I don’t know about you, but that game left me wanting more. Had there been another minute or so left I think FC Ryukyu could’ve netted the winner but instead they settle on one point after drawing with Tochigi SC 2-2. It was never going to be easy to score multiple goals against the best defensive side in J2 which made FC Ryukyu’s comebacks to the level the match twice so impressive.
Match Recap
Man of the Match
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day Prediction
Match Day 13 Takeaways
Round 13 in J2
Top Goals from Round 13
Conclusion
1. Match Recap
2. Man of the Match
The Super Sub from FC Ryukyu. FWD Shinya Uehara who came on with little more than 15 minutes to go with Ryukyu down 1-0. He leveled the match within a minute of his entrance and then leveled it again 6 minutes after Tochigi SC took the lead shortly after Ryukyu’s equalizer. We’ve seen this type of performance before from Uehara and it was a welcome sight once more.
3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
1. Do not over commit in the attack. Likelihood 3. We did exactly this in the first half and paid the price when Sakaki from Tochigi scored. Tochigi’s second goal was also from a counter attack.
2. Someone, anyone, create something in the attack. Likelihood 2. It was not until the second half subs were introduced that FC Ryukyu finally started to generate a push on net.
3. Win, and capitalize on Set Pieces. Likelihood 1. No, and we did not look good once again on corner kicks.
4. Match Day Prediction
Both @tsc_intl and I thought a 1-1 draw was great for both teams. Well a 2-2 draw made for an even more exciting match. 1-4-8 on the year.
5. Match Day 13 Takeaways
1. It was strange to see Torikai play up top with Keita Tanaka remaining at RB. There’s some good and bad in there in that Torikai can provide some rest for some of the mid fielders we have, but to me it also signals that Higuchi doesn’t trust Torikai defensively.
2. Despite the goal scoring outburst we witnessed late in the game, FC Ryukyu were downright awful in the first half. 70% possession and only two shots to show for it. None of which were on target. In fact, FC Ryukyu didn’t register a shot until the 38th minute. Tochigi was a massive brick wall that FC Ryukyu could not penetrate and a large portion of that possession consisted of the two CBs and CDM playing the ball back to each other.
3. We finally got our first look at Koizumi, Kawai and Ikeda in the lineup at the same time for about 30 minutes and there is a lot to be excited about. Adding in Koya also makes the Ryukyu attack more formidable. Kawai’s speed was on full display, along with Koizumi’s creativity and balance. Ikeda didn’t have the best outing but those 4 need to be the incumbent starters from now on. It was Koizumi’s, Ren’s, and Koya’s introduction in the second half that really turned things around for FC Ryukyu as I can barely recall Tochigi touching the ball in the second half. (yes, except for the goal of course)
4. I mentioned last recap that Makito Uehara is an interesting prospect. Well, he showed even more this week and I think it would be a shame to consider him as a CB, as he wasn’t even used in that role the last two times. He has some nice feet and I think he would be better suited as CDM over top of the two CBs with his speed and skill.
There were plenty of comebacks this round but it really was all about Giravanz smashing Omiya on the road; Kyoto failing to secure victory once again, and a Thespakusatsu victory at the death!
#1. Yohei Otake’s long range effort for Nagasaki. (5:45)
#2. Kanazawa’s Shimazu back heel. (5:10)
#3. Uehara’s header with defenders draped all over him and then like a bowling ball to the pins, takes out two defenders and the goalie. (6:40)
8. Conclusion
Welcome to J2 football with fixtures racked and stacked on top of one another. I feel really good leaving this match as FC Ryukyu showed some grit and determination against a very good defensive side in Tochigi. The lapses and let downs for Ryukyu will certainly continue as players need rest so the only thing you can do is soldier on.
Ryukyu make their second longest road trip of the year when they travel to Albirex Niigata on Sunday. See you in a few days with the Match Day 14 preview.
And the beat goes on. We’ve now reached the 1/3 mark for the 18 games in 71 days for FC Ryukyu and this time it will be against Tochigi SC. Tochigi SC have turned things around defensively this year compared to 2019 as indicated by their impressive six shutouts to date.
For this installment we will be joined by the Unofficial Tochigi SC correspondent, @tsc_intl, who was kind enough to provide some insight into his club for this match up. Please enjoy.
Weather Forecast
Match Day 12 Recap: FC Ryukyu
Match Day 12 Recap: Tochigi SC
Team Previews &Injury Reports
Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu
Match Day Prediction
Round 13 in J2
Conclusion
1. Weather Forecast
It is a real shame that the weather for the matches this year is so much better compared to 2019 and that no one can attend due to CV-19. Looks to be very favorable weather tomorrow.
FC Ryukyu. Over the last month, FC Ryukyu have won twice, drawn twice and lost twice. They have done well to stop the hemorrhaging at the back that plagued them for so much of the restart of this 2020 campaign. The defensive improvement has allowed them to come out on top of some low scoring affairs that includes shutting out their opponents twice during this time.
