2019

Intro

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 76^th minute. Fukuoka were unlucky in that they hit the post twice earlier in the match and a possible 3^rd 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.

“Ain’t No Cure for the Summertime Blues” Match Day 16 Recap: Yokohama F.C. 2-1 FC Ryukyu

This is a very tough recap to write based on a couple of factors. 1. FCR should’ve and could’ve won this match. Yes, shoulda, woulda coulda, didn’t applies here. 2. FCR lost one of their best players, Danny Carvajal, at a crucial part of the season. To all of you who faithfully click on the link and read this blog each week, thank you, I appreciate all of you and please bear with me during these troubling times.

First Half

FCR and Yokohama both started out very sluggish. This was to be expected from Yokohama – as I eluded to in the Match Day Preview – but was unexpected from FC Ryukyu. FCR have usually started matches on the front foot and this was key to FCR bringing home the points. However, FCR couldn’t get going or get that all important 1^st half goal. The best chance FCR had was from a corner kick in the 14^th minute, and I must admit, it was pleasing to watch FCR inject some creativity into their set pieces. The CK was crafty in that the person chosen to take the shot was Uestao, who, was outside the normal line of attackers and had to make a nice play on the ball to get into a shooting lane. It was unfortunate that he couldn’t score as this would’ve proved the difference on the day. His shot was just inches wide and FCR would go into half time 0-0.

Would’ve proved to be the difference maker had this gone in.

Now, neither team looked up for the match and this was worrying because FCR should be considered as a “fast stating team” whereas Yokohama are more of a second half team. We have seen how FCR comes out very slow during the initial parts of the 2^nd half and I was very concerned for us moving forward without a goal. I was also concerned that FCR threw so much at the attack that they were exposed down the right flank for much of the first half. It seemed as if Yokohama was making these great runs and opening up the FCR defense but in reality, we left ourselves wide open for this because of the over commitment in the attack.

Second Half

The back and forth play continued for much of the second half until, Koji Suzuki broke the dead lock in the 67th minute. It was a beautiful take as he moved effortlessly across the top of the Yokohama FC box and delivered an absolute gem of a strike into the top corner of the goal to give FCR the 1-0 advantage.

Absolute Heat Seeking Missile Strike by Koji, what a stud player!

I will do my best not sound dejected or one sided from here on out but things turned very ugly for FCR after this moment.

For a brief period of time I though that FCR could end this horrible run of road performances with that Koji goal. Then fate stepped in, as it does on occasion, to bring all the FCR faithful back down to reality.

For those new to the blog or following FCR I’ll cast a wide net here and say that there are 2 MVP performers on the squad, Koji Suzuki and Danny Carvajal. Both of them are the heart and soul of this squad and are the main reasons why FC Ryukyu sit 9^th in the table instead of 21^st. To lose either one to injury or transfer would be catastrophic and what I am about to espouse applies to the latter.

In the 70th minute, Danny Carvajal, the FCR stalwart, suffered what looks to be a moderate Grade 2 ankle sprain. He landed awkwardly during a save on a set piece, his foot bent inward and he rolled the ankle inward luckily. You may ask, luckily? And I’d answer, yes! As someone who plays Fantasy Football (NFL) at a very high level, I can tell you it was reassuring that Danny didn’t roll the ankle the opposite direction for the dreaded “high ankle sprain” that would keep him out for an extended period of time and possibly require surgery. There is no doubt that Danny will miss time as the injury required a substitution and he could be seen grimacing while putting weight on the ankle but it probably isn’t season ending so we all should be relived.

It also should be noted that Danny carried on during the run of play, while injured, to make a crucial save to keep FCR in the lead when he could have easily fell to the floor. People use the term bravery far too often but it is warranted in the case of Danny this past week. What a warrior.

Danny C on one leg making a crucial save. In combat this type of valor is awarded with medals, but in football, it may go unnoticed. Not fair.

Let me add this narrative: The Yokohama FC fans were absolutely classless in their derision of Danny as he tried to continue on and assess the injury, yet, they were more than happy to cheer Ibba’s time wasting in extra time (for which the ref never added any extra time). I’ll remember this Yokohama. It will not be pleasant for you or your fans when you visit Okinawa in August, I promise you.

