7. Conclusion

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

MD19 Report: Fagiano Okayama vs FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

For the fifth time in as many games Fagiano Okayama scored the first goal of the game between these two teams, and the Satoki Uejo strike was all they needed to take the win. Shintaro Shimizu had an excellent opportunity inside the opening seventeen minutes to put Ryukyu ahead but his low shot was saved by the Okayama keeper and Ryukyu wouldn’t have a better chance to score all night. That is not to say Ryukyu didn’t come close; Uesato had a few free kicks sail just wide and Koya had a chance to level the match in the second half following Takuma Abe’s solo effort, but Ryukyu turnovers killed any momentum – despite the large amount of possession Ryukyu enjoyed on Saturday- which led to two more Okayama goals. The loss for Ryukyu doesn’t shift their position in the table, but it now sees them four points off the leaders, three behind Albirex Niigata, and only four ahead of quickly rising V-Varen Nagasaki.

Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 19 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

Fagiano Okayama 3-0 FC Ryukyu

2. Man of the Match

Fagiano Okayama Central Midfielder Eiji Shirai: Bagged his first goal of the year and then added an assist on Okayama’s third goal.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Get that first goal. Likelihood 3. Obviously not. Couldn’t even muster a single goal on the day. The game played out as expected when Okayama takes a lead.

2. No excuses this time if Okayama parks the bus. Likelihood 2. It is the same thing every time from Higuchi following a match in which Ryukyu out possesses, out shoots an opponent and either loses or limps to a draw. “We created a lot of chances but couldn’t score and we need to take this loss seriously.” Great, now what? Do we need to dip into the summer transfer market to find a spark for the offense?

4. Prediction

Tipped it to end 2-1 for Ryukyu and it wasn’t even close. Season Record 6-4-9.

5. Talking Points from Round 19

1. Ikeda’s injury leads to a 4-4-2 formation. There has been no word on the extent of Ikeda’s injury stemming from last week’s nasty fall, but Higuchi started Abe and Shintaro up top in a new formation for Ryukyu. Abe and Shintaro meshed well and it was the first time all season we’ve seen Ryukyu be very direct down the middle, but they just couldn’t score. Ryukyu’s best chance, and one which would have set the game on a very different trajectory, came in the 17’ minute from a nice back heel from Abe to Shintaro, but Shimizu’s shot was of the low and hard variety instead of higher where he had the entire net to shoot at. This was definitely the turning point in the game.

2. Lucky bounces and turnovers. Satoki Uejo opened the scoring after an initial shot rang off the post and took a fortuitous bounce through several players and into Uejo’s feet where he stuck a precision shot between four Ryukyu players. Okayama’s second and third goals came directly off of Ryukyu turnovers deep in their end though I am not sure what Inose was doing dropping to his knees on the second goal, which wasn’t struck nearly as hard as the third from close range. I cannot with any certainty say that Inose should’ve got closer to the third Okayama goal as it was so well struck that Inose couldn’t react in time to get his hands up.

3. Abe did the best he could to carry the team. There were a couple of moments this game when Abe put his head down and drove on net leading to good goal scoring chances for Ryukyu. We’ve seen this before, and it was successful last year on the one occasion, but nothing materialized this past weekend. There were some shouts for a PK on one such play, but the highlights don’t lend themselves to determining if Abe was truly fouled or his momentum took him off his feet.

4. What needs to change? There isn’t much we can do while some of our key players recover from injury but the lack of goals, shutout in four of their last ten games and averaging a goal game over their last five, has seen the early season momentum stall. Ryukyu, more so than some of the other teams in the league, may really need the midseason break to get things right. They have four favorable matchups prior to the break and need to quickly rebound from their second heaviest defeat of 2021.

6. Round 19 in J2

All three of the top sides won this round with V-Varen Nagasaki continuing their climb to the top.

7. Conclusion

Heading into this game we all knew that Ryukyu were riddled with injuries to key players but also in their most favorable stretch of games. Dropping points from an unconvincing performance is not the result we needed, but I expect there to be more of this yo-yoing of results until they are back to full health. That doesn’t make this loss any better and certainly isn’t an excuse for more dropped points moving forward. It is just the reality we are dealing with at the moment. Ryukyu are far from out of it with a little more than half the season to go, but they need to turn things around over their next five games or risk falling off the pace altogether.