FC Ryukyu are not nearly as free scoring as they’ve been in the past and they have never really been known as a strong defensive side in any tier they’ve played in here in Japan so this is a nice surprise. Yet, these type of games should provide a nice launching pad for when the team starts clicking up top and begins scoring more goals.
Speaking of scoring, Takuma Abe is on a tear of late as he has scored 4 times in as many games to bring his total to 6 on the year. Good enough for joint 2nd in all of J2. That is the most goals Abe has scored since 2015 and he looks on pace to reach his highest ever total in J2, 18 goals. So long as he can stay healthy.
On the subject of health, FC Ryukyu are facing a selection crisis as they have several players injured, suspended due to CV-19, or just missing from the squad altogether. The last category is worrisome as Ryukyu have been forced to dress, and not use, several youth players from within their ranks. While Tanaka has been superb since making a switch to RB, Ryukyu are hurting for healthy midfielders these days and eventually Tanaka will need a break. Considering we have at least one -Torikai- if not two healthy RBs, Tavares being the other, these guys need to start seeing the field with a little more regularity so Tanaka can rest and provide relief to the rest of his mid field cohorts.
As evidenced by the last performance against Gunma, the players are beginning to break down physically with the amount of games played in such a short time span. The Ryukyu attack stalled out way more than it has the past few rounds and it will only continue to get worse until players can receive adequate rest and recuperation.
FC Ryukyu Injuries & Suspensions: Still no word on the availability of Chinen and Motegi as they recover from CV-19. And there is no word on the statuses of Koizumi, Uehara and Tavares. Yong Jick is flirting with a 1-game suspension if he picks up another Yellow Card so that is something to watch out for.
Tochigi SC. Tochigi this season is characterized by its high press. Though their ball possession rate is quite low, that does not mean they withdraw into their half throughout a game as they did in the previous season. Their quick transition, especially from offense to defense, is also is an improvement from last year. Both of the home-grown rookie wingers, Akimoto and Mori, are in good form, which is one of the driving forces for the team.
Key Numbers
39.7%: the lowest ball possession rate in the league.
Scored 7 goals in total: the fewest in the league.
Conceded 7 goals in total: also the fewest in the league
Issues
As the number of goals indicate, Tochigi needs to generate more scoring opportunities to achieve a higher place in the table. Though they have not let in that many goals, there is some room to improve in dealing with set pieces because the Tochigi last three conceded goals came from set pieces. At the same time, the manager Tasaka needs to give sufficient rest to each player which means he needs to have different options for the roster in this tightly contested match schedule.
Objectives
1. Stop Abe, the top scorer for FC Ryukyu.
2. Never give time and space to Uesato who can make crucial passes.
The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle to happen
1. Do not over commit in the attack. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu are struggling to produce many goals these days and Tochigi are an excellent defensive side that can hit you on the counter with speed. How else can you explain their low goals scored, conceded, and possession rates and yet they still sit 8 points clear of Ryukyu. Since there is probably some growing frustration with our attack, coupled with some tired legs, there is a chance we throw everything at Tochigi tomorrow. If we make that mistake, we have seen Tochigi punish teams on the breakout.
2. Someone, anyone, create something in the attack. Likelihood 2. As I said, Tochigi are great at organizing their defense and there were very few times that I saw them not properly man marking inside and around the 18-yard box. I am not sure we have the energy to be attempting runs all game so we’ll need someone to win their 1v1 match ups to create some goal scoring chances.
3. Win, and capitalize on Set Pieces. Likelihood 1. FC Ryukyu have scored twice from some set pieces this year but they will need to finally score from a CK. It maybe the only way to either take the lead or claw back into a match against a team that has proven very adept at seeing out 1-0 leads to victory.
6. Match Day Prediction
Asking FC Ryukyu to score nearly one-third of all the goals Tochigi have conceded to date might be a bit much. But these are unprecedented times with so many fixtures that teams may not look like their normal selves. With that in mind, both @tsc_intl and myself feel that a 1-1 score line would be great for both sides.
7. Round 13 in J2
The mid-week slate is highlighted by (4) Omiya Ardija hosting (2) Giravanz Kitakyushu along with (1) V-Varen Nagasaki welcoming in (5) JEF Utd Chiba.
I’d like to thank @tsc_intl for that cracking insight and analysis into Tochigi SC. It is always enjoyable to co-author these previews from time to time as they provide richer content from the oppositions view point.
In closing, a recent tweet by Koya Kazama really sums up the mindset of the players and staff these days for FC Ryukyu. Basically, “we’re all fatigued, but we will endure, and let’s enjoy the next tough match.”
FC Ryukyu earned their 11th win of the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Tochigi SC this past Sunday. The win sees FC Ryukyu’s point total climb to 43 and puts them 13 points clear of the drop zone with only a handful of games remaining. In other words, we can reasonably assume that FC Ryukyu are safe from relegation in their first season in the J2. It was also the second time in a row that FC Ryukyu earned a victory on the road, a feat they have never done this year prior to this weekend.
