Apparently I didn’t see the full picture last week when I mistakenly thought that the half step back that Ryukyu took at Imabari was actually just the beginning of a full on slip into a fall backwards for the club. FC Ryukyu lost 0-1 at home on Sunday to Fukushima United FC after putting in a less than inspired performance in what was a very winnable game. We can clearly see that the battle for promotion in J3 will be a dogged fight all season where FC Ryukyu must take advantage of teams in poor runs of form or risk finding themselves on the outside looking in come the end of the season.
Match Highlights
Talking Points
1. The Lineup: We finally saw the return of Koki Kiyotake to the lineup but at the expense of Mu Kanazaki being dropped. As always, no idea if that was a tactical decision or due to injury since there is so little information regarding the health of any of our players. FC Ryukyu dressed five of our college recruits along with 18-year old Tsusha last night. That doesn’t feel like they’re putting out the strongest lineup rather just what is available. The missing in action list as it currently stands following Match Day 4 for FC Ryukyu: Sulley, Kelvin, Kanazaki, Hitomi, Shirai, Yanagi, and Nakano (5/8 forwards on the roster are out or missing).
2. The Match: FC Ryukyu looked lethargic and fresh out of ideas when trying to breakdown Fukushima. They really lost this game in the middle third of the pitch with the amount of turnovers and sloppy play, especially from our two central midfielders. Ryukyu dodged an early bullet on a Fukushima breakaway that Taguchi managed to save, and with the subsequent rebound shot going wide, but were not so lucky a bit later on. More on that subject later.
Ryukyu eventually came to life in the waning moments of the match after the introduction of Kiyotake who had an open header go right at the Fukushima GK and another shot hit the post. But to be honest there wasn’t any significant adjustments by Kuranuki at the half that contributed to anything positive for Ryukyu. One could argue that any adjustments that Kuranuki did make at halftime benefited Fukushima more than Ryukyu as our opponents nearly doubled their lead on several occasions after the break while looking dangerous and with their tails up. Points dropped at home to a team on the slide isn’t a ringing endorsement for Kuranuki and one that will put him under the microscope a little more than he had hoped this early on. But knowing the club’s track record for instituting change, this will need to be a regular occurrence that can no longer be brushed off before it is addressed.
FC Ryukyu are not generating any offense, nor anything close to quantity and quality shots on net. Ryukyu seem to rely solely on the idea of one of their fullbacks bombing a ball forward in the hopes a forward player can run onto the end of it. Is this how the offense is supposed to flow? Strictly through our fullbacks sending in “prayer balls?” Just look at the amount of passes that were intercepted, turned over, or went out of bounds this game when attempting to break Fukushima’s press. A tactic that many of our opponents can easily employ against us, and one that will continue for the foreseeable future until Ryukyu figure out a way to turn large amounts of possession into goals.
3. Ryunosuke Noda: Didn’t really have much of an impact on this match outside of his angling to get an early send off with some of his ill-timed challenges. The worst being the cross on net when Noda rose for a header but opted to send the Fukushima goalie into the post instead. Indeed a card worthy infraction and Noda’s last contribution to the match for Ryukyu. I can understand the frustration some of our forward players may feel having little support or involvement in games but clearer heads need to prevail when times are rough so as not to put Ryukyu up against it for unnecessary reasons. Have to back up one’s persona with results or else it just looks comical.
4. The Taguchi Special: Junto getting his own section in this recap has become a regular occurrence, but for all the wrong reasons. For the third consecutive week Taguchi put FC Ryukyu in an early hole, one which they couldn’t recover from this time. Taguchi spilled a shot, having failed to corral it, right into a dangerous area that resulted in some panicky defending by Ryukyu, and of course during that fracas the ball found a Fukushima attacker. An ugly goal by every account but one that Fukushima desperately needed and one that Taguchi desperately couldn’t afford. With the indictments on Taguchi’s play increasing each week one has to wonder when, not if, Kuranuki will make the change at GK?
Round 4 in J3
Ryukyu missed a golden opportunity to move into sole position of first place as all the other fixtures had concluded at the time of their kickoff. Instead Ryukyu find themselves in 6th place trailing the teams above them by a single point. (3) Iwate Grulla Morioka required a late PK to muster a draw against (15) Azul Claro Numazu at home and (1) Matsumoto Yamaga FC surrendered a late goal to (16) Tegevajaro Miyazaki also resulting in a draw. (2) FC Imabari once again scored deep into a match but this time the goal resulted in a win over (14) Giravanz Kitakyushu. (8) Vanraure Hachinohe took the most direct route to goal from a single pass from their GK and deposited a blast from close range into the (12) FC Gifu net for their win.
Three of the more exciting fixtures this round all ended in a tie. (5) Kataller Toyama and (13) AC Nagano Parceiro finished 3-3 after Nagano jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second half and looked primed to push that lead to 4-1 when they lined up for a PK. But that is where things went sideways for Nagano as they missed the PK and then conceded two goals within four minutes near the end of the match. (4) Gainare Tottori scored two second half goals just 7 minutes apart and looked in total control of the game until (9) Kamatamare Sanuki scored twice inside five minutes at the very end. Finally, (20) Y.S.C.C. nearly notched their first win of 2023 before an own goal from a set piece ended their match with (11) Nara Club in a 2-2 draw.
Conclusion
No one was under the impression that FC Ryukyu were going to go undefeated all season, or even undefeated at home. But since the slider scale for how some view the club hasn’t moved all the way back to the side of ‘feeling good about the team,’ a performance like this will just engender more frustration from the fans. The only good news is the loss this week isn’t considered fatal at this point in the season and Ryukyu can recover from a minor setback with many other results in the league going in their favor this week. It is back to work for the club with an eye on grabbing some points at FC Gifu next Saturday.
FC Ryukyu started their 2023 season with a 1-0 win over Vanraure Hachinohe on Saturday. The lone goal this game came from Kelvin after a series of nice touches to round a few Hachinohe defenders before depositing the shot in the lower corner of the goal. And that was really all the excitement in this match as neither side seemed capable of completing passes in the oppositions’ end or generating much offense.
Highlights
Talking Points
1. Some questions that I posed in the last entry were answered. Most notably as far as who would start in goal: Higuchi; formation, 4-4-2; our CB pairing and who wasn’t healthy to make the squad. Higuchi appearing in net to start the first game wasn’t really a shock in that you felt that was coming. Not sure why he got the run out for the first game after the strong end to the season Dany provided the club. But that is where we are and you can assume what you like, I know I will, as to why that decision was made by Kuranuki. In the end Taguchi earned a clean sheet but that was based more on the inability of Hachinohe to break our lines or put quality shots on net.
Hitomi started up top, which was surprising, as we all figured it would be the 2023 captain, Noda, leading the line. However, it was revealed in an interview with fans pre-match that Noda is dealing with an unknown, undisclosed, knee injury that will keep him out for who an undetermined time. In what was some of the best questioning, albeit accidentally, by any reporter/MC for a club, Noda disclosed he was dealing with an injury and working his way back to health. We really need more of these type of questions both pre and post match from any reporters to gain some insight into this club.
Another shock exclusion was Kiyotake from the lineup. While I was not able to hear if he too is dealing with an injury, one can only assume he is as why would we be excluded from the lineup? I get that sometimes you need to strike a balance between the best players and the best lineup, but I think Ryukyu are dealing with a minor injury crisis at the moment.
2. Kelvin looks like the real deal and well on his way of notching twenty goals, or at least twenty points this year. Kelvin was all over the pitch making plays and creating chances and of course was rewarded with one of the best goals we’ve ever seen here at FC Ryukyu. Unfortunately he was really the only one doing anything on offense for the club on Saturday. Seeing how FC Ryukyu were reduced to starting so few of what some would consider “regulars” of the club, if teams can isolate, and eliminate, Kelvin from games, our offense will likely grind to a halt.
