FC Ryukyu enters Match Day 28 in a much better mind set compared to the last few weeks. However, this is a “new look” FC Ryukyu side as the club was very active in the summer transfer window. Koji Suzuki, Ryo Wada and Masutani have departed while we welcome in Shinji Ono, Ramon and Yuya Torikai. Yokohama FC have 8 wins and 1 draw from their past 9 matches. They are in good form right now despite the slight wobble they had on the road versus Mito this past week. There are a lot of similarities between Yokohama FC and Reysol and we all know how that game turned out for FC Ryukyu.
Weather
I think you’d be surprised if I put anything other than “rain is expected,” but once again, rain is expected. Scattered thunderstorms with temps in the high 80s that will feel like the high 90s. You know the drill, ASSEMBLE THE PONCHO ARMY!
Yokohama FC
Yokohama have been nothing short of dominant these past 9
weeks. They came from behind against Tochigi, JEF Chiba and Yamaguchi to earn
2-1, 3-1 and 4-1 wins. All of these wins were in very convincing fashion.
Yokohama FC can absolutely rip teams apart at the back with speed, crisp
passing and excellent finishing. Domingues added a couple of FK goals in these
matches and Ibba was just abusing the Yamaguchi back line.
Avispa Fukuoka really frustrated Yokohama at home but the visitors achieved the breakthrough in the 76th minute. Fukuoka were unlucky in that they hit the post twice earlier in the match and a possible 3rd goal went through the legs of the keeper and across the mouth of the goal. However, it was Fukuoka who made a mistake defensively and they paid for it.
Both Mito and Yokohama FC were unlucky in the last match as each had golden opportunities to take the lead but neither side could convert. This was a good game despite the 0-0 score line as both teams are in the top 6 and you knew there weren’t going to be many opportunities for either side.
FC Ryukyu
As mentioned in the introduction, this is going to be a new FC Ryukyu team for the remaining 15 games. The loss of Koji and his 15 goals will now put tremendous pressure on players like Uejo, Ramon, Shinji and Kazama to score goals. FC Ryukyu did nothing to address their defensive woes in the transfer window unless you count shipping Masutani to Okayama out on loan. We have 4 healthy defenders at the moment and it will be the first time that all 4 start together on the back line. Not a great prospect heading into a game against a free scoring side like Yokohama.
It is not a given that the momentum and euphoric feeling from the dramatic come from behind victory over Nagasaki will carry over into this game as several of those players will not be involved. Still, it is better to have won than lost when attempting to best a top 6 side who is a good run of form.
So, it will be interesting to see the lineup Higuchi chooses for this game, how the team plays together on the pitch and the timing of the substitutes tonight. The Tokumoto injury plus the fact that we do not have a dedicated striker on the side only strengthens the idea of switching to a back 3 and adding more firepower up front. FC Ryukyu may enjoy loads of possession since they now have some creative players up front, but who will be on the receiving end to finish these plays?
Injuries
FC Ryukyu: DF #5 Tokumoto is out for another 2-3 weeks from an ankle sprain. This was to be expected, and actually could’ve been a lot worse, after Tokumoto suffered a gruesome looking injury versus Nagasaki last week.
GK #23 Ishii is still recovering from a nasal/facial
fracture he suffered a few weeks back.
Both MF #36 Koya Kazama and DF #4 Okazaki were subbed off
early last week and I do not know if either will be match fit for today. There is
the possibility both feature but I have no updates.
Yokohama FC: Not really dealing with any injuries to their main lineup this weekend.
FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
1. Don’t give up too many FKs near the 18-yard box. Yokohama FC feature two of the best free kick takers in the league with Domingues and now Shinsuke. FC Ryukyu are decent at defending FKs but sometimes come apart after the initial shot is stopped, but not completely cleared from danger.
2. Do not make stupid mistakes on defense. Yokohama has been punishing teams when they commit too many defenders to the attack and/or when a defender makes a rash or ill advised challenge. This allows Yokohama to hit sides on the break and Domingues can really pick apart your scrambling back line. Just play sound football and do not over commit the FC Ryukyu defenders forward.