Match Recap
Starting 11 and reserves for both sides. Courtesy of the J League website.
There were some notable omissions from the FC Ryukyu starting 11 this week. Shinji Ono and Yu Tomidokoro were replaced by Koki Kazama and Shuto Kawai. The Shinji move was most likely necessitated after he picked up a knock last week against Verdy. Kawai, on the other hand, was a bit more noteworthy. First, it is great to see Kawai get back to full health as his speed brings a vital element to the FC Ryukyu attack (more on that later). Second, the move signaled to me that Higuchi may have game planned for needing speed to hit Tochigi on the counter if FC Ryukyu were not going to have large amounts of possession. This was certainly a shock as the starting lineup rarely changes for FC Ryukyu based on our opponent’s apparent strengths and weaknesses, rather, it changes due to injury, suspension or players experiencing a loss of form. A welcome sign nonetheless.
There was not really much to report on in the first half of this game. FC Ryukyu looked slow to start the match and were not offering much in the attack. In fact, FC Ryukyu seemed fixated on attacking down the right side but were either bogged down or would lose possession in the Tochigi deep right end. Tochigi, on the other hand, threw all they had at us in the first half and really pressed hard to get out in front. They made calls for a possible handball from Tokumoto in the box following an overhead kick but the ref was not having any of it. Tochigi nearly broke the deadlock when a header bounced across the face of goal and harmlessly out of bounds.
FC Ryukyu’s one good opportunity came from a nice little give-and-go between Kawai and Yamada but the shot from Kawai had no real power or placement behind it and the keeper had no problem saving the shot. FC Ryukyu suffered what could be a very catastrophic injury to RB, Yuya Torikai, early in the first half. A Tochigi player came down on the inside of Torika’s right boot and though he tried to continue after initially spending several minutes on the ground, he eventually succumbed to the injury and was replaced by Uehara. That is not a typo. A striker came on at RB as FC Ryukyu dressed zero defenders on the bench for this match. I would’ve thought that a CDM or MF would’ve slid into the RB role but it was our striker. This was a bit odd as Uehara rarely plays more than 15-20 minutes per match and was now going to be asked to defend, and to play for +75 minutes. In any case, both sides headed into half time at 0-0.
FC Ryukyu started better in the second half and the Tochigi attack sort of fizzled out around the 67-minute mark when their best effort that half was saved by Dany Carvajal. FC Ryukyu did really well to absorb Tochigi’s best efforts and were now primed to go on the attack. The break through occurred in the 79th minute when Koki found Uejo in between 2 Tochigi defenders on the left side of the Tochigi 18-yard box. Uejo did really well to let the ball roll across his body and then sent a well-aimed shot past the diving Tochigi defender giving FC Ryukyu the 1-0 lead.
With only 10 minutes remaining Tochigi were now forced to throw more into attack in hopes of equalizing which played directly into Higuchi’s strategy for hitting Tochigi on the counter. Now, the Torikai injury most likely disrupted the original game plan of bringing on Uehara late, with 1-2 MFs possibly coming on for Kawai and Koki. It didn’t matter as Kawai and Uehara were both up to task and played the full 90 and 75 minutes respectfully. In fact, Higuchi never used his 3rd sub this game which is a bit of a shame as Ramon deserved a run out after getting back to match fitness this week.
Tochigi had one more opportunity to tie the match very late in the 4th minute of stoppage time. A Tochigi deflected shot fell to another attacker who was able to find a wide-open Tochigi attacker inside the 18-yard box. Fortunately for FC Ryukyu, the Tochigi player miss hit the shot and it was sent wide out of bounds and harmlessly away from the Ryukyu net.
FC Ryukyu did score one more time this match when Uejo bagged his second on the day for a brace. The goal was one of the best team goals I’ve seen by this team all season. The play started from a Tokumoto long pass down the middle where Yamada then back-heeled it to a sprinting Kawai, whose run down the middle caused the Tochigi defenders to pinch in thus allowing Uejo all sorts of space out wide. Kawai waited until the very end and then found Uejo with a pass who promptly slotted home his 13th goal of the campaign.
The goal was the very last play of the game and everyone could see the importance of this win all over the faces of the coaches and players.
Box score. Courtesy of the J League website.
Man of the Match
J. League website
#14, FWD, Satoki Uejo. 2 really well taken goals and so much has been said already. Honorable mentions to Dany Carvajal for keeping his 3rd clean sheet in a row on the road and Uehara for playing out of position for the remainder of the match.
Review of the keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu on Match Day 37
1. Defend set pieces from Tochigi. PASS. FC Ryukyu blanked Tochigi but had to make it interesting along the way. Ryukyu surrendered plenty of early CKs and FKs for Tochigi and did well to prevent any goals.