Match Day 5 Report: JEF United Chiba vs FC Ryukyu 3/27/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu have equaled their greatest ever wining streak (5) dating back to 2018 when they defeated JEF United Chiba 2-1 on Saturday. The win moves FC Ryukyu into second place behind also undefeated Albirex Niigata. This was the first time FC Ryukyu ever beat JEF – ever scored against JEF- and played from behind all year. You may not consider a win against a team lower than Ryukyu in the standings as a significant achievement but considering the history between these clubs, and how that fits into this season, it was a huge win for Ryukyu.

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Match Day 5 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Day 5 Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu GK Junto Taguchi: While Tanaka’s efforts shouldn’t go unnoticed, neither should Taguchi’s efforts be lost in the box score. Taguchi made save after save in the first half to keep the score level and continued to pile up the big saves in the second half.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Slay the Dragon. Likelihood 4. And they did. Ryukyu overcame a deficit for the first time all year and responded well in the face of adversity. The minor details matter in any season and this win was huge for Ryukyu for so many reasons. You cannot quantify this stat, but I want you to understand how important this win was for Ryukyu mentally to score, come from behind, and defeat an opponent they have never beat in two seasons. Only four more opponents to go in that category.

4. Prediction

Well I said we’d win by 1 goal at least. Season Record 3-0-2.

5. Talking Points

1. Playing as a unit. Ryukyu have shown a penchant this year for picking each other up when one member is having a bad day at the office. This week it was Chinen’s turn to have a forgettable movement, but both the team and then Chinen responded accordingly. Chinen slipped and allowed JEF to penetrate our defense, to which Okazaki also slipped on the turf though I am not sure where he was recovering to after he got to his feet, and then JEF finally had a wide-open shooting lane to score. Chinen, Yong Jick, and Numata more than made up for that early discretion with their defending at the end by clearing balls, blocking shots, closing down shooting lanes and marking men. Chinen will use this game as teaching lesson and will respond accordingly, don’t worry about him.

Photo Credit: J League. The Captain Uesato picking Chinen up after the game. Chinen responded well to an earlier mishap, evidence of the weight lifted off the teams shoulders from that win.

It should also be noted how the team responded to adversity. We already noted Numata, Yong Jick and Chinen in defense, but it was Tanaka in the attack. Ryukyu played from behind for all of 3 minutes before taking the lead for good within 5 minutes of JEF’s opening goal. Tanaka’s two crosses were met by Abe and Shintaro Shimizu and though the crosses were on target, the two forwards had a lot to do with them when they arrived. I spoke earlier in the week how it was good for Shintaro to play in the reserve games to get firing and it paid off this week. Abe for his part, is the best finisher in this league.

2. A game of missed opportunities. According to my count, JEF missed 6 golden opportunities to Ryukyu’s 3. Abe missed two early from tough bounces and being wrong footed, and also Ikeda missed a wide-open header early, but JEF had many great looks on net yesterday that ultimately sailed high and wide. The two misses by JEF near the end sealed their fate.

3. Send me everyone! JEF made a single substitution of 5 players at one time. I’ve never seen this and that had to be unsettling to a team when you replace half of the outfield players. Maybe it was an act of desperation in an attempt to equalize, but Higuchi was able to respond by also inserting Yong-Jick and allow both Uehara and Yong Jick to mark Salomon on all set pieces near the end.

4. I think the early cracks are visible on how to break down Ryukyu. I love Tanaka’s aggressiveness and assertiveness in the attack, but I think teams are starting to realize that attacking down the right, and left, might be this team’s Achilles heel. I am not saying that Tanaka cannot defend, or won’t, but that teams are starting to realize Ryukyu prefer to attack from the flanks, lack the thrust through the middle, and over commit at times down the sides may open up us in new ways. I have no clue how to remedy this as this puts all the pressure on the CBs and CDMs to cover the back when Ryukyu commit to the attack, but everything is working right now so no need to tinker with the formula for success.

6. Match Day 5 in J2

The Niigata battering ram continued along its path of destruction by dismantling Tokyo Verdy 7-0. The amount of goals scored by Niigata in that single game is more than 13 teams have scored all year in J2! It was kind of a disappointing weekend for some of the favorites as Nagasaki, Kofu, Kyoto, and Yamagata all lost.

7. Conclusion

With one more win FC Ryukyu will set the club’s single season record for consecutive wins. But that is no easy ask despite their opponent, Omiya Ardija, being one that Ryukyu have experienced many fortuitous results against in their short time in J2. Just like this week with Ryukyu needing to cross a major obstacle in JEF, Omiya too will be looking to exorcise some ghosts of years past against Ryukyu.