3. Our defense held, but Ryukyu still faded late in the match. While the first statement is a welcome sign with the defense dealing with crosses/chances the fact that Ryukyu, as a whole, seemed to disappear late in the match is concerning. Ryukyu were notorious for this last season, and luckily escaped with all 3 points on Saturday despite Hachinohe’s late charge. Fukumura, unlike his predecessor at LB Numazu, was able to display some speed when closing down attackers that broke loose. Ryukyu dodged a bullet when Yu was called for a handball just outside the box in the 84th minute and once more near the end on a dangerous header. This team needed a confidence boosting match – in which they don’t surrender a late goal – and got it. But the team was under to much pressure at the end and better teams in this league will find a way to crack our net if Ryukyu are not careful.
4. Perhaps Ryukyu wouldn’t have been in that tight spot if not for Mu Kanazaki earning two yellow cards, and subsequent red card, inside one half of football. It seemed Mu wanted to get on the refs “shit list” early and often with his fouls and extra curricular discussions with said referee. Mu had one, maybe two, chances to put this game out of reach but it seemed frustration set in and in turn some ill advised challenges followed. Mu may have been fouled in the box earlier on what could’ve lead to a PK but all the aforementioned extra curriculars probably attributed to the refs decision to having seen enough of Mu on the day. Again, Ryukyu escaped with a bit of luck, but for a team that struggled with conceding late goals last season, as well as fading in matches, Ryukyu cannot afford to invite any extra pressure while attempting to instill some confidence in the defense. This also means Ryukyu will have one healthy forward, Hitomi, next week against Iwate.
5 This was a sloppy game from both sides. It seemed neither side could string together consecutive, mainly three, passes in a row to sustain some sort of offensive thrust. There were multiple, drive killing, turnovers from both teams. Both sides were able to have a few successful movements strung together but as a whole it was a tough watch for any fan. In the case of Ryukyu they need to cut down on the wasteful passing that put them up against the break but that may have more to do with who is healthy than who is starting. Ryukyu would do well to get Hitomi more involved as the lone ball into the box by Ryukyu that was asking to be buried only found its way to Takezawa.
Round 1 in J3
A single draw from all the matches might stand out a bit but it was Iwate’s destruction of one of the dark horses for promotion in Ehime that really jumps off the page. Kagoshima waffled a bit to start but had a strong comeback win against new joins FC Osaka with pretty much every early season favorite earning a victory this weekend. And so we begin.
Conclusion
Getting the first win of the season was an important first step in the right direction for FC Ryukyu. They still leave a lot to be desired when it comes generating some offense but that may come in time when players get back to fitness. It is not always about how you start, it is how you finish. We are sure to get that litmus test next week against Iwate Grulla Morioka who are the hottest team in J3 at the moment.
Ouch. This one is going to sting for a long time. Ryukyu failed to continue their climb out of the relegation zone by dropping three (3) crucial points at Omiya Ardija last night. Ryukyu controlled nearly every aspect of this game but were not able to convert a single shot, despite the nearly 70% possession. They simply allowed Omiya to hang around all game and grab the win in the second half. The loss drops Ryukyu back into the relegation zone with now a 3-point gap between them and Omiya. This was a must win game for Ryukyu last night and they simply couldn’t get over the line. It is not good and with the season nearly half over, there probably isn’t enough time to recover if the point gap gets even slightly wider.
Match Highlights
Review of the 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. Win the set piece battle. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu did not, and as predicted, this match came down to a set piece goal where Omiya found the breakthrough. Ryukyu finally won some corner kicks and free kicks in dangerous areas but couldn’t convert a single one.
Matchday 18 Takeaways
1. The attack really missed Kusano. As expected, Kusano was not in the lineup following his injury from the previous match. Without him, Ryukyu looked limp in the attack. Despite some great build up play, shots were sent high, wide or weakly hit directly at the Omiya GK. Omiya, even with such limited chances, looked far more dangerous in the attack and with their shots. Omiya were asking questions of Taguchi whereas Ryukyu seemed genuinely disinterested in scoring at all last night even with Omiya struggling with goalkeeping as we did nothing to test the Omiya GK. The stat sheet says we had eight (8) shots on net but I’m hard pressed to believe it was anymore than two (2). Ren Ikeda and Kiyotake had decent games, nearly scored in the opening half, but it should’ve been Kiyotake receiving the pass from Ren on the fast break, and not Nakano, as Kiyotake scores from that part of the box nearly every time. How can we be so bad at finishing?
2. No room to complain on the blatant missed handball call at the end. The fact is Ryukyu should’ve taken care of business a lot sooner and not merely relying on the luck of a handball deep into the match. Sure, it would’ve been great to see Ryukyu get back into the game with a PK, but it didn’t happen. I believe there was a couple of these no calls on handballs from the referee, Toru Kakinuma, last night. And he really should of sought some assistance from the linesman that was right there when Tanaka took the shot that the Omiya defender raised his hand and deflected out of bounds. But, such is life sometimes when there are some bad no calls that go against your team.
3. 70% possession with over 700 passes and only 2 shots on net. Do we have eleven (11) good players to start each week? Is it coaching or effort at this point? Perhaps the yearly talent drain at Ryukyu has finally caught up to us. Nearly impossible to make wholesale changes with injuries, but Ryukyu need to find a spark from somewhere and it should start with giving some run outs to unproven players who have a desire to crack the starting lineup, play, play well, and succeed.
Round 18 in J2
Tochigi executed another shocker when they defeated Zelvia 1-0 to increase their cushion over the relegation sides to seven (7) points. If Omiya pulls any further away from Ryukyu then it is all but over as there aren’t too many winnable games coming up in that Ryukyu schedule. Also, it seems the best thing that teams can look forward too these days if they suffer a surprise loss to Ryukyu is, you almost go on a little bit of winning streak right after (see Kumamoto and Tochigi). Sendai remained top with their draw but allowed Niigata and Yokohama to inch a little closer with both of their 3-goal performances last night. Kanazawa also had a nice win in which they netted three (3) goals against Tokyo Verdy on the J-League International YouTube channel.
Conclusion
The supporters of FC Ryukyu deserve better, but until that happens, here are some great photos by the supporters at the Omiya match.
I think all of the Ryukyu fans are chomping at the bit to get another look at this team following a spirited performance on the road at Zelvia last week. In the initial preview of the season I mentioned there were several questions about this side that we as fans wanted to see answered. Well, we now know that Ryukyu is employing a 4-4-2 and doing so with six new members of the team in the starting roles. The formation, and those playing inside it, worked real well, but manager Kina noted in his pre-match interview that some players missed training time recently, but outside of a select few (Tanaka/Abe), I hope Kina doesn’t tinker with that which is not broken for the sake of legacy players.
FC Ryukyu: Despite not winning, or scoring at Zelvia, Ryukyu need to build on the positives from that game. It would be nice to believe that some of the players feel as if they could have won that game and are motivated to come out win the season opener in front of the home crowd. But first they’ll need to tighten up the passing that was slightly off in the opening round as a they couldn’t quite connect on the key passes in and around the 18-yard box when it mattered most. There were more than a few occasions were Ryukyu also turned the ball over cheaply in some very dangerous areas to fuel a short Zelvia counter attacks and some nervy moments.
So let’s discuss some of the questions we had heading into the ’22 campaign. First, who would start in net? It seems as if Taguchi has retained his spot as the first choice keeper to begin the season. Second, what combination would Kina employ at CB? Well, I would say this was a total shocker when Kina started So Nakagawa (22) and Rio Omori (19), and they looked damn good! There are sure to be some up and down moments with these two but there is no way you can put those genies back in the bottle after their performance on opening day. Would there be a change at FB? These remained largely unchanged from last season and I just wonder when we will see the return of Tanaka on the right.
Third, will there be a new formation or new combination of midfielders? Yes, no longer employing Higuchi’s 4-2-3-1, Kina was able to bring some experienced players into the fold that would otherwise of had to compete for one of the two fullback positions. The two central midfielders for Ryukyu were also new players to the team with converted LB Takayuki Fukumura and Kazuto Takezawa, who made his J-League debut on Sunday. Fukumura looked very crisp with his passing and on set pieces and many people are raving about the performance by Takezawa. Ren Ikeda moved out of his central attacking MF role and over to the left with Yuki Omoto, who also converted from his normal RB spot, to man the right. Ikeda looked up for it early but then began to press the situation a little too much which led to some costly missed opportunities. But that is nothing that cannot be fixed within a short span of time.