2. Finish in front of goal. PASS. See Uejo’s two goals.
3. Pay attention on defense and defend against long balls over the top. PASS. Tochigi never attempted many of these and FC Ryukyu did defend well on Sunday.
4. Exploit the new Tochigi goal keeper. PASS. Only because we won 2-0 but we had so few shots on net that tested the keeper. There were long stretches of no offense by Ryukyu this game but they made it count when they needed too.
Match Day 37 Prediction
I said the match could end 1-0 in either direction but it was FC Ryukyu who did the business on Sunday.
Match Day 37 Takeaways
1. FC Ryukyu face a real selection crisis at RB as both Torikai
and Nishioka are injured. Nishioka is out at least 3 weeks with no updates at
the time of this entry on the Torikai injury. Torikai’s injury was bad enough that
he didn’t want to put any weight on his foot and was stretched off, possibly all
the way to the bench/locker room. We cannot expect Uehara to play RB going
forward and since we rarely ever know if any of the reserve players are dealing
with injuries, what is the side going to do?
I don’t think the club can recall Masutani from Okayama, who at least has RB experience, and I am not sure where Nishikawa has disappeared too after his appearances in July and August. Jumpei Arai featured in the opening match of the season but that is it as far as FC Ryukyu defenders with match day experience this season. Maybe it is time to dress the youngster, Daniel Sanches, and push Fukui out to RB, a position he has played this season due to other Ryukyu injuries. Other than that, I am not sure of the fitness levels, or whereabouts, for Miyauchi, Rion Fukui, Naito and Hanafusa, who may also not be with the club at the moment.
2. FC Ryukyu also dodged a bullet when Fukui picked up a very early yellow card. Had he been sent off at any point in the match, it would have left FC Ryukyu with only 2 defenders on the pitch. Granted, this did not happen but as we’ve all seen, Fukui can make some rash challenges at times and puts himself dangerously close to getting sent off during games. In that regards, this was a very physical match some very hard tackling occurring from both sets of players. Tochigi were guilty on more than one occasion and one of their players was lucky to only be yellow carded, not red carded, for a studs-up challenge that cleaned out the Ryukyu player.
3. FC Ryukyu’s road form has greatly improved over the course of their last 4 matches. In fact, FC Ryukyu are unbeaten in their last 4 road matches. They’ve drawn twice, and then won twice in a row with those 8 points proving to be a real difference in the short term. I have been harping on the fact that the road form of this club needed to improve or else they could be facing a relegation scrap. Well, after losing 6 straight road games, FC Ryukyu have finally done what needed to be done and earned some victories on the road. Granted, those matches were against Kanazawa, Machida, Fukuoka and Tochigi. All teams in, around and below Ryukyu in the table but that doesn’t matter as they should be beating these clubs. Again, a great turn around at a crucial time of the season.
4. The second goal from Uejo displayed so many things that it needs to be discussed more than just as goal that ultimately sealed the victory for Ryukyu on Sunday. First, and back to my soap box, I have been screaming to get more speed into the FC Ryukyu attack all year. Speed scares defenders and Kawai had their undivided attention when he was running right at the central defenders at full tilt. There was no way either one of the Tochigi defenders alone was going to match Kawai’s speed thus forcing a reinforcement to pinch in. This created acres of space of Uejo to run into and eventually finish from. We’ve seen this before from Ryukyu. If you recall the Kyoto Sanga match, Kawai’s speed allowed him to get in and around the back line and resulted in Ryukyu tying the match.
Second, it was one of the best team goals by this club all season. Aside from the aforementioned Kawai goal against Kyoto, the other one was the Tanaka finish against Omiya Ardija way back on match day 2. Finally, it is going to be nearly impossible to prevent larger clubs from acquiring the services of Uejo next year. Though he made it look easy at the end there, he still had a lot to do with the finish. The Tochigi goal keeper rightly anticipated that Kawai would ultimately pass to Uejo and he though came out to cut down the angle, Uejo has become such a lethal finisher when given time and space. He simply cannot be denied in front of goal. Look at all of the goals Uejo has scored this year and there are so many that are top quality. Finishing with flair is something all to its own.
J2 Games of Note on Match Day 37
Conclusion
FC Ryukyu welcome Omiya Ardija to town for their next to last home game this season. Omiya are coming off a shocking 3-2 defeat at home to Tokushima Vortis and likely seeking revenge against FC Ryukyu for the earlier 4-3 defeat they suffered on match day 2. It is hard to not celebrate the fact that FC Ryukyu have most likely hit the expected point total for safety without remaining at least guarded until it’s all but certain. In any event, I’d like to see the side give the fans two respectable results with their remaining home games. Generating attendance numbers in the near future will become tougher and tougher with the introduction of a new basketball stadium and baseball team in Okinawa, and though they’ve improved the numbers this year, they are not nearly at the level required to generate income that drives operating budgets and promotes long term sustainability in the upper echelons of the J League. Great win boys and see you next week.
