2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu ended their season on a bit of a sour note this past Sunday when they fell 2-0 to Ventforet Kofu. They nearly pulled of what would have been a very famous upset on the last day of the season but were never able to score. The loss results in an overall record of 13 wins, 10 draws and 19 losses for FC Ryukyu during the 2019 campaign. For Kofu, the win books them a ticket into the promotion playoffs where they will travel to Tokushima to take on a surging Vortis side.

Match Recap

Starting Lineup & Reserves: J League website

FC Ryukyu were simply unlucky. That is all I can say. While Kofu fired the opening salvo in the first minute of the match, the better side on Sunday was FC Ryukyu for much of the match. Uehara had a shot just inches wide that would’ve put Ryukyu out in front in 18^th minute. Fukui would’ve doubled their lead, or at least opened the scoring, 4 minutes later but his header hit the post. Uejo’s FK was just a matter of inches wide or Ryukyu would’ve leveled the match in the second half. Song Sun nearly found a wide-open Koizumi in the 85^th minute from a header he brought back across the mouth of goal but a Kofu defender beat Koizumi to the ball. Finally, Kawai made an excellent break down the left when he went past the Kofu defender with his speed and his shot, which was a tricky lofted one, required the Kofu keeper to tip it over the bar or it may have ended up in the back of the net.

That is a total of 5 goal scoring opportunities that FC Ryukyu had that unfortunately resulted in 0 goals. FC Ryukyu’s dominance was evident in the possession column as they had an astounding 70% in the first half and ended the match with 69%. Ryukyu did all they could to win this game and they put in quite a shift despite the scoreline.

Kofu had 3 highlights this game and 2 of them were goals. One on a deflection that found a wide-open Soneda and the other off a counter where Uejo was rushing to cover the back line with a very nicely taken finish by Soneda for his second. But these things happen in sports, more often than you would like. It’s not always the better performing, or stronger side, that prevails in every game. Kofu made the most of their opportunities and FC Ryukyu did not, it is as simple as that.

As an away fan, all we wanted to see was 1 FC Ryukyu goal. That is the most unfortunate part in all of this. FC Ryukyu were on the front foot for most of the match and looked the better side. They were not over-matched, not out played and definitely not outclassed. They were however, outscored.

Man of the Match

Ventforet Kofu. FW #11 Yutaka Soneda. Scored both goals against FC Ryukyu on Sunday.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Play Within Yourselves. PASS: There was nothing in the game that suggested FC Ryukyu had a poor performance. They were simply unlucky.

2. Frustrate Kofu. PASS: Kofu did not score until the added time of the first half and it was only after a deflection fell directly to a wide-open Kofu player. FC Ryukyu controlled the possession and tempo of this match.

3. Park the Bus. FAIL: But in a good way. FC Ryukyu’s game plan was definitely not to sit back, instead, they were attacking early and going for the win all game. Kofu had their first counter attack in the opening minute of the game and only a superb save by Ishii on the Utaka shot prevented Kofu from scoring. Kofu’s second goal stemmed from a counter attack but at that point FC Ryukyu were throwing all they could at Kofu so it is understandable.

4. Score. Fail: 2-0, enough said.

Match Day 42 Prediction

Guessed 4-1 and it ended 2-0. A respectable performance by the boys on the final match day of the year.

Match Day 42 Recap in J2

Yokohama FC earned the second automatic promotion spot with a 2-0 win over Ehime FC. Omiya’s draw at Kanazawa meant they would finish fourth. Yamagata’s shocking home loss to Zelvia means they drop down to the 6^th and final playoff spot as both Vortis and Kofu won to round out places 4 and 5.

Speaking of the shocking win by Zelvia, it staved off relegation for a side facing huge odds on Sunday with the hardest draw of all the possible relegation sides. Tochigi SC also pulled off a miracle by beating JEF on the road and climbing out of the relegation zone for the first time on over 3 months. In doing so, Kagoshima was forced down as they succumbed to Avispa 2-1. It is unfortunate that Kagoshima went down as they were the 2^nd J3 club from 2018 to be promoted along with FC Ryukyu. It’s also unfortunate because they are the first side to be promoted from J3 and relegated the very next season.

