MD17 Report: (13) Blaublitz Akita vs (4) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

This was not the type of performance you expected, or wanted, to see out of Ryukyu following a tough defeat to Niigata last week. Ryukyu were extremely sloppy in the first half and only mustered a single shot on net the entire opening period. We all knew Blaublitz Akita was going to be a tough nut to crack at the back, but Ryukyu looked uninspired in the attack all day. The dozen or more turnovers that Ryukyu committed didn’t help the situation though Takuma Abe and Tetsuya Chinen did all they could to keep Ryukyu in the game. Abe finally returned to the score sheet with an impressive solo effort in stoppage time where his shot took an in-between-bounce over the Akita keeper to break the deadlock. But the joy of taking the lead late in the game was short lived as within 30 seconds of Abe’s goal, Ryukyu conceded the equalizer.

Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 17 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Day 17 Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu DF Tetsuya Chinen: Whenever Ryukyu needed someone to step up and make a play, Chinen was there. He was closing down attackers, cutting off passes, getting back into position after several dozen Ryukyu turnovers and was our spark plug at the back. The only smudge on his otherwise clean record was when he came out a little too far to challenge for the ball in the air on Akita’s goal as it pulled him a little out of position and he wasn’t able to kill the drive with a clearance.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Get to the 2-goal mark first. Likelihood 3. Fail! Ryukyu didn’t even get to the one goal mark until the 2nd minute of stoppage time in the second half.

2. Do not take them for granted. Likelihood 4. They may have just enough to allow Akita back in the game. It was a tale of two halves as Akita completely dominated Ryukyu in the first with Ryukyu taking charge in the second. But it was the mental collapse in the final sixty seconds of the game that did Ryukyu in.

3. Same as last week, set pieces will be key. Likelihood 2. Pass. Ryukyu gave Akita ample opportunities in the first half to score from set pieces but held firm in the end. However, when the offense was struggling to generate much of anything, and Ryukyu were gifted a few set pieces in dangerous areas, they couldn’t convert any of them.

4. Prediction

I said 2-1 to Ryukyu with Martin correctly tipping it to end in a 1-1 draw. I’ll take the loss here. Season Record 6-4-7.

5. Talking Points from Round 17

1. The injury crisis deepens. Taguchi’s surprise absence on the roster sent shockwaves through the Ryukyu fan base hours before kickoff. Word of his injury, 10-12 weeks with a broken bone in his hand, wasn’t released until the following Monday. This means Ryukyu are now down to their 3^rd and 4^th string goalies with only a special designated 16-year-old player as an emergency back-up. Inose took a knock to his ankle early in the first half but he was able to remain in the game, and Chinen was seen hobbling a little near the end of the game. Taguchi is likely gone until September, with Dany hopefully just a few short weeks away, but every minor injury now becomes a crisis situation. Much like 2019 when Ryukyu went through a midseason collapse that coincided with several injuries, we are seeing a carbon copy of that script here in 2021.

That ties into the question I brought up last week about the level of training Ryukyu conduct back here in Okinawa, and whether or not it needs to be dialed down a bit. Let’s be honest, we have a much older squad on average than most teams in J2, specifically in that most of the starters are over, or very close, to 30-years of age, so how much physical training is required for these guys to maintain peak performance each week? The news release from Ryukyu stated that Taguchi injured his hand during the Niigata match but I find it hard to believe he would’ve been able to continue in a game, one in which Ryukyu used only 4 out of the possible 5 substitutes, if he truly broke the bones at any point in the match. Especially one with so much at stake.

Ryukyu may have started off very strong this year, but if the training truly has been too brutal on the guys, then we are seeing the effects as the season progresses. Right now, Ryukyu are dealing with no less than 4 injuries, if we read the tea leaves on some players where there’s been no word of an injury, which seem to be related to unnecessary wear and tear. Granted, injuries will always occur throughout the season, but is enough being done during training to limit the impact of a 42-game season with large amounts of travel?

2. Turnovers were killer. FC Ryukyu couldn’t generate any type of attack in the first half with the high number of turnovers they committed in the central midfield. This provided Akita with numerous short counter attacks and chances to take the lead. Inose made a fine save on one such play but Ryukyu were bailed out on another when Yong Jick committed a heinous turnover in their end and it was very lucky that the Akita player severely miss hit the shot. Kiyotake can also be included in the egregious offender category for turnovers on Saturday. This was a day that the offense really needed to carry the day with the defense reeling with injuries and they simply couldn’t penetrate the Akita back line.

3. Mental lapses rearing their head once more. Aside from the aforementioned turnovers, there was the break down at the end of the game that saw Ryukyu concede a goal within 1-minute of scoring for the second consecutive week. Akita managed to make it all the way into the Ryukyu 18-yard box on 2 passes and put one past Inose to level the game with less than 60 seconds of stoppage time remaining. First, Chinen may have missed judged the flight of the ball when he came out a little too far, and then was unable to get into position to challenge the initial long ball from the Akita goal keeper. Then, Yong Jick opted to play the man, not the ball, which allowed the Akita player to knock the ball forward. Koki Kazama did all he could to delay the inevitable but Mikami was strong enough to hold off the challenge from Ryukyu. Seeing how Mikami was basically falling backwards, there was only one way he was going to put the shot on net and that was high. For his part, Inose stated in his post-game comments that he should have done better when setting the defensive line on that play but I think he should have seen how Mikami was setting up and played for the high shot, not a low liner from that tight of an angle.

4. Higuchi’s post-match comments. Higuchi received a lot of flak in the days following this game as he severely criticized Akita for “not playing football.” I don’t agree with those comments, nor condone them, as a way of shifting blame for how the team performed. First, your opponent always has a say in the game and if you are unable to make the necessary adjustments during the game, that is a failure of coaching. Second, it was evident that Akita were playing a physical type of football with Ryukyu early on and continued to do so when the referee allowed that type of play to continue unabated. The only card to be shown in the first half was awarded to the Ryukyu goal keeper coach who took umbrage with a late challenge to Inose who was nursing a bit of a knock to his ankle.

Third, give credit where credit is due to Akita. They had a game plan, executed that game plan, and earned a valuable point. In fact, Akita were probably more deserving of that point as they could’ve easily defeated Ryukyu had they not missed a few chances. Finally, you have five opportunities to make changes throughout the game and if you thought Akita was truly out there parking the bus, then you should have made changes earlier than the last 10 minutes of play so those changes could have a meaningful impact on the game.

5. It is going to be a cruel, cruel summer. Fire up Bananarama on your playlists and brace for a bumpy ride as Ryukyu face a daunting task of staying in the promotion race until the summer break. What was once a position of strength for Ryukyu, defense, has turned into their Achilles heel as of late. Ryukyu are no longer seeing out low scoring games for wins and that is unlikely to improve the next few months until players return from injury. To that point, the two categories for points accumulated over expectation and points dropped are starting to get to dangerously close to one another. Ryukyu probably sit about 10 points shy of avoiding relegation at this point, but I am not sure they will be able to maintain a place near the top of the table by the time fall rolls around.

6. The Emperors Cup looms large. Ryukyu will play their opening match of the Emperors Cup this Wednesday at Matsumoto Yamaga. I’ve never been a huge fan of this tournament, mainly because of the way it has to be organized with so few clubs owning their own stadium to go along with the drain on limited resources forcing Ryukyu to play another road game during an already long season. Higuchi stated that this is an important tournament for the club this year. I would agree that we need to get some bench players some playing time as injuries begin to mount but Ryukyu shouldn’t gamble with any of the starting eleven in the midweek. Tsumita is likely to start in net, needs some playing time if Inose is indeed dealing with an injury, with whole sale changes across the back and front. Ramon, Motegi, Nakagawa (?), Ichimaru, Yu, Shintaro, Fukui, Torikai, Makito, Yamashita, Murase, Paso, and Hitomi should all make the squad and see playing time. I would even like to see Sho Sawada (17) and Koki Yushin (16) get a call up. But you never know these days as it looked as if Ryukyu remained on the mainland for training in between these games and are unlikely to have flown in several replacements for this game.

