Tag: Yong Jick

FC Ryukyu vs Tokushima Vortis #FC琉球

Intro

It seems that no amount of goals scored by Ryukyu are enough to protect any lead. Ryukyu once again surrendered a late goal that led to another draw at home with points dropped in an extremely tight relegation battle. Not even the usual, momentum shifting, goal right before halftime was enough to carry us over the line. There are just twenty three (23) games remaining this season and Ryukyu will almost need to take 25 points from those matches if they hope to survive.

Match Highlights

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Execute shots from distance, pepper Vortis with crosses into the box, and for god’s sake, score from a set piece. Likelihood 1. We did and we still didn’t win. The set piece was a PK but both shots from Nakano and Tomidokoro were from distance. It was so great to finally see goals of that quality scored in front of the Ryukyu supporters section and just a shame they were wasted in another draw.

Match Day 19 Takeaways

1. Ryukyu played one of their best games of the season and it still wasn’t enough to get the win. This game was a six-goal thriller with a little bit of everything that included multiple PKs and four nice goals during the run of play. The match was evenly contested by both sides with each team having really good looks on goal. There were also some good player battles between Shinya Uehara and Caca, as well as Keita Tanaka and Kazuki Nishiya. In the opening half, Vortis looked more lethal with their shots on net, but Ryukyu were controlling large portions of play and knocking on the door. After trading PKs in the first half, Ryukyu, for the first time in a long time, were playing some spirited football in the opening twenty minutes of the second half.

Ryukyu were rewarded with a spectacular goal from Nakano on the edge of the 18-yard box. Ryukyu followed this up with three close calls on net (Tanaka, Uehara, Kanai) but failed to push the lead to two goals before Vortis equalized in the 85′ minute. But then out of nowhere, Yu Tomidokoro sent an absolute screamer from about 25-yards out into the top corner of the net to once again give Ryukyu the lead. Unfortunately, and so indicative for how the season is going for Ryukyu, they surrendered a goal from a CK on the very last play of the game.

Ryukyu have been extremely poor when it comes to defending, and scoring, from CKs this season which shows us that they haven’t learned much during their time in the J2. It isn’t a matter of defenders not defending, but rather midfielders defending set pieces. Poor Yu, the hero just moments earlier, was caught in no man’s land on the last shot and didn’t know whether to track a runner on the outside or the man directly in front of him who found the space to score. Probably something that stems from the multiple set piece goals conceded by Ryukyu this season were opposing players are constantly getting free near our defensive lines. Heartbreaking for the fans in attendance.

2. Another injury to deal with. Ryukyu finally put out a lineup that seemed to work and work well but Lee Yong Jick, who was having an off night thanks to a foul leading to a PK, was carted off in the 80th minute following a kick to his lower right leg/ankle in the 77th minute. He carried on for a bit but it seemed he was in too much pain to see out the match. No coincidence that Ryukyu conceded a goal a few minutes later and hopefully it is nothing more than a knock that will just be sore for a few days. In the mean time it is back to the drawing board to figure out another lineup. If Yong Jick is set to miss anytime, that leaves with just one healthy CB on the roster, Omori, which could force Makito Uehara, or never used Yusuke Murase into the lineup. Not what we need right now despite the owner promising some offensive reinforcements when the transfer window opens up on July 15th.

3. When results wane, anger and focus shifts to external factors that seem to be acting against you. Ryukyu have found themselves at the mercy of the referee in three consecutive matches. First, they were not allowed to execute a CK at the end of the Kofu match. Second, the blatant handball no-call at Omiya near the end of that game. And lastly, the Vortis CK after the 5 minutes of allotted time had expired. Sure, had anything other than a Vortis players scoring would’ve probably drawn the whistle, but luck is not on our side right now. If we can’t even catch a few breaks along the way, I am not sure we will be able to stave off relegation. Just some consistency from the leagues referee’s would be a welcome sign.

Round 19 in J2

FC Ryukyu got the help they needed from teams at the top of the table, but Tokyo Verdy couldn’t get past Omiya Ardija, who looked the far better side in the second half of that game and should’ve won. Albirex Niigata continued their push for promotion but handing Montedio Yamagata their first loss in nine (9) matches. Lastly, Zweigen kept Morioka at the foot of the table with winner in the 80th minute.

Conclusion

More injuries and questions but the same amount of concern and frustration. It must feel as if the weight of the entire world is on the shoulders of everyone at the club and since we haven’t exactly put ourselves in a position to succeed this year, we are leaving it very late for a miracle. Enter the Emperors Cup match with Omiya on Wednesday. Not sure who is going to play with our current injury crisis, players out on international duty and no news from the club on the status of some of our players. Just what we needed.

(21) Omiya Ardija vs (20) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Let’s get it on! Ryukyu play their second match against a team near the bottom of the table this month and it a massive 6-pointer with Omiya Ardija. FC Ryukyu have only lost once in their last six (6) games while riding a three (3) game unbeaten streak. Omiya have failed to win in their last four (4) games while suffering consecutive defeats to Iwate and Sendai the past week. These are the type of games that Ryukyu need to win and neither side wants to leave this match without all three (3) points. The match might not have the shine of the games between teams at the top of the table, but it will have its own type of fireworks for us to enjoy.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

Cool and breezy with the slightest chances of rain. But then again, I’ve been wrong before.

Click>>>> Match Day 18 Information from Omiya Ardija

Team Previews

Omiya Ardija: Omiya have been inside the relegation zone around the same amount of time as Ryukyu. They didn’t earn their first win of 2022 until Match Day 9, then experienced a bit of bump in performance when they went four (4) games undefeated (2 wins and 2 draws), before losing two (2) games in a row. Omiya has also been hit hard by the injury bug this year as they’ve lost both of their top two goalies in Yuta Minami (Achilles Tendon Rupture) and Tomoki Ueda (Patellar Tendon Rupture) for the season, and most recently FWD Seiya Nakano (hamstring). This has thrust Ko Shimura, on loan from Giravanz Kitakyushu, into the starting role where he has already conceded five (5) goals in two games.

Omiya won once, drew twice, and lost twice in their last five (5) matches. The 2-1 victory at Zweigen Kanazawa pulled Omiya out of the relegation zone for the first time since Match Day 4, which was further aided by the draws the following rounds at Tochigi and Nagasaki, but found themselves in familiar territory once again with consecutive home losses to fellow relegation team Iwate and most recently Sendai. The Iwate match was a rescheduled game due to CV-19 in which Omiya actually played three (3) consecutive matches on the road prior to Iwate and Sendai followed by what will now be three (3) consecutive home matches ending with Ryukyu.

The schedule doesn’t get much easier for Omiya moving forward as they will play Tokyo Verdy after the Ryukyu match and then play their sixth game in under three (3) weeks when they travel to Okinawa to play FC Ryukyu again, but this time for the Emperors Cup. The cup competition could be a major distraction for both sides who are trying to battle their way to safety while dealing with major injuries at the moment.

Omiya’s top three point leaders this year are: FWD Atsushi Kawata (6 goal & 1 assist), MF Shinya Yajima (3 goals & 1 assist), and MF Masaya Shibayama (5 assists). But none of these players have seen the score sheet since Match Day 13. Similarly, Ryukyu are likely to be without their top scorer in Kusano which may even things out a bit for the two teams tomorrow night.

FC Ryukyu: Ryukyu are in the midst of their best stretch of results this season. Two (2) wins and one (1) draw in their last three games has resulted in Ryukyu finally moving off the bottom of the table, albeit on goal differential, but a mentally significant point nonetheless. This is a hugely important match for Ryukyu right now and unfortunately they’re likely going into this match at less than 100%. Yuki Kusano, FC Ryukyu’s leading goal scorer, was subbed off with an injury to his left knee last match and with such a quick turn around between fixtures, it is unlikely that he features for Ryukyu in the midweek.