A master class in time wasting: 1 minute and 23 seconds of pure BS. Left to right clockwise. 1. Flops to floor. 2. Needs the stretcher. 3. Cheating is fun kids. 4. A Divine intervention has miraculously healed Ibba and he no longer needs the stretcher. 5. Total time wasted after walking off the pitch. 6. Coach thanks him for the courageous effort and somehow the injury that required a substitution has healed itself!

So back to the matter at hand. If you are like me and have played or watched sports for a majority of your life, then you’ll understand the next sentence. How many times have you seen a situation where a key player gets injured, cannot continue, and then suddenly the momentum shifts to the opposing side and they suddenly take control of the game? I had this sentiment as soon as Ishii stepped on the pitch for the injured Carvajal. I pleaded, to the television, that FC Ryukyu should also sub in an extra defender to provide some cover for the GK who was “hoping out of the frying pan and into the oven.”

They did not and Yokohama quickly took advantage of the situation and grabbed the lead from an Ibba brace. Ibba’s first was after a deflection from a Domigues shot and Ishii cannot really be blamed for this because he did well to get to the shot. Ibba’s second should be attributed to lazy, lackluster defending that saw Masutani getting overpowered by Ibba. I stated in the preview that if FCR could control Ibba then they would have a chance at victory. FCR did up to a point and then switched off. FCR really never threatened the Yokohama goal during the remaining 15 minutes and the match ended 2-1.

There was a glimmer of hope that the FCR would be awarded a Pk but the ref, incorrectly, failed to award the PK which would’ve changed the outcome of this match.

1. Referee is too far from play to see foul and does’t consult with assistant referee who clearly sees the foul. 2. Suzuki has the advantage. 3. Yokohoma defender steps in front, doesn’t touch the ball, impedes and upends Suzuki for a clear foul in the box. 4. Defender insinuates “no contact” despite the ball never changing direction or speed. Clear foul missed by another inept J2 officiating crew.

Match Takeaways

1. This point hurts the most. I said the X Factor was going to be Danny Carvajal and I was correct. Unfortunately, he was injured and the team simply collapsed after that to a 2-1 loss.

2. FC Ryukyu failed to start fast and they couldn’t grab the lead in the first half. Neither team looked interested in playing a football match this weakened and yet, Yokohama was just asking to be scored upon early. FCR came close but this is a game of inches (centimeters) and FCR has had no luck in that department lately. Hopefully this will change when it matters most but for now this side has been unlucky on the road and hasn’t caught any breaks.

3. Allowing Yokohama to quickly exploit Ishii shows immaturity on the part of the defense and coaching staff. Everyone on FCR should be held accountable for this. You knew Yokohama were going to do all they could to attack the Ryukyu goal with an inexperienced keeper and yet no one on the team did anything to prevent the inevitable. That is inexcusable and is grounds for a counseling by senior staff and management. 2 goals within 3 minutes of Danny’s substitution is amateur, and FC Ryukyu is not an amateur team. The defense went missing at a crucial time and left the GK exposed, as they’ve done too often this year to be honest, and they paid the price with 2 goals and a loss.

4. After reviewing the highlights several times, I think there is something there with Ishii. Either he makes routine saves look spectacular or he is spectacular. Time will tell, I guess, but we all could use some unexpected performances from our reserve keeper in these uncertain times.

TRANSLATION: ‘We executed my game plan flawlessly. We waited for an injury to a key player and a blatant no foul call to pounce on our opponents and earn a victory.” ” I had no idea how to defeat FC Ryukyu and wish to thank the Referees who allowed us to win this crucial match.”

Conclusion

FC Ryukyu move on to a brutal run of fixtures at less than 100%. I cannot sugar coat this in any way, if we grab 5 points from now until the end of July, FCR will have a chance to stay in the J2. It is about to get real ugly folks. A FC Ryukyu attack that lacks any venom and an injured Carvajal is a recipe for disaster so please prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

“Summertime Blues” Match Day 16 Preview: Yokohama F.C. vs. FC Ryukyu 6/2/2019

Match Day 16 Preview: (H) Yokohama F.C. vs. FC Ryukyu (A) at the NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium, 6/2/2019 Kickoff at 1400.

Weather Forecast: Cloudy all day with temperatures in the mid-70s all game (24C) with only a 5% chance of rain.

