Tag: Uehara

MD17 Preview: (12) Blaublitz Akita vs (3) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu will make their longest road trip of the season when they travel to face Blaublitz Akita this Saturday. That comes on the heels of their third longest road trip of the year to Niigata last week, and just before another road trip to Matsumoto Yamaga the following Wednesday for an Emperors Cup match. These two teams are very familiar with one another stemming from their time together in both the JFL and J3, but this will be the first time they face each other in the J2.

Both enter Match Day 17 following a loss the previous round and both are looking to rebound in a big way. These two sides are dealing with some injuries to their back line which has seen their strong defensive performances to start the season taper off as of late resulting in consecutive losses for Ryukyu and Akita failing to win since their 2-1 victory at V-Varen Nagasaki one month ago. On a much more positive note, Martin Spivey will be joining the FC Ryukyu blog this week to preview Blaublitz Akita so please enjoy the change to the normal opposition’s preview I churn out.

Blaublitz Akita versus FC Ryukyu Match Day 17
  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
  2. Previous Match Day Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • Blaublitz Akita
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 17 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

Maybe some wind to contend with during the match but otherwise a very nice forecast. And once again there will be no visiting FC Ryukyu fans allowed to attend while Okinawa is under a state of emergency.

Click>>> MD 17 Info from Blaublitz Akita

2. Previous Match Day Highlights

Tokyo Verdy 3-1 Blaublitz Akita
Albirex Niigata 2-1 FC Ryukyu

3. Team Previews

Blaublitz Akita: As a Blaublitz Akita supporter of almost a decade, I have to say I’m in Dreamland. From JFL to J3 and now J2. After our J3 victory in 2017, I honestly thought we wouldn’t get another chance of promotion any time soon when our J2 license application was rejected. But here we are. And last season took me by surprise. A real underdog story that I feel mirrors Ryukyu’s rise (if I may say such a thing!). Until about 5 seasons ago, both clubs were stuck in the mid-table of J3 with similar crowds and set-ups and now we face each other in the league above, 12th at home to 3rd.

Both teams have seen their form (and results) tail off a little bit in recent weeks but after watching bits of Ryukyu here and there, I can see they will be a really tough opponent. A great passing side that knows how to score goals. As for Akita, well, I imagine we can be a hard watch for the neutral at times. Our strength is in our strong work ethic – the players never stop running. A long throw-in into the box from RB Suzuki or MF Fukoin can be expected at every possible opportunity or a long ball from the center of defense for pacy forward Keita Saito to run on to. Akita will sit back and let Ryukyu have most of the possession but hopefully it won’t be all one-way traffic.

There are concerns about our central defense, with Kaito Chida having been out all season and Shigeto Masuda missing the last few games. Veteran legend Kenichi Kaga is a solid back-up but he needs a break soon you feel. If he starts, and has tired legs, then the Ryukyu attack may want to try and run at him from the start! After Ryukyu, Akita have Machida and Niigata coming up so I fear we could go on a run of 6 or 7 games without a win. Still, I find the outcome of this game a little hard to predict.

Ryukyu could smash us by 3 or 4 if we’re not at the races but we could also nick a win. A 1-1 draw wouldn’t be a total surprise based on our home results so far this season. Can we benefit from the fact there will be no away supporters in the ground? I just wanna see a good, clean fight. May the best team win! (I’ll take a point though…)

Thank You Martin for that great preview of Blaublitz Akita. You can find Martin on Twitter @bantam84 for all things Akita.

FC Ryukyu: May was a rough month for FC Ryukyu as they won two, drew two and lost two. In Ryukyu’s first twelve games of the season they surrendered more than one goal in a game only once. Ryukyu have now conceded 2 goals in each of their past 3 games. The injury to starting CB Okazaki has compounded that problem and will do so for the next 7 weeks. For a team that was winning on the back of great defensive performances, and steady offensive output, Ryukyu have really come apart at the seems this past month.

Takuma Abe’s return up top helped last week and we should see the Ryukyu talisman get back on the score sheet this week. Yong Jick has been forced to drop back into the starting CB role along side Chinen and since we only have the one game to make any judgement on whether or not he has improved from last season in that role, we will have to reserve judgment for a later date. Fukui has now become the emergency defender on the bench and though Ryukyu have not seen Akamine in the squad for a few weeks, I felt they fielded their strongest bench this season last week.

Dressing three forwards, vice four, for each match allows some of the talented mid fielders on the roster a shot at making the bench. Though it is anyone’s guess whether or not they will appear in a game. So far we’ve seen Higuchi prefer to play Yu Tomidokoro over Ichimaru in the central midfield with Motegi filling in for Kiyotake and Uehara coming on late in place of Koya. Shimizu will likely spell Abe at some point in the match while Abe gets back to full match fitness levels following an injury he picked up at Ehime FC.

Still, I would like to see Nakagawa make the bench but with no idea of who is actually hurt these days, we must always wait for the team to tweet out the starting lineup a few hours before kickoff. Perhaps it would be best to not practice in the hot Okinawa heat during the day and tailor practice times to mirror kickoff times that week so guys can remain somewhat fresh and get their bodies in tune for that time of the day. Ryukyu have three road games in a row, which included last weeks game at Niigata, spread across 10 days meaning they will lose anywhere between 5-6 days of practice for travel. This may be the only rest they get in between games the next few weeks while it is getting really hot down here in Okinawa.

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen

1. Get to the 2-goal mark first. Likelihood 3. FC Ryukyu have hit the 2-goal mark only twice in their last 8 games while being held to 1-goal (3) or shutout (3) in the other 6 games. The two-goal mark maybe enough to see out the win as Akita have only managed to score 2 goals in a game, both on the road, on 2 occasions this season. If Akita follow the same path of our previous three opponents and score 2 goals against us, it may be a tough ask to score 3 goals against a team that has only allowed 2 or more goals in a game 4 times this year.

