Tag: tanaka

FC Ryukyu Squad Review Part 1: Defense #FC琉球

This will be a 3-part series covering the defensive, mid field, and forward and goalie positions. I open this series by taking a look at the back line of FC Ryukyu. I will provide a brief synopsis for any player that featured for FC Ryukyu this year, as well as my thoughts on who we should try to retain at the end of each section. With that in mind, let’s get started.

The Center Backs

Lee Yong-Jick: Lee was the preferred 1st choice CB for Higuchi all season as indicated by his 37 starts, and 1 substitute appearance. CB is not Yong-Jick’s natural position and I suppose that is why he was often out of position, in addition to making some ill-advised, ill-timed challenges that quickly led to the opposition breaking on net with numbers. Yong-Jick’s most memorable moment occurred during his first ever game for the club when he prevented a 2nd JEF UTD Chiba goal from a Taguchi turnover, by sprinting back to his own net and heading the shot away.  Yong-Jick was also not much of weapon on set pieces despite his obvious height advantage. He scored 0 goals and provided 1 assist this year. I am not sure how the club is going to proceed with Lee in the offseason but I could see him returning for 2021.

Daisei Suzuki: Suzuki transferred to FC Ryukyu via a loan from Tokushima Vortis in the offseason but I believe that he joined on a permanent deal shortly after the season restart this summer. Suzuki appeared in 20 games while dealing with some injuries and drops in form. Make no mistake, Suzuki is a raw player and never really progressed in spite of all the playing time he received this year. Like Yong-Jick, he is prone to turnovers and mental mistakes. He does possess some aggressiveness and speed, but if he is to develop any further, he’ll need better coaching and probably some added muscle.

Tetsuya Chinen: Chinen is the fastest CB that FC Ryukyu have in the lineup. He is also the strongest, though a mid-season break with CV-19 took a bit out of him, which is to be expected. He is quick to close down players, can put in good challenges when called upon, and can score goals. His only knock is that he isn’t as tall as some of the other CBs in the league, but that can be overcome with his speed and technique.  If I were to tip a player that should be in the starting 11 next year, it would be Chinen so look for him to improve on the 11 appearances he made in 2020.

Ryohei Okazaki: Okazaki only featured 5 times for FC Ryukyu this year but that was due to lengthy absences stemming from multiple injuries. We all should remember Okazaki from 2019 and a lot of those memories were not that good. But Higuchi has faith in this player, and seems to think he can one day develop into an integral part of the Ryukyu defense. Like Suzuki, Okazaki needs better coaching and technique to progress or he will become more of a liability, than asset, in defense.

Ryoji Fukui: Fukui is your prototypical Swiss Army Knife in that he can play all 4 defensive positions. He still possesses a bit of speed to close down attackers, when chasing them that is, but his tackling always makes you hold your breath as it borders on reckless. Luckily, Fukui came out on top this year as he wasn’t sent off, but he had a few close calls. Fukui turned 33 this year so I am not sure how much longer he is going to be around.

The Full Backs

Keita Tanaka: The hands down 2020 comeback player of the year for the club, Tanaka was arguably one of our best players. Tanaka played in 34 games, added 2 goals and 6 assists, but it was his switch to RB on Match Day 5 that stands out as his biggest contribution. Ryukyu had plenty of talent in the midfield and it was always going to prove difficult to shoehorn in all of them barring injury. This type of switch will not work for every player, but Tanaka has the temperament, skill, and tenacity that few others possess. He is extremely aggressive in the attack and in defense, has a great shot, and is an excellent passer. His partnership with Koya down the right really allowed Higuchi’s attacking style to flourish. Tanaka has been a stalwart at FC Ryukyu for many years and I hope to see him again in 2021.

Keigo Numata: Signed from Kanazawa in the offseason, Numata had the task of replacing Tokumoto at LB. Numata ended up playing in 39 games where he scored 3 goals, at least two were from headers, and provided 6 assists. There were a few times where it looked like Numata’s fitness let him down, but that is expected with an older player who played nearly every minute of every game. Maybe with a lighter fixture schedule in 2021, Numata will be a little fresher and offer slightly more, but that is anyone’s guess.

Yuya Torikai: Yuya was the starting RB to begin the season but was eventually usurped by Tanaka. Torikai rejoined FC Ryukyu in the 2019 summer transfer window and bolstered the side in the midst of several poor results. This year, he wasn’t nearly as valuable and has become expendable with Tanaka’s emergence at RB. At 32, with a decline in performance and the talent at RB on the current roster, we may see his departure.

Makito Uehara: The younger Uehara is the best young prospect in defense for FC Ryukyu, and possibly the team. Uehara featured in 15 games and scored a thunderous goal against Omiya. Like several players requiring better coaching, Makito is raw but has far more skills and traits then those of his defensive counterparts. He is tall for a fullback, and has a nice burst to add to his long-distance speed. I don’t think he is a true fullback, as we never saw the touch that someone like Tanaka and Numata possess. Uehara, as I’ve said all year, could be a phenomenal central defensive mid fielder that could handle many of the stronger CBs in J2. He is good at tackling, strong enough to win contested challenges, and could win aerial battles. It would be a shame to let his talents become wasted behind the much better fullbacks of Tanaka and Tavares, so a switch to CDM could really benefit him and the club.  

Felipe Tavares: Signed from Brazil in the offseason, I though Tavares would push for a starting role. He did start the very first game of 2020, looked good in both the attack and defense, but then strangely disappeared from the lineup for well over 10 months. Thanks to Tanaka’s emergence as a crucial part to Higuchi’s attacking philosophy, I don’t think we’ll see Tavares making many starts outside of an occasional rest for Tanaka. I still think he needs to be rostered in 2021 as he can be an asset on set pieces, but he doesn’t not have the touch that Tanaka offers.

2021 Outlook

Keep: Tanaka, Numata, Chinen, Suzuki, Tavares, Uehara, and Yong-Jick. Yong-Jick never really figured out the CB role this year but he did stay healthy enough to play nearly every game. Maybe he’ll figure it out next year, but at age 30, it is unlikely. He, along with several other players, can probably be kept at relatively low wages, but that means we should be spending on some better defenders in the offseason. Tanaka and Numata are likely to open the season as our starting fullbacks with Tavares and Uehara as prospect players. We may one day see the partnership of Chinen and Suzuki at CB, but for now, they fall into the developmental category.

Let them Walk, or, Retain at low costs: Okazaki, Torikai and Fukui. Fukui offers limited upside but can play across multiple positions and fill in as injures mount. Torikai is likely to move on as he is well behind the other RBs currently rostered and 32 years of age. Okazaki has never developed into an effective CB and at 28, can be safely let go.

Gut Feeling: Despite the reduction in goals allowed from 2019 to 2020, defense is our top priority this offseason. The position can no longer be ignored for sake of attacking football. Yong-Jick, Okazaki, and Fukui will likely be retained as they are favorites of Higuchi. Suzuki, barring a return to Vortis, will also stay. FC Ryukyu have a strange way about them when it comes to foreign players so we could see the departure of Tavares for no reason. There seems little risk of losing Chinen, Uehara, and Numata, but any team could be keen to acquiring the services of Tanaka. His long standing history with the club may seem forgo any offers from other clubs.

That is it for our defenders. We will look at the midfield position in the second installment of this series, and hopefully I have that published before there are too many contract cancellations or renewals.

“Now is the Time” Match Day 3 Preview: (20) Giravanz Kitakyushu vs. (17) FC Ryukyu 7/04/20 #FC琉球

Introduction

We are off and running in the J2 with FC Ryukyu earning their first point of the year last week against Avispa Fukuoka. This week’s opponent, Giravanz Kitakyushu, were recently promoted to J2 after winning the J3 in 2019. These two sides last met back in 2018 where FC Ryukyu did the double over Kitakyushu, who ended up finishing bottom that year, while FC Ryukyu went on to lift the J3 title. It is safe to say that these are not the same two sides who met back in 2018 with both looking to notch their first J2 victory of the 2020 campaign this weekend.

  1. Weather Forecast
  2. Match Day 2 Review: Giravanz Kitakyushu
  3. Match Day 2 Review: FC Ryukyu
  4. Team Previews & Injury Report
  5. FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
  6. Match Prediction
  7. Match Day 3 Around J2
  8. J-League English Content
  9. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast

It looks like it will rain all weekend with showers expected during the match. Going to be nasty out there in Kitakyushu this weekend.

2. Match Day 2 Review: Giravanz Kitakyushu vs. V-Varen Nagasaki

Giravanz lost to V-Varen Nagasaki 2-1 in a very wet, very nasty, and very rainy affair on the road last week. I would encourage all of you to read the @V_Varen_EN review of the match as it provides a much better summary of the game.

https://nagasakiblueorange.wordpress.com/2020/06/28/match-report-v-varen-21-giravanz/

3. Match Day 2 Review: FC Ryukyu vs. Avispa Fukuoka

FC Ryukyu and Avispa Fukuoka ground out a 1-1 draw in Okinawa this past Sunday. You can read my full match day review below or watch the highlights, your choice.

https://fcryukyublog.home.blog/2020/06/29/match-day-2-report-17-fc-ryukyu-vs-4-avispa-fukuoka-6-28-2020-fc%e7%90%89%e7%90%83/

  • If you yearn for even more info and more stats on games then check out the Football Lab. It is a Japanese language website but is easily translated through your internet browser, it is very impressive.

https://www.football-lab.jp/ryuk/report/

4. Team Previews & Injury Report

(20) Giravanz Kitakyushu 0W0D2L 1GF 3GA -2GD: Giravanz made five changes to their starting lineup from their previous opening day match against Fukuoka back in February. Kobayashi completely replaced the attack duo up front of Machino and Sato with Suzuki and Ikemoto. He also swapped Arakaki and Kokubu from the midfield for Tsubaki and Kawakami, with the latter having moved up from his role at CB the previous match to fill in at CDM.