Conclusion

Despite the loss, the spirits of the traveling FC Ryukyu supporters was very high this day. In fact, I haven’t seen a crowd that lively since the Omiya match. There were definitely more supports there than I thought would actually show up and it is a testament to this club that so many people are willing to spend their hard-earned money to come see FC Ryukyu away from Okinawa.

While it is nice to reminisce about the past season, the J2 2020 season for FC Ryukyu starts now. There is less than 100 days between the closeout of the 2019 season and the opening of the 2020 season. FC Ryukyu are certainly going to lose some players this off-season and they will also be looking to strengthen the squad. I anticipate some players being released sooner, rather than later, and we should all monitor the website/twitter feed of FC Ryukyu for any new information.

Even with the busy off-season ahead of FC Ryukyu, there is still a lot of football left in the J2. There are the semi-finals of the promotion playoffs this weekend followed by the final either mid-week or the next weekend. Then there will be the remaining game between the winner of the J1 promotional playoffs and 16^th placed team in the J1 table. Not bad for a neutral fan whose season has just ended.

In the coming weeks I will release some end of the year articles as well as preview all the important matches remaining on the J2 fixture list. See you soon.

“Spoiler Alert” Match Day 42 Preview: Ventforet Kofu vs FC Ryukyu 11/24/2019

Intro

We have finally made it to the end. 42 match days compressed into 40 weeks of the J2 season. Reflecting back, it is hard to escape the fact that at one point I thought that the end, and safety from relegation, couldn’t come to soon enough. But now, I wish the season wouldn’t end. This is probably the case for every side not facing promotion or relegation and is the life I’ll need to adjust to for the foreseeable future.

The last match day of the 2019 season means the world to Kofu, yet very little more than a moral victory for FC Ryukyu. If you recall back on match day 19, it was Kofu that ended FC Ryukyu’s home undefeated streak. And they did so in very convincing fashion with a 5-2 victory. They say revenge is best served cold. Well, it will be cold in Kofu on Sunday and taking the wind out of the Kofu promotion sails would be oh so rewarding.

Kofu Weather

Hard to tell. My app says decent temperatures with rain while others say really cold. I’m going, so I’m dressing warm and couldn’t care less about the conditions. Let’s get it on!

Previous Meeting: Match Day 19 06/22/19 FC Ryukyu 2-5 Ventforet Kofu

FC Ryukyu stormed out to a 2 goal lead before Kofu came barnstorming back. Kofu pegged a goal back just before halftime and it was all they needed to begin the comeback. A Kofu goal just after the start of the second half was followed up by a Utaka goal 6 minutes later and then a 4th 7 minutes after that. Kofu added an injury time goal to push the score to 5-2 and the 36 game home-unbeaten streak ended with not much more than a thud.

Ventforet Kofu

A win and they are in the promotion playoffs. Anything less and they may need some help. This side has the fire power, the defense and the determination to make life hell for FC Ryukyu on Sunday and could very easily walk all over us and straight into the playoff rounds. This Kofu side thrives on the counter attacks and they almost beg the opposition to break themselves against a very stingy defense by forcing their opponent to throw everything they have at a side that has surrendered the 5^th fewest goals in all of J2.

Let’s be clear, this Kofu side isn’t invincible but it is the type of squad that has absolutely steam rolled FC Ryukyu in the run in of the J2 season. Kashiwa, Kyoto, Omiya, Vortis and even Verdy have absolutely destroyed FC Ryukyu and left for them for dead. So, let’s look at Kofu’s last few games and see if we can uncover any cracks.

Record over 5 games 3W1D1L, while going L-D-W-W-W in order. Tokyo Verdy absolutely took it to Kofu and probably frustrated them at every turn during their game. Damn DAZN doesn’t have highlights over 4 games old so all I had was YouTube but that was plenty. That recipe for disaster for Kofu was on full display and I hope FC Ryukyu took note and can repeat what Verdy did that day.