3. Attack Yokohama FCs flanks with speed. If there are any
weaknesses to this Yokohama side it is their defense is not as tight as some of
the sides above them in the table. They were exposed against JEF, Renofa,
Fukuoka and Tochigi down the sides and this is where FC Ryukyu can benefit.
Uejo and possibly Ramon’s speed may prove the difference.
Match Prediction
Yokohama are very strong side and I think their good form gets the best of this new look FC Ryukyu side 3-1.
Conclusion
I think there is the feeling among many Okinawan’s that this match will feature 3 icons of Japanese football, Shinji Ono, Shinsuke Nakamura and Kazuyosji Miura. First, I hope this really fills out the Tapista as we really need a bump in our attendance levels. Plus, the weather forecast is terrible so I wasn’t expecting a large turnout today anyway. Second, I hope fans are not disappointed if we do not see all 3 of these icons feature in the match as that would require some serious luck and choreography. Miura played 62 minutes and Shinsuke played the entire 90 minutes this mid-week in their Emperors Cup game. Keep in mind that Miura is 52 years old and hasn’t featured in a league game since March with Shinsuke primarily used as a late substitute. Also, Shinji Ono hasn’t featured in any match since March and is likely to either start and be subbed off by half time or come on with about 30 minutes to go in the game. I hope that Yokohama FC dresses their players for the fans but I doubt we see all 3 on the pitch at the same time. Regardless, see you out there and good luck boys.
FC Ryukyu pulled off a come from behind victory this past Saturday night where they clawed back from one goal deficits twice to ultimately secure all 3 points. Despite the brutal weather, the fans spirits and more importantly, that of the team, were lifted with the crucial win at home. It’s no secret that FC Ryukyu have been struggling for points of late in the midst of a losing streak so let’s hope this result turns the corner for the team and they can begin stringing together some positive results.
Match Recap
I am not exaggerating when I say the weather was brutal. There was intermittent rain followed by gusts of wind and then heavier amounts of rain. This cycle continued up to the mid-way point of the second half. FC Ryukyu were controlling a vast majority of possession early on but it was Nagasaki who were getting the better chances. Nagasaki had far more opportunities this match compared to their previous 5 games when it looked like they were willing to sit back and hit teams on the counter. Nagasaki adopted a different approach against Ryukyu and it paid off straight away.
FC Ryukyu conceded a goal from a Nagasaki CK in which the perfectly placed cross made it over the top of the initial wall of FC Ryukyu defenders and allowed Goya to slot home his 14th goal of the season. I was worried that like previous matches for FC Ryukyu, when an opponent scored, there were more goals to follow. To FC Ryukyu’s credit, they responded well by answering the Nagasaki goal with one of their own only 5 minutes later.
The goal came from one of the new FC Ryukyu signings, Koya Kazama. On the goal, Koji passed to Koya who was at the right side of the box. Instead of continuing his run down the right, Koya ran back across the top of the box which really opened up the Nagasaki defense. Koji called for the ball back, and was wide open on net had he received the pass, but Koya opted to shoot with so much of the goal to aim at. His left footed shot ended up in the bottom left corner and FC Ryukyu were on the board.
It was not until the 75th minute when Goya bagged his second goal of the game from a Nagasaki counter that caught the FC Ryukyu defense off guard. Kamekawa of Nagasaki rounded Fukui, on what was some suspect defending, and found acres of space to work a cross into the 6-yard box. Kamekawa sent a perfectly placed, perfectly weighted cross to a wide open of Goya who proceeded to give Nagasaki the 2-1 lead.
FC Ryukyu responded once more with another highlight reel goal from Uejo. This man has had several of these types of goals this season and it is only a matter of time before we see him whisked away to a top-level club. Wada found a streaking Uejo down the right and Uejo sent an absolute rocket past the keeper and into the top left corner. FC Ryukyu were tied with about 5 minutes and stoppage time remaining. Then something miraculously happened, FC Ryukyu scored a third goal.
I say miraculously because FC Ryukyu had only scored a total of 2 goals combined in their 5 previous matches. The goal occurred deep into stoppage time when a 97th minute corner kick from Uesato found its way over the heads of the Nagasaki defenders where Wada was waiting at the back the corner. Wada was guarded but the ball took a fortuitous deflection of the Nagasaki defender who had his back turned to goal and Wada was able to send the shot past the rushing defenders and keeper for the 3-2 lead.