6. Round 17 in J2

All three of the top three sides drew this week which allowed Jubilo Iwata to leapfrog FC Ryukyu into third place following their fourth win in a row. Apparently the four wins in a row is a franchise record for Jubilo Iwata. No real change after the top 4 sides this week but the gap near the bottom is beginning to widen for Omiya Ardija, on another managerial change this week, and SC Sagamihara.

7. Conclusion

Rocked by multiple injuries, with confidence waning, and the notion of promotion slowly slipping away, Ryukyu need to regroup and change whatever it is that they’ve been doing the past 7 rounds that has seen them tumble 2 spots outside of promotion. The midweek EC match is not what this team needs right now, though I can understand that it is an opportunity for some of the players to get some match minutes who have infrequently, or never, appeared for Ryukyu this season. This may turn out to be significant in the event we need to look to some of these players in the near future if the injuries continue to pile up.

MD 16 Report: (2) Albirex Niigata vs (3) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Albirex Niigata came from behind to defeat FC Ryukyu 2-1 to regain the pole position in J2. Ryukyu started the fireworks in the first half with a very nice goal from Ren Ikeda following a Keita Tanaka cross just behind the Niigata defense. Unfortunately, Ryukyu were only able to maintain that lead for sixty seconds before Takagi’s equalizer put Niigata level. Without the services of one of their better defenders, Okazaki, Ryukyu conceded an ‘ugly goal’ halfway through the second half and were unable to find an equalizer of their own. This was Ryukyu’s second loss in a row, the first time this has occurred for Ryukyu this season, whereas Niigata were able to arrest their two game slide and grab an important victory in the race for promotion.

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 16 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Albirex Niigata CAM Yoshiaki Takagi: Scored the opening goal for Niigata on a really nice one-time touch inside the Ryukyu 18-yard box and was involved in the set up play for the second Niigata goal.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. The offense must carry the day. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu started out strong by grabbing the early lead but they couldn’t sustain the lead as the offense tapered off when they needed it the most.

2. Win the battle of set pieces. Likelihood 2. This one is a push for me as though Ryukyu didn’t concede, they didn’t score either. Uesato came close to equalizing in the second half but Niigata’s goal keeper made a fine save to keep their lead intact.

3. Exploit Niigata’s turnovers. Likelihood 3. I didn’t see many turnovers from Niigata yesterday so credit to them for cleaning this up in the week leading up to this match.

4. Prediction

I thought Niigata would take this 2-0 but Ryukyu bagged the opener so I’ll award myself a draw for predicting the winning sides goal tally. Season Record 6-4-6.

5. Talking Points from Round 16

1. Ryukyu did not play poorly; they just fell victim to Niigata’s ability to see out tough games for wins. Neither side was that explosive yesterday with a majority of the top passing players being of the defensive or central defensive midfielder types. There were long stretches of the game where there was little to no action with both sides seemingly not wanting to lose this match. Ryukyu out shot Niigata in the second half but the only serious threat on net was the Uesato free kick when Ryukyu could only manage one corner kick in the final 45’ minutes. Ryukyu also did well to limit the impact of both Shion Homma and Koji Suzuki but in the end, like they’ve done so many times this year, Niigata found a way to win.

2. A couple of cases of being caught flat-footed. On Niigata’s opening goal Chinen was caught leaning in the wrong direction on the cross into the box and was unable to recover in time to completely close down the Niigata attacker. Though it appeared that Taguchi would have enough time to get to the shot, he was also leaning the opposite direction before his jump across the mouth of goal to block the shot went past his outstretched arms. Some of us here felt this was a ball that Taguchi should have got to, and one in which Taguchi addressed with his post match comments stating that it wasn’t as simple as it may have looked on film, but instead it was one of those plays where Ryukyu had the wind taken out of their sails after surrendering the equalizer so quickly.

3. The second Niigata goal was just hard to watch. No less than 4 Ryukyu players had a shot at clearing the spilled ball that made its way through our central defense. The initial deflection off of Numata set Niigata up but neither Chinen, Yong Jick nor Koki Kazama could get enough on the clearance, thus leaving Taguchi in a so called ‘no man’s land’ where he couldn’t come out to collect the ball with another Niigata attacker lurking in the area.

4. We couldn’t get Abe firing. Abe made his return to the lineup after a few weeks off and the team looked much better as a result. We knew it was unlikely for Abe to play a full 90’ minutes after returning from injury and it was his departure after 60’ minutes that signaled the steep drop off in Ryukyu’s offense for the remainder of the match. Glad he is back as Ryukyu desperately need him up top next month.

5. The looks of frustration and bewilderment among the Ryukyu players following the match is a telling sign that something’s not right. Koya Kazama took this loss particularly hard as he was visibly frustrated by the result. Then there was the dismayed look on Chinen’s face which seemed to me as someone who couldn’t understand how things turned out the way they did despite their best efforts. I am not sure how Ryukyu prep for games, or make in game adjustments, but these boys need some confidence boosting results next month before doubt and frustration take hold.

6. Ryukyu’s injury crisis. We can now add Okazaki to a growing list of Ryukyu players who are either out injured or are in the midst of their recovery. We will be without Okazaki until late July which means we won’t see him again until after the Olympic break. Abe returned but we never heard what was affecting him the past two weeks. There has been no sign, and no word, on the status of Akamine though Ryukyu are likely to see the return of Makito Uehara to training next week, and Dany Carvajal a few weeks after that. Ryukyu have 4 healthy central defenders on the roster with Chinen, Yong Jick, Fukui and yet to make an appearance Yusuke Murase. Another injury to this position will seriously derail any push for promotion.

7. It is not all bad. As mentioned earlier in this section, Ryukyu looked better this week than they did against Yamagata and finally scored at the Big Swan stadium. Abe’s return will boost this club as was evident by the Ren Ikeda goal, his first goal since Abe’s departure/return. Though the loss has consigned Ryukyu to sole possession of third place, they are only 3 points back from the leaders. If Ryukyu can maintain, or close, that gap by the halfway point of the season, they have a punchers chance at seeing it through.

6. Round 16 in J2

Kyoto Sanga’s 0-0 draw with Ventforet Kofu following Albirex Niigata’s win over FC Ryukyu means both sides are level on points with Niigata resuming the top slot based on goal difference. The Kyoto pitch looked awful following an Olympic torch relay there, but I am not sure how much that had to do with the performance from either side. A couple of upsets by Fagiano Okayama and Giravanz Kitakyushu pushed them up the table and in the case of Giravanz, out of the relegation zone. Omiya Ardija and SC Sagamihara are firmly entrenched at the bottom with SC Sagamihara parting ways with their manager following their loss. Jubilo Iwata’s 1-0 win over Zweigen Kanazawa puts them within 1-point of FC Ryukyu and within striking distance of the leaders.

7. Conclusion

Ryukyu ended the month of May 2-2-2 with 8 points earned from a possible 18. The wobble this month coincided with several injuries to the side that saw Abe, and now Okazaki, miss time in crucial match ups. Ryukyu managed a single point against the top two sides this month with Kyoto Sanga finishing with 4 points and Niigata with 3. This was the first time all year that Niigata earned a single point off a top six side and sets them up for a nice month of June. Neither of the top 3 teams have a particularly brutal schedule next month but Ryukyu face the daunting task of traveling to Akita and then Matsumoto in the midweek for their next two rounds. For now, Ryukyu must head back to the training ground and find a way to restore the type of football they were playing at the start of the season or risk find tumbling out of the race for promotion altogether.