Should I start with something motivating? Something inspiring and uplifting to raise our spirits? Or, should we just simply get down to business?
Weather Forecast
Looks rather nice temperature wise.
REVIEW OF MATCH DAY 21 7/6/2019: FC RYUKYU 3-0 TOCHIGI SC
FC Ryukyu were seeking t end their 3 game losing streak at home and did so with a 3-0 victory over Tochigi SC. Goals from Koji Suzuki, Nihioka and Ochi gave us all 3 points and at the time, at least lessened the goals scored/conceded differential for the team. That has since become a moot point as Ryukyu have conceded the most goals all season in J2 but do not have the worst differential (21). That honor currently belongs to Kagoshima United FC with a -30 this year.
Tochigi SC
1-2-2 during their last 5 games. An even 7/7 split for goals scored and conceded during that span. The 7 goals scored represent roughly ¼ of all the goals scored by Tochigi SC this season.
It would be foolish to assume that FC Ryukyu are simply going to walk in to Tochigi, kick the doors down, and bring home all 3 points. Tochigi SC, like an enemy without an avenue of escape, are a cornered animal prepared to fight to the death. This is a very dangerous prospect for any team that faces a side with a zero-sum outlook.
Against the sides seeking to avoid relegation, Tochigi went 1W2L with an even 5 goals scored and 5 goals conceded. One would then assume that against much better clubs, Vortis and Kyoto, Tochigi were sure to fail. Not the case, in fact, Tochigi rose to the occasion and drew with both Kyoto and Vortis.
Tochigi, similar to may teams at the bottom of J2, offer the same strengths and weaknesses of the clubs around them in the table. Here are the facts: The defense and Goal Keeper can be beat, the offense can produce nothing, and opponents can take home all 3 points when visiting Tochigi. Question is, can FC Ryukyu do the impossible and win 2 in a row on the road?
FC Ryukyu
FC Ryukyu followed up an impressive run of 5 games unbeaten- one of those being only their 2nd road win all season – with a less than spectacular 5-1 drubbing at home against Tokyo Verdy. Ryukyu have played some rather unspectacular games this season but the Verdy match ranks near the top when it comes to losses.
Though FC Ryukyu never really looked out of sorts in the last match, they never could find the back of the net to make a difference. Shinji’s presence on CK sand counters is noticeable as he hasn’t lost his touch nor his ability to unlock defenses. Problem was, FC Ryukyu couldn’t finish and often shots were right at the Verdy keeper.
FC Ryukyu will need to be clinical in front of goal tomorrow in order to put the pressure on Tochigi. As with last week, a win tomorrow would all but seal the deal for FC Ryukyu for staying in the J2 for 2020.
Injuries & Suspensions
FC Ryukyu: Listing none and not sure of any suspensions due to yellow card accumulation.
Tochigi SC: GK #50 Yoo Hyun, who was the starting Tochigi SC goal keeper all year, is out with a fractured tibia. He has been out of the lineup since but 2nd choice goal keeper, Shuhei Kawata has filled in admirably.
Keys to FC Ryukyu Victory
1. Defend Set Pieces. Maybe Tochigi’s only chance at besting
us this weekend is from CKs and FKs.
2. Finish in front of goal. Don’t fire directly at the opposing GK, placement and power tomorrow please boys.
3. Pay attention on defense and don’t get caught flat footed on long balls over the top.
4. Exploit Tochigi SCs reserve goal keeper. He has started the last 2 matches and only surrendered 2 goals of the course of those games. Rather impressive considering he faced Tokushima and Kofu in that stretch. But, he is the backup and not the starter so he could be prone to some mistakes along the way.
Match Day Prediction
0-1 for Tochigi is possible and so is 1-0 FC Ryukyu.
Notable games in the J2 for Match Day 37
Conclusion
No time to be cute or tinker with the lineup. This is a must win game for both Tochigi SC and FC Ryukyu. Tochigi want out of the bottom 2 and FC Ryukyu want to be able to relax the remainder of the season, get some younger players into the lineup to gain some valuable match experience, and see what they have before the winter transfer window opens.
This will be no easy cake walk for either side and it will come down to some key match-ups on defense for both sides. Tochigi will look to shut down Uejo and force a narrow Ryukyu attack through the middle while looking to exploit the FC Ryukyu back line on counters and set pieces. For their part, FC Ryukyu need some creativity near the 18-yard box and to remain focused throughout the full 90 by playing total team defense.
Safe travels to all that are attending the match and lets get the job done boys.
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 ended the first half of the season on a high note with a resounding 3-0 victory over Tochigi SC last night at the Tapista. FC Ryukyu controlled much of the game and Tochigi had no answer for the FC Ryukyu attack last night. The victory puts FC Ryukyu on 28 points at the halfway mark and depending on the outcome of the remaining J2 fixtures this week, they will be either 12th or 13th in the table. Not bad for a newly promoted side.