Would you have agreed to take the 15 points Ryukyu have earned at the start of the season if you knew it would pay dividends later when it comes to a relegation scrap? Do you know that FC Ryukyu are 1 of only 5 teams to win their opening 4 fixtures and not get promoted that year (2019)? Do you believe that 6 of 7 teams who opened the J2 season with 5 consecutive wins have gone on to earn promotion? I don’t want FC Ryukyu to be the second team in that stat to not to earn promotion. What do you believe about FC Ryukyu?

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

Intro

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

Weather Forecast & Match Info
Match Day 4 Recaps
Team Previews
- JEF United Chiba
- FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Match Day 5 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

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

Match Day Information from JEF United Chiba Website

2. Match Day 4 Recaps

Matsumoto Yamaga FC 0-1 JEF United Chiba

FC Ryukyu 3-1 V-Varen Nagasaki

3. Team Previews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen

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

5. Prediction

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

6. Match Day 5 in J2

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

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

YouTube Broadcast: Tokushima Vortis vs Oita Trinita

7. Conclusion

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

Special Edition: J Elite League Match Day 1 Recap of FC Ryukyu vs V-Varen Nagasaki 3/21/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu played their first of six games in the 2021 J Elite League this past Sunday and I was fortunate enough to attend. Ryukyu will play another 5 games in a round-robin home and away tournament against Nagasaki, Kagoshima United FC and Avispa Fukuoka inside Group C. The opening game ended in 1-1 draw with two first half goals from both sides but I was more excited to see some of the players on the team that haven’t featured for Ryukyu this season.

Brief History on the J Elite League

Prior to this year I had no idea that there was even a ‘reserve’ league in existence for the J-League, but that was based on the fact that FC Ryukyu never participated in this type of tournament before. The only history I can find about any ‘reserve tournament’ existing for the J-League was from 1993-2009 before taking a lengthy break until 2016, followed by the J-Satellite League in 2018 and 2019, and finally the creation of the J Elite League in 2020. However, the 2020 season as cancelled due to the Coronavirus.

The League is designed on the premise of developing players under the age of 21, those within a team’s youth academy, and for the reserve members of each team. This year’s League will feature 14 clubs within 3 groups that are broken up geographically in a round-robin tournament from March 8 – November 30. Each club must have at least 3 U-21 participants in each match and they can make up to 7 substitutions each game through three substations not counting any made at half time. Plus the ‘concussion’ substitution rule change is in effect for the league.

Their was a cash incentive paid out to the top 6 sides of this tournament in 2018/19 but I am not sure if that system is still in place for 2021. As far as I can tell, there isn’t an official section of the J-League website that is dedicated to posting the results of each match or the overall standings. As for now, all you have to go on is the press releases from each of the clubs participating in the tournament. More information about the League can be found in the links below this section.

Official J-League Release J League Reserve League Wiki FC Ryukyu Official Release

Match Day 1 Recap

Luckily V-Varen Nagasaki posted a video for this match to their official YouTube Channel

Talking Points

1. These matches obviously benefit the reserve players more than the academy players but this game couldn’t have come at a better time. Most of the starting 11 for Ryukyu were either bench players from previous matches or players you would expect to feature in the event of an injury to a starting member. And it was good to get these guys “match experience” with FC Ryukyu facing a bit of an injury crisis at the moment.

You may have seen that Dany Carvajal will be out for a few months while he deals with a stress fracture to his lower leg. Though Taguchi has a stranglehold on the starting GK position, I am sure the competition for the starting role at practices will fall off with Dany out and Ryukyu are left with only 1 other GK with any J2 experience, Inose. However, it was Tsumita who got the start over Inose on Sunday. Perhaps they want to see what they have in Tsumita moving forward or perhaps he has earned the #3 GK role for Ryukyu.

Shintaro Shimizu leveled the score with a thunderous strike and his contributions to the first team will be vital in the event Abe misses time due to injury. There has been no word on the status of Abe following his exit due to injury this past Saturday and I truly do not expect the club to release any unless it is serious enough to warrant a lengthy absence. In my opinion, that leaves Shintaro as the likely candidate to start at FWD for Ryukyu. He mas made appearances this season but could be asked to play a lot more in the coming weeks.