Interesting history about the club can be found at the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yokohama_FC

FC Ryukyu are on the road this week traveling to Tokyo to take on Yokohama F.C. who currently sit 13^th in the J2 standings. FC Ryukyu are coming off a 2-1 win over Niigata this past weekend behind goals from Yu Tomidokoro and Shinya Uehara while Yokohama are reeling from a 2-1 road loss to Kofu. This is third time in as many matches that FC Ryukyu will play a side, that on paper, looks evenly matched with FC Ryukyu. This will be a tough test for FC Ryukyu as their away form has been quite poor this season and the side needs to start earning some positive results away from home quickly.

Yokohama F.C. 13^th in J2 with 18 points, 5W3D7L GF16 GA18 GD -2

Current Form: DLDWL Home Record, 2W3D2L, Home Scoring Record GF9 GA10 GD -1

Record Against Common Opponents of FC Ryukyu: 4W3D3L GF13 GA11 GD +2

Yokohama vs Top 11 in J2: 0W1D6L GF3 GA11 GD-8: vs Bottom 11: 5W2D1L GF13 GA7 GD+6

Typical Formation: 4-4-2

Yokohama F.C. seem to have settled on a starting 11 in the form of 4-4-2 after a brief trial of 3-4-3 against Zelvia a few weeks back. Yokohama have the ability to start two very tall FWs in Ibba and Toshima but are opting to bring Toshima on as a sub later in matches. Yokohama could also be dealing with an injury to one of their key Mid Fielders in Domingues as he hasn’t featured in any of Yokoahama’s last two matches as either a starter or reserve.

The first match I reviewed was against Kyoto where Yokohama were hammered 3-1 at home. The defending was woeful and the team looked sluggish in the match. It was this game that prompted a change in formation the following week against Zelvia but Yokohama were unable to achieve victory and had to settle for a draw, thanks in large part to a Zelvia own goal. Yokohama reverted back to a 4-4-2 the following week against Kagoshima and that lineup didn’t change against Kofu the next week.

Ibba really dominated the Kagoshima match as his two goals proved to be the difference on the day. Yokohama were unable to replicate that performance against Kagoshima the following week against Kofu where they were defeated 2-1. Ibba added his 6^th goal of the season but the Yokohama defense let the team down once again.

Yokohama F.C. Players to Watch

Left to Right: Ibba, Toshima & Domingues

#10 Ibba FW. This guy is a handful and is in good form right now having scored 3 goals in the past two matches. He has also added 2 assists this season. Ibba will definitely be a stiff test for the Ryukyu defense as he can use his height and power to his advantage over the smaller Ryukyu defenders. Ibba also moves really well in side the 18-yard box and creates space for him to get on the end of crosses.

#9 Akira Toshima FW. Second leading goal scorer for Yokohama and has one assist on the season. He is another tall striker that Yokohma could employ but he doesn’t move as well as Ibba.

#40 Domingues MF. He seemed to be one of Yokohama’s better playmakers but he may have picked up an injury a few weeks ago. If he plays, he will likely start down the right.

#11 Kazuyoshi Miura FW. How could we talk about Yokohama F.C. without mentioning the oldest player to have ever scored a professional goal and possibly the oldest player at any competitive level in the world. The 52-year-old hasn’t featured in a match since April 7^th but it would be a treat for those FCR fans who are traveling to Yokohama this week to see him play. Let’s hope he doesn’t score against us if he does play.

Expected Starting 11 for both sides this weekend.

FC Ryukyu: 9^th in J2 with 23 points, 6W5D4L GF21 GA17 GD+4

Current Form: DLWLW, Away Record 1W2D4L, Away Scoring Record GF7 GA10 GD -3

Record Against Common Opponents of Yokohama FC: 4W3D3L GF15 GA12 GD+3

FCR vs Bottom 11 in J2 4W2D3L GF13 GA10 GD+3: FCR vs Top 11 2W3D1L GF8 GA7 GD+1

Typical Formation: 4-2-3-1

FC Ryukyu’s recent road form has been poor the past 5 weeks. FCR has only earned one point in their last 5 road matches and that was way back in April against Tokyo Verdy when Uesato netted a late equalizer. During FC Ryukyu’s past 5 road matches they have also conceded 6 times, scored only twice and been shutout 3 times. These road games did not come against superior opponents mind you as FCR lost to Kagoshima and F.C. Gifu during that stretch, two teams that are at the bottom of the table. FC Ryukyu’s last road win was their first road game of the season way back on Match Day 2 against Omiya.