FC Ryukyu began asserting themselves very early in the match and achieved the breakthrough in the 19th minute when Yu Tomidokoro sent a through ball to Koji Suzuki who then put one past the Tochigi GK for his league leading 14th goal. Kazama also deserves some credit for this play as it was his initial pass that found Yu, who then was able to find Koji streaking through the middle of the Tochigi defense. FC Ryukyu really never let up the remainder of the first half as they were constantly bombarding the Tochigi defense and winning some nice FKs and CKs. In the 40th minute Koji Suzukui’s hold up play near the top of the box allowed Kawaii to gain the positional advantage on the defenders and Suzuki was able to find the wide open Kawaii with a nice pass in heavy traffic. Kawaii was able to round the Tochigi defenders and pick out Nishioka in front of the net who deflected it into the back of the goal for 2-0 FC Ryukyu lead. As I had mentioned before, 2 goals would be enough to get past Tochigi as this is a side that doesn’t score that many goals and scores even less on the road.
FC Ryukyu ended the first half with 54% possession and a 9/3 advantage in the shot department. Tochigi never really threatened the FC Ryukyu net and none of their shots in the first half were on target. If you were able to watch the full match on DAZN you would see that FC Ryukyu were not holding a high defensive line as they’ve done in the past and the FC Ryukyu attack was more evenly distributed down either side whereas in the past a lot of the attack came from the right side. Tochigi’s player tracking was shocking in that it seemed all their players were in line, spread evenly across the halfway line. I’ve never seen something like that before.
FC Ryukyu came out quickly in the second half and a Yu Tomidokoro free kick was just slightly ahead of the charging FC Ryukyu attackers or else we would’ve been ahead 3-0 at this point. Starting in the 60th minute Tochigi made a better push on the FC Ryukyu net. Their best chance came in the 65th minute when a cross narrowly missed the extended foot of Hamashita and had he connected, they would’ve surely scored. After about 10 minutes of action by Tochigi, FC Ryukyu took the game back over and saw Ochi bag is second goal of the season on a nice chipped cross from Koji Suzuki. FC Ryukyu were up 3-0 and there was not much more action to report on for the rest of the match.
Review of the FC Ryukyu keys to Victory
1. Dominate the Possession Battle: PASS. Though the match ended with an even 50/50 possession split for both sides, FC Ryukyu created the better chances with their possession. FC Ryukyu had 14 shots, 10 on target and 3 goals compared to Tochigi’s stat line of 7/3/0.
2. Cap off Drives with Goals: PASS, with flying colors. 3
goals all from open play. Well done boys.
3. Crowd the Tochigi Goal on all Set Pieces. Pass. They did but they were rewarded by this tactic from the two deflections by Nishioka and Ochi. FC Ryukyu didn’t score from any set pieces yesterday but there were two narrow misses from both Yu and Uesato. There was plenty of confusion on the part of the Tochigi defenders yesterday with FC Ryukyu getting in front of goal often unmarked.
4. Play Sound Football. PASS. Of course, it’s very hard to
find fault with a side that just won in convincing fashion at home. Turnovers
were down dramatically, defending in and round the box was very good and the FC
Ryukyu passing in the attack was spot on.
Man of the Match
1 Goal & 2 Assists
Koji scored his 14th goal of the season and added 2 assists on the FC Ryukyu goals (depends on how they are scored but I give an assist starting with two passes back from the score). The man put in a serious shift yesterday. First, his goal was superbly taken and really relaxed the FC Ryukyu squad as a whole. Second, his hold up play generated so many FC Ryukyu attacks and directly led to the Nishioka goal in the first half. Third, he was generating free kicks in dangerous areas for FC Ryukyu by winning the positional battle over the Tochigi defenders who ended up fouling him instead of letting him through on net. Finally, his passing was lethal. He should be credited with 2 assists yesterday as his first assist found a streaking Kawaii who eventually found Nishioka and his second was a deft little chip that Ochi was able to turn into the back of the net.
Honorable Mention: The FC Ryukyu back line. I have been a staunch critic of their performances at times this season but they played really well as a whole defensive unit last night. They were reinforcing each other all around the box and broke up several Tochigi passes in the box. Their performance, along with Dany’s, allowed FC Ryukyu to earn their 3rd shutout of the season, but most importantly, it has propelled FC Ryukyu’s goal differential back into the positive which now sits at +2.
Match Day 21 Takeaways
1. FC Ryukyu really needed a performance like this after
suffering 3 defeats in a row. As I said in the match day preview, this was
going to be a “slump busting” match for one of these two sides and I am glad it
was FC Ryukyu who were able to break out of their funk. They played sound,
fundamental football and were rewarded with their first win in 5 weeks. Tochigi
were definitely a lesser opponent compared to Kyoto, Kofu and Nagasaki but it
is crucial for FC Ryukyu to beat these teams and take maximum points.