It is a shame there are only five more of these games throughout the year as you would want these reserve players to get as many match minutes as possible in the event they are called up. Still, I think Ryukyu made the right call to join this league with the number of players they have on the roster so as to evaluate what they have at any given moment and more importantly by season’s end.

2. It was a telling sign to see who didn’t dress for this match. In particular, Ramon and Nakagawa. There is chatter amongst the Ryukyu supporters that Ramon is dealing with a minor injury that won’t keep him out for long, but the rumors surrounding Nakagawa are more concerning. Some of the supporters said that Nakagawa arrived in “rough shape” to Ryukyu this offseason. This could mean anything from a nagging injury requiring a rehabilitation and strengthening period or just being out of football shape from not featuring on a regular basis for the better part of two seasons. I hope Nakagawa is progressing in his efforts to return to the pitch as he can provide a huge boost to the attack when match fit. He may need to return sooner rather than later in the event Ikeda is asked to fill in up top for the injured Abe.

We also didn’t see RB Tavares or MF Sawada in this match and there has been no word on their status to date.

3. Yong-Jick looks to be a better CDM than CB. When Murase came on for Ichimaru, Yong Jick moved forward into the central mid fielder role and he looked more comfortable, more in control, and was better positioned defensively than I’ve seen from him in the past. Ryukyu’s only other center backs on the roster are Fukui and Murase so they don’t have the luxury of depth at the position to make the switch permanent, but it may provide some flexibility for Ryukyu moving forward. I would have rather seen Makito Uehara make the move to CDM this game but I understand why it is important to get him some game reps at his listed RB position.

4. Shunsuke Motegi looked good in his first full match in quite some time. Ryukyu currently dress four forwards each match but I don’t think that is sustainable. Motegi was a very good player before coming to Ryukyu and his inclusion into the top team could prove vital in the case of Shintaro moving into the starting FWD role.

5. FC Ryukyu and the fans should be very excited for what they have in both Reo Yamashita (LB) and Koki Yushin (MF). Both players had a really good game against this level of competition and the future looks really bright for the 16-year-old Yushin. He more than held his own out there and I was surprised to find out he was that young and playing that well against some of the senior players from Nagasaki. Yushin’s development could move forward rapidly if he sees regular action in the remaining games of this tournament.

Reo Yamashita played well enough to at least warrant consideration in the Ryukyu top team if Numata is injured or requires a rest day. Yamashita is the only other LB on the roster and despite not having played a single minute at this level of competition, the college player looks like he could withstand some of the rigors of the J2. There is still a steep learning curve he needs to navigate but he displayed plenty of confidence and skill in his first match.

6. It is hard to assess where the level of this competition is compared to the J2 and J3 leagues. First, most of the players in the lineup were veterans of the J-league so I cannot say that it was any less than the level of J2, or any more than J3. Second, I think there were only about 4 youth players that featured between the two sides so it was not as if we were seeing the likes of the U-23 sides from years past or the famous all Japanese U-23 side from the inaugural J3 campaign of 2014. Finally, it is the exact type of competition needed to keep reserve players fresh while allowing youth players to gain valuable match experience at the current level of their parent club.

Conclusion

This was my first time watching a reserve team match for FC Ryukyu and I thoroughly enjoyed the day out with my son in a relaxed setting. I am not sure how many of these match recaps I will be able to write for the reserve games as the information surrounding this tournament is sparse and the match reports following the games even less so. Hopefully I can get to the remaining home matches to provide some more insight in the future but that will largely depend on when the matches are held and if fans are allowed to attend.

Match Day 4 Report: FC Ryukyu vs V-Varen Nagasaki 3/20/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu have equaled their longest ever winning streak in J2 with their 4th win from 4 this past weekend. Ryukyu now sit second in the table, level on points, with Albirex Niigata and have looked a far better side than we’ve seen these past few seasons. The loss continues to add to the struggles of Nagasaki but I wouldn’t count this team out just yet as there is still 38 rounds to play.

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Reviewing the Keys to Victory
Talking Points
Prediction
Match Day 4 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu Mid Fielders Ren Ikeda & Koya Kazama: It was to hard to chose either one so I will go with a joint man of the match for round 4. Ikeda opened the scoring on a spectacular one time volley, and then added his 3rd goal of the campaign which ultimately turned out to be the winner for FC Ryukyu. Ren was set up on both of his goals by Koya Kazama with the second assist being the best of the bunch. Koya received the ball deep in the Nagasaki box, and could have rightly tried a shot from that range but instead opted to send a pass all the way back through the box to the streaking Ikeda who buried the goal. These two could have made it a hat-trick in both departments if Ikeda had buried a wide open chance early in the first half.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Uesato/Koki/Ichimaru/Yu have to play one of their best defensive games of their life. Likelihood 2. The entire team played well under the Nagasaki pressure.