2. Do not take them for granted. Likelihood 4. Several of Akita’s opponents may have overlooked them as the newly promoted side but that has resulted in Akita earning victories over Kyoto, JEF, Mito and Nagasaki while nearly earning a win over Iwata. Ryukyu need to go out there and set the pace early as Akita have proven themselves a resilient team this season.  

3. Same as last week, set pieces will be key. Likelihood 2. Akita scores, and concedes, most of their goals from set pieces and though Ryukyu turned the corner last week by not allowing a goal from a set piece, they will need to do the same this week at Akita.

5. Prediction

Akita will be no easy nut to crack for Ryukyu as they have shut out their opponent on four times while playing at home. However, they have conceded all three of their goals at home in their last three home matches. Akita and Ryukyu earned the same results, and near identical goals scored/conceded record, over their last five games, but Ryukyu’s overall goals conceded on the year matches the total for Akita’s overall goals scored tally. I appreciate Martin going in for the point, and see that as a real possibility, but Ryukyu need a rebound win following two consecutive defeats so therefore I’ll say to 2-1 to Ryukyu. Season Record 6-4-6.

6. Round 17 in J2

All Times Listed are in Japan Standard Time

Round 17 kicks off Friday evening with (20) Thespakusatsu Gunma taking on (10) FC Mito Hollyhock. (1) Albirex Niigata will play their fourth game in a row against a top six side when they travel to (5) Ventforet Kofu on Saturday with (2) Kyoto Sanga FC also on the road this week at (16) Tochigi SC. (4) Jubilo Iwata and (6) FC Machida Zelvia are also on the road this round when they face (18) Giravanz Kitakyushu and (17) Matsumoto Yamaga FC respectively.

(22) SC Sagamihara will take on (7) V-Varen Nagasaki for the free J-League International YouTube broadcast this Saturday and the link can be found below the infographic.

Click>>> J-League International YouTube Channel

7. Conclusion

It will be interesting to see how Ryukyu respond in the face of adversity following two losses in a row. Akita could take advantage of some tired legs from Ryukyu, as well as some depressed morale, so Ryukyu really need to gut this one out. A couple of nice goals from Takuma Abe, set up by Koya Kazama and Keita Tanaka, could provide the much needed boost in confidence for this side who are still in the thick of things this far into the season.

Match Day 16 Preview: (2) Albirex Niigata vs (3) FC Ryukyu 5/30/21 #FC琉球

Intro

We made it! Sort of. Two teams that seemed to be on a collision course as the league leaders have stumbled the past few weeks but that still doesn’t diminish the importance of this game. The fact that the winner of this game has a chance to climb into the league lead, while the loser could find themselves three points adrift of the promotion zone, means both sides will be gunning for all three points on Sunday. The month of May has been hugely important for the promotion race as all three of the tops sides squared off against one another which also included several games pitting sides situated inside the top six in the table during this same time frame. Kyoto Sanga has come out on top so far after securing four points from a possible six with FC Ryukyu sitting on one point from one game and Albirex Niigata on zero.

  1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • Albirex Niigata
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 16 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from Albirex Niigata

Looks like a very nice day for football. Doesn’t matter for the Ryukyu fans though as there will be no visiting fans allowed at this game with Okinawa under a state of emergency.

Click>>>Match Day 16 Information from the Club

2. Previous Match Highlights

Albirex Niigata 0-1 Kyoto Sanga FC
FC Ryukyu 0-2 Montedio Yamagata

3. Team Previews

Albirex Niigata: It took 14 rounds before Niigata suffered their first loss of the campaign, but only 1 more to lose their second. Niigata started out very strong this year winning the opening 5 games followed by winning 5 out of their next 7. But Niigata has fallen off a bit starting with the draw at home to Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. and then the above mentioned losses in consecutive weeks to FC Machida Zelvia and Kyoto Sanga FC. For the year, Albirex have taken zero points off of any of the teams currently inside the top six, though they have yet to face Ventforet Kofu or Jubilo Iwata, whereas FC Ryukyu have taken 7 points in their 3 matches against these teams.

Niigata went 2-1-2 in their last five games with two wins in a row over JEF United Chiba and Omiya Ardija before the draw to Matsumoto and losses to Zelvia and Kyoto. Niigata looked rampant against Chiba and opened the scoring in the 5′ minute from a corner kick before Shion Homa overpowered a JEF central midfielder to set up Kaito Tanaguchi’s second goal of the match. Niigata clawed their way back from 2-1 deficit at Omiya to win 3-2 in what can best be described as a game in which Niigata never quit despite playing from behind. But a major reason why Niigata found themselves in that deficit was due to the costly midfield turnovers that led to fast break counter attacks for Omiya. And that trend of committing costly turnovers has continued through to this game with Ryukyu.

An early turnover by Niigata nearly led to the opening goal for Yamaga but neither side could find the breakthrough, that in spite of Matsumoto hitting the crossbar twice. Zelvia opened the scoring inside the opening minute of their match with Niigata when the Zelvia attack stretched the Niigata back line all over the 18-yard box. Then 10′ minutes later Zelvia doubled their lead from a cross into the box that can be loosely traced back to a turnover by Niigata near the halfway line. Against Kyoto it was Niigata’s inability to clear a ball in their own end that led to the decisive goal for Kyoto Sanga in a game where Koji Suzuki came close to scoring on four separate occasions.