Statistically, the changes did not make much difference as the shots and free kicks were the same across the two matches but Kitakyushu did end up scoring their first goal of the season. The “eyeball” test would tell you that Giravnanz created the same amount of chances against Nagaski as they did against Fukuoka, but they did not experience the same type of forward thrust they enjoyed against Fukuoka.

The highlights show four (4) chances this past week against Avispa but 3 of them, including the goal from an errant clearance, were mostly generated by Nagasaki turnovers. The goal scorer for Kitakyushu, Kokubu, came on to replace Ikoma at CB, and I assume that meant Kawakami dropped back to CB based on Kokubu’s location when he scored. I thought that Giravanz may have opted to switch to a back three in defense near halftime to add to the attack, but this was not the case.

Giravanz Kitakyushu Injuries/Suspensions: No starting members are listed on the injury report.

(17) FC Ryukyu 0W1D1L 1GF 2GA -1GD: Higuchi was forced into making one change last Sunday as starting LM, Shuto Kawai, was out with an ankle injury so in stepped Koya Kazama. FC Ryukyu are blessed with midfield talent this year so while there was a slight drop off in the overall amount of chances created and possession between their two games, it was not a steep drop. Though I must say, the drop off in speed down the left without Kawai was very noticeable.

Manager Higuchi also opted to start Fukui over Suzuki at CB; Torikai over Tavares at RB; and Kazuki Yamaguchi over Ren Ikeda in the #10 role. Ryukyu’s reserves included Shinji, Uehara, Tomidokoro, Tanaka, Suzuki and Koizumi though Shinji remained on the bench the whole game.

I feel as if FC Ryukyu have the stronger squad of the two this week which should result in far more opportunities compared to last week. Ryukyu bested their best two opponents in the shot and possession departments so FC Ryukyu should have no problem hitting the back of the net this week.

Of course, this will largely depend on Higuchi’s lineup selection and game plan. I hope we see Suzuki back in the starting CB role, leaving Fukui on the bench, with the same attacking 4 -Koya, Yamaguchi, Motegi and Abe- from last week, in order to control the tempo of the game. I would then expect Uehara and Tanaka to come on late in order to provide a bit of height and pace to overpower the Kitakyushu back four.

We also need to see more from FC Ryukyu on dead ball kicks as they have yet to score from those plays despite the multitude of opportunities to date. If the first cross from a corner can just clear the initial line of defenders than Yong Jick and Uehara, possibly Tavares if he is in there, could rise and meet them for headers. On that note, the most lethal player from corners last week was Numata who had two excellent headers that when he found some open space in the Fukuoka defense.

FC Ryukyu Injuries/Suspensions: No need to state the long-term injuries again until they are close to returning to the roster. MF Shuto Kawai is still another 3 weeks away from returning to the team because of an ankle injury. 

5. FC 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 it happens 1- Requires a Miracle to happen

1. Isolate/Mark MF Daigo Takahashi. Likelihood 2: Takahashi is by far Kitakyushu’s best player this season and is responsible for most of their goal scoring chances to date. I did not see anything from the Giravanz strike duo that would indicate FC Ryukyu struggling to blunt the Giravanz attack. So if Ryukyu can take their best player in Takahashi out of their opponent’s game plan, it should be a recipe for success.

2. Capitalize on set pieces. Likelihood 4: FC Ryukyu hit the wood work once from a CK and had another one wiped off the board due to a foul on the GK. Serantes also made a very nice save on a dangerous FK by Motegi. But we are not facing Serantes this week and we should utilize our height advantage with Uehara and Yong Jick this week compared to the past weeks.

6. Match Day 3 Prediction

This game may start out as a hard-fought battle between a couple of the teams expected to finish in the bottom third of J2 in 2020, but I think FC Ryukyu will take control of the game and go on to score multiple goals. I will say FC Ryukyu notch their first win with an impressive 3-0 result over Kitakyushu.

7. Match Day 3 in J2

(4) Avispa Fukuoka hosting (1) V-Varen Nagasaki in a Kyushu derby is the premier match up this week on Saturday evening followed closely by the (8) Tokushima Vortis vs. (9) Kyoto Sanga match that same night. We then close out the round on Sunday when (11) Jubilo Iwata hosts (4) Fagiano Okayama.

It will be interesting to see how both Tokushima and Jubilo respond to their losses and whether or not Kyoto and Okayama can assert themselves as promotion candidates. The rest of the weekend features some mid-table match-ups with 4 out of the 5 teams currently at the bottom of J2 squaring off against one another.

One final point on the upcoming round of fixtures. It was revealed by the J-League that none of the referees had been tested for COVID-19 prior to last weeks opening round in J2 & J3 and this is shocking. I feel that this is an injustice to the teams, staff and players that worked diligently to restart the season; and to the fans, and is nothing short of reckless behavior on behalf of the league. New cases of the virus are being reported daily in Japan and when you consider the leagues justification for foregoing the testing seems anecdotal. They claim that many of the refs have other jobs, which you and I know, could possibly put them at a greater risk than the most for coming into contact with COVID-19. This policy needs to change now as I highly doubt that the refs , like the teams, are all located geographically to the matches they’re overseeing, which puts many outside of football at risk when these guys travel.

8. J-League English Content

J-Talk Pod: Episode 322 – J1 is Back! https://jtalkpod.podbean.com/

J-Talk Extra Time Pod: WE ARE BACK!! https://jtalkpod.podbean.com/

V-Varen Nagasaki Blog: https://nagasakiblueorange.wordpress.com/2020/07/01/preview-j2-matchday-3-navybluewasp/

Albirex Niigata: https://orangeblue.blog.ss-blog.jp/

9. Conclusion

There is not much that separates these two teams on paper as both have yet to win a game and have nearly identical goal scoring records. This will be the first real test for FC Ryukyu against a lesser opponent which means it is our first opportunity to assess the strength of this team after facing two tough opponents in the past weeks (months).

Considering FC Ryukyu struggled mightily on the road last year, and it wasn’t until they began facing weaker competition near the end of the season – when the results really mattered – that they began stacking up the road wins. FC Ryukyu cannot afford a slow start on the road this season, especially against a newly promoted side, as they have a murderous fixture schedule through mid-August after Kitakyushu. A win would do much for their confidence before they host 2 of the top sides in J2 over the coming weeks.

Therefore, now is the time for FC Ryukyu to make a statement this weekend by traveling to Kitakyushu and coming away with all 3 points. And with that……………………………………………….

“Augean Task” Match Day 23 Preview: Mito Hollyhock vs. FC Ryukyu 7/21/2019

Weather Forecast: What did you expect? It seems the rainy season is either in full swing or just ending in mainland Japan so it will be another rainy, wet, terrible day to watch football. Thank goodness its on the road and not at home. Pack your towel, FC Ryukyu poncho and a change of clothes for your long commute back home if you plan on attending.

FC Ryukyu heads to the Ibaraki Prefecture this Sunday evening to take on 5th placed Mito Hollyhock in what seems to be a logistical nightmare for any traveling FC Ryukyu fans. Thank you very much J. LEAGUE scheduler for this one (the last train to depart Mito for Tokyo leaves at 1800). In their first matchup this season, FC Ryukyu got the better of a strong Mito side 1-0 at home but the fortunes of both teams have changed since that evening in May. FC Ryukyu’s recent form has been below par seeing that they’ve only won once in their past 5 matches and are conceding almost 3 goals a match. Mito, has also seen their once formidable defense that started so strongly this season begin to develop several cracks. This could largely be attributed to the departure of CB ITO Makito to Yokohama F Marinos in June, and since then, Mito have conceded nearly the same amount of goals they did during their previous 18 matches.

The statistics paint a very bleak picture for FC Ryukyu but that seems to be the case most weeks outside of the teams directly below FC Ryukyu in the table. Mito have only lost once at home all season where they own an impressive 0.70 goals against average. FC Ryukyu’s road struggles are well documented and now that FC Ryukyu are conceding 2.00 goals on average on the road, this seems like a tall ask to get any sort of favorable outcome tomorrow night for FCR. FC Ryukyu faced a similar challenge when Mito visited them at home earlier this year but FC Ryukyu are a different side at home and they’ve only had one positive performance in their last 5 road matches.

Mito Hollyhock

Mito are coming off a win that was preceded by 3 straight draws and a loss. Mito couldn’t quite breakdown the strong defensive side in Yamagata and suffered a 1-0 loss. Mito followed that up with a disappointing draw at home to Yokohama FC after Yokohama went down to 10 men early in the match and then allowed Yokohama to equalize later in the match despite the advantage.

Mito then had games on the road versus Kyoto and Kanazawa in which they went up early, conceded two goals and then fought back to earn draws. They ended this 5-game stretch with a rather impressive performance at home against Nagasaki but nearly gifted the visitors a draw at the end by allowing Nagasaki a couple of close chances.