Kofu escaped with a draw against Kagoshima the following week when one of their players, #4 Yamamoto, made an insanely stupid challenge and was rightfully sent off with a straight red card. Kofu had an absolute gem of a goal by #25 Mori, but were pegged back after the R/C. Kagoshima had their chances but never capitalized and so the game ended 1-1.

Kofu went on to win 3 straight games against Kyoto, Fukuoka and FC Gifu. Against Kyoto they scored in the 81^st minute on a counter and then saved a PK shortly thereafter. The easily brushed aside Fukuoka and Gifu by a margin of 2 goals in each game.

I said we would look for cracks and there are a few but I’ll save them for the keys to victory.

FC Ryukyu

Undefeated in their past 6 road games, FC Ryukyu stroll into Kofu with only one thing on their mind, revenge. There is nothing else at stake for FC Ryukyu as they cannot move any higher in the table, barring an 8-goal swing between FC Ryukyu and Tokyo Verdy, and promotion/relegation is off the table. Therefore, all that is left is revenge. Revenge for the 5-2 dismantling at home the last time these 2 teams met.

Though FC Ryukyu are undefeated in their past 6 road games, the home record tells a different story and one that cannot be discredited headed into the final match day of 2019. Blown apart for 3 straight losses with a massive goal differential, the road-shockingly-has become the “safe place” for FC Ryukyu at the end of the season.

FC Ryukyu will face their toughest test away from home since the Tokushima match where they lost 6-1. Kofu are a formidable side that has surrendered only half of the total amount of goals FC Ryukyu have all year. They have speed and pace and Kofu will press our back-line into making foolish decisions and rash challenges. FC Ryukyu do have one advantage though, and that is they don’t have to play with any pressure whereas Kofu have it all to do on Sunday as they need a win. A draw may see them slip out of the top 6 and miss the playoffs all together\ so they will be gunning for a win.

FC Ryukyu should see the return of Uejo to the lineup and this is extremely important heading into the final match day. I think Uehara’s height and skill up top combined with Uejo’s knack for scoring goals, Kawai’s speed and Koya’s maturity, could prove to be the difference. I am on the fence on whether or not a return to the lineup of Nishioka will improve the defending as Song Sun’s speed may help to counter the Kofu counter attacks. Unfortunately, Song Sun cannot match the strength of Utaka but his only purpose should be to prevent Utaka from breaking free on the FC Ryukyu net.

Player Injuries

Ventforet Kofu: FW #10 Dudu. Torn hamstring for one of the leading scorers for Kofu but he hasn’t featured for them in over 2 months. No timeline for his return and it would be a surprise to see him out there this weekend.

FC Ryukyu: Nishioka’s injury situation is muddled as he is well past the 3-week mark for return so we’ll once again have to wait about 2 hours prior to kickoff to see what lineup Higuchi has chosen and who has made the reserves.

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Play within in yourselves. This is surely going to be a charged atmosphere around the stadium as many of the Kofu faithful are fully expecting a win and berth into the playoffs. This means there is going to be a rather large crowd on hand despite the calls for inclement weather. FC Ryukyu would do well to play relaxed, don’t force passes into tight windows with low probability of success that can start a Kofu counter and most importantly, do not chase the game. Allow the opportunities to come to them through the actions of their opponent trying to crack the game open.

2. Frustrate Kofu and make them deal with the mounting pressure of trying to score. There are times in sports where you can see frustration all over the faces of the players on the superior side when having little success against a lesser opponent. Every missed shot, errant pass and giveaway tomorrow will draw looks of frustration and anger from the Kofu players as many expect them to completely wipe the floor with FC Ryukyu. The longer the game draws on where these two teams are tied, or even in the unlikeliest of situations where Kofu is trailing, will only increase the tension and pressure on Kofu team and make it very hard to score.

3. Park the Bus. An absolute cowardly and cheap way for lesser sides to earn points against stronger opponents. But not so fast, there is a compelling reason for this notion. Kofu are excellent on the counter and are set up well to run into yards of free space on the breaks, but they lack creativity when attempting to break down sides with numerous defenders in the area. So that means the FC Ryukyu defense, and it’s defending mid-fielders, should not push so deep into the attack. Defend, delay and wait for reinforcements to arrive that can support our back line. Trust me, FC Ryukyu has plenty of speed to hit back at Kofu on the counter and score a goal of their own.