Now for some encouraging news. FC Ryukyu have won 2 of their last 3 matches and finally broke through to score two goals in a match, something they hadn’t done since Match Day 6 against Renofa. FC Ryukyu have also settled on a lineup that sees Kazama playing the CAM role with Komatsu dropping to a central mid field role. In that last match against Niigata, Tomidokoro netted his second goal of the season and his first from a set piece. This is very important for FCR as they were lacking creativity from set pieces and having Yu deliver quality shots and crosses from set pieces is vital to this team’s success. It was also encouraging to see FC Ryukyu bring on Uehara late the past two games to add a bit of veteran leadership and height to the attack.

FC Ryukyu do a have a positive record against teams in the bottom half of the table whereas Yokohama have been dreadful against those teams in the top half of the J2 table. Yokohama have a negative goal differential against top half teams (-8) and have only managed 1 draw in 7 matches. FCR on the other hand have earned 14 points with a positive goal scoring record of +3 in their 9 matches against bottom 11 teams. There is one major point that needs to be made with these statistics, FCRs losses against bottom half teams have all occurred on the road and they were against teams that were at the very bottom of the table at the time of those matches (Chiba, Kagoshima & Gifu). Ryukyu really needs to shake off their horrible road form of late and grab all 3 points against an inferior opponent before a very rough stretch of games in June and the packed schedule of July.

FC Ryukyu Keys to Victory

1.) Start fast and get out in front of Yokohama F.C. quickly. Yokohama have conceded the first goal of a match 11 times this season and 8 of those came in the first half of games. This is a staggering stat that indicates that Yokohama are slow starters and can be put to the sword early if FC Ryukyu can attack them with speed and crisp passes.

2.) Attack the back line of Yokohama FC. Yokohama’s defending has been awful the last few matches and they can be ripped apart at the back with good runs and passes. Yokohama suffer from the same lack of concentration affliction that FCR succumbs to from time to time and allows opponents to score. The Yokohama defenders will make poor decisions at the back by failing to marking runs by opposing players, misjudging crosses and clearing balls from their own end. FCR should press the Yokohama defenders when they have the ball and make quick passes within the 18-yard box to create space and shooting lanes for the attacking Ryukyu players. A quick pass back to the top of the box from Tokumoto, Nishioka or Suzuki to a waiting Yu, Tanaka or Kazama could produce some very nice results.

3.) Mark and isolate Ibba. As with all tall, powerful strikers I’ve written about in the past, Ibba will be a handful for the FCR defense tomorrow. Okazaki must mark him on all set pieces and if Masutani draws the short straw to mark Ibba, no pun intended, then he needs to use his quickness and low center of gravity to gain the positional advantage over Ibba. If both Ibba and Toshima are in the match at the same time then Nishioka may need to provide some support to Masutani. Ibba is in good form right now and by taking him out of the match you remove Yokohama’s best goal scoring option.

4.) Do not concede too many Free Kicks and Corner Kicks. I have stated on many occasions that a tall striker provides a very nice option in the attack because the player providing the service doesn’t need to be pinpoint accurate with his cross because the tall striker can rise above most defenders and get on the end of the pass. This is easier said than done as FCR concedes a lot of FKs and CKs during their matches. While CKs may be inevitable, cheap fouls around the Ryukyu 18-yard box need to be kept to a minimum to ensure Ibba doesn’t use his height against us. It should also be noted that Ibba can take a nice FK as well.

Match Prediction

I see both teams scoring and FC Ryukyu slightly edging out Yokohama F.C. 2-1 for their second road win of the season.

Conclusion

This will be a close, tense, back and forth match that will see both sides having good chances on net. The X factor is that FCR has one of the best, if not the best GK, in J2 this season in Danny Carvajal. If FCR can carry a 2-goal advantage into half time and prevent the bombardment of Carvajal’s net in the second half, then Ryukyu could walk away with all 3 points this weekend.

Victory over Yokohama is key for FCR as this is the 10^th time this season that they have faced an opponent in the bottom half of the table. With 4 matches against Kanazawa, Kyoto, Kofu and Nagasaki on the horizon, all of which are teams jockeying for position within the top 6 positions of the J2 table, these are 3 vital points for FCR this weekend. FCR certainly want to avoid starting a 5-game losing skid as points will be at a premium this month against much tougher opponents.