Mito still retains a lot of the same traits we saw at the beginning of the season that made them so successful. They don’t chase games despite being behind on the scoreboard and rely heavily on a stout defense to keep them in many of their matches. As mentioned earlier, the defense is developing cracks and can be gotten at with quality set pieces but for the most part, the 4-4-2 set up Mito employs will make life very difficult for FC Ryukyu. As we’ve seen throughout this season, FC Ryukyu lacks a bit of creativity to break down sides who use this formation.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu have won only once in the past 2 months and are really struggling to arrest their slide down the J2 table.  FC Ryukyu may not break out of this funk until later this month when they host JEF Chiba United at home on a Wednesday night because we can not assume that FC Ryukyu will gain any positive points on the road despite the quality of their opponent. We really need to see some signs of life from the boys over the next 2 weeks in their consecutive road games as it would prove massive for their hopes of staying in the J2 next season. Like many sides below them in the table that have a month with a nice stretch of favorable games, FC Ryukyu’s doesn’t occur until October and there are no guarantees that those opponents will be in the same form they are in now when we face them.

FC Ryukyu’s recent match against Okayama was very disappointing and FCR really struggled to create any opportunities up front. I believe they only had one shot on net, and that was the Uesato FK on the final play of stoppage time, but someone mentioned that DAZN said we had 2. Regardless, that is not what you expect from a team that strives to be on the attack and hunting for goals. The careless turnovers and lack of quality passing really deflated the FCR attack in the opponent’s half and FCR lacked creativity near the 18-yard box. Too many times it seemed as if the FCR midfielders would pull up and pass back instead of pressing the attack or trying to run past the defenders. I am not sure if that is attributed to fatigue, lack of speed or lack of anyone else in the attack making any runs or movements that would entice a pass from one of our players.

FC Ryukyu are at a point where an uplifting performance maybe the spark that ignites a nice run of games as well as put some distance between them and the bottom of the table. It is now 140 days and 9 matches since FC Ryukyu last won on the road.

Injuries

FC Ryukyu: Tokumoto-Still delaing with an MCL injury he picked up recovering from a soft tissue ankle injury. Another few weeks away from returning to the lineup.

Mito Hollyhock: Unknown, the website I usually use is now saying I am restricted from accessing that info and I am not sure where else to look.

Keys to an FC Ryukyu Victory

1. Only one. Someone has to step up, put this team on their back and have one of their best performances of the season to see out an FC Ryukyu victory. Koji Suzuki and Dany have done so much this year but what I am referring to is someone like Kawai, Yu, Kazama, Uejo, Tanaka, Wada or Uesato who just takes the game over. Someone needs to be aggressive in both the attack and defense, motivates the players around him by example so they will perform at their very best, is surgical with his passing to unlock the defense and is lethal in front of goal. If FC Ryukyu gets that type of Herculean performance out of someone tomorrow, we may very well see this side right the ship and get back on track. If we don’t, the beatings will most likely continue until moral improves.

Match Prediction

Mito 2-1. Impossible to predict positive FC Ryukyu outcomes on the road until something changes.

Conclusion

This game, as well as the remaining road matches for FC Ryukyu, comes down to every man doing their part to win their individual battles. Mito are not invincible and are possibly slowing down after their blazing start to the season. But at the same time, FC Ryukyu are struggling for form and are looking for someone to step up and lead them out of this dark period and back into the light. Who will that be?

FC Ryukyu Mid Season Review: Part 3

We have made it to the last installment of the Mid-Season Review. This has been a great experience as a fan to look back and reflect on the half season while keeping an eye on the future.  I wanted to provide a brief summation of the players who have featured for FC Ryukyu but please keep in mind, I am never privy to the strategy the manager employs each week or how the players perform while executing that strategy. I merely observe what I can see from the stands and from my TV screen. So, let’s close out the mid-season review with a bang.

Goal Keeper

#1 Dany Carvajal: Yeah, he’s pretty much been awesome. Don’t think for one minute that because FC Ryukyu have only kept 3 clean sheets that it is an indictment of Dany’s performances. See the MVP section below.

#23 Ryo Ishii: He was asked to step up and fill in when Dany was hurt during a tough stretch of matches for FCR. He played really well against Kanazwa and Kyoto and while those efforts may be overshadowed by Dany’s performances to date, Ishii did his part to help this club.

Defender

FB #5 Tokumoto: Another young emerging player I fear FC Ryukyu may lose this transfer window. It’s hard to assess any FC Ryukyu FB as they are asked to play more like a WB than a FB this season. Tokumoto has provided 3 nice assists and is developing into a one of the better LBs in the J2. Currently recovering from an ankle and subsequent MCL injury.

#4 Okazaki: Started almost every match this year and is a nice compliment to Masutani. Truth be told, I only key on defenders when they make a mess of things, and in the case of Okazaki, he has only had that happen once. Some of his mistakes may be covered up due to FCR scoring numerous goals or winning games so I will need more time to assess this player. In the interim, we need Okazaki to be a rock back there on defense.

#2 Masutani: A CB in the mold of Gary Medel from Chile. I’ve been overly critical of this guy at times and that was just rash on my part as Masutani brings a lot of aggressiveness to the FCR squad. He is good in attack with 1 goal to his name this season and can handle some of the larger, more powerful strikers in the J2. I will say this, when he had to fill in for Nishioka at RB due to injury, the FCR attack looked better. Consider that it was simultaneous with the Nakagawa departure and though I think he may be better suited at FB, I am a fan and not the Manager.

#3 Nishioka: 2 goals and 2 assists. Nishioka has missed some time due to an MCL injury (not sure what caused him to miss upwards of 8 weeks) and struggles at times with defending. Always seems to be in the right spot at the right time for his goals. Displays toughness as evidence by playing through a head injury but his game needs some fine tuning. Needs to have more confidence in the attack, take on the opposition’s defenders near the 18-yard box – much like when he was brimming with confidence against Yamaguchi with his step overs – and feed Koji Suzuki quality crosses.

#33 Ryoji Fukui: The Swiss Army Knife for FCR. Versatile in that he can play all 4 positions in defense and could possibly fill in at CDMF as well. At times Fukui makes really well timed challenges but he also makes some questionable decisions in defense. For example, he can turn his back to an attacker, so as to invite a shot, which often leaves Dany or Ishii to deal with the danger alone (Tokyo Verdy’s goal). Maybe the GKs have asked the defenders to vacate the shooting lanes to better see the shots from distance but I will never know for sure. Has decent speed to make up ground on attackers or get to contested balls first. Have a sneaky suspicion that one of his challenges will be rewarded with a Red Card some day and put FC Ryukyu up against it in a match. Time will tell.

#16 Jumper Arai: Not enough game footage for an accurate assessment.

Mid Field

#20 Uesato: Local lad, experienced player, 2 highlight reel goals and team captain. Often lines up for FKs where, truth be told, I think Tomidokoro could benefit from the added reps to get into a groove. It seems Uesato prefers to shoot more than cross and maybe that’s due to the angle or distance from which he’s taking the FKs. Scored in spectacular fashion against Verdy and Gifu and is aiding with the development of the younger generation of FCR players.

#8 Komatsu: Was in the starting lineup early and then has faded. Possibly getting surpassed by talented players emerging.

#6 Kazama: Has a nice touch on FKs and CKs from his Central Mid Field role. His performances have improved as of late and I hope that translates into favorable results for FCR.

#19 Ochi: 2 goals from the man who is now Higuchi’s choice at CAM. At least until someone is ready to take the job over.

#11 Keita Tanaka: Keita has been part of the fabric of this team for so long. Tanaka is lethal finisher from the right, but much like Yu, he needs to get some repetitions and get into a scoring groove. He’s scored only once since rejoining the side but has had 3 other opportunities that either required a nice save by GK or were just off the mark. FCR need to get this man firing again as it will increase the potency of the FCR attack and open up more space of Suzuki down the middle.

#10 Yu Tomidokoro: FC Ryukyu’s FK specialist. Yu has found some tough sledding this season when it comes to FKs as he has netted only once. He does have 2 goals and 3 assists and the FK goals will come with time and reps. Needs to be given more opportunities on FKs. Remember, at his height, defenses never knew when Yu was going to cross or shoot from the FK spot and that is what made him so successful.

#28 Koizumi: The man featured in 6 games within a month before doing a Houdini. He never scored but he flashed some real talent.  His limited performance against Verdy was something of an eye opener as he made some nice passes, hit the post and displayed a bit of pace. He could very well be the 3rd piece to a formidable FC Ryukyu MF with Uejo and Kawai in the near future. WHERE IS HE?

#7 Nakagawa: HAHAHA wouldn’t do it to you, too painful. Next!

#13 Kawai: Has one goal and 2 assists this season. Is turning into a real playmaker for FC Ryukyu. Has another gear he can use to get past defenders and is fine tuning his game with each performance, specifically, his body & ball control while making cuts or getting up to speed. Maybe replacing Nakagawa can’t be done with just one player but rather a combination of players. If that is the case than Kawai’s introduction to the side is starting to fill that void. Kawai’s speed really opens up the attack for FCR and he has rightfully earned his spot in the starting 11.

Forwards

#14 Uejo: See Below, but seriously, I do not know why he doesn’t start. Is it due to fitness, immaturity, health concerns or the manager?

#21 Uehara: Has height, scored an important goal for FCR to beat Niigata. Didn’t see much from him prior to his goal and less so after. What happened? Injury?

#15 Wada: Played really well as a substitute versus Nagasaki but hard pressed for playing time with the leading J2 goal scorer ahead of you on the roster. His time will come.

#22 Gibo. I saw one appearance where Gibo displayed a lot of hustle. Subbed into an attacking MF position but then was moved to a FB position in the same game. He needs more playing time and I missed the Emperors Cup match for FCR to see how he performed and what are his strengths and weaknesses.