The goal was massive and the home crowd responded in kind. It was great seeing the players celebrate the goal as it proved vital for FC Ryukyu’s standings when so many teams below them produced favorable results as well this weekend.
Man of the Match
Well it would be just plain rude to not award Wada the man of the match since I titled the article based on his massive goal. However, he also provided an assist on the Uejo goal, earned the corner kick that he scored from and therefore is more than deserving of this award. Well done.
Review of the FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory
1. FC Ryukyu to have large amounts of possession. PUSH. They
did early on but so did Nagasaki, Nagasaki did hit FC Ryukyu on the counter but
FC Ryukyu were able to light up the scoreboard, it was often, just not early as
I’d suggested.
2. Take some shots/chances from distance as the Nagasaki goal keeper struggles with these types of shots. PASS, OH MY GOODNESS PASS! Koya’s shot from the top of the box and Uejo’s from just inside the box froze the Nagasaki goal keeper. Yu had a shot from distance that nearly put FC Ryukyu up 2-1 shortly after the Koya goal and Uesato sent a tricky shot from distance where the Nagasaki goal keeper strangely decided to stop it with his knees, despite the distance and time he had to judge the shot. But the icing on the cake, the cherry on top as they say, was the Wada goal from the Uesato cross. The Nagasaki GK made an attempt at clearing the ball and this allowed Wada the time to settle the cross and send the shot home. Had the GK not jumped, he may have been able to get back across the goal mouth and save the Wada shot.
3. FC Ryukyu to score more than 2 goals. PASS. Nothing more to add.
Match Day 27 Takeaways
1. It must be mentioned that the FC Ryukyu victory came at a heavy cost. First, Okazaki was subbed off at half time and we cannot assume it was due to poor performance. This is bad as FC Ryukyu have recently sent Masutani out on loan which means Fukui and Nishikawa are likely starting next week at CB. Nishikawa reminds me a lot of David Luiz in the limited time I’ve seen him play so we’ll reserve judgement for a later time.
Second, Koya Kazama went off injured in the 63rd minute. This is a shame as he was performing really well and the team looked better with him in the lineup. He seemed to injure himself attempting a tackle but did walk off under his own power. He was seen receiving treatment to one of his lower extremities and this could be anything from a rolled ankle, torn ligament or pulled muscle. We will have to wait and see any news of his injury.
Third, Tokumoto’s injury looked the worst when he was rolled up on by a falling Ibarbo early in stoppage time. He immediately clutched his left ankle and looked in obvious pain. He was stretched off and didn’t return. His ankle was caught underneath Ibarbo and turned outward so this could be any level of sprain that could sideline Tokumoto for 3-8 weeks. Hopefully nothing is torn or broken. Plus, we’ll now need a suitable replacement at LB if Fukui indeed needs to switch to CB.
Finally, and most regrettably, FC Ryukyu have sold Koji Suzuki to Cerezo Osaka on a full transfer. 15 goals and 2 assists along with tremendous hold play and total class are gone from the lineup. How will that be replaced?
Conclusion
We will do a transfer wrap up sometime next week after the Yokohama FC match. FC Ryukyu secured a vital win at a huge cost and the remainder of the season will be a very bumpy ride for the team, their fans and this island. Here’s hoping to continued success.
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.
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.
Golden week special #1 will focus on the FC Ryukyu attack, or
better yet, what has happened to the FC Ryukyu attack the past few weeks. We
will examine some possible formation changes and see if FCR has the personnel
to execute any of these proposals.
1. The FC Ryukyu 4-2-3-1.
You are probably accustomed to this formation now even though it has some of its pieces swapped out over the course of the first 11 games. The were only a couple of times this season when we got a glimpse of what could’ve been with this formation. The opening match against Avispa Fukuoka saw the lineup that Higuchi was hoping to run out each week. It featured the starting 11 above and cruised to 3-1 victory. Week 2 against Omiya saw the first change due to a Tomidokoro injury but no one really noticed as Nakagawa and Uejo were on fire that day. We’d eventually get Tomidokoro back into the lineup but not before Nakagawa departed for Yokohama F Marinos. All in all, we had 1, just 1 match this season with the original 11 starting lineup.