Finally, who will lead the Ryukyu attack? Shinya Uehara and Yuki Kusano toed the line up top with both strikers bringing something different to the attack. There is no telling if Abe is currently dealing with an injury or was one of the players that missed time earlier due to CV protocols, but it will be interesting to see where he fits in when healthy.
It is only game and we should not get too far out in front of our skis but the initial signs are quite encouraging. If the Ryukyu lineup can be one based off of strength down the spine (GK-CB-MF-FWD) we will all be pleasantly surprised at the heights they could achieve. They will still need to answer the question of, can they avoid the number, and severity, of injuries that has plagued this team for the past three seasons and avoid the consistent mid-season slump? But that is for another discussion.
JEF Chiba United: If you think Ryukyu has something to prove on Saturday, JEF has even more at stake. JEF signed some notable free agents this offseason, including the former Ryukyu man in Koya Kazama, which made it seem, on the surface at least, that they may have assemble don of their strongest teams in recent memory to make a push back into the J1. And then splat! JEF were done in by newly promoted side Iwate Grulla Morioka 0-1 in front of the JEF home crowd.
I am not sure if JEF simply underestimated Iwate or they are going to struggle all season. Much like Ryukyu, there is only one data point to go on at the moment but that was not the most inspiring performance from JEF. Sure, they seem to be the brunt of many jokes and calamitous moments that have only served to fuel these jokes, but they could barely muster an attack against Iwate.
Iwate was dictating the pace of play early on and was rewarded with a spectacular opening goal from a set piece and they continued that trend throughout the game and nearly scored a second with JEF finally mounting an attack in the second half. The JEF players looked visibly upset after the opening goal and even more dejected as the final whistle blew. I think they were really unprepared for an opponent they didn’t know much about, but I don’t believe that will be the case this Saturday against Ryukyu.
Keys to Victory
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
Get after JEF early and often. Likelihood 3. JEF were on their heels all game and didn’t really respond to the pressure that was being applied. Possibly due to a new backline consisting of three CBs that have never played with another before or just a lack of clear direction from the manager. Either way, Ryukyu will need to tighten up the passing in the attack but could find even more space for which to operate with this opponent.
Maintain the aggression. Likelihood 4. Ryukyu were much more physical than we are used to seeing and will need to be just as aggressive against JEF. JEF may have one over on us in the height department this game but after watching Nakagawa and Omori deal with some of the stronger, more seasoned, strikers from Zelvia, I like our chances. This also includes set pieces when we get these two involved. JEF didn’t look particularly good defending set pieces against Iwate whereas Ryukyu looked a completely different side with their deliveries and finishing. There is no clearer example of this than seeing Nakagawa almost hammer home the opening goal of 22 for Ryukyu following a corner kick. Ask yourselves, when was the last time we saw a Ryukyu defender involved like that on a set piece?
Round 02 in J2
Fagiano Okayama vs Tokushima Vortis, along with Yokohama FC vs V-Varen Nagasaki, stand out as two of the bigger matchups this round though some will want to see how Iwate follows up their win at JEF when they travel to face FC Machida Zelvia. Much like Akita last year, and this year as well, Iwate will have to spend the first month of the season on the road due to concerns over the temperatures in those parts of Japan. At least for Iwate they will not have to travel to Okinawa during the high heat summer months as they head this way for Round 3.
Conclusion
Time to find out if Ryukyu can put in consistent, strong, performances week in and week out as well as to welcome back Koya Kazama who was a fan favorite during his time here at Ryukyu. Each side enters this match from a different perspective with JEF trying to prove that the first game was just a fluke and Ryukyu wanting to build on a solid performance and show everyone in J2 they mean business this year.
We are back baby! The J2 season is set to kickoff in a few days and this is the first entry of 2022 for this blog. Much like every offseason here in Okinawa, we saw the departure of some talented players with some lesser known names making their way down south to join the club. FC Ryukyu is coming off their most successful campaign in J2 where they finished 9th overall and looking to continue that momentum for a push to the J2 playoffs. Last season we saw Ryukyu flirt with promotion as they were in one of the two automatic qualifying slots just past the halfway point of the 2021 season. But much like the expected talent drain from this club in the offseason, a semi-reoccurring mid-season slump, coupled with several injuries to key players, ended all hopes for promotion. It also ended Higuchi’s time as manager and he was replaced by Tetsuhiro Kina. So what is in store for this club in 2022? Can they have a repeat performance of last year, or are we facing the very real prospect of relegation back to the J3?
FC Machida Zelvia: Zelvia got the better of Ryukyu last year by easily winning the first fixture 3-0 and then drawing 0-0 on the return leg. Zelvia was a lot of people’s Darkhorse promotion team last season when they added some firepower in Chong Tese and Dudu, but it was their defending that let them down in the end. Not be dismayed in their belief that a good defense is simply and overpowering offense, Zelvia signed former Montedio Yamagata striker Vinicius Araujo to the team for 2022.
Zelvia also brought in veteran goalkeeper William Popp from Oita Trinita. Popp played 14 matches last season posting a 3-2-9 record with 3-clean sheets. Perhaps the step up to J1 from Fagiano Okayama was too much for Popp last season so a return back to J2 might be exactly what he needs.
It is hard to imagine but Ryukyu have not won on the road at Zelvia since 2014 (J3). In fact, in their last 6-matches at Zelvia, Ryukyu have only netted a single point, have been outscored 14-3 while being shut out 4 times. I am not sure what makes Ryukyu play so poorly on the road at Zelvia and I am not sure they reverse the trend in the opening fixture of 2022.
FC Ryukyu: As I mentioned earlier in the introduction, Ryukyu saw their yearly exodus of talent this offseason when central defender Tetsuya Chinen departed for Urawa Reds where he will join former Ryukyu stud, Yoshio Koizumi. Chinen was far and away the best central defender Ryukyu have rostered and his absence will be felt across our back line. Once more it will be a competition between the 3-quality goalkeepers on the Ryukyu roster. Incumbent, and likely day 1 starter, Junto Taguchi will try to fend off a now healthy Dany Carvajal who himself stands a better chance of regaining his starter position with the departure of both Higuchi and goalkeeper coach Masataka Sasaki. GK is the only position on the Ryukyu roster with quality depth as Junto and Dany can push each other throughout training and we saw last year that Kosuke Inose can fill in if an injury were to occur to either of the first two GK choices at Ryukyu.
It was no coincidence that last season’s collapse occurred when both Dany and Taguchi were out injured as both of their health will be huge determining factor in where this team will finish in the standings at the end of the year. It was not realistic to think Ryukyu could dip their toes into the transfer waters and find a one-for-one replacement for Chinen in defense, and like so many of the past seasons, Ryukyu did not address the central defense position by signing any high priced free agents. Instead, they opted for youthful exuberance in the form of loans. Rio Omori (FC Tokyo) and So Nakagawa (Jubilo Iwata) might not be the day one starters, but I am excited to see what the can bring to the table. The likely starting duo at CB for Ryukyu will be Ryohei Okazaki and Lee Yong-Jick. Okazaki has never been able to stay healthy during his time here at Ryukyu and Yong-Jick is a converted outfield player trying to learn the position as he goes. Ryukyu signed a few fullbacks to the roster this offseason making defense the most populous position on the 2022 roster.
Keigo Numata will have to fend off last year’s mid-season signing, Takasahi Kinai and this season’s signing from Tokyo Verdy, Takayuki Fukumura, but we’ve seen Numata breakdown as the season wears on so perhaps these signings are more to give Numata a break here or there than actually unseating the starting LB. Over at RB it should once again be Keita Tanaka, who has shown how a player can reinvent himself as Tanaka converted from MF to RB, and it has been a resounding success. He was on a scorching pace last season, 2 goals and 9 assists in the opening half of the 2021 season, before injury ended his campaign. Behind him will be Yuki Omoto (signed from Omiya Ardija) and Makito Uehara. None of these two are likely to replace Tanaka barring injury.