#9 Koji Suzuki: SEE BELOW.

Mid-Season MVPs

1A. Koji Suzuki. The man’s stats speak for themselves but if you peel back the curtain a little more, you see that he has scored crucial goals at very crucial times of matches for FCR. Yamagata, Yamagauchi, Kanazawa, Omiya and Mito all come to mind. He is also one of the most unselfish strikers I’ve ever seen. He puts in a shift every match. He does the hard work of hold up plays, winning contested balls and drawing fouls from the opposition while never complaining and rarely displays any outward frustration at his teammates. I have no idea what compelled Zelvia to let him go but I do not care at this point. He has proven to be an absolute steal in the transfer market.

1B. Dany Carvajal. Strong at the back and lethal up front is what makes any team great. Yes, of course, strong through the middle is another essential part but having the best striker and one of the best goal keepers in the league on your squad is pretty good as well. Dany has been a revelation for this side. He always seems to be in the right position, at the right time, to make the right type of save. And let me tell you, there have been some spectacular ones; against Omiya there were 2 to seal the win, the PK save against Verdy, resisting the Reysol bombardment, Vortis, Yamaguchi, Mito and list goes on and on. The FC Ryukyu front office did really well by signing Dany this offseason.

2. Satoki Uejo. This man has come out of nowhere and turned into quite the player. He has scored 6 times this season and is improving every time he steps out onto the pitch. He has some signatures goals to his name; Reysol, Vortis, Ehime, Nagasaki and Renofa (Emperor’s Cup). He also looks like he has packed on some muscle the past few months in order to fight off larger defenders. He needs to be out there every week for this side.

Looking Ahead

FC Ryukyu will play 10 games at home and 11 games on the road in the second half of the season. Within those 11 road games they will play 3 series of two consecutive road matches starting next week with Mito and Niigata. The next series is at the end of September with Machida and Fukuoka and finally to end the season against Ehime and Kofu. They also have 3 series at home where they will play consecutive home matches. The first wraps up this week with Okayama (started with Tochigi last week), the second is in August with Nagasaki and Yokohama and the third is at the end of August/early September with FC Gifu and Kagoshima. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the second half fixtures, make some predictions and then review the remaining fixtures for the bottom 4 clubs in J2.

Red denotes MUST WIN games for FCR.

It would be nice to see FCR earn wins against Tochigi and Ehime on the road as those 6 points could go a long way to helping secure J2 football for FCR in 2020. None of us know how the results will shake out considering we cannot predict the transfers in/out of clubs, injuries, managerial changes and plain old luck (good or bad). FC Ryukyu’s make or break month will be October with favorable matches against Avispa, Tochigi and Verdy. They need to be well clear of the relegation zone after that point because November could prove fatal if the road performances by FCR don’t improve. They face a surging Renofa side on the road, host a promotion seeking Kyoto side at home and wrap up the season with 2 road trips with a possible relegation battle against Ehime and potential promotion seeking side in Kofu. Even though I am targeting Ehime as a must win game for FCR, that will depend largely on FCR showing that they can win on the road when needed in the second half of the season.

With this in mind, lets look at teams who are currently sit 18-22 in the J2 table and examine their crucial months and critical match-ups in the second part of the 2019 J2 season.

#18 JEF Chiba United. JEF have a tough October where they face 3 sides who are likely going to be in the top 7. Depending on how those results play out, JEF could be dragged into the relegation battle. Their final match against Tochigi is huge for both sides.

#19 Kagoshima. The October and November schedule are not kind to Kagoshima. 3 road matches in October followed by a run of Kofu, Okayama, Reysol and Mito. They end on the road versus Fukuoka in another final match day matchup that could determine who gets relegated.

#20 Tochigi. The outcomes of their September fixtures will most likely determine their fate. They face FC Gifu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Ehime all in a row. That is a total of 4, 6-point match-ups in a row that could really doom any of those sides. As mentioned earlier, Tochigi end with JEF Chiba in what could be a win or go down to J3 match.

#21 Fukuoka. October and November are also not kind to Fukuoka. They are hoping that some of the sides around them perform poorly the rest of the year so as to give Fukuoka a chance at the end. Avispa end versus Kagoshima in a game we already mentioned that has massive relegation implications.

#22 FC Gifu. The schedule is kinder to FC Gifu in so much as there isn’t any one month remaining where they face multiple top sides in quick succession. The end of July/beginning of August will be rough on them but there are winnable games. But like Fukuoka, FC Gifu are hoping that things go terribly wrong for the few sides just above them in the table. Will it be the Vortis or Kofu match that ultimately dooms this side, or will it happen much sooner?

At the end of the day, FC Ryukyu need to go out there and handle their business without concerning themselves too much about the rest of the table. It is simple math for FCR: Beat the teams below you in the table especially those at the bottom, Get points off of teams just above you in the table, and win some games on the road. If they can do that, then they are going to be alright. I’d estimate that another 18 points are needed and FCR could achieve that any number of ways in the second half of the season.

I know I did not focus on which team may win the J2 title and which sides are likely to be promoted to the J1 in 2019 so I’ll save that for a later date.

Well folks, that is going to do it for the final installment of the FCR Mid-Season Review. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. I’ll be adding two more entries this week with the Second Transfer Special of the year coming out on Thursday and the normal Match Day Preview coming out on Friday.

FC Ryukyu Mid Season Review: Part 2

We begin Part 2 with the Top 5 Memorable Matches for FC Ryukyu in the first half of the season and conclude by remembering some of the best goals so far with a Top 10 list. This was an interesting entry to write because there were so many games, good and bad, and so many goals that could’ve made the list. Seeing how that is the case, I will provide a small Honorable Mention section for those matches that couldn’t quite crack the Top 5. Let’s begin.

#5 Avispa Fukuoka 2/24/2019 Match Day 1                                          

Starting our top 5 is the Home Opener for FC Ryukyu that also happened to be the inaugural match for FC Ryukyu in the J2. It may have been a sign of things to come as far as the type of conditions FC Ryukyu would face in all their home games this season as the weather that day was absolutely brutal. There was intermittent rain that looked like it might hold off for the match but ultimately it ended up raining the entire second half. Despite those conditions, the second largest crowd this season of 7,385 turned up to see how FC Ryukyu would get on in the J2.

New FC Ryukyu manager Higuchi introduced a 4-2-3-1 lineup that featured new joins; Carvajal in goal, Okazaki in defense, Uesato, Kazama and Tanaka in mid-field and the new FC Ryukyu talisman up front, Koji Suzuki. Suzuki got the game/season rolling in the 23rd minute thanks to a nice play by Nakagawa. His shot, that he seemed to hit as he was falling backwards, was misjudged by Serantes from Avispa and FC Ryukyu were out in front. Fukuoka answered rather quickly from a bullet header by Matsuda as he rose over Nishioka in defense. In the second half, Tanaka drew a foul in the box in the 71st minute after a nice pass from Nakagawa had him all alone with only the keeper to beat (to think, Nakagawa could’ve had 5 assists in 3 games, what could he have achieved, as well as the club all if he were still here?). Suzuki stepped up and added his second goal of the game for a brace and 2-1 FCR advantage. The last goal from Tomidokoro was a deflection off a Kazama shot and FC Ryukyu would go on to win 3-1. The win would be the beginning of a 4-game win streak, and 6 games unbeaten, that allowed fools like me to chant, “Top, Top, Top of the Table,” at every FCR match. Historic firsts for the club.

#4 Omiya Ardija 3/2/2019 Match Day 2

FC Ryukyu’s first away game was also the first away match I’ve ever attended for FC Ryukyu. The weather conditions were absolutely perfect, it was crisp, but not freezing and coupled with one of the best footballing stadiums in the country, it set a fantastic scene. It was great to meet new FC Ryukyu fans who live on mainland Japan and I was shocked to see how many turned up to see FC Ryukyu play that day.

The boys did not disappoint and they once again started the scoring early with a 16th minute goal from Keita Tanaka. Omiya turned the ball over in the midfield where Uesato found Nakagawa, who made a nice run right at the central defenders of Omiya. This freed up Tanaka to make an unmarked run down the right. Nakagawa passed it off very nicely to Tanaka who let the ball roll across his body before making a nice strike, low and hard, past the Omiya keeper. Omiya would answer 3 minutes later with a goal by Delgado and the half ended 1-1. However, the real fireworks were about to begin.

Omiya dominated the early opening minutes of the first half, much like they did in the waning minutes of the first. Carvajal made a nice save on a headed shot before FC Ryukyu took the game to a whole new level. Koji Suzuki bagged two goals within two minutes for his second brace in as many matches. FC Ryukyu were out to a 3-1 lead and looking unbeatable. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing from this FC Ryukyu side on the road against an opponent many had tipped to be in the J1 promotion battle. Koji’s first was a result of two nice passes from Tanaka and Nakagawa with his second being a very cheeky nutmeg of the Omiya keeper. Koji celebrated that goal by raising his finger to his lips to insinuate that that the home crowd should quiet down (naughty!).

Just 3 minutes after Koji’s second goal, Uejo added a fourth, his first this season and it was assisted by none other than, Nakagawa. This was an unbelievable time to be a FC Ryukyu fan. This team was making light work of opposing team’s defenses, it looked as if the form that won them the J3 title was intact, albeit with a new group of players, and some of us briefly got ahead of ourselves assuming that the J2 would be a cake walk. It has proven anything but since the Omiya match.