Match Day 15 Report: (3) FC Ryukyu vs (8) Montedio Yamagata #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu fell victim to two set pieces and suffered their first home loss of the season 2-0 to Montedio Yamagata in what could be the last home game where fans can attend for a month while Okinawa is in a state of emergency. The loss drops Ryukyu down to third but it is the visible cracks in the defense that is more concerning than the dropped points. Ryukyu are now level on points with former league leaders Albirex Niigata and head into one of the biggest games of the season in a bit of downward spiral.

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 15 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Montedio Yamagata RB Riku Handa: That was a really nice goal he scored which ended up as the winner for Montedio Yamagata on Saturday.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Slow down Yamagata’s fast start. Likelihood 4. No! Yamagata scored early again and Ryukyu had no answer.

2. Stifle Ibuki Fujita. Likelihood 3. Yes, but he nearly scored late in the second half but sent the shot high over the bar from inside the 18-yard box.

3. Limit Yamagata’s set pieces in dangerous areas. Likelihood 3. Yes, as Yamagata had 4 FKs and 4 CKs, but Ryukyu’s Achilles heel this year has been defending set pieces as both Yamagata goals came from set pieces.

4. Prediction

Totally whiffed on this one when I predicted a 2-0 win for Ryukyu. Season Record 6-3-6.

5. Talking Points from Round 15

1. Defending of set pieces, scoring from set pieces. Ryukyu conceded their third goal inside of two games from a set piece this round. Yamagata’s opening goal saw a preponderance of the Ryukyu defenders get sucked into defending what they thought was going to be a cross into their defensive line only to see the pass find an undefended area wide open in the Ryukyu box. I am not sure who was at fault there as both Kiyotake and Numata were left staring at one another after the goal. Kiyotake crashed in trying to defend the cross and Numata was on an island all to himself. The second Yamagata goal was just a matter of who wanted it more as Hiroki Noda rose over top of both Chinen and Shimizu to bury the header, and Ryukyu.

Ryukyu had 14 corner kicks on Saturday night and converted none of them. Granted, scoring from a corner kick may already be a low probability, but you had 14 cracks at it and couldn’t even net an ugly goal in the process. Most of the Ryukyu corners couldn’t clear the first line of the Yamagata defense, but two of the Yamagata corners (50%) had no problem finding the back of the net.

Ryukyu have conceded four goals from set pieces, which is the most of any type of goal that can be conceded, and need to tighten this up heading into the next match. That may be a tall ask considering we could be without the services of Okazaki. Practice this week should focus on defending and converting set pieces as Niigata have scored 9 goals from set pieces, the most of any of their totals, as well as conceded four goals from set pieces, also the most of any of the goals they’ve conceded.

2. Possible injury to CB Ryohei Okazaki. Okazaki was subbed off just before the start of the second half for Lee Yong Jick and I highly doubt that was a tactical decision as he has played every single minute this year. Okazaki has come on strong this year and though there are times where he may stumble leading to a goal by the opposition, his play has been much better than years past. There has been no word from the club as of this writing if there was a significant injury to Okazaki that will require him to miss time but heading into the most important match of the season without one of our best defenders is certainly not ideal. Though Chinen may have had a rough day at the office, as well have from time to time when he got beaten on a nice step over but Taguchi made a fine save on the ensuing shot and was unable to clear the ball on Yamagata’s second goal, though we’ll really need his tenacity and skill with any prolonged absence to Okazaki.

3. Yamagata looked really dangerous on the counter attacks while Ryukyu struggled with the final pass on attacks. One of those counters led directly to the corner kick that they converted for their second goal while Ryukyu once again couldn’t find that last pass inside the 18-yard box. Ryukyu controlled a majority of the game and looked dangerous when heading towards goal, but passes were off the mark and headers following crosses sailed wide or were not strong enough to ask questions of the Yamagata keeper.

4. Speaking of absences, Abe was once again left off the roster. I thought that Abe may have just been granted a rest day the week prior against Tochigi as Ryukyu released photos this past week of Abe at practice, but he didn’t even make the reserves for this game. On a night when Ryukyu had 18 total shots, 8 of which were on target, only 3 really threatened the Yamagata goal as the offense was just flat and in need of a finisher like Abe.

5. The curious selection of the Ryukyu reserves continues. Akamine made way for Torikai and Ichimaru went as an unused substitute. I have a hard time believing that Torikai is better than Nakagawa, Ichimaru or Ramon for that matter, and now we are likely looking at a CB pairing of Chinen and Yong Jick which means that Fukui is likely to dress as the emergency central defender next week. I’d really like to know what is going on with Nakagawa these days with injuries piling up to go along with a dip in performances. With little to no information released from the club when it comes to injuries, there are many questions about players fitness levels heading into Niigata.

6. Ryukyu missed a great opportunity to accumulate points in their past three games. All three of Ryukyu’s opponents in rounds 13-15 were in the lower half of the table heading into those games yet Ryukyu managed just 4 points from a possible 9. I am not saying that Ryukyu could have earned all nine points, but even two more points would have put them level with Kyoto and two ahead of Niigata. Not surprising that the win one, draw one, lose one pattern coincides with Ryukyu’s worst defensive performance of the season where they conceded nearly the same number of goals in these past three games that they did in their first twelve games of 2021.

6. Round 15 in J2

Kyoto Sanga FC defeated Albirex Niigata 1-0 and have now jumped two spots into the lead. Niigata suffered only their second loss this season, but second in a row, and are level on points with Ryukyu who also lost this round. Jubilo Iwata and Ventforet Kofu both won thus cutting the lead between them and Niigata/Ryukyu to 4/5 points respectively. V-Varen Nagasaki and Montedio Yamagata were the big movers this week as their wins moved them up 6/7 slots and inside the top half of the table.

Round 15 is not yet completed as the (22) SC Sagamihara vs (21) Ehime FC takes on even greater importance as the winner could pull themselves out of the relegation zone for one week at least.

7. Conclusion

I guess we will have to wait a little longer to grab that first win ever over Montedio Yamagata. The only thing to do know is put this game in the rearview mirror, correct the mistakes that led Ryukyu down this path, and prepare for the single biggest game of the season to date. Both Ryukyu and Niigata head into this match coming off a loss, but Niigata are too good of a side to lose three games in a row and will look to take out their aggression on what could be a weakened Ryukyu side.

Match Day 14 Report: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (17) Tochigi SC #FC琉球

Intro

As the race for the top continues to tighten, Ryukyu walked away with all three points on Saturday night when they defeated Tochigi SC 4-2. Ryukyu fell behind early from a goal on a corner kick but responded with two quick goals from Shintaro Shimizu and Kazumasa Uesato to put Ryukyu in the lead. However, Ryukyu surrendered a second goal late in the first half and were in danger of dropping points at home until Shunsuke Motegi’s “hate-seeking’ missile broke the deadlock late in the second half. Then Yong Jick netted his first ever goal for Ryukyu on a set piece that put the match out of reach for Tochigi.

Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 14 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Day Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu Mid Fielder Shunsuke Motegi: He scored what was ultimately the winner for Ryukyu, and it was a very nice goal at that, and was involved in the set piece that netted Yong Jick’s goal. Had Shintaro Shimizu got the header on target from Motegi’s dead ball cross, he could have had an even bigger day.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Bombs away. Likelihood 4. I’d say so.

2. Follow up the shots that are saved with more shots. Likelihood 3. Ryukyu’s opening goal by Shintaro Shimizu is a perfect example of this as was Yong Jick’s redirection from the Ren Ikeda shot at the end.

3. Play it safe when playing out from the back. Likelihood 3. Ryukyu had a difficult time breaking the high press from Tochigi but were able to slowly make their way up the pitch with passes among the two center backs and Uesato.

4. Don’t forget about the old Route 1. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu heavily favored attacking down the right side but the Shintaro goal stands out as the one that was most directly down the middle as it was Koki’s shot from just outside the box that rang the crossbar.