I am under the assumption that Kina will continue to employ the 4-2-3-1 formation that Ryukyu have used during their time in the J2. If that is the case, Ryukyu will once more have Kaz Uesato anchoring the central midfield where he will be joined by Yu Tomidokoro. There is not much central midfield depth behind these two and we’ve seen in the past that any midfielder can step into these roles when asked.
If Taguchi/Dany are the anchors at the back for Ryukyu, then Ren Ikeda is the linchpin for the Ryukyu attack up front. Ren really stepped up last season after the departure of Koizumi, but like so many of our key players, he to succumbed to injury where he fractured a bone in his spine after landing awkwardly from an aerial challenge. Flanking Ikeda on either side will be Koki Kiyotake and Katsuya Nakano who is brought over from Kyoto Sanga FC. Kina could also move any of the forwards on the roster into the midfield roles and there is chance, albeit a very small one, we see the two players from Saigon FC who were brought in on loan. But I have no idea if they have made it to Japan and have been training with the team as all preseason activities have been behind closed doors due to CV-19 protocols.
Takuma Abe returns for his third season at Ryukyu but he too has never been able to complete a full campaign. There is no doubt that Abe is a difference maker when on the pitch, but he usually fades quickly down the stretch and we have never received any word on what injuries have knocked him out for the past two seasons. Ryukyu also see the return of Shinya Uehara for his fourth year at the club. Shinya is an excellent late game substitution to be brought on to attack, or defend, set pieces with his height. He is also versatile enough to play RB when called upon.
There are seven (7) forwards on the Ryukyu roster which is the most I’ve ever seen. Sittichok Paso, who returned to Chon Buri FC in the offseason, and then opted to come back to Ryukyu, certainly needs to see more playing time this year. Perhaps his listing as MF on the official club website may see him more on the pitch in that role vice the forward role he had last season. Takuya Hitomi has returned from his loan spell at Nagano and it will be interesting to see how much he has developed as he was quite raw the last time we saw him in 2020. Vinicius will also return to Ryukyu this season but he rarely featured last year outside of a handful of the J-Elite games and is a true unknown at this point.
Ryukyu did bring in two strikers Ryunosuke Noda from Kyoto Sanga and Yuki Kasano on loan from Yokohama FC. Neither player stands out as prolific goal scorer having never reached the double digit mark in their careers but at least they provide a set of younger, healthier legs for the Ryukyu attack.
Match Day 01 in J2
Plenty of matches spread out through the weekend for you to enjoy. I want to see how the teams who dropped from J1 get on as well as the teams (Nagasaki and Niigata) get on as potential promotion candidates. I do not know if the J.League International YouTube channel will broadcast a match this week so please check their channel on YouTube, as well as their Twitter account, @J_LEAGUE_En, for any updates. And of course, tune in and catch up on all the good stuff the boys over at the J-Talk Extra Time, @JTalkET, have put out the past few weeks in the run up to the season opener.
Conclusion
There are lots of questions that need to be answered concerning Ryukyu under Kina in 2022, to go along with lots of excitement from the growing fan base here in Okinawa. Everyone always hopes for promotion, but I would be pleasantly surprised if Ryukyu somehow snuck into the J2 playoffs. I always look forward to opening day here in the J-League and hope for another strong start to the season for FC Ryukyu.
Well we’re back, sort of. It has been quite some time since I’ve released anything on this blog and much has changed during my sabbatical. Ryukyu dropped way out of the promotion race following a run of poor results beginning just before the Olympic break and continuing through to October which led to the firing of Manager Yasuhiro Higuchi after 7 games in a row without a win (1 draw and 6 losses). Shintaro Shimizu was released by the club following several violations of the team’s rules and policies and then of course the injuries to several key members of the squad really sucked the life blood out of the team. While there hasn’t been much to be excited about down here in Okinawa these days, nothing recharges the batteries like a match with one of your heated rivals, or at least that’s how I view Tokyo Verdy.
Weather Forecast
Previous Match Highlights
Team Previews
Tokyo Verdy
FC Ryukyu
Rivalry Week
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 40 in J2
Conclusion
1. Weather Forecast
I really do not care what the weather is like for this match as it is the first away game I will be able to attended in over two years. But for those of you that may be in attendance, the forecast looks decent.
2. Previous Match Highlights
FC Ryukyu 2-2 JEF United Chiba
Zweigen Kanazawa 0-4 Tokyo Verdy
3. Team Previews
Tokyo Verdy: Verdy have been hanging around the mid-table of J2 for much of the season. They have a near equal home road splits as far as points, but have found success on the road more favorable these days as Verdy has lost 5 out of their last 6 home games. And haven’t won at home since September 11th. Verdy also had to suffer through a stretch of 8 consecutive road games, with 4 losses and 4 draws, to accommodate the Tokyo Olympics. That is possibly the reason why they are enjoying so many road wins as of late as they had so many attempts at road wins during the summer.
Verdy went 2-1-2 over their last five games with wins over Montedio Yamagata and Zweigen Kanazawa; losses to JEF Chiba and V-Varen Nagasaki; and the lone draw to Ventforet Kofu. JEF absolutely destroyed Verdy at home to the tune of 5-1. Though Verdy managed to level the game in the opening half, they went into halftime down 3-1. By the time Verdy finally came to life in the second half, it was already 5-1 for JEF. Strangely, Verdy rebounded from that trouncing to put in a spirited effort at home to Kofu where both sides played to a 0-0 draw. Each team had a chance in the waning minutes of stoppage time to win, yet neither could find the back of the goal.
Verdy’s strong form carried over into the next round when they defeated Montedio Yamagata 2-1 on the road. Verdy capitalized on an an early PK, from a Yamagata handball in the box, and followed that goal with a second goal in front of halftime. However, Yamagata scored a PK of their own, from a Verdy handball, but were never able to find the equalizer. That was Yamagata’s first loss in four games and has sent them into a bit of a tailspin as of late. But all that hard work by Verdy was for not as they were beaten by Nagasaki the following week.
Verdy managed to hang in for most of this game despite having one of their players sent off in the first half. It took Nagasaki until the 75th minute to open the scoring but once they did, the flood gates opened up. Nagasaki put another two past Verdy in stoppage time through two breakout plays where the Nagasaki attackers ran the better part of half the pitch untouched. Verdy’s most recent game was a dismantling of Kanazawa, on the road, where they scored two goals in each half.
Like Ryukyu, Verdy had a much better start to the season compared to the second half. They own nearly identical records in both parts of the season with both sides only accruing four wins since match day 22. Like Ryukyu, Verdy had a stretch of games (7 for FC Ryukyu & 8 for Tokyo Verdy) without a win shortly after the restart from the mid season break. I guess you could say that these are two evenly matched teams squaring off on match day 40.
FC Ryukyu: It has been one heck of a rollercoaster ride this season supporting FC Ryukyu. There were the high points of being near the top of the table and playing outstanding defensive football; the low points with all the injuries and of course another mid season collapse. The firing of a manager and player during the season – something I’ve never seen Ryukyu do before – as well as having to refrain from attending games four months due to the COVID situation in Okinawa, but ultimately returning to the grounds a few weeks ago really typifies the ride we’ve been on as supporters. Though there isn’t much left to play for, besides pride and possibly a job next season, Ryukyu will undoubtedly end 2021 as their most successful season in J2.
Ryukyu hit the halfway point of 2021 in 2nd place on 13 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses while outscoring their opponents 36 to 19. They managed to shutout their opponents 9 times while only being shutout 5 times. In the second half of the season Ryukyu have dropped to 8th place while mustering 4 wins, 5 draws and suffering 9 losses. They’ve scored 17 goals in the past 18 games yet have conceded 25. Ryukyu have been shutout 9 times since the break and have registering a single shutout of their opponents. Pretty much an unprecedented fall from grace for this team, but one that occurred quite regularly under Higuchi.