Omiya were not finished on the day as they responded with 2 very late goals of their own. First there was a PK that sent Dany diving in the wrong direction with the second being a nice change of direction across the FC Ryukyu box that stretched our defense. The score was 4-3 with a few more minutes of extra time to play. This is the moment when Dany Carvajal really announced his presence.

It would be cynical to assume he played a bad game based on the score line since Omiya scored 2 nice goals and were awarded a PK. What you won’t see in the DAZN highlights is the last-minute diving save Dany made to keep the score line 4-3 and ensure victory for FC Ryukyu. Imagine if he hadn’t made that save and FC Ryukyu had drawn the game instead of won? We’d be at 26 points with zero road wins at the half way point, very bleak.

All in all, nothing but respect for Omiya and their fans as it was the best stadium I’ve experienced here in Asia.

#3 Zweigen Kanazawa 6/08/2019 Match Day 17

FC Ryukyu were sitting on 29 consecutive games at home without a loss when Zweigen visited Okinawa for this first time since they won the J3 back in 2014. FC Ryukyu were coming off two wins in a row at home over Mito and Niigata and wanted a 3rd. FC Ryukyu were also dealing with an injury to first team Goal Keeper, Dany Carvajal, who was out with an ankle injury.

The game couldn’t have got off to a worse start for FCR as Kanazawa grabbed the early lead in the 6th minute off an FC Ryukyu turnover in their own half. Okazaki had a chance at stopping the play but was caught between what he wanted to do to stop the Zweigen attacker. It looked like he couldn’t decide between sliding in for a challenge, or disrupting the players run by dispossessing him. Instead, he ended up tripping over himself and the attacker thus leaving the Zweigen player a free look on net. Tanaka nearly leveled it for FC Ryukyu but his shot was directly at the Zweigen keeper, unlike the one versus Omiya. Ishii ended up making a very fine save near the end of the half from a free kick and without his effort on the play, FC Ryukyu would’ve never been able to get back into the match.

Kanazawa had two more opportunities to put the game out of reach but luckily for FC Ryukyu, the shots were just wide. Finally, in the 69th minute, Koji Suzuki tied the game with his 11th goal of the season after an Uesato pass found him wide open at the top of the box. Suzuki calmly slipped past his marker, made the GK go to ground and sent it past him and Kanazawa defenders. The play really began when Zweigen were trying to break out of their own end but pressure by Kawai on the Kanazawa player prevented him from clearing the ball and this allowed Uesato to step up and steal possession.

It was not the prettiest of results but it showed the grit and determination of this team. The windy, wet conditions made for an awful atmosphere and FC Ryukyu were playing at less than 100% strength. However, they pushed through all of that to grab a crucial point at home and push the undefeated streak to 30, where it would ultimately end.

#2 Kashiwa Reysol 4/07/2019 Match Day 8

FC Ryukyu welcomed the newly demoted J1 side, Kashiwa Reysol, to the Tapista on Match Day 8 with a chance at achieving immortality in the form of setting the new J.League Home Undefeated Streak at 26. At this point in the season FC Ryukyu had only suffered one defeat and took points in 7 out of 8 matches. This was going to be a very tough test at home for FCR against an experienced group of Reysol players.

From what I saw leading up to this match, Reysol really liked starting fast and getting out to an early lead. It seemed that if they couldn’t get the early advantage, games would bog down for them and results would be mixed. Well they got their wish in the third minute. The goal came off a set piece where the initial cross was redirected to the opposite side of the FC Ryukyu net where Gabriel was charging and able to deflect the shot past an outstretched Carvajal and rising Suzuki and into the top corner. Reysol didn’t let up and Carvajal was called into action several times in the half but he prevented any further Reysol scoring.  

FC Ryukyu began to grow into the match a little by little as Reysol were unable to grab the 2-0 lead. Tanaka had a shot at leveling the game just before half time but Nakamura made a fine save. Tomidokoro’s point-blank within the 6-yard box was unfortunately right at the Reysol Keeper or FCR would’ve leveled. It wasn’t until the 82nd minute when a Tokumoto cross found a wide open Uejo who smashed home the volley. It left the Reysol keeper stunned as well as the 7,913 fans who showed up. FC Ryukyu continued to hunt for the winner when they very easily could’ve packed it in but they never found the go ahead goal. The match ended 1-1 and FC Ryukyu became new J.League record holders. This was another huge signature performance for FCR.

#1 Mito Hollyhock 05/11/2019 Match Day 13

Mito visited Okinawa as the top team in J2 with quite an impressive defensive record. FC Ryukyu on the other hand were coming off of two defeats in 3 weeks to Kagoshima and FC Gifu and had only scored 4 goals in their previous 5 matches. All it would’ve taken for the streak to end was a Mito goal as the side had not lost all season up to this point and hadn’t conceded more than one goal in any of their 12 prior matches.

Then the unthinkable happened, FC Ryukyu scored the opening goal within the first 10 minutes. Tokumoto picked out an unmarked Koji Suzuki who sent a header, hard and low, that the Mito keeper couldn’t save. Suzuki nearly got on the board again but his toe poke was defected over the bar by the Mito defenders. FC Ryukyu were in complete control of the match but that didn’t really matter as Mito were never a side who chased matches regardless of the score line.

Tokumoto hit the post in the second half and that would’ve really put the game out of reach. Mito never really got things going in this game and that can be attributed to the fine defensive performance by the FC Ryukyu back line. It was another shocking result for FC Ryukyu who seem to really play really well against the top 3 or 4 sides in the J2. The win also pushed the streak to 27 matches without a loss but it was the 3 points at home and their first win in nearly two months that made all the difference for FCR. 

Honorable Mentions

1. Montedio Yamagata 3/24/2019 Match Day 5. FC Ryukyu earned a draw on the road versus what looks to be the potential J2 champion. FC Ryukyu remained undefeated on the season and got their longest road trip out of the way early which will pay dividends later on this season.

2. Tokyo Verdy 4/13/2019 Match Day 9. FC Ryukyu pulled off quite a comeback to level the match in the 5th minute of stoppage time off a Uesato strike. In a game where Carvajal busted his nose stopping an attacking Verdy player, and then saved the PK, was just amazing. Uesato’s strike was so well taken, and so unexpected, it left everyone in shock. It was a great point earned on the road for FCR.

3. Kyoto Sanga 6/15/2019 Match Day 18. Maybe you are noticing a trend with these honorable mentions. They are all the draws FC Ryukyu have earned on the road. FC Ryukyu went behind twice in this match and battled back to draw with goals from Koji Suzuki and Kawai. Kyoto are a strong team and no one gave FC Ryukyu much of a chance in this match as they were a visiting side in poor form. The draw was big because FCR ended up suffering defeats in the following consecutive weeks and really needed the point.

Top 10 Goals for FC Ryukyu

10 (TIE).

10A. Tanka’s early goal against Omiya: The way he let the ball roll onto him and his low hard strike was great.

10B. Kawai’s game tying goal against Kyoto on the road was a massive goal from a well taken shot.

9. Uesato’s goal against FC Gifu: Top Right corner from the top of the box.Oh!

8. Masutani’s bullet header against Mito: Came from the way back to get into the attack and send a low, hard header to the bottom corner. Watch and enjoy.

7. Koji Suzuki’s diving header against Yamaguchi: Power and Placement.

6. Uejo’s goal on the break versus Nagasaki: Frightening how good this kid could be one day, and how good he is right now.

5. Koji Suzuki going top shelf versus Yokohama FC: The man wanted to blow open the top of the net with that much power in his shot.

4. Tomidokoro’s free kick versus Niigata: Love watching Yu do his thing, go on son.

3. Kazama’s free kick versus Kofu: Gave the GK no chance at saving that one, top drawer.

2. Uesato’s strike on the volley against Tokyo Verdy: Could watch that over and over and over again.

1. Uejo’s strike on the volley against Kashiwa Reysol: Young player putting one past an experienced International capped Goal Keeper. On the volley, into the top corner, none better so far.

I hope you all enjoyed the second installment of the mid-season review. We will conclude tomorrow with a review of the players, the mid-season MVP and the way ahead for FC Ryukyu.

FC Ryukyu Mid Season Review: Part 1

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

2019 To Date

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

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

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

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

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

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

2019 Changes

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

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

*3 fewer home fixtures in 2016 compared to 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 5 Storylines of the 2019 Season So Far

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

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

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

#4 FC Ryukyu’s Away Record this Season

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

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

#3 Emerging Talents

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

#2 New Players

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

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

#1 The Home Undefeated Record

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

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

“Swift, Silent, Fierce & Impregnable!” Match Day 19 Preview: FC Ryukyu vs. Ventforet Kofu 6/22/2019

Match Day 19 Preview: (H) FC Ryukyu versus Ventforet Kofu (A) at the Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium, Kickoff at 1800, 6/22/2019.

Weather Forecast: Thunderstorms starting earlier in the day with scattered thunderstorms throughout the match. It will most likely be raining the whole time during the match so come prepared with ponchos, umbrellas, towels and bags to keep you items dry.

Yuck! The weather forecast will not help the Ryukyu attendance numbers

Intro

Kofu enter match day 19 after suffering a 2-0 loss at home to Tokyo Verdy. Kofu looked sluggish in that match and they rarely generated much going forward. FC Ryukyu, on the other hand, enter this match having come from behind twice to Kyoto on the road that saw Ryukyu earn a draw and return home with a point. I initially though this was going to be a very tough match-up for FC Ryukyu to walk away with any points, but the game footage for Kofu tells a different story.