That means the combination of Shinya Uehara and Ryunosuke Noda will lead the Ryukyu attack. Ryukyu are also unlikely to see the return of Takuma Abe (now going on eleven matches since he last featured, and still no word on his status) and Ryohei Okazaki. This probably means we will see Takuya Hitomi in a reserve role at forward with Keigo Numata returning to play CB alongside Lee Yong Jick. Ryukyu really need the offense to show up tomorrow, and more importantly, have it driven through Kiyotake and Ikeda with Kusano out. Uehara and Noda seem to be a like-for-like with each other’s playing style but I’d give the slight advantage to Uehara in the aerial department, with Noda being slightly better with the ball at his feet. Either is capable of putting it in the back of the net so long as we can provide the service to them.

It is a whole other story on the defensive side of the ball for Ryukyu as the preferred deployment of Numata over Omori at CB must be based on the need for a veteran presence along side Yong Jick and not one based solely on skill. Numata faired decently in his CB debut, and will need to do so again if Ryukyu are to grab all three points, in addition to Yong Jick going the full distance on Wednesday night. Yong Jick’s play has improved the past three weeks and we need to find a capable defensive partner for him in the absence of Okazaki.

I cannot emphasize the importance of this game enough for Ryukyu. A win would provide a three (3) point cushion over Omiya, and with Iwate playing Yokohama FC, a win could provide a three (3) point cushion from the relegation zone. Ryukyu won’t catch Tochigi, even if Tochigi lose, but it brings them just a little closer to possibly dragging Tochigi down the table. It has to be three (3) points for Ryukyu on Wednesday night.

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Win the set piece battle. Likelihood 2. Omiya seems very capable in attacking set pieces, particularly corner kicks, but struggles at defending those same type of set pieces. Ryukyu don’t really earn, or capitalize, on set pieces (CKs) but this one area could make all the difference tomorrow.

Kinain’ Ya Around

In what could be Kazuki Kuranuki’s last game in charge of Ryukyu before Kina returns, Ryukyu need one more positive result inside this brief, temporary, “new boy bounce.” So far the results have been good under Kuranuki as some of things that plagued Kina’s coaching style this season – specifically opponents easily adjusting to the Ryukyu game plan mid game and Ryukyu failing to make subsequent adjustments – have largely gone away the last two weeks. Ryukyu played within themselves last week against a strong Kofu side despite having little offensive production. They seemed content on taking what was given to them by Kofu, parked the bus a little bit after taking the lead, and nearly pulled off the unthinkable. Ryukyu will need a similar type of performance this match if we wish to leave Saitama with all the points. And I think Kuranuki is up to the task.

Round 18 in J2

League Leaders (1) Vegalta Sendai headline this round’s matchups when they welcome in (6) Fagiano Okayama. But since Ryukyu are squarely inside the relegation battle, I will focus on the games for teams near Ryukyu in the standings. (22) Iwate Grulla Morioka host (3) Yokohama FC in what should be a very tough matchup for the hosts, and one in which we’d (Ryukyu fans, and Omiya fans) like to see YFC win. This only adds fuel to the fire for the Omiya/Ryukyu game as the winner could potentially move ahead of the bottom two sides. (19) Tochigi SC will face (4) FC Machida Zelvia at home in another tough matchup for a bottom four side. Tochigi surprised everybody last week with their win over Vortis but a slip up here, coupled with wins for any of the bottom three teams, would pull Tochigi further into the relegation scrap.

It maybe a bit premature to look at the games concerning JEF United Chiba as they are six (6) points ahead of the chasing pack but they do have a difficult draw at (7) V-Varen Nagasaki this round. The free broadcast on the J-League International YouTube channel will once again feature (11) Tokyo Verdy this time hosting (17) Zweigen Kanazawa in a game that some of the fans from the bottom four teams will at least monitor the score tomorrow evening. Verdy went undefeated to open the season but have only managed a single (1) win in their last nine (9) matches. This game is quickly shaping up to be one of two evenly matched teams, not on paper but based on recent performances, squaring off for the international audience. Click>>>> J.League Int’l YouTube Channel.

Conclusion

Got to have it on Wednesday. Nothing more needs to be said.

FC Ryukyu vs Ventforet Kofu #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu almost did the unthinkable on Saturday night when they were just four minutes from winning their third game in a row. The game was largely controlled by Kofu and it is just unfortunate that Shinya Uehara’s beautiful 71st minute header was nullified by a 90th minute goal from Kofu ending the game in a draw and pushing Ryukyu’s record to 0-2-6 following a run of two wins in a row. But, Ryukyu were able to grab a crucial point when others around them dropped points this weekend. The draw pushes Ryukyu out of the relegation zone, based on goal differential over Omiya and Iwate, for the first time since Match Day 5.

Match Highlights

Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Take the game to Kofu. Likelihood 3. No. Ryukyu may have come close to splitting the overall possession with Kofu, but a preponderance of that possession was in our own end. Ryukyu created three (3) goal scoring chances this match with the goal being the lone shot on net.

2. Someone steps up in central defense. Likelihood 2. Almost. Yong Jick was having a decent game, with some mental errors/turnovers mixed in, but once he came off for Omori, Kofu scored their goal.

Takeaways from Match Day 17

1. Kusano’s injury. This one could be catastrophic for FC Ryukyu. Ren Ikeda collided with Kusano in the 40th minute after going for a contested ball and being slightly tripped up by the Kofu defender. Ikeda fell directly into Kusano’s left knee, bending it inward, and immediately dropping Kusano to ground. Kusano was seen grabbing his knee and the Ryukyu trainer was performing the initial assessment to see if a ligament (ACL) was snapped. While Kusano was not writhing in pain, he was not able to carry on. Hopefully it is something minor, but I am not a doctor, and if it season ending, or even a 2-3 month recovery time, Ryukyu are in big trouble. Uehara stepped up later for a goal, and thankfully Noda has returned to the lineup, but are we sure that either one of those players can lead the Ryukyu line like Kusano? I don’t know and it would help to see Abe return as that only leaves Hitomi, Vinicius, Paso (who we haven’t seen in months) and possible Kelvin – if he signs with Ryukyu – at the forward position. Goal scorers like Kusano just don’t grow on trees and would be nearly impossible to replace in the summer transfer window.

2. May have felt dejected we didn’t see out the win, but have to be happy with the result. Kofu had several opportunities, with quality looks on net, that went narrowly wide. Ryukyu dodged a serious bullet following a Numata foul at the top of the box and then having the Kofu shot taker put it just inches high over the bar. Ryukyu didn’t really offer much in the attacking department on Saturday but played well enough in defense to avoid conceding more than just one. The upsetting part of the Kofu equalizer was, unlike their earlier attempts, the Kofu goal scorer was unmarked and all alone inside our 18-yard box while some Ryukyu defenders were wildly chasing the ball. I do not know who blew their responsibility for marking that man but that has been the typical mental breakdown Ryukyu suffer through this season that drastically change outcomes of their games. The Kofu match marks the sixth time this season where Ryukyu have lost the lead and ended the games in either a loss or a draw (0-3-3).