4. Need to score. You could file this in the “no kidding” column but Kofu’s goal keeper, Kawata, has been outstanding as of late and has made some spectacular saves these past few weeks. Weak shots will not test this keeper. FC Ryukyu will need Uehara and Uejo to be in top form on Sunday if they are to have nay chance of ruining Kofu’s promotion aspirations.

Match Day 42 Prediction

Kofu has it all to do and can light up the scoreboard with the best of them. Knowing the massive uphill battle FC Ryukyu face on Sunday, I’d leave Kofu a happy man having been able to celebrate a single goal by FC Ryukyu. 4-1 Kofu.

Important Fixtures around J2 on Match Day 42

Kashiwa Reysol have already won the J2 title so that just leaves the battles for the second automatic promotion position, the remaining 3 spots for the promotion playoffs and of course, the final relegation slot. Plenty of drama on the final match day and that makes this weekend really great for the neutral fan.

Omiya have the much tougher draw facing a tougher opponent on the road. Two consecutive draws against Tochigi and Niigata have seen Omiya drop out of the number 2 spot and these two sides drew 0-0 the last time they met. Yokohama FC are undefeated in their last 4 matches and haven’t lost at home in 8 games. Ehime FC haven’t won on the road in over 3 months and haven’t earned a point on the road in over a month and a half.

There is a lot to unpack for the 5 teams jockeying for the final 3 playoff spots. Yamagata, Tokushima and Kofu all have the favorable draws at home against lesser opponents. Kyoto requires Kashiwa to be in cruise control and not really care about a result while also needing help from FC Ryukyu. Mito need the most help and face the toughest draw when they welcome Okayama, the team directly below them in the standings, this weekend.

Kagoshima haven’t won on the road since late August but do have 2 draws during that time. Fukuoka have lost 3 straight, but have won 2 out of their previous 3 at home recently. Tochigi SC have earned 9 points from their past 7 games but they are undefeated in their last 3 games (2 wins and draw). The most recent win came on the road against Nagasaki. JEF have only won 3 games since August but two of them were at home. They are undefeated in their last two home games (1 win and 1 draw). Machida are in real trouble as they face the toughest opponent, who themselves, is looking to lock in their playoff seed.

Match Day Information

Conclusion

We have come to the end of the 2019 season. It has been a great season for the club considering both their successes and failures. They faced several uphill battles; smallest operating budget in J2, terrible weather at a majority of their home games and of course, the transferring of several talented players out of the club. We should all take a moment on Sunday to celebrate these men and their achievements regardless of the outcome against Kofu.

There is no doubt that Kofu are a much stronger side looking to book their ticket at a chance of playing J1 football in 2020. It reminds me of the time when FC Ryukyu wanted to win the J3 championship at home against Thespakusatsu Gunma. We all know how that ended and FC Ryukyu wouldn’t be denied that day. We may see that exact same scenario this Sunday.

Regardless, I am not there in Kofu needing a win by FC Ryukyu, rather, I am there to send the boys off this season and thank them for a wonderful year full of great memories. I implore all that read this or retweet this to come to Kofu on Sunday – despite the terrible weather forecast- and enjoy the 2019 FC Ryukyu side one last time. Chances are we will not see some of these players in 2020 and they deserve the very best from their supporters.

Good Luck to FC Ryukyu, save travels for anyone making the journey and most importantly; let’s have that magical feeling we all experienced in Omiya one more time!

“Soured Curtain Call” Match Day 40 Report: FC Ryukyu 0-3 Kyoto Sanga FC 11/10/2019

Intro

The final home game of the 2019 J2 season for FC Ryukyu ended in a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Kyoto Sanga. Not the type of ending that the club, nor its fans, were hoping for. Nonetheless, the boys from Okinawa achieved some marvelous results during their 21 home games this season that included wins over Mito and Tokushima with dramatic draws against Kashiwa and Yamagata. The only thing that was regrettable on Sunday was that FC Ryukyu failed to score a goal and give the home crowd something to celebrate.