2. Kawaii has rightfully earned his spot in the starting 11.
Kawaii’s speed pulls apart the oppositions defense and creates running lanes
and shooting lanes for the FC Ryukyu attack. I am very excited that he is in
the lineup because speed, like height, is one of those things you cannot
teach/coach. Players either have it or they don’t and Kawaii definitely has
speed.
3. Fukui and Nishioka played great in the defense but their crosses/passes into the box were off yesterday. Just one of those games I suppose so just keep sending them into the box and they’ll eventually find an open FC Ryukyu player.
4. Uejo cannot crack the starting 11, but he may, beginning
with next week. Ochi had a large ice bag on the inside of his left knee but he
wasn’t walking with any noticeable limp after the match. I think the FC Ryukyu
attack will really come into its own if we can get Uejo and Kawaii in the
starting 11 at the same time. Their speed, passing and Uejo’s finishing will
really trouble opposing defenses and I hope Higuchi employs them next week
versus Okayama.
5. Ochi played in his 200th game last night if I am to believe DAZN. What a nice little achievement that may have gone unnoticed. He started, and usually they hand out some flowers and bring the guys family onto the pitch before the match. Did I miss that yesterday?
6. Tochigi SC may make a managerial change soon, much like the teams around them at the bottom have done this season. They are not generating anything in attack and conceding a lot of goals.
Conclusion
Job done, ended the halfway point with 28 points and a nice lucky stat line of 7 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses. No time to rest though as a tough Okayama side travels to Okinawa this week and if you all recall, they handed us a 1-0 defeat a couple of months back so its high time for a little payback.
Weather Forecast: Another match at home in which it will be raining. This is the 4th match in a row in which FC Ryukyu will be playing in wet conditions. It looks to be around 80 degrees for most of the match with an 70% chance of rain. Assemble the Poncho Army once more!
Introduction
FC Ryukyu enter Match Day 21 having suffered 2 defeats in a row, 3 if you count the Emperor’s cup. Tochigi were entering this match winless over the past 2 months but they were able to pull off a victory against Yamagata during the Emperor’s Cup mid-week. Both sides will want to leave this match with maximum points so this maybe a very cagey match with both sides wanting to to get out in front early. Keep in mind, Tochigi need the 3 points to start pushing themselves clear of the bottom whereas FC Ryukyu want to keep a nice 11-12-point buffer between them and the “drop zone.”
Tochigi SC
Tochigi SC are struggling side who do not create many opportunities that can generate a lot of goals. They have only scored 3 times during the past 5 matches and were shut out in 3 of them. No single player really jumped off the screen during the preview so I had a hard time determining who the play makers are in the Tochigi squad.
Tochigi’s last match against Ehime saw them concede two late goals, within the last 5 minutes of the game, in what was one of those “6-point” matches that are so crucial to teams at the bottom of the table. In that match, they were able to convert one PK for a goal at the end of the first half but failed to convert the second PK at the 73 minute mark which could of drastically changed the trajectory for the match. They then had a near miss a couple of minutes later only too see them concede two headed goals by Ehime. In each instance there seemed to be a lot of ball watching but little man marking in the box by the Tochigi defense.
Bottom line, Tochigi are a side that struggle to produce in the attack and can be broken down at the back by better attacking sides. They, much like FC Ryukyu, have not had a lot breaks go their way this season and FC Ryukyu could’ve been in the same situation Tochigi currently find themselves in if things hadn’t broken our way in some key matches.
Players to Watch
L to R: Nishiya, Oguro & Hamashita
#9 FW Masashi Oguro. Tochigi’s top goal scorer this season with 5 goals and 2 assists. Oguro is returning from injury, possibly slowly, so he may only feature as a substitute this week. Hopefully that is the case as Tochigi are a different side when Oguro is in the lineup. All 3 of Tochigi’s wins came when Ogura played and during his absence, Tochigi tied 3 times while losing 4. They were only able to score 4 goals in his absence (6 matches).
#10 MF Kazuki Nishiya. Has tallied 4 goals and 1 assist for
Tochigi. May possess some speed that could trouble the Ryukyu defenders but
hard to tell from limited game film. Plays LM/LFWD behind the striker in
Tochigi’s formation.
#37 MF Akira Hamashita. Leads Tochigi in assists with 3.
Plays down the right side behind the striker.
FC Ryukyu
FC Ryukyu are at a crossroads for their season. They are coming off of two heavy defeats that saw the side concede 8 goals. The strange part is they conceded all 8 of these goals in a row before adding 2 of their own at the end of the Nagasaki match. They’ve steadily increased their goal tally each of the past 3 matches but that has come at the cost of conceding 10 goals during the past 3 matches that saw their goal differential dropping into the negative for the first time all year. FC Ryukyu will need a combination of points and goal difference to ensure safety this year and that cannot be understated.