2. Be clinical in limited opportunities. Likelihood 4. And that they were. The only miss that stands out was the Koki Kazama shot that rocked the crossbar and would have put Ryukyu up by 2 goals early. But since Ryukyu have been saved a by the crossbar a few times this year, this stuff evens it out.

4. Talking Points

1. Doing more with less. FC Ryukyu were once again out possessed by their opponent but were able to bend, not break, when Nagasaki were attacking. Ryukyu needed to be clinical in their limited opportunities and they did just that. So far, Ryukyu have been playing a majority of their games this year with a lead so they haven’t been forced to chase a game which could possibly expose the back line. Though it needs to be said, Ryukyu have been very good at allowing the game to come to them instead of attempting to press.

2. There were a few nervy moments early on. Nagasaki’s attack was a little too narrow at the start and our central midfielders did really well to crowd out the top of the box when Nagasaki pushed deep into the Ryukyu end of the field. Nagasaki had two really good chances in the first half with one shot barely missing and the other being a wasted opportunity when Kato went at it alone instead of passing to one of the wide-open players on either side. The lone goal by Nagasaki came after Ryukyu had established a 3-goal advantage and there wasn’t much more Taguchi could have done as the ball bounced through a lot of traffic before Edigar Junio redirected it into the far corner. On that note, Junio made an immediate impact on the game when he came on in the second half.

3. The victory comes at a high price. Takuma Abe went down awkwardly in the 80^th minute when he went sliding in for a cross by Numata. Abe’s left knee dug into the turf which then made it look like his hip was either hyperextended or he did some sort of damage to his lower back. He was forced to crawl over the touch line before briefly returning to his feet to make his way to the stretcher. Abe was in serious discomfort and there is no telling what the exact injury is or how long he will be out until the club releases a statement. It is a big loss for this team since Abe adds more than just goals for the team. His hold up play has been excellent this year and a lot of scoring chances begin with Abe getting the ball to one of the midfielders in space. It will come down to either Shintaro Shimizu or Takuya Hitomi starting at FWD with the veterans Akamine and Uehara spelling either of those two. There is one other option. Ren Ikeda could move into the FWD role like he did last year when both Abe and Uehara were out injured but he is not the same player in that role as Abe and that would leave a void in our central midfield as there has been no sign of Nakagawa up to this point.

5. Prediction

I was way off with my 2-1 victory for Nagasaki. Do not mind that at all. Season Record 2-0-2.

6. Match Day 4 in J2

Ryukyu were not the only side with a shock win this round as SC Sagamihara earned their first ever win – while also scoring for the first time this season- when they defeated Omiya Ardija. Zweigen, Jubilo and Mito all thumped their opponents this round and Akita continues to pile up points in a strong opening act to their inaugural J2 season.

7. Conclusion

Heading into this round I said this would be a statement game for FC Ryukyu and they certainly answered the call. It is still to early to jump to any conclusions but the signs are encouraging. Ryukyu are facing a bit of an uphill battle when they travel to JEF United Chiba this week as it will likely be the first time where there are multiple changes to the starting 11 due to the Abe injury. While Nagasaki represented its own unique set of challenges for Ryukyu, JEF has a completely different set of obstacles to overcome. Ryukyu have never earned a single point off of JEF and they have yet to find the back of the net in the four games these teams have played. Heading into this match without your best forward is not ideal so we will now see how Ryukyu responds in the face of adversity.

Match Day 1 Report: FC Ryukyu 1-0 Jubilo Iwata 2/28/21 #FC琉球

Intro

The J-League season kicked off in earnest this past weekend where FC Ryukyu hosted Jubilo Iwata in the opening fixture of 2021. Despite all the weather forecasts predicting a rather nice day to enjoy football, it was anything but with all the rain here in Okinawa. However, the wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the home crowd, or the team, as FC Ryukyu notched their first points, and first home win of the season by defeating Iwata 1-0 in front of 3,800 fans thanks to a Ren Ikeda first minute goal set up by none other than Keita Tanaka.

