The FC Ryukyu “Road Show” continues this week with the boys from Okinawa visiting the Denka Big Swan Stadium in Niigata for a mid table clash. FC Ryukyu are coming off their third road loss in a row and will look to finally end their winless drought against Niigata. Niigata on the other hand, are also looking to get back to winning ways at home after suffering a loss to Yokohama FC which was then followed up with 2 all draw against Renofa Yamaguchi. Both sides could really use the win, so this should be an entertaining game to watch.
Weather Forecast
It looks to be another wet, rainy atmosphere for a game. Bring stuff to stay dry.
Albirex Niigata
Albirex have surrendered the opening goal in each of their last 5 matches. However, they’ve gone on to earn 2 wins and a draw during that span so all that means is that this team is resilient. Kanazawa was able to get out in front of Niigata and then retake the lead after Niigata tied the game. Kagoshima looked the better side when they took the early 1-0 lead but ended up surrendering 3 goals, albiet 2 of them taking some strange deflections, for the loss. Omiya jumped out on the front foot but couldn’t crack the Niigata back line for a second and it ultimately cost them points as Niigata scored twice to win their second consecutive match in a row. Niigata would end this 5 game stretch with a 2-0 loss at home versus Yokohama FC followed by a 2-2 draw with Renofa Yamguchi where Niigata, despite surrendering the opening goal, scored twice to take the lead, but let it slip away by allowing a very late equalizer to the hosts.
FC Ryukyu
146 days. That is the amount of days that have passed since FC Ryukyu have last won a road match. It was always going to be a tall task to beat Mito on the road, which was made even more difficult due the fact that FC Ryukyu’s #1 & #2 GK were sidelined. Despite all that, FC Ryukyu still controlled 61% of the possession against Mito and created some nice opportunities to get on the score sheet. Unfortunately, Mito were more clinical with their limited opportunities and went into halftime up 2-0 and I for one thought this game was going to turn ugly. FC Ryukyu battled back for a quick goal in the second half but when the game transitioned to faster paced back forth match, it was FC Ryukyu that conceded the third goal instead of hitting the equalizer.
It is not all doom and gloom though from the FC Ryukyu camp. Yes, they were soundly beaten by Okayama the week prior but they did manage to win a ‘must-win’ game versus Tochigi 2 weeks ago. They battled back against Nagasaki late and if anything, it displays a penchant for never giving up. The slumped shoulders, dropping heads and disbelief at results that plague so many of the teams in poor form has not hit the Ryukyu camp and that is an encouraging sign. All we need now is for some positive results to go their way and for FC Ryukyu to snap out of this slump.
FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
1. Execute all the little things correctly. This starts with cutting down on turnovers and producing better passing in the opponents third of the pitch. FC Ryukyu are a side that can control the pace of the game with their large amounts of possession but can get hit quickly on the break when they needlessly give the ball away. FC Ryukyu are missing that final pass or two that can unlock an opponents back line and they’d do well to find it today.
2. Exploit Niigata’s weakness at defending set pieces. Niigata let in a few goals from set pieces the past few weeks and it seems to be an area in which they do not defend well. FC Ryukyu on the other hand, need to be better at their set pieces. Masutani scored off a Corner Kick against Mito but FC Ryukyu really need to capitalize on any Free Kicks near Niigata’s 18-yard box. The set pieces do not have to be shots on net as quick changes in direction from headers off of lofted crosses could pull the Niigata defense apart and create a shooting lane.
3. Place well aimed shots on net and get as many attackers
into the box as we can. FC Ryukyu had a lot of shots against Mito but many
missed the mark. Generate some shots from the flanks that require the goal keeper
to make a save and possibly push out a rebound to an open FC Ryukyu player or
at the very least, set up more set piece opportunities.
4. Stop the bleeding at the back. Averaging 3 goals conceded over your last 5 matches is a recipe for disaster. It is likely that we see Ishii or Inose in net today but the problem doesn’t start with our goal keepers. FC Ryukyu cannot bomb the defenders forward in hopes of creating a numerical advantage in the attack as this leaves them wide open for counter attacks. Instead, we need a little bit of creativity in the mid field that can allow our defenders to sit back and defend instead of holding a high line.
5. Uejo needs to be in the starting lineup.
Match Prediction
The fact that FC Ryukyu are hemorrhaging 3 goals a game doesn’t bode well for their chances this week despite Niigata’s 5 losses at home and -1 goals scored/goals conceded ratio. The recent form of FC Ryukyu indicates that they will concede one, two and most likely 3 goals this match against Niigata, but if they can put a stop to the bleeding at the back, then FC Ryukyu have a shot at points today. The most likely result is another 3-2 loss on the road.
Conclusion
I for one am tired of opponents circling the FC Ryukyu fixture on their home calendar as an easy 3 points. However, until FC Ryukyu actually produce a win on the road, you cannot blame our opponents for thinking they can get all 3 points or at the very least, 1 point. FC Ryukyu haven’t had a favorable match-up on the road since the FC Gifu game back in early May and today’s game against Niigata, a side they’ve already beaten this year, offers a glimmer of hope. In the end, the boys will have to go out there and get the job done, and that wont come easy.
I am jealous for all that are attending this game as Niigata really packs them in at the Denka and averages nearly 15,000 spectators for home games. Hopefully FC Ryukyu can silence that crowd and walk out of there with some points.
FC Ryukyu suffered their second defeat in a row, and their fourth in their past 5 games, but it still left them 14th in the table. Getting any sort of positive result against Mito was always going to be a tall ask of the traveling FC Ryukyu side but was made even more difficult when FC Ryukyu were forced to make a drastic change at GK. One must assume that an injury/illness to the incumbent, Carvajal, kept him off the roster in addition to Ishii being unable to play against his parent club who loaned him to FC Ryukyu this season. That meant that 3rd choice keeper, Inose Kosuke, would get the start for FC Ryukyu.
First Half
Despite the weather report from Saturday, the rain held off and it was a crisp evening in Mito. Mito wasted no time getting in behind our central defenders and tested Inose early in the 2nd minute but Inose made a fine save from the well taken shot. Mito continued their fast start when in the 4th minute a FK required Inose to be called into action once more. FCR had a chance early as well when Kazama found himself with acres of space to operate, along with several FCR attackers in the area, but he opted to shoot and sent the ball wide of the mark. FCR looked good in the attack but it was ultimately Mito would get on the score sheet first when a header from a cross was deflected into the back of the net. There wasn’t much Inose could do from the lucky deflection but nonetheless, FCR were down early on the road to a superior opponent.
Mito doubled their lead from another header later in the
first half. On the play, there seemed to be a little confusion between the FCR
defenders as there was a large gap that Shichi Takaaki was able to exploit and
hammer home the second goal of the night. FCR had a chance to get one score
back when a turnover by Mito saw Ochi with a free run and look on net. However,
Ochi’s shot from the top of the box was right at the keeper at a decent height
that made for an easy save. He had the whole goal to work with and he could have
gone low and hard to the opposite side or top shelf that probably would’ve
resulted in a score. Regardless, FCR went into half time down 2-0 and it looked
very worrying for the guests despite there incredible 61/39% possession over Mito.
Second Half
Higuchi made an immediate change when he brought Uejo on in
place of Ochi to start the second half. Uejo’s presence made an immediate
impact for FC Ryukyu as he was using his speed to get on to the end of long
passes and was making some very dangerous runs at the Mito net. FC Ryukyu
grabbed a goal in the 56th minute from a very nice header from
Masutani on a corner kick but it turned out to be the only score of the game
for FCR. The game had a frantic pace after the Masutani goal and turned into a
dangerous game of chicken between the teams to see who would blink first. Ultimately
it was FCR as they allowed Mito to score off a turnover where Ogawa Koki
chested the ball down nicely and then calmly blasted it past Inose for a 3-1 Mito
advantage.
FCR would have a few more chances from FKs but nothing close to the opportunities they enjoyed in the first half. FC Ryukyu ended the match with 61% possession but was out shot 16/11 where Mito put 11 of those shots on net compared to the FCR 7. It was a day marked by turnovers and mental errors.
Man of the Match
DF #7 SHICHI Takaaki Mito Hollyhock. Played a solid game
from his FB position. Directly contributed to 2 of Mito’s goals when it was his
header that was redirected by Kurokawa for the first Mito score and his header
for the second. Exploited the FC Ryukyu defenders on set pieces in the box and
offered up some fine efforts on FKs and in defense.
Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu.
There was only one and it was for everyone to win their
individual battles. Some did, some did not. This is a team sport and the team did
not get the job done on Sunday. FAIL.
Match Day 23 Takeaways
1. I have never played football at a high level. I played
baseball through college and have watched multiple sports all my life.
Therefore, while I cannot accurately define the tactics and individual assignments
of players in every match, I can determine when there are mental errors and
sloppy play. In my experience, these items are directly associated with
coaching. For example, I counted 20 FC Ryukyu turnovers and 16 incidents of mental
errors during Sunday’s match. I did not count plays where FCR players were
attempting to get a pass through to an attacker in the opponent’s end.
Turnovers were scored as: heavy first touches that got away from an FC Ryukyu player,
not knowing where the opposing teams’ defenders/players where when in
possession and then being dispossessed, passes directly at opposing players
with no FC Ryukyu player within 3 meters of where the ball ended up, and
needlessly kicking the ball out of bounds. Mental errors were categorized as: failing
to recognize, and then pass to, open FCR attackers near the opponents 18-yard
box, wasteful FK opportunities, failing to kick the ball out of bounds to
prevent an attack by opting to pass/round the Mito player which resulted in a turnover
or CK, and finally, losing control of the ball while in possession from either
a lack of hubris or heavy touch. None of these things are irreversible, in
fact, all can be coached, reinforced and practiced over and over again so as to
be reduced in a given match. Turnovers and the occasional mental mistake are
always going to happen in any match, I am merely advocating a reduction in the
overall number through coaching and mentoring.