Match Recap

FC Ryukyu looked up for the match for must of the first half despite some of the poor passing and cheap giveaways they execute din the first 10 minutes. In fact, FC Ryukyu had most of the possession, 64%, and three of the best opportunities from Tokumoto, Uehara and Koya. Kyoto hit the post in the 25^th minute but other than that, it was al FC Ryukyu early on. The fact that FC Ryukyu didn’t score from a golden opportunity when Yamada had s shot blocked, really hurt this sides chances of achieving a favorable result on Sunday.

FC Ryukyu came out fast to start the second half and had Uejo made a better decision with his pass in the 58^th minute, FC Ryukyu could’ve been up 1-0. Instead, Uejo’s pass was slightly behind Tokumoto and the subsequent shot off target. From this point forward, Kyoto took over the match.

Kyoto had several misses before Fukui committed a foul in the box resulting in a PK for Kyoto. Kyoto converted for the deciding goal and the spirits of FC Ryukyu were broken. FC Ryukyu quickly surrendered another goal off a CK when they were caught ball watching and then Son Sun was over powered in the 85^th minute by Koyamatsu. Despite the 55% possession that FC Ryukyu enjoyed all night, they could never get past the Kyoto goal keeper.

Man of the Match

Kyoto Sanga FC Koyamatsu MF: First, I truly love this player’s pace, tenacity and strength. I dream of day when FC Ryukyu could sign a player with all these tools, and I guess, you never know what could happen. His ability to hold off a pacey player in Song Sun and then basically shrug him off to open up a shooting lane was simply amazing.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Pester the Kyoto Defense with Speed: NO GRADE. FC Ryukyu did at times and had plenty of opportunities but converted none of them.

2. Be Mindful of the Kyoto Counter Attack: PASS, but only because Kyoto failed to score. There were plenty of near misses and opportunities for Kyoto to bang one in on the counter and FC Ryukyu only escaped with some favorable post strikes, near misses and off sides calls.

Match Day 40 Prediction

I said 3-1 in favor of Kyoto and it was nearly achieved.

Match DAY 40 TAKEAWAYS

1. The Uejo, Ramon, Kawai combination looked really good and if Higuchi wasn’t so dogmatic in his approach to the lineup selection with nothing on the line, it be really exciting to see this combo the last 2 weeks.

2. There is nothing left to play for except pride, maybe player and coaching bonuses, but nothing more. It is high time we saw the younger players in the squad start in order to see what we have for the 2020 season. Higuchi needs to make some serious changes to the lineup considering results no longer matter.

3. There were very nice scenes at the end of the match at the “Tapista” with Higuchi, Mr. Mikami and Uesato all offering words of gratitude. The fact that FC Ryukyu had their 4/5th largest crowd all season was touching and I hope they average around 5-6,000 next year. To be honest, if they want J1, they need the ticket sales for revenue and salaries and we are miles away from there for now.

4. Also, very nice to see banner, and support from the club, to restore a very iconic and important symbol of Okinawa on Sunday.

Conclusion

Thus, ends the 2019 campaign at home for FC Ryukyu. Overall, they finished with 8 wins, 5 draws and 8 losses at home. It is a mixed bag of results in my opinion. There were dramatic come from behind games to earn wins as well as games that simply got away from this side. Everyone enjoyed the goals and it was a shame that Shinji Ono could never orchestrate one prior to his season ending injury.

The home slate had all the ups and downs one would expect in the J2 and I hope the 2020 season is as memorable as the 2019. But fret not, the season still has 2 fixtures remaining and I’d love to see this side end on high note. Particularly against the Kofu side that ended the home undefeated streak so long ago.

“Bookend Beat-down” Match Day 39 Report: Renofa Yamaguchi 1-2 FC Ryukyu 11/3/2019

Intro

3 wins in a row on the road for FC Ryukyu. FC Ryukyu have won 3 games in a row, on the road. I’d like that to resonate for a minute. Quite an amazing feat considering their record up until the Fukuoka match. FC Ryukyu have now earned 46 points this season while providing some memorable moments to their fans in the twilight part of the 2019 season.