Unlike last season when Ryukyu had two players in double digit goals, Ryukyu’s top goal scorer has been Kiyotake (8). But just like last season, Abe has gone missing near the end of the campaign and there has been no word as to why. Abe has surpassed his 2020 total of 2 assists with 6 this season and though he isn’t scoring as much as he was last year, his contributions were felt across the flailing Ryukyu attack with his workman like rate throughout the summer.
Another player that has had a rough go of it lately is Koya Kazama. Koya had 3 goals and 7 assists by the midway point of the year but has managed only 1 goal since. It was always going to fall on Abe and Koya to shoulder the load of the attack when Ryukyu lost Ikeda and Tanaka to injury, but they’ve only accounted for 3 goals and 3 assists in this half of the season. What was also a position of strength for Ryukyu, goal keeping and defending, became their Achilles heel during the abovementioned collapse.
First, Okazaki could never get healthy after his injury in May which left it all to Chinen in central defense. Second there were injuries to Taguchi, and Dany, forcing Inose – Ryukyu’s 3rd choice goalie – to play behind a weakened back line. Third, Ryukyu lost Keita Tanaka, pretty much the engine driving the Ryukyu attack for the season. Fourth, Numata suffered an injury forcing FWD Uehara to play LB and finally (most heartbreaking), there was the season ending injury to Chinen. Though Numata, Okazaki and Taguchi have since returned from injury, it just isn’t the same set of players that propelled Ryukyu to their blazing start of 2021.
So yeah, it was a lethal combination of the lack of goals, and shots to be quite honest, coupled with a makeshift back line that sealed our fate in 2021. Though it is unlikely that we will ever know if it was the hard training and heat that contributed to the collapse, we’ve seen similar results from Ryukyu during the past summers in J2. The change to Kina as manager was probably a necessary healing process for the club but they have yet to regain the confidence we saw from them to open the year.
4. Rivalry Week
We all know that FC Ryukyu do not, at least for the moment, have the traditional cross town rival that so many other clubs in the J-League enjoy for your typical ‘derby day.’ However, over the past three seasons Ryukyu have some interesting history with Tokyo Verdy as these sides produce some heated moments when they clash.
Though it is not a lengthy history between these two, the match on Sunday will only be the 6th time that Ryukyu have played Tokyo Verdy, it still has seen its fair share of fouls, sending offs, and dust ups. Ryukyu own the all time series advantage with 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. The first ever meeting between these clubs occurred in 2019 where Dany Carvajal had his nose broken attempting to stop Ryohei Hayashi on a break away, resulting in a yellow card for Dany and PK for Verdy. Dany, bloodied and with gauze hanging out both nostrils, saved the PK, which allowed Uesato to smash home his first ever goal for Ryukyu on a volley deep into stoppage time ending the match one all.
Dany bloody and broken, but stopped that PK
The return leg in Okinawa that year saw Verdy put 5 past Ryukyu behind Junki Koike’s hat trick. Verdy marked that momentous occasion in an otherwise uneventful season by releasing T-shirts commemorating Koike’s achievement. Ridiculous, but, we don’t have a leg to stand on as Ryukyu also did the same when Kiyotake netted a hat trick this season. Can we just get some better schwag at the good store instead of novelty t-shirts? Anyways, at the end of 2019, this wasn’t really a rivalry as Verdy had gotten the better of Ryukyu and embarrassed them in front of their home crowd.
High point in another lost season for this once proud club
2020 is when things began to really heat up. Ryukyu earned their first ever win over Verdy on MD10 when Shohei Takahashi took umbrage with an aerial challenge from Uehara. Shinya landed – as what normally happens when two players get tangled in the air – on Takahashi. Shohei decided it was a good time to bust out the mule kick to Uehara’s mid section, the problem was that foul occurred in the Verdy penalty area, and was seen by the linesman. After several minutes (10 to be exact) of some disgusting scenes by the Verdy players, Abe stepped up and netted the winner on the PK.
Takahashi putting the boot to Uehara in the box
Ryukyu returned the favor from the 5-1 loss in 2019 by defeating Verdy by four goals on MD 37 of 2020 while also shutting them out for the second time in a row. 2021’s series started off with a bang when, to everyone’s surprise, Yuhei Sato from Verdy decided to impale Yu Tomidokoro’s testicles with the heel of his boot. Yu went after a loose ball from a challenge by the now laying on his back Sato, but Sato wasn’t going to allow a Ryukyu player the advantage of collecting the ball and heading into attack. Instead he opted for a less than professional foul. Too bad that challenge occurred in front of the referee, fourth official, Higuchi and pretty much everyone watching at home. That resulted in a red card that reduced Verdy to 10 men and allowed Ryukyu to score two goals towards a 2-0 victory. The second Ryukyu goal, a PK, came from another infraction inside the penalty area by Verdy.
Yuhei Sato channeling his inner Vlad the Impaler
In just five games, there has been 3 penalty kicks, 1 sending off, 1 bloody nose, fouls on both sides for unsportsmanlike behavior and a t-shirt. But here is one final fun fact. Since Koike’s third goal, and fifth for Verdy on match day 36 in 2019, Verdy have yet to score a goal against Ryukyu. Perhaps this is just my way of manufacturing something out of nothing in order to replicate the so called derby day, or it is just a way to put a little something extra on a rather meaningless game between two midtable teams. I’ll let you be the judge.
5.Keys to Victory
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. More shots equal more chances. Likelihood 1. The clear and obvious key to victory this week but also the least likely to happen. Ryukyu are not generating the attempts on net that can lead to scoring outbursts. Verdy are so vulnerable to spilled balls, rebounds and second chances as evidenced by the video footage for their past five matches. We often see Ryukyu players in possession in the opposing end only to witness them pass the ball back and restart the attack from our central defenders thus allowing our opponents time to regroup in defense. Good things will happen when you put quality shots on Verdy’s net so let’s hope that Ryukyu can do that on Sunday.
2. Avoid the “Ryukyu Double.” Likelihood 2. Last week Kiyotake and Kanai were responsible for both Ryukyu goals. However, they were also involved in both the opposition’s goals. Kiyotake was caught ball watching instead of man marking which led to the JEF equalizer, while Kanai completely whiffed in an effort to clear the ball from danger inside the Ryukyu box leading to the second goal for JEF. So that was actually more like a Ryukyu Double-Double. This feat has occurred on more than one occasion this season and if we intend to depart Tokyo with a win, then Ryukyu need to stay sharp throughout the entire 90 minutes.
3. Get on the scoreboard first. Likelihood 3. Verdy looked good when they took the early lead in their past two wins, and lifeless when they conceded the first goal. It is vital that Ryukyu start fast, and score (unlike what they did against Renofa), as that could lead to even more opportunities and goals for a side struggling in the atatck. Ryukyu have not won by more than two goals in any game since match day 20, which was also the last time they’ve scored more than two goals in a game. However, 11 of Verdy’s 16 losses have been by more than two goals this season. Perhaps this provides a little glimmer of light at the end of an abysmal goal scoring tunnel for Ryukyu.
6.Prediction
I am done doing these as I am usually wrong. I just want a Ryukyu win.
7. Round 40 in J2
Jubilo Iwata has already booked their ticket back to the J1 and with only 9 points up for grabs, Kyoto Sanga can book theirs if they maintain their 7 point lead over V-Varen Nagasaki. Seeing how the promotion race, without any playoffs, is nearly complete, all eyes will be on the race to escape relegation to J3.
Matsumoto Yamaga, a team in the J1 just two seasons ago, is likely headed to J3 next year. They are bottom of the table, only five points behind 18th Kanazawa, but haven’t won in 7 games. Yamaga will host Renofa Yamaguchi who have pulled themselves out of the relegation zone but are themselves only six points above the drop. 21st Ehime FC will host 20th SC Sagamihara in what should be an exciting match to watch for any neutral. A draw helps neither side so someone will need to win and move up at the expense of the other. Kitakyushu travels to Chiba with hopes that the hosts will be looking to close out the campaign without suffering any needless injuries.