2. There were some interesting managerial decisions this
past weekend that I believe deserve a deeper look. First, FC Ryukyu were forced
into some lineup changes due to injuries and loan regulations but that isn’t
the real story. I do not speak Japanese and I am not a member of the team to
know why Higuchi opts to bring Uejo off the bench every match instead of
starting the talented youngster, but his impact is undeniable. His presence
opened the match up for FC Ryukyu that ultimately allowed Masutani to score
from a set piece. Unless there is some evidence to suggest Uejo cannot sustain
a full 90 minutes, I have no idea why the second leading scorer on our team
sees limited action each week. Second, FCR had plenty of opportunities to do
something from set pieces yet nothing materialized. Yu is probably the best FK
taker in the squad yet he has been afforded limited opportunities on set pieces.
Not much more to add here. Finally, why did Higuchi wait until the 1st
minute of stoppage time to make the 3rd and final sub for FC Ryukyu
despite being down by 2 goals with a little over a quarter of the match to
play? This one baffled me since he should’ve subbed on fresh legs to run at the
tired Mito defenders and allow the new player time to adjust to the game and possibly
make a play or two. Instead, I think Kim Song Sun touched the ball once, maybe
twice, in the limited action of stoppage time. This seemed like a useless
gesture to get a player some game time despite having another talented player
in Koizumi on the bench.
3. Higuchi’s managerial style. It seems that opponents are
able to make in-game adjustments that Higuchi cannot either see or respond too
quickly enough and therefore but this side at a disadvantage. FC Ryukyu have
talented players, but are we getting the most out of them? Are we executing the
same game plan every week when it is necessary to adjust, and tailor, the
lineup and tactics? The most talented players for FC Ryukyu are up front and they
are the ones that need to be taking the high priority shots each week. Are we
doing enough to set them up for success?
4. Confidence. No doubt that the boys needs a confidence
boosting result, and they need it quickly. A positive result (win) against
Niigata next week would go a long way to boosting this sides confidence.
Hopefully, we’ll see Nishioka, Kawai, Yu and Uejo taking on the Niigata
defenders in and around the box and playing like they did some weeks ago.
Conclusion
FC Ryukyu are nearing a point where they will have no other
choice but to change or risk falling into a relegation battle and possibly out
of the J2. FC Ryukyu currently sit 8 points clear of the relegation zone but
that is only a matter of 3 results not going their way. Consider that FC Ryukyu
have conceded 20 goals in their past 8 matches and are averaging nearly 3.00
goals conceded each week over their past 5 games. Change could occur in many
forms; change in tactics, change in personnel selected for the starting 11, change
with some transfers into the club or a managerial change. FC Ryukyu haven’t won on the road since Omiya,
106 days ago, so why not play as if you have nothing to lose next week versus
Niigata. We’ve seen how Kagoshima, FC Gifu, Renofa, and JEF Chiba did when they
employed those tactics against FCR.
Weather Forecast: What did you expect? It seems the rainy season is either in full swing or just ending in mainland Japan so it will be another rainy, wet, terrible day to watch football. Thank goodness its on the road and not at home. Pack your towel, FC Ryukyu poncho and a change of clothes for your long commute back home if you plan on attending.
FC Ryukyu heads to the Ibaraki Prefecture this Sunday evening to take on 5th placed Mito Hollyhock in what seems to be a logistical nightmare for any traveling FC Ryukyu fans. Thank you very much J. LEAGUE scheduler for this one (the last train to depart Mito for Tokyo leaves at 1800). In their first matchup this season, FC Ryukyu got the better of a strong Mito side 1-0 at home but the fortunes of both teams have changed since that evening in May. FC Ryukyu’s recent form has been below par seeing that they’ve only won once in their past 5 matches and are conceding almost 3 goals a match. Mito, has also seen their once formidable defense that started so strongly this season begin to develop several cracks. This could largely be attributed to the departure of CB ITO Makito to Yokohama F Marinos in June, and since then, Mito have conceded nearly the same amount of goals they did during their previous 18 matches.
The statistics paint a very bleak picture for FC Ryukyu but that seems to be the case most weeks outside of the teams directly below FC Ryukyu in the table. Mito have only lost once at home all season where they own an impressive 0.70 goals against average. FC Ryukyu’s road struggles are well documented and now that FC Ryukyu are conceding 2.00 goals on average on the road, this seems like a tall ask to get any sort of favorable outcome tomorrow night for FCR. FC Ryukyu faced a similar challenge when Mito visited them at home earlier this year but FC Ryukyu are a different side at home and they’ve only had one positive performance in their last 5 road matches.
Mito Hollyhock
Mito are coming off a win that was preceded by 3 straight draws and a loss. Mito couldn’t quite breakdown the strong defensive side in Yamagata and suffered a 1-0 loss. Mito followed that up with a disappointing draw at home to Yokohama FC after Yokohama went down to 10 men early in the match and then allowed Yokohama to equalize later in the match despite the advantage.
Mito then had games on the road versus Kyoto and Kanazawa in which they went up early, conceded two goals and then fought back to earn draws. They ended this 5-game stretch with a rather impressive performance at home against Nagasaki but nearly gifted the visitors a draw at the end by allowing Nagasaki a couple of close chances.
Mito still retains a lot of the same traits we saw at the beginning of the season that made them so successful. They don’t chase games despite being behind on the scoreboard and rely heavily on a stout defense to keep them in many of their matches. As mentioned earlier, the defense is developing cracks and can be gotten at with quality set pieces but for the most part, the 4-4-2 set up Mito employs will make life very difficult for FC Ryukyu. As we’ve seen throughout this season, FC Ryukyu lacks a bit of creativity to break down sides who use this formation.
FC Ryukyu
FC Ryukyu have won only once in the past 2 months and are really struggling to arrest their slide down the J2 table. FC Ryukyu may not break out of this funk until later this month when they host JEF Chiba United at home on a Wednesday night because we can not assume that FC Ryukyu will gain any positive points on the road despite the quality of their opponent. We really need to see some signs of life from the boys over the next 2 weeks in their consecutive road games as it would prove massive for their hopes of staying in the J2 next season. Like many sides below them in the table that have a month with a nice stretch of favorable games, FC Ryukyu’s doesn’t occur until October and there are no guarantees that those opponents will be in the same form they are in now when we face them.
FC Ryukyu’s recent match against Okayama was very disappointing and FCR really struggled to create any opportunities up front. I believe they only had one shot on net, and that was the Uesato FK on the final play of stoppage time, but someone mentioned that DAZN said we had 2. Regardless, that is not what you expect from a team that strives to be on the attack and hunting for goals. The careless turnovers and lack of quality passing really deflated the FCR attack in the opponent’s half and FCR lacked creativity near the 18-yard box. Too many times it seemed as if the FCR midfielders would pull up and pass back instead of pressing the attack or trying to run past the defenders. I am not sure if that is attributed to fatigue, lack of speed or lack of anyone else in the attack making any runs or movements that would entice a pass from one of our players.
FC Ryukyu are at a point where an uplifting performance maybe the spark that ignites a nice run of games as well as put some distance between them and the bottom of the table. It is now 140 days and 9 matches since FC Ryukyu last won on the road.
Injuries
FC Ryukyu: Tokumoto-Still delaing with an MCL injury he
picked up recovering from a soft tissue ankle injury. Another few weeks away
from returning to the lineup.
Mito Hollyhock: Unknown, the website I usually use is now
saying I am restricted from accessing that info and I am not sure where else to
look.
Keys to an FC Ryukyu Victory
1. Only one. Someone has to step up, put this team on their back and have one of their best performances of the season to see out an FC Ryukyu victory. Koji Suzuki and Dany have done so much this year but what I am referring to is someone like Kawai, Yu, Kazama, Uejo, Tanaka, Wada or Uesato who just takes the game over. Someone needs to be aggressive in both the attack and defense, motivates the players around him by example so they will perform at their very best, is surgical with his passing to unlock the defense and is lethal in front of goal. If FC Ryukyu gets that type of Herculean performance out of someone tomorrow, we may very well see this side right the ship and get back on track. If we don’t, the beatings will most likely continue until moral improves.
Match Prediction
Mito 2-1. Impossible to predict positive FC Ryukyu outcomes on the road until something changes.
Conclusion
This game, as well as the remaining road matches for FC Ryukyu, comes down to every man doing their part to win their individual battles. Mito are not invincible and are possibly slowing down after their blazing start to the season. But at the same time, FC Ryukyu are struggling for form and are looking for someone to step up and lead them out of this dark period and back into the light. Who will that be?
We have made it to the last installment of the Mid-Season Review. This has been a great experience as a fan to look back and reflect on the half season while keeping an eye on the future. I wanted to provide a brief summation of the players who have featured for FC Ryukyu but please keep in mind, I am never privy to the strategy the manager employs each week or how the players perform while executing that strategy. I merely observe what I can see from the stands and from my TV screen. So, let’s close out the mid-season review with a bang.
Goal Keeper
#1 Dany Carvajal: Yeah, he’s pretty much been awesome. Don’t
think for one minute that because FC Ryukyu have only kept 3 clean sheets that
it is an indictment of Dany’s performances. See the MVP section below.
#23 Ryo Ishii: He was asked to step up and fill in when Dany
was hurt during a tough stretch of matches for FCR. He played really well
against Kanazwa and Kyoto and while those efforts may be overshadowed by Dany’s
performances to date, Ishii did his part to help this club.
Defender
FB #5 Tokumoto: Another young emerging player I fear FC
Ryukyu may lose this transfer window. It’s hard to assess any FC Ryukyu FB as
they are asked to play more like a WB than a FB this season. Tokumoto has
provided 3 nice assists and is developing into a one of the better LBs in the
J2. Currently recovering from an ankle and subsequent MCL injury.
#4 Okazaki: Started almost every match this year and is a
nice compliment to Masutani. Truth be told, I only key on defenders when they
make a mess of things, and in the case of Okazaki, he has only had that happen once.
Some of his mistakes may be covered up due to FCR scoring numerous goals or
winning games so I will need more time to assess this player. In the interim,
we need Okazaki to be a rock back there on defense.