For the season Niigata have really only wobbled on the road as that is where a majority of their close calls, and first loss, have occurred. Think back to the draws against SC Sagamihara that snapped Niigata’s unbeaten streak, then the draw on the road to Tochigi, followed by the come from behind effort at Omiya and finally the loss to Zelvia. All games in which Niigata surrendered 2 goals. However, Niigata’s home record is far more impressive as they’ve only conceded twice at home all year with the most recent coming against Kyoto and the first occurring way back on match day 4 to Thespakusatsu Gunma. They hold an impressive 14 goals scored to 2 goals conceded at home with 5 shutouts in 7 games.

Every Ryukyu fan will recognize the man up top for Niigata this week as it is the former FC Ryukyu striker Koji Suzuki who will lead the line for Albirex. Koji has 4 goals in his last 5 games after returning from an early season injury and in the 6 previous games he has played against Ryukyu, Koji has scored 6 goals. Granted, that was back in the days of J3 football but he owns an impressive scoring record against us and has scored in all but 2 games when facing Ryukyu. The player to really watch out for is LM Shion Homa. Probably the top player in J2 this year, the man is simply electric. He has speed, touch, tenacity, can score from anywhere and is not easily moved off the ball. It will be a tough ask for either Keita Tanaka or our two holding midfielders to contain Homa on Sunday. If there is a weakness to this side, I would say it has to be the GK Koto Abe who hasn’t looked the best the past few rounds.

FC Ryukyu: While the results for Ryukyu were not great these past five games, I wouldn’t necessarily say that it has been their worst run of form all season when compared to rounds 1-5 and 6-10. In their opening five games Ryukyu were undefeated with a 10/3 goals scored/conceded ratio and earned 2 shutouts. Easily the best to date. In matches 6-10 that ratio dropped to 5/3 with a 3-1-1 record but they recorded 4 shutouts during that time. So no offense but stout defending. Finally, in games 11-15 Ryukyu had a 10/6 goals scored/conceded ratio but only one shutout while going 2-2-1. But a majority of those goals (9) came in just two matches for Ryukyu which also saw the boys from Okinawa shutout on two occasions, matching the total from rounds 6-10. So it is kind of a toss up between the last two sets of games. So what is going on?

It is hard to say what exactly has happened to a side that started out so quickly, matched only by this weeks opponent Niigata, only to taper off against some opponents they should’ve beat. I would argue that it has been two things. First, I would point to the short turn around between the midweek Kyoto match and the away game with Ehime where Ryukyu drew 1-1 but ended up losing Abe to injury for what is now going on 3 weeks. Second, is that Ryukyu are just missing on that last pass inside the opponents end that could lead to goal scoring opportunities, which was an area they were excelling at to begin the season.

Abe’s absence speaks volumes on why the attack has dried up. Granted, he has gone through a dry spell as of late, but it is his overall play that frees up so many of the attacking Ryukyu players in the box. Something I don’t think we are getting out Shintaro Shimizu despite his recent scoring run and shots on net. Prior to the game with Tochigi, Ryukyu routinely dressed four forwards but found themselves only using the veterans Uehara and Akamine in limited situations. This means they cannot be relied upon to start games or play for extended periods of time. Worse still is the fact that Akamine wasn’t in the squad last week and who knows if he is dealing with an injury. I thought for sure he would’ve been the next man up in the event of an injury to Abe, albeit in a limited role of 45-60 minutes per game, but that is certainly not the case.

Last week against Montedio Yamagata Ryukyu recorded 18 total shots but I think a fair number of those were attempted passes to attacking Ryukyu players and not actually shots. You could see that some passes were intended to be struck by an onrushing Ryukyu attacker that just wasn’t there unlike when Abe is in the lineup. To compound matters even more, Ryukyu are likely without the services of CB Okazaki this round following his mid game substitution last week. There has been no word on whether or not he has picked up an injury that will force him to miss time, but judging by past events from Ryukyu when it comes to releasing injury info, we may hear something on game day or we may hear nothing at all, which means we have to assume we will be without one of better defenders this week.

That likely means the return of fan favorite Fukui to the lineup. I don’t think Fukui will start in place of Okazaki, if Okazaki is indeed injured, but that means Yong Jick will revert back to the CB role that he didn’t exactly excel in last year. Yong Jick has played much better this year when he is in a central mid fielder role late in games vice having to deal with the oppositions’ attack for a full 90′ minutes. If Higuchi does indeed opt to start Fukui, then hold on for a bumpy ride as I fear Ryukyu could be reduced to 10-men with any of the challenges Fukui puts in. Ryukyu are not in the greatest shape entering this match and we really need the front four to step up in order to carry the team while we are weakened at the back.

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen

1. The offense must carry the day. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu could likely be without the services of Takuma Abe and Ryohei Okazaki this week which is not the best way to be entering the match against a tough opponent. Ryukyu will need the offense to step up in place of the defense, who had been carrying this side through their first 12 games, and provide some breathing room for our weary and battered defenders. Ikeda, Shintaro and Uehara need to get their shots on target and ask plenty of ‘tough’ questions of the Niigata GK.

2. Win the battle of set pieces. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu has surrendered 6 goals from set pieces this year, 3 in the past two weeks, and Niigata has scored a majority of their goals (9) from set pieces. Conversely, Niigata have conceded most of their goals from set pieces (4) which ranks as Ryukyu’s second highest tally (5) for types of goals scored behind crosses (11). I hope set pieces were tightened up this week at practice as Ryukyu are extremely vulnerable to CKs these days and failed to score on any of the 14 CKs they had last week.

3. Exploit Niigata’s turnovers. Likelihood 3. I spoke in the team preview section about how Niigata has been a little bit turnover prone during their recent stretch of games, and the best way to grab the lead over them is through fast breaks on short counter attacks. We cannot afford to break out, have any of our players fail to make some penetrating runs into the box, or in support of the counter, just to pull up and allow the Niigata defense time to recover. Just go for broke on these plays and at the very least try and earn a set piece.