Match Recap
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Takeaways from Round 1
Match Prediction
Match Day 1 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Recap

https://www.transfermarkt.com/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3505171

2. Man of the Match

Junto Taguchi GK FC Ryukyu: The man was the sea wall that broke the unrelenting waves of the Iwata attack. 24 shots, 11 on target, and a little help from the framework. Junto continued the fine form he was in at the end of last season and despite my reservations, I think it is safe to say, he is the Ryukyu #1 GK moving forward.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Keep the foot on the Gas Pedal: Likelihood 3. Kind of hard to do this when they had less than 40% possession on the day. FC Ryukyu played on the back foot nearly all game.

2. Score from Set Pieces: Likelihood 2. Seeing how we created so few chances, from such little possession, there was only one clear cut chance to score from a CK, that Chinen sent wide.

4. Takeaways from Round 1

1. FC Ryukyu looked well organized at the back. This despite all the talk of attacking football by the manager. The combination of Okazaki and Chinen worked to perfection and Taguchi has probably earned DAZN first team honors this week with his performance. We will have to wait and see if this trend continues as I think when the game opens up to Ryukyu, so too will our defense to our opponents. The fact that Ryukyu were under constant pressure meant they had to compact their defense and play out from the back, but even then, the Ryukyu attackers didn’t help the cause with turnovers on their end that turned into quick counter attacks by Iwata.

2. Some of the questions surrounding the team were answered yesterday. First, Taguchi is the preferred #1 over Dany Carvajal at the moment. Second, and much to my dismay, Ikeda was given the nod over Nakagawa at CAM. We saw this early last year before Koizumi came on to usurp Ikeda, but Higuchi’s faith in Ikeda turned out to be correct as he was the lone goal scorer on the day. Third, Yong Jick was left out of the lineup and Chinen looked very good in his place. Finally, Higuchi dressed 3 reserve forwards in Uehara, Shintaro and Akamine. Considering the depth we have at MF, this was a bit of a shock. Maybe he expected to need the services of so many attacking players if Ryukyu were to chase the game, but that never happened.

3. We finally saw a Central Defender rise to meet a header on a CK. Chinen came close to pushing the score line to 2-0 on a set piece but it was sent wide. However, it was encouraging to see a central defender get involved on a limited number of set pieces, and I haven’t seen a header with that much aggression behind it in quite some time down here.

4. There were some missed chances that could’ve made all the difference yesterday. Ryukyu narrowly dodged some bullets when Iwata hit the woodwork, and Shintaro had a golden opportunity to seal the game late on for Ryukyu only to come up short. He took possession of the ball just inside the halfway line of Ryukyu, turned on the jets, and somehow made it all the way into the Iwata 18-yard box untouched and alone on goal. Unfortunately, the finish wasn’t nearly as spectacular as the setup, as the shot was stopped by the Iwata keeper. I guess we got a small glimpse into the streaky nature of this player.

5. Prediction

I thought this game would’ve ended 2-2, instead, it was 1-0 to FC Ryukyu. Season record 0-0-1.

6. Match Day 1 in J2

V-Varen Nagasaki asserted themselves early against Kanazawa, and then hung on late to win. Akita lost in their J2 debut match, as did Sagamihara, with the grudge match between Zelvia and Yamagata ending 1-1. Perhaps the warning signs are already there for Kitakyushu and Ehime as they were soundly beaten in their opening fixtures.

Source: https://www.transfermarkt.com/j-league-division-2/tabelle/wettbewerb/JAP2/saison_id/2020

7. Conclusion

It is always nice getting that first win, that first home win, and it is even better when it is on opening day. Iwata was a far better side in the attack yesterday, and thanks to a bit of luck, were kept off the score sheet. Iwata were one of the teams I mentioned in an earlier blog that FC Ryukyu had failed to beat, and would need to beat, if they wished to achieve the lofty target of 80 points. Time will tell and I will keep a log of all the points over, and under, expectation that Ryukyu net in 2021.

The win on Sunday has really put FC Ryukyu in a nice spot to take 9 points from their first 3 matches of 2021. A fast start, similar to the one we saw from Ryukyu in 2019, could provide the same type of cushion from those teams facing relegation come the end of the season. If memory serves me, FC Ryukyu are now undefeated in games that are broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel dating back to 2019 with a 3-1-0 record. Well, job done and now it is on to Renofa Yamaguchi this Saturday.