I worry that FC Ryukyu committed too many of the starters to the mid-week Emperor’s Cup matchup where Tochigi only started their FWD #19 Oshima. This signals to me that Ogura is probably match fit and ready to take back his starting position up front. I am concerned over the mid-week matchup lineup selection because FC Ryukyu will need to control a lot of the possession in this game and that could be difficult on tired legs. I have my own views on the Emperor’s Cup but I am glad that FC Ryukyu are out of that tournament and able to focus solely on the remainder of the J2 season.
Whether FC Ryukyu are dealing with a bevy of injures to reserve players or some players are just struggling for form, nothing indicates to me that FC Ryukyu have a lot of depth to this squad. It is strange where some players feature, flash a bit of quality, and then disappear for long stretches of time without any word as to why. Perfect examples are the disappearance of Uehara after the Yokohama match early last month and now the reemergence of Koizumi in the Emperor’s Cup lineup when he’s been off the substitute list for so long. I am not sure if Higuchi is preferring to stay with the players he knows and trusts, and that means shuffling the lineup with only the 13-14 players we’ve seen all season, or there is something going on in the FC Ryukyu squad that we are not privy too.
FC Ryukyu should view this as a must win, winnable match at home against a struggling Tochigi side that is looking to claw their way out of the bottom. The fact is, 2 goals by FC Ryukyu could be the difference on the day as the visitor’s do not score that many goals, the question remains, can we get there without conceding 2 of our own?
Injuries
FC Ryukyu: #5FB Tokumoto. Tokumoto has picked up a new injury to his MCL during his recovery from an ankle injury last month. The new MCL injury will sideline Tokumoto for an additional 3-4 weeks but doesn’t seem to be as serious as the MCL injury that Nishioka may have been dealing with earlier in the season that saw him miss upwards of 8 weeks.
Tochigi SC: #20 MF Yudai Iwama. He looked as if he was a regular starter for Tochigi this season before he tore his ACL which will see him miss the rest of the season.
FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
1. Dominate the possession battle. Tochigi has alternated between a 3-4-3 and 4-4-2 formation for the last few weeks and neither has really produced the “spark” the manager was aiming for. They have conceded 8 times over the span of 5 weeks and only scored 3 goals. FC Ryukyu need to control the pace of this match with large amounts of possession to further reduce the already few attempts Tochigi produces each match.
2. Cap off drives with goals. Ryukyu are averaging better than 50% possession over their past few matches but all that possession hasn’t led to a massive increase in goals. Ryukyu have scored 6 goals over the past 3 matches but always run the risk of conceding when they commit so much of their defense into the attack. FC Ryukyu can put this game out of reach very quickly with 2 first half goals.
3. Crowd the front of the Tochigi goal on all set pieces. Tochigi have let in a few “cheap goals” in the past few matches and it could be contributed to the large amounts of traffic, and probably confusion, in front of the Tochigi Goal Keeper. Whether this stems from poor communication among the Tochigi defenders, the constant switching of the defensive back line formations, defenders being timid or just bad luck it really doesn’t matter as it is a weakness that should be exploited by FC Ryukyu.
4. Play sound football. This means crisp, accurate passes to unlock the Tochigi defense, reducing wasteful turnovers while in possession and stopping the goal scoring tear our opponents have been on as of late. This last key could be the overall keys to every match but are things that FC Ryukyu need to execute in order to see out tough matches and earn 3 points.
Match Prediction
FC Ryukyu average 1.70 goals scored and 1.30 goals conceded at home whereas Tochigi average a paltry .60 goals scored on the road while conceding an average of 1.00 goals. FC Ryukyu over Tochigi 2-1.
Conclusion.
The match this weekend should not be considered an “easy win” for FC Ryukyu despite the standings in the table and the recent performance of Tochigi. I believe these two sides are more similar than the standings indicate (refer to the side by side comparison table above). FC Ryukyu have struggled mightily against teams at the bottom of the table and maybe thats because FC Ryukyu cannot deal with the zero sum approach many lower sides adopt. FC Ryukyu have lost to JEF Chiba, F.C. Gifu and Kagoshima when they were at or very near the bottom of the table and have only drawn against Renofa when they were near the bottom of the table earlier this year.
Tochigi, much like FC Ryukyu, have some signature wins and performances against much stronger sides like Reysol, Kofu and Omiya. They have been unlucky at times and still haven’t won inside the J2 in about 2 months so they too are targeting this match for 3 points against a struggling FC Ryukyu side.
This will be a “slump busting” game for one of these two sides come the weekends end. FC Ryukyu are looking to respond by bouncing back from 2 prior losses in a row while Tochigi will want to break their 2 month winless streak and possibly keep pace with the bottom 4 teams if results go a certain way tomorrow. I hope FC Ryukyu take it to Tochigi SC early and grab a resounding win so as to slowly climb back up the table and out of danger, but you never know what to expect with this side so all we can do is get out there and support them.
ryukyuarmy.com 