5. Prediction

Ryukyu own a poor record against Niigata and have failed to score a single goal at the Big Swan in any of the games they’ve played there. While both sides are looking to make a statement this game, I regrettable believe it will be Niigata who gets the better of what could be a weakened Ryukyu side to the tune of 2-0. Season Record 6-3-6.

6. Round 16 in J2

All Times Listed are in Japan Standard Time

We all know the importance of the (2) Albirex Niigata versus (3) FC Ryukyu match, but league leaders (1) Kyoto Sanga FC have a stiff test of their own when they face (5) Ventforet Kofu who are undefeated in their last 5 games. Kyoto, who are undefeated in their last 10 games, will need to win this game or find themselves neck and neck, or behind, the teams just below them in the table. (4) Jubilo Iwata will look to close the gap between them and the top three as they face a reeling (11) Zweigen Kanazawa side who has failed to win in their last 6 games. This game will also be the free broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel this round. All of the bottom 5 sides have tough draws this round which could see little movement at the bottom of table.

Click>>> J-League Int’l YouTube Channel

7. Conclusion

I was concerned last week that we might slip up against Yamagata and those fears, along with a few others, have only increased this week heading into Niigata. Despite the injuries, the long odds for victory and that Ryukyu haven’t scored a single goal against Niigata since Shinya Uehara scored in the 86′ minute of the first ever fixture between these two sides in 2019, Ryukyu need to put in an effort reminiscent to the start of their season vice the last few weeks. Matching Kyoto’s 4 points from 2 games against top 3 sides this month is the task at hand. Guess that means it is…

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

Photo Credit: @cafedecampnou

Intro

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

  1. Match Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 12 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

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

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

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

4. Prediction

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

5. Talking Points from Match Day 12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. Round 12 in J2

Transfermarkt

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

Transfermarkt

7. Conclusion

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

Match Day 10 Preview: (2) FC Ryukyu vs (6) Ventforet Kofu 4/25/21 #FC琉球

Intro

The big thing on everyone’s mind this weekend is how will FC Ryukyu respond to their first loss of the season. Ryukyu’s 8 game undefeated streak was snapped this past Wednesday at Machida with an uninspiring performance where the offense went missing for long stretches of time. Kofu enter Round 10 with a 3 game undefeated streak following a win in the midweek and two previous draws and have had their way with Ryukyu every single time. FC Ryukyu have never earned a single point off of Kofu in the four matches they have played in the J2.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Info
  2. Previous Match Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Ryukyu
    • Ventforet Kofu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 10 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information from FC Ryukyu

Favorable weather is in the forecast as the typhoon that was milling about Okinawa on Friday and Saturday has now moved on.

With the surge of COVID-19 cases in Japan, and a modified State of Emergency here in Okinawa, clubs, including FC Ryukyu, as well as those in the hardest hit areas of Japan, are not allowing visiting fans into games, and possibly no fans at all in some areas. News of “playing behind closed doors” for many of the clubs in the Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo has been floating around the Japanese media today and it looks as if this is where the entire J-League is heading. Be safe and do your part to limit the spread of CV-19 at any match you intend to attend.

Click>>> Match Day 10 Information from FC Ryukyu

2. Previous Match Highlights

FC Machida Zelvia 3-0 FC Ryukyu
Ventforet Kofu 2-0 SC Sagamihara

3. Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: Wednesday’s game was a let down for many of the Ryukyu faithful as it was such a steep drop off in performance by Ryukyu when compared to their first 8 games. There were breakdowns in passing, attacks and communication all over the pitch which led to the drubbing at the hands of Zelvia. Basically, nothing worked all night. Ryukyu has relied heavily on defense and the strength of their goalkeeping throughout the year but when that too failed, Ryukyu were done in.

We’ve discussed on several occasions for how Ryukyu utilize crosses from the fullbacks and midfielders to score goals. Though they tried mightily do conduct the same tactic at Zelvia, Zelvia was able to sure up the back line with up to 5 defenders at a time which restricted the runs of any of the Ryukyu attackers. It didn’t help that some runs weren’t even being made to get onto the end of crosses by Ryukyu, and it also didn’t help that when they did make these runs they were often missed by the player in possession. There were far to many lateral and backwards passes on Wednesday with no real thrust made on net by the offense.

Higuchi kept the same lineup from the win over Verdy the previous weekend but did use all 5 substitutes in an attempt to change up the flow of the game. Obviously it didn’t pay off and now Higuchi and Ryukyu are faced with enacting some sort of squad rotation for the Kofu match as some players looked tired at the end of the Machida game. It starts near the top as Kazaki Nakagawa has finally featured for the first time all season and with a drop in the play from Ikeda this week, it might be a good time to see what Nakagawa can add to the attack from the start of a game.

There shouldn’t be any changes to the back four though Numata could definitely use a breather. That means Higuchi should deviate from his normal stance of dressing 4 forwards, Abe, Uehara, Akamine and Shimizu, and consider dressing Motegi (MF) and possibly Reo Yamashita (LB) to spell the tired legs of our players. Ryukyu gambled at Zelvia by sticking with the lineup they’ve played all season and it simply didn’t pay off. Now they need to adjust slightly in the short time between games so as to avoid fatigue, burnout and risk of injury to some of the senior players in the squad.

In any event, what is needed is a massive injection of offense. Abe continues to execute the hold up play that makes him a vital cog in the Ryukyu offense, but isn’t getting the service a striker of his quality deserves. Kofu has scored 6 goals over their last 3 games and while the defense and Taguchi need to regain a bit of the confidence that was lost this past round, the offense needs to switch on and carry the load for Ryukyu this game.