3. Lineup choices. We were wondering who would start at CB for Ryukyu after the Okazaki injury last week. Well, it turned out to be LB Keigo Numata. That is an interesting choice considering Omori is fit enough to dress, and come off the bench, as a natural CB. I am not sure of the reasoning behind this choice and it seemed to work up until we took Yong Jick off late in the second half. It seems Ryukyu only have two (2) healthy CBs at the moment and choose to start just one (1) in their 4-4-2 lineup. Sure would be nice to know the status of some of other central defenders on the roster as well as see Ryukyu make a move for a central defender in the summer transfer window. I cannot see Numata being the long term solution to our central defender injury crisis.

4. The ‘new boy bounce’ is helping. Kina missed his second game in a row due to CV-19 and Ryukyu earned a point and our now in the midst of a three game unbeaten run. It would be great to see Kuranuki lead the team in a few days at Omiya in what is going to be a crucial 6-point match up in the relegation battle. If we can get one more game out of Kuranuki, with all three points, it would release some of the pressure on the team before a run of six difficult matches in a row.

Round 17 in J2

Albirex Niigata ran rampant over Yokohama FC this week and moved into second place. Blaublitz Akita roared back from three goals down to draw with Tokyo Verdy at home. League leaders Vegalta Sendai defeated Omiya Ardija 4-2 for a result that helps Ryukyu. Though the end of this match was marred with some scuffles between each teams fans. Another result that helped Ryukyu was the 3-0 defeat of Iwate by FC Mito Hollyhock. One result that didn’t help Ryukyu was the shocking win by Tochigi on the road at Tokushima Vortis that snapped their winless run at nine (9) games.

Conclusion

It doesn’t get much bigger for Ryukyu this year when they travel to Omiya on Wednesday. But I’ll leave that for the Match Preview tomorrow. For now, some fan photos from Round 17.

(22) FC Ryukyu vs (6) Ventforet Kofu #FC琉球

Intro

Finally some momentum. And this game will be a real test to see how far Ryukyu have progressed as Ventforet Kofu are undefeated in their last four (4) with only one (1) loss in their last eight (8). Kofu, and their fans, definitely come to town with three points on their mind, and why shouldn’t they? They’ve experienced nothing but success against Ryukyu in the past three seasons and now face a Ryukyu side in the midst of a relegation battle. Ryukyu, on the other hand, have done something remarkable by winning two in a row thanks to two clean sheets. Can Ryukyu do the unthinkable and win three games in a row?

Weather Forecast & Match Day Info

Not a bad forecast for it being the height of rainy season in Okinawa.

Click>>>> Match Day 17 Information from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: For those of you expecting (hoping) FC Ryukyu will win their third game in a row, let me offer this stat. Since they entered the J2 in 2019, Ryukyu have only won three (3) games in a row twice. And yes, you guessed it, those were during the fast start years of 2019 and 2021. Outside of those fast start seasons, and well into the season since that is where we are at the moment, FC Ryukyu have a record of 0-1-6 following a two (2) game winning streak. Not great. But then again, we are in some unchartered territory these days so anything is possible.

If they hope to reverse that trend then they will have to do it against a side in which they’ve only notched one (1) win in the six (6) matches they’ve played. Granted, that lone win did come at home – where this game will be played – but was also inside the early part of last season when FC Ryukyu were beating everyone. A third win in a row largely depends on Ryukyu executing a repeat performance of the last two weeks.

The fact is we need Kusano, Kiyotake, and Ikeda to get into a rhythm as we cannot rely solely on Kusano scoring each match to see out wins because that has happened on several occasions this season, only to be let down by the defending in the end. We need others to step up, especially when we are razor thin at CB these days, so we can continue to take some pressure off the defense. But who? Tanaka cannot fire in crosses from his current position on the bench; we rarely win set pieces – or corners – in dangerous areas; and we rarely get our two central defenders involved on set pieces inside the opposition’s box. I think we need to rethink how we attack teams in order to put us into advantageous situations and not simply rely on luck to see us through. The only thing we have to lose is J2 next year, which should be enough to make us as dangerous as a cornered animal.

Ventforet Kofu: Kofu started the season slow with only one (1) win their opening eight (8) fixtures. Where have I seen that before? Never mind. They then embarked on a four (4) game winning streak that propelled them into the sixth spot of the table. A position, despite some recent wobbles, they still maintain as of match day 17.

Kofu have two (2) wins, two (2) draws, and one (1) loss in the past five (5) matches with wins over Verdy and Gunma; draws with Tochigi and Renofa; and the lone loss suffered at the hands of Mito Hollyhock. One thing that immediately jumps out about this Kofu side is their speed up top and relentless pursuit of rebounds in the box. That kind of makes them a forward leaning side that are extremely vulnerable at the back, which, seems to be the team’s Achilles’ heel at the moment.

Kofu had several moments where they were hitting their opponents on either counter attacks or straight from the center of the pitch with long breakaways. But they also looked extremely poor when playing it out from the back with a bevy of costly turnovers, or simply allowing the opposition to exploit their weakest position in the team. There is no doubt that Ryukyu must respect the speed of Kofu in the attack, but not fear it, because the Ryukyu attack needs to find away to create havoc within the Kofu back line that could lead to turnovers and goals. That also means Ryukyu players in the starting eleven that may not enjoy tracking back in games really need to this game. And since the Kofu attack seems to come in multiple waves, Ryukyu cannot be caught ball watching the initial shot as the on-rushing attackers from Kofu will certainly be there to pounce on any rebound.

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Take the game to Kofu. Likelihood 3. No frills or messing about here just dictate the terms of play inside the Kofu 18-yard box. We are keen to own loads of possession, yet do very little with it. Change that. Take risks, create chances, ask questions in dangerous areas and let’s see what happens. Otherwise, it is more of the same old drab that got us to where we are right now.

2. Someone steps up in central defense. Likelihood 2. We looked so good to start the season with Nakagawa and Omori in central defense, but that denigrated into something completely different as the season wore on. Perhaps Nakagawa is injured, but we cannot gamble by throwing Makito Uehara to the wolves and think he’ll be OK out there. Yong Jick had a great game last week, but we need consistent performances out of the senior man in defense, not just a singular good game. Ryukyu will have to contend with loads of speed and counter attacks from Kofu, which means defending has to be a total team effort, and we better have the horses out there on Saturday to do it.

Kinain’ Ya Around For Whom the Bell Tolls

Kina gets a bit of a reprieve as he was absent for last weeks win as he will be for this weeks match with Kofu after succumbing to CV-19. However, it still seems that Kina can do no wrong. How he is still here is beyond me. Sure, he was in charge when we won our second game of the season, in week 15! But was it just me or did the entire club enjoy a relaxed, worry free environment last week to earn their third win?

Now humor me as we venture down this loosely cobbled path of logic. We all know that sometimes clubs can experience a bit of a ‘bounce’ when there is a managerial change. Ryukyu saw this last year when we switched from Higuchi to Kina, and we are witnessing it right now with FC Gifu and to some extent, Omiya Ardija when they added Hiromi Hara as head of the Omiya Football headquarters. In the games following these moves, each club experienced a change in fortunes. Some were brief, and some are still going, but how important were those changes for the clubs this season?

In the case of Omiya, it pulled them off the bottom of the table. Something Ryukyu desperately need to do these days. And right now, Ryukyu are in the midst of the slightest of ‘bounces’ with head coach Kazuki Karanuki taking over duties in Kina’s stead. How huge would it be for Ryukyu if we had two, even three (possibly serving as coach for Omiya with such a quick turnaround in fixtures) games with wins and or points? The change may only be temporary, and the bounce brief, but it could be enough to pull us up a little bit and provide vindication that a change in manager is needed. This is especially true if Ryukyu go straight back into the trash bin upon Kina’s return. Just saying, think about it.