4. Prediction

Tipped Ryukyu to win 3-1 and seeing how they did win by two goals, I’ll take a draw this round. Season Record 6-3-5.

5. Talking points from Round 14

1. Don’t be fooled by all that possession. Ryukyu had an insane amount of possession on Saturday night but a majority of that was them inch worming out of their own end. Tochigi’s high press resulted in Okazaki, Chinen and Uesato registering 400 combined successful passes, or roughly half of the total passes by Ryukyu on the night. Still, outside of one turnover by Ryukyu that required a nice save by Taguchi, Ryukyu were composed and took their time to pick their spots.

2. Tochigi looked dangerous in the opening half but then faded away. Obviously with such little possession, Tochigi did well with the little opportunities they were afforded. Their first goal was the result of Okazaki being involved in a pick play were the man he was marking cut across him to knock him off his spot thus leaving Daichi Inui wide open to bury the header. However, Tochigi’s second goal was a thing of beauty when Yuki Nishiya did well to control the cross and then strike an absolute cracking goal. But in the end, Tochigi had to resort to shots from distance to generate any pressure on net and none threatened the Ryukyu goal.

3. Yong Jick has become an asset as a late defensive sub for Ryukyu. While he is the most likely candidate to fill in for either center back, Yong Jick is much more useful as defensive midfielder late in games. He adds the element of height in both the defense, as well as in the attack, of set pieces.

4. Abe’s absence from the squad. Ryukyu announced earlier in the week that a top team player had tested positive for COVID-19. Then there was the sight of Abe leaving the Ehime match with a heavily wrapped leg with what looked to be an ice pack on his right hamstring. We do not know whether Abe was the player who tested positive, nor do we know if he is dealing with an injury that could see him miss the all-important Albirex Niigata match in two weeks, but his absence doesn’t bode well for the side. I think we all hope this was just a rest/maintenance day for the talisman and nothing more.

5. Shunsuke Motegi has played a total of 41′ this season but has a pair of goals and contributed to a third from the own goal at SC Sagamihara. I think his time is coming to take over the LM spot for Ryukyu but he’ll need to get more minutes under his belt. There is no doubt we are seeing the dangerous player that Motegi can be which makes his inclusion in the squad, but going unused in games when Ryukyu are trailing, all the more perplexing. If Abe misses any more time, Motegi could provide the spark the offense needs during games.

6. Where we stand at the 1/3 mark of the season. Ryukyu have one less shutout in their last seven games compared to the first seven; they have been shutout one more time these past seven than the first seven; they also have two games where they conceded multiple goals, but have one more game where they scored more than three goals in a game in games 8-14. At times it seems as if Ryukyu both play up, and down to some of their competition but that is typical for any side in a season. They’ve taken seven points off of sides inside the top six and are tied with Albirex Niigata for the second most points ever by a J2 side at this point in the season.

6. Round 14 in J2

Albirex Niigata suffered their first loss of the season 2-1 to FC Machida Zelvia which puts them level on points with FC Ryukyu, and only one point above Kyoto Sanga. Kyoto defeated Mito Hollyhock without the services of Peter Utaka which sets up a massive game between these two teams next week. Jubilo Iwata and Ventforet Kofu both won 1-0 at home thus not changing any of the standings for teams three through five.

It is extremely tight at the top with three teams only separated by a point and who will play one another over the next two rounds. At the bottom, it is a five horse race with those sides all sitting on eleven points.

7. Conclusion

As we witnessed this past round, the teams at the top cannot afford to drop any points as the race for promotions is so tight. To their credit, Ryukyu overcame an early deficit and finished the game strong which has put them level with the leaders. But before we can consider ourselves fortunate, and way before we can consider the job done, Ryukyu need to beat a Montedio Yamagata side that has a perfect record when facing Ryukyu. In fact, they have scored three or more goals against Ryukyu on three occasions since 2019. This will be no easy match for Ryukyu ahead of Niigata despite Yamagata’s current place in the table.

Match Day 12 Recap: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (3) Kyoto Sanga FC 5/05/21 #FC琉球

Intro

Despite the weather forecast calling for rain and thunderstorms, 2,500 people ventured out and were rewarded with rather calm weather. However, the most anticipated match of this round had few fireworks as both teams played to a 0-0 draw. There were a lot of positives that came out of this match for Ryukyu and though we’d like to see this side beat the stronger teams at home, there is a long way to go this season.

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 12 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu GK Junto Taguchi: Taguchi was right in the firing line last night as Kyoto registered 13 shots on target, and not a single one got past Taguchi. His save in the second half from a Miyayoshi shot was probably the biggest one he made all game.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Bend, don’t break on defense. Likelihood 3. Absolutely. Ryukyu stymied one of the best offenses in the league last night and made Utaka almost invisible.

2. Win the individual battles within the game. Likelihood 3. To a large degree yes. Ren Ikeda, Tatsuya Chinen, Takuma Abe and Keita Tanaka were all in fine form. The only shame was that Ryukyu didn’t score.

3. We need a big performance out of Abe, Koya and Tanaka. Likelihood 4. Yes. Koya was playing really well and so to was Numata who was picking out players left and right inside the box.

4. Prediction

Went with a 1-1 draw and it ended 0-0. I think that is good enough to give myself a win this week. Season Record 6-2-4.

5. Talking Points from Match Day 12

1. Close but no cigar. Each side had some good opportunities to score last night but could not slip one past two of the better goal keepers in J2. Each side had one great chance to score that required nice saves on the part of the keepers; Shintaro Shimizu’s header in the first half was just simply the perfect height for the keeper to parry out of danger but it still required a diving save on the part of Wakahara; and there was the abovementioned save by Taguchi on Miyayoshi. Each side had plenty of misses with lots of shots also being blocked by defenders in the box. Koya laid one off for Abe to finish but I think Koya had enough time and space near the back to post to attempt a header on net vice the pass. Utaka had one clean look on net but sent his shot high over the bar in the first half. Then Abe and Shintaro both came close near the end but again, the shots went wide of the mark.

2. Ryukyu were lucky to escape unscathed from two costly turnovers. Both occurred in the second half with the most egregious one being by Yu Tomidokoro that turned Kyoto loose on net. It was only the save by Taguchi that bailed Ryukyu out of what could have been an absolute disaster. We knew coming into this game that Kyoto punishes sides on turnovers so one on hand you can look at it as luck, and the other as skill on the part of Taguchi. But Ryukyu cannot afford to make those costly mistakes in their own end against good sides.

3. Ryukyu played much better in the second half. There were more attacks from Ryukyu and they looked as if they would break the deadlock but were still out shot 2-1 by Kyoto in the second half. It was almost the exact opposite of the SC Sagamihara game as Ryukyu only registered 2 shots on target in the second half compared to 8 from Kyoto. It looked as if Ryukyu controlled most of the play in the second half but each side went into half time, and finished the match, with a 50/50 split in time of possession. Furthermore, when Ryukyu introduced both Yong Jick and Shinya Uehara, they couldn’t produce enough dead ball kicks to bring the height of these players, and that of Chinen and Okazaki, to bear on the Kyoto goal. Uehara had one look that was sent high over the bar from what may have been the lone free kick in Kyoto territory.

4. So many games in such a short time span yet Ryukyu only used two substitutes last night. Yong Jick came on for Yu Tomidokoro in the central midfield which is becoming a trend. I think that substitution, along with Uehara, really provided Ryukyu with some coverage on the set pieces from Kyoto near the end but Ryukyu only managed to earn two corner kicks last night. However, I wish they had brought on Motegi, Akamine or Kiyotake to introduce some fresh legs to the fight.

5. There was a strange play were an injured (or acting as if injured) Kyoto player interfered with a pass from Ryukyu and the referee decided to award Kyoto the ball in their own end. Some thought it may result in a dropkick but I am not sure what went on with this play. The referee let these guys play all game and awarded no cards despite the several conversations he was having with multiple players yesterday.