Ventforet Kofu: Kofu enter this round on a slight upward trajectory compared to Ryukyu who are attempting to arrest their recent slide in the midweek. Kofu have an impressive four wins from four over Ryukyu in their recent history. Kofu was the side that ended Ryukyu’s home undefeated streak in 2019 and have outscored Ryukyu 10-3 in all the games played between the two sides.

Kofu started the year fast by drawing once and then winning three in a row. Then they ran into some tougher competition in Machida Zelvia and V-Varen Nagasaki where they lost twice in a row. They got back on track with two consecutive draws with Giravanz Kitakyushu and Matsumoto Yamaga FC before grabbing their first win in a month when they beat SC Sagamihara on Wednesday.

Kofu faced many of the same problems that Ryukyu did in their match with Machida with their attack being completely snuffed out. They allowed a quick goal to Nagasaki before pulling one back on a nice back post set piece but after ringing the post a few times, Kofu allowed Nagasaki to score from a set piece near the end of the game. Kofu took the lead over Kitakyushu on a fast break where Izumisawa rounded the keeper but returned the favor to Kitakyushu by allowing them to execute their own fast break leading to the equalizer. Kofu came close a few times to netting the winner but either hit the post or narrowly missed the target from close range.

In the rain soaked match at Yamaga, Kofu found themselves down early but equalized in the 16th minute and followed it up with another excellent back post header from a set piece. They then added a third goal just four minutes later. Everything was looking good while leading 3-1 but some panicky defending led to a Yamaga goal and then it was Kofu’s turn to have their keeper rounded on a fast break where Kunimoto Suzuki grabbed his third goal of the game which resulted in a draw. The two first half goals by Kofu were all they needed to swipe aside Sagamihara in the midweek.

While the box scores may indicate Kofu have turned a corner and are headed in the right direction, if we take a close look at the last five games there is a bit of pattern that may boost Ryukyu’s chances. The losses were suffered at the hands of two teams currently in the top half of the table with each of the draws were come from behind where Kofu allowed their opponents back into the match. SC Sagamihara sit near the bottom of the table so that is in line with the results that Kofu have achieved to date. But the script for this match reads much like the past match at Zelvia for Ryukyu so it may provide a little confidence to Kofu.

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen

1. Defend the left, but watch the right on quick counters. Likelihood 3. A vast majority of Kofu’s attacks flow through the left side of their offense, primarily Izumisawa. He has orchestrated many of the crosses, or has taken part in the build up play, that have led to Kofu’s goals. When on the counter attack Kofu streak quickly down the right so Numata is going to have fitness test on Sunday if Kofu breakout of any Ryukyu press. It will also require the CBs and MFs to keep a close eye on their marks as those players drift towards the back post, when Kofu is in possession down the left, as this is their signature goal these days.

2. Take the attack of life support and give it a jolt with a defibrillator. Likelihood 2. Ryukyu have scored 4 goals in their last 4 games but have been shutout twice in that time. We really need to get Abe firing again and that means better passing in the attacking end and acting like more of a threat across all three attacking lanes. Perhaps Nakagawa can breathe some life into the side, especially as the Ryukyu last line of defense was so easily penetrated last round.

3. Play like you’re the second-best team in the league, because you are. Likelihood 3. It’s all about confidence right now. May have lost it for a bit but it is time to regain that swagger that netted us five wins in a row and eight games undefeated. Let’s brush off the recent loss and get back to winning football.

5. Prediction

Considering that Kofu haven’t scored less than 2 goals in any game against Ryukyu but just once, and with their recent goal scoring outbursts, coupled with Ryukyu’s goal scoring drought and overall poor record against Kofu, it is hard to tip Ryukyu as winners this week. Hoping for a better outcome but not making the same mistake I did in the midweek to a similar type of opponent. Kofu win 2-1. Season Record 5-1-3.

6. Round 10 in J2

Times Listed are in JST

The lone Saturday game should be a good one. (1) Albirex Niigata, fresh off their last minute equalizer, travel to a resurgent (16) Ehime FC who haven’t lost since their managerial change. (3) Kyoto Sanga, (4) Jubilo Iwata and (5) Zweigen Kanazawa, and to some extent, (6) Ventforet Kofu have favorable matchups to exploit the promotion race.

It will be (22) Matsumoto Yamaga FC hosting (13) Thespakusatsu Gunma on the free J-League broadcast this round.

Click>>> LIVE | Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. vs Thespakusatsu Gunma | Matchweek 10 | 2021 | J2 LEAGUE – YouTube

7. Conclusion

As Ryukyu near the quarter mark of the season there are still some questions for which we need answers. Mainly, can the offense get going? As noted earlier it will be interesting to see how Ryukyu respond to their first setback of the season against a team that has always had the better of Ryukyu, so let’s hope for a positive response on Sunday.

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

Intro

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

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information
  2. Match Day 8 Highlights
  3. Team Previews
    • FC Machida Zelvia
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Round 9 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast and Match Day Information from the Club

A very pleasant evening to watch football.

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

Match Day Information from Machida Zelvia

2. Match Day 8 Highlights

V-Varen Nagasaki 0-3 FC Machida Zelvia
FC Ryukyu 2-0 Tokyo Verdy

3. Team Previews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen

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

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

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

5. Prediction

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

6. Match Day 8 in J2

All Times Listed are JST

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

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

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

7. Conclusion

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

Match Day 5 Preview: (11) JEF United Chiba vs (2) FC Ryukyu 3/27/21 #FC琉球

Intro

FC Ryukyu are off to a dream start in 2021 but much like 2019, JEF United Chiba will look to put a quick stop to Ryukyu’s momentum. I certainly did not see Ryukyu achieving four wins from four at the start of the season and was rather content when they had won three in a row to open the campaign. I think Ryukyu took advantage of a strong V-Varen Nagasaki side that are simply struggling to put all the pieces together at the moment but, Ryukyu also looked really good in doing so. However, JEF is another set of obstacles altogether as of all the teams in J2, JEF really has Ryukyu’s number.