I hope we get an appearance from two former FC Ryukyu players in Park and Nakagawa on Sunday since Yokohama F Marinos wrapped up their J1 game this week with a 2-1 victory of Shonan last night and the Ryukyu match is right in their backyard. It would be great for them to say hi to the FC Ryukyu fans who attend the match and I am going to be slightly jealous of you all if they do make an appearance.

Good luck and Come on Lads!!!!!

Stadium Hopping in Japan: 3 matches in 4 days!

It has been an enjoyable past few days where I got to experience different football stadiums throughout Japan. While I have only visited four stadiums outside of Okinawa, each one has been a great experience that has created lasting memories. In this entry I will cover the Shiranami Stadium where Kagoshima United FC play, the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium for Kawasaki Frontale and finally the NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium where I witnessed Yokohama F Marinos play a recent Levain Cup match.

Also, please see the excellent blog by Lost In Football, lostinfootballjapan.com (@LiFJapan) for more reading on visiting stadiums throughout Japan. These are very good reads for someone who has’t attend a match outside of their home stadium.

Outside the main entrance at Kagoshima’s Shiranami Stadium.

I think the Shiranami stadium has one of the best backdrops in all of football. Sakurajima, an active volcano here in Japan, sits directly behind the stadium and when you are watching Kagoshima on DAZN it is readily visible, or if you are in attendance, you can get a great photo of Sakurajima in the background.

There are many similarities between the way Kagoshima and FC Ryukyu set up the outsides and insides of their respective stadiums. I suppose that makes sense since both are newly promoted teams with smaller operating budgets compared to the more seasoned clubs of J1 & J2. For instance, there are a large number of food vendors contained to one side of the stadium, usually the main entrance, and limited vendors inside the grounds. FC Ryukyu does have a food and beverage vendor inside the A Section of their stadium that services both home and away fans, but the Shiranami stadium does not. This made it cumbersome when wanting to grab water, soda, beer or food on that hot day because you were forced, as an away fan, to walk a great distance to the vendors away from your entry gate. There was also the issue that there was no hand soap in the bathrooms at the stadium. This is something that I’ve brought to the attention of FC Ryukyu since it is a minor health issue when there are food vendors using those facilities and not washing their hands and then proceed to serve food items.

Inside the stadium we were greeted with some nice local Shochu samples and a very raucous home support section. Shiranami stadium is another one of those track & field/football pitch combinations but the high vantage point we had in the away section provided a nice view. It was really hot during the match and I assume like FC Ryukyu, Kagoshima will be playing their matches during the summer months at much later start times. If not, that could make for a difficult atmosphere for visiting teams not accustomed to such heat. Even though FC Ryukyu lost 1-0, it was a great experience overall and one I look forward to attending in the future.

View from the away team supporter section at Kagoshima.

The next match I was able to attend was the Asian Champions League Group Stage match between Kawasaki Frontale and Ulsan during the mid-week. Ulsan was the last team I got to see in this competition last year when I traveled to their stadium and saw them play Shanghai SIPG. The scenes surrounding the Todoroki Stadium was great as there were flags flying off of light poles and nearly everyone was dressed in the Blue and Black of Kawasaki. I bought this ticket directly from the J League website and it was actually quite easy. There was a little information you are required to fill out but they accept foreign credit cards and the ticket was waiting for me at the Will Call.

View looking back from the way I walked to the stadium. Food and Drink vendors. Nagasaki pork burger was great!

View as I walk to Will Call to pick up ticket outside the Kawasaki Stadium.

It was a little tough navigating where my seat was since I had never been to this stadium, but unlike most stadiums where there was open seating, this time you were assigned an actual seat number. A gentleman was kind enough to direct me to my seat and it was ideally situated between the home supporters’ section and the back of the goal. The people sitting in my vicinity were great, and especially more so after I showed them some of the pictures of me in all my FC Ryukyu regalia, and they enjoyed the fact that I had traveled so far to support their club.

The game was awesome for a neutral as there were 3 first half goals followed by some late game drama that saw Kawasaki end the match with a draw. Ultimately it may have knocked them out of the ACL and that’s a shame since they are the current champions of Japan.