Round 17 in J2

We all know that the real excitement in any season is watching how the relegation battle plays out, bit of recency bias down here these days for sure, and not just the boring promotion race (though I do miss that dearly) where a couple of teams pull far away from the pack. The sheer look of disappointment and frustration written across many teams, coaches and their fan’s faces make the battle for survival all the better. However, I should mention that there is a very nice top of the table tilt between (3) Albirex Niigata and (2) Yokohama FC this week that could see those teams swap positions or YFC extend their lead to six (6) points in the automatic promotion zone.

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at those teams struggling at the foot of the table. (19) Tochigi SC, who haven’t won in nine (9) games, travel to (11) Tokushima Vortis. Vortis are coming of consecutive losses (1 in J2, 1 in the Levain Cup), are looking to rebound, and are the best defensive side in the table based on goals allowed while Tochigi is one of the worst scoring sides in J2. (20) Omiya Ardija host (1) Vegalta Sendai after losing to Iwate in the midweek while down their starting GK. Omiya will have played two (2) games inside of a week when Ryukyu come to town so perhaps they rest some players (aka rollover) in order to prepare for the all important 6-pointer with FC Ryukyu next Wednesday. Perhaps Ryukyu does the same this week??

Then there is (21) Iwate Grulla Morioka, who usurped FC Ryukyu in the standings with their 1-0 win on the road at Omiya on Wednesday and who travel to (17) FC Mito Hollyhock. Prior to that victory Iwate were on a seven (7) game losing streak and now they face a Mito side who has won (3) out of their last six (6) games. Omiya and Ryukyu have the toughest path to points this week with Tochigi a close second, followed by Iwate who looked far better against Omiya than they have in recent weeks. But that’s just it, teams down here always seem to look good against each other, which needs to be taken with a grain of salt when jumping to conclusions for any side at the bottom.

The free broadcast this week will feature (8) Blaublitz Akita hosting (9) Tokyo Verdy. This will be Verdy’s fourth appearance on the free broadcast this month, with still two (2) more to go. Perhaps Verdy can make it three consecutive losses in a row on the channel. Click>>>> J.League Int’l YouTube.

Conclusion

I am glad we won our first home game of the season last week as weekly blog entries felt more like obituaries than posts in recent months. But now we need do something different, and that is to win a third game in a row deep into a season marked by strife and setbacks. I’ll be there, the Ryukyu Army will be there, will you join us in spirit?

(21) FC Ryukyu vs (6) Thespakusatsu Gunma #FC琉球

Intro

This game for Ryukyu begins a stretch of matches where they will play six (6) games inside of twenty three (23) days. Make no mistake, this is a hugely important run of games for both Ryukyu, and their manager Kina. Because if they don’t come out of this with a decent amount of points, then we may see the earliest managerial change for in the history of Ryukyu. On the other hand, Gunma is enjoying one of their better starts in the J2 this season on the back of some impressive defensive performances. They are probably feeling pretty confident this week and will look to continue their current winning streak against a side that has yet to win at home all season.

Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

Cloudy, no too hot, but always the prospect of rain on Okinawa despite the low probability of it actually raining. I usually try to post these previews about 48 hours out from the match and though I’ve been wrong on the weather before, rightfully called out on this – thanks @stuartcw and sorry about the YFC weather lol – if I could predict the correct weather I’d also predict our scores each week. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst is the safe bet.

Click>>>> Match Day Info from FC Ryukyu

Team Previews

FC Ryukyu: By the time this run of games is over, Ryukyu will have played more than one-third of their matches this season. Can we realistically expect Ryukyu to earn double digit points over their next six games? Would we consider it a failure if they didn’t? It will be no easy task as Ryukyu’s next four games are all against teams currently ranked 4-7 in the table, followed by one of our longest road trips of the season during the mid week, and finally against a team inside the top 10 that is enjoying the new boy bounce in the J2. It seems like a very large ask of Ryukyu to earn a decent amount of points over the next three and half weeks.

There is no doubt we are in a bit of striker injury crisis at the moment but that is not to say that Kusano cannot do the job while awaiting the return of those who are injured, or so we suspect are injured sine we have no news from the club on their status. Kiyotake has also been playing really well on the offense side of the house but has that unfortunate thing going for him where he seems to be indirectly involved in the areas where the opposition scores their goals against Ryukyu. Kanai played well against Yokohama FC, obviously as he scored our only goal and had another lovely chance, and perhaps that is because we cannot find a way to get both Ikeda and Kiyotake into the lineup at the same time. Ikeda never looked comfortable playing out wide in the 4-4-2, and is better suited as a CAM, but Kiyotake is doing so well there these days it is hard to imagine him being unseated if we stick to a 4-2-3-1.

One thing for certain was we definitely needed to see a change at LB as I think the days of Numata as a regular starter have come to an end as what we really need there is a little more pace and stamina to support us on both ends of the pitch. Now, what do we do in the central defending areas of Ryukyu? We made a change in central defense following the loss to JEF when the young duo of Nakagawa and Omori were replaced with a combination of either player and Okazaki, but we do not know if that was due to injury or lack of confidence in those players by the manager. We haven’t even seen Nakagawa since the Renofa match and Omori seems to only be an emergency central defending substitute at this point.

Sure, Yong Jick has put forth the effort, but as I said at the start of the season, we cannot replace Chinen’s skill, but we can replace his tenacity and drive. And I believe that is what we have with the young defenders on loan. The problem is we (Kina) haven’t shown any faith in these players through the growing pains that will naturally occur to allow them to develop into better players. And to what end? It is not as if we are shutting down teams on a consistent basis to see out leads for wins with our current central defending pair. A change at CB must be made to allow Omori and Nakagawa to develop, which will not be an overnight change, as we already know what we’ve got back there these days based on the last five games. Then again, Nakagawa may be injured and since the club has released zero injury news this season for any of our players and therefore this might just be wishful thinking.

Thespakusatsu Gunma: Gunma started the season with a win and two draws before a streak where they had two straight games with a 1-0 score line (1 loss and 1 win), followed by consecutive 2-3 defeats, but then won two (2) games in a row heading into their matchup with Ryukyu. All four of Gunma’s wins this season have been by one (1) goal and they have already recorded four (4) shutouts this season. Gunma are a team similar to Okayama in that they haven’t scored a lot of goals – zero games with more than 2 goals scored – but they certainly don’t surrender a lot either.

Gunma has three (3) wins and two (2) losses over their last five games. In two of those losses they surrendered three (3) goals in consecutive matches. Which is roughly three quarters of the entire goals they’ve conceded all season. Masatoshi Kushibiki was outstanding in net versus JEF where he made save after save to give Gunma the win after an early 7th minute goal. Gunma’s defending let them down the following week in which Niigata jumped out to a two goal lead within the opening twenty minutes. This was followed by both sides trading goals and then a stoppage time goal by Gunma to finish 2-3.

It was almost a similar story the following match against Nagasaki where Gunma found themselves in similar territory being down two goals by the twenty minute mark. But Gunma were able to draw level midway through the second half before a mishandling of a Cristiano shot by Kushibiki found its way over the line. Gunma were able to turn things around after the two heavy losses in quick succession the following week against Mito. Gunma opened the scoring before a handball by one of their defenders allowed Mito back in the game with a PK goal. Gunma utilized some excellent penetrating runs from their attackers, which seems to be an enduring trait of this side, to grab an 80th minute goal for the win.