#2 Masutani: A CB in the mold of Gary Medel from Chile. I’ve
been overly critical of this guy at times and that was just rash on my part as Masutani
brings a lot of aggressiveness to the FCR squad. He is good in attack with 1
goal to his name this season and can handle some of the larger, more powerful
strikers in the J2. I will say this, when he had to fill in for Nishioka at RB
due to injury, the FCR attack looked better. Consider that it was simultaneous
with the Nakagawa departure and though I think he may be better suited at FB, I
am a fan and not the Manager.
#3 Nishioka: 2 goals and 2 assists. Nishioka has missed some
time due to an MCL injury (not sure what caused him to miss upwards of 8 weeks)
and struggles at times with defending. Always seems to be in the right spot at
the right time for his goals. Displays toughness as evidence by playing through
a head injury but his game needs some fine tuning. Needs to have more
confidence in the attack, take on the opposition’s defenders near the 18-yard
box – much like when he was brimming with confidence against Yamaguchi with his
step overs – and feed Koji Suzuki quality crosses.
#33 Ryoji Fukui: The Swiss Army Knife for FCR. Versatile in
that he can play all 4 positions in defense and could possibly fill in at CDMF
as well. At times Fukui makes really well timed challenges but he also makes
some questionable decisions in defense. For example, he can turn his back to an
attacker, so as to invite a shot, which often leaves Dany or Ishii to deal with
the danger alone (Tokyo Verdy’s goal). Maybe the GKs have asked the defenders
to vacate the shooting lanes to better see the shots from distance but I will
never know for sure. Has decent speed to make up ground on attackers or get to
contested balls first. Have a sneaky suspicion that one of his challenges will
be rewarded with a Red Card some day and put FC Ryukyu up against it in a
match. Time will tell.
#16 Jumper Arai: Not enough game footage for an accurate
assessment.
Mid Field
#20 Uesato: Local lad, experienced player, 2 highlight reel
goals and team captain. Often lines up for FKs where, truth be told, I think
Tomidokoro could benefit from the added reps to get into a groove. It seems
Uesato prefers to shoot more than cross and maybe that’s due to the angle or
distance from which he’s taking the FKs. Scored in spectacular fashion against
Verdy and Gifu and is aiding with the development of the younger generation of
FCR players.
#8 Komatsu: Was in the starting lineup early and then has
faded. Possibly getting surpassed by talented players emerging.
#6 Kazama: Has a nice touch on FKs and CKs from his Central
Mid Field role. His performances have improved as of late and I hope that
translates into favorable results for FCR.
#19 Ochi: 2 goals from the man who is now Higuchi’s choice
at CAM. At least until someone is ready to take the job over.
#11 Keita Tanaka: Keita has been part of the fabric of this
team for so long. Tanaka is lethal finisher from the right, but much like Yu,
he needs to get some repetitions and get into a scoring groove. He’s scored only
once since rejoining the side but has had 3 other opportunities that either
required a nice save by GK or were just off the mark. FCR need to get this man
firing again as it will increase the potency of the FCR attack and open up more
space of Suzuki down the middle.
#10 Yu Tomidokoro: FC Ryukyu’s FK specialist. Yu has found
some tough sledding this season when it comes to FKs as he has netted only once.
He does have 2 goals and 3 assists and the FK goals will come with time and
reps. Needs to be given more opportunities on FKs. Remember, at his height,
defenses never knew when Yu was going to cross or shoot from the FK spot and
that is what made him so successful.
#28 Koizumi: The man featured in 6 games within a month
before doing a Houdini. He never scored but he flashed some real talent. His limited performance against Verdy was
something of an eye opener as he made some nice passes, hit the post and
displayed a bit of pace. He could very well be the 3rd piece to a
formidable FC Ryukyu MF with Uejo and Kawai in the near future. WHERE IS HE?
#7 Nakagawa: HAHAHA wouldn’t do it to you, too painful. Next!
#13 Kawai: Has one goal and 2 assists this season. Is
turning into a real playmaker for FC Ryukyu. Has another gear he can use to get
past defenders and is fine tuning his game with each performance, specifically,
his body & ball control while making cuts or getting up to speed. Maybe
replacing Nakagawa can’t be done with just one player but rather a combination
of players. If that is the case than Kawai’s introduction to the side is
starting to fill that void. Kawai’s speed really opens up the attack for FCR
and he has rightfully earned his spot in the starting 11.
Forwards
#14 Uejo: See Below, but seriously, I do not know why he
doesn’t start. Is it due to fitness, immaturity, health concerns or the
manager?
#21 Uehara: Has height, scored an important goal for FCR to
beat Niigata. Didn’t see much from him prior to his goal and less so after.
What happened? Injury?
#15 Wada: Played really well as a substitute versus Nagasaki
but hard pressed for playing time with the leading J2 goal scorer ahead of you
on the roster. His time will come.
#22 Gibo. I saw one appearance where Gibo displayed a lot of
hustle. Subbed into an attacking MF position but then was moved to a FB
position in the same game. He needs more playing time and I missed the Emperors
Cup match for FCR to see how he performed and what are his strengths and
weaknesses.
#9 Koji Suzuki: SEE BELOW.
Mid-Season MVPs
1A. Koji Suzuki. The man’s stats speak for themselves but if
you peel back the curtain a little more, you see that he has scored crucial
goals at very crucial times of matches for FCR. Yamagata, Yamagauchi, Kanazawa,
Omiya and Mito all come to mind. He is also one of the most unselfish strikers
I’ve ever seen. He puts in a shift every match. He does the hard work of hold
up plays, winning contested balls and drawing fouls from the opposition while never
complaining and rarely displays any outward frustration at his teammates. I
have no idea what compelled Zelvia to let him go but I do not care at this
point. He has proven to be an absolute steal in the transfer market.
1B. Dany Carvajal. Strong at the back and lethal up front is
what makes any team great. Yes, of course, strong through the middle is another
essential part but having the best striker and one of the best goal keepers in
the league on your squad is pretty good as well. Dany has been a revelation for
this side. He always seems to be in the right position, at the right time, to
make the right type of save. And let me tell you, there have been some
spectacular ones; against Omiya there were 2 to seal the win, the PK save
against Verdy, resisting the Reysol bombardment, Vortis, Yamaguchi, Mito and
list goes on and on. The FC Ryukyu front office did really well by signing Dany
this offseason.
2. Satoki Uejo. This man has come out of nowhere and turned
into quite the player. He has scored 6 times this season and is improving every
time he steps out onto the pitch. He has some signatures goals to his name;
Reysol, Vortis, Ehime, Nagasaki and Renofa (Emperor’s Cup). He also looks like
he has packed on some muscle the past few months in order to fight off larger
defenders. He needs to be out there every week for this side.
Looking Ahead
FC Ryukyu will play 10 games at home and 11 games on the road in the second half of the season. Within those 11 road games they will play 3 series of two consecutive road matches starting next week with Mito and Niigata. The next series is at the end of September with Machida and Fukuoka and finally to end the season against Ehime and Kofu. They also have 3 series at home where they will play consecutive home matches. The first wraps up this week with Okayama (started with Tochigi last week), the second is in August with Nagasaki and Yokohama and the third is at the end of August/early September with FC Gifu and Kagoshima. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the second half fixtures, make some predictions and then review the remaining fixtures for the bottom 4 clubs in J2.
Red denotes MUST WIN games for FCR.
It would be nice to see FCR earn wins against Tochigi and Ehime on the road as those 6 points could go a long way to helping secure J2 football for FCR in 2020. None of us know how the results will shake out considering we cannot predict the transfers in/out of clubs, injuries, managerial changes and plain old luck (good or bad). FC Ryukyu’s make or break month will be October with favorable matches against Avispa, Tochigi and Verdy. They need to be well clear of the relegation zone after that point because November could prove fatal if the road performances by FCR don’t improve. They face a surging Renofa side on the road, host a promotion seeking Kyoto side at home and wrap up the season with 2 road trips with a possible relegation battle against Ehime and potential promotion seeking side in Kofu. Even though I am targeting Ehime as a must win game for FCR, that will depend largely on FCR showing that they can win on the road when needed in the second half of the season.
With this in mind, lets look at teams who are currently sit 18-22 in the J2 table and examine their crucial months and critical match-ups in the second part of the 2019 J2 season.
#18 JEF Chiba United. JEF have a tough October where they face 3 sides who are likely going to be in the top 7. Depending on how those results play out, JEF could be dragged into the relegation battle. Their final match against Tochigi is huge for both sides.
#19 Kagoshima. The October and November schedule are not kind to Kagoshima. 3 road matches in October followed by a run of Kofu, Okayama, Reysol and Mito. They end on the road versus Fukuoka in another final match day matchup that could determine who gets relegated.
#20 Tochigi. The outcomes of their September fixtures will most likely determine their fate. They face FC Gifu, Fukuoka, Kagoshima and Ehime all in a row. That is a total of 4, 6-point match-ups in a row that could really doom any of those sides. As mentioned earlier, Tochigi end with JEF Chiba in what could be a win or go down to J3 match.
#21 Fukuoka. October and November are also not kind to Fukuoka. They are hoping that some of the sides around them perform poorly the rest of the year so as to give Fukuoka a chance at the end. Avispa end versus Kagoshima in a game we already mentioned that has massive relegation implications.
#22 FC Gifu. The schedule is kinder to FC Gifu in so much as there isn’t any one month remaining where they face multiple top sides in quick succession. The end of July/beginning of August will be rough on them but there are winnable games. But like Fukuoka, FC Gifu are hoping that things go terribly wrong for the few sides just above them in the table. Will it be the Vortis or Kofu match that ultimately dooms this side, or will it happen much sooner?
At the end of the day, FC Ryukyu need to go out there and handle their business without concerning themselves too much about the rest of the table. It is simple math for FCR: Beat the teams below you in the table especially those at the bottom, Get points off of teams just above you in the table, and win some games on the road. If they can do that, then they are going to be alright. I’d estimate that another 18 points are needed and FCR could achieve that any number of ways in the second half of the season.
I know I did not focus on which team may win the J2 title and which sides are likely to be promoted to the J1 in 2019 so I’ll save that for a later date.