Zweigen heads to Tochigi in another battle to stave off relegation as Kanazawa sits just above the drop with Tochigi only four points clear from safety. Omiya will look to secure safety with a win over their neighbors to the east in Mito while Gunma face a real test at home to Niigata.
There are two free international broadcasts this week on the J.League International YouTube channel. Both matches are on Saturday November 20th and feature Jubilo Iwata hosting V-Varen Nagasaki followed by Kyoto Sanga traveling to Fagiano Okayama. Perhaps Jubilo could lift the trophy on Saturday but it seems more likely that will occur at a later date. Click>>>>J League Int’l YouTube Link
8.Conclusion
It feels good to be back and I apologize for the lengthy absence. Right, you’ve read it all so you know the only thing left to do is for Ryukyu to go out there and get the win. Enjoy your weekend and stay safe.
FC Ryukyu opened this year’s series against Mito with a 2-0 win at the K’s Denki stadium back on Match Day 7. Two goals in quick succession from Shintaro Shimizu and Koki Kiyotake allowed Ryukyu to break the deadlock in a tightly contested affair in which both sides had numerous chances to take the lead. FC Ryukyu have had the better of Mito Hollyhock to date as they’ve won the last three matches; scored multiple goals in all of those games; and shutout Mito twice. Ryukyu also own the series with 4 wins to Mito’s 1. But Mito’s lone win over Ryukyu came at a time when Ryukyu were dealing with several injuries, most notably at GK, in which Inose, at 19 years of age, made his J2 debut in net against Mito in 2019. Ryukyu ended up losing that game 3-1. What I am trying to say is that this game, unlike the previous three where Ryukyu had their full complement of starters, is shaping up much the same way as that 2019 loss.
Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
Previous Round Highlights
Team Previews
FC Ryukyu
FC Mito Hollyhock
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Prediction
Round 25 in J2
Conclusion
1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information
A calm evening to enjoy football from the comfort of your home while Okinawa is under a state of emergency.
FC Ryukyu: Three wins in their last five, 10 points from a possible 15, yet only one clean sheet during that time. Actually, Ryukyu have only mustered two clean sheets in their last twelve matches so it seems we’re heading back to our roots. Sure, much of this is contributed to the bevy of injuries, but with Dany Carvajal now healthy, will Higuchi turn to the man who was once the Ryukyu #1?
Inose has proven himself a worthy fill in for both Taguchi and Dany during their injury spells, but I feel we need to get Dany involved these next few games heading into the crucial month of September. Inose has started eight games amassing four wins, two draws and two losses. He has conceded 8 goals during that span and recorded two shutouts in the process. Decent enough numbers when you look at the won/loss record I suppose, and it’s not realistic to think that any keeper can keep a clean sheet every match. This is a team game of course. But luckily for Ryukyu, Inose’s starts coincided with a rather easy schedule: Kitakyushu twice, Omiya, Sagamihara, Akita, Kanagawa, Matsumoto and Okayama. Somehow those win/loss numbers do not look so great as they once did. With Taguchi set to return to Ryukyu in the coming weeks (training at least), I think it would pay some dividends to get a healthy Dany into the lineup, get him some playing time, especially before Ryukyu, and Inose, face their toughest opponent in Montedio Yamagata next week.
One thing that isn’t in doubt is the impact the new signings have already made at Ryukyu. Kanai was asked to play out of position last game, and though it wasn’t the best of outings for a player coming off of limited usage at Kofu, it is something to build on. Strange that Ryukyu have plenty of options at RB these days, with a glaring hole at LB, and Higuchi opted to start Kanai and Uehara, but on different sides of the pitch from which they are familiar with, and have played in the past. Play to your strengths, and don’t get cute, at least that’s what I am thinking in this case.
Someone who epitomizes that sentiment is Hidetoshi Takeda. In his first game, first half really, for FC Ryukyu, Takeda was a handful for the Giravanz defense. He came close to leveling the match on a header following a shot from Koya Kazama, and followed that up with an absolute stunning free kick goal. It is amazing how lucky so many teams can be to have a talent like this on the books and yet find them excess to the cause. No matter, as I hope to see more of Takeda doing what he can do out there on the pitch, with the possibility of seeing him start at LM in the near future.
FC Mito Hollyhock: Mito have one more away victory than at home this season where they’ve scored, and conceded, roughly 60% of their total goals to date. They also seem to either win, or lose, on the road as they have a single draw away from the K’s Denki stadium. In their last six games Mito have shutout their opponents three times while also suffering three shutouts of their own. Perhaps they are a bit streaky.
Whereas Ryukyu have scored ten goals their last five games, Mito has managed only three. They drew 0-0 at both Albirex Niigata and at home to Renofa Yamaguchi. Against Niigata, at least up until the 70′ minute, Mito wasn’t really affording many opportunities to one of the top sides in J2 this season. Then the flurry of activity between the two sides saw each trading multiple chances back and forth with the closest being a Koji Suzuki shot that hit the side netting. It was much of the same at home to Renofa but the Mito GK should’ve been booked for a foul resulting in a PK, but it wasn’t awarded and then it was Mito’s turn for a bit of bad luck when their last shot just missed at the end.
Mito looked much better the following week at Zelvia where they controlled the opening 20′ of the match and took the lead from Shota Fujio’s first goal of the season. Then Zelvia took over, scored two goals, from a long through ball that caught the defense flat footed and another from a redirected clearance, before Mito finally came to life in the 90′ minute. It was to late though as the game ended in a loss for Mito but they were able to carry a bit of that momentum at the end of the Zelvia match into the game at Matsumoto Yamaga. Fujio doubled his yearly total with his second goal in consecutive games, this one also coming within the first 20′ of a match. Though Mito dominated Yamaga the entire game, they weren’t able to carry that strong performance though to the next round at home to Verdy.
It was Mito’s turn this time to surrender a goal within the first 20′ of a match but they were able to recover and score the equalizer near the end after some woeful defending by Verdy. To date, Mito have not defeated a team that currently sits inside the top six of the table. They’ve played six games that have resulted in one draw and five losses, managing two goals scored, while conceding eight. They’ve also been shutout in five of those games. Ryukyu will once more need to contain Masato Nakayama, but they’ll also need to keep a keen eye on Fujio who is starting to catch fire.
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. Attack the flanks of Mito. Likelihood 4. Mito do not defend particularly well down either side of their defense, especially down their right, as they, or more specifically Koichi Murata, has looked pretty bad. That means that either Kiyotake, Shintaro, Takeda, and possibly even Motegi, could really have a field day on their defense.
2. Defend the right with all you got. Likelihood 2. No doubt that Yong Jick, and whoever is playing RB for Ryukyu tomorrow, will have their hands full with the Mito attackers as they are extremely strong down the left side of their attack. I for one hop Higuchi chooses to not start Kanai out of position at RB, and instead opt for a more experienced RB in Torikai or Uehara. I fear that when Fujio enters the match, he will be able to exploit Yong Jick with his speed and power, and cut right through our defense alone on goal.
5. Prediction
As with the current state of FC Ryukyu – trying to mesh new players into the lineup – this game could go either way. Sure, Mito hasn’t exactly lit up the scoreboard lately, but Ryukyu sometimes go long stretches without asserting themselves in a game. If Ryukyu can start fast, and score, I think this game takes on a whole new trajectory with a Mito side that seem far more aggressive on the road compared to home. I’ll say it ends 2-1 to Ryukyu. Season Record 7-6-11.
6. Round 25 in J2
Leaders (1) Kyoto Sanga travel to (16) Matsumoto Yamaga FC who are coming off a big 4-1 victory over (13) Blaublitz Akita. (2) Jubilo Iwata return home after their 2-2 draw with Kofu to face (9) Tokyo Verdy. (4) Albirex Niigata, like Iwata, will look to rebound from their Round 24 draw when they head out on the road to face (10) JEF United Chiba. (5) Montedio Yamagata, unbeaten in 11 with 10 wins during that span, are on the J.League International YouTube channel this week (Click>>> J.League Int’l YouTube Channel) when they travel to face (7) V-Varen Nagasaki who, are possibly well rested from their round 24 match with Zweigen Kanazawa being postponed. (6) Ventforet Kofu will also look to continue their unbeaten run of six games at bottom side (22) SC Sagamihara.