Gunma’s most recent win came on the road at Morioka where Kushibiki regained the good form he was enjoying against JEF when he made a beautiful double save to keep the score level before an 89th minute goal secured the victory for Gunma. So what can we expect from Gunma this match? If you fail to run at them, in order to find space in their defense, an instead opt to slowly build your attack, Ryukyu will most likely suffer the same defeats of JEF, Mito and Morioka. Gunma looked good defending set pieces in some of their recent games and if Kushibiki is once again in form, it will make life very difficult for Ryukyu. If you attack them like Niigata and Nagasaki did, with diagonal passes and quick changes in direction, we should be able to create enough chances on net to score goals. But keep in mind, the same things can be said about Ryukyu’s defense and we could easily see Gunma tearing apart our backline with the quality runs into the box by their attacking players.

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

1. Maintain Focus. Likelihood 1. Definitely the most important one as when Ryukyu check out of games, goals are scored, momentum is lost and points are dropped. Ryukyu’s preferred style of playing it out from the back seems to invite more pressure on a team that already concedes loads of possession and chances to the opposition. In fact, it feels as if there are large stretches of games where Ryukyu barely touches the ball and affords their opponents multiple chances on net with no Ryukyu answer in return. Starting fast and finishing strong our extremely important in games, but right now it seems that Ryukyu need to win the middle third of matches where they seem to be the most vulnerable right now.

The Hot Seat

Last week I wondered if Ryukyu failed to win against Okayama, would it be their worst start to any season since joining the J-League in 2014? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding yes. Even if Ryukyu win the match on Saturday, it is their lowest point total in the opening ten fixtures of any season and the first ever season to register less than double digit points by this point of a season. Also, a win would only tie the least amount of wins in the opening ten fixtures for any year they’ve spent in the J2.

Ryukyu’s lowest win total to open any season was two (2) back in 2020 but they did manage to earn ten (10) points by their 10th game in a non relegation year. Ryukyu’ previous point totals in ten matches since 2014: 11 points (2014 and 2015), 18 points (2016), 13 points (2017), 15 points (2018) while in the J3, but the stakes were not nearly as high as there was no fear of relegation, and the competition was not nearly as tough. Ryukyu grabbed four (4) wins from their opening four (4) fixtures in 2019 and had reached sixteen (16) points by match day ten, but managed only five (5) more wins the rest of the season. And we all recall the blistering pace Ryukyu were on in 2021 when they had twenty four (24) points by match day ten. Basically, Ryukyu are in some unchartered waters these days.

The point mark that usually symbolizes relative safety in the J2 hovers between 40-42 points. 2020 was an anomaly as there was no relegation that year but that total would’ve needed to be closer to fifty (50) points. Ryukyu currently sit on five points and don’t necessarily end seasons on the highest of highs. In fact, we usually succumb to a mid season slump which, if were repeated this year, would be the final nails in our coffin. There are thirty three (33) games remaining in which Ryukyu must somehow make it to at least 42 points. And when you are struggling for wins at this point of the season, there is no such thing as a let up in your schedule based on your opponents current standing in the table.

The next six (6) fixtures should really determine the fate of Kina as it is probably too condensed of a schedule to make a managerial change inside of that run of games, but does leave enough (hopefully) time in the fixture list to find a suitable replacement. Any replacement will likely need at least 5-7 games to install their system but will still have the opportunity to seek reinforcements in the summer transfer window. That is assuming the club is thinking the same thing and preparing to do as such.

J2 Round 10

So we get a taste of a top of the table clash between two of last seasons relegated teams when (1) Yokohama FC take on (4) Vegalta Sendai at home. And it also happens to be the featured match of the week on the free J-League International YouTube channel. What a treat! For the rest, it seems like a pretty straight forward fixture list of teams in the top half of the table against those in the bottom half with a few games interspersed among teams close to one another in the table. (17) Tokushima Vortis lost their first game of the season last week, have not scored a goal in four (4) games and face (20) Mito Hollyhock on the road in a game that some Ryukyu fans will probably be keeping a close eye on the results.

Click>>> Yokohama FC vs Vegalta Sendai

Conclusion

We can hope, pray, and wish Ryukyu to victory all we want as fans but at the end of the day it comes down to the physical and mental preparations of the team as well as the desire and will of each member of the squad to succeed. Players may have great performances individually, but the entire team must put forth a good effort this weekend. Turnovers are inevitable in any game, but cannot be costly due to players losing focus. Conceding goals will happen, but cannot be treated as if we’ve already lost the game. Leads can, and have been, lost in games so we should never get complacent regardless of the score line. What we need is for a few veterans, on a team full of veterans, to take charge on both ends of the pitch. Yeah, the low point total sucks, but you need to start the climb up and out somewhere. We put our foot on the first rung of the ladder last week. Let’s take the first step up it this week.

(21) Oita Trinita vs (20) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Ryukyu need to deliver a response following their third consecutive defeat at home this past weekend. This requires Ryukyu to do something they rarely do this season, gain and maintain a lead. In the lone game that Ryukyu scored first, they surrendered that lead late which ultimately resulted in a loss. Outside of the opening fixture, there hasn’t been one fixture that any of us can point to as a dominating performance by Ryukyu. Much like we needed to get that first victory of the season, we need to start stringing together better results.

Weather Forecast and Match Day Info

The game will be played inside a dome so weather shouldn’t be a factor. However, the short week and travel will be something that Ryukyu need to contend with.

Click>>>> Match Day 06 Info from Oita Trinita

Team Previews

Oita Trinita: Oita was the other team whose season was delayed due to a CV-19 outbreak in the squad and who have also yet to earn a victory in any competition this season. Currently second from bottom on three points, Oita will look to bust out of their slump with a very beatable FC Ryukyu coming to town.

A trio of 1-1 draws with some demolitions mixed in sums up Oita this season. That doesn’t bode well for Ryukyu as we’ve seen first hand how bad we are at putting teams away. Oita does have one advantage, they’ve played – and surrendered – with leads this season. They managed a draw at Kofu late on despite seeding much of the play to their opponents; took the early lead vs YFC but lost it; allowed Mito to get out in front before equalizing with a spectacular goal; led and then were blown away vs Nagasaki and then led for all of one minute vs Renofa before ceding that lead.

Hirota Goya, yes that same man who terrorized Ryukyu while at Nagasaki in 2019, is the player we need to look out for on Wednesday. Other than that, Oita, like Ryukyu, are struggling to string results together but have the advantage of playing at home on a short week.

These two sides haven’t met since the 2016 season when Oita were down in the J3 for their lone season before winning the league and being promoted back to J2. Ryukyu did have some strong performances against Oita back then and nearly defeated them twice that season. Keita Tanaka and Yu Tomidokoro are the only members of that Ryukyu squad currently on the roster from that year but that really doesn’t mean much. This will be Oita’s 8th game of the season as well as their third mid-week match of the young campaign. Perhaps some early fatigue on the part of Oita may level the playing field for both sides this Wednesday night.

FC Ryukyu: One thing Ryukyu have going for them is following a 1-2 defeat at home this season, they usually win. That is a bad attempt at some comedic relief as Ryukyu have only played one game away after losing at home this year, but there might be something there with that logic as Ryukyu have earned all their points away from home.

Something is off with the team this season and I am not sure what it is. Gone are the days of Higuchi’s hard practices that led to a lot of fatigue and injuries inside the squad but perhaps the discipline he was instilling during those training sessions has also dissipated. I hope players are not viewing their time here in Ryukyu as nothing more than the sunset chapters of their careers as whatever Ryukyu were attempting to build the past three seasons is quickly eroding.

But more importantly, Ryukyu need to find a nasty streak/killer instinct during games in order to start putting teams away. Ryukyu have eclipsed the single goal mark only once this season yet have conceded 2 goals per game during the last month. Ryukyu have a ton of veteran players, most of the starting 11 are around, or older than 30 years old, and we need these guys to get going to pull this team up. Too often it feels as if Ryukyu get ‘lucky’ on goals instead of purposefully working the ball around the pitch and into open spaces.