  1. Weather Forecast & Match Info
  2. Match Day 4 Recaps
  3. Team Previews
    • JEF United Chiba
    • FC Ryukyu
  4. Keys to Victory
  5. Prediction
  6. Match Day 5 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

No complaints here. Looks like a lovely day for football.

Match Day Information from JEF United Chiba Website

2. Match Day 4 Recaps

Matsumoto Yamaga FC 0-1 JEF United Chiba
FC Ryukyu 3-1 V-Varen Nagasaki

3. Team Previews

JEF United Chiba: Where to begin? A team that has a long history? Yes. A team that has a recent history of success against FC Ryukyu? Yes. An organization and fan base with lofty expectations due to that lengthy history but always seem to fall short of expectations? Yes. Has JEF looked good in the 4 games leading up to this match? Not particularly. Can we say the same thing every time leading up to FC Ryukyu facing off with JEF, and yet Ryukyu still manage to lose? Unfortunately yes!

JEF are quite possibly the longest running joke in J2 for some of their past antics but whenever they play Ryukyu all of that is thrown out the window. A side by side comparison shows us that JEF owns roughly the same amount of possession in their past 4 games that Ryukyu’s opponents achieved (54%). However, FC Ryukyu are out shooting JEF by nearly 4 shots per game with at least 2 more of those shots being on target.

JEF has begun 2021 with one win, two draws and one loss under second year manager Jong-hwan Moon. When JEF opened the season at home against Kofu they displayed a bit of lackluster defending that allowed Kofu the freedom of movement and space to grab the early opener. JEF responded with a goal in the second half when Keita Buwanika rose high above the Kofu defense to bury a header. JEF then conceded a late PK but the goalie was able to stop the shot to keep the score line level. JEF were able to grab the early lead the following week at Ehime when defender Daisuke Suzuki sent a thunderous header past the Ehime keeper. But JEF allowed Ehime to hang around all game and once again the defense let them down when they needed them the most.

On match day 3 Blaublitz Akita came to Chiba and absolutely put it on JEF winning 2-0. JEF missed some chances during their counter attacks but they had no idea on how to break down the Akita defense despite the lopsided possession totals favoring JEF 71/39. JEF grabbed their first win of 2021 when they traveled to Matsumoto Yamaga FC by eking out a 1-0 victory in some rather poor conditions.

Averaging less than a goal a game, JEF are not a particularly strong team when you look at their results to date. They’ve only played one game this year when they had less than 50% possession but they are not doing much when they do have the ball. Against Ehime and Akita they were able to muster 10 total shots in each contest but were held to 5 against the stronger Kofu and Yamaga sides. JEF neither controls games or imposes their will on their opposition. They simply hope for breakthroughs to put themselves level or into the lead.

There is little doubt that JEF will want to start fast against Ryukyu by controlling a majority of the possession and chances, but this plays directly into Ryukyu’s strength as they are content on striking teams on the counter. And I am not sure JEF has the firepower to catch up to Ryukyu if they push the score line above 1 goal on Saturday.

FC Ryukyu: The Ryukyu match with Nagasaki was bittersweet. First, Ryukyu looked good allowing the game to come to them and hitting Nagasaki on the counter. Second, they defended well as a unit. But in the end, Ryukyu lost Abe to injury, and have no idea on his status, which could derail the momentum Ryukyu have built up in their first four games.

A lot of talk coming out of the club by the players and manager emphasize that they are not really focused on trying to control games with large amounts of possession like they did last year. Instead, Ryukyu are content on hitting their opponents with counter attacks. This is where Abe will be missed the most as his holdup play as an outlet valve for the team has been phenomenal this year. A lot of Ryukyu counterattacks started and ended with Abe. I am not sure who will step up in his place as he is not easily replaceable. Shintaro Shimizu is the likely candidate as he is the youngest of the 3 remaining strikers that Higuchi dresses each week. There is also an outside chance that Higuchi moves Ikeda into the FWD role but that would mean dressing a new midfielder for the first time all season. And Ryukyu do not have many choices at the moment.

Ramon is likely out a few more weeks while he deals with a soft tissue injury and Nakagawa may not be match fit yet. The only healthy options are Yu Tomidokoro or Shunsuke Motegi. But neither is a true CAM so I think Higuchi needs to stick with Ikeda at CAM and make the adjustment at FWD. There are the remote possibilities of of swapping Shimizu and Ikeda, bringing Tanaka up to RM – pushing Koya to CAM – and starting Makito Uheara at RB. But Higuchi could just as easily dress Hitomi if he thinks that neither Shintaro, Akamine, or Uehara can withstand the rigors of 60 minutes in the starting role.

Ryukyu should remain unchanged behind the front four with Uesato, Koki, Numata, Tanaka, Chinen, and Okazaki. These guys have been great at closing down shooting lanes, stifling the opposition’s attack, and will once again be called upon to do so with what may turn out to be a muted offensive performance by Ryukyu on Saturday. And yet, there are even more injuries that Ryukyu need to contend with.

Dany Carvajal recently went under the knife to repair some stress fractures to his lower leg and will be away from the team for 3-4 months. This means that Tsumita becomes the backup to Taguchi and I hope that he can push Taguchi the way Dany did in practice as we cannot afford for Taguchi to become complacent between the sticks when there are some winnable games on the horizon.