Well folks, that is going to do it for the final installment of the FCR Mid-Season Review. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. I’ll be adding two more entries this week with the Second Transfer Special of the year coming out on Thursday and the normal Match Day Preview coming out on Friday.
We begin Part 2 with the Top 5 Memorable Matches for FC Ryukyu in the first half of the season and conclude by remembering some of the best goals so far with a Top 10 list. This was an interesting entry to write because there were so many games, good and bad, and so many goals that could’ve made the list. Seeing how that is the case, I will provide a small Honorable Mention section for those matches that couldn’t quite crack the Top 5. Let’s begin.
#5 Avispa Fukuoka 2/24/2019 Match Day 1
Starting our top 5 is the Home Opener for FC Ryukyu that
also happened to be the inaugural match for FC Ryukyu in the J2. It may have
been a sign of things to come as far as the type of conditions FC Ryukyu would
face in all their home games this season as the weather that day was absolutely
brutal. There was intermittent rain that looked like it might hold off for the
match but ultimately it ended up raining the entire second half. Despite those
conditions, the second largest crowd this season of 7,385 turned up to see how
FC Ryukyu would get on in the J2.
New FC Ryukyu manager Higuchi introduced a 4-2-3-1 lineup that featured new joins; Carvajal in goal, Okazaki in defense, Uesato, Kazama and Tanaka in mid-field and the new FC Ryukyu talisman up front, Koji Suzuki. Suzuki got the game/season rolling in the 23rd minute thanks to a nice play by Nakagawa. His shot, that he seemed to hit as he was falling backwards, was misjudged by Serantes from Avispa and FC Ryukyu were out in front. Fukuoka answered rather quickly from a bullet header by Matsuda as he rose over Nishioka in defense. In the second half, Tanaka drew a foul in the box in the 71st minute after a nice pass from Nakagawa had him all alone with only the keeper to beat (to think, Nakagawa could’ve had 5 assists in 3 games, what could he have achieved, as well as the club all if he were still here?). Suzuki stepped up and added his second goal of the game for a brace and 2-1 FCR advantage. The last goal from Tomidokoro was a deflection off a Kazama shot and FC Ryukyu would go on to win 3-1. The win would be the beginning of a 4-game win streak, and 6 games unbeaten, that allowed fools like me to chant, “Top, Top, Top of the Table,” at every FCR match. Historic firsts for the club.
#4 Omiya Ardija 3/2/2019 Match Day 2
FC Ryukyu’s first away game was also the first away match
I’ve ever attended for FC Ryukyu. The weather conditions were absolutely
perfect, it was crisp, but not freezing and coupled with one of the best
footballing stadiums in the country, it set a fantastic scene. It was great to
meet new FC Ryukyu fans who live on mainland Japan and I was shocked to see how
many turned up to see FC Ryukyu play that day.
The boys did not disappoint and they once again started the
scoring early with a 16th minute goal from Keita Tanaka. Omiya
turned the ball over in the midfield where Uesato found Nakagawa, who made a
nice run right at the central defenders of Omiya. This freed up Tanaka to make
an unmarked run down the right. Nakagawa passed it off very nicely to Tanaka who
let the ball roll across his body before making a nice strike, low and hard,
past the Omiya keeper. Omiya would answer 3 minutes later with a goal by Delgado
and the half ended 1-1. However, the real fireworks were about to begin.
Omiya dominated the early opening minutes of the first half,
much like they did in the waning minutes of the first. Carvajal made a nice
save on a headed shot before FC Ryukyu took the game to a whole new level. Koji
Suzuki bagged two goals within two minutes for his second brace in as many
matches. FC Ryukyu were out to a 3-1 lead and looking unbeatable. I couldn’t
believe what I was seeing from this FC Ryukyu side on the road against an
opponent many had tipped to be in the J1 promotion battle. Koji’s first was a
result of two nice passes from Tanaka and Nakagawa with his second being a very
cheeky nutmeg of the Omiya keeper. Koji celebrated that goal by raising his
finger to his lips to insinuate that that the home crowd should quiet down
(naughty!).
Just 3 minutes after Koji’s second goal, Uejo added a
fourth, his first this season and it was assisted by none other than, Nakagawa.
This was an unbelievable time to be a FC Ryukyu fan. This team was making light
work of opposing team’s defenses, it looked as if the form that won them the J3
title was intact, albeit with a new group of players, and some of us briefly
got ahead of ourselves assuming that the J2 would be a cake walk. It has proven
anything but since the Omiya match.
Omiya were not finished on the day as they responded with 2
very late goals of their own. First there was a PK that sent Dany diving in the
wrong direction with the second being a nice change of direction across the FC
Ryukyu box that stretched our defense. The score was 4-3 with a few more
minutes of extra time to play. This is the moment when Dany Carvajal really
announced his presence.
It would be cynical to assume he played a bad game based on
the score line since Omiya scored 2 nice goals and were awarded a PK. What you
won’t see in the DAZN highlights is the last-minute diving save Dany made to
keep the score line 4-3 and ensure victory for FC Ryukyu. Imagine if he hadn’t
made that save and FC Ryukyu had drawn the game instead of won? We’d be at 26
points with zero road wins at the half way point, very bleak.
All in all, nothing but respect for Omiya and their fans as it was the best stadium I’ve experienced here in Asia.
#3 Zweigen Kanazawa 6/08/2019 Match Day 17
FC Ryukyu were sitting on 29 consecutive games at home
without a loss when Zweigen visited Okinawa for this first time since they won
the J3 back in 2014. FC Ryukyu were coming off two wins in a row at home over
Mito and Niigata and wanted a 3rd. FC Ryukyu were also dealing with
an injury to first team Goal Keeper, Dany Carvajal, who was out with an ankle
injury.
The game couldn’t have got off to a worse start for FCR as
Kanazawa grabbed the early lead in the 6th minute off an FC Ryukyu
turnover in their own half. Okazaki had a chance at stopping the play but was
caught between what he wanted to do to stop the Zweigen attacker. It looked
like he couldn’t decide between sliding in for a challenge, or disrupting the
players run by dispossessing him. Instead, he ended up tripping over himself
and the attacker thus leaving the Zweigen player a free look on net. Tanaka
nearly leveled it for FC Ryukyu but his shot was directly at the Zweigen
keeper, unlike the one versus Omiya. Ishii ended up making a very fine save
near the end of the half from a free kick and without his effort on the play,
FC Ryukyu would’ve never been able to get back into the match.
Kanazawa had two more opportunities to put the game out of
reach but luckily for FC Ryukyu, the shots were just wide. Finally, in the 69th
minute, Koji Suzuki tied the game with his 11th goal of the season after
an Uesato pass found him wide open at the top of the box. Suzuki calmly slipped
past his marker, made the GK go to ground and sent it past him and Kanazawa
defenders. The play really began when Zweigen were trying to break out of their
own end but pressure by Kawai on the Kanazawa player prevented him from
clearing the ball and this allowed Uesato to step up and steal possession.
It was not the prettiest of results but it showed the grit and determination of this team. The windy, wet conditions made for an awful atmosphere and FC Ryukyu were playing at less than 100% strength. However, they pushed through all of that to grab a crucial point at home and push the undefeated streak to 30, where it would ultimately end.
#2 Kashiwa Reysol 4/07/2019 Match Day 8
FC Ryukyu welcomed the newly demoted J1 side, Kashiwa
Reysol, to the Tapista on Match Day 8 with a chance at achieving immortality in
the form of setting the new J.League Home Undefeated Streak at 26. At this
point in the season FC Ryukyu had only suffered one defeat and took points in 7
out of 8 matches. This was going to be a very tough test at home for FCR against
an experienced group of Reysol players.
From what I saw leading up to this match, Reysol really
liked starting fast and getting out to an early lead. It seemed that if they
couldn’t get the early advantage, games would bog down for them and results
would be mixed. Well they got their wish in the third minute. The goal came off
a set piece where the initial cross was redirected to the opposite side of the
FC Ryukyu net where Gabriel was charging and able to deflect the shot past an
outstretched Carvajal and rising Suzuki and into the top corner. Reysol didn’t
let up and Carvajal was called into action several times in the half but he
prevented any further Reysol scoring.
FC Ryukyu began to grow into the match a little by little as Reysol were unable to grab the 2-0 lead. Tanaka had a shot at leveling the game just before half time but Nakamura made a fine save. Tomidokoro’s point-blank within the 6-yard box was unfortunately right at the Reysol Keeper or FCR would’ve leveled. It wasn’t until the 82nd minute when a Tokumoto cross found a wide open Uejo who smashed home the volley. It left the Reysol keeper stunned as well as the 7,913 fans who showed up. FC Ryukyu continued to hunt for the winner when they very easily could’ve packed it in but they never found the go ahead goal. The match ended 1-1 and FC Ryukyu became new J.League record holders. This was another huge signature performance for FCR.
#1 Mito Hollyhock 05/11/2019 Match Day 13
Mito visited Okinawa as the top team in J2 with quite an
impressive defensive record. FC Ryukyu on the other hand were coming off of two
defeats in 3 weeks to Kagoshima and FC Gifu and had only scored 4 goals in
their previous 5 matches. All it would’ve taken for the streak to end was a
Mito goal as the side had not lost all season up to this point and hadn’t
conceded more than one goal in any of their 12 prior matches.
Then the unthinkable happened, FC Ryukyu scored the opening
goal within the first 10 minutes. Tokumoto picked out an unmarked Koji Suzuki
who sent a header, hard and low, that the Mito keeper couldn’t save. Suzuki
nearly got on the board again but his toe poke was defected over the bar by the
Mito defenders. FC Ryukyu were in complete control of the match but that didn’t
really matter as Mito were never a side who chased matches regardless of the
score line.
Tokumoto hit the post in the second half and that would’ve really put the game out of reach. Mito never really got things going in this game and that can be attributed to the fine defensive performance by the FC Ryukyu back line. It was another shocking result for FC Ryukyu who seem to really play really well against the top 3 or 4 sides in the J2. The win also pushed the streak to 27 matches without a loss but it was the 3 points at home and their first win in nearly two months that made all the difference for FCR.