Another week, another set of important games for those sides facing relegation as (19) Ehime FC host (21) Giravanz Kitakyushu; (20) Omiya Ardija host (13) Blaublitz Akita; and (17) Tochigi SC host (18) Thespakusatsu Gunma.
7. Conclusion
Ryukyu have their second chance in consecutive weeks to sweep an opponent in 2021. But we’ve had this chance twice so far this year and only managed to come away with one series sweep. Though Ryukyu haven’t hit double digit points since April, nor exceeded eight points in a month since May, a win tomorrow will set them on a path to achieve their highest monthly point total in quite some time.
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.
FC Ryukyu Midseason MVP Keita Tanaka Photo Credit: jleague.com
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.
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.
FC Ryukyu enter Match Day 21 coming off their second biggest win of the season where they defeated Matsumoto Yamaga FC 4-0 at home. It is a different set of circumstances for Zweigen Kanazawa who enter this round on the heels of their second largest defeat when they lost 1-4 on the road to Montedio Yamagata. But Zweigen Kanazawa own a very good record overall against Ryukyu as they have yet to lose to the visitors since 2014 when they were both in the J3.
Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
Previous Round Highlights
Team Previews
Zweigen Kanazawa
FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 21 in J2
Conclusion
1.Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from Zweigen Kanazawa
No changes for the way things have been since late May with Okinawa under a state of emergency.
Zweigen Kanazawa: I must admit, I wasn’t able to prepare for the opposing team’s preview as I normally would have this week so I sought some help from the most knowledgeable Zweigen Kanazawa fan I know. And with that I give you James Taylor from @kanazawadreamin who is doing double duty as he also made his J-Talk Extra Time debut this week with Stuart.
Although we lost heavily at Yamagata last week, I wouldn’t expect Zweigen manager Masaaki Yanagishita to make many changes to the starting lineup. Maybe one or two, but wholesale changes are not really his style. Our tactics will be the same as usual 4-4-2, defending tightly and pressuring FC Ryukyu when they have the ball, then trying to hit them on a quick counterattack. We are a very hardworking team. Up until last week our defense had been pretty tight in the league, only once conceding more than 2 goals in a game, and only once losing by more than a goal.
The defense is prone to conceding early goals though as we lead the league with 7 goals against in the opening 15 minutes of matches. We also have a habit of losing concentration at crucial times, for example the long throw for Tochigi’s equalizer or the equalizer that Gunma scored. Expect most of our attacks to be funneled down the left, through Rodolfo, who has been playing well since his return after a long term injury. On the other side, Riku Matsuda is growing into the full back role, and Shintaro Shimada has 4 goals and 5 assists from the right wing. Our shots-to-goals conversion rate is quite good, I think, but we have a tendency to run out of ideas quickly if the opposition is content to let us have the ball. This is a factor in our poor record in games where we concede first (1 win, 1 draw, 9 losses).
FC Ryukyu: It was good to see the offense come alive last week as it will be required yet again heading into this match. Ryukyu are likely to be without starting RB Keita Tanaka this round due to an injury he picked up last week. Still no word on whether Tanaka is healthy, or hurt, but I would guess we see Yuya Torikai, Makito Uehara, or Felipe Tavares make the starting eleven and reserves.
Ryukyu have yet to beat Zweigen Kanazawa during their time in J2, and in fact, you have to go all the way back to 2014 to find a time when FC Ryukyu defeated Kanazawa. Zweigen swept the series last year with both sides seeing out draws in 2019. Though Kanazawa has dropped off as of late, they represent a mental hurdle that Ryukyu must overcome which puts this match in the must win territory for the points over/under expectation table.
Last week it was Kiyotake, Abe and Koya leading the way for Ryukyu as each had at least 2-points on the night. Shimizu wasn’t involved as much in this game as he has been in previous matches, but his pairing up top with Abe in Ryukyu’s new 4-4-2 formation does provide a lot of space for both attackers to move in and around the box. And Shintaro has some get up in his game as he can really rise to meet headers over taller players. It seems unlikely that Ryukyu will revert back to a 4-2-3-1 until Ikeda is healthy, though Kazaki Nakagawa did make his first appearance for the club in a couple of months when he featured in the midweek Elite League match at Avispa. He could easily fill that vacated CAM role but that is solely dependent on Higuchi’s decision to include him in the lineup. Something he has opted not to do at all this year.
Ryukyu currently have four players recovering from injury and here is an updated timeline as to their progress. GK Dany Carvajal has been sidelined with a stress fracture since early march and is roughly two weeks away from the return timetable the club posted. He has been seen at training but there is no indication he is ready to return to the lineup. GK Junto Taguchi is at the halfway point (5 weeks) of his timetable to return from a broken bone in his hand and has been seen doing individual drills at practice. Ren Ikeda is only three weeks into his recovery for a fractured hip and though the timeline suggests a 10-12 week recovery, I think Ren has a long road ahead of him to get back on the pitch. The player with the chance to return the soonest is Ryohei Okazaki who is now at week six of his 6-8 week timetable recovering from a pulled muscle in his leg. It would be great to get our starting CB pairing back in time to close out the first half and change of the season.
4.Keys to Victoryfor 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
Start the festivities early. Likelihood 3. After reading what James said about Kanazawa conceding early, and their overall record when they concede first, seems there’s no clearer path to victory for FC Ryukyu. Question becomes, can they do it?
Defend the Right side. Likelihood 2. There is a very real possibility that Ryukyu will start Yuya Torikai and Yong Jick on the right side of our defense this week, which will play right into the strengths of the Zweigen attack. Not much we can do at this point other than hope our right side holds under the pressure.
5. Prediction
Zweigen has scored two goals against Ryukyu in the last three games these teams have played whereas Ryukyu has managed that feat only once. Could things go differently this week with Zweigen having conceded 6 goals in their past 2 games? If you recall the last time Ryukyu entered an away game off of a big win, they were decimated 0-3. I think that will change this week, but I also think this could be a barn burner ending in 2-2 a draw. Season Record 6-5-9.
6.Round 21 in J2
No easy draws for the top two sides this week as leaders (1) Kyoto Sanga FC host (8) V-Varen Nagasaki with the matchup of the week featuring (2) Jubilo Iwata facing (3) Albirex Niigata at home. Possibly no shifting at the bottom of the table at the mid season turn as all the sides face an uphill battle this week. There are two free broadcasts this round with (10) FC Mito Hollyhock at home to (15) Renofa Yamaguchi on Saturday and then (19) Ehime FC vs (13) Blaublitz Akita on Sunday. Click>>> J-League International YouTube Channel.
7.Conclusion
Despite their differences in the standings this will be no cake walk for Ryukyu as they’ve had limited success against Kanazawa to date. Ryukyu are doing all they can to make it to the break on maximum points despite the numerous injuries to the starting eleven, but they cannot use that as an excuse. The remaining schedule is favorable for Ryukyu but they cannot afford to play down to the level of their competition dropping valuable points along the way. Instead, they need to smash and grab as many goals in the next three games starting with Kanazawa on Saturday.
Thanks once more to James for bailing me out during this busy week and please give him a follow on his Twitter account as well as a listen on the J-Talk Extra Time podcast.
It seems the temperature, and pressure, down here in Okinawa are ratcheting UP simultaneously for FC Ryukyu. Ryukyu now sit fourth in the table after failing to win last week at Akita when they conceded an extra time goal just thirty seconds after taking the lead. Ryukyu have been hit hard by the injury bug this season as they are down to their third string goal keeper and will be without the services of Ryohei Okazaki for another six weeks. That means they’ll really need to pile on the goals this week to avoid falling 6 points clear of the leaders. Giravanz Kitakyushu enter the match having lost their previous two games this week. One of which was a 0-1 home defeat to SC Sagamihara in the Emperors Cup. Prior to those losses, Kitakyushu had won two games in a row in the league, earned 9 points in the month of May, and pulled themselves out of the relegation zone. But they sit precariously close to the bottom four and would love to steal some points on the road at Ryukyu.
Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
Previous Match Highlights
Team Previews
FC Ryukyu
Giravanz Kitakyushu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 18 in J2
Conclusion
1.Weather Forecast & Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu
This will be FC Ryukyu’s first home game this year – and hopefully the last but it is not looking good – to be played ‘behind closed doors.’ Also known as Remote Cheering on DAZN. It was a nice gesture by the club to accept banners from the supporters via mail to hang inside the stadium this weekend and a Big thank you goes out to Head Supporter Hiroaki Ikema @cafedecampnou for contacting the club to set that up, though I gave him a slight nudge in that direction to ask (#shamelessplug). At least no fans will have to suffer through what looks to be terrible weather conditions for the match.
2.Previous Match Highlights
Blaublitz Akita 1-1 FC Ryukyu
Giravanz Kitakyushu 0-2 Jubilo Iwata
3.Team Previews
FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu struggled mightily last week, as have many teams in J2 this season, to break the Akita lines and secure a victory on the road. Ryukyu started slowly, and were committing turnovers all over the pitch which nearly gifted Akita the game. Ryukyu turned things around in the second half thanks to Takuma Abe breaking the deadlock in the 92′ with a nice give-and-go effort past the Akita keeper. However, much like the week prior at Niigata, Ryukyu “switched off” for a bit and allowed Akita to drive the length of the field on 2 passes and put the equalizer past Inose, who was filling in for the injured Junto Taguchi who will miss the next 3 months with a broken finger.
Ryukyu are in the midst of a summer/mid-season slump as they’ve only won once in their last six games. There was a point following the Kyoto match where Ryukyu could have really put some distance between themselves and their competition as the schedule was quite favorable for Ryukyu. However, draws at Ehime and Akita, with two consecutive losses lumped in between, resulted in Ryukyu squandering any shot at having the other teams play catchup and now find themselves chasing the leaders.
It should come as no surprise that this dip in form coincides with multiple injuries to the Ryukyu starting eleven. Ryukyu are down to their third string goal keeper, Inose, are without starting CB Okazaki for the next month and half, and were without Abe for a brief period when they lost at home for the first time all year to Montedio Yamagata. Ryukyu also conceded 8 goals within in their past 6 games which exceeded their total number of goals conceded in their first 12. We should all prepare ourselves to see a team more like the ones from 2019 and 2020 than the one that started the season so well. But that requires a massive uptick in offense for a side that has managed to score more than one goal in a game only twice in their last 8 games.
In seasons past, when defending was very questionable, Ryukyu could at least control large portions of games, create several goal scoring chances, and lean on their offense. That will need to be the case for the foreseeable future until they can get healthy at the back. The lone bit of good news this week was the lineup that Higuchi ran out during the Emperors Cup match on Wednesday. Though Ryukyu lost 0-1 to Matsumoto Yamaga, it was encouraging to see so many players, who we may have thought were dealing with injury, feature in that game. The notable player that was absent from the roster, and who has been an enigma all year, was Kazaki Nakagawa. We are nearly at the halfway point of the season and the on-loan, former Ryukyu player, has mustered a measly 34 minutes played in his only appearance. I have no clue what is going on there but it is seriously deflating to see a player of his caliber left off the roster each week.
Giravanz Kitakyushu: Giravanz started the yearly slowly by winning only one of their opening eleven games. Since then, they’ve managed to earn three victories which has pulled them, however briefly, out of the relegation zone. This is definitely not the same Kitakyushu squad that held Ryukyu to one goal scored across two games including a 4-0 drubbing of Ryukyu at home last season. Giravanz had a large amount of departures in the offseason, some on full transfers with a majority of their on-loan players returning to their parent clubs. That heavy turnover is probably why Giravanz have struggled to earn points this season, and why they will continue to struggle to remain in the J2 next season.
Kitakyushu went 2-0-3 in their last five games with the two wins coming against Omiya Ardija at home and FC Machida Zelvia away. They suffered consecutive defeats to V-Varen Nagasaki and Tokyo Verdy and lastly to Jubilo Iwata at home. They also lost their midweek Emperors Cup match 0-1 at home to SC Sagamihara. The game against Nagasaki came down to the wire with the guests pulling out the victory thanks to a 93′ goal in stoppage time. Giravanz conceded two second half goals the following week to Verdy and that was all the hosts needed to see out the win. The match with Omiya started out as an ugly one as both sides conceded own goals to keep the game level at 1-1. Then, Giravanz turned it on in the second half, looked far better than they had the previous two games, and ended up scoring two really nice goals to win 3-1.
Giravanz scored in the opening two minutes of their match with Zelvia and then hug on for dear life. Zelvia came close on numerous occasions but Giravanz were bailed out by the post/crossbar, a little bit of luck, and some fine goal keeping. If Kitakyushu were fortunate to beat Zelvia 1-0 with all the breaks going their way, they were unfortunate the following week when they ended up hitting the post or seeing their shots stopped by the Iwata goal keeper. Giravanz surrendered two first half goals to Iwata and couldn’t garner any luck like they did the previous week falling 0-2 at home.
When these two teams first met last season, Ryukyu were higher up in the table with Giravanz near the bottom, albeit, after only two games into the season. However, the 4-0 win by Giravanz sparked a nice run for our guests this week when they only lost 2 games over their next 18 matches. Giravanz can be a tricky side that plays up to their competition and can earn some nice results, but they are more prone to poor performances most of the time. They will certainly look to steal a point on the road this week with a weakened FC Ryukyu side.
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. No mental lapses after scoring. Likelihood 4. It is odd that this one must be included in this week’s key to victories but after having seen Ryukyu concede goals shortly after scoring themselves in consecutive weeks, it must be stated. Considering the circumstances, I think Ryukyu will be cognizant of this problem this week and all that really needs to be done is a quick word from the team captain Uesato to the team following any Ryukyu goals on Sunday.
2. Protect Inose with multiple goals. Likelihood 2. It goes without saying that Ryukyu really need the offense to carry the load tomorrow. Giravanz routinely gets torn apart at the back by their opponent’s attacking midfielders so this game sets up really nice for Ikeda, Koya and Kiyotake, who could stretch Kitakyushu with quick passes in and around the 18-yard box. There is also the possibility we see Ryukyu take advantage of Giravanz on set pieces and corners as these two areas are where Kitakyushu concede a majority of their goals.
5.Prediction
Giravanz perform much better on the road than they do at home as they have two more road wins this season compared to playing at home. Outside of a lopsided 6-1 defeat to Kyoto Sanga on the road, Giravanz are pretty stingy when it comes to conceding goals. Ryukyu really need to rebound with a win this week in order to keep pace with the teams at the top. But, with all the injuries, and with Inose making his third start of the season, I feel this game will end in a 2-2 draw with Ryukyu conceding the equalizer late in what should be a spirited game. Season Record 6-4-7.
6. Round 18 in J2
All Times Listed are JST
(1) Albirex Niigata will host (16) Fagiano Okayama who have only won once in their last six games. (2) Kyoto Sanga FC will host (19) Thespakusatsu Gunma who are undefeated in their last four with two consecutive wins. (4) Jubilo Iwata versus (6) Ventforet Kofu is the game this week with the most on the line with both clubs so close to one another in the standings. The free broadcast this week on the J-League International YouTube channel will be (9) JEF United Chiba vs. (10) Tokyo Verdy.
Ryukyu need a slump buster in the worst way and Giravanz could be just what the doctor ordered after a tough few weeks. Ryukyu must do all they can to keep pace with the teams at the top until they can return to full health and that means earning wins over teams they should beat. But that won’t be easy as they’ve shown little offensive output in the past six games but all that could change with a big win tomorrow. So long as Ryukyu can keep the point game at the top between 3-5 points, they’ll have a good chance of making things interesting down the stretch. But the task at hand is to win the winnable game directly in front of them, and to look good while doing it.
ryukyuarmy.com 