Last week Ryukyu reverted back to Okazaki and Yong Jick at CB. And the results were the same as the previous three weeks so that leaves us nowhere in defense. Ryukyu have not shut out an opponent since round one and that was when we had the combination of Omori and Nakagawa manning the back. Maybe the short time between matches for Ryukyu will allow one, if not both, of these players back into the fold. There really isn’t many other changes Ryukyu can make throughout the midfield and attack without knowing the fitness of some players or their availability.

Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

  1. Just run at em. Likelihood 1. Oita cave under pressure, and so do we, so who will assert themselves first?

J2 Round 06

There are two games early in the week which I assume are scheduled to support both Oita’s and Tokushima’s Levain Cup participation with the standout fixture of this round featuring (2) Vegalta Sendai hosting (4) Machida Zelvia.

The J-League International YouTube Channel free broadcast this round will feature (19) Mito Hollyhock at home against (15) Roasso Kumamoto.

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

Conclusion

Show us something, anything, before we find ourselves at the bottom of the table at the end of this round. It is still early enough to course correct and get back in the thick of things but with every dropped point, it becomes harder and harder to see this side competing for anything other than avoiding relegation. Good luck boys!

MD22 Report: FC Ryukyu vs SC Sagamihara #FC琉球

Intro

Ouch! This one stings as FC Ryukyu dropped crucial points at home, with Takuya Takagi getting some revenge on Higuchi for the past few seasons, when they fell 0-1 to visiting SC Sagamihara. Ryukyu ran headlong into a brick wall defense for only their second home defeat this season in which they were out shot and slightly outplayed by the visitors. For their part, SC Sagamihara executed their game plan flawlessly as they frustrated the Ryukyu attack all night and looked far more dangerous on several short counterattacks off of Ryukyu turnovers. The loss drops Ryukyu to fourth place but more importantly, it severely dents their bid on promotion.

  1. Match Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 22 in J2
  7. Conclusion
Photo Credit: @fcr_info

1. Match Highlights

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2. Man of the Match

Photo Credit: J.League Website

SC Sagamihara Defenders Yasumasa Kawasaki, Tatsuya Shirai, and Yudai Fujiwara: They completely shut down the Ryukyu attack. Granted, they had help from their teammates, but shutting out the third highest scoring team in the league while on the road is impressive for a team that was a mess in defense for the past few rounds.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Do not sleep on Sagamihara. Likelihood 4. Maybe they didn’t, maybe they did, but they definitely slipped on this banana peel.

2. Take full advantage of the chaos that is the Sagamihara defense. Likelihood 4. Quite the opposite actually. Somehow SC Sagamihara were very well organized in defense.

3. Win the battle against the two strikers of Sagamihara, win the match. Likelihood 4. It was only the set piece that did Ryukyu in on Sunday night.

4. Prediction

Not even close with my 3-1 prediction. Season Record 6-5-11.

5. Talking Points from Round 22

1. Reo Yamashita’s debut. Not sure if starting LB Keigo Numata was given the night off or if it was just an opportunity to give the young man some minutes at this level, but Yamashita’s debut didn’t go as planned. He committed a costly turnover in the second half and missed badly on an attempted cross from inside the box in the first half. All things which are forgivable during your first start but it didn’t help that Ryukyu are operating with a makeshift back line with all the injuries. There has been no word on the status of Numata as of this entry.

2. Limited chances. Ryukyu had roughly four good chances to crack the Sagamihara goal but the closest, and last best, chance they had was a 70’ minute shot by Yong Jick that hit the crossbar. Ryukyu never really threatened the Sagamihara goal nor tested their keeper. Unlike SC Sagamihara who were gifted some short counterattacks in the first half that called Inose into action on more than one occasion. Sagamihara’s second half goal stemmed from a set piece in a dangerous area where the Sagamihara attacker had a wide-open shooting lane to catch Inose out. In Inose’s defense, he may have been screened by all the players in front of him and unable to see the shot being set up. Or he thought the Sagamihara player might attempt to cross it into the box. Either way, it was a nicely worked goal.

3. The roadmap to defeating Ryukyu. It seems Ryukyu’s game plan for any given match is to let the opposition run at them so as to create a back-and-forth match for which our attack can freely operate. If the opposition simply parks the bus and aspires to hit us on the counterattack, teams will have great success. Higuchi, as well as a couple of players, commented after the game how it was hard to break down SC Sagamihara when they were putting five defenders inside the box and four others just behind the ball. We’ve seen this before from several teams that faced Ryukyu this season and the results are always the same. I am not sure how you overcome this situation other than adding speed and height to the attack by switching to a back three during the game and trying to win set pieces in dangerous areas with bold runs that could draw fouls or at least earn a corner kick.

4. This Summer gonna hurt. In 2019, when Ryukyu were trying to stave off relegation, not earn promotion, they went through a brutal stretch over the summer months where they won twice, drew twice and lost eleven games, five of which were in a row. So far things are slightly better this time around as Ryukyu have three wins, two draws and a single loss in the summer months to date. But Ryukyu has only managed two more points (15) over the last three months combined compared to the month of April (13). I was hoping we could squeak by with some results until a majority of our players return from injury but I am not sure their reintroduction will come soon enough. It feels as if promotion is slowly slipping away.

5. Some good news. Ryukyu played their third game of the J-Elite League on Monday afternoon where they drew 2-2 with Kagoshima United. However, the bigger news was seeing both Okazaki and Dany Carvajal return to action. Not sure if either will make the roster next week, but it would be good to get both of them back into the lineup before the break.  

6. Round 22 in J2

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Jubilo Iwata was able to pull out a draw on the road to Renofa Yamaguchi with Kyoto Sanga FC winning comfortably on the road at Giravanz Kitakyushu and Albirex Niigata demolishing Tochigi SC at home. Ventforet Kofu, Montedio Yamagata and FC Machida Zelvia all won their fixtures to get that much closer to the leading pack.

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7. Conclusion

Putting this one in the rearview mirror is all you can do I suppose. FC Ryukyu now need to travel to Omiya Ardija and grab three points before the break or risk falling completely out of the promotion picture. Sure, they could surprise us all after the break with big results in the months of August and September – which would definitely make us forget about this recent run of from – but will it be enough?

MD17 Report: (13) Blaublitz Akita vs (4) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

This was not the type of performance you expected, or wanted, to see out of Ryukyu following a tough defeat to Niigata last week. Ryukyu were extremely sloppy in the first half and only mustered a single shot on net the entire opening period. We all knew Blaublitz Akita was going to be a tough nut to crack at the back, but Ryukyu looked uninspired in the attack all day. The dozen or more turnovers that Ryukyu committed didn’t help the situation though Takuma Abe and Tetsuya Chinen did all they could to keep Ryukyu in the game. Abe finally returned to the score sheet with an impressive solo effort in stoppage time where his shot took an in-between-bounce over the Akita keeper to break the deadlock. But the joy of taking the lead late in the game was short lived as within 30 seconds of Abe’s goal, Ryukyu conceded the equalizer.

Photo Credit: @weeklysd
  1. Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 17 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Day 17 Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Photo Credit: FC Ryukyu

FC Ryukyu DF Tetsuya Chinen: Whenever Ryukyu needed someone to step up and make a play, Chinen was there. He was closing down attackers, cutting off passes, getting back into position after several dozen Ryukyu turnovers and was our spark plug at the back. The only smudge on his otherwise clean record was when he came out a little too far to challenge for the ball in the air on Akita’s goal as it pulled him a little out of position and he wasn’t able to kill the drive with a clearance.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. Get to the 2-goal mark first. Likelihood 3. Fail! Ryukyu didn’t even get to the one goal mark until the 2nd minute of stoppage time in the second half.