Ventforet Kofu

Kofu come to Okinawa having won 3 out of their last five matches, in convincing fashion mind you, as well as earned a draw against Yamagata by coming from behind twice with one of those goals occurring very late in stoppage time. This team was firing on all cylinders prior to the Verdy match but since then, Kofu have suffered key injuries to their attacking front line.

Against Yamagata, Kofu had to sub off Dudu mid-way through the first half due to what looks to be a dislocated shoulder or damage to one of the ligaments. Dudu didn’t dress for the last match and I am not sure if he’ll be healthy enough to face Ryukyu tomorrow. The following match against Verdy saw the second strike partner up front, Soneda not even dress. That was massive as Soneda and Dudu have accounted for 9 of Kofu’s 26 goals, roughly one third, and pair nicely with Utaka up front. Their absence was very noticeable during the Verdy match as the once potent attack of Kofu has stalled out.

There are basically 3 scenarios facing FC Ryukyu tomorrow. First, if Dudu and Soneda do not dress, then we can expect to see a similar performance against Verdy from Kofu. If either Dudu or Soneda dress, then we can expect a back and forth match and will need to pay very close attention to Utaka. Finally, if both play, then Ryukyu face an uphill battle as these players will be well rested and this is a team that scored 9 goals in the four games prior to the injures. If scenario number one holds true tomorrow, then FC Ryukyu stand a very good chance of taking all 3 points in the match since the Kofu defense is rather poor and they lack any real attack. If either of the last 2 scenarios comes to fruition tomorrow, then FC Ryukyu are in a real tough spot with injuries to Carvajal and Tokumoto, as well as the suspension for Tanaka.

Kofu Players to Watch

L to R: Utaka, Uchida, Sato & Yokotani

I have already mentioned what Dudu and Soneda bring to the table for Kofu so let’s turn our attention to some other notable players in the Kofu squad.

#9 FW Peter Utaka. Leading scorer for Kofu with 8 goals and 1 assist so far this season. He seems to have a penchant for scoring braces as he’s had 3 games this season with 2 goals. He can overpower weaker defenders and will punish any stupid mistakes by the defender during open field challenges for the ball or in 1v1 situations. FC Ryukyu need to know where Utaka is at all times when he is in the 18-yard box.

#18 FW Koichi Sato. Comes on a substitute for most matches but has scored 4 times this season as a sub. More on that later. Can add some height to the Kofu attack and there is an outside shot he starts tomorrow.

#14 MF Shigeru Yokotani. Plays a central/defensive mid fielder role for Kofu and has 3 goals this season.

#39 DF Kenta Uchida. The defender has 3 assists on the season and can take a nice free kick for Kofu. I don’t know if Uchida is also the corner kick taker for Kofu but he can certainly deliver a nice ball into the box.

#26 MF Kazuhiro Sato & #28 MF Yuki Hashizumi. These two make the list as they are the replacements who have filled in for Dudu and Soneda the past 2 matches. Both have started 7 matches this year but do not offer the same upside to the attack that Dudu and Soneda do.

Expect changes to the FC Ryukyu side and possibly the Kofu squad as well.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu are dealing with their own unique challenges this weekend so though it may seem they have the upper hand on paper, in reality, things are probably even between both sides. First, Tokumoto picked up a non-contact ankle injury last week against Kyoto that will see him miss 3-4 weeks. Second, Keita Tanaka will serve a 1 match suspension for the accumulation of yellow cards. This means FC Ryukyu will have to make 2 changes to a starting lineup that was starting to gel and get back to the scoring ways from earlier this season.

Tanaka will most likely be replaced by either Uejo, Kawai or Ochi but I am not sure who will feature on the bench for Ryukyu this week as I haven’t seen Koizumi’s name since Gifu. Tokumoto will be replaced by Fukui which means we will need to dress another defensive player this weekend. I appreciate that Fukui can play both in and outside defense but certainly FC Ryukyu has some real defensive depth issues if they are more willing to move both Fukui and Masutani to the FB position instead of leaving them inside and bringing up reserve FBs. I guess we will not only find out tomorrow but also during the Emperor’s Cup next month.

Aside from the unknown, Ryukyu are coming into the match having drawn twice, lost twice and won once in their last five matches. However, FC Ryukyu are a very difficult team to beat at home, as evidenced by the 30-game home unbeaten streak, and they just play better at the Tapista. Ryukyu’s last few home matches have seen them battle back against Kanazawa, overcome a late goal from Niigata to score one of their own to win and beat the number one team in J2 in Mito. This offers some hope going forward as Ryukyu is making life difficult for the visiting J2 sides.

Key Injuries or Suspensions

FC Ryukyu: MF Keita Tanaka (SUS), GK Danny Carvajal (INJ) & DF Shuhei Tokumoto (INJ)

Ventforet Kofu: FW Dudu (INJ) & MF Yutaka Soneda (INJ)

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1. Press the Kofu back-line into making mistakes. The Kofu defense is not that great and #22, Yuta Koieda, is a pretty bad CB. FC Ryukyu needs to press the Kofu back-line when they are in possession as they are very unsure of themselves and often make poor decisions that can lead to turnovers . With so much attacking power on Kofu they have yet to learn how to play the ball out from the back and Ryukyu should exploit this weakness. The horrible mistake by the defenders last week against Verdy led directly to Verdy’s second goal.

2.  Know where all the Kofu attackers are at, at all times, but especially when they are in or just outside the 18-yard box. The Kofu attackers have the uncanny ability to lose their markers at key times and then score goals. Ryukyu cannot afford to cede an otherwise easily defended goal to Kofu tomorrow. Kofu’s formation allows the squad to crash the box once they gain possession down either flank in the deep ends of the opposition which can then overwhelm the defense.  Uesato and Komatsu have to stay on top of this tactic and aide the Ryukyu back line.

3. Attack the Kofu back line with speed and misdirection passes. Koji Suzuki should have his way tomorrow with Kofu defenders so long as Ryukyu feed him quality passes. Kofu defenders don’t seem to mark well which means Ryukyu players should find plenty of space to maneuver inside the Kofu box. Kofu also doesn’t defend corners all that well so this is another opportunity for Ryukyu to get on the front foot.

4. Mark Koichi Sato in the final minutes of the match. Sato has scored an eye popping 4 stoppage time goals this season as a sub. He has earned 3 points for Kofu in those 4 matches since 3 of the games ended in draws. FC Ryukyu must maintain their focus at the end of the match and not allow Sato any time or space in the box.

Match Prediction

If this was the same Kofu squad that was brushing aside opponents from earlier in the season than I would have predicted a loss for FC Ryukyu. However, this is a weakened Kofu side that comes into the match in poor form and lacking any real punch up front outside of Utaka. Sound defending by Ryukyu coupled with a ruthless attack should see Ryukyu prevail tomorrow. FC Ryukyu 2-1 Ventforet Kofu.

Conclusion

FC Ryukyu will once again be playing in less than optimal weather conditions this weekend. Thankfully Ryukyu are becoming accustomed to playing in such poor conditions as this will be at least their 6th time this season that they have had to endure rain and wind in a match. That fact, along with Kofu’s injuries, recent poor form and not so great record for matches started in the evening hours, sets FC Ryukyu up nicely to grab all 3 points at home tomorrow and provide a massive boost to their point tally.

See you all out there tomorrow and let’s do our best to stay dry.  Come on Lads!

“Purple Rain” Match Day 18 Recap: Kyoto Sanga F.C. 2-2 FC Ryukyu 6/15/2019

I don’t think I could’ve come up with a more befitting title for this match based on the following: 1. Kyoto’s kits are purple, 2. it was raining the whole match and 3. it is the birth month of Prince, who wrote this song. I am not a huge fan of Prince but things lined up perfectly for this catchy title for this particular blog entry.

FC Ryukyu earned a hard-fought point on Saturday night at the Kyoto Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium where they battled back twice from 1 goal deficits to tie the match. While the draw has ultimately dropped FC Ryukyu down to 10th in the standings, the precious point is all that really matters at the end of the day.

Each team’s lineup remained unchanged from their previous matches with one exception. Kyoto put their best attacking players up front, Ishimi, Koyamatsu and Sento, to form more of a 3-4-3 formation. The move signaled to me that the manager, Ichizo Nakata, knows his side well and since this Kyoto side always starts matches very fast, he wanted to do everything he could to grab the early lead with hopes of piling on the goals later.

First Half

In the preview article I espoused that if FC Ryukyu wished to walk away with any points, they needed to keep Kyoto off the score sheet in the first half. Kyoto had 100% success rate (wins and draws) when they are the first team to score in a match and that score occurs in the first half. Within 55 seconds Kyoto already had a shot on net and their second came 1 minute and 40 seconds later. Not the start that FC Ryukyu needed by any means. FC Ryukyu were lucky to escape the early deficit when Isihimi’s shot hit the post in the 6th minute. Things than began to get worse for Ryukyu when in the 7th minute, Fukui had to come on place of the injured Tokumoto for what looks to be a non-contact injury to his lower left leg. It is possible he’ll miss some time depending on the severity of the injury and it couldn’t come at a worse time with Ryukyu having 8 matches over the next 6 weeks.