The JEF United Chiba game doesn’t represent a ‘must win’ game in the true sense. It is more for the Ryukyu psyche than anything. JEF are one of six teams – Iwata being the other but Ryukyu have already beat them this year – that FC Ryukyu have never defeated during their time in the J2. You’ve probably heard me say this on a few occasions, to include the fact that they have never scored a single goal against JEF in their entire history, and that is what makes this game so important to Ryukyu. Even more so when you consider that Higuchi’s goal for the season is 80 points for the club. While Ryukyu are a long way off from that total right now, and in spite of the fact of JEF sitting well below Ryukyu in the standings, any points earned in this game will fall squarely inside the Points Over Expectation Table.

It isn’t always about defeating an opponent that is stronger than you on paper that determines the strength of a side. Sometimes it is overcoming the mental hurdles and past failures that can make all the difference. And while that variable isn’t easily quantifiable, it is vitally important for Ryukyu’s overall success.

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

The Scale: 5- An almost certainty it will occur 4-Fairly-Certain it will happen 3-Somewhat Certain it could happen 2-Very Unlikely that it happens 1- Requires a Miracle for it to happen

1. Slay the Dragon. Likelihood 4. It doesn’t matter how JEF have performed the past 4 rounds. It doesn’t matter how Ryukyu have performed the past 4 rounds. Prepare better than JEF. Execute better than JEF. Show the mental resolve to dig this one out. Overcome the challenges that have plagued us in the past and slay this beast once and for all.  

5. Prediction

I do not expect Ryukyu to go out there and light up JEF, as they’ve never done that before despite JEF doing some pretty calamitous stuff throughout the years. Predicting a win in spite of the records is even bolder but that is what I am going to do as this isn’t the same team from 2019 or 2020. 1-0 in favor of FC Ryukyu. It won’t be pretty but it will be effective. Season Record 2-0-2.

6. Match Day 5 in J2

Times are listed in JST

(3) Ventforet Kofu hosting (10) FC Machida Zelvia and (8) Montedio Yamagata against (9) Fagiano Okayama stand out as the two fixtures with the most top half, and promotion, implications this round. Not to be outdone, (4) Zweigen Kanazawa and (5) Blaublitz Akita, will look to continue their hot starts to 2021. This will be Akita’s first home game of the 2021 season and quite possibly their toughest fixture to date. Elsewhere there are some bottom of the table clashes that could have big impacts for these clubs late in the year.

No J2 action this weekend as the J-League International YouTube channel will broadcast a Levain Cup match between Tokushima Vortis and Oita Trinita.

YouTube Broadcast: Tokushima Vortis vs Oita Trinita

7. Conclusion

In 2019, it was JEF who ended Ryukyu’s unbeaten run of 6 games to open the season. Then they defeated Ryukyu to open the 2020 season. You know all the history between these two clubs. Well then…

FC Ryukyu Squad Review Part 3: Forwards and Goalies #FC琉球

The final installment of this series will look at the FC Ryukyu forwards and goalies. FC Ryukyu entered the year with only 3 strikers on the books, but never had more than 2 of them healthy at any one point. In goal, there was a 2-1 split for games played between Dany Carvajal and Junto Taguchi. But it was the decision to start Taguchi over Dany in 8 out of the last 9 games that really raised some eyebrows down here.

Forwards

Takuma Abe: Abe made 31 appearances, scoring 13 goals and adding 2 assists, before succumbing to some unknown injury that prevented him from completing the season. Signed from Vegalta Sendai in the offseason, there were many questions surrounding the then 32-year-old striker. Namely, had his skills diminished? Abe hadn’t reached double digit goals since 2012 when he was with Tokyo Verdy, but one thing we should understand about FC Ryukyu, more importantly, the system Higuchi employs, is that the man up top will have plenty of chances to score.

Abe scored in his second ever game for FC Ryukyu, and had two separate stretches where he scored in 4, and 3, games in a row. Prior to his unknown ailment, Abe had played in nearly every game for Ryukyu and looked to be on pace for +15, if not 20, goals. I stated at the beginning of the season that FC Ryukyu were extremely thin at FWD, and the sheer number of matches in such a short span certainly took its toll on Abe. Perhaps it wasn’t an injury that took him down, it could have just been a case of dead legs.

Whatever the case, Abe was in excellent form for this club in the games he did play. Besides scoring some fantastic goals; like he did against Fukuoka on Match Day 2 by going at it alone for 70 yards and beating Serantes; Match Day 12 with his signature left footed tap in; or his best game – and ultimately the last he’d score in- against Omiya with a brace where one was another left footed tap in from a long cross.

Shinya Uehara: Shinya, like Abe, was not on the roster for long spells of the season. When he did feature, it was always in a substitute role. This is a far cry from how he finished 2019 where he was filling in at RB, and playing the full 90’, due to so many injuries. But when Shinya did come on, he played the role of a “super sub” as his goals would tilt games in favor of FC Ryukyu.

Shinya notched a brace in 2 of the games he came on as a sub. And his penchant for scoring timely goals is incredible. Against Tochigi SC on Match Day 13, Uehara came on to score two times after the 75’ to level the game twice. Then against Mito on Match Day 20, he scored 2 goals in the final 6 minutes to give FC Ryukyu the win.

Takuya Hitomi: Like Ikeda, Hitomi joined from a University in the offseason but was sidelined for the better part of 8 months following knee surgery. He returned to the team on Match Day 24 but did not feature until Match Day 26. Hitomi scored his first ever goal for Ryukyu on Match Day 39 against Okayama, but was only ever included in the starting 11 once in 2020. But there is a bit of optimism surrounding this player as he possesses some nice traits, and flashed some talent in his limited opportunities. If anything, Hitomi looks more natural in the striker position than Ren Ikeda, and we may need Hitomi to start up there if FC Ryukyu hemorrhage a ton of talent in the offseason.