In subsequent weeks FCR had to find replacements due to a Nakagawa transfer, injuries to Uejo, Nishioka and Tanaka and the short week match up against JEF that required some much-needed rest for some of the starters. Because of all these factors FCR has only scored 8 goals over the last 8 matches compared to the 9 they scored in the first 3 games of 2019. Higuchi promised to continue the attacking style of play that FCR was so famously known for when he took over this off season, well now he needs to find a way to restore it to its former glory.
The remainder of this article will focus on some of the well-known formations that exist in football as well as those that may not, and how FCR could employ them. A football team cannot simply change their formation at a moment’s notice and expect it to net results right away. This is due in large part to the facts that the manager usually has a preferred style and sets his team up to support that style in addition to having conducted so much on the training ground in the preferred formation. Keep in mind, this is the real world, not FIFA19, you cannot alter formations and starters and drop the difficulty settings to achieve the results you want. Instead, I am proposing that the club to take a hard look at the assets they have on hand, or could possess later, and really think about how to make the FCR attack lethal once more.
2. 3-4-3
Uesato would drop back slightly to support the back 3.
“Using a 3–4–3, the midfielders are expected to split their
time between attacking and defending. Having only three dedicated defenders
means that if the opposing team breaks through the midfield, they will have a
greater chance to score than with a more conventional defensive configuration,
such as 4–5–1 or 4–4–2. However, the three forwards allow for a greater
concentration on attack. This formation is used by more offensive-minded teams.”
Straight out of Wikipedia and sounds exactly like FCR. We rarely keep clean
sheets so there should be little concern about conceding as it seems every team
has been attacking our original 4-2-3-1.
I think FCR could set up with a back 3 of Fukui, Okazaki and Masutani. The MF would consist of Tokumoto on the left, Uesato slightly deeper as a holding MF, Uejo pushed slightly forward to control the attack and finally a player like Koizumi out wide to the right. Up front would see Tomidokoro, Suzuki and Tanaka. Tokumoto and Koizumi would bear the most responsibility when it comes to back tracking and assisting in defense but this seems logical as Tokumoto already plays in an RWB role in the current formation and Koizumi has not had a lot of playing time this season so his legs should be fresh. It is unrealistic to ask the skill players of Tanaka and Tomidokoro to take on the task that Tokumoto and Koizumi will play and Uejo has just become a full 90-minute match fit this past weekend. Since FCR conducts so much of their attack down the flanks anyways, we could run Tokumoto and Koizumi ragged for about 60-75 minutes before bringing on Kawaii, Nishioka or Ochi to keep the attack fresh. There are several variations to this formation that FCR could tinker with but I believe FCR should only bring a player like Kawai on later in matches so we can maximize his speed.
A more traditional 3-4-3 set up. Tanaka drops back to provide service to the attacking players. Koizumi comes in as RWB/RMF to provide a spark.
3. 3-3-2-2
Putting some serious thrust forward.
I have not seen much out there on this set up so I am not
sure of all the nuances for players responsibilities but from the small visual representation
here, it seems FCR would have to be very careful with possession in order to
prevent too many counter attacks. Also, this formation may already exist under
a different numbering system but boy do I like the way it forces FCR to lean
into the attack.
I believe FCR would need to start with the speedy players and
then alter or change their set up later in the match. This formation seems to
send the message that you want to get out in front quickly in order to build a
lead and then continue pounding the net until the players are exhausted.
I think in this formation we’d ask our back line to hold
their positions and for players like Kawai and Tokumoto to “pinch” into the
Central Mid Field areas when defending.
4. 3-4-1-2
This formation may see Tomidokoro providing better crosses/passes into the 18-yard box.
“3–4–1–2 is a variant of 3–5–2 where the wingers are more withdrawn in favor of one of the central midfielders being pushed further up field into the “number 10” play maker position.” Wikipedia again with this quote.