6. I know we all wanted to see FC Ryukyu win, but the performance was good, and it was a vital point. Keep in mind that Kyoto entered this match having won their previous 6 games and were pretty much scoring at will. The fact that Ryukyu were able to shut down such a potent offense is really encouraging moving forward. They still maintain a 3 point lead over Kyoto, who is heading into a tough stretch of games, are 7 points clear of 4th placed Jubilo Iwata, and have conceded the fewest goals (7) in J2. Look how much better this side is at producing results this year compared to last year when defending was a problem despite all the firepower that Ryukyu possessed.

7. Strange statistic that means absolutely nothing but exists nonetheless. When the FC Ryukyu team bus arrives before their opponents when Ryukyu are at home, they are 5-0-0. When it arrives after, as it did yesterday and against Omiya, they are 0-2-0 with no goals scored.

6. Round 12 in J2

Leaders Albirex Niigata retained the top slot after a thrilling come from behind victory at Omiya Ardija. Teams seeded 2 to 4 all drew, as well as Ventforet Kofu, thus not changing positions near the top. Though FC Machida Zelvia’s 2-1 win at Fagiano Okayama has bumped them above Kofu. Blaublitz Akita’s 2-1 road win at V-Varen Nagasaki further frustrates a Nagasaki side that had high hopes coming into this season.

7. Conclusion

A vital point earned and now it is on to three teams in the bottom half of the table for FC Ryukyu before they travel to #1 Albirex Niigata at the end of the month. Ryukyu’s schedule for the remainder of May is much more friendlier than leaders Niigata, 3 games in a row against top 6 sides that includes a game with Kyoto, and Kyoto, 2 games in a row against teams in the top 6, which means Ryukyu stands a good chance at creating some distance between those teams below them and possibly catching/overtaking Niigata if the leaders stumble. But before we get to Niigata, it is on to Ehime FC in just two short days. Ryukyu cannot afford to drop points to a team in the relegation zone and must continue to hold serve as they make a push for promotion.

Match Day 12: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (3) Kyoto Sanga FC 5/05/21 #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu have a huge test this week as they welcome in #3 Kyoto Sanga FC. Ryukyu are fresh off their biggest win of the season where they defeated SC Sagamihara on Match Day 11. Kyoto won their sixth game in a row last round by defeating Ehime FC 3-2 and look as dangerous as everyone expected them to be this year. This 6 pointer is a true test where an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. So get ready.

Weather Forecast & Match Information
Previous Match Highlights
Team Previews
- FC Ryukyu
- Kyoto Sanga FC
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 12 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

Thunderstorms and rain. Looking at a possible weather delay during the match.

No visiting fans allowed to attend this game but I would suspect some Kyoto fans have traveled to Okinawa for Golden week and may attend this match in “plain clothes.”

Click>>> Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Highlights

SC Sagamihara 1-5 FC Ryukyu

Kyoto Sanga FC 3-2 Ehime FC

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu were able to get on track offensively versus Sagamihara as they shipped 5 goals past the hosts on Saturday. It was a good performance in front of this tough matchup with Kyoto as our opponent this week is firing on all cylinders. The lone goal that Ryukyu did surrender on Saturday was a phenomenally taken overhead kick that no Ryukyu fan can be upset about losing out on a clean sheet.

But Ryukyu will need to call on the defense that has limited their opponents to six clean sheets and only one game this season with multiple goals conceded if they wish to net any points on Wednesday. Taguchi is tied for the overall league lead in clean sheets (6) but his counterpart this week, Tomoya Wakahara, ranks just behind him with 5. Another big test will be how both Okazaki and Chinen attempt to stop Peter Utaka, 5 goals and 1 assist in his last 5 games, and Jordy Buijs, 3 goals in his last 4 games, as Ryukyu have not faced a high scoring side this season outside of Jubilo Iwata on match day one.

One name that was left off the scorecard this past round was Takuma Abe. It has now been six games and well over a month since Abe last scored. And Ryukyu really need a player of his quality to bust out in a big way this week. Ren Ikeda is Ryukyu’s leading scorer this season with 5 goals but it has been the play of both Keita Tanaka (2 goals & 6 assists) as well as Koya Kazama (5 assists) that have propelled this side forward. Both Tanaka and Koya are inside the top 3 for all of J2 in assists with Tanaka, as the lone defender, ranking inside the top 5 for total points.

Ryukyu opted to not rotate any of their players this past round, and though they weren’t required to over exert themselves at Sagamihara, I am slightly concerned about this sides ability to recover in time for what will be a more spirited match with far more running to be expected. But, as we’ve seen time and time again this year, Ryukyu have a way of surprising us in some unexpected ways. Let’s hope that trend continues – in a positive way – this round.

FC RYUKYU KYOTO SANGA SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON

Kyoto Sanga FC: Creative and relentless. That is the best way to describe Kyoto. They are so good in the attack, severely punish sides whenever their opponent makes a mistake and can create chances on set pieces with their movement in and out of the formation. Utaka may be the leading scorer, but Kyoto have so many attacking options that solely focusing on stopping him allows others to take advantage of the space vacated by defenders tracking the Sanga talisman.

Like Ryukyu, Kyoto’s fullbacks, Takahiro Iida and Takuya Ogiwara, are heavily involved in Kyoto’s set up play and then teams still have to contend with attacker Temma Matsuda and defender Jordy Buijs. A fair amount of Kyoto’s goals from set pieces were ones where the initial cross finds a streaking Kyoto player in acres of space with plenty of time to pick his spot.

As noted earlier, Kyoto are on a seven game winning streak, haven’t lost a match since round five, and conceded multiple goals in a game only twice this season. The most recent being the match at home to Ehime FC this past weekend. In their last five games Kyoto have defeated FC Machida Zelvia, Giravanz Kitakyushu, Tokyo Verdy, Renofa Yamaguchi FC and Ehime FC. They kept a clean sheet in 3 of those games and demolished Kitakyushu 6-1.

Kyoto are the second highest scoring team in J2 and have only conceded 3 more goals that Ryukyu this year. And after a rocky start to the season where Kyoto suffered two losses and a draw inside the opening five fixtures, Gwi-Jae Jo has these boys humming.

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. Bend, don’t break on defense. Likelihood 3. There is little doubt that Ryukyu will be under some serious pressure on Wednesday but they have played similar opponents well when facing long odds. Ryukyu need to be clinical when playing out from the back as Kyoto punish their opponents on costly turnovers. Defense has got us to this point, and we will need more of it this match.

2. Win the individual battles within the game. Likelihood 3. Ryukyu cannot afford to remain fixated on Utaka all match as the remaining Kyoto players will tear us apart. That means those players not directly engaged with Utaka must maintain their defensive shape in order to frustrate the Kyoto attack. With that said, Ryukyu cannot give Utaka all the time and space he wants as he is very adept at finishing from all over the pitch as well as setting up his compatriots. Ryukyu will also need to win those battles on set pieces as Kyoto has created a tough situation for their opponents these days as teams don’t know whether to expect a direct cross into the set piece formation or a runner leaving the defensive line to receive a more direct pass. Man marking in these situations will be key.

3. We need a big performance out of Abe, Koya and Tanaka. Likelihood 4. Tanaka is in fine form these days and we need both him and Koya to set Abe loose in the box. While Kyoto are a handful in the attack, sometimes they throw everything into the attack and can be hit on the break. Quality runs in and around the box are going to be needed from the Ryukyu attackers and the set-up men need to pick their spots with lethal accuracy.

5. Prediction

FC Ryukyu own a 2-1 record against top six sides to date with Kyoto coming in at 1-1 against those same opponents. These sides are nearly even in every stat category and I for one would love to see this one end in a draw. I will predict that this one ends in a low scoring 1-1 draw. Season Record 5-2-4.