Kyoto had a ridiculous 77% possession rate compared to Ryukyu’s 23% around the quarter mark of the match and Kyoto were dictating the pace of play as well as creating all the chances on net. Ryukyu simply didn’t have an answer to stop the Kyoto onslaught or enough possession to slow the match down. Ryukyu’s best chance came in the 20th minute when a ball fell to Tanaka in the 18-yard box and unfortunately, he struck it with his left foot and the shot went just wide of the net. Ryukyu then survived another scare in the 25th minute when a long through ball found a streaking Kyoto player but luckily, Ishii and Okazaki were able to break up the cross. At the 30-minute mark, Kyoto were still enjoying a 75% possession rate and were leading in the shot category, 5 to 1 over Ryukyu.

Near the end of the first half, a long pass by Okazaki to Komatsu was quickly corralled by Sanga and they immediately sprung into a counter attack. Masutani offered a half-hearted challenge on the on-rushing Kyoto player and when Uesato was rushing back to aid in the defense, he actually stopped the pass from Kyoto that was screeching across the top of our box towards the right side. Unfortunately, Uesato’s deflection landed right at the feet of Koyamatsu, who struck a nice shot past a diving Ishii for a 1-0 Kyoto lead. I personally thought this goal was coming for a long time with the amount of possession and opportunities Kyoto enjoyed up to this point but I also thought that FC Ryukyu was going to hold Kyoto goalless heading into half time.

Kyoto had another two chances to double their lead in the 41st and 44th minute as they were finding it very easy to round our defenders and send crosses/shots into the box. Just when I thought all hope was lost with Ryukyu on pace for their 5th consecutive road loss, Ryukyu caught a break. Ryukyu earned a free kick at the very end of the extra time in the first half and the initial shot by Okazaki was deflected and it found an unmarked Koji Suzuki alone at the edge of the goal. Suzuki delivered a header into the net that seemed to surprise, and disappoint, the Kyoto team. In only one instance, versus Mito, had Kyoto gone on to not win the match after scoring first in the first half and allowing the opponents to score in the first half as well. It was a massive shift in the probability projections for Ryukyu to earn a draw on the day. Basically, FC Ryukyu went from around 0.05% to 25% with that Suzuki goal. While that cannot be understated, it is more important to state what a goal means for both sides when it occurs at the very end of the first half. It was a confidence booster for Ryukyu while simultaneously letting the “wind out of the sails” for Kyoto. This was a massive goal for Ryukyu as well as Koji as it moved him into the top position in J2 with 12 goals scored this season.

Second Half

Ryukyu started the second half slowly after already conceding 68% of the possession to Kyoto in the first half. Right away in the 46th minute, Kyoto were awarded the FK after Masutani fell to the ground from an attempted clearance. Now, Masutani was able to make the clearance, but the resulting fall took him into the path of the Kyoto player who was adjusting his run for the deflection. The Kyoto player ran into Masutani, and actually gave him a nasty knock to the head, and the ref awarded the FK. To be honest, Masutani had no idea where the Kyoto player was, didn’t stick out an arm or attempt to interfere the player, it was just the natural progression of the fall/slide that took him into the Kyoto players path. Yet the referee’s vantage point was from behind and he couldn’t see all this play out and deemed it to be an infraction and award a free kick.

An errant pass by Uesato lead to another Kyoto opportunity in the 52nd minute but Ishii did a tremendous job in stopping the shot by Ishimi. Tanaka picked up a yellow card just prior to that play and was ultimately subbed off for Kawai. Tanaka will miss the next match due to suspension from his accumulation of yellow cards. Ryukyu’s defense was then ripped apart in the 55th minute and luckily the clearance by Ryukyu, that hit a Kyoto player in the box, bounced off the side netting and didn’t make its way into the back of the net. Kawai’s presence could already be felt stating in the 57th minute as his runs seemed to surprise the Kyoto side as they were fast, and straight at them and this was something Ryukyu were not doing up to this point. I don’t think Kyoto were expecting this at all from Ryukyu and they seemed more than willing to cede some acreage for Kawai to run into. At the 64-minute mark, Ryukyu had ceded 3 more chances to Kyoto and they were only able to muster one real chance but the game was about to be flipped on its head.

Another errant pass led to another Kyoto counter attack that ultimately resulted in a PK. Uesato’s challenge looked as if he got to the ball before he brought the player down but there was one small problem, he did so by going through the player legs from behind and that will always be called as a foul anywhere on the pitch. Ishimi stepped up and delivered a nice strike underneath the diving Ishii, who guessed correctly, but the shot had placement and power and would be hard for most goalkeepers to stop.

In the 74th minute Kawai drew a foul near the edge of the 18-yard box but the resulting Tomidokoro strike sailed just a little high over the bar. However, it would be the pace and tenacity of Kawai that allowed FC Ryukyu to get back in the match when he slotted home a goal in the 80th minute.

Kawai made a great run down the left and found a streaking Tomidokoro who executed a very nice back heel pass to the on-rushing Kawai. The back-heel pass by Yu seemed to tee the ball up perfectly for Kawai and Kawai’s strike went past the diving keeper of Kyoto and into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Finally, Ryukyu sprung to life in the 80th minute of the match. A corner kick from Ryukyu found a wide open Uesato who struck home a one timed volley but he was ruled offside. It was a harsh call in my mind (obviously as a Ryukyu supporter) but that’s because the replay, and more importantly the camera angle, couldn’t really show Uesato in an offside position. That would’ve been a huge goal but nonetheless, Ryukyu really began to trouble the Kyoto defense.

Ryukyu tried to see out the remainder of the match with some controlled possession but the accurate passing just wasn’t there today. This is most likely due to the little amount of possession they enjoyed. The last few seconds of the match were very frantic in that Ryukyu earned a corner; Uesato nearly scored from a header, had it been low it may have gone in, and the resulting Kyoto last surge counter was luckily thwarted by the scrambling Ryukyu defenders to earn the 1-1 draw.

Man of the Match

#30 DF Yosuke Ishibitsu, Kyoto Sanga F.C.

It was hard not to award the MOM to Kawai from FC Ryukyu for his contributions, but Ishibitsu’s efforts really stood out and the man put in a phenomenal shift for Kyoto. The veteran made life difficult for Tomidokoro in the first half, so much so that Yu shifted from the left side to the right side in the second half so as to completely avoid Ishibitsu. Ishibitsu won some free kicks and delivered them with quality when called upon. I am jealous that this man can play at such a high level at 35 years of age and would love to see him in the Ryukyu back line even if it’s only for one season. I think one of the best examples for why he deserves MOM was his ability to close down Tomidokoro in the 39th minute when Yu received a beautiful through pass that put him alone on net. The veteran Ishibitsu had enough pace in him to recover and force Yu to change direction which ultimately saw Yu lose possession and the Ryukyu attack fizzle out. My tally on the day had Ishibitsu besting the Ryukyu attack and players 6-1. The man simply couldn’t be beaten in defense and he offered so much in the attack for Kyoto. Well done sir.

Keys to Victory Review

A quick review of the key points I put forth in the match day preview.

1. Prevent Kyoto from scoring in the first half. Ultimately a failing mark as Kyoto did end up scoring in the first half, but Ryukyu put up a good fight and recovered for a point.

2. Harass the Kyoto back line. Pass. Kawai’s substitution proved the difference maker for Ryukyu and in all reality, it wasn’t until the 80th minute that Ryukyu truly threatened the back line of Kyoto.

3. Score multiple goals and do not waste them in a loss. Passed with flying colors. This match was only the second time in 12 weeks that FC Ryukyu scored multiple goals in a match and the timing couldn’t have been better. This attack needs to get going as we all miss the free scoring side that can score 4, concede 3 and still end up on top. Patience is a virtue, I guess.

Takeaways from Match Day 18

1. The Referee. Spoiler Alert, plenty of bias to follow. The refereeing on Saturday was suspect. There were at least 3 bookable offenses by Kyoto that were not carded and each of them either stopped a FC Ryukyu counter attack or ended it altogether. That makes all of them bookable offenses in my mind. If an unwritten rule in football exists about how many warnings a player can receive before a booking, then I failed to see it yesterday. I say that because Tanaka was carded for his first challenge, and rightly so, but his offense was no different from the Kyoto players, yet none of the Sanga players were carded until deep into stoppage time. The refereeing in J2, in my humble opinion at least, is suspect at best; and to be honest, across Asia it isn’t that great either. Many refs fall into that “Home Cooking” philosophy whereas they just want to be liked by the home team’s supporters and get back to their vehicle safely after a match.

2. While the possession disparity between both sides is enough to make you wonder as a Ryukyu fan if they were actually playing a J1 side like Kawasaki, FC Ryukyu did nothing to help themselves on Saturday with so many errant passes. As stated earlier, this is probably attributed to how little of the ball FC Ryukyu saw throughout the match as Kyoto had a 65% to 35% possession advantage but this will occur from time to time and FC Ryukyu need to be more clinical in possession. The misguided passes sent Kyoto on their way multiple times and lead to both of their goals. If FC Ryukyu passing was better on Saturday then maybe they could’ve won the match, but as a whole, the Ryukyu passing was deplorable. There are more of these types of matches ahead of Ryukyu this year and while the “bend, but don’t break” mentality on defense works from time to time, it requires the team to be precise and lethal in limited possession.

Conclusion

Well FC Ryukyu earned their first positive result in a road match since the late equalizer by Uesato back in match day 9 against Tokyo Verdy. This means that Ryukyu broke a 4-game losing streak on the road and it also meant that Kyoto will remain winless in games started after 1800. FC Ryukyu return home next week to face a very strong, recently defeated, 4th placed Ventforet Kofu side.