2. Do not take them for granted. Likelihood 4. They may have just enough to allow Akita back in the game. It was a tale of two halves as Akita completely dominated Ryukyu in the first with Ryukyu taking charge in the second. But it was the mental collapse in the final sixty seconds of the game that did Ryukyu in.

3. Same as last week, set pieces will be key. Likelihood 2. Pass. Ryukyu gave Akita ample opportunities in the first half to score from set pieces but held firm in the end. However, when the offense was struggling to generate much of anything, and Ryukyu were gifted a few set pieces in dangerous areas, they couldn’t convert any of them.

4. Prediction

I said 2-1 to Ryukyu with Martin correctly tipping it to end in a 1-1 draw. I’ll take the loss here. Season Record 6-4-7.

5. Talking Points from Round 17

1. The injury crisis deepens. Taguchi’s surprise absence on the roster sent shockwaves through the Ryukyu fan base hours before kickoff. Word of his injury, 10-12 weeks with a broken bone in his hand, wasn’t released until the following Monday. This means Ryukyu are now down to their 3rd and 4th string goalies with only a special designated 16-year-old player as an emergency back-up. Inose took a knock to his ankle early in the first half but he was able to remain in the game, and Chinen was seen hobbling a little near the end of the game. Taguchi is likely gone until September, with Dany hopefully just a few short weeks away, but every minor injury now becomes a crisis situation. Much like 2019 when Ryukyu went through a midseason collapse that coincided with several injuries, we are seeing a carbon copy of that script here in 2021.

That ties into the question I brought up last week about the level of training Ryukyu conduct back here in Okinawa, and whether or not it needs to be dialed down a bit. Let’s be honest, we have a much older squad on average than most teams in J2, specifically in that most of the starters are over, or very close, to 30-years of age, so how much physical training is required for these guys to maintain peak performance each week? The news release from Ryukyu stated that Taguchi injured his hand during the Niigata match but I find it hard to believe he would’ve been able to continue in a game, one in which Ryukyu used only 4 out of the possible 5 substitutes, if he truly broke the bones at any point in the match. Especially one with so much at stake.

Ryukyu may have started off very strong this year, but if the training truly has been too brutal on the guys, then we are seeing the effects as the season progresses.  Right now, Ryukyu are dealing with no less than 4 injuries, if we read the tea leaves on some players where there’s been no word of an injury, which seem to be related to unnecessary wear and tear. Granted, injuries will always occur throughout the season, but is enough being done during training to limit the impact of a 42-game season with large amounts of travel?

2. Turnovers were killer. FC Ryukyu couldn’t generate any type of attack in the first half with the high number of turnovers they committed in the central midfield. This provided Akita with numerous short counter attacks and chances to take the lead. Inose made a fine save on one such play but Ryukyu were bailed out on another when Yong Jick committed a heinous turnover in their end and it was very lucky that the Akita player severely miss hit the shot. Kiyotake can also be included in the egregious offender category for turnovers on Saturday. This was a day that the offense really needed to carry the day with the defense reeling with injuries and they simply couldn’t penetrate the Akita back line.

3. Mental lapses rearing their head once more. Aside from the aforementioned turnovers, there was the break down at the end of the game that saw Ryukyu concede a goal within 1-minute of scoring for the second consecutive week. Akita managed to make it all the way into the Ryukyu 18-yard box on 2 passes and put one past Inose to level the game with less than 60 seconds of stoppage time remaining. First, Chinen may have missed judged the flight of the ball when he came out a little too far, and then was unable to get into position to challenge the initial long ball from the Akita goal keeper. Then, Yong Jick opted to play the man, not the ball, which allowed the Akita player to knock the ball forward. Koki Kazama did all he could to delay the inevitable but Mikami was strong enough to hold off the challenge from Ryukyu. Seeing how Mikami was basically falling backwards, there was only one way he was going to put the shot on net and that was high. For his part, Inose stated in his post-game comments that he should have done better when setting the defensive line on that play but I think he should have seen how Mikami was setting up and played for the high shot, not a low liner from that tight of an angle.

4. Higuchi’s post-match comments. Higuchi received a lot of flak in the days following this game as he severely criticized Akita for “not playing football.” I don’t agree with those comments, nor condone them, as a way of shifting blame for how the team performed. First, your opponent always has a say in the game and if you are unable to make the necessary adjustments during the game, that is a failure of coaching. Second, it was evident that Akita were playing a physical type of football with Ryukyu early on and continued to do so when the referee allowed that type of play to continue unabated. The only card to be shown in the first half was awarded to the Ryukyu goal keeper coach who took umbrage with a late challenge to Inose who was nursing a bit of a knock to his ankle.

Third, give credit where credit is due to Akita. They had a game plan, executed that game plan, and earned a valuable point. In fact, Akita were probably more deserving of that point as they could’ve easily defeated Ryukyu had they not missed a few chances. Finally, you have five opportunities to make changes throughout the game and if you thought Akita was truly out there parking the bus, then you should have made changes earlier than the last 10 minutes of play so those changes could have a meaningful impact on the game.

5. It is going to be a cruel, cruel summer. Fire up Bananarama on your playlists and brace for a bumpy ride as Ryukyu face a daunting task of staying in the promotion race until the summer break. What was once a position of strength for Ryukyu, defense, has turned into their Achilles heel as of late. Ryukyu are no longer seeing out low scoring games for wins and that is unlikely to improve the next few months until players return from injury. To that point, the two categories for points accumulated over expectation and points dropped are starting to get to dangerously close to one another.  Ryukyu probably sit about 10 points shy of avoiding relegation at this point, but I am not sure they will be able to maintain a place near the top of the table by the time fall rolls around.  

6. The Emperors Cup looms large. Ryukyu will play their opening match of the Emperors Cup this Wednesday at Matsumoto Yamaga. I’ve never been a huge fan of this tournament, mainly because of the way it has to be organized with so few clubs owning their own stadium to go along with the drain on limited resources forcing Ryukyu to play another road game during an already long season. Higuchi stated that this is an important tournament for the club this year. I would agree that we need to get some bench players some playing time as injuries begin to mount but Ryukyu shouldn’t gamble with any of the starting eleven in the midweek. Tsumita is likely to start in net, needs some playing time if Inose is indeed dealing with an injury, with whole sale changes across the back and front. Ramon, Motegi, Nakagawa (?), Ichimaru, Yu, Shintaro, Fukui, Torikai, Makito, Yamashita, Murase, Paso, and Hitomi should all make the squad and see playing time. I would even like to see Sho Sawada (17) and Koki Yushin (16) get a call up. But you never know these days as it looked as if Ryukyu remained on the mainland for training in between these games and are unlikely to have flown in several replacements for this game.

6. Round 17 in J2

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All three of the top three sides drew this week which allowed Jubilo Iwata to leapfrog FC Ryukyu into third place following their fourth win in a row. Apparently the four wins in a row is a franchise record for Jubilo Iwata. No real change after the top 4 sides this week but the gap near the bottom is beginning to widen for Omiya Ardija, on another managerial change this week, and SC Sagamihara.

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7. Conclusion

Rocked by multiple injuries, with confidence waning, and the notion of promotion slowly slipping away, Ryukyu need to regroup and change whatever it is that they’ve been doing the past 7 rounds that has seen them tumble 2 spots outside of promotion. The midweek EC match is not what this team needs right now, though I can understand that it is an opportunity for some of the players to get some match minutes who have infrequently, or never, appeared for Ryukyu this season. This may turn out to be significant in the event we need to look to some of these players in the near future if the injuries continue to pile up.