6. Round 12 in J2

Ryukyu versus Kyoto is the big match this round with (1) Albirex Niigata and (4) Jubilo Iwata each having favorable draws to keep the pressure on the those teams in the top 4. There are three other games with teams next to, or close, to each other inside the top half of the table with positional implications: (9) Fagiano Okayama hosting (6) FC Machida Zelvia; (7) Zweigen Kanazawa hosting (8) Mito Hollyhock; and (11) V-Varen Nagasaki welcoming in (10) Blaublitz Akita.

There will be no J2 game in the midweek as the J-League International YouTube channel will broadcast a Levain Cup match. However, Zweigen Kanazawa gets two games this month.

Click>>> J-League International YouTube Channel

7. Conclusion

This is a big month for the top three sides as all of them play the other two top teams twice. The team that comes out on top of these fixtures at the end of the month stands to put some serious distance between themselves and the other challengers. The time is now for Ryukyu to make a serious push for promotion.

Match Day 11 Recap: (19) SC Sagamihara vs (2) FC Ryukyu 5/01/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu didn’t fall into the trap of overlooking a weaker opponent with a massive match up on the horizon. In fact, this game ended up being more of a get right game for Ryukyu than anything else. Despite the length weather delay after 8 minutes, Ryukyu came out and put 5 past SC Sagamihara.

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 11 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Day Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu Midfielders Koki Kiyotake and Shunsuke Motegi. Both of these players accounted for 4 of the goals Ryukyu scored though Motegi’s first was scored as an own goal. Kiyotake opened the scoring for Ryukyu after the restart on a header set up by none other than Keita Tanaka. He then followed that up with a well taken shot from yet another Tanaka cross that Abe smartly dummied allowing it to fall to a wide open Kiyotake. I cannot tell if Motegi’s shot was already in the net before a SC Sagamihara player touched it. I also cannot tell from the highlights who from Sagamihara actually touched it but it was a spectacular shot none the less. Motegi was then rewarded after Ryukyu hustled to dispossess Sagamihara in their own end resulting in a turnover that saw Motegi alone at the top of the box to which he promptly sent a laser past the Sagamihara keeper.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. The razors edge. Likelihood 2. There were no changes to the lineup we see week in and week out for Ryukyu. Now we’ll see how they respond to an opponent who is much tougher than the last in a short week.

2. Contain Juri. Likelihood 3. Juri didn’t dress for the match so there was no real threat Ryukyu had to contend with.

3. Pile on the shots. Likelihood 4. Yes! Ryukyu needed a breakout game like this one to restore some confidence in players and look dominant. Granted, this wasn’t a top 6 side but it means a lot moving forward.

4. Prediction

2-0 to Ryukyu was obviously a little light so I’ll award myself a draw for at least predicting the win by Ryukyu. Season Record 5-2-4.

5. Talking Points from Match Day 11

1. Everything worked. Ryukyu enjoyed large spells of possession, looked good in that possession, and put a bunch of high-quality shots on net. We shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back too much based on the opponent, but the fact that we put in a dominant performance is very important. Ryukyu need to put in several of these performances this season and sometimes these types of games can jump start a side heading into a difficult match.

2. Tanaka might be the best RB in the league. He bagged two more assists yesterday and was all over the pitch creating chances. His ability to shield a defender, maintain possession, and then deliver a cross on Kiyotake’s goal was outstanding.

3. It was so good to see Motegi return to form. He looks fit and ready to make an impact. It may not be long before we see him take over the starting LM role for this club.

4. Shu Hiramatsu’s goal for SC Sagamihara is an early contender for goal of the year in J2. Yeah, we all would’ve loved to have seen FC Ryukyu bag another clean sheet, but even as a Ryukyu fan, you have to admire the quality of that goal. Taguchi parried the initial cross from danger, got tangled with a few Sagamihara players and the ball fell right near Shu, who then executed an absolute beauty of an overhead kick over Ikeda’s head. Ikeda would’ve never been able to get to the loose ball and finish was spectacular. Not even upset that it ruined our clean sheet. Well done son.

6. Round 11 in J2

No change at the top as the top 5 sides all won this round. Kyoto Sanga FC saw out a 3-2 win but were in cruise control up 3-1 before Ehime FC added a late goal to make it seem like the game was close. Jubilo Iwata needed a 76th minute winner after Tochigi SC leveled the game in the second half. Ventforet Kofu won the battle over Zweigen Kanazawa in what was probably the toughest draw this round while Blaublitz Akita and Fagiano Okayama swapped positions in the table following Okayama’s 1-0 win at Akita.

7. Conclusion

The win for Ryukyu sees them maintain their 3 point lead over Kyoto Sanga FC setting up a massive 6 point top of the table tilt this Wednesday night in Okinawa. A loss would drop Ryukyu down to 3rd but a draw or win would further strengthen Ryukyu’s position in the table. At the quarter mark of the 2021 season Ryukyu have a 10 point lead over 5th placed Kofu; 7 point lead over 4th place Jubilo Iwata in what is shaping up to be a 4 horse race for promotion.

Match Day 10 Recap: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (7) Ventforet Kofu 4/25/21 #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu shook off their first loss of the season by defeating Ventforet Kofu for the first time in the team’s history 2-0 on Sunday evening. A late, some might say controversial, goal by Ren Ikeda in the 90th minute was all that Ryukyu needed to see out the three points. The win keeps FC Ryukyu three points above Kyoto in the automatic promotion slot while also restoring some of the confidence that may have been lost at Machida.

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 10 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Day Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu Mid Fielder Kazumasa Uesato: Kaz was one of Ryukyu’s better passing players and it was his initiative to try a long distance chip over the Kofu goal keeper that led to the Ikeda goal on the ensuing corner kick.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Defend the left, but watch the right on quick counters. Likelihood 3. Yes. Ryukyu seemed aware of how Kofu prefers to break down their opponents, and though Kofu had many cracks at the Ryukyu goal from the left, Ryukyu held firm.

2. Take the attack of life support and give it a jolt with a defibrillator. Likelihood 2. Sort of. It was much better than the last effort but still lacks punch.

3. Play like you’re the second-best team in the league, because you are. Likelihood 3. Indeed. Ryukyu put in a much better shift this weekend compared to the midweek at Machida. The defense was back in fine form and they secured their 6th clean sheet of the season.

4. Prediction

I tipped Kofu to take this game 2-1 and I am happy to take the L this round. Season Record 5-1-4.

5. Talking Points from Match Day 10

1. Dodging some bullets. Kofu had 3 clear cut chances to take the lead in the first half and Ryukyu were a bit lucky to escape that half level. Kofu’s first shot from a corner kick just happened to be directly at Koya Kazama who was in the right place at the right time to prevent a goal. I don’t think Taguchi would’ve been able to get down to that low hard shot headed for the corner. Ryukyu then got pulled apart on some quick passes by Kofu which allowed a free look on net for the Kofu attacker who luckily sent it right towards Taguchi. The third chance was a corner kick where the Kofu attacker either missed timed his jump, or was just slightly out of position, for which he had a free header at the Ryukyu back post.

2. Limited shots on net. Ryukyu have been getting by with limited shots on target while playing some stout defense. It didn’t work out at Zelvia and when they run into tougher competition that can light up the scoreboard, they will need to do more. Ryukyu had 1 shot on target in the first half, and it was a good one from Shintaro Shimizu, but only managed 3 total shots in the second half, all of which occurred in a span of 30 seconds. The Uesato long distance chip, the initial header from the corner kick from the chip and the rebound shot from Ikeda for the goal. Otherwise, there was roughly 51 minutes of zero shots on goal by Ryukyu in the second half.

3. Ryukyu responded well to their first loss. It was a much better performance as a whole as the passing was better and Ikeda played a much better game compared to the one at Zelvia. It won’t always be pretty when Ryukyu need to exorcise some ghosts of years past and the win was hugely significant for their promotion hopes. At lease we have seen how Ryukyu can respond in the face of adversity to avoid some of those long losing streaks we’ve become accustomed to here in Okinawa.