Honorable Mentions
1. Montedio Yamagata 3/24/2019 Match Day 5. FC Ryukyu earned
a draw on the road versus what looks to be the potential J2 champion. FC Ryukyu
remained undefeated on the season and got their longest road trip out of the
way early which will pay dividends later on this season.
2. Tokyo Verdy 4/13/2019 Match Day 9. FC Ryukyu pulled off
quite a comeback to level the match in the 5th minute of stoppage
time off a Uesato strike. In a game where Carvajal busted his nose stopping an
attacking Verdy player, and then saved the PK, was just amazing. Uesato’s
strike was so well taken, and so unexpected, it left everyone in shock. It was
a great point earned on the road for FCR.
3. Kyoto Sanga 6/15/2019 Match Day 18. Maybe you are
noticing a trend with these honorable mentions. They are all the draws FC
Ryukyu have earned on the road. FC Ryukyu went behind twice in this match and
battled back to draw with goals from Koji Suzuki and Kawai. Kyoto are a strong
team and no one gave FC Ryukyu much of a chance in this match as they were a
visiting side in poor form. The draw was big because FCR ended up suffering
defeats in the following consecutive weeks and really needed the point.
Top 10 Goals for FC Ryukyu
10 (TIE).
10A. Tanka’s early goal against Omiya: The way he let the
ball roll onto him and his low hard strike was great.
10B. Kawai’s game tying goal against Kyoto on the road was a
massive goal from a well taken shot.
9. Uesato’s goal against FC Gifu: Top Right corner from the
top of the box.Oh!
8. Masutani’s bullet header against Mito: Came from the way
back to get into the attack and send a low, hard header to the bottom corner.
Watch and enjoy.
7. Koji Suzuki’s diving header against Yamaguchi: Power and
Placement.
6. Uejo’s goal on the break versus Nagasaki: Frightening how
good this kid could be one day, and how good he is right now.
5. Koji Suzuki going top shelf versus Yokohama FC: The man
wanted to blow open the top of the net with that much power in his shot.
4. Tomidokoro’s free kick versus Niigata: Love watching Yu
do his thing, go on son.
3. Kazama’s free kick versus Kofu: Gave the GK no chance at
saving that one, top drawer.
2. Uesato’s strike on the volley against Tokyo Verdy: Could
watch that over and over and over again.
1. Uejo’s strike on the volley against Kashiwa Reysol: Young
player putting one past an experienced International capped Goal Keeper. On the
volley, into the top corner, none better so far.
I hope you all enjoyed the second installment of the
mid-season review. We will conclude tomorrow with a review of the players, the
mid-season MVP and the way ahead for FC Ryukyu.
Welcome everyone to the FC Ryukyu mid season review. I will provide a 3-part series for the FC Ryukyu mid-season review beginning today. In Part 1 I will focus briefly on the current state of the team, what changes have occurred at the club from the end of last season until now that have affected attendance numbers and then I will switch gears and review the Top 5 story lines. In Part 2 we will review the Top 5 matches for FC Ryukyu this season as well as the Top 10 goals scored by individual players from FC Ryukyu. Finally, in Part 3 we will conclude the mid-season review with some player reviews, discuss the FC Ryukyu MVPs up to this point and end the series by looking forward into the remaining fixtures for FC Ryukyu. Enjoy!
2019 To Date
FC Ryukyu have now reached the half way point of their
inaugural J2 season. They sit 13th in the table with 28 points and
are 11 points clear of the relegation zone. They started the year out very fast winning 4
out of their first 4 matches and then drawing the next two to sit at 14 points.
FC Ryukyu’s first loss didn’t occur until a mid-week match up against JEF Chiba
on Match Day 7. They responded really well after that loss as they came home to
earn a late draw against Kashiwa Reysol thus setting the new Home Undefeated
Record for all of the J.Leauge with 26 in a row. FC Ryukyu would ultimately
make it to 30 before Kofu ended their undefeated run with a 5-2 defeat.
In my opinion, there are couple of different ways to view
the first half of the FC Ryukyu season. You could break it down by quarters or
in halves.
If we broke it down by quarters, we see theses type of
results: Matches 1-5; 4 wins and 1 draw, matches 6-10; 3 draws and 2 losses,
matches 11-15; 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw and finally, matches; 16-21 1 win, 2
draws and 3 losses. Right away we see a team that wins in bunches and then goes
thru stretches of bad results.
By Halves: Matches 1-10; 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 losses and,
matches 11-21; 3 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses. This paints a more ominous picture
as the losses really piled up for FC Ryukyu in the second part of the first
half of the season.
What has greatly impacted FC Ryukyu’s point total this
season is their inability win on the road. FC Ryukyu have not won on the road
since Match Day 2 against Omiya and have suffered defeats to lower sides FC
Gifu and Kagoshima. Luckily for FC Ryukyu, the fast start with 4 wins from 4
has produced the nice 11 to 12-point cushion between them and the drop zone area
with teams 20-22. The expected point total to avoid relegation is between 42-46
points and FC Ryukyu are about 17 points shy of the sweet spot. This means FC
Ryukyu will need at least 5 wins in the second half of the season while mixing
in some draws.
A quick glance at the FC Ryukyu stat sheet this season.
2019 Changes
FC Ryukyu have averaged 4,480 fans in their 11 home games to
date and those numbers are probably impacted by the poor weather that has
befouled FC Ryukyu in the first half of the season. FC Ryukyu have played at least half of their
home games this season in wet and windy conditions that makes life very
difficult on the FC Ryukyu fan base. As some of you may know, there is only a
small covered area on the West of the stadium and it truly doesn’t protect many
of the fans against the elements. While all football clubs have to deal with inclement
weather from time to time, keep in mind that FC Ryukyu are in the midst of
trying to build and established fan base that can generate revenue and
ultimately player transfer/salaries. Though FC Ryukyu have greatly improved
their attendance totals from last year, ideally this club would like to average
upwards of 7,000 fans per game. Realistically, I think 5,000 is the mark that
FC Ryukyu could hit with their remaining 10 home games.
So, what has changed for the club and the fan base that has caused an average increase of about 1,000 fans per match this season compared to seasons past? There is no single answer I can come up with and I believe there are several factors involved. Before we get into the details as to why, let’s see the attendance records from FC Ryukyu’s past season in the J3.
*3 fewer home fixtures in 2016 compared to 2015
So, right away we see that FC Ryukyu has slowly been increasing their fan base since their inception in the J.League. FC Ryukyu began their push up the table in 2016 and followed that up by finishing 6th in 2017. It should be no coincidence that the uptick in attendance coincided with a managerial change that brought a more attacking style of football to Okinawa. Not to mention, more goals. Of course, we’d expected to see the sharpest rise in attendance figures during the championship season but if we are going to draw one conclusion from these numbers, its fans appreciate exciting football on the pitch. Maybe the average fan just wants to see some goals and is not overly concerned with the end result. So now let’s see what has changed this season.
First, the fact the FC Ryukyu won the J3 title last season
really helped pull the club out of the shadows and into the light for the
Okinawa community. The crowd on hand for the title clinching game is one of the
largest in FC Ryukyu history and it really helped put this team on the map.
Second, the increased coverage of FC Ryukyu on television, on radio and in print,
really increased the visibility of FC Ryukyu and this has almost certainly
brought more people to the grounds.
Third, the front office staff for FC Ryukyu has really
engaged the community on their website but more importantly, through social
media. There is a more concentrated effort by the club to target new fans and
expose this team to the local community. While some free attendance events have
been hampered by bad weather, it is nice to see the club continually running
shuttle buses for both home and away supporters to the stadium. The 3,000 Yen
fee is definitely cheaper than a taxi or daiko back to Naha but I’d like to see
the club offer discounted tickets for those people utilizing the shuttle since it
increases the minimum cost to attend the match up to 4,000 Yen for an adult. The
club has done well to offer a free parking and a shuttle from the Awase port
area as the parking situation is deplorable, and outside of the control of the
club, at the stadium as it is located inside a huge community park. FC Ryukyu
also offer a child care program to attract parents who wish to attend but maybe
reluctant because they are concerned, they’d spend more time looking after
their children than enjoying the match. I believe that based on numerous
personal experiences at the Tapista with my kids. The fact that you can find
the president of the club, Mr. Mikami, in the A Section of the stadium each
week interacting, and more importantly listening to FC Ryukyu fans, means the
management and club are really trying to understand their customer and not
force feed the fans what they don’t want.
Fourth, I think the fact that FC Ryukyu are playing in the J2 instead of the J3 has resonated with the local community that the club is playing in a more established, more respected, better covered tier of the Japanese Football pyramid. The notion that FC Ryukyu could be playing J1 football in the near future is very real in the minds of people here as the distance between the J1 and J2 is much shorter, both literally and figuratively than between J3 and J1. Fifth, there have been some nice improvements to the match day event. Food and drink vendors have increased, there are food vendors on the opposite side of the stadium and pre-match events are very well received by the local community. Sixth, the traveling fans. There is no doubt that the large numbers of fans from Reysol, Niigata and others have propped up the overall attendance numbers. Remember, Okinawa is a holiday destination for most mainland Japaneses so syncing up your teams match with your holiday plans isn’t a bad idea.
Seventh, the home unbeaten record helped immensely as it gained both local and national attention. It really brought people to the Tapista who may have never attended a match in their life but wanted to be a part of something special. Finally, there is just a different aura surrounding the club. I have witnessed some very sparsely attended matches in FC Ryukyu’s history and even joked that they were counting the players, front office staff and stadium support staff in their overall attendance numbers so as not to come across as team that no one bothers to watch. But all of that is in the past. Match day events are better planned, better presented and better executed. There is a much different atmosphere inside the stadium of seasons past and I am just having a hard time describing it in detail. You just have to be here to feel it I guess.
The club has been steadily improving its numbers every season and this is encouraging. The club cannot expect an average of 7,000 fans per match every week as it looks like it will take them about 2-3 more season to hit that number based on the statistical trends in the table above. It takes time to build a fan base and not everyone here in Okinawa is able to attend all the matches on a regular basis. Let’s assume that the club has set their operating budget based on average attendance rates of 3,000 per match. If that is the case, then the 4,200 fans they currently averaging each match means they will have some ability to make subtle changes within the club this season and that is very important to their overall success.