Match Recap

Please understand that while I am out of the country, I am unable to watch the full 90’ game on DAZN in order to provide an accurate assessment of the squad. Instead, I am completely reliant on the YouTube highlights. With that in mind, here is what I saw:

First Half: It seemed that FC Ryukyu dominated large parts of the first half. Uejo opened the scoring early, the 2’ with another quality goal, and FC Ryukyu had several good opportunities to double, almost triple, their lead over Renofa. However, Renofa scored and leveled the game just before half time

Second Half: There were zero, I mean literally zero, highlights of this half outside of the culminating event in the 93’. I cannot say which side looked better, performed better, or, who had the best opportunities on net. The most exciting part was the Kawai goal that sealed the FC Ryukyu victory in the 93’. Uejo did all the hard work to maintain possession and then find Kawai with a pass. And Kawai responded in kind with a beautifully taken shot that curled around the GK and into the net. Kawai is awesome, enough said.

Final score: Renofa Yamaguchi 1-2 FC Ryukyu.

Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu FWD #14, Satoki Uejo. The opening goal, which was further indication that this man will not be here next year, was another quality piece of finishing on the part of Uejo. Uejo also added an assist on the Kawai goal with a nice little hold up play, using his strength to hold off defenders; then incredible balance to maintain possession, culminating in a softly laid off pass to a streaking Kawai for the final goal.

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. A win is nice, but dresses some younger players: PASS. Ramon and Song Sun finished out the match. How they performed is another story, and is one that I’ll need to review later.

2. Play your game: PASS. FC Ryukyu did this, and more, this past weekend. Seems they frustrated Renofa at every turn.

Review of Match Day Prediction

2-1 Renofa: FAIL

Match Day 39 Takeaways

1. Not enough data to tell at this point.

2. Kawai looks solid, please retain his services for 2020 and beyond.

Conclusion

That must’ve been exciting to watch live as a visiting fan. To see a last-minute winner, while always spectacular, which is made even more special on the road. This side has really turned it on as of late. I hope that form continues this weekend against Kyoto Sanga FC as I’d love to see this side end the home slate with a win.

“Fountains of Youth” Match Day 39 Preview: Renofa Yamaguchi FC vs. FC Ryukyu 11/03/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu enter match day 39 after suffering a 3-2 home defeat to Omiya Ardija. Despite the loss, FC Ryukyu looked very good in the match and it was a shame that the second largest crowd we’ve had all season, couldn’t see the side pull out a positive result. Renofa Yamaguchi enter match day 39 undefeated in their last 5 and looking to end the season on a positive note. It seems Renofa is finally earning points as many suspected they would’ve to start the season. It matters not, as they are too far from the promotion playoffs to get into the conversation. FC Ryukyu on the other hand, have secured themselves J2 football in 2020 thanks in large part to Kagoshima United FCs win over FC Gifu mid-week.

Yamaguchi Weather Forecast

Renofa Yamaguchi

As mentioned earlier, Renofa re undefeated in their last 5 games. 4 of those matches were against teams near the bottom of the table but they did have a nice 1-0 win over Kyoto on the road a few weeks ago. Renofa easily swept aside Fukuoka 2-0 and followed that up with a 1-1 draw against FC Gifu where Yamaguchi scored very late to break the hearts of the FC Gifu fans in attendance. They played surprisingly well against Kyoto and really choked out their opponents attack in that match. They then somehow allowed Kagoshima to dictate large parts of their match in which it ended in a goalless draw. Finally, Renofa defeated JEF 3-2 due the JEF Goal Keeper having another famous “JEF Howler” that proved to be the difference in the score line.