The sights and sounds emanating from the supporter’s section were top notch. I heard many of the same songs that the FC Ryukyu supporter section sings during a match and when there are so many voices singing loudly in unison it really enhances the overall atmosphere. Since this was the first time that I’ve seen a J1 Team in the flesh, it will be very hard for me not to keep an eye on their standing and highlights for the remainder of my time here in Japan.

I concluded my 3^rd match in 4 days with the Levain Cup Group Stage Match between Yokoham F Marinos and Shonan Bellmare at the NHK Spring Mitsuzawa Football Stadium. This was not the main ground that Yokohoma play in and I wonder if its by design since mid-week matches maybe more sparsely attended than those on the weekend. Therefore, if you have less seats to fill, the stadium looks fuller. Only 5,100 people attended this game but the stadium felt full. Navigating to the stadium proved a bit troublesome for me and is something I feel needs to be fixed prior to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. I am unfamiliar with the Japanese rail and bus system and there were times where I was confused on where to go and how to avoid major delays. The last leg included taking a bus and it was the most difficult part, because unlike the trains that were listed on Google by platform, I had no idea what line to stand in to grab the numbered bus I needed to get to the grounds. It was just by chance that a bus pulled up that was heading directly to the stadium and I made it just in time for kickoff.

I also purchased this ticket via the J League website and unlike the ACL match where I had to pick the ticket up, this was delivered electronically as a “QR” code to my phone. However, it didn’t indicate which entrance I needed so I wasted a little time “gate hopping” until I found the right one. Again, if you’re more familiar with the stadium and seating then this may not be the case, but for the neutral outsider whose only language is English, it was slightly challenging.

I could not have asked for a better seat though as I was only 3 rows up from the pitch and this smaller venue was not a track & field/ football pitch combination. I really love that feeling of being so close to the action and though there wasn’t a ton of space between each seat, it was a spectacular view. The Yokohoma support section was in full voice throughout the match and they sounded great. Shonan also had a large contingent of supporters show up and it was great to watch the match inside the match between each supporters’ section. Whenever Shonan could be heard, usually during a break in the signing of Yokohama, or when there was a break in the match, the Yokohama supporters would immediately spring into action and break out in song so as to drown out the noise emanating from the other supporters.

Shonan Bellmare supporters showing up in full force for a little local derby.

The match was special for me as well as I was hoping to catch a glimpse of both Park and Nakagawa, former FC Ryukyu players now with Yokohama, but neither appeared in the match. Park is out with a nasty injury to his orbital bone and Nakagawa was an unused substitute on the day. I thought there were going to be more goals as neither teams’ defense looked particularly effective yet most of the chances that either side created were wasted on the day. Marinos did pull out the victory after they converted a saved PK but it wasn’t the goal fest I was hoping to see.

I did get to see Nakagawa and give him a shout, that included FC Ryukyu being mixed in, and he smiled, waved and went about his business. It was nice to see the tradition of Marinos fans where they raise some umbrellas after the team wins and sing some song that I am unfamiliar with. The people sitting around me must’ve wondered what the hell I was doing but I didn’t really care. Those same people were friendly throughout the match and very gracious in allowing a large American to move past them to his seat. I really loved the small stadium as well as the proximity of the fans to the pitch. I really hope that this is what FC Ryukyu is planning for their new stadium in Naha in the future. A 15,000-seat stadium with no track would be so welcoming and ideal for the club.

Former FC Ryukyu man, Nakagawa. You can see one of the umbrellas carried by the players after the match.

There are not too many negative things I can say about any of the stadiums I visited this past week outside of the lack of hand soap at both Kagoshima and Yokohama. But after using the public transit system restrooms during my travels, I see this is a systemic problem out here. I would also add, that at no time as an away fan, did I ever feel threatened or concerned for my safety during the match. This speaks highly of the Japanese people as there is absolutely no place in football for violence among the fans inside, outside or surrounding the stadium. The fact that most home fans are glad to see away supporters show up, especially from great distances like Okinawa, is why I try to reciprocate the same inviting and welcoming experience when I see away fans visit Okinawa.

I would encourage anyone as both a supporter of a J league side or as a neutral to attend a match away from your home stadium. It is great to see a game in another town as well as experience a little bit of the culture depending on the time you allotted. I hope to get to a few more matches this year and will certainly write about my experiences and provide some photographs.