The last two formations have seen FCR put an additional forward up front to provide some relief to Suzuki. There is no doubt he is outstanding at the holdup play but someone needs to be making dangerous runs into the box so Suzuki can start finding open space in which to operate. By dropping Tomidokoro a little bit farther back I think FCR gains a play-maker that can put some very dangerous crosses and passes into the box.
5. 3-2-3-2
If FCR wanted to get out on the front foot quickly.
In this set up FCR would sacrifice some of the speed required for defending in order to put maximum pressure on the opposing defense. We would deplete the energy levels of Uejo and Tokumoto rather quickly as they’d have so much to do when tracking back on defense but this puts all of the FCR play makers forward in the attack.
6. 3-1-4-2
Allow some space for Suzuki and Uejo to run into.
Assuming we could cover and prevent all counter attacks with a back 3 and Uesato over top, FCR could play to its strengths by attacking from the flanks. By dropping Suzuki and Uejo back slightly from the more forward wingers in Tomidokoro and Tanaka, we may see better service into the box for our attackers. As evidenced by this past weekend, when Tomidokoro has time to pick out players in the box he can deliver and this formation will push him and Tanaka slightly wider to provide a little more precise crosses to Suzuki and Uejo.
The other option would be to swap Suzuki and Uejo out wide to where Tomidokoro and Tanaka were at in the previous formation. We know how lethal Tomidokoro and Tanaka are and this may free up some space for Suzuki and Uejo to create some mismatches running laterally into the box.
Allow Suzuki and Uejo to attack the 18-yard box from the flanks.
7. 3-2-2-3
That;s a lot of firepower orientated forward.
FCR would be asking Kawai and Koizumi to track back on
defense while allowing Tomidokoro to pick out the runs made by Tanaka, Uejo and
Suzuki up front. Assumption would be that Uesato still provides top cover to
the back 3 and doesn’t get sucked into the attack without recovering back on
defense.
8. 2-1-4-3
End of the match and FCR need an equalizer or the all important winner.
This formation is probably best reserved for some serious last-ditch efforts on net instead of how you want to start the match. 5 attackers are really 7 with the support provided by Tokumoto and Kawai down the flanks. Those two would need fresh legs to support all the defensive back tracking requirements so again this is probably best left to the end of matches when chasing an equalizer or winner. With that said, there are 5 of the best FCR players up front who can score from anywhere.
It was great experimenting with some of the formations FCR could employ with their current squad and I want to leave you all with one more. This one requires a transfer fee to be paid, contract to be signed and for those funds to be available.
So please bear with me as we travel down this fantasy path.
9. Defending set pieces with a player that has serious height.
Joao Gabriel is an interesting player for SC Sagamihara. He has all the traits you look for in an outfield player but if we think bigger than that, we see a player that can help see out tough match ups as well as provide chances at equalizing games or winning them very late. Keep in mind, Gabriel is not a direct replacement for either Suzuki or Wada, rather, he is there to provide a certain skill set that FCR desperately requires. It is obvious a lot of our matches will come to last minute equalizers, winners and losing goals so this guy could either prevent or provide those required services.
Imagine what it would be like defending corners or set pieces late with Joao’s presence. Suzuki could drop back into a counter attacking position,and since he is one of our best finishers, he should be the one getting on the end of counter attacks instead of having to start all of them.
Nothing like a little height at the back that can feast on high crosses sand clear them out of danger.
10. Set pieces late in games with the same player.
Instead of having to be pinpoint accurate with all the crosses coming into the box, FCR just has to be in the “general area.” What I mean by that analogy is that there is a lot more forgiveness in the errors of the cross if it is too high or off target with a player of Joao’s height roaming the area. FCR could be more inclined to send crosses into the box at higher elevations vice trying to maneuver into the box and attempt one more pass that may prove to be one more pass too many and derails our attack.
Set piece delivery from Tomidokoro or Uesato, That front line looks menacing to defend with Joao’s height up there. Could prove difficult for teams to defend late in games and gives FCR a chance to equalize or win late.
Again, this was enjoyable but I don’t know if any changes will occur down here in Okinawa to revitalize our attack. Until the next time, enjoy your Golden Week.
ryukyuarmy.com 