There are 10 home games remaining for FC Ryukyu against some serious opponents. Yamagata, Kyoto and Nagasaki to name a few so FC Ryukyu will need all the fan support they can garner to navigate these tough fixtures at home at such a crucial part of the season. I hope the weather for these matches improves as it is understandable that no one wants to bring themselves, let alone their family to watch a football match in rainy, windy conditions (despite the prevailing trend of poncho fashion). I’d like to see FC Ryukyu hit the 5,000-average mark by seasons end but that will take a concerted effort from the players performing each week, the management executing an affordable and targeted marketing campaign and with those of us at the grass roots level spreading the word about FC Ryukyu however we can.
Top 5 Storylines of the 2019 Season So Far
#5. The Transfer of Kazaki Nakagawa to Yokohama F. Marinos
after Match Day 3.
One polarizing story emerging from the early part of this season was the transfer of Nakagawa to the J1 side, Yokohama F Marinos. Nakagawa had featured for FC Ryukyu since 2017 when he joined Ryukyu from Betis San Isidro in the 4th tier of Spanish Football. Nakagawa’s breakout season occurred in 2018 when he netted 16 times while adding 16 assists. Nakagawa started the 2019 J2 season on fire by contributing 4 assists and it was the main reason FC Ryukyu looked like world-beaters so early on in the season. FC Ryukyu scored 9 goals in their first 3 games with Nakagawa and then it took them another 9 weeks to match that scoring total.
FC Ryukyu have really struggled to fill the void left by the Nakagawa departure and continue to tinker the lineup by inserting Uejo, Kazama and Ochi in his vacated spot. They have yet to find the right combination or get back to their free scoring ways they enjoyed early on. Keep in mind, FC Ryukyu had failed to score more than 2 goals in match since Nakagawa’s departure, until this past weekend, and this is a team designed for the attack. It was always going to be hard to replace a player of Nakagawa’s quality so it will be interesting to see if FC Ryukyu can pull off a loan with Yokohama in order to reacquire the temporary services of such an iconic FC Ryukyu player.
#4 FC Ryukyu’s Away Record this Season
FC Ryukyu started out the season brilliantly on the road by earning a massive 4-3 victory over Omiya and then followed that performance up with a draw against top side Yamagata. You may be thinking I am about to tell you how great this side has been on the road but it is quite the opposite. FC Ryukyu have not won on the road since Omiya and have been outscored 12 to 17 in those games. There are some instances of bad luck, when they lost Carvajal to injury during the Yokohama match in which they were winning, but for the most part the team has really failed to fire on the road. They salvaged some nice draws at Tokyo Verdy and Kyoto with late goals by Uesato and Kawai but otherwise have failed to get over the line with a win.
It will not get any easier for FC Ryukyu with trips to Kashiwa, Kofu and Mito ahead of them, but ideally, we’d like to see this side grab 2 more road wins this season. Considering FC Ryukyu have only earned 6 points on the road in the first half, 2 wins and 3 draws in their remaining 11 road wins should be more than enough to ensure relative safety.
#3 Emerging Talents
There are some very talented players coming into their own this season. Specifically, the emergence of Uejo, Kawai, Tokumoto and Koizumi. Uejo has scored some huge goals for the club this season and has all the makings of a great attacking mid-fielder. Kawai has been putting on a display the past few matches with his speed and ability to generate goal scoring opportunities. Tokumoto can produce some great crosses from the FB position and it is no surprise that larger clubs are looking to acquire his services this transfer window. Koizumi has only featured in 6 matches but has flashed some talented play and movement. All these players are under-25 years old and they look to be the future for FC Ryukyu. Maybe by the end of the season we will see all 3 midfielders in the starting lineup with Kawai and Uejo out wide and Koizumi playing the CAM role. In any case, this a group of talented young players that FC Ryukyu needs to hold onto for the next few seasons.
#2 New Players
There is no doubt that the signings FC Ryukyu made this offseason have paid off. First, FC Ryukyu lost GK Park – and eventually Nakagawa – to Yokohoma F Marinos and we lost Togashi to FC Gifu. It was never going to be easy to replace 32 goals but Koji Suzuki seems to want to make up that number all by himself. He currently sits on 14 and I wrote very early on after one of his braces that he may hit 26 for the season. Well he is more than halfway there and has been a phenomenal signing for the club. Dany Carvajal also joined the club in the offseason and has become one of the best GKs in all of J2. Dany’s play at the back has been nothing short of spectacular and has contributed to many favorable outcomes for FC Ryukyu. His performance late against Omiya to earn a victory, his PK save against Verdy after a bloody nose is the stuff of legends and his ability to keep FC Ryukyu in matches with timely saves has been great to watch.
Uesato has been a good central holding mid-fielder, team captain and contributed two beautiful goals. Ochi has chipped in 2 goals in 3 games that he has started while Kawai has become a starter with enormous potential. Kazama has also provided some electric moments with his free kicks and corners. All in all, these were really good signings by the club this offseason.
#1 The Home Undefeated Record
The number one storyline for the 2019 season so far was the 30-game home undefeated record for FC Ryukyu. The home unbeaten streak lasted 643 days dating back to September 30th 2017. Some may argue that a majority of those games were against lesser opponents in a lower league. While that is a valid point, it also should be noted that FC Ryukyu could only play the opponents in front of them and that 9 of those 30, almost 1/3, occurred in the J2. Nobody, including me, knew what to expect from this team at the start of the season. If we look at the 9 unbeaten games this season, we see a nice mix of dramatic finishes, dominating performances and a bit of luck. FC Ryukyu took Reysol’s best shot and earned a draw, they beat the league leaders at the time in Mito at home and they pulled off a last-minute draw against Yamaguchi that would’ve ended the record before they could break the previous one. The fact remains that they are now holders of a very prestigious record for the J.League and no one can take that away from this club or its supporters.
Well that is it for Part 1 of the mid-season review. I hope you’ve enjoyed it so far and up next is Part 2 where we will discuss the Top 5 Matches and Top 10 Goals for FC Ryukyu this season. See you tomorrow.
FC Ryukyu ended the first half of the season on a high note with a resounding 3-0 victory over Tochigi SC last night at the Tapista. FC Ryukyu controlled much of the game and Tochigi had no answer for the FC Ryukyu attack last night. The victory puts FC Ryukyu on 28 points at the halfway mark and depending on the outcome of the remaining J2 fixtures this week, they will be either 12th or 13th in the table. Not bad for a newly promoted side.
FC Ryukyu began asserting themselves very early in the match and achieved the breakthrough in the 19th minute when Yu Tomidokoro sent a through ball to Koji Suzuki who then put one past the Tochigi GK for his league leading 14th goal. Kazama also deserves some credit for this play as it was his initial pass that found Yu, who then was able to find Koji streaking through the middle of the Tochigi defense. FC Ryukyu really never let up the remainder of the first half as they were constantly bombarding the Tochigi defense and winning some nice FKs and CKs. In the 40th minute Koji Suzukui’s hold up play near the top of the box allowed Kawaii to gain the positional advantage on the defenders and Suzuki was able to find the wide open Kawaii with a nice pass in heavy traffic. Kawaii was able to round the Tochigi defenders and pick out Nishioka in front of the net who deflected it into the back of the goal for 2-0 FC Ryukyu lead. As I had mentioned before, 2 goals would be enough to get past Tochigi as this is a side that doesn’t score that many goals and scores even less on the road.
FC Ryukyu ended the first half with 54% possession and a 9/3 advantage in the shot department. Tochigi never really threatened the FC Ryukyu net and none of their shots in the first half were on target. If you were able to watch the full match on DAZN you would see that FC Ryukyu were not holding a high defensive line as they’ve done in the past and the FC Ryukyu attack was more evenly distributed down either side whereas in the past a lot of the attack came from the right side. Tochigi’s player tracking was shocking in that it seemed all their players were in line, spread evenly across the halfway line. I’ve never seen something like that before.
FC Ryukyu came out quickly in the second half and a Yu Tomidokoro free kick was just slightly ahead of the charging FC Ryukyu attackers or else we would’ve been ahead 3-0 at this point. Starting in the 60th minute Tochigi made a better push on the FC Ryukyu net. Their best chance came in the 65th minute when a cross narrowly missed the extended foot of Hamashita and had he connected, they would’ve surely scored. After about 10 minutes of action by Tochigi, FC Ryukyu took the game back over and saw Ochi bag is second goal of the season on a nice chipped cross from Koji Suzuki. FC Ryukyu were up 3-0 and there was not much more action to report on for the rest of the match.
Review of the FC Ryukyu keys to Victory
1. Dominate the Possession Battle: PASS. Though the match ended with an even 50/50 possession split for both sides, FC Ryukyu created the better chances with their possession. FC Ryukyu had 14 shots, 10 on target and 3 goals compared to Tochigi’s stat line of 7/3/0.
2. Cap off Drives with Goals: PASS, with flying colors. 3
goals all from open play. Well done boys.
3. Crowd the Tochigi Goal on all Set Pieces. Pass. They did but they were rewarded by this tactic from the two deflections by Nishioka and Ochi. FC Ryukyu didn’t score from any set pieces yesterday but there were two narrow misses from both Yu and Uesato. There was plenty of confusion on the part of the Tochigi defenders yesterday with FC Ryukyu getting in front of goal often unmarked.
4. Play Sound Football. PASS. Of course, it’s very hard to
find fault with a side that just won in convincing fashion at home. Turnovers
were down dramatically, defending in and round the box was very good and the FC
Ryukyu passing in the attack was spot on.
Man of the Match
1 Goal & 2 Assists
Koji scored his 14th goal of the season and added 2 assists on the FC Ryukyu goals (depends on how they are scored but I give an assist starting with two passes back from the score). The man put in a serious shift yesterday. First, his goal was superbly taken and really relaxed the FC Ryukyu squad as a whole. Second, his hold up play generated so many FC Ryukyu attacks and directly led to the Nishioka goal in the first half. Third, he was generating free kicks in dangerous areas for FC Ryukyu by winning the positional battle over the Tochigi defenders who ended up fouling him instead of letting him through on net. Finally, his passing was lethal. He should be credited with 2 assists yesterday as his first assist found a streaking Kawaii who eventually found Nishioka and his second was a deft little chip that Ochi was able to turn into the back of the net.