I hope the Okinawa faithful show up in full force for this match as it is another tough test for the Bengara boys to keep the home undefeated record intact as well some much-needed revenue before the transfer window opens up in July. Make no mistake, FC Ryukyu needs revenue – at least 8,000 fans per home match – as well as reinforcements. We don’t want to see Ryukyu become “sellers” in the transfer market next month. We want FC Ryukyu to be “buyers” because if not, this team may end up back in the J3. I know I always harp on the fact that FC Ryukyu haven’t earned, or possibly done, anything of note yet. Well, that is because it is so likely that recently promoted clubs are the ones relegated each season and I don’t want Ryukyu to be the first J3 side to achieve this dubious award. Staying power equals revenue and a chance at J1 football, that, is the mid and long-term goal for this club.

Nice view of the Koji header to equalize in the first half. PHOTO CREDIT: @john_level_O

Match Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBZZ08x6QkA&feature=onebox

“Threading the Needle” Match Day 18 Preview: Kyoto Sanga F.C. vs. FC Ryukyu 6/15/2019

Match Day 18: (H) Kyoto Sanga F.C. vs. FC Ryukyu (A) at the Kyoto Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium, 6/15/2019 Kickoff at 1900.

Weather Forecast: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s for the match but it is expected to rain all day with thunderstorms starting around 1500 and expected to continue until 2200. Bring your rain jackets, poncho’s, umbrellas and towels as it is going to be nasty weather out there.  

Intro

Fresh off their draw with Kanazawa, FC Ryukyu travel to the Kansai area to take on a very powerful Kyoto Sanga side who are returning home after 2 weeks on the road. Sanga come into the match having been decisively beaten by Omiya Ardija but this is a team that swept the J2 League awards for May with Koyamatsu winning the best goal, Sento earning MVP honors and their manager, Nakata, rounding out the trifecta. More on them later. FC Ryukyu’s road struggles are well known at this point and with difficult matches over the next 2 months, any points FC Ryukyu can earn on the road must be viewed as a huge boost for their hopes at staying in the J2 next season.  let’s look at how the two teams stack up this season.

Interesting that Kyoto doesn’t score, or concede nearly as many goals at home as they do on the road. Kyoto’s record against teams in the top half of the table also offers a glimmer of hope for FC Ryukyu today.

Starting Lineups for both sides from previous match.

Kyoto Sanga F.C.

Prior to the loss at Omiya, Sanga had won 4 times and drawn twice in their previous 6 matches. Over the course of the last 6 weeks, Sanga has scored 14 goals and conceded 8. Those numbers represent 60% of to the total amount of goals Sanga has scored on the season as well as 50% of the amount of goals they’ve conceded. If we look at the first 11 weeks of the season for Sanga, the stats tell a very different story. Sanga failed to score in 5 of the first 11 matches with 4 of those shutouts occurring at home. Despite the goal scoring drought, Sanga were still able to earn 4 wins, 3 draws and only suffer 3 losses in those 11 matches. All in all; it means that they weathered the rough storm during the early part of the season, accumulated some nice point tallies along the way, are wracking up the points with what looks to be a very potent attack, all at a crucial time of the season. Basically; they are peaking and present a formidable challenge for FC Ryukyu.

The Kyoto Sanga F.C. Ultras await the traveling FC Ryukyu squad and fans.

Over the course of the 4 Kyoto matches I viewed for this review; Sanga displayed a penchant for starting fast. For the entire season, Kyoto has scored 13 of their 23 goals in the first half. More importantly, they have conceded 10 of their 16 goals this season in the second half of matches. Furthermore, Sanga have only played 3 matches in which they scored in the first half yet failed to score in the second half and in those matches they have gone 1W1D1L. But it should be noted that they scored first in two of those games whereas against Omiya they did not. Bottom line, FC Ryukyu needs to do all they can to stop Kyoto from scoring in the first half, if they do, then FC Ryukyu have a great shot at earning a point on the day.

Kyoto Sanga Players to Watch

Sanga’s set up plays to the teams strength, which is attacking. The talent up front for Sanga is quite good and the partnering of Ichimi and Koyamatsu looks like one of the most lethal combinations in the J2.

L to R: Koyamatsu, Ichimi, Miyayoshi, Sento & Ishibitsu

#23 FW Kazunari Ichimi. I was surprised to learn that Ichimi is only 5’10” (181cm) as he seems to play a lot “taller” than his height would indicate.  He reminds me a lot of Olivier Giroud from Chelsea in that he is really good at getting the positional advantage over the defender and can get his foot to a ball and direct it into the back of the net. Ichimi is the joint top scorer for Sanga with 5 goals and 2 assists.

#22 MF Tomoya Koyamatsu. The J2 League winner of the best goal of the month for May. This particular player is a one-man wrecking ball at times. I’ve seen him gain possession near or just behind the half way line and then make a very powerful run on net single handed and then score. He is very strong and has good pace which means he will be a huge challenge of any slower, weaker defenders. He isn’t afraid to take all of them on at once and Koyamatsu has 3 goals and 3 assists so far this season.

#14 MF Keiya Sento. Joint top scorer with 5 goals and 2 assists. Plays down the right, along with Miyayoshi and Ishibitsu to form a three headed monster in attack.

#13 FW Takumi Miyayoshi. 1 goal and 3 assists so far this season from a forward position but he can provide excellent service and set up play for Sento and Ichimi.

#30 DF (RB) Yosuke Ishibitsu. The 3rd part to the Kyoto attacking right side. Has 1 goal and 4 assists and that means he is sending quality crosses into the box for the attacking players to get on the other end of and score.

FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu were able to earn a draw at home this past weekend against a tough Kanazwa side. Ryukyu were without star goal keeper, Danny Carvajal, but Ishii’s performance was nothing short of excellent and he ultimately allowed FCR to claw back into the match and earn a point. The Ryukyu attack is still sputtering as they’ve only scored multiple goals in one match out of the past 11. This will be a very tough test for FC Ryukyu this week as they face a team that is firing on all cylinders and can light up the score board quickly. Keep in mind, FC Ryukyu have failed to earn a point on the road in the last 4 road matches and those were against teams not nearly as strong as Kyoto.

Keys to FC Ryukyu Victory

Kyoto Sanga represent the type of team FC Ryukyu aspires to be; they can make up for weak defending with a ruthless attack. There are small margins for success for FC Ryukyu this weekend as some of the statistics indicate, but FC Ryukyu are more likely to drop all the points if they concede early against Kyoto.

1. Prevent Kyoto from scoring a 1st half goal. This is a large ask for the entire Ryukyu team but if they can do that, they have a great shot at earning a point on the day. Kyoto have failed to score in the first half in 7 games this season and in those seven matches, only twice did they score a second half goal. The results were 1W3D3L in those 7 matches for Kyoto. On the flip side, when Kyoto score first, and the goal occurs in the first half, they’ve gone on to earn 6 wins and 2 draws in 8 matches. As you can see, FCR must weather the fast start of Kyoto and prevent an early goal for any chance at positive points today.

2. Disrupt the back line of Kyoto. In the matches I watched, this seemed to be the Achilles Heel for Sanga. At times, the defenders lacked concentration, were out of position, would not mark the runs of attacking players and allow attacking players plenty of space to take shots on net in and around the box. Ryukyu will need some heroic efforts from Tanaka and Tomidokoro today if they are going to earn a good result. Ryukyu also needs to use their speed down the flanks to get around the back of the RB/LBs of Kyoto and have the remaining attacking players crash the box as this will confuse the central defenders on Sanga.

3. Score Goals. This is an obvious one but FC Ryukyu own a near even split when it comes to scoring and conceding in both halves. It has been a tale of 2 halves for FC Ryukyu this season and while it seems encouraging that they’ve been able to score 15 goals in the second half, they’ve also conceded 14. This lends credence to the first point that FC Ryukyu are more likely to earn a draw if they do not concede in the first half because they are also more likely to score late in matches. 2 goals would be great so long as they are not wasted in a losing effort. Quality shots on net from distance may prove to be the determining factor for FC Ryukyu today.

Match Prediction

This is one of the toughest road tests to date for FC Ryukyu. We haven’t faced an opponent on the road of this quality since Yamagata and therefore the likely outcome today is a Ryukyu loss. Using the “pain scale” you see at most doctor’s offices, I’ll put it to you like this. On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the most debilitating pain/result: 1. If Ryukyu lose by 3 goals or more it will be embarrassing, 2. A 2-0 defeat is a very likely outcome and no one would really think different of this since Ryukyu are less than 100% with a reserve keeper in net, 3. 2-1 defeat is a very respectable outcome against a superior opponent, 4. A draw in any form is pure gold and that point will prove valuable, and finally, 5. A win against Kyoto must be considered as the most important J2 victory to date for FC Ryukyu.

Match Predction: Kyoto Sanga 3-1 FC Ryukyu

Conclusion

There is one strange factor to consider in all of this; in the 2 games this season that Kyoto have played that have started after 1800, they are 0-2. Kyoto surrendered 4 goals in those competitions and only scored once. If you factor in the start time of 19:00, that Ryukyu play a majority of their matches at these start times and that this match could be played in sloppy conditions – a situation that Ryukyu has played in multiple times this season and most recently against Kanazawa – these could come together an equal a positive result for Ryukyu today. We will have to wait and see. Enjoy the match where ever you are at and see you soon.

Come on Lads, one time here!

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

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

Starting 11 for both sides

First Half

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

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

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

Second Half

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

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

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

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory Review

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

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

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

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

Man of the Match

GK Ryo Ishii

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

Ishii diving and stopping a nice FK by Zweigen.

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

Looking Ahead

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