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

Intro

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

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

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

1. Weather Forecast & Match Day Information

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

Click>>> MD 17 Info from Blaublitz Akita

2. Previous Match Day Highlights

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

3. Team Previews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

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

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

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

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

5. Prediction

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

6. Round 17 in J2

All Times Listed are in Japan Standard Time

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

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

Click>>> J-League International YouTube Channel

7. Conclusion

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

MD 16 Report: (2) Albirex Niigata vs (3) FC Ryukyu #FC琉球

Intro

Albirex Niigata came from behind to defeat FC Ryukyu 2-1 to regain the pole position in J2. Ryukyu started the fireworks in the first half with a very nice goal from Ren Ikeda following a Keita Tanaka cross just behind the Niigata defense. Unfortunately, Ryukyu were only able to maintain that lead for sixty seconds before Takagi’s equalizer put Niigata level. Without the services of one of their better defenders, Okazaki, Ryukyu conceded an ‘ugly goal’ halfway through the second half and were unable to find an equalizer of their own. This was Ryukyu’s second loss in a row, the first time this has occurred for Ryukyu this season, whereas Niigata were able to arrest their two game slide and grab an important victory in the race for promotion.

Photo Credit: @ym_it_hr
  1. Match Highlights
  2. Man of the Match
  3. Review of the Keys to Victory
  4. Prediction
  5. Talking Points
  6. Round 16 in J2
  7. Conclusion

1. Match Highlights

2. Man of the Match

Photo Credit: Albirex Niigata

Albirex Niigata CAM Yoshiaki Takagi: Scored the opening goal for Niigata on a really nice one-time touch inside the Ryukyu 18-yard box and was involved in the set up play for the second Niigata goal.

3. Review of the Keys to Victory for FC Ryukyu

1. The offense must carry the day. Likelihood 2. FC Ryukyu started out strong by grabbing the early lead but they couldn’t sustain the lead as the offense tapered off when they needed it the most.

2. Win the battle of set pieces. Likelihood 2. This one is a push for me as though Ryukyu didn’t concede, they didn’t score either. Uesato came close to equalizing in the second half but Niigata’s goal keeper made a fine save to keep their lead intact.

3. Exploit Niigata’s turnovers. Likelihood 3. I didn’t see many turnovers from Niigata yesterday so credit to them for cleaning this up in the week leading up to this match.

4. Prediction

I thought Niigata would take this 2-0 but Ryukyu bagged the opener so I’ll award myself a draw for predicting the winning sides goal tally. Season Record 6-4-6.

5. Talking Points from Round 16

1. Ryukyu did not play poorly; they just fell victim to Niigata’s ability to see out tough games for wins. Neither side was that explosive yesterday with a majority of the top passing players being of the defensive or central defensive midfielder types. There were long stretches of the game where there was little to no action with both sides seemingly not wanting to lose this match. Ryukyu out shot Niigata in the second half but the only serious threat on net was the Uesato free kick when Ryukyu could only manage one corner kick in the final 45’ minutes. Ryukyu also did well to limit the impact of both Shion Homma and Koji Suzuki but in the end, like they’ve done so many times this year, Niigata found a way to win.

2. A couple of cases of being caught flat-footed. On Niigata’s opening goal Chinen was caught leaning in the wrong direction on the cross into the box and was unable to recover in time to completely close down the Niigata attacker. Though it appeared that Taguchi would have enough time to get to the shot, he was also leaning the opposite direction before his jump across the mouth of goal to block the shot went past his outstretched arms. Some of us here felt this was a ball that Taguchi should have got to, and one in which Taguchi addressed with his post match comments stating that it wasn’t as simple as it may have looked on film, but instead it was one of those plays where Ryukyu had the wind taken out of their sails after surrendering the equalizer so quickly.

3. The second Niigata goal was just hard to watch. No less than 4 Ryukyu players had a shot at clearing the spilled ball that made its way through our central defense. The initial deflection off of Numata set Niigata up but neither Chinen, Yong Jick nor Koki Kazama could get enough on the clearance, thus leaving Taguchi in a so called ‘no man’s land’ where he couldn’t come out to collect the ball with another Niigata attacker lurking in the area.

4. We couldn’t get Abe firing. Abe made his return to the lineup after a few weeks off and the team looked much better as a result. We knew it was unlikely for Abe to play a full 90’ minutes after returning from injury and it was his departure after 60’ minutes that signaled the steep drop off in Ryukyu’s offense for the remainder of the match. Glad he is back as Ryukyu desperately need him up top next month.

5. The looks of frustration and bewilderment among the Ryukyu players following the match is a telling sign that something’s not right. Koya Kazama took this loss particularly hard as he was visibly frustrated by the result. Then there was the dismayed look on Chinen’s face which seemed to me as someone who couldn’t understand how things turned out the way they did despite their best efforts. I am not sure how Ryukyu prep for games, or make in game adjustments, but these boys need some confidence boosting results next month before doubt and frustration take hold.

6. Ryukyu’s injury crisis. We can now add Okazaki to a growing list of Ryukyu players who are either out injured or are in the midst of their recovery. We will be without Okazaki until late July which means we won’t see him again until after the Olympic break. Abe returned but we never heard what was affecting him the past two weeks. There has been no sign, and no word, on the status of Akamine though Ryukyu are likely to see the return of Makito Uehara to training next week, and Dany Carvajal a few weeks after that. Ryukyu have 4 healthy central defenders on the roster with Chinen, Yong Jick, Fukui and yet to make an appearance Yusuke Murase. Another injury to this position will seriously derail any push for promotion.

7. It is not all bad. As mentioned earlier in this section, Ryukyu looked better this week than they did against Yamagata and finally scored at the Big Swan stadium. Abe’s return will boost this club as was evident by the Ren Ikeda goal, his first goal since Abe’s departure/return. Though the loss has consigned Ryukyu to sole possession of third place, they are only 3 points back from the leaders. If Ryukyu can maintain, or close, that gap by the halfway point of the season, they have a punchers chance at seeing it through.

6. Round 16 in J2

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Kyoto Sanga’s 0-0 draw with Ventforet Kofu following Albirex Niigata’s win over FC Ryukyu means both sides are level on points with Niigata resuming the top slot based on goal difference. The Kyoto pitch looked awful following an Olympic torch relay there, but I am not sure how much that had to do with the performance from either side. A couple of upsets by Fagiano Okayama and Giravanz Kitakyushu pushed them up the table and in the case of Giravanz, out of the relegation zone. Omiya Ardija and SC Sagamihara are firmly entrenched at the bottom with SC Sagamihara parting ways with their manager following their loss. Jubilo Iwata’s 1-0 win over Zweigen Kanazawa puts them within 1-point of FC Ryukyu and within striking distance of the leaders.

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7. Conclusion

Ryukyu ended the month of May 2-2-2 with 8 points earned from a possible 18. The wobble this month coincided with several injuries to the side that saw Abe, and now Okazaki, miss time in crucial match ups. Ryukyu managed a single point against the top two sides this month with Kyoto Sanga finishing with 4 points and Niigata with 3. This was the first time all year that Niigata earned a single point off a top six side and sets them up for a nice month of June. Neither of the top 3 teams have a particularly brutal schedule next month but Ryukyu face the daunting task of traveling to Akita and then Matsumoto in the midweek for their next two rounds. For now, Ryukyu must head back to the training ground and find a way to restore the type of football they were playing at the start of the season or risk find tumbling out of the race for promotion altogether.