Honorable Mention: The FC Ryukyu back line. I have been a staunch critic of their performances at times this season but they played really well as a whole defensive unit last night. They were reinforcing each other all around the box and broke up several Tochigi passes in the box. Their performance, along with Dany’s, allowed FC Ryukyu to earn their 3rd shutout of the season, but most importantly, it has propelled FC Ryukyu’s goal differential back into the positive which now sits at +2.
Match Day 21 Takeaways
1. FC Ryukyu really needed a performance like this after
suffering 3 defeats in a row. As I said in the match day preview, this was
going to be a “slump busting” match for one of these two sides and I am glad it
was FC Ryukyu who were able to break out of their funk. They played sound,
fundamental football and were rewarded with their first win in 5 weeks. Tochigi
were definitely a lesser opponent compared to Kyoto, Kofu and Nagasaki but it
is crucial for FC Ryukyu to beat these teams and take maximum points.
2. Kawaii has rightfully earned his spot in the starting 11.
Kawaii’s speed pulls apart the oppositions defense and creates running lanes
and shooting lanes for the FC Ryukyu attack. I am very excited that he is in
the lineup because speed, like height, is one of those things you cannot
teach/coach. Players either have it or they don’t and Kawaii definitely has
speed.
3. Fukui and Nishioka played great in the defense but their crosses/passes into the box were off yesterday. Just one of those games I suppose so just keep sending them into the box and they’ll eventually find an open FC Ryukyu player.
4. Uejo cannot crack the starting 11, but he may, beginning
with next week. Ochi had a large ice bag on the inside of his left knee but he
wasn’t walking with any noticeable limp after the match. I think the FC Ryukyu
attack will really come into its own if we can get Uejo and Kawaii in the
starting 11 at the same time. Their speed, passing and Uejo’s finishing will
really trouble opposing defenses and I hope Higuchi employs them next week
versus Okayama.
5. Ochi played in his 200th game last night if I am to believe DAZN. What a nice little achievement that may have gone unnoticed. He started, and usually they hand out some flowers and bring the guys family onto the pitch before the match. Did I miss that yesterday?
6. Tochigi SC may make a managerial change soon, much like the teams around them at the bottom have done this season. They are not generating anything in attack and conceding a lot of goals.
Conclusion
Job done, ended the halfway point with 28 points and a nice lucky stat line of 7 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses. No time to rest though as a tough Okayama side travels to Okinawa this week and if you all recall, they handed us a 1-0 defeat a couple of months back so its high time for a little payback.
FC Ryukyu nearly battled back for a draw this past Saturday at Nagasaki but their failure to at least earn a point has seen Ryukyu drop out of the top 11 for the first time all season. The loss also means that Ryukyu’s winless run on the road has now been extended to 9 matches in a row. Ryukyu are really making life difficult for themselves in the J2 with these road results as it is putting massive amounts of pressure on the team to take maximum points at home each week. Ryukyu will now enter a month with 6 fixtures spread across 2 competitions with an absolute “must win” match at home next week versus Tochigi.
The Match
Instead of breaking down each half as I normally would, I will instead focus on the match as a whole. FC Ryukyu controlled a majority of the possession throughout the game and ended the match with a total of 58%. Ryukyu dominated play for the first 25 minutes but the same wayward passing that led to turnovers against Kofu followed the team to Nagasaki. Kawai’s shot in the 21st minute nearly put Ryukyu up 1-0 but a costly turnover by Ryukyu led to a counter/corner kick for Nagasakai that saw a breakdown in communication and assignments by the Ryukyu defense on the rebound and allowed Nagasaki to take the early 1-0 lead. Ryukyu almost allowed the visitors to add to their lead in the 40th minute from a set piece but a fine piece of goal keeping by Carvajal sent the shot wide. At the end of the half Ryukyu had controlled the ball 61% of the time with 6 total shots but no goals to show for their efforts.
Nagasaki nearly doubled their lead straight away in the second half but Ryukyu would once again assert their dominance in the early possession battle. Ryukyu sent some decent crosses into the 6-yard box but all of them either nearly missed or went unanswered. Nagasaki then pounced on a Ryukyu turnover where Masutani was unlucky with his first touch, after a long ball pass from Nagasaki, that allowed the attacking Nagasaki player a ton of space down the left side. The Nagasaki player passed it off to a wide-open player across the top of the box whose shot deflected off of a diving Danny and into the net for a 2-0 lead. Nagasaki piled on further punishment 4 minutes later off yet another Ryukyu turnover as Nishioka failed to track the run of the Nagasaki player wide of him and allowed him a free run on net. Nagasaki scored on a play eerily reminiscent of the one against Kofu where Ishii came way off his line to cut down the angle only this time it was Danny coming out to stop the onrushing attacker. Nagasaki was up 3-0 with little more than 20 minutes of the match remaining.
FC Ryukyu were able to score two very nice goals near the end. One from Koji Suzuki and another from Uejo, our 2 leading goal scorers on the year but the early 3-0 lead proved too much to overcome for Ryukyu. Final Score Nagasaki 3-2 over Ryukyu.
Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
1. Apply pressure from all angles to #33 Goya of Nagasaki. PASS. Ryukyu did a great job of limiting the best player for Nagasaki on the day. Goya had a couple of chances early but was largely invisible, outside of his foul that went uncalled, and Ryukyu did a good job handling this good player.
2. Do not over commit to the attack and leave our defenders
exposed. PASS. It was not the commitment to the attack that did Ryukyu in,
rather, see point #3.
3. Cut-down the turnovers and wayward passing. FAIL. Ryukyu committed no less than 15 turnovers of which 2 led directly to Nagasaki goals. They need to clean this up moving forward in order to capitalize on all the possession Ryukyu enjoy as well as earn some victories on the road.
4. Execute the counter attack to perfection. NO GRADE.
Ryukyu enjoyed so much of the possession that rarely were they needing to
sprint into a counter attack mode. With what little opportunities they did have,
the possession usually ended in a corner kick but no goals came from the counter
so its hard to give a failing or passing grade here.
Match Day Prediction
2-2: I was off by one goal and Ryukyu had plenty of early opportunities
that could’ve made this a 3-3 score line.
Man of the Match
Wada came on in the 79th minute and provided a nice spark to the attack. It could be argued that Nagasaki were on cruise control at this point as they were up 3 goals with less than 10 minutes to go before Ryukyu netted their first goal but nonetheless, Wada put in a nice shift and was rewarded with 2 assists on the day. Koji Suzuki gets an honorable mention because his hold up play was superb and his league leading goal was great.
Match Day 20 Takeaways
1. As stated throughout this week’s entry, Ryukyu need to
tighten up their passing. It is not that the passes Ryukyu are attempting could
be considered “low percentage passes,” rather, they are missing our runners and
setting opponents free into the counter.
2. Ryukyu needs to start beating teams around and below them in the table on the road. I have not reviewed all the J2 teams’ records on the road but I am sure Ryukyu owns one of the worst away records this season. Ryukyu will have a handful of remaining games against beatable opponents on the road this year and it is vital to this team’s success to earn maximum points against those teams. We are nearly at the halfway point of the season and Ryukyu will have to travel to 3 of the top 6 sides venues in the second half of the season.
3. Nishioka should’ve been subbed at halftime. Nishioka could’ve easily suffered a concussion on the collision he took in the 35th minute and had noticeable swelling near his left eye for the reminder of the match. The injury seemed to shake his confidence when making challenges in the air and may have played a factor in the 3rd and final goal for Nagasaki as he was unaware of the presence of the opposing player. It would be overly critical of me to judge a players performance in the second half after sustaining that injury so this is where I will leave this point.
4. It maybe time for some drastic lineup changes. I don’t think Ochi performed terribly at CAM but Uejo really looks up for it these days. Ryukyu attacked so much from the right side with Yu and Nishiokoa but their 2 goals came from the left. We will see how Higuchi reacts during the emperor’s cup with his lineup selection and that should tell us who is likely to feature this upcoming weekend.
5. FC Ryukyu have now surrendered 10 goals in the past 3 matches. They have scored 6 during that span and that usually may have been enough to earn a win or at the very least a draw. The defense is ceding goals at the rapid rate and they need to stop the bleeding soon.
Looking Ahead
Ryukyu now must travel on a shortened week to play an Emperor’s Cup match in Yamaguchi. They will then return home to face a struggling Tochigi squad who just lost to Ehime. This weekend’s fixture is a must win for both sides and Ryukyu are desperate to keep the 8-point buffer between them and the drop zone.
On a day when the weather conditions were less than ideal, FC Ryukyu managed to keep their unbeaten streak alive and earn a valuable point that should keep them in the top half of the table at the weeks end. The real story of the night belongs to Ryo Ishii who filled in admirably for the injured Danny Carvajal. Ishii’s presence in goal was a real concern of mine heading into a very tough stretch of games and I must admit, I was wrong to judge him so quickly. Ishii’s efforts were the main reason FC Ryukyu earned 1 point on the day and prevented the unbeaten streak from being broken.
Starting 11 for both sides
First Half
The first half started out very quickly for Kanazawa and they broke through early because of some rather poor defending on the part of FC Ryukyu. In the 6th minute, Uesato was attempting to play the ball out from the back and though his pass found Komatsu, Komatsu took an errant touch and turned the ball over. The turnover really caught the FC Ryukyu defense in bad positioning as they were in the middle of transitioning into the attack. The worst part of the goal was Okazaki’s attempt at defending the on-rushing Kanazawa player. It seems as if Okazaki couldn’t decide how he wanted to attempt his clearance of the ball, and this probably led to some confusion on his part, which ultimately resulted in him bumbling over the ball -though he never really tracked the ball and was fixated on the Kanazawa attacker strangely enough, and this allowed the Kanazawa player a free shot on net. Taiki Kato slotted the opening goal past a diving Ishii and Masutani to put Kanazawa up 1-0.