Really hard to scout a team that plays to the level of their coemption each week. This means they will play well against tougher sides but allow those beneath them in the table to stay in matches with a chance to defeat Renofa. I guess that’s the very definition of a mid-table side.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu are guaranteed J2 2020 football as they are 13 clear of the bottom 2 sides, Tochigi and FC Gifu, with only 4 games, and 12 possible points, remaining. FC Ryukyu should take a hard look at their reserves over the next 4 weeks to see what they have before entering the J League window transfer window in a few weeks. This will require some hard decisions and I am not sure the club is going to execute all of the following but here are my suggestions.

First, with Dany hurt and Ishii on loan from Mito, it is time we Inose and Tsumita playing time. Chances are that one of them is likely #2 in 2020. Match day experience will go a long way for goalies. Second, we need to get starting time for all the non-loan players in the side and that includes those that haven’t dressed in a match this season. There is no where to go for FC Ryukyu this year. We will likely finish around 15-17 in the table and while position is nice, it is not important. Instead, focus on trying to win the last home match against Kyoto next week and end the season in Okinawa on a high note for the fans and community.

But back to the matter at hand. We need to see more of Kim Song Sun, Kozumi, Ramon, Sanches and Gibo during the remaining fixtures. They have appeared periodically and then disappeared for even longer stretches of time.

Injuries

FC Ryukyu: Several; Dany, Shinji Ono and Torikai are all done for the season.

Renofa Yamaguchi FC: Reporting none of any significance.

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1. A win is nice, but I’d rather see players who rarely dress for FC Ryukyu feature in the squad this week.

2. Play your game. There is no secret to beating Yamaguchi.

Match Day 39 Prediction

Yamaguchi 2-1

Important Fixtures in J2 for Match Day 39

Seeing how I published the blog late this week, there were already some big games that took place. Omiya defeated Reysol, Mito beat Yamagata and FC Gifu are truly done with a 7-0 defeat to Vortis.

Conclusion

The season is winding down and while there is always pride to play for in the final games of the season, it is important to get those players who rarely feature the all-important match day experience. This will aide in lining up transfers for 2020 and allow the club to see the strengths and weaknesses of their bench. I will not be able to watch the game as I am traveling and unable to access DAZN so the match day report will based solely on the highlights I can watch on YouTube. Good luck to all that travel to Yamaguchi.

“Burn it all down, then build it back up” Match Day 26 Report: Kashiwa Reysol 5-1 FC Ryukyu 8/4/2019

Intro

FC Ryukyu hit rock bottom on Sunday night when they were rocked 5-1 by J2 League leaders, Kashiwa Reysol, at the Sankyo Frontier Stadium. FC Ryukyu have now lost 5 in a row and 8 out of their last 9 matches in all competitions. The recent run of form continues to pile the pressure on this team and it’s manager and one has to ask,”have we finally reached the point where changes to personnel and the system are required?” I for one, would answer yes. There is a need to change the formation, change the players in that formation and change the manager to generate some sort of positive momentum and energy before this club finds itself at the foot of the table.

Match Recap

FC Ryukyu started out strongly in this match and there were was a brief moment when I felt that something might break FCR’s way and we could sneak outta there with a nice result. It was a fleeting thought since the Yu goal was overturned for off-sides and Koji Suzuki’s 15th goal this season was all but wiped out in a matter of minutes.

It only took Reysol 8 minutes after the opening Koji goal to equalize and then only 3 more additional minutes to take the 2-1 lead for which FC Ryukyu never recovered. There may have been some confusion between Dany and his defenders on the first goal but the second was a perfect example of excellent preparation on the training ground paying dividends during a match.

If anyone has studied tape of FC Ryukyu they would notice that we surrender a lot of goals during the ensuing chaos following the stop/semi clearance of the original shot/cross from a set piece. Cristiano made a run up that simulated he would take a shot but instead passed it length wise across the top of the box. The FC Ryukyu defenders immediately came out to close down the Reysol player but in doing so left several Reysol players wide open and on-sides inside the box. All it took was a quick pass to one of them who turned and shot from point blank range right past the diving Dany Carvajal.