4. A matter of opinion on whether or not you feel Okazaki interfered with Okanishi on the Ikeda goal. I think we’ve all see similar plays called as a foul, and while it may sound a bit bias, I didn’t think there was much there from Okazaki to warrant a call. It almost seemed as if the Kofu keeper was playing for the foul instead of the ball. The ugly scenes that unfolded after the goal were not good as the entire Kofu bench surrounded the linesman in a last ditch effort to reverse the goal and the referee was always going to issue a yellow card to the Kofu keeper who was probably posturing to add more time inside of extra time.

6. Round 10 in J2

Albirex Niigata maintained their grip on the top slot by beating Ehime FC 2-0 in the lone Saturday game. Kyoto Sanga FC continues to put some distance between themselves and 4th placed Iwata with a 2-0 win at Renofa. Iwata, Nagasaki and Kofu all suffered some set backs this round while Zelvia and Akita bagged some nice wins.

7. Conclusion

Ryukyu move on to face SC Sagamihara this weekend before a massive 6-point tilt with Kyoto the following Wednesday. Often times teams may overlook their next opponent knowing that the following opponent is much tougher with match having more at stake. Ryukyu cannot afford to overlook SC Sagamihara this week as a wobble there will pile on even more pressure for Ryukyu against Kyoto. It was great to see Ryukyu get back to the brand of football that has given them the most success this season, but there is still room for improvement as they near the quarter mark of the season.

Match Day 9 Preview: (9) FC Machida Zelvia vs (2) FC Ryukyu 4/21/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu travel to Machida Zelvia on Wednesday for their first of four midweek fixtures in 2021. FC Ryukyu have failed to beat Zelvia in their last eight meetings managing only 1 win and 2 draws in the 10 games these teams have played since entering the J3 back in 2014. The next big test for Ryukyu will be finding the right mix of squad rotation and defeating an opponent who has always had your number.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Information
Match Day 8 Highlights
Team Previews
- FC Machida Zelvia
- FC Ryukyu
Keys to Victory
Prediction
Round 9 in J2
Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club

A very pleasant evening to watch football.

It looks like visiting FC Ryukyu fans will be able to attend. Please not that there is no advance entry to hand banners.

Match Day Information from Machida Zelvia

2. Match Day 8 Highlights

V-Varen Nagasaki 0-3 FC Machida Zelvia

FC Ryukyu 2-0 Tokyo Verdy

3. Team Previews

FC Machida Zelvia: Zelvia have failed to win any of their home games this season and to be quiet honest, look a far better side when playing on the road compared to playing at home. Prior to the match at Nagasaki this weekend, Zelvia had only managed 1 goal in their previous four games. Zelvia seem to yo-yo between strong performances and very tepid ones. Many people viewed Zelvia as this seasons dark horse with the caveat that it would be their defending that lets them down. Unfortunately for Zelvia, they have been without the strike duo of Chong Tese and Dudu as Tese has picked up an injury that will see him miss at least 4 weeks with Dudu just completing his 14 day quarantine at the J-League bubble. I am not sure how quickly he will be incorporated into the squad but it seems likely that Dudu will get some playing time this Wednesday if he is fit.

Over their last five games Mito have won two matches while losing the other three. As mentioned earlier, the wins came on the road at Kofu and Nagasaki with losses occurring to Mito Hollyhock, Kanazawa and Kyoto Sanga. Mito found themselves in an early hole at Mito when two wind aided balls ended up allowing the hosts to jump out to a 2-0 lead by halftime. The final goal of that game was after a Zelvia turnover sprung Nakayama in the counterattack to which he finished superbly. At Kofu Zelvia looked much better and scored the games only goal in the third minute. Zelvia had control for most of this game with Kofu offering only about 20 minutes of any action in the Zelvia end.

Following that strong performance Zelvia looked dominant against Kanazawa but were unable to find the back of the net. All those missed chances ended up costing Zelvia as they were done in by an own goal in the 89th minute and went on to lose 1-0. The Zelvia defense had their hands full against Kyoto but still allowed Zelvia to stay in the game after they surrendered the lone goal of the match in the first half. Then, everything seemed to change at Nagasaki this week.

Ranko Popovic switched back to a 4-4-2 from the previous weeks 4-4-1-1 and Zelvia got off to a fast start once more. Two goals by Kaina Yoshio pushed Zelvia out front before a Hasegawa goal just two minutes after the second Yoshio goal put the match out of reach for Nagasaki. Once more Zelvia looked a different side when leaving the friendly confines of the Machida GION stadium, and though the offense went missing for a long stretch for Zelvia, they were able to breakout in a big way this weekend. Adding a good attacking player like Dudu into the mix is sure to help. But Zelvia, like Ryukyu, rely on some older veterans to prop the team up and they too will have to contend with some squad rotation this week.

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu own a rather poor record against Machida Zelvia having won only once in their past ten matches, and that win came all the way back in 2014 during FC Ryukyu’s inaugural season in the J3. In the six games where Ryukyu have traveled to Machida, they’ve been outscored 11-4. Last season, Ryukyu lost the opening fixture 4-2 thanks to four first half goals by Zelvia. The score line was only brought close by a Zelvia own goal and late strike by Takuma Abe after the game was well out of hand. During the curtain closer for the 2020 season Ryukyu were defeated 1-0 at home by Zelvia in a very uninspiring performance.

But, this is a season unlike any other with Ryukyu putting to rest many of the ghosts that have haunted them from past seasons. The strength of this club is their defense as the offense has yet to get on track this year. That is not to say they are struggling for goals as everyone is chipping in these days, it’s just not at the level we’ve come to expect from a club predicated on attacking football. Abe has done so well this year in all facets of the game and it would be great to see him back on the score sheet after a slight absence these past three weeks.

I think Ryukyu have benefited greatly from a more relaxed schedule this year compared to last season and it has allowed many of the veterans the recovery time between matches that they sorely missed in 2020. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how Higuchi conducts the squad rotation with three games inside of eight days. I wouldn’t expect many changes, but utilizing substitutes earlier and possibly giving a run out to Motegi, Makito Uehara, Shinya Uehara and Akamine needs to be done to keep the squad fresh.

These next two fixtures are massive for Ryukyu if they wish to keep the field at bay. Their current lead over third placed Kyoto Sanga FC is just six points and Kyoto are starting to generate some serious momentum. Defeating an opponent that you have a historically poor track record against is the next step that the Ryukyu needs to make on their way to 80 points.

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. Short passes in the Zelvia box. Likelihood 2. Zelvia are not the most impressive defensive unit in the league and a single goal maybe all that is needed for Ryukyu to see out a win on Wednesday, but that doesn’t mean they can take this opponent lightly as Zelvia have bested Ryukyu nearly every single time. Zelvia have conceded from crosses this season, but are far more susceptible to the short passes in and around the box. Ryukyu will need a strong performance out of Ren Ikeda and Takuma Abe as they can wreak havoc on the Zelvia back line with penetrating runs and quick changes in direction when in the oppositions box.

2. Play to your strengths. Likelihood 4. A short week on the road could mean a low scoring affair, a situation that Ryukyu are very comfortable in, and another defensive masterclass by the CB pairing of Chinen and Okazaki, along with Taguchi in net, is exactly what Ryukyu need this match. Zelvia’s offense wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders this year, but it is starting to generate some thrust. Blunting the Zelvia assault will allow FC Ryukyu to continue to play the style of football they’ve become accustomed to this season.