Keep: There is no question we need to keep all 3 of these players since FC Ryukyu have little depth at the position. Abe and Hitomi could split starts throughout the year to stay fresh, and we already know how effective Uehara is in brief appearances as an aerial threat and poacher inside the box. FC Ryukyu undoubtedly need to acquire a fourth striker in the offseason as none of these players showed they can stay healthy for a full season, but I feel Abe has plenty left in the tank for at least one more season at FC Ryukyu.

Goal Keeper

Coming into the season, Dany Carvajal was the clear first choice keeper for FC Ryukyu. Junto Taguchi was signed from Albirex Niigata to be the backup, but ultimately usurped Dany at the end of the season. The situation that FC Ryukyu faces moving forward at goalie has both good, and bad elements to it. There is nothing wrong with a little competition, but you also don’t want to take it too far where it engenders discontent among the ranks.

Dany Carvajal: Dany was not able to start the season for FC Ryukyu as he was still recovering/rehabilitating from ankle surgery in the offseason. He did return at the restart of the season and ended up playing in 28 total games. Dany began 0-1-2 in the first three games against Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, and eventual champions, Tokushima Vortis. That rough start prompted Higuchi to make a switch to Taguchi, who did not fare any better in his next two starts going 0-1-1.  

For the season, Dany’s record was 9 wins, 5 draws, 14 losses, while registering 5 shutouts. Unfortunately, none of those shutouts occurred against the top competition in the league as they were against, Verdy, Gunma, Renofa, and Omiya twice. Dany seemed to be relegated to the bench after the 2-0 loss to Zweigen on Match Day 38, and never featured again this year.

That was a bit harsh to stomach considering Dany played really well in some games, and at times, he was let down by the players in front of him. Both offensively, and certainly defensively. He also had a bit of bad luck on several occasions were shots were deflected, or tipped, which caused them to change direction, and get past him. Sure, these things happen to all goal keepers, but when the coach is waffling between who to start, and who to sit, these little things do not help.

Junto Taguchi: Taguchi had bounced around between 4 clubs before settling in at Ryukyu this year. Prior to joining Ryukyu, Taguchi only made 2 starts for Albirex Niigata in 2018, with zero appearances in all of 2019. He was the first-choice keeper at Fujieda MYFC in 2017 when he was on loan from Yokohama F. Marinos, where he recorded 6 shutouts in the J3.

Taguchi’s first game was one to forget. First, FC Ryukyu surrendered a goal within the opening 30 seconds of the match, not all Taguchi’s fault, but then he made a mental mistake which nearly cost Ryukyu. If it were not for Yong Jick, of all people, bailing Taguchi out after his giveaway, things could’ve ended much worse. Taguchi still had the trust of Higuchi when on Match Day 5 he earned the start and drew with Nagasaki. But after Match Day 6, Taguchi wouldn’t start until a rest day for Dany on Match Day 22.

Higuchi opted for Taguchi moving forward after Match Day 34, which was a bit strange considering that Dany had won 4 of the previous 7 games before this switch. But it was the Nagasaki game that was a turning point for both Taguchi, and the team. Taguchi would then go on to start in 8 out the last 9 games for Ryukyu earning a 4-2-2 record. He recorded 4 of his 5 total shutouts in that run, and I have to say, he looked good in doing so. If you’re wondering, Taguchi’s shutouts came against: Yamagata, Nagasaki, Verdy, Ehime and Mito.

The Way Forward: Dany is under contract through 2021. Taguchi just renewed his contract with FC Ryukyu today. Both are quality keepers, so there will be serious competition for playing time next year. It was hard to tell if Higuchi was attempting to play the “hot hand” with his selections at the end of the season, or, if he prefers Taguchi over Dany. Dany has definitely recovered from the ankle surgery, and was playing some inspired football at times, even when it seemed that others around were not. But Taguchi’s strong finish speaks volumes at this point. Here is the rub, as they say. FC Ryukyu doesn’t have the strongest defensive unit in front of these guys so it is hard to get a true gauge on just how good they both could be.

We all have seen what happens when the #1 GK goes down. Usually, it is a steep drop off in talent with the second choice, so FC Ryukyu are some what blessed with 2 keepers that can play at a relatively high level. It will be interesting to see how Higuchi selects his keeper for each match next year. And this is something to follow in the weeks leading up to the start of 2021.

Conclusion

That does it for the player series. I will be back after the Christmas break to wrap up the season as a whole. Please enjoy your Holiday, and I know that may not be easy in these difficult times. If you’re feeling alone, isolated, or depressed, please reach out to someone. And if you have no luck, feel free to reach out to me in my DMs on Twitter. I’d be happy to chat with you or even share a beer over Zoom.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all, Stay Safe.

@okinawaozzy

“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……………………………………………….

“Almost Famous” Match Day 42 Report: Ventforet Kofu 2-0 FC Ryukyu 11/24/2019

Intro

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

Match Recap

Starting Lineup & Reserves: J League website

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

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

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

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

From the JLeague website

Man of the Match

JLeague website photo

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

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

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

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

Match Day 42 Prediction

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

Match Day 42 Recap in J2

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

Intro

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

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

Kofu Weather

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

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

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

Ventforet Kofu

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

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

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

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

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

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

FC Ryukyu

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

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

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

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

Player Injuries

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

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

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

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

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

Match Day 42 Prediction

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

Important Fixtures around J2 on Match Day 42

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

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

from the JLeague website

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

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

 Match Day Information

Conclusion

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

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

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

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