Not exactly sure what Okazaki is attempting to do here , but the result was catastrophic.
In the 17th minute, Kazama had a very nice attempt on net that was sent just wide by the outstretched arms of the Zweigen goal keeper. Shortly thereafter, Ishii was called into action once more as the Ryukyu defense broke down and Kanazawa had yet another free look on net. Ishii chested the shot down and quickly scooped up the rebound thus ending the Zweigen opportunity. Tanka had an absolute gifted chance in the 22nd minute that was saved by the Kanazawa keeper to keep Ryukyu off the scoreboard. I hope these “near misses” that Ryukyu are currently experiencing at the moment will turn into goals. We are going to need some of these to start finding the back of the net the next 2 months. Ryukyu nearly tied the game heading into half time when a shot from Okazaki off a corner kick landed directly at the feet of Suzuki. The resulting shot from Suzuki was saved and the rebound fell right to Masutani who unfortunately sent the third shot high over the bar. Ryukyu would be kept off the score sheet at the half despite several good chances.
Second Half
Zweigen started the second half quickly and had two chances to increase their lead in the 49th and 55th minute. Each attempt saw a break down in defending by Ryukyu that left Ishii extremely exposed. FC Ryukyu were lucky that Kanazawa sent the shots wide or things would’ve ended very differently that night for Ryukyu. Finally, in the 69th minute, Suzuki would level the match and put Ryukyu on the front foot for the first time all game.
Suzuki was able to slip past his marker and found some wide-open territory between the Zweigen defenders and then sent his shot around the Zweigen goalie for his J2 league leading 11th goal of the season. It was a very nice take from the seasoned veteran and it is a shame that FC Ryukyu doesn’t have someone who can provide Suzukui the constant service a top-class striker deserves. Ryukyu’s only other chance of note came in the 77th minute went Uejo sent a shot just over the crossbar. The game would end 1-1 and the unbeaten streak would be pushed to 30.
Suzuki slipping past his marker, taking a touch and then rounding the keeper with a nicely placed shot.
FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory Review
I put forth 3 keys to victory for FC Ryukyu in the preview
article so let us review: 1. Do not allow Zweigen Kanazawa to expose Ishii at
the back, 2. Do not allow Zweigen to gain any momentum and finally, 3. Exploit
Zweigen’s defense on set pieces.
1. FC Ryukyu absolutely exposed Ishii at the back on multiple occasions and Ryukyu were extremely lucky to earn a draw. The defending on the part of Ryukyu that night was woeful. Zweigen were constantly getting through the middle of our defense and they were also able overpower and round Tokumoto and Nishioka. Hopefully Okazaki just had one of those “brain farts” when he allowed the Zweigen player in on net and this doesn’t become a trend. However, what is a trend is the poor defending by Ryukyu this season. It just goes to show you how good Danny Carvajal, and now Ishii, are at the back as well as how vital these 2 keepers are to the Ryukyu season. The defending issues need to be addressed both on the training ground and in the transfer window this summer. Ryukyu cannot expect to play on the razors edge all year and come out on top. Result: Fail
2. Zweigen began to generate momentum early in both halves but
Ryukyu did well to slow them down and prevent them from grabbing a larger lead.
Granted, Zweigen had not scored in 3 games leading up to this match but we
fully expected them to score against Ryukyu. That statement could be tied directly
to the first point I made in this section. Ryukyu wobbled for a bit early in
the second half but it wasn’t to the extent we’ve seen them lose concentration in
the past. Luckily Zweigen missed those opportunities and Ryukyu recovered
nicely. Result: Pass
3. Ryukyu had a golden opportunity near the end of the match to take the lead on a corner kick but unfortunately, Ryukyu’s Uehara was not match fit and therefore we couldn’t get the advantage over Zweigen. I mentioned in the preview that Zweigen would be without their starting LCB and it was crucial for Ryukyu to exploit the new defensive pairing for Zweigen. They did, but it took them until the 69th minute when the Zweigen defender came out too far and the resulting turnover to Ryukyu found Suzuki onside and alone at the top of the box. Result: Pass
Man of the Match
GK Ryo Ishii
Ryo Ishii. It couldn’t be anyone else on the day despite the lovely goal by Suzukui. Ishii was an unknown commodity heading into this important match up and he really rose to the occasion. He made an absolute stunning save on a set piece that made it over the top of the wall and on net. Some could argue that it was the perfect height for the keeper to save but Ishii still did well to get to the shot and push it away from danger.
Ishii diving and stopping a nice FK by Zweigen.
I mentioned earlier that he also kept Ryukyu in the match when they were down 1-0 when Zweigen had their second free look on net and Ishii did well to stop the original shot and collect the resulting rebound. There are some aspects of his game that I am sure will tighten up with time and experience and I am not going to nitpick a tremendous performance by Ishii that directly led to the favorable outcome for Ryukyu.
Looking Ahead
FC Ryukyu are on the road next week to take on 5th
place Kyoto Sanga. Kyoto are coming off a 3-1 loss to Omiya on the road and are
returning home after spending the last two weeks on the road. The games are
going to get a lot tougher for FC Ryukyu the remainder of this month and therefore
any points earned on the road should be considered a blessing.
Match Day 13: (H) FCR vs Mito Hollyhock (A) at the Tapic
Kenso Hiyagon Stadium, Kickoff at 1800.
Weather Forecast: Partly Cloudy with temperatures in the mid-70s all match with a 5% chance of rain. Winds will be calm at 7-mph so all in all it should be comfortable all match.
The Mito “Boa Constrictor” is coming to town this week to take on FC Ryukyu who are looking to keep their home undefeated record intact. These two teams find themselves on two different trajectories at the moment. Mito are on an ascending track having not lost all season while also not surrendering more than one goal in any of their matches. FCR, however, on a downward spiral at the moment as the attack has failed to fire over the course of the last 9 matches which has seen FCR tumble out of the top 6 and into 9th place.
Mito Hollyhock: 1st in J2 on 26 points, 7W5D0L
GF14 GA4 Goal Difference of +14 Current Form DWWDW
Typical Formation: 4-4-2
Record vs Common Opponents of FCR: 3W4D
The statistics for Mito are both impressive and staggering.
As mentioned above, Mito are still undefeated this season and they have yet to
surrender more than one goal in any of their matches. Here is a snapshot of the
FCR opponent this week: 1.) Mito have earned 5 wins and 2 draws while playing
away from home this season, 2.) Mito have scored 8 goals while conceding only 2
in all road matches, 3.) Mito have scored first in 8 of their matches and in
only two instances did those games end in a draw after the opponent scored very
late, 4.) Mito has conceded the opening goal of the match only twice all year
and they were still able to earn a win and a draw in those games and most
impressive, 5.) Mito have shut out the home team 5 times this season while
traveling.
So, what does all this mean? Quite simply, Mito chokes the life out of the opponents attack similar to the way a boa constrictor does with their prey. It also means Mito never panics when they are playing from behind and they have the ability to see out tightly contested matches when they have a small lead. This really does not bode well for FC Ryukyu this week since the attack has gone missing since match day 4.
Players to Watch: #32 Atsushi Kurokawa MF & #14 Shintaro Shimizu are the joint top scorers for Mito with 3 goals each.
The entire Back Line of Mito and their GK. It will be something to see if the FCR attack can get going because we will then see an unstoppable force versus an immovable object.
FCR: 9th in J2 on 17 points 4W5D3L GF18 GA15 Goal
Difference of +3 Current Form DDLDL
Typical Formation: 4-2-3-1
Record vs Common Opponents of Mito: 2W2D3L
FCR is coming into the match having conceded two late goals on the road against the bottom team in the J2 table at the time, FC Gifu. FC Ryukyu were able to grab an early lead off of a nicely taken shot by Uesato but were unable to net a second goal for the remainder of the match. FC Ryukyu came close on several occasions by hitting the post early but the ball simply didn’t break the way it needed to for FCR on the day.
FCR maintain a perfect 3W3D record at home and they have scored 11 of their 18 goals this season at home while conceding 6 at the #fortressryukyu. As a reminder, FCR are now on their 27th undefeated match dating back to 2017 but this is going to be one of the hardest tests so far to maintain that record.
FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory: 1.) Score multiple goals, something
they have not done in 9 weeks and something that Mito has never done all
season. We have no idea how Mito will react if they concede a second goal and possibly
try and chase the game. Mito never panics and by jumping out to a 2 goal lead
they may pull themselves apart at the back and allow FCR some running room.
Mito are well coached and play really well at the back and it is a monumental
ask of the FCR attack to score multiple goals against a superior opponent.
2.) FCR needs to throw everything it has at Mito all match
and not worry about the result until it’s over. It is almost cliché to say that
FCR will concede a goal in their matches but it is a very likely outcome. FCR
should set themselves up to constantly bombard the Mito defense and run them
ragged all game. This will open FCR to several counter attacks but a back line of
3, instead of 4, that doesn’t push wing backs up into the attack should be able
to cover the Mito counter.
3.) Change the FCR lineup and set up. 3-4-3 with Uejo and Koizumi
flanking Suzkui up front, Uesato and Tomidokoro down the middle and Tokumoto
and Kawaii out wide. Come out firing with speed from the flanks, quality passes
through the middle by Tomidokoro and penetrating runs into the box from Uejo
and Koizumi.
4.) Stop mucking about on Free Kicks and Corners. Tomidokoro
needs to be more involved in set pieces, period.
Match Prediction. It has proven very challenging the past few weeks to remain positive when it comes to predicting the outcomes of FCR matches. They have faced several inferior opponents yet they either drew or lost those games. The most likely outcome is FCR loses the match 2-0. I cannot see Mito conceding a goal despite the fact that FCR prides themselves on their attacking prowess. Unfortunately, this means the undefeated record will come to a close.
If what I am seeing on twitter is any indication, then I believe
Bando will make an appearance at the stadium this week to cover the match. I
hope he takes a tour of the grounds and meets and greets some of the fans
either prior, during or after the match.
See you all out there on Saturday night.
ryukyuarmy.com 