3. Finding the right mix in the squad rotation. Likelihood 2. Higuchi may not make any changes to this side for this match but that could have an effect later on this week when Ryukyu return home to face Kofu. Ryukyu currently roster four forwards each match so allowing Akamine to start this week may not be a bad idea. Yu and Koki Kazama seem to rotate fairly regularly and hopefully Ichimaru can spell Uesato for longer stretches over these next two games. We should not tinker with the current CB pair but Yong Jick coming in for either of the central defenders so as to keep them fresh is the smart move. Makito Uehara could provide some relief to Tanaka but it will be interesting to see how Higuchi addresses the left back position. Numata will almost certainly need a break these next few games and that means it comes down to either Fukui or Reo Yamashita, who looked good in his lone appearance in the J-Elite League last month.

5. Prediction

Zelvia have been shut out three times this year while Ryukyu have five clean sheets. Zelvia have hit the three goal plateau twice this season compared to FC Ryukyu’s one. Any changes to the Ryukyu squad might have some consequences, and though it is a bold move to predict a win for FC Ryukyu, who haven’t defeated Zelvia in well over seven seasons, that is what I am going to do. 2-1 win for Ryukyu in the midweek. Season Record 5-1-2.

6. Match Day 8 in J2

(1) Albirex Niigata will look to retain the top spot for another week when they travel to (10) Tochigi SC who are currently on an unbeaten run of 5 games. (3) Kyoto Sanga FC and (4) Jubilo Iwata will continue to chip away at the leaders with favorable matchups at (11) Tokyo Verdy and home to (15) Omiya Ardija respectively. Other interesting matches this round include (5) Zweigen Kanazawa hosting (8) Blaublitz Akita and the resurgent (22) Ehime FC hosting (16) Renofa Yamaguchi FC. It’s not quite time to push the panic button for (12) V-Varen Nagasaki, but another performance like this past weekend will at least warrant removing the safety cover for the panic button.

It is FC Ryukyu’s turn to appear on the free J-league International YouTube broadcast so please tune in and enjoy from around the world. Or at the very least, use a VPN if you live in Japan and you do not have a DAZN account. Click the link below the infographic to get the YouTube page for the match.

Click>>> LIVE | FC Machida Zelvia vs FC Ryukyu | Matchweek 9 | 2021 | J2 LEAGUE – YouTube

7. Conclusion

Well strap yourselves in for this one as FC Ryukyu will need to exorcise some serious demons to retain one of the two promotion slots in J2. It has been nothing but disappoint for Ryukyu when they play Zelvia so it will be really encouraging to see them net any points away from home on a short week. A win would show that this team has really turned aa corner in their development and provide a massive boost to the overall morale of the team.

Match Day 8 Recap: FC Ryukyu vs Tokyo Verdy 4/17/21 #FC琉球

Intro

As advertised, it was an eventful evening yesterday. FC Ryukyu held serve with Albirex Niigata by winning 2-0 at home over Tokyo Verdy. Ryukyu and Verdy were once again involved in some sort of fracas in their opening match of the season against each other, where Yuhei Sato was red carded in the first half providing a massive advantage to Ryukyu the remainder of the match. It is the second red card in three games for Verdy when playing Ryukyu and this is turning into a rivalry on par with one might see in the bigger leagues where two teams just detest each other. I like it!

Match Highlights
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory
Prediction
Talking Points
Round 8 in J2
Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

FC Ryukyu CMF Yu Tomidokoro: Yu drew both fouls that led to the Verdy Red Card and Penalty Kick. He then converted the PK for his first goal in 23 months.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Exploit the chaos and ensuing confusion. Likelihood 4. Early on Ryukyu were able to create some chances for themselves but once Verdy had a man sent off in the first half, Verdy resorted to all out defending which limited Ryukyu’s ability to take advantage of the disarray that might otherwise have been present.

2. Cut out the Verdy short passes around the box. Likelihood 3. Verdy really weren’t doing much prior to their sending off and therefore weren’t able to play to their strength after.

4. Prediction

Tipped this one to end 3-1 in favor of Ryukyu and they did end up winning by a 2 goal margin. Season Record 5-1-2.

5. Match Day 8 Talking Points

1. Misses by both sides. There were plenty of opportunities for both Ryukyu and Verdy to jump out to an early lead but all the shots seemed to sail high and wide. With the exception of one Kiyotake shot that called the Verdy keeper into action. Abe had a couple of chances throughout the game but either miss timed his jump or was in the wrong spot to get onto the end of the ball.

2. Forget the spectacular if you cannot do the practical correctly. Up to the Verdy Red Card, Ryukyu were struggling a little bit to get the offense going. Kiyotake’s back heel to nowhere nearly set Ryukyu back and though it may have been a way to jump start the momentum, no one was expecting it leading to a turnover and counter by Verdy.

3. The Tanaka goal shows us just how good Ryukyu are at quickly changing the sides of the attack. It should also be noted, like many of the boys over at the @JTalkET state weekly, how important Abe is to this side even when he doesn’t get on the score sheet. Abe maintained possession in the Verdy end, found Numata, who picked out Kiyotake, who then laid it off to the wide-open Tanaka for Ryukyu’s first goal.

4. Maybe it’s time we try the old “Route 1” attack on net. I understand that is trendy to be hypercritical of your side, even when they are producing results, so excuse me on this one. Ryukyu are very good at sending in crosses these days. Most of their goals result from these passes, but yesterday Verdy was able to snuff out a lot of these out and Ryukyu didn’t bother to switch to the frontal assault right up the middle. As more and more tape on Ryukyu becomes available, teams will begin to figure out how to stop Ryukyu, and though they are quite adept at changing directions quickly, it would help to have the middle of the pitch attack in the locker when required.

5. Verdy’s Red Card was just dumb. I have no idea what Yuhei Sato was thinking when he went in for Yu’s family jewels but it certainly tipped the scales in favor of Ryukyu afterwards. Sato was probably complaining more about his stupidity for putting the spikes into the groin of Yu than the Red Card as he really had no business putting up any type of protest.

6. You are never awarded style points in this league. Once Verdy went down to 10 men everyone expected Ryukyu to dominate possession and the scoring. It is not as simple as in hockey with a man advantage, as the opposition can compact the defensive area and close out many of the shooting lanes while they absorb the siege from the other side. Ryukyu had a ridiculous number of corner kicks (13) and free kicks (13) yesterday but had to rely on a PK to put the game out of reach. Oh well, winning ugly is still winning and the 3 points is all that really matters in the end.

7. A slight let off by Ryukyu at the end. It is easy to get complacent when you’re up by 2 goals with a man advantage and Ryukyu were bailed out by a Verdy offside call and near miss at the end. The highlights suck for showing the offside call but I believe the shot was redirected by an offside player for Verdy though they nearly scored just a few minutes later from a set piece.

8. Getting goals from all over the place is another benchmark for a quality side. Ryukyu just find a way to get the job done. Everyone is doing their part to keep a clean sheet, score goals and see out wins. They are a really exciting squad to watch these days.

6. Round 8 in J2

Albirex Niigata are still top after a second half goal saw them through over Zweigen Kanazawa 1-0 on Saturday. Kyoto Sanga blew the doors off Kitakyushu 6-1 and have officially begun their ascent to the top of the table while V-Varen Nagasaki stumbled at home losing 3-0 to Machida Zelvia. Ehime grabbed their first win of the campaign over Omiya as the managerial change is starting to pay off for this side. Finally Matsumoto surprised everyone with their come back draw against Kofu and Blaublitz Akita continues to pile up crucial points this year.

7. Conclusion

FC Ryukyu have their first of four mid week matches this season when they travel to Machida on Wednesday night. Ryukyu face two teams in a row, Machida and Kofu, that they have never beat during their time in the J2. So you know exactly where any points earned against them will fall in the Points Over Expectation Table.

Machida are coming off a big win at Nagasaki despite missing their best two attackers in Chong Tese and Dudu. The games against Zelvia and Kofu in short succession will be a stiff test for one of the older sides in the league who are benefiting from a relaxed schedule compared to 2020 but Ryukyu have shown the ability to respond to adversity all season.