FC Ryukyu were then ripped open at the back for the next 2 Reysol goals in the second half from a nice run by Olunga and deft little flick by Cristiano where Fukui may have accidentally played him on sides. It was yet another case of 2 quick goals in short succession by Reysol separated by only 4 minutes. FC Ryukyu’s best chance the remainder of the game came in the 74th minute when Nishioka had a wide open shot on net that he ended up sending into the side netting. To add insult to injury, or showing the ultimate respect by not letting up all match, Reysol added a 5th goal in the 90th minute when a diving Dany got down to hard shot but couldn’t parry it away from danger and it ended up in the bottom corner.

Man of the Match

Cristiano played a part in 3 of Reysol’s goals on Sunday evening. He initiated the opening goal from his throw in that caused the confusion in the Ryukyu defense, he was part of the previously mentioned set piece that pushed the score line to 2-1 and added a goal of his own to make it 3-1. The man was on fire on Sunday.

Review of FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

There were none in the preview so none therefore there are none to review. I predicted a 4-0 win for Reysol and I got the margin of victory correct.

Match Day 26 Takeaways

Higuchi tried to spark something, I guess, with his lineup choices of Komatsu, Song Sun and Fukui in place of Kazama, Tanaka and Masutani. Before we proceed further I have no idea what happened to Masutani or Kawai to know if they’re dealing with injuries or Higuchi has lost faith in them. Komatsu looked fine, Fukui was his normal self and Song Sun was largely invisible for most of the match.

When you’ve lost 8 of 9 and 5 in a row everything is magnified and criticized. Turnovers, poor passing/crosses, organization and game plan all played their part on Sunday night. For the year, FC Ryukyu have scored 2 goals from free kicks and only 4 from crosses by our Full Backs; 2 from Tokuomoto, 1 from Nishioka and 1 from Fukui. Why employ a 4-2-3-1? Our FBs are not providing the quality of service that Highuchi seems to feel is the remedy to the FC Ryukyu attacking woes. Instead, play a 3-4-3 and get the firepower out there and reduce the weak links one by one and generate some offense.

I will say that Tokumoto looked great in his first game back and was causing a lot of trouble out there but FCR put a lot of their attacking down the right side (something like 62% down the right compared to a 38% split between the middle and left side?).

In the days leading up to the Reysol match, and then early this week, it was announced that FC Ryukyu have signed 3 players. 2 on loan and 1 permanent signing. All 3 are attacking players, one is a young untested Brazilian with some knee problems, a 40 year old icon of the game and creative MF from FC Gifu who happens to be the younger brother of Kazama. While I’ll save my comments for the end of the transfer window, and reserve judgement for the end of the season, I think FC Ryukyu missed the mark with the signings.

First, two are loans and will/could possibly leave in January and one of them cannot play against their parent club, FC Gifu, which is a must win game for FCR. Second, I hope the player that is older than me can offer something besides a Public Relations move by the club. We need goals, creativity and maturity out there and if this pays off then maybe signing this player indicates a possible move to a player/manager role for FCR, which seems to be on the risethese days, ans is a way that also pushes Highuchi out this season.

Third, there is roughly 1 week remaining in this transfer window and FCR have yet to sign a defensive player. While it is true the attacking had dropped off after the Nakagawa departure, it was coming back but has since stalled. Offense was never really the issue for FCR, it was defense, and stopping the bleeding at the back.

Finally, I hope the FC Ryukyu faithful do not place all their hopes at staving off relegation on the shoulders of the newly acquired players. It is not fair to them and they are not miracle workers. They will all need time to adjust to the club, players and Okinawa before being integrated into the lineup and making any notable contributions.

Unfortunately, FC Ryukyu do not have the luxury of time. We have 4 home games between Nagasaki, Yokohama and then the 2 big “must wins” of FC Gifu and Kagoshima in a row in the coming 5 weeks. FC Gifu and Kagoshima are playing much better than the last time FCR played them, and they both beat us last time.

It should also be noted that Dany signed an extension through (to?) 2021 and that has been the best news this transfer window.

Looking Ahead

Nagasaki comes to town this Saturday and is largely being overlooked by most FCR fans as they anticipate the arrival of Ono from Sapporo the following week. The bottom line is FC Ryukyu need points, by hook or by crook, and it doesn’t really matter